Products > Test Equipment
new killer scope in town - a true game changer from R&S - RTB2002 & RTB2004
Darkover:
I have seen something like this with computer parts, rubber, cable that are installed in an
industrial sewage treatment plant. You did not notice it with youre nose, but some
gas/fumes can have strange effect on some plastic.
Sometimes I wonder how people can work there!
Please show a high quality picture to us.
Olaf
electronix27:
Thanks for all the replies.
This really has me stumped. I know there's no oil inside the cable. The outside jacket just appears to be degrading. Has occurred to some degree on all probe cables but a couple have been a bit more. No harsh environment, mostly just my home bench. The scope itself still looks like new. Shortly after original purchase, I bought the protection and transport case, model RTB-Z3, made just for this scope and 3000 series. kind of expensive, but I don't regret the purchase, works really well. All the probes and a few extra cables and a differential probe fit in there. I thought that might be made in Germany. It has a unique smell to it. I used to roll all the probe cables and slide them inside front pouch, but after I noticed this wetness on the cables I put them in baggies first. I don't think it's a reaction to case materials, none of the other cables inside have this issue. When I first noticed the issue, I wiped them down with 91% Isopropyl, then water. R&S Rep recommended same thing. Few photos from storage baggie.
Rydda:
@electronix27
I believe my probe cables (RT-ZP03) suffer from the same problem, although not to the degree to cause a 'puddle'. But they feel very sticky, and when you handle them they leave a greasy feeling, and make you want to wash your hands. I bought my scope about three years ago, and I probably first noticed the problem last fall. The probes, when not in use, hang on a wall with no contact with anything else.
Beside them hang the probes (HZ200) from my previous scope (Hameg), and they do not suffer from this problem. I have had that scope for 20 years+.
I have encountered this problem before, especially in audio equipment where the manufacturer has tried to create a very flexible cable. On my high-end headphones, the symptoms appeared after more than fifteen years, but did not get worse. On my not-so-high-end headphones the symptoms also took a long time to appear, but they got worse over time, so I had to replace the cable.
The worst cable I have had was a headphone extension cable of unknown origin that lay looped in a drawer for a long time. That cable had become a sticky mess, almost 'melted'. It was impossible to separate the windings.
My net searches gave no solution, other than to periodically wipe the cables with isopropyl. The cause of the problem was claimed to be the softener agent in the material leaking out over time.
/Rydda
Darkover:
Hm..3years? I think my scope is now at the same age. I will check my probes very carefully later.
My probes stay unused in the delivery bag, most of the time, because I use the PMK probes
and only unpack them when I need 5-6 channels at the same time.
I think when it happens to more people it is a problem of the manufacturer of the plastic/rubber.
Olaf
goaty:
Same here 4 probes in bag, because use others.
They are not sticky but it smells a bit like plasticky.
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