What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[lmester]

My new (to me) precision pulse generator. Battery powered, with approx 50ms pulse width and accurate fixed 30 sec pulse spacing. 330mA drive capability into 1.5R. Still calibrating but currently within 2ppm.

Your pulse generator has the advanced synchronome gravity oscillator drive. Make sure that your hipps are toggling

It's nice to know that I'm not the only electronics guy that also collects antique clocks!

My GPSDO is slightly more accurate. My wife would be very unhappy if I decided to hang it on the living room wall.

[Gyro]

Your pulse generator has the advanced synchronome gravity oscillator drive. Make sure that your hipps are toggling

Haha, absolutely, a detached gravity escapement. I do have a Hipp Toggle (a PO36) but way less accurate (too many contacts stealing power from the swing). I can't believe how stable the Synchronome is - I haven't touched it since the weekend and every day it's been audibly spot on compared to two radio controlled clocks. My Quartz watch has gained a second in that time!

Nice to know there are others with other strings to their collecting bows (don't get me started on laboratory balances )

[tkuhmone]

Ordered mainly ESD related stuff: tabletop ESD mat, ESD grounding point, brushes etc. Also couple of Pomona BNC adapters :-)

[Frost]

Last week my new desoldering tool has arrived and it works so well



My 30 year old desoldering pump on the left side

[djos]

Last week my new desoldering tool has arrived and it works so well



My 30 year old desoldering pump on the left side

Dam, I dont know how you did it, I just cant abide by the old pumps.  I've always found Solder wick to be orders of magnitude more effective. Like you, I recently got a desoldering station and cant believe how much more productive they are! 

[mmagin]

I finally got one of these supplies at a decent price.  Was "for parts or repair" and I don't plan to power it up until at least having a look at the insides, 3000 V can fry things pretty fast.

Also planning to replace the MHV connectors with SHV if it's practical, as those are more obtainable and safer too.

[Cubdriver]

Very nice!  It never occurred to me to swap in SHV connectors.  That's a good thought.  I've been half heartedly looking (without success) for MHV terminated leads for at least a year now and haven't stumbled across any that were reasonably priced and not trashed.

-Pat

[McBryce]

Picked this up for free this week. Unfortunately the label lies, as it came without any cable at all. I have an old laptop with PCMCIA that I can use it in, but it looks like the cable might cost me quite a bit

More free goodies coming later this week

McBryce.

[mmagin]

Very nice!  It never occurred to me to swap in SHV connectors.  That's a good thought.  I've been half heartedly looking (without success) for MHV terminated leads for at least a year now and haven't stumbled across any that were reasonably priced and not trashed.

-Pat

Wow, exciting, this has the good old stuff in it :/
Looks totally clean and non-leaky though.  Date code suggests it'll turn 50 later this year.

[bitseeker]

Is that Clorinol the same as the Chlorinol, Pyronol, Aroclor, etc. (i.e., PCBs) used as dielectrics back in the day?

[mmagin]

Is that Clorinol the same as the Chlorinol, Pyronol, Aroclor, etc. (i.e., PCBs) used as dielectrics back in the day?

I'm quite confident that it is. 
Although I'm a bit less worried about these than the high power stuff which was in a better position to spew its guts all over, I'm thinking about whether I want to just let it be, spend a lot on new capacitors, or give up on the project   Could definitely be looking at $120+ to spend on new capacitors for a $50 power supply.  Quite possibly worth it in the long run, everything about this (except the transformers) is fairly non-exotic discrete parts (if you include a 1N825 and a bunch of precision wirewound resistors as non-exotic) that is quite repairable.

My impression is that the lifespan of the PCB-filled paper capacitors is really quite good, but although the DE-5000 I have is decent, it's not equipped to test leakage at higher voltages like old time capacitor testers did.  And I know the non-oil-filled paper capacitors are problematic in just that way.

[lmester]

My impression is that the lifespan of the PCB-filled paper capacitors is really quite good, but although the DE-5000 I have is decent, it's not equipped to test leakage at higher voltages like old time capacitor testers did.  And I know the non-oil-filled paper capacitors are problematic in just that way.

Where I work I recently removed an old master clock system. It used a carrier current system to set the slave clocks. The signal was coupled to the 480V building wiring through a bank of PCB filled caps. They had been in continuous operation for nearly 50 years. I tested a few of them and they were still good. It seems like the more hazardous it is, the better it performs

And that brings up a reason to keep them and another to replace them. The old caps that I removed filled up a 5 gallon plastic bucket.  Getting that bucket picked up by the hazmat recycler cost $200! If you choose to properly dispose of the old caps, it's going to cost you some $$$ The problem with keeping them is that if one pops, you'll have PCB oil all over your workbench!

[Cubdriver]

As far as the chlorinol filled cap, as far as I'd be concerned I'd say if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Just leave it alone.  And I wouldn't be hugely fearful of the small amount in the cap.  Just don't go cutting it open and using the PCBs as massage oil, or mixing them with vinegar to put on your salad.  People lose their minds over things like this and asbestos and mercury.  Remember that dose is important.  If any of them were as deadly as you'd believe based on the over reactions they engender these days, you already have died simply from reading the label on the damned cap!.

Are PCBs somewhat dangerous?  Yes, they are.  Is it good that they're no longer being used?  Yes, it is.  Is it necessary to evacuate everyone within a ten mile radius and air drop in a hazmat team to remediate because you have a device with a sealed cap that might contain a few ounces?  I don't think so.

I'd be surprised if that cap wasn't fine (and if those caps were problematic, I'd expect to have seen some mention of it somewhere).  Find out what if anything ails the supply, fix it and enjoy using it.

-Pat

[SeanB]

Easy test if that cap is failing is to look at the seal between the terminal and the case. If glass, do not bother till it rusts apart, if it is rubber then beware of any liquid visible there as the rubber degrades.

There are still plenty of power transformers in use filled with PCB oil. Because the regular oil change equipment that takes the old oil out, filters and dewaters it is not cleaned between uses this means all of the transformers ( even brand new ones) will have some small volume of PCB oil contaminant in them, and older ones ( typical age is 60 years, simply because they do last so long in service) will never get all the oil in the paper insulation out ever. Then look at all the older PFC capacitors in use in utility switching yards, and still in use, full of PCB containing oil. Then look around for 40 year old wire, if it is oozing a green liquid that is also PCB based plasticiser in the PVC wire sheath, reacting slowly with the copper wire. I work with it daily, plenty of it around all over the world.

[pelule]

Shortly have baught a ES-1800 / 68k in-circuit emulator system (fully complete and looking near as new).

Did before power-on a detailed test of all components, thus have "take it apart" and did a short tear down.

[pelule]

next set of pictures

[pelule]

next set of pictures

[BravoV]

Scored a NOS weapon grade keyboard from local computer warehouse for $10, the legendary buckling spring keyboard.

The seller let it go since he claimed its no longer can be used at today's laptop anymore  , but at that price as it's "branded". 

PS : Anyone know how to clean the heavily tarnished 5 pins of the DIN connector without destroying the plastic housing ? (photo attached)

[Zbig]

More like an ultimate self-trolling keyboard with two F6s and no F8

[BravoV]

More like an ultimate self-trolling keyboard with two F6s and no F8

LOL 

Actually there is a F8, the saved photo is not very clear between F6 and F8, were swapped between F7 and F8 when inspected it underneath the key caps and put them back wrongly. 

[Cubdriver]

Ohh, my favorite kind of keyboard.  Nice, solid feel and action, and can also be used as a blunt force weapon and stop small caliber bullets.

Perhaps a q-tip and some contact cleaner, and/or toothpicks wrapped with fine sandpaper to clean the DIN plug a bit?

-Pat

[AF6LJ]

Scored a NOS weapon grade keyboard from local computer warehouse for $10, the legendary buckling spring keyboard.

The seller let it go since he claimed its no longer can be used at today's laptop anymore  , but at that price as it's "branded". 

PS : Anyone know how to clean the heavily tarnished 5 pins of the DIN connector without destroying the plastic housing ? (photo attached)

I have two of those one that works, I should get out and use on this computer, and another just in case.

[Cubdriver]

Because I can apparently never have too long a repair queue, I now have a Fluke 8100A DMM and an HP 3722A enroute from an evilBay seller...      

-Pat

[bitseeker]

Copycat! My 8100A arrived...and it works, amazingly enough. It's rather nice to have a new arrival skip the repair queue once in a while. It could use a good cleaning, though.

Do you already know what's up with your 8100A? Mine has the battery option, but I haven't checked to see if the cells are even inside anymore.

[Cubdriver]

Copycat! My 8100A arrived...and it works, amazingly enough. It's rather nice to have a new arrival skip the repair queue once in a while. It could use a good cleaning, though.

Do you already know what's up with your 8100A? Mine has the battery option, but I haven't checked to see if the cells are even inside anymore.

LOL - I apparently managed to either miss or forget that you'd gotten one!  (though with the lot of us buying stuff right and left, I can barely keep up with my purchases, nevermind everyone else's!)  It was listed as 'used', and described as 'tested for key functions', but who knows what exactly that means...  None of the photos show it lit up, so it's likely a pig in a poke.  Cosmetically the pics show it as a bit rough, but it has the feet and other than some scuffing and stickers it looks to be in decent shape.  No checkmark in the 'battery option' box on the rear panel sticker, so just a plain AC line powered meter AFAIK.  I'll know more when it arrives - who knows how badly this storm will bugger shipping up.

There are two Fluke 8375As on the shelf downstairs, too.     I'm really going to be the MeterMeister if I ever get all of the damned things up and running!

-Pat