Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14548633 times)

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Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10375 on: May 05, 2018, 11:42:49 pm »
If you think that’s shocking, the poor NHS disposed of about 2000 PCs last year which didn’t even leave the suppliers. Basically just handed over the money for them. Then the suppliers charged them storage and disposal.

Going to ML&S today. That’s dangerous. Got my eye on one of these:

https://youtu.be/EWfgtKapVDU
Why do I get the feeling that when a company or individual does that the tax man will look for the loophole or scam until it is found?

Do you have a source for that story? All I can find are about regular NHS IT failures and wastes of money.

Tax man doesn’t care. Attempts to report this to the press have been met with “meh” so far as there’s no agenda or political affiliation involved. In time someone will bite...

I don't think he's auditioning, he is it.

BD139 has gradually turned into the TEA soap opera what with the Mrs' haircuts, the lego, the GPS and sticky faceprints on the window, decimated credit cards, exploding domestic appliances and the never-ending suspense of when will the oven get fixed:popcorn:

Okay... but how do we blame Penis Fingers for the Legos?  :-DD

Speaking from experience, I know that li'l mnem IS responsible for my own Lego misery... without him, no little boy; no little boy, no 10000 Legos (NOT an exaggeration... a conservative estimate from the last 7 years purchases) scattered from hell to breakfast about the house. But there's at best an etymological relationship between the two.  :o


mnem
I survived the Saturday afternoon trip to Wholesale Club Hell without eating any of my family in self-defense; don't expect another damn thing of me until after I've had a decent night's sleep.  };=)~~~~<

I blame it on my eldest who was tasked with helping clean up the youngest’s lego explosion :)

I can’t do wholesale places any more.  I turned into my local Costco (Feltham) car park a few months back and there were toilet rolls everywhere and two women punching each other and pulling hair. Just did a 180 and went elsewhere.
 

Offline Mr. Scram

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10376 on: May 06, 2018, 12:16:50 am »
I think the tax man would be most interested if a company bought and immediately junked computers worth a million quid or more. It has the smell of a fraud, except that these systems actually existed.
 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10377 on: May 06, 2018, 12:29:50 am »
I can’t do wholesale places any more.  I turned into my local Costco (Feltham) car park a few months back and there were toilet rolls everywhere and two women punching each other and pulling hair. Just did a 180 and went elsewhere.

What, to get popcorn before you drove back?  >:D

Note: If you ever do this in real life remember to park military style, nose out for a quick getaway. As every copper who's been called to a 'domestic' will tell you, the quickest way to stop a fight is to become the mutual focus of the protagonists ire.
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Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10378 on: May 06, 2018, 12:32:29 am »
I think the tax man would be most interested if a company bought and immediately junked computers worth a million quid or more. It has the smell of a fraud, except that these systems actually existed.

Allowable expenses include those that are the result of rank stupidity. If they didn't every Times-100 company's board would be in gaol.
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10379 on: May 06, 2018, 07:24:37 am »
Thought I'd give you a small update as to the proceedings of my PM2421 repair.

It was all downhill after that.

Although this referred to Nimrods, that sums it up nicely.

The first session didn't go well.
The second session didn't go well.
The third session went far worse than those.

I really didn't expect this to become such a task. It took me some time to realize that the beautiful manual was for an earlier model. The manual from ElektroTanya is for my model, but the scan quality is not as good. And both manuals have missing pages.  :(
After lots of wasted time, I realized that the logic was stuck in the down-integration phase. Looked like the comparator never signaled the zero crossing to ending that. Pulled out the resistor at its input and applied -0.1 V / +0.1 V. Output didn't change. However, that comparator is a µA710 in a 14-pin DIP. :( Unlike the majority, this one has push-pull outputs, so most of my collection is pretty useless. For testing's sake I build an adapter and went with a LT1018 (slower, not really dual supply, but as a quick test ...). After switching the thing on, I saw a light in the corner of my eye, which was also the corner of the power supply PCB. The display changed to 2 Nixies out, 2 Nixies gibberish, and the 5 volts were gone. Getting at the PS PCB is not too easy, but after pulling it out I found the light source: a long, thin glass tube with a fine wire in it, which the schematics showed as a 1 \$\Omega\$ resistor.

That was on Friday, and I still don't have the slightest idea why this happened. I was nowhere near the 5 volts rail when it happened. I was just watching, as I hoped it would spring to life. Even if I had made any short with that comparator, this could not have resulted.
I'm planning on powering the thing with my lab supplies (except the HV for the Nixies) so I can limit the current easily and safely. After replacing the dead fuse resistor with an ordinary 1 \$\Omega\$ resistor, the 5 volts from the PS are fine again (tested with an electronic load and DC lab supply instead of transformer).

Of course this might deserve a posting in the repair thread, but if I fail to make it work, I'd be too embarrassed.  :-[ I hate to admit defeat.
Not sure if I find some time today. The weather's too nice to stay in the house all day.
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10380 on: May 06, 2018, 07:58:43 am »
You win some, you lose some. I had to scrap a HP 54602B scope a while ago. Don’t give up yet though. From even the worst turds we gain experience, even if it results in a few grey hairs too  :-+

Philips are one of those strange companies. The electrical designs are very very good but the mechanical designs are designed by the electrical engineers I’m sure because they’re rubbish. Oh we’ll just stick the current shunt between some bits of plastic on the front panel. Oh the front panel has melted (been there).
 

Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10381 on: May 06, 2018, 08:01:43 am »
On a positive note, i just wound a massive 145 turns on a toroid without cocking it up  8)

Spend £3 on a ebay tally counter, the mechanical kind. Saves on the "Was that 40 turns or 50 turns I just finished?" moments. You can just 'click' turns as you go or if the turns require two hands, do them in fives and then hit the tally counter 5 times.

After you buy it, put it somewhere logical, not "somewhere sensible" or you'll never find it when you need it. Perhaps in the same drawer/box as your collection of cores or spools of magnet wire. (i.e. I haven't a clue where mine is at the moment.)

I have some Hengstler counters (electronic). Should be easy to rig up something involving a foot switch, so you have both hands free and can see the count nicely.
And then there was this Meteor winding machine that went into the trash. I guess bd139 would have loved it (if he had the space to put it). Nobody wanted it, not even me (just too f*ing big).
 

Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10382 on: May 06, 2018, 08:19:37 am »
You win some, you lose some. I had to scrap a HP 54602B scope a while ago. Don’t give up yet though. From even the worst turds we gain experience, even if it results in a few grey hairs too  :-+

Philips are one of those strange companies. The electrical designs are very very good but the mechanical designs are designed by the electrical engineers I’m sure because they’re rubbish. Oh we’ll just stick the current shunt between some bits of plastic on the front panel. Oh the front panel has melted (been there).

I don't give up easily! Not on this one! While there are very few special parts (like the "Photochopper" and that fuse resistor), lots of the ordinary parts aren't easy to come by today. I have thousands of TTL ICs, but only a few of those used in this instrument. And they can't be bought any more. :(
Failure is not an option. But a likely outcome ...
 

Online tautech

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10383 on: May 06, 2018, 08:29:28 am »
You win some, you lose some. I had to scrap a HP 54602B scope a while ago. Don’t give up yet though. From even the worst turds we gain experience, even if it results in a few grey hairs too  :-+

Philips are one of those strange companies. The electrical designs are very very good but the mechanical designs are designed by the electrical engineers I’m sure because they’re rubbish. Oh we’ll just stick the current shunt between some bits of plastic on the front panel. Oh the front panel has melted (been there).

I don't give up easily! Not on this one! While there are very few special parts (like the "Photochopper" and that fuse resistor), lots of the ordinary parts aren't easy to come by today. I have thousands of TTL ICs, but only a few of those used in this instrument. And they can't be bought any more. :(
Failure is not an option. But a likely outcome ...
If you fall into a hole where you can't find parts......ask here !
Many of us have old IC's and especially in my junk pile of old PCB's 1m2 x 500mm high.....dozens and dozens of old IC's.
A good few tubes of new assorted stuff too.
Avid Rabid Hobbyist
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Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10384 on: May 06, 2018, 10:21:34 am »
Yep I’ve got TTL coming out of my ears that I skip dived off an old employer.

Disclaimer: I sold all the good stuff on eBay already (74181s etc) :D
 

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10385 on: May 06, 2018, 10:32:00 am »
Yep I’ve got TTL coming out of my ears that I skip dived off an old employer.

Disclaimer: I sold all the good stuff on eBay already (74181s etc) :D
And I thought it was wax [emoji23] lovely day here  at Old Warden with the spitfires and hurricanes parked up in front of me   literally 50 feet  away.

From mobile device so predictive text might have struck again [emoji83]

Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline VK5RC

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10386 on: May 06, 2018, 11:58:04 am »
@BD139 if you are looking around at an Antenna analyser - can I suggest the "EU1KY" VNA? It an open source 0-450MHz VNA and is based around a demo board STM32F746 Disco ..(which has a colour touch screen) and a small daughter board (an SI5351 with two mixers)  added on - the whole lot costs about  AUD 120, but does involve hand soldering an SI5351. Really nice unit. It produces a Smith chart as well as a frequency scan, can do TDR, and with calibration comes really close to my AIM 4170. Don't use it as a freq source as it is full of harmonics.
https://bitbucket.org/kuchura/eu1ky_aa_v3/wiki/Home
Whoah! Watch where that landed we might need it later.
 
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Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10387 on: May 06, 2018, 12:10:45 pm »
That’s rather interesting actually. Thanks for the link. Will do some reading on that.

I’ve done a fair bit of work with the Si5351 clock gens and SA612’s as that’s what my (in development) transceiver consists of at the moment. The VNA design is quite neat.

No problems with hand soldering those. I’ve killed three now :)
 

Offline VK5RC

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10388 on: May 06, 2018, 12:23:27 pm »
I mis-soldered one leg on my SI5351 on my unit - took me about an hour to find it as the lead was cocked up a tiny bit  |O
Whoah! Watch where that landed we might need it later.
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10389 on: May 06, 2018, 01:00:32 pm »
Yeah they're a bugger. Smallest pitch I've soldered so far.
 

Online tggzzz

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10390 on: May 06, 2018, 01:09:12 pm »
Yep I’ve got TTL coming out of my ears that I skip dived off an old employer.

Disclaimer: I sold all the good stuff on eBay already (74181s etc) :D
And I thought it was wax [emoji23] lovely day here  at Old Warden with the spitfires and hurricanes parked up in front of me   literally 50 feet  away.

From mobile device so predictive text might have struck again [emoji83]

I'm sure it is lovely there, providing your mind as well as your body is there.


Sent from a real computer, so I can't pretend mistakes are "because the computer did it".
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 

Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10391 on: May 06, 2018, 02:21:09 pm »
Yep I’ve got TTL coming out of my ears that I skip dived off an old employer.

Disclaimer: I sold all the good stuff on eBay already (74181s etc) :D
Just like me. But I never had '181's (or a need for them). I was puzzled, however, that I do not even have a single of the once ubiquitous 7490's. I'm sure I played with them 40 years ago. And I don't throw things away lightheartedly.   ;D

While I was cycling, I had an idea (and some nasty headwind). Remember those two Nordmende DIVO 3362 of several days ago? One of them I decided not to waste my time on repairs. As they are the same vintage as the PM2421, I took a closer look at the schematics. Especially at the comparator. It bears the ominous name "SN72710", and the pin numbers and circuitry around it look eerily familiar now. ;) Maybe it wasn't so bad winning both auctions!

If only I had holidays 'til my retirement.  8)
 

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10392 on: May 06, 2018, 02:38:58 pm »
You win some, you lose some. I had to scrap a HP 54602B scope a while ago. Don’t give up yet though. From even the worst turds we gain experience, even if it results in a few grey hairs too  :-+

Philips are one of those strange companies. The electrical designs are very very good but the mechanical designs are designed by the electrical engineers I’m sure because they’re rubbish. Oh we’ll just stick the current shunt between some bits of plastic on the front panel. Oh the front panel has melted (been there).

I don't give up easily! Not on this one! While there are very few special parts (like the "Photochopper" and that fuse resistor), lots of the ordinary parts aren't easy to come by today. I have thousands of TTL ICs, but only a few of those used in this instrument. And they can't be bought any more. :(
Failure is not an option. But a likely outcome ...

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“Maxim 70: Failure is not an option. It is mandatory. The option is whether or not to let failure be the last thing you do."

― Howard Tayler, The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries


mnem
“No battle plan ever survives first contact with the enemy.” - Helmuth von Moltke

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Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10393 on: May 06, 2018, 02:54:51 pm »
Quote from: Lu-Tze(via TP)
Do not act incautiously when confronting little bald wrinkly smiling men!
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10394 on: May 06, 2018, 04:23:57 pm »
Slacking sunday - not. After much dicking around I decided to do an LCR meter properly and design a PCB and get it made up. Mainly because codeine for foot injury + manually routing board by hand on paper turned into something Dali would have come up with. 

Schematic capture done. Now to fuck around trying to spend 9 hours entering footprints for latching changeover switches and working out how to cram it all in a Hammond 1599.

Step 1 ...



Parts are chosen for economy not necessarily optimum for the job :)

« Last Edit: May 06, 2018, 04:25:31 pm by bd139 »
 

Offline Mr. Scram

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10395 on: May 06, 2018, 08:25:55 pm »
I finally received my serial port backplate and got the 34401A talking to the computer, but man is it finicky. Even though it displays correct numbers it also spits out a host of errors along with it. It appears it's a bit of a princess when it comes to what commands are shot at it in what order.
 

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10396 on: May 06, 2018, 08:34:32 pm »
Quote from: Lu-Tze(via TP)
Do not act incautiously when confronting little bald wrinkly smiling men!
The only person I saw remotely fitting that description today was flying a Spitfire and I wasn't a slightest bit worried cos I'd seen him before and knew that was a safe pilot  :-DD If anyone is interested I'll post a link to a few photos taken today once I've checked them through it might take a while seeing as I took 1,080 photos there today.
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline GerryBags

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10397 on: May 06, 2018, 09:06:27 pm »
When I was living at Sutton Wharf in Rochford we were close enough to Southend airport that we got a great view of the BoB memorial flight whenever they did a show in Kent, as they used to fuel up there. The sound of all those Merlins.... bliss!

I'm well up for seeing a Spit, always am. They have the same appeal to me as the early Tek 'scopes - beautiful industrial design at its absolute best.
 

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10398 on: May 06, 2018, 09:24:28 pm »
The show opened with a Typhoon FGR4 that did its whole display with full after burner on. Sadly though because of airshow regulations post Shoreham, its display axis and height put it out of reach to all but the best camera kits, and I shoot with a 300mm focal length lens and in order to get anything remotely interesting of it, you needed about 600mm and very few people had anything that size.

Heres an interesting trivia question for you all, with the full after burners on, how many HP does the Typhoon FGR4 produce?, not how much thrust but actual horse power does the plane produce on full afterburner?
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline Neomys Sapiens

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10399 on: May 06, 2018, 09:28:53 pm »

If you fall into a hole where you can't find parts......ask here !
Many of us have old IC's and especially in my junk pile of old PCB's 1m2 x 500mm high.....dozens and dozens of old IC's.
A good few tubes of new assorted stuff too.
Same here.
 


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