Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14407635 times)

RolandK and 26 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline BillB

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 615
  • Country: us
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10500 on: May 10, 2018, 05:28:31 pm »
Did you get a tent to put it in down the park after selling the house? :-DD

Just seen a cool toy listed on eBay. If I win it I’m going to be a very happy transistor indeed. Wanted once since I was about 15 :)
Do spill the beans... what is it? >:D

No because someone else will buy it  :-DD

Too Late!  Counterbid tendered!  >:D

eBay auction: #142786077630
 

Offline Specmaster

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14483
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10501 on: May 10, 2018, 05:35:25 pm »
Did you get a tent to put it in down the park after selling the house? :-DD

Just seen a cool toy listed on eBay. If I win it I’m going to be a very happy transistor indeed. Wanted once since I was about 15 :)
Do spill the beans... what is it? >:D

No because someone else will buy it  :-DD

Too Late!  Counterbid tendered!  >:D

eBay auction: #142786077630
Somehow, I think that you're quite safe on that one, I can't see anyone else wanting to bid for it  :-DD
Who let Murphy in?

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

Offline bd139

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 23017
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10502 on: May 10, 2018, 05:39:34 pm »
What about this one :-DD https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F173300322403

Decapitated baby head, eyeballs on a stick, tasty tasty lead all in a children’s toy.
 

Offline rhb

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3476
  • Country: us
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10503 on: May 10, 2018, 05:59:07 pm »
Oh, dear.  I fear deeply for my immortal soul.  I just bought a factory refurb MSOX3104T with all SW options from Keysight's eBay store.  The sales tax alone was enough to give me heart palpitations.   I'd have offered less if I'd realized it would be taxed.

So take this as a warning and do not venture on the paths of temptation lest you too should fall from grace.


lordy lordy lordy!  if you were gonna' backslide down the wrong path that sure was the way to do it.

now i have a jones for a modern mso........but YOU are the new poster boy for TEA.

next time temptation raises it's ugly head i will think of you.....and observe a moment of silent contemplation in your memory.


*Backs slowly away from those who've been irreversibly contaminated by the new shiny*


mnem
Don't forget the SquareTrade on that monstrosity...

The *really* bad part is that it started out innocently enough.  @cellularmitosis gave me 3 basic-lm399 reference kits and suggested  getting a 3478A, which I did.   But then I found an 8560A  with a TG. Then @cellularmitosis offered me a 34401A and I bought an 8648C,  5386A,   438A with 8481D and 8482A calibrated. and then a second 34401A a few minutes after the MSOX3104T.    Fortunately I don't have room for a 3458A.  Or much of anything else.

So watch out for that small stuff.  Before you know it you'll be in real trouble.  I got rid of my adult supervision quite a while ago, so I have no one to protect me now.  And beware of @cellularmitosis bearing gifts and good deals.

Jason had sniped a 34401A that I had looked at and passed on for fear it had issues.  He offered it to me on an "if it doesn't work, I'll buy it back from you".  It arrived completely wonky.  A quick inspection revealed a 1 cm splatter of flux around an LF357 which had been replaced.  A quick cleaning with a soft brush and IPA (the kind you *don't* drink) and it reported my DMMCheck Plus calibrated to 1 ppm a few weeks earlier as 5.00000 VDC with similar results on the other readings.  So now I have a 2nd 34401A in transit.

Now I have to sell the Instek MSO-2204EA I bought last fall.  There's just no room for all this stuff in my 7' x 10' closet.

There is one purchase I made that was more gratifying than the 3104T.  A 5 MHz recurrent sweep Heathkit IO-18 I got at a yard sale for $75 about 40 years ago.
 

Offline BillB

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 615
  • Country: us
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10504 on: May 10, 2018, 06:04:27 pm »
...I got rid of my adult supervision quite a while ago, so I have no one to protect me now...

Aha!  Now I understand how such a purchase is possible.
 

Offline Mr. Scram

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 9810
  • Country: 00
  • Display aficionado
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10505 on: May 10, 2018, 06:44:45 pm »
You guys are whipped. A 15000 dollar scope is a much more sane purchase than a 200 quid haircut.
 

Offline bd139

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 23017
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10506 on: May 10, 2018, 06:46:00 pm »
Depreciates less percent too
 

Offline BillB

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 615
  • Country: us
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10507 on: May 10, 2018, 07:06:28 pm »
You guys are whipped. A 15000 dollar scope is a much more sane purchase than a 200 quid haircut.

Paying for a haircut!? 
 

Offline Cerebus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 10576
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10508 on: May 10, 2018, 07:45:26 pm »
Yup, I'm keeping shtum about something (I find) exciting too. You can't be too careful, you know. The walls have ears.... eyes... because reading, obviously.... but they also have Ebay accounts!  :o

Hmm, me too. That makes three of us. Let's hope it's three different items or there will be tears before bedtime.
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline GerryBags

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 334
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10509 on: May 10, 2018, 08:00:30 pm »
Those'll be my tears, then!  :'(

Oh, well, even at the bargain basement price it maintained up until the last minute it was ill-advised and someone else has picked themselves up a Bobby Dazzler Dactron1061 LOL (A.k.a: Datron 1061A with all the options).  :D
« Last Edit: May 10, 2018, 10:13:17 pm by GerryBags »
 

Offline kj7e

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 911
  • Country: us
  • Damon Stewart
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10510 on: May 10, 2018, 10:05:12 pm »
I wont buy anything unless they offer this service;
 
The following users thanked this post: bitseeker, BillB, nixiefreqq

Offline mnementh

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 17541
  • Country: us
  • *Hiding in the Dwagon-Cave*
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10511 on: May 10, 2018, 10:44:07 pm »
You guys are whipped. A 15000 dollar scope is a much more sane purchase than a 200 quid haircut.

Depends on whether you use it for your livelihood or not.  :-DD


mnem
...and that applies to BOTH purchases.
alt-codes work here:  alt-0128 = €  alt-156 = £  alt-0216 = Ø  alt-225 = ß  alt-230 = µ  alt-234 = Ω  alt-236 = ∞  alt-248 = °
 

Offline bd139

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 23017
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10512 on: May 10, 2018, 10:48:33 pm »
Aliexpress added to shit list. Just threw three hours down the shitter. This is TEA related as I found the old frequency counter I built years ago and am making a new front end for it as the old one had random impedance. Also need to stuff it in a new case.

So I’m using a 1mH axial inductor as part of a Pi filter to stop digital spikes getting into the front end.

Powered it up. Nothing. Hmm.

Poked around with DMM. No 5v supply to RF section. Hmm.

Eventually traced this to the inductor being open circuit. Must have damaged it via soldering.

Stuffed another one in. Same outcome. Fucks sake. Must need heat sinking.

Stuffed another one in with heatsink clips on the legs. Nope still dead.

Get DMM out and test it. Open circuit!

Get pack out and test a few unused ones. Open circuit!  Fucks sake.

Cracked one open with a pair of pliers and what did I find?

NO FUCKING WIRE in them.  :palm:

Well done China!
 

Offline Cerebus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 10576
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10513 on: May 10, 2018, 11:18:45 pm »
Those'll be my tears, then!  :'(

Oh, well, even at the bargain basement price it maintained up until the last minute it was ill-advised and someone else has picked themselves up a Bobby Dazzler Dactron1061 LOL (A.k.a: Datron 1061A with all the options).  :D

Ah, not mine. That just leaves me and BD139 giving each other the side-eye.

Talking of TEA things that tempt me but I'm not going to bite on, there's a FLUKE 5440B Direct Voltage Calibrator going as a buy it now for £450 on ebay UK if anybody's interested. Start your own home cal lab!
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline tggzzz

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 19194
  • Country: gb
  • Numbers, not adjectives
    • Having fun doing more, with less
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10514 on: May 10, 2018, 11:26:25 pm »
Those'll be my tears, then!  :'(

Oh, well, even at the bargain basement price it maintained up until the last minute it was ill-advised and someone else has picked themselves up a Bobby Dazzler Dactron1061 LOL (A.k.a: Datron 1061A with all the options).  :D

Ah, not mine. That just leaves me and BD139 giving each other the side-eye.

Talking of TEA things that tempt me but I'm not going to bite on, there's a FLUKE 5440B Direct Voltage Calibrator going as a buy it now for £450 on ebay UK if anybody's interested. Start your own home cal lab!

Weighs 34kg. Make sure you have medical insurance.
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 Specmaster

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14483
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10515 on: May 10, 2018, 11:38:19 pm »
Those'll be my tears, then!  :'(

Oh, well, even at the bargain basement price it maintained up until the last minute it was ill-advised and someone else has picked themselves up a Bobby Dazzler Dactron1061 LOL (A.k.a: Datron 1061A with all the options).  :D

Ah, not mine. That just leaves me and BD139 giving each other the side-eye.

Hmm, not me either, way to big for my small bench, it would need half of it to sit on so don't cast any sly eyes in my direction  :horse:
Who let Murphy in?

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

Offline mnementh

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 17541
  • Country: us
  • *Hiding in the Dwagon-Cave*
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10516 on: May 11, 2018, 01:26:29 am »
Aliexpress added to shit list. Just threw three hours down the shitter. This is TEA related as I found the old frequency counter I built years ago and am making a new front end for it as the old one had random impedance. Also need to stuff it in a new case.

So I’m using a 1mH axial inductor as part of a Pi filter to stop digital spikes getting into the front end.

Powered it up. Nothing. Hmm.

Poked around with DMM. No 5v supply to RF section. Hmm.

Eventually traced this to the inductor being open circuit. Must have damaged it via soldering.

Stuffed another one in. Same outcome. Fucks sake. Must need heat sinking.

Stuffed another one in with heatsink clips on the legs. Nope still dead.

Get DMM out and test it. Open circuit!

Get pack out and test a few unused ones. Open circuit!  Fucks sake.

Cracked one open with a pair of pliers and what did I find?

NO FUCKING WIRE in them.  :palm:

Well done China!

That's almost as good as the baggie of LM7808s I bought last fall that arrived with the legs and tabs all sawed off (No, not some goofy QFN-type package; yes, you could see actual  saw marks).  :bullshit:

Meh; I gave $2 for them and refused payment almost a month later. Cost me more than it was worth in hassle sending AliEx a pic, but I wasn't going to let those parasites suck my blood on GP. Besides; you gotta file a complaint or they keep selling garbage.  >:(

Too bad there weren't enough of them to tile my bathroom sink or somesuch...   :-DD


mnem
Also, poot!
alt-codes work here:  alt-0128 = €  alt-156 = £  alt-0216 = Ø  alt-225 = ß  alt-230 = µ  alt-234 = Ω  alt-236 = ∞  alt-248 = °
 

Offline Cubdriver

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 4201
  • Country: us
  • Nixie addict
    • Photos of electronic gear
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10517 on: May 11, 2018, 02:33:10 am »
...I got rid of my adult supervision quite a while ago, so I have no one to protect me now...

Aha!  Now I understand how such a purchase is possible.

Yay for lack of adult supervision!!



Hmmm...  On second though, perhaps some adult supervision might be a good idea...

Nahhh, screw it. That ship has sailed.  Off to the bay of evil!!

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

Offline mnementh

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 17541
  • Country: us
  • *Hiding in the Dwagon-Cave*
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10518 on: May 11, 2018, 02:42:39 am »
What about this one :-DD https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F173300322403

Decapitated baby head, eyeballs on a stick, tasty tasty lead all in a children’s toy.

Those are actually a thing... and good examples are quite collectible:wtf: £1,200!!! :o :scared: ::) 

The eyes were a popular gimmick of ~100 years ago; the lead weight made them look askance if you moved them from side to side. Similar to the "sleepy eyes" dolls that were all the thing in the '50s. Most examples now are incapable of moving; the mechanism relied on rubber bands which of course didn't have a design life in the range of a century.

Not that I'm into this stuff... but I learned about a lot of this stuff from my mother when we took a great detour for a few years in my youth doing the antique circuits up & down the Eastern seaboard. You don't have to suffer from the affliction to appreciate the art. ;)


mnem
*Sigh* Miss you mom...




alt-codes work here:  alt-0128 = €  alt-156 = £  alt-0216 = Ø  alt-225 = ß  alt-230 = µ  alt-234 = Ω  alt-236 = ∞  alt-248 = °
 

Online Vgkid

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2710
  • Country: us
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10519 on: May 11, 2018, 04:36:15 am »
Nice score of gear Cubdriver. Looks like a good bit of HP gear , with some Fluke and Tek gear thrown in. What is the huge piece of Fluke gear in the back?
Does the 575 Still work , We still use one at my college.
If you own any North Hills Electronics gear, message me. L&N Fan
 

Online Berni

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 4911
  • Country: si
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10520 on: May 11, 2018, 05:08:45 am »
That is quite a pile of gear.

So how much of it works or is that your equipment repair queue. If you have enough old gear the repair queue can get longer without even buying anything.
 

Offline Cubdriver

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 4201
  • Country: us
  • Nixie addict
    • Photos of electronic gear
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10521 on: May 11, 2018, 07:52:43 am »
Nice score of gear Cubdriver. Looks like a good bit of HP gear , with some Fluke and Tek gear thrown in. What is the huge piece of Fluke gear in the back?
Does the 575 Still work , We still use one at my college.

That's a few years worth of accumulation - it seems to collect in the living room.  I'm guessing that the 'huge piece of Fluke gear in the back' you mention is the 5440B DC Voltage calibrator in the stack next to the fireplace.



I snagged that a few years ago out in CA; the display was not working so I gambled for $350 IIRC (plus another c-note to ship it home; the friggin thing weighs around 75 pounds!).  It turned out to have two bad electrolytic caps in the display driver circuitry; it was all of about $3 in parts to bring it back to life.  I lucked out on that one!

And yes, the 575 does still work.  That one was an evilBay find; a pick-up only in MA, so I got a good deal on it as well.  It just involved a four hour round trip to get it, but it is a Mod 122C model, so I felt it was worth it.  It's a fine old boatanchor (and space heater in winter!)



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

Offline Cubdriver

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 4201
  • Country: us
  • Nixie addict
    • Photos of electronic gear
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10522 on: May 11, 2018, 08:03:04 am »
That is quite a pile of gear.

So how much of it works or is that your equipment repair queue. If you have enough old gear the repair queue can get longer without even buying anything.

I would hazard a guess that about a third of it is functional to some degree; possibly more.  A lot I haven't plugged in yet because I haven't yet looked it over to make sure there are no major weak spots where the magic smoke might get out.  And yes, I have an ugly repair queue.  Somehow that doesn't prevent me from adding to it when something piques my interest.  Some are strays from the museum I volunteer at; stuff that doesn't sell at swap meets and might otherwise hit the dumpster often follows me home, and things that look like they may only bring a few bucks at the swap meets I often preemptively buy, giving them more than we think they'd sell for - the two ancient HP generators on the hearth joined the fold that way.

Now to find the spare time (so called because I seem to have so little of it!) to dig into this stuff!

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

Offline URI

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 718
  • Country: de
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10523 on: May 11, 2018, 08:42:59 am »
...I got rid of my adult supervision quite a while ago, so I have no one to protect me now...

Aha!  Now I understand how such a purchase is possible.

Yay for lack of adult supervision!!



Hmmm...  On second though, perhaps some adult supervision might be a good idea...

Nahhh, screw it. That ship has sailed.  Off to the bay of evil!!

-Pat

..and you need racks to make more room!  >:D

A collection of TE like yours wouldn't be SWMBO compatible on my side.  :o   :-DD
A life without TEA is possible but pointless.
 

Offline Specmaster

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14483
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #10524 on: May 11, 2018, 09:09:42 am »
Aliexpress added to shit list. Just threw three hours down the shitter. This is TEA related as I found the old frequency counter I built years ago and am making a new front end for it as the old one had random impedance. Also need to stuff it in a new case.

So I’m using a 1mH axial inductor as part of a Pi filter to stop digital spikes getting into the front end.

Powered it up. Nothing. Hmm.

Poked around with DMM. No 5v supply to RF section. Hmm.

Eventually traced this to the inductor being open circuit. Must have damaged it via soldering.

Stuffed another one in. Same outcome. Fucks sake. Must need heat sinking.

Stuffed another one in with heatsink clips on the legs. Nope still dead.

Get DMM out and test it. Open circuit!

Get pack out and test a few unused ones. Open circuit!  Fucks sake.

Cracked one open with a pair of pliers and what did I find?

NO FUCKING WIRE in them.  :palm:

Well done China!
Can't believe that you never checked them before soldering them in, even a cheapo crappy LCR meter would tell you if they were O/C or anywhere near the right value. I always thought that didn't trust the Chinese so you checked thing before installing them, well I bet you won't make that mistake again  :-DD
Who let Murphy in?

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


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf