Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

Woot. Just snagged me a new toy for an all too reasonable 80 smackers. Guess I can't sell that 7603 now 



And thus the 7xxx collection starts, probably followed by the divorce. Meh I'll sleep with my 7603 

Now to find an SA graticule for it.

Oh same seller has sampling plugins and all sorts. This month could get very expensive.

Holy shitballs! I hate you. 

Edit....how do you know the front end ain't blown to hell like they normally are?

[xrunner]

Woot. Just snagged me a new toy for an all too reasonable 80 smackers. Guess I can't sell that 7603 now 

You lucky dawg. 

Oh same seller has sampling plugins and all sorts. This month could get very expensive.

LOL get ready with the plastic card(s). 

[bd139]

Holy shitballs! I hate you. 

Edit....how do you know the front end ain't blown to hell like they normally are?

I'm taking a risk there. Last one went for 5x that here so worth a punt. Worst case it's worth more than that if I break it for parts or keep it for spares for when I get a working one

I've done a fair bit of research and the main risks are duff YIG, toasted attenuators and first mixer. I can resolve anything but the YIG easily even if it means hacking some minicircuits shit in there. However it is the most densely packed 7xxx plugin there is I reckon. Fun time. Need a 7D14 to go with it now

[mnementh]

That 2020 is just... Nipply. 

In Other News...

Testing with my DE-5000 indicates the battery gauge and LVC are quite compatible with 2 cell Lixx operation.

3-2 bars transition: 9.05V
2-1 bars transition: 8.25V
1-0 bars transition: 7.49V
Low Battery Cutoff:6.80V

And for those playing along at home... My checks of my 189, after a 30 minute warmup on the AD984:

10V: 10.003V
7V5:   7.503V
5V:   5.0017V
2V5: 2.5019V

And 0V5 vRef on the D5000 is 0.5003V. Close enough that I'm not gonna touch it.

mnem
I intend to be unbearably pleased with myself for at least the rest of the afternoon. 

[mnementh]

Woot. Just snagged me a new toy for an all too reasonable 80 smackers. Guess I can't sell that 7603 now 



And thus the 7xxx collection starts, probably followed by the divorce. Meh I'll sleep with my 7603 

Now to find an SA graticule for it.

Oh same seller has sampling plugins and all sorts. This month could get very expensive.

Holy shitballs! I hate you. 

Edit....how do you know the front end ain't blown to hell like they normally are?

Woooh... got enough nipply for BOTH hands with that one. sweet!

mnem
*koff-wheeze*

[tggzzz]

BTW...you Brits keep using the term "fortnight" and I had no idea what length of time it was. Google is your friend. 2 weeks.

Often combined with furlongs as a unit of velocity, i.e. furlongs/fortnight. 1furlong/fortnight is just about 1cm/minute. Of course the VAX/VMS used microfortnights: see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FFF_system

Personally I rather like nanocenturies, as in "I'll only be 20 nanocenturies, dear".

[tggzzz]

And thus the 7xxx collection starts, probably followed by the divorce. Meh I'll sleep with my 7603 

I'm avoiding 7000 series since I regard them as injurious to my health in several different ways.

[Specmaster]

That 2020 is just... Nipply. 

In Other News...

Testing with my DE-5000 indicates the battery gauge and LVC are quite compatible with 2 cell Lixx operation.

3-2 bars transition: 9.05V
2-1 bars transition: 8.25V
1-0 bars transition: 7.49V
Low Battery Cutoff:6.80V

And for those playing along at home... My checks of my 189, after a 30 minute warmup on the AD984:

10V: 10.003V
7V5:   7.503V
5V:   5.0017V
2V5: 2.5019V

mnem
I intend to be unbearably pleased with myself for at least the rest of the afternoon. 

Those results aren't too shabby are they, certainly more than good enough to call that 189 as being in calibration 

[Specmaster]

Woot. Just snagged me a new toy for an all too reasonable 80 smackers. Guess I can't sell that 7603 now 



And thus the 7xxx collection starts, probably followed by the divorce. Meh I'll sleep with my 7603 

Now to find an SA graticule for it.

Oh same seller has sampling plugins and all sorts. This month could get very expensive.

That's a nice snag you got there but it also comes with a snag, you might relegated to sleeping the shed with the 7603 for company, or a very expensive move to a new house with a garage for your workshop 

[bd139]

And thus the 7xxx collection starts, probably followed by the divorce. Meh I'll sleep with my 7603 

I'm avoiding 7000 series since I regard them as injurious to my health in several different ways.

Yes they are injurious. Got to admit that. On the physical front that carry handle is just a practical joke by the engineers at Tek.

Woot. Just snagged me a new toy for an all too reasonable 80 smackers. Guess I can't sell that 7603 now 



And thus the 7xxx collection starts, probably followed by the divorce. Meh I'll sleep with my 7603 

Now to find an SA graticule for it.

Oh same seller has sampling plugins and all sorts. This month could get very expensive.

That's a nice snag you got there but it also comes with a snag, you might relegated to sleeping the shed with the 7603 for company, or a very expensive move to a new house with a garage for your workshop 

Already looking on rightmove 

[Miti]

I don't buy them for resale unless I'm going to snag at least 3x what I paid for them. Preferably 5x (done that a couple of times  ). Sometimes you get a PITA or a lemon. I've got one on my hands now.

Welcome to the bastard 465 club. Mine is sitting in a closet never to see the light of day again.

Ok guys, I listened to your advice and I didn't buy them. Another question, if you were to choose between Tek2445B and Hitachi V-1585, which one would you keep and which one would you sell? Bandwidth aside.

[mnementh]

That 2020 is just... Nipply. 

In Other News...

Testing with my DE-5000 indicates the battery gauge and LVC are quite compatible with 2 cell Lixx operation.

3-2 bars transition: 9.05V
2-1 bars transition: 8.25V
1-0 bars transition: 7.49V
Low Battery Cutoff:6.80V

And for those playing along at home... My checks of my 189, after a 30 minute warmup on the AD984:

10V: 10.003V
7V5:   7.503V
5V:   5.0017V
2V5: 2.5019V

And 0V5 vRef on the D5000 is 0.5003V. Close enough that I'm not gonna touch it.

mnem
I intend to be unbearably pleased with myself for at least the rest of the afternoon. 

Those results aren't too shabby are they, certainly more than good enough to call that 189 as being in calibration 

Yup. I expected as much after the amazingly dead-on numbers I got with my resistor array; but it's nice to confirm.

And the 0V5 vRef on the D5000 is 0.5003V. Also what I consider to be good enough.

Looking for datasheets on the handful of new capacitors I have on hand; see if I can make sense of what this DE5000 is telling me. Then maybe time for some mods. 

mnem
glerp.

[Specmaster]

I don't buy them for resale unless I'm going to snag at least 3x what I paid for them. Preferably 5x (done that a couple of times  ). Sometimes you get a PITA or a lemon. I've got one on my hands now.

Welcome to the bastard 465 club. Mine is sitting in a closet never to see the light of day again.

Ok guys, I listened to your advice and I didn't buy them. Another question, if you were to choose between Tek2445B and Hitachi V-1585, which one would you keep and which one would you sell? Bandwidth aside.

I think I'd keep the Hitachi personally.

[mnementh]

I don't buy them for resale unless I'm going to snag at least 3x what I paid for them. Preferably 5x (done that a couple of times  ). Sometimes you get a PITA or a lemon. I've got one on my hands now.

Welcome to the bastard 465 club. Mine is sitting in a closet never to see the light of day again.

Ok guys, I listened to your advice and I didn't buy them. Another question, if you were to choose between Tek2445B and Hitachi V-1585, which one would you keep and which one would you sell? Bandwidth aside.

I'm biased towards the 24xx series, of course, so I would keep the 2445. Mostly because their architecture is so unbelievably well-documented, and there are still so many resources available for them. I expect there will be active 24xx UGs long after I've taken my last trip down the silicon highway. 

mnem
*Nukular*

[bd139]

I rather like the 24xx’s too. Just too damn scared of those ASICs. Then again I just bought a Cthulhu nightmare in comparison. Might desensitize me a bit to that

[mnementh]

You're welcome.

mnem

This post approved by the Bureau of PreCambrian Affairs.

[factory]

And thus the 7xxx collection starts, probably followed by the divorce. Meh I'll sleep with my 7603 

I'm avoiding 7000 series since I regard them as injurious to my health in several different ways.

Yes they are injurious. Got to admit that. On the physical front that carry handle is just a practical joke by the engineers at Tek.

Woot. Just snagged me a new toy for an all too reasonable 80 smackers. Guess I can't sell that 7603 now 



And thus the 7xxx collection starts, probably followed by the divorce. Meh I'll sleep with my 7603 

Now to find an SA graticule for it.

Oh same seller has sampling plugins and all sorts. This month could get very expensive.

That's a nice snag you got there but it also comes with a snag, you might relegated to sleeping the shed with the 7603 for company, or a very expensive move to a new house with a garage for your workshop 

Already looking on rightmove 

Very nice find. I did look through the sellers ended items from the link you gave and thought you must have bought at least one of them. 

Oh and all the talk of batteries over the last few days, the one in my Sony phone has finally decided it's had enough right on cue at just over 3 years use (low capacity). Too bad it's soldered in, so guess I have to buy a new one.  I don't suppose it's done to bad as it was only £120ish from the lower end of their range.

David

[Specmaster]

Skipping through Daves videos tonight I came across this one, now I know that we have discussed this many times and bd139 has also done one his own videos on this as well, but I thought what the hell, it good fun anyway

[bd139]

I remember watching that when it came out. Nearly been a decade. Bloody hell.

Exploding capacitors is always fun. Buy a bag of shitty old untested axial ones off eBay and take them, some speaker wire and an SLA in the garden. Cheap fireworks

[Specmaster]

It clearly shows just how dangerous tants are, in the right environment, or wrong environment I should say, they could destroy you house.

[tggzzz]

That 2020 is just... Nipply. 

In Other News...

Testing with my DE-5000 indicates the battery gauge and LVC are quite compatible with 2 cell Lixx operation.

3-2 bars transition: 9.05V
2-1 bars transition: 8.25V
1-0 bars transition: 7.49V
Low Battery Cutoff:6.80V

And for those playing along at home... My checks of my 189, after a 30 minute warmup on the AD984:

10V: 10.003V
7V5:   7.503V
5V:   5.0017V
2V5: 2.5019V

mnem
I intend to be unbearably pleased with myself for at least the rest of the afternoon. 

Those results aren't too shabby are they, certainly more than good enough to call that 189 as being in calibration 

Pleasingly, the PD202oB PSU is better

I forgot to point out that the 2020's indicators are neons (not LEDs), and they flash to indicate an overload. There's something homely about neons.

Although you can dial up voltages in 1mV steps, the 1mV vernier pot allows voltages to be tweaked to microvolt levels. Once set at, say 100mV, the value stays rock solid at 0.100000V, as measured on an HP DVM with 1uV resolution. In contrast, eyeballing my Tenma PSU gives 50uVpp variations.

There's somethiing just right about these 2020B PSUs; definitely a keeper.

[bitseeker]

I've been looking for a Power Designs 2020 for a little while. The brushed ali front panel looks so pornographic, and the thought of being able to set a low noise PSU in 1mV steps is too much to resist. Proper knobs and digital - what more could I possibly want?

I was wondering who snagged that one.

What more could you want? Hmm, maybe a 5020 to go with it.  Despite the additional range to get higher voltages (up to 50V @ 1A, 20V @ 2A), it has a 10-turn 10mV vernier pot for fine tuning. So, you still have plenty of resolution.

The first picture shows the fleabay advert. Knobs missing and a bit suspicious that only the front panel is shown, but at least the voltmeter matches the dials. Bought it for £8 (+£50 P&GSP ), about the same as they cost here unpowered up.

Yeah, that seller only takes one pic per listing. You got a good deal. They usually go for much more. In fact, the last one from that same seller, a fortnight prior, sold for US$66 + 64.55 s/h (domestic).

The final picture shows it after tarting up with car spray and a couple of knobs I've had lying around since the 80s. I will deem it evidence that hoarding is worthwhile, cough.

Great job, tggzzz.

Although you can dial up voltages in 1mV steps, the 1mV vernier pot allows voltages to be tweaked to microvolt levels. Once set at, say 100mV, the value stays rock solid at 0.100000V, as measured on an HP DVM with 1uV resolution. In contrast, eyeballing my Tenma PSU gives 50uVpp variations.

There's somethiing just right about these PSUs; definitely a keeper.

Yep!

[bitseeker]

And 0V5 vRef on the D5000 is 0.5003V. Close enough that I'm not gonna touch it.

Outstanding. Better be spot on being that it's new and not $10.

I intend to be unbearably pleased with myself for at least the rest of the afternoon. 

I second that commotion. Hope you get well soon, too.

[bitseeker]

BTW...you Brits keep using the term "fortnight" and I had no idea what length of time it was. Google is your friend. 2 weeks.

Being on this forum for the past several years, not only do I recognize more country flags, I think I'm developing an international vocabulary. The other day, I said, "ugh, we have to get in the queue" (instead of "line"), and my brother replied, "queue?"

[mnementh]

BTW...you Brits keep using the term "fortnight" and I had no idea what length of time it was. Google is your friend. 2 weeks.

Being on this forum for the past several years, not only do I recognize more country flags, I think I'm developing an international vocabulary. The other day, I said, "ugh, we have to get in the queue" (instead of "line"), and my brother replied, "queue?"

As Arthur Dent is known to say... "If there's one thing Brits know, it's how to que." 

mnem
Speaking of flags...