List your test equipment "scores" here!

[nctnico]

Thanks for pointing to that thread. At least I know I have to get that partition recovered somehow.

Edit: Progress! I swapped the channel 2 attenuator with the aux attenuator and now the channels work. I took the opportunity to clean the contacts between the attenuators as well. Now all channels seem to work (at least in 1M Ohm mode). Getting the channel 2 attenuator out was a major PITA. There is a threaded standoff which got lose instead of the screw. In the end I managed to get it lose but I nearly got to the point to just try and break the screw. I'm not a fan of Lecroy's mechanical design 'skills'.

Edit2: In the process I have found a burned tantalum capacitor.

[AngraMelo]

Following the kiss and tell spirit:

A Newtronics 200MSTPC AM-FM-Sweep/Pulse/ Function Generator for free. Guy sold to me and it didnt work on arrival. He was very nice and gave me the money back. I found a ton of cold solder joints and problems is fixed.

A Advantest Universal Counter TR5821 for $50. It was listed as needing 100Vac (Japanese model?). Here in Brazil is all 220Vac and 110/137Vac So I pulled the trigger anyway. When it arrived I opened it up and the main power transformer has all the taps necessary. Moved a couple of wires and now it is a 220Vac unit!

A Fluke 87-V, swapped a random old guitar pedal for it. Came broken, wouldnt turn off and displaying BATT. Fixed the damn thing with the help of you guys!

Yesterday was the last one. A Tektronix TDS-1001c-30edu. Nice 2 channels and 30mhz scope, looks brand new. Guy wanted $100 but was happy with $50.

[CJay]

Not completely sure this falls into the test gear category but:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adalm-Pluto-SDR-Learning-Module-for-Ham-Radio-TX-RX-ESHail-BATC-DATV/333332616898?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

and a Nissei HF/VHF power/SWR meter.

[Ice-Tea]

Thanks for pointing to that thread. At least I know I have to get that partition recovered somehow.

Edit: Progress! I swapped the channel 2 attenuator with the aux attenuator and now the channels work. I took the opportunity to clean the contacts between the attenuators as well. Now all channels seem to work (at least in 1M Ohm mode). Getting the channel 2 attenuator out was a major PITA. There is a threaded standoff which got lose instead of the screw. In the end I managed to get it lose but I nearly got to the point to just try and break the screw. I'm not a fan of Lecroy's mechanical design 'skills'.

Edit2: In the process I have found a burned tantalum capacitor.

I have found worn RF relays to cause excessive noise in the past as well.

EDIT: On other LEcroys, I found slow updates to be cause by having a loth of math overlays/traces/calculations to be active.

[lukier]

Thanks for pointing to that thread. At least I know I have to get that partition recovered somehow.

Edit: Progress! I swapped the channel 2 attenuator with the aux attenuator and now the channels work. I took the opportunity to clean the contacts between the attenuators as well. Now all channels seem to work (at least in 1M Ohm mode). Getting the channel 2 attenuator out was a major PITA. There is a threaded standoff which got lose instead of the screw. In the end I managed to get it lose but I nearly got to the point to just try and break the screw. I'm not a fan of Lecroy's mechanical design 'skills'.

Edit2: In the process I have found a burned tantalum capacitor.

Good progress. By all channels work you mean all but aux? If reseating and cleaning fixed all (all!) of them I'd undo the swap - the calibration files are matched to each FE I think.

BTW, check the big DDA-3000 thread, maybe with Converter's help you can hack it to 7300A

[Neomys Sapiens]

P6042, for a handshake.

(Attachment Link)

What did you use to shake the hand?

[ArthurDent]

This is related to test equipment "scores" even though it isn't actually test equipment. We were at a antique/junk store today when my wife pointed out what looked like a large roll of steel wire but she noticed it said 'Kester Solder' on the spool. The spool was over 15 pounds of 40/60 alloy .081" (2mm) rosin core solder. While I'd prefer 60/40 and smaller diameter solder getting over 15 pounds of solder for $10 isn't something I'm going to pass up!

[rsjsouza]

This is related to test equipment "scores" even though it isn't actually test equipment. We were at a antique/junk store today when my wife pointed out what looked like a large roll of steel wire but she noticed it said 'Kester Solder' on the spool. The spool was over 15 pounds of 40/60 alloy .081" (2mm) rosin core solder. While I'd prefer 60/40 and smaller diameter solder getting over 15 pounds of solder for $10 isn't something I'm going to pass up!

That is certainly quite interesting. One detail, though: I always heard about soldering going "old" after some time and losing its best features. I have never seen any real "proof" about this, but I wonder if the drit/grime on is outer layer would be the main reason. What do you think?

[Ysjoelfir]

That is certainly quite interesting. One detail, though: I always heard about soldering going "old" after some time and losing its best features. I have never seen any real "proof" about this, but I wonder if the drit/grime on is outer layer would be the main reason. What do you think?

Right now I am using up a spool of at least 30 years old solder. (it already existed when I was born..) Works a treat if you keep your iron clean. sure, modern solder is better in many ways, but that stuff is definitely still useable.

[beanflying]

I found this crusty old spool of 5 core a few months back in one of Dad's toolboxes that would have been circa 40 years old or more. Smokey as all get out as it has a high flux content but works fine. I still have some on another formerly 2kg spool my Uncle gave me over 30 years ago that is my normal heavier solder.

Leaded all the way - sorry EU members

[rsjsouza]

Thanks for the inputs - I guess the smoke is compatible with what I see when fixing old equipment.

My main spool is almost 20 years old and it still does an excellent job - but it does not have the same crust and grime I see on the photographs here.

[beanflying]

Stay tuned there is a product due for release really soon This is some of the crusty solder in the last shot as it is the smokiest I have.

[exe]

modern solder is better in many ways

Why?

[Ysjoelfir]

modern solder is better in many ways

Why?

Just personal perception, that wasn't meant as a generalisation.
Even though I could imagine that modern solder wires have other fluxes and additives which could in theory give a better soldering experience.

[ArthurDent]

rsjsouza - "I always heard about soldering going "old" after some time and losing its best features."

The solder I bought isn't 'that' old and is standard rosin core Sn/Pb solder that may have some dust on it from storage but isn't corroded at all. I've tried it and see no difference between it and any other solder I have other than a slightly lower melting point. I certainly would use this over lead free solder with all the problems that could bring. 

[tooki]

[...] I certainly would use this over lead free solder with all the problems that could bring. 

While nobody is ever going to claim that lead-free is superior to leaded solder, that video is useless. He's comparing a vaguely decent leaded solder to crappy Chinese lead-free. And as it happens, people who've compared tons of different solders, both leaded and lead-free, both Chinese and high quality, find that Chinese solder usually sucks, no matter what its (claimed) composition. So in that video, the problems he's attributing to lead-free are actually just the issues with Chinese solder. (That and questionable technique.)

If one compares high-quality lead-free to high-quality leaded, the lead-free is really only minimally harder to work with, aside from needing a few degrees higher temperature.




As for old solder, I have a roll of Kester bought sometime around 1990. It went unused from probably 1995-2015, and in that time the outer layers tarnished a bit. This didn't seem to obviously affect its performance, though, and one option was simply to use a tissue with IPA to clean off the surface a bit before use. Inner layers are shiny like new, and perform great.

[nctnico]

If one compares high-quality lead-free to high-quality leaded, the lead-free is really only minimally harder to work with, aside from needing a few degrees higher temperature.

I agree with that. Always get high quality lead-free solder from a reputable brand. I'd like to add that lead free solder seems to have a much narrower temperature range over which it leads to good results so the temperature of the soldering iron is much more critical.

[Addicted2AnalogTek]

I just landed a Tek 485 with options 4 and 78 for under $100 USD including shipping and taxes!  Option 4 is EMI shielding and Option 78 is P11 phosphor.

Now I wait to see what condition it is really in... it's shown powered up with a trace, but broken V/div knobs and the channel 2 impedance selector switch is not lit like it should be. I'm not too concerned, though, as I have a parts unit sitting on the shelf.

[Dek]

My Racal 1998 was delivered the other day, I'm happy with its 'bangonieness'...need to fire up the ole GPSDO for a better test.

[Illusionist]

I got an Agilent 34410A two days ago, and just got chance to get inside and check it out. Was due for recalibration in Jan 2018, so not too far away. I've nothing as accurate to check it against unfortunately; my next best multimeters are a GW Instek 8251A and an ancient but still working Thurlby 1905A. My only calibration sources (if I can call them that) are some Maxim MAX6126A references. As far as I can tell everything is good though.

The VFD display is as close to as new as I can tell and inside the unit was almost spotless. Mostly just a build up of dust on the fan. It all got a dusting anyway. The meter has clearly had a cozy life. The warranty stickers were intact until I peeled them to open it up. The advert photo (below) makes the marks on the rubber look much worse than they actually are, and the main body is almost flawless.

That fan though... it almost drowns out the vacuum cleaner! Well, it did. It now has a 100Ω resistor inline with it and is much quieter. My lab (repurposed bedroom) is kept quite cool so I doubt it's an issue. I might still change it out for a 15mm thick Sunon maglev though, and run that slower too.

Anyway, I'm chuffed to bits as they say, and here are some pictures:

[beanflying]

I got an Agilent 34410A two days ago, and just got chance to get inside and check it out. Cost £360 all-in from eBay, and was due for recalibration in Jan .....

snip

That fan though... it almost drowns out the vacuum cleaner! Well, it did. It now has a 100Ω resistor inline with it and is much quieter. My lab (repurposed bedroom) is kept quite cool so I doubt it's an issue. I might still change it out for a 15mm thick Sunon maglev though, and run that slower too.

Anyway, I'm chuffed to bits as they say, and here are some pictures:

Not all 34401A's had fans or even case ventilation. My late Agilent era has neither and is more stable as well as I can determine than my 34461A by a few PPM over a 10C temperatrure swing. Do some searching as I never have re fan or no fan?

Today's unneeded plaything is a Gertsch Decade Ratio Transformer. No particular use for it other than it will be a fun toy for the collection. I was watching it and the seller put out a reduced price offer and it had very low freight costs from the USA to Oz so I obliged 

Will fit in with my Valhalla 2703 AC Cal. and 2500EP Current Amp. (when I get it repaired) but other than that just for fun.

[Mr. Scram]

beanflying, it seems you fell for the classic switcharoo of the HP/Agilent number system. 34410A not 34401A.

[beanflying]

oops I blame a lack of coffee  and HP for dyslexic numbering 

[don.r]

Picked this up about 2 years ago for $100 as a parts unit. Works perfectly fine AFAIK.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Picked this up about 2 years ago for $100 as a parts unit. Works perfectly fine AFAIK.

(Attachment Link)

Didn't know that one before. Even without 4-wire connection, a Milliohmmeter (or microohm-meter) from a serious western manufacturer for 100.- is a laudable find.