Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Zucca]

mnem
Really getting sick of a-holes who sell their garbage on fleaBay instead of throwing it in the dumpster.

Seller information
marknmandee (30730 )
100% Positive feedback

Go figure. Sorry mnem sometime ebay is more evil than bay.

Anyway...

Today I understood something: I need to buy stuff I really need not just because it is a good deal. Is my TEA getting better?

[djos]

Can't remember the details but this one had two disk drives and no hard disk in it for sure.

They likely got added as the owner could afford to - I'm pretty sure they only came two floppy drives Standard.

[Specmaster]

I don't think I've ever read a users manual  .

I think a digital scope with a good service manual, like the HP 54000 series (even though the service manual is a stolen internal scan of schematics from HP) is still perfectly viable from a repair perspective. Assuming someone hasn't pile driven the multi layer board into the ground at some point 

Also reverse engineering is fun. Lots of mileage there.

That may well be so but we'll loose that idiot user factor who does not know how to use it. By that I mean that the visual clues of rotary controls, push buttons of the latching variety and toggle switches will all be replaced with momentary push buttons and rotary encoders which have no pointers etc provide any clues as to why there's no visible trace on screen. The only thing we'll have to go by (assuming no visible traces) will be the general overall appearance and the sellers description. So in essence it will more of a lottery than it is right now

[bd139]

Good point actually.

As promised. PM3217 before and after pics. As advertised on ebay. £10 collection from some dude in High Wycombe doing a house clearance.



After a couple of hours and a couple of cheap probes from eBay

[Specmaster]

Nice catch, and that illustrates my point entirely, look at all the beautiful visual clues that presented to you to help make that important decision to pull the trigger.

Kind of pisses me off to think that I had one of those in the early days and I sold it on because of all the various buttons you had to press to get it to do anything useful, oh and that god awful drab colour scheme for the control panel, kind of depressing don't you think?

Now, I've come to appreciate the control layout much more, might even get another for old times sake and rescue it from becoming landfill 

[bd139]

I like the brown

The PM3217 / 3267 were really good scopes. Better than equivalent Teks IMHO.

[Specmaster]

I like the brown

The PM3217 / 3267 were really good scopes. Better than equivalent Teks IMHO.

Can't argue about the Tek scopes having never used one or owned one but I do know that the Phillips has many lovely design touches that now I understand them more then I did a while back but I think personally that one of the most attractive front panels I've seen is the one on my 4 channel Iwatsu, I love that colour scheme, especially if it's in a dark corner.



Especially when compared to the Fluke.



 

[Specmaster]

Incidentally, how do you make the pictures appear small and then when you click them they grow larger. I'd like to do that with my mine so that when scrolling back through past posts its quicker when you don't have keep scrolling past so many large photos?

[Brumby]

I've gotta stop perusing this thread.  All this scope porn stirs up longings that I cannot afford from down under.  THEN we get the appearances of the 465 - one of the iconic examples of scopehood that I have always found attractive.

Oh, the pain.... the pain...

[djos]

Incidentally, how do you make the pictures appear small and then when you click them they grow larger. I'd like to do that with my mine so that when scrolling back through past posts its quicker when you don't have keep scrolling past so many large photos?

Just use the upload attachment function rather than link to a Web hosted image.

It's not much use when posting from a mobile device or tablet tho.

[Specmaster]

I've gotta stop perusing this thread.  All this scope porn stirs up longings that I cannot afford from down under.  THEN we get the appearances of the 465 - one of the iconic examples of scopehood that I have always found attractive.

Oh, the pain.... the pain...

What? are you kidding me?

Dave reckons that you can get a good basic CRO for around 20 Aus Bucks, like that Hameg he got from an auction at his old university?

[djos]

I've gotta stop perusing this thread.  All this scope porn stirs up longings that I cannot afford from down under.  THEN we get the appearances of the 465 - one of the iconic examples of scopehood that I have always found attractive.

Oh, the pain.... the pain...

What? are you kidding me?

Dave reckons that you can get a good basic CRO for around 20 Aus Bucks, like that Hameg he got from an auction at his old university?

Maybe in the USA, here in Straya you can't even get a 10 Mhz piece of crap for less than $100!

[Specmaster]

I've gotta stop perusing this thread.  All this scope porn stirs up longings that I cannot afford from down under.  THEN we get the appearances of the 465 - one of the iconic examples of scopehood that I have always found attractive.

Oh, the pain.... the pain...

What? are you kidding me?

Dave reckons that you can get a good basic CRO for around 20 Aus Bucks, like that Hameg he got from an auction at his old university?

Maybe in the USA, here in Straya you can't even get a 10 Mhz piece of crap for less than $100!

But Dave is there in Australia with you[emoji848]

[Brumby]

I was talking about a 465.....

PS - I don't have longings for low end stuff.  I have a 15MHz Hitachi V152B that covers that quite well.

[Specmaster]

I was talking about a 465.....

PS - I don't have longings for low end stuff.  I have a 15MHz Hitachi V152B that covers that quite well.

How about Fluke or Philips scopes, just as good if not better then a 465?
 What are you looking for realistically?

[med6753]

Good point actually.

As promised. PM3217 before and after pics. As advertised on ebay. £10 collection from some dude in High Wycombe doing a house clearance.

Wow, some difference. Nice scope! 

[bd139]

Yep it was. It exploded once though  . Fortunately Philips put the thing inside a fibreglass and plastic cage so it didn't wreck anything else

[Specmaster]

Yep it was. It exploded once though  . Fortunately Philips put the thing inside a fibreglass and plastic cage so it didn't wreck anything else

Funny, I was just about to remind you about those rifa caps on them. [emoji6]

[Brumby]

I was talking about a 465.....

PS - I don't have longings for low end stuff.  I have a 15MHz Hitachi V152B that covers that quite well.

How about Fluke or Philips scopes, just as good if not better then a 465?
 What are you looking for realistically?

It's nothing more than a classic example - one which has caught my eye.  It's not a spec sheet choice - it's an aesthetic appeal more than anything.  It would also be more impressive to visitors that I knew how to use it.

Silly, I know ... but there are a lot of positive vibes shared here on the 465.

[mnementh]

When it comes to buying off Ebay I do usually look for the equipment that states "for parts or not working" or "unable to test further" as long as it meets some certain criteria. First, it's cheap. Second, it doesn't look like it's been dragged through the mud. And third, I can get a service manual for it. I don't mind fixing it. That's part of the challenge and fun. And the satisfaction that you fixed it and saved it from the dumpster. That's how I've bought all my Flukes except one. And of the ones I bought with that criteria I'd say half of them worked fine and needed nothing additional and the other half needed work. But I was expecting they would need work and I had no issue with it.

The Fluke 8800A was a slightly different story. That was advertised as working and it's price was typically beyond what I like to spend. But I decided to go for it. I got it and it powered up but didn't work. I e-mailed the seller and while I praised him for how well it was packed (it was) I told him it didn't work. But I wasn't nasty about it. Within an hour I got response and he said he was sorry and refunded me $50 USD and told me to keep the Fluke. I was very surprised and I thanked him. So I got this Fluke real cheap and the best part is that within 20 minutes of opening it up I found the issue with a shorted cap in the power supply.   

Those are my exact criteria as well; from the auction photos and this guy's longstanding 100% positive feedback, confidence was reasonably high that it was probably a unit with crunky battery compartment being sold by a pawn shop after coming back as "flaky". This model is notorious for that.

I usually try to adhere to the "you get more flies with honey" attitude in dealing with my eBay issues as well; in fact, you'll see numerous posts in this thread advising just that tactic. If I wasn't already up to my armpits in other sh** IRL and ANOTHER purchase of outright bunk goods, I might have patience for the "kill 'em with kindness" negotiation approach. But yesterday, it was all I could manage to keep it simple and factual; I was mad enough to eat bees.

I finally got my DSO today and I'm quite happy with it so far. 

LOL... whenever I see their logo... something about it; I always first read it as LIN-T. Then my brain stutters, because who would willingly name themselves that?

I have to admit I quite like the charcoal great suit; much more modern-looking than the same old generic greige (grey-beige) all the Wriggol gear comes in. It's become so ubiquitous that now it's "the color of cheap".

mnem
Really getting sick of a-holes who sell their garbage on fleaBay instead of throwing it in the dumpster.

Seller information
marknmandee (30730 )
100% Positive feedback

Go figure. Sorry mnem sometime ebay is more evil than bay.

Anyway...

Today I understood something: I need to buy stuff I really need not just because it is a good deal. Is my TEA getting better?

https://youtu.be/535Zy_rf4NU

Good point actually.

As promised. PM3217 before and after pics. As advertised on ebay. £10 collection from some dude in High Wycombe doing a house clearance.

After a couple of hours and a couple of cheap probes from eBay

Ooohhh... another delicious 'scope in a charcoal grey suit. Looking sharp! 

I was talking about a 465.....

PS - I don't have longings for low end stuff.  I have a 15MHz Hitachi V152B that covers that quite well.

Yeah, that was what made me take the time to resurrect my old V212. It was the "Gus Grissom" of my collection; damned thing had literally been through the wringer and then forgotten for years and it still just plain WORKED. It actually shamed me into saving it for my son to use when he gets older. 


UPDATE:

You sent a message

We'll send you an email when the seller responds to your request. If you have not agreed on a solution or the seller has not responded by Jul 17, 2018, you can ask us to step in and help.
If you and your seller need more time to work things out, your request will stay open until Aug 15, 2018.

If you no longer want to return this item, you can close this return.

Message
Bunk. Photos I've posted show otherwise quite clearly. I was prepared to fix an as-is unit and I bid as such; this unit is clearly NOT as advertised. Part are missing, and the unit has been opened.

Jul 13
The seller sent you a message

Message
Nothing has been changed on that unit from what is shown in the photos in the listing. This unit was sold as-is for parts or repair. I am not accepting a return on this item.


mnem
And so it begins...

[med6753]

Yep, he's hiding behind the "for parts or not working". Can you see him flipping the bird at you?


This could get ugly. Go after him!

[bd139]

Leave negative feedback ASAP. That's your bargaining chip. He's 100% and is going to want to keep it that way.

[mnementh]

UPDATE:

Here's what happened

You sent a message
 
We'll send you an email when the seller responds to your request. If you have not agreed on a solution or the seller has not responded by Jul 17, 2018, you can ask us to step in and help. If you and your seller need more time to work things out, your request will stay open until Aug 15, 2018.

We will let Dispute Resolution sort it out.

I notice you have withheld feedback for this transaction; this is your right. However, I also notice in your "Feedback Left for Others" tab that you are a poor community member as far as leaving feedback; with nearly 200 transactions in the last year, you could only be bothered to leave feedback for three of them. Two of these consist of disparaging comments with a positive feedback; this is a violation of eBay policy, and if you attempt to do so in my case, I will report you.

Have a nice eBay.

Jul 13
The seller sent you a message

Message

At this point I don't think there is anything else I can do for you. You will have to ask ebay to step in and decide the matter.


Jul 13
You sent a message

Message

The meter I received is not the same as the meter shown in your photos. It is missing parts as I've shown in my photos, and it couldn't have worked without those parts. I am not accepting this meter; I refuse delivery on the grounds it has been tampered with.

Jul 13
The seller sent you a message

Message

Again, I am sorry. But I am not accepting a return on this item. It was sold as-is for parts or repair. If it never came on I would not have been able to get a picture of it turned on. It does come on intermittently. That is why we listed it as-is.

Jul 13
You sent a message

Message

Bunk. Photos I've posted show otherwise quite clearly. I was prepared to fix an as-is unit and I bid as such; this unit is clearly NOT as advertised. Part are missing, and the unit has been opened.


Jul 13
The seller sent you a message

Message

Nothing has been changed on that unit from what is shown in the photos in the listing. This unit was sold as-is for parts or repair. I am not accepting a return on this item.

Jul 12
You created a return

Reason for return: Doesn't match description or photos

Comments

This meter is not intermittently working. It has been stripped of parts to fix another meter. Parts missing (fuses and alligator clips), and screw missing from case that was present in original photos meter indicate that someone has taken it apart, probably to change the board with one from a smoked meter. There is no way this meter as it was delivered could possibly have been working at all as shown in the auction listing, not even intermittently.

Yep, he's hiding behind the "for parts or not working". Can you see him flipping the bird at you?


This could get ugly. Go after him!

Leave negative feedback ASAP. That's your bargaining chip. He's 100% and is going to want to keep it that way.

I'll let fleaBay sort it out. Once I leave negative feedback I can't take it back, and it shows bad faith re: the negotiation process when I turn it over to eBay Dispute Resolution. The unit is visibly materially different from the auction photos. If eBay Dispute Resolution locks out feedback for this transaction, I'll live with it and just add his username to the eBay plonkers list on Facebook.


mnem

[bd139]

Post it in here too. I have a couple of mule accounts

[bitseeker]

Incidentally, how do you make the pictures appear small and then when you click them they grow larger. I'd like to do that with my mine so that when scrolling back through past posts its quicker when you don't have keep scrolling past so many large photos?

In the img bbcode, add a width attribute with the desired size in pixels. The height will be automatically adjusted to maintain the aspect ratio. For example,

Code: [Select]

[img width=250]url to the image[/img]
Note that the full image file will still be loaded by the browser, so this option only helps with minimizing the screen real estate that the image uses, but not the bandwidth.