I will never be off the steep part of the learning cure, I think...
(Snip long discouraging tale of hamfisted TE molestation)
Now that I have reached an appropriate level of being offended by the damage done to this fine piece of gear, I am afraid it has become a quest: can I return this 184 to its pristine, well-engineered and built pre-bodge condition? And how much money with I have to expend acquiring no-longer-made diodes, transistors, and ferrites in order to do so ?
Over on the Book of Faces I participate in a group "Old Tek Scopes". Someone brought up the subject of Mr Carlson's videos and it generated a surprising number of negative comments. I happen to think Paul is very knowledgeable and I defended him. Well some individual in need of a tin foil hat to keep out of sight of the black helicopters decided to go toe-to-toe with me and I'll let you read the hilarity.
And I don't care that my real name appears. Most of you know who I am anyway.
Michael Donnelly Gee, all the hate in here. I don't get it. I have a lot of respect for Paul Carlson. He is extremely skilled and knowledgeable. And he takes the time to completely explain his reasoning, methods, and above all, the dangers. His videos are viewed by individuals who range from complete novices to experts. So he tailors the videos to his least knowledgeable audience. That's just good common sense but to experts like us it may seem condescending. It is not.
…...
Not sure why your workplace need to be a mess to repair something. In my case it's the reverse. When I'm stuck on a problem I need to clean the bench and think. People like to generalize.
I also respect peoples that decide not to clean their bench. It's their choice
Over on the Book of Faces I participate in a group "Old Tek Scopes". Someone brought up the subject of Mr Carlson's videos and it generated a surprising number of negative comments. I happen to think Paul is very knowledgeable and I defended him. Well some individual in need of a tin foil hat to keep out of sight of the black helicopters decided to go toe-to-toe with me and I'll let you read the hilarity.
And I don't care that my real name appears. Most of you know who I am anyway.
Michael Donnelly Gee, all the hate in here. I don't get it. I have a lot of respect for Paul Carlson. He is extremely skilled and knowledgeable. And he takes the time to completely explain his reasoning, methods, and above all, the dangers. His videos are viewed by individuals who range from complete novices to experts. So he tailors the videos to his least knowledgeable audience. That's just good common sense but to experts like us it may seem condescending. It is not.
…...
Not sure why your workplace need to be a mess to repair something. In my case it's the reverse. When I'm stuck on a problem I need to clean the bench and think. People like to generalize.
I also respect peoples that decide not to clean their bench. It's their choiceUhuh. But that shunt is still in there, probably being digested. I think I'll go with the exorcist.
absolutely. add to that some chemicals that I would definitely stay away from such as hydroflouric acid.
HF is nasty, but it's OK to work with as long as you (1) make sure that you know what you're doing and (2) use all the right safety gear (including having Calcium Gluconate gel on hand for first aid) (3) never, ever take short cuts or be slipshod in your working practices.
It's a bit like working with high voltage - what you can get away with at 100V you can't at 1kV, and what you can get away with with 5M H2SO4 you can't with HF.
Power meter done. This came from the realisation that I wasn't going to pay MFJ £34 for a piece of inaccurate shit when I can make myself a piece of inaccurate shit for about £15 with a decent sized meter I can actually see.
Turns out this is actually usable to well past 150MHz (!) which was a surprise.
Outside. Caffeine shake wibbly lines FTW.
Guts. Not pretty but that's how you get low VSWR.
Now to build some power attenuators to push it up to 200W!
absolutely. add to that some chemicals that I would definitely stay away from such as hydroflouric acid.
HF is nasty, but it's OK to work with as long as you (1) make sure that you know what you're doing and (2) use all the right safety gear (including having Calcium Gluconate gel on hand for first aid) (3) never, ever take short cuts or be slipshod in your working practices.
It's a bit like working with high voltage - what you can get away with at 100V you can't at 1kV, and what you can get away with with 5M H2SO4 you can't with HF.
I know, we have special HF emergency first aid kits at our location.
Doesn't mean I have to play with it at home (even though I played with lots of nasty acids in my younger days, even with chrome sulfuric acid which is quite ugh)
Not f**king around with it is safer than getting killed just because you have become complacent.
Goes for having a cell phone around explosives, as well.
...I like to learn stuff. But when it comes to stuff that can easily kill or seriously injure me, I am kinda hesitant and somewhat careful. I mean, I would not check why that class 4 laser does not switch on without the proper eye protection ...
Which reminds me ... where did I put that ...... Anybody have a klystron for some speed trap ecm ?
There are 2 things that I will absolutely not fuck with (actually 3): Magnetrons, lasers, X-Ray tubes.X-ray machine would be coolLook, only 20$! It's probably safe right ?
absolutely. add to that some chemicals that I would definitely stay away from such as hydroflouric acid.
HF is nasty, but it's OK to work with as long as you (1) make sure that you know what you're doing and (2) use all the right safety gear (including having Calcium Gluconate gel on hand for first aid) (3) never, ever take short cuts or be slipshod in your working practices.
It's a bit like working with high voltage - what you can get away with at 100V you can't at 1kV, and what you can get away with with 5M H2SO4 you can't with HF.
I know, we have special HF emergency first aid kits at our location.
Doesn't mean I have to play with it at home (even though I played with lots of nasty acids in my younger days, even with chrome sulfuric acid which is quite ugh)
Not f**king around with it is safer than getting killed just because you have become complacent.
Goes for having a cell phone around explosives, as well.Well, yes. HF is not exactly fun. But FOOF is magic. Did you know that bricks can burn?
...I like to learn stuff. But when it comes to stuff that can easily kill or seriously injure me, I am kinda hesitant and somewhat careful. I mean, I would not check why that class 4 laser does not switch on without the proper eye protection ...
Which reminds me ... where did I put that ...... Anybody have a klystron for some speed trap ecm ?
There are 2 things that I will absolutely not fuck with (actually 3): Magnetrons, lasers, X-Ray tubes.X-ray machine would be coolLook, only 20$! It's probably safe right ?
Something I have noticed over the last few years is a precipitous drop in the cost of USB Dental X-Ray sensors. As in going from several thousand used to several hundred; I’ve seen working used units in the $300-ish range a couple times.
If I were seriously interested in such, that would probably be the direction I’d investigate.
mnem
“Ow, my gametes!!!”
Look, only 20$!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/X-ray-Image-Intensifier-Screen-for-experiments-with-x-ray-tube-x-ray-photografy/253987892134?hash=item3b22dbaba6:g:070AAOSwVFlT8niH
It's probably safe right ?
Not sure if anyone has stumbled over this or if this is one of our members but this is an excellent blog on test gear:
https://lazyelectrons.wordpress.com/
So I don't want to say TOO much yet, but later this month...if all goes well...there will be a very very awesome TEA day here at my house. There is a very special piece of RF test equipment coming that is still factory sealed and brand new, even though it isn't new. There will be photographs.
You're just a big tease, aren't you?
Well, it's not often that us hobbyists get the opportunity to buy a piece of very very high end equipment that's still factory sealed. So I want it to be a nice surprise for everyone ca Christmas.
The Gorilla's really got to that 184, didn't they?
@BU508: And it is fine with me that they gave up on such propellants, as I might end up in such places where they are used.
I will never be off the steep part of the learning cure, I think...
More work on the 184.
.
.
.
Now that I have reached an appropriate level of being offended by the damage done to this fine piece of gear, I am afraid it has become a quest: can I return this 184 to its pristine, well-engineered and built pre-bodge condition? And how much money with I have to expend acquiring no-longer-made diodes, transistors, and ferrites in order to do so ?
must .... resist .... urge .... to .... buy .... it .... now ...
must .... resist .... urge .... to .... buy .... it .... now ...
what the hell do you need neptunium hexaflouride for ? Build smaller igniters for thermonuclear devices ? Improvements to Teller Ulam ?