Author Topic: List your test equipment "scores" here!  (Read 775050 times)

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Offline N2IXK

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1000 on: December 03, 2016, 11:57:22 pm »
Got an oldie-but-goodie at a local ham club auction. An HP 410B VTVM for the opening bid of $1! 

Needed all new probe cables and a line cord (rubber was dry-rotted and crumbling), but the thing cleaned up beautifully, and the calibration was still pretty close after all these years. 

Replaced the electrolytic cap and a selenium rectifier just on general principles, and the thing calibrated in perfectly, with all the original HP-branded tubes still in it!

Really didn't NEED it, but does have an Rx1M range that reads up to 500 megohms, a DC input impedance of 100+ megs, and an AC voltage probe that works up to 700 MHz, exceeding the capabilities of my more modern gear.  Plus the AC probe (with internal tube) keeps your hands warm in the winter... 8)
« Last Edit: December 04, 2016, 12:00:16 am by N2IXK »
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Offline PointyOintment

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1001 on: December 06, 2016, 03:04:43 am »
Power Designs TW5005.



$10 CAD at the local government surplus depot.



A friend of mine got one of these there two or three months ago and was quite pleased with it. I think his might have been the TW5005T version. I was envious from the moment I saw it. I don't think he knew the brand, though; I recognized it right away because it's popular on here.

This past Friday, I happened to look at the surplus seller's online list of things for sale (which is just a very brief description and occasionally a photo or two, no prices) and saw "precision millivolt source" and "twin power supply", so I decided to go over and have a look. I never found the millivolt source, which is what I mainly went for—it was probably bought between when I read the list and when I got there; it's no longer on the list today—but I did discover that the "dual power supply" was a way nicer one than I'd expected from that description. Strangely, they put power supplies from local brands nobody's heard of in the online auction section, where they fetch prices around $75–150, but Power Designs power supplies in the cash&carry section for $10!

It's remote-controllable, and it has a cord winder that the person who packed it up to sell apparently didn't notice:



There was also this note, held on by ancient masking tape that fell off when I picked it up, saying "RETURN ALL":



I haven't taken it apart yet, let alone turned it on, but I did see some interesting stuff when I looked in through the vents (on the back, hidden above the resistor house in the third photo) using another score, my new endoscope, which I got for $15 CAD ($11.11 USD) on 11/11.
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Offline VK5RC

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1002 on: December 06, 2016, 10:27:58 am »
Got an Electrometer(Keithley 619) at a fair price but the TRIAX!!!!! I think I a am about to change business!
Edit Triax AKA = TRB connector, common brand Trompeter (Thanks guys)
« Last Edit: December 09, 2016, 05:54:36 am by VK5RC »
Whoah! Watch where that landed we might need it later.
 

Offline rastro

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1003 on: December 06, 2016, 05:41:16 pm »
Got an Electrometer(Keithley 619) at a fair price but the TRIAX!!!!! I think I a am about to change business!

It gets even better.
The triax on the 619 are old style (2-prong) leaving you to use an old style cable (hard to find).  Alternatively you could get a 2-to-3 prong converter or upgrade the 619 bulkhead(s) to the modern 3-prong.
Did I mention there is also 2-prog triax to BNC converter - which loses some of the advantages of the triax topology but allows for a cheaper cable.

let the good times roll...
 
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Offline N2IXK

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1004 on: December 06, 2016, 07:48:43 pm »
Speaking of triaxial cable, I needed a few feet of it for the restoration of the HP 410B mentioned a couple posts up. It is used for the AC probe cable, where the outermost shield is used to carry filament power to the probe diode. My probe cable was severely deteriorated and falling apart.

Not finding a convenient source of just a short length of raw triax cable (and not wanting to hack up a $$$ cable with connectors attached), I decided to try making my own. I found that Belden RG-174 cable (type 8216) is just about the same OD as the inner conductor insulation in their RG-58 cable (type 8240). I was able to solder a length of RG-174 (shield and center conductor together) to the inner conductor of the RG-58, and using a vise to hold the opposite end of the RG-58 center conductor, I was able to use the RG-58 center conductor to pull the RG-174 INTO the shield and outer jacket of the RG-58, creating a triaxial cable. The 174 serves as the center conductor and inner shield, with the outer shield from the RG-58 left over to serve as the filament power conductor as in the original HP cable. 

Probably wouldn't work for more than a few feet of cable, but this little hack saved me from trying to track down a short length of triax, or buy a full spool of the stuff for way too much money.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2016, 05:55:57 pm by N2IXK »
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Offline Muttley Snickers

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1005 on: December 06, 2016, 11:55:23 pm »
I've just found this handy looking device on Ebay AU and it's listed at buy now for $15.95, unfortunately it's also listed as pick up only and I'm in another state so that's out, if others think it might be of some value then I could probably contact the seller and perhaps work out a deal or somebody else here might be interested, I couldn't find any information on it via a Google search. Anyway, it's described as a Proteq Board Wizard Combi Test and I'm guessing that it might be a continuity tracer of some type, it does look pretty handy and ticks all the boxes.

Buttons: Check   :-+
Knobs: Check   :-+
LCD Display: Check   :-+
It Looks Handy: Check   :-+
It's Bloody Cheap: Check   :-+
 
 

Online Berni

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1006 on: December 07, 2016, 06:28:03 am »
Got an Electrometer(Keithley 619) at a fair price but the TRIAX!!!!! I think I a am about to change business!

I just got myself in to a worse triax nightmare. I bought a HP 4141B Source measure unit for 100 bucks and then found out it has 5 triax connectors on the back(4 SMU channels + 1 precision GND signal). Okay no biggie il just buy some cables for that, quick look online and.... they cost HOW much?! :o

I almost bought a bunch of new old stock triax connectors from a guy on ebay before i realized the connectors are 2 stud BNC while my HP boatanchor has 3 stud BNC style connectors. In the end i spent like 100 bucks again on buying 3 sets of long triax cables that i plan to cut up in the middle and put some more sensible connector on the end like XLR or something.
 
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Offline Cubdriver

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1007 on: December 07, 2016, 06:41:25 am »
Don't you hate it when you get a deal on something, then wind up spending nearly as much if not more to get the manual or some needed accessory?  I suppose it's best to look at the total cost sunk into whatever it is, but even when that still works out very well it grates on me to spend the extra $$.   >:(

-Pat
If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 
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Online Berni

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1008 on: December 07, 2016, 07:10:16 am »
Don't you hate it when you get a deal on something, then wind up spending nearly as much if not more to get the manual or some needed accessory?  I suppose it's best to look at the total cost sunk into whatever it is, but even when that still works out very well it grates on me to spend the extra $$.   >:(

-Pat

Well this HP 4141B seams to impossible to even buy a manual for if you wanted to. All i got online was one section of the programmers guide while for the rest a manual from a similar HP unit had to be used. No service manual what so ever to be found. This made it particularly scary when i first turned it on and the Fail LED came on, pressing the selftest button resulted in the same. Later on i found out that the high voltage interlock connector on the back needs to be shorted to GND for it to pass self test. Phew what a relief.

Another hidden cost i found is buying a >500MHz scope. Suddenly you need all new fancy pants active probes to make use of that bandwidth, and those things don't come cheep let me tell you (But then again its amazing how crisp of a signal they get, <1pF probe capacitance is a world changer).
 

Offline rastro

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1009 on: December 07, 2016, 04:49:09 pm »
Sometimes the last few feet going to the equipment is the expensive part.   :rant:
 

Offline TiN

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1010 on: December 07, 2016, 05:00:39 pm »
.... they cost HOW much?! :o

Usual ball-park pricing for low-noise triax cables with 3-lug ports is 50-200$/pc :). You can get some connectors from Digikey (TRB type they call it), about 23$/pop, as cheap as they go (if not counting ebay gambles).
Also don't confuse them with twinax which look similar and use mechanically same connector, but very different in performance and purpose.

Perhaps my article on Agilent 4142B could be useful for you, as it's similar box. If you plan teardown of 4141B, I'd love some photos! Wear non-coated gloves if you decide to peek into front end sections...
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Offline razberik

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1011 on: December 07, 2016, 05:51:43 pm »
Sometimes the last few feet going to the equipment is the expensive part.   :rant:
Absolutely true.
Especially when you buy machine from somebody who dont know that it is. When he forgot to steal "those cables" (Probes you prick ! These "cables" are called probes !) from previous owner.
 

Online Berni

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1012 on: December 07, 2016, 07:53:03 pm »

Usual ball-park pricing for low-noise triax cables with 3-lug ports is 50-200$/pc :). You can get some connectors from Digikey (TRB type they call it), about 23$/pop, as cheap as they go (if not counting ebay gambles).
Also don't confuse them with twinax which look similar and use mechanically same connector, but very different in performance and purpose.

Perhaps my article on Agilent 4142B could be useful for you, as it's similar box. If you plan teardown of 4141B, I'd love some photos! Wear non-coated gloves if you decide to peek into front end sections...

I bought three 4m long triax cables for 56 USD a piece, on there way from the US right now.

That is a interesting article you got there. I actually used the manual for the 4142B to get an idea of how these things work. And i couldn't resist taking off the lid when i got it because i was curious what was inside to make the thing so massive. To give you a sense of scale the whole unit is half a meter long (about 1ft6) and takes up 4U of rack. I expected it to be half empty inside but was i wrong. Interestingly it also has 3 "shield domains" inside where parts of the internal metal case are held separated by plastic spacers. The PSU has its own shield domain, CPU its own and the large analog section has its own. Enjoy the preliminary photos(Might make a dedicated forum thread for it since there is no info on them yet quite common on ebay.).

I have not pulled out any of the cards because when i first tried to they seamed to really not want to move. Pulled so hard that i was afraid of breaking the plastic tabs. Its possible the environment it was in had some volatile solvents floating in the air since the case feels a bit sticky and some less important looking cables inside felt really sticky. Its not like it got something poured on it because any metal work around the sticky cable was perfectly clean, not even dusty. I had a guess that maybe something similar happened to the backplane connectors to get the boards so stuck in. I need to have another go at it by dissembling it a bit more so that i can get a better grip on the boards. I need to do something about that loud fan at some point, tho i have no idea where to stick a fan speed control circuit with how full the insides of it are. Also need to find some software for it or write my own.

Front ends on these are well encased in metal cans from what i can see, but i would assume its very similar to your 4142B since this unit is designed for 100V 100mA just like your medium power modules. Id love to have a high current one in here too, but then again i did get it for just 100 bucks.
 

Offline VK5RC

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1013 on: December 08, 2016, 10:43:27 am »
Glad to know I wasn't the only one swearing at the price of Triax, up until then I thought heliax/connectors were expensive.
I have managed to find some "2 lug" triax to triax  and 2 lug triax to croc clip cables, cost more than the Electrometer.  I think I will include them in my last will and testament!
I like the 'hack' of N2IXK with RG174 and the outer shield of RG58 :-+         Now to hack a connector somehow >:D     (not looking hopeful - but easier with the 2 Lug version)
Whoah! Watch where that landed we might need it later.
 

Offline HighVoltage

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1014 on: December 08, 2016, 12:23:06 pm »
Glad to know I wasn't the only one swearing at the price of Triax, up until then I thought heliax/connectors were expensive.
I have managed to find some "2 lug" triax to triax  and 2 lug triax to croc clip cables, cost more than the Electrometer.  I think I will include them in my last will and testament!
I like the 'hack' of N2IXK with RG174 and the outer shield of RG58 :-+         Now to hack a connector somehow >:D     (not looking hopeful - but easier with the 2 Lug version)
I went the same route when I got my first Keithley Electrometer and could not believe my eyes when I saw the prices for cables and connectors.
Have you looked for a TRIAX T-Connector.
Don't be surprised at $400 each and up!
Then I learned to also look for "Trompeter" connectors and found many more for reasonable prices.
There are 3 kinds of people in this world, those who can count and those who can not.
 
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Offline djnz

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1015 on: December 08, 2016, 12:38:18 pm »
USA:
Wavetek 143 20MHz function generator $68 + $18 shipping = US$86 total.
« Last Edit: December 09, 2016, 07:43:04 am by djnz »
 

Offline PaulAm

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1016 on: December 08, 2016, 01:50:12 pm »
Picked up a repairable Tek 454A on a local craigslist sale for $30.  Guy said is was fine other then the "picture tube" [sic}.  Gotta love nontechies.  A quick look showed a crisped resistor on the regulator board and a blown LV fuse.  It won't be going into the "easiest repair ever" thread, but shouldn't be too difficult to bring back to life.

As a bonus, it was an IBM scope which is a neat piece of history.
 

Offline ZeTeX

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1017 on: December 08, 2016, 06:58:48 pm »
Notice how most of the scores are from people in America, specifically USA.
its hard for us who live in a dirt-hole score an equipment on eBay without paying 200$ for shipping itself.
 

Offline nctnico

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1018 on: December 08, 2016, 10:32:10 pm »
True but even then you can get better deals from the US then on a local market. Over a decade ago I paid $350 for shipping a logic analyser I won on Ebay for $66. Besides that you can also find nice deals from Asia. OTOH recently I missed out on some nice DC loads because shipping was just too cumbersome and the seller decided to sell to someone who picked them up.
There are small lies, big lies and then there is what is on the screen of your oscilloscope.
 

Online Berni

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1019 on: December 09, 2016, 06:22:45 am »
Yeah its common to pay over 200 bucks to ship some big boatanchor piece of equipment from the US. But sometimes you find a deal so good that its worth it even with the shipping.

Another thing is that the seller has to know how to pack big heavy equipment properly. When not packed properly one decent drop of the box on the right corner can cause quite a bit of damage when the thing weighs like 20kg. When it has to get here from the US that makes it go trough more "nodes" where the post office gorillas throw the boxes from one vehicle to the next. And yes the term "throw" is the one to use judging by some of the shipping horrors that made it to my door.

Luckily the old gear tends to be made out of metal so a lot of the damage can be fixed by taking it apart and bending it back (Luckily damage on gear i bought was always just cosmetic).

In case anyone is wondering crumpled up newspaper is NOT fine for shipping a 30kg power supply overseas.
 

Offline Cubdriver

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1020 on: December 09, 2016, 07:03:16 am »
Yeah its common to pay over 200 bucks to ship some big boatanchor piece of equipment from the US. But sometimes you find a deal so good that its worth it even with the shipping.

Another thing is that the seller has to know how to pack big heavy equipment properly.

...

In case anyone is wondering crumpled up newspaper is NOT fine for shipping a 30kg power supply overseas.

Yeah, for something that heavy you'd definitely want to step up to butcher paper as packing material.   ;)   :P

What some people consider to be adequate packing simply boggles my mind sometimes.  The Electro Instruments DVM I got from the 'bay a while back springs to mind.  It basically had NO packing - the guy folded up and hot glued corrugated cardboard around it.  (Though I suppose it could be argued that he made a custom box for it...   :palm: )

-Pat
If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 

Offline BravoV

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1021 on: December 09, 2016, 07:19:29 am »
Few BNC accesories for my T&M stuffs, not the top tier brand though, but good enough and should be adequate for hobbyist use.

- Full metal BNC feed thru 50 Ohm termination, not sure it's capability at GHz range though, but my requirement < 100 Mhz should ok right ? So sick & tired of using separate BNC T connector + 50 Ohm terminator.

- Panel mount isolated BNC female connector, not sure when or where I'm going to use it  :-//, its the "isolated" feature made to grab few of them.  :palm:

- Right angle BNC male connectors, had been wanting these for quite a while, no more stressing those hanging short coax wires when used at T&M equipments.
« Last Edit: December 09, 2016, 07:34:47 am by BravoV »
 

Offline PTR_1275

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1022 on: December 09, 2016, 08:00:22 am »
Few BNC accesories for my T&M stuffs, not the top tier brand though, but good enough and should be adequate for hobbyist use.

- Full metal BNC feed thru 50 Ohm termination, not sure it's capability at GHz range though, but my requirement < 100 Mhz should ok right ? So sick & tired of using separate BNC T connector + 50 Ohm terminator.

- Panel mount isolated BNC female connector, not sure when or where I'm going to use it  :-//, its the "isolated" feature made to grab few of them.  :palm:

- Right angle BNC male connectors, had been wanting these for quite a while, no more stressing those hanging short coax wires when used at T&M equipments.

Where abouts did you get the feedthroughs from and how much were they? My stuff only goes upto 10MHz for signal generators, or 100MHz for the scope, so I don't need anything rated to GHz either.
 

Offline BravoV

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1023 on: December 09, 2016, 08:34:57 am »
Where abouts did you get the feedthroughs from and how much were they? My stuff only goes upto 10MHz for signal generators, or 100MHz for the scope, so I don't need anything rated to GHz either.

Aliexpress, just search for "P7001 BNC" , currently only one shop sells this, at least from my search.

Remember, I'm not affiliated with this shop, and priced at $8.55 for two pieces (free s/h).

I haven't throughly test it yet, but a quick DMM check they're spot on at 50 Ohm.

Here, a close up shot (not resized), just in case you need to take a quick glance on the metal finishing b4 ordering, not bad imo.
 
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Offline TheSteve

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #1024 on: December 09, 2016, 09:01:22 am »
They are on banggood.com as well.

I ordered a pair and will sweep them when they arrive.
VE7FM
 
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