Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14550465 times)

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Online Berni

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #150 on: January 31, 2017, 06:14:46 am »
HP 8642B is very well boatanchory ...

boatanchory

Oooooh, I like it  :clap:

You know you are doing it right when shipping is half the cost of the actual item.
 

Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #151 on: February 01, 2017, 12:45:50 am »
Oh, crap.  I've got it and I just started 2 months ago.  2 bench DMM's, 2 oscilloscopes, 4 dual PSU, 2 waveform generators.   Oh hell, what have I done?   I need help.

Hmm, that seems like quite a nice lab to me. :-+ Don't forget the soldering iron, hot air gun, and desoldering station. I suppose if you're feeling like you have some GAS, you could sell one or two of those PSU to get the soldering equipment.
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline mtdoc

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #152 on: February 01, 2017, 04:20:46 am »
Forgive me, I have sinned.

I got tired of waiting for Dave's new DMM to be ready and I really wanted needed another quality handheld DMM, so I bought one of the $200 eBay new (old stock) Agilent U1252B's.   

It has arrived and I love it. It is a thing of beauty.  Oh man, my Brymen 257 and Fluke 87V are gonna have to share their bench space now. 

Now what will I do when Dave's meter is finally ready?

Lord help me.... :-[  ^-^
 

Offline edpalmer42

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #153 on: February 01, 2017, 06:18:27 am »
Don't know what you 'Volt' guys are whining about.

You want to see some heavy duty GAS, become a Time-Nut!  Then you get to collect test gear *and* sources!   ;D

Counters:

Racal Dana 1992, Agilent 53131A, Fluke PM6681, HP 5370A, HP 5372A, Wavecrest DTS-2077, EIP 545A
.... not good enough ..... need more ...... none of this parts-per-million trash, not even parts-per-billion, I'm going for parts-per-trillion (1e-12)!

Cesium Standards:

FTS-4065A
What?! only one??  That'll never do!

Rubidium Standards:

 Efratom FRT, Efratom FRK (2), Datum LPRO (3), Datum SLCR, Symmetricom X72 (2), FEI FE-5680A, Stanford Research PRS10, Symmetricom SA.22c (2)

and as bookends for largest and smallest, two dead units:  Tracor 304-B, a 3U rackmount beast, and a Symmetricom SA.35m, so tiny, so cute at 50mm x 50mm x 20mm.  I've got OCXOs that are many times larger!

GPSDOs:

Trimble Thunderbolt, HP Z3801A, HP Z3817A, HP Z3811/Z3812A, Jackson Labs GPSTCXO, Spectracom 8195B, Trimble UCCM, NEC NWM-034241-201, plus a ridiculous number of GPS receiver boards.

Quartz Oscillators:

...... Well, ........  No, No, we don't want to go there.

It's too late for me!  Save yourself!!  :(  |O  :-DD

Ed

P.S.  And there are many Time-Nuts that are much worse than me!  After all, I don't have *any* hydrogen masers!



 

Offline CJay

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #154 on: February 01, 2017, 08:00:58 am »

P.S.  And there are many Time-Nuts that are much worse than me!  After all, I don't have *any* hydrogen masers!

Can you actually call yourself a time nut if you don't at least have ambitions? What would Tom Van Baak say?
 

Online JPortici

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #155 on: February 01, 2017, 12:21:43 pm »
my used GWI multimeter arrived today, i made a couple of measurements but i am still not sure it's calibrated.
i need a calibrator now.

i need professional help, one way or the other :scared:
 

Offline Brumby

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #156 on: February 01, 2017, 12:35:16 pm »
Now what will I do when Dave's meter is finally ready?

Make space for it.
 

Offline edpalmer42

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #157 on: February 01, 2017, 05:18:56 pm »

P.S.  And there are many Time-Nuts that are much worse than me!  After all, I don't have *any* hydrogen masers!

Can you actually call yourself a time nut if you don't at least have ambitions? What would Tom Van Baak say?

I haven't been a Time-Nut long enough for the infection to reach that level.  I'd also have to move to a bigger place!  :-DD
 

Offline iainwhite

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #158 on: February 01, 2017, 05:38:01 pm »
I got tired of waiting for Dave's new DMM to be ready and I really wanted needed another quality handheld DMM, so I bought one of the $200 eBay new (old stock) Agilent U1252B's.   
It has arrived and I love it. It is a thing of beauty.  Oh man, my Brymen 257 and Fluke 87V are gonna have to share their bench space now. 
Now what will I do when Dave's meter is finally ready?

I did the same with the U1252B. 
I am going to buy Dave's 121GW meter too. I even told my wife I would, and she was OK with it.

 

Online Berni

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #159 on: February 01, 2017, 06:21:41 pm »

I haven't been a Time-Nut long enough for the infection to reach that level.  I'd also have to move to a bigger place!  :-DD

Well guess being a Time nut is not really much cheaper than being a Volt nut after all. But still putting in 10 MHz reference clock distribution in to my rack is not that bad right?
 

Offline edpalmer42

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #160 on: February 01, 2017, 07:53:58 pm »

I haven't been a Time-Nut long enough for the infection to reach that level.  I'd also have to move to a bigger place!  :-DD

Well guess being a Time nut is not really much cheaper than being a Volt nut after all. But still putting in 10 MHz reference clock distribution in to my rack is not that bad right?

 :scared:  :scared: Danger, Will Robinson!!  :scared:  :scared:

That's the first step on a very slippery slope.
Is it really 10 MHz?  How close to 10 MHz?  How do you know?  Are you sure?

 >:D >:D

Ed
 

Offline Conrad Hoffman

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #161 on: February 01, 2017, 08:46:33 pm »
My name is Conrad and I like knobs. And digits. The more knobs and digits in a row, the more I want it.
 

Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #162 on: February 01, 2017, 10:08:39 pm »
My name is Conrad and I like knobs. And digits. The more knobs and digits in a row, the more I want it.

Well, then you need one of these Buchla function generators.  ;D

TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 
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Offline xrunner

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #163 on: February 01, 2017, 10:45:43 pm »
Forgive me, I have sinned


Don't worry, your in good company. I just bought another DMM myself. Really, I just paid for it. It's an HP 3468B. I'll show you all when it arrives.

Why? Because - I didn't have one.

Because it's a cool meter.

Because it's HP (need I say more?)

Because, I wanted it.

Because -

I'M A TEST EQUIPMENT ADDICT!  :palm:



I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #164 on: February 01, 2017, 11:52:27 pm »
Don't worry, your in good company. I just bought another DMM myself. Really, I just paid for it. It's an HP 3468B. I'll show you all when it arrives.

Why? Because - I didn't have one.

What made you choose the 3468B vs. 3478A?
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline xrunner

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #165 on: February 02, 2017, 01:53:25 am »
What made you choose the 3468B vs. 3478A?

In this case nothing more than a fair price, I'll probably buy the 3478A too later - being a TEA and all.  :popcorn:
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #166 on: February 02, 2017, 02:56:56 am »
I have a recently acquired 3450B on the bench.  I'm slowly picking my way through it with the aid of the manual, but haven't figured out what ails it thus far.  Something definitely does, that's for sure.

 |O   :-DD

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

Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #167 on: February 02, 2017, 03:23:06 am »
What made you choose the 3468B vs. 3478A?

In this case nothing more than a fair price, I'll probably buy the 3478A too later - being a TEA and all.  :popcorn:

I kinda figured that might be the case.  :-DMM
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Offline TheSteve

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #168 on: February 02, 2017, 03:37:19 am »
I received yet another DMM today. Sadly I think I will need to sell one, if I do can I still be part of this group?
VE7FM
 

Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #169 on: February 02, 2017, 03:57:18 am »
I received yet another DMM today. Sadly I think I will need to sell one, if I do can I still be part of this group?

No!   :wtf:  Selling stuff will get you ostracized!   :P :P

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

Offline mtdoc

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #170 on: February 02, 2017, 04:39:28 am »
I received yet another DMM today. Sadly I think I will need to sell one, if I do can I still be part of this group?

No!   :wtf:  Selling stuff will get you ostracized!   :P :P

-Pat

Selling is allowed as long as it is done in order to fund another purchase AND as long as the other purchase is done first - then you sell .... maybe.... ;)
 

Offline mmagin

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #171 on: February 02, 2017, 04:40:56 am »
Quote
there are no nice boatanchor signal generators.
HP 8642B is very well boatanchory with 36kg weight. May 3U height not delude you.  ???

If we're talking boatanchory but modern signal generators, clearly the 8662A is the one to get. http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1981-02.pdf   >:D

It was some groundbreaking specs for its time, I think you can maybe do better for close in phase noise today, but it will be very expensive.

I just have a modern, Agilent-badged 8644B as my only RF signal generator.  Pretty darned good specs and cost me only about the same as my vastly inferior 8648B had (which is sitting around with a broken power supply for which replacements seem to go for $300 used on eBay.  I should take a look at it again sometime, but I think I found an open transformer winding, and it was a switching supply made by a third party for which no schematic was available.)
 

Offline tautech

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #172 on: February 02, 2017, 06:22:56 am »
My name is Conrad and I like knobs. And digits. The more knobs and digits in a row, the more I want it.

Well, then you need one of these Buchla function generators.  ;D


Holy hell.  :o
And a Uni degree to know how to operate it.  :scared:
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Online Berni

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #173 on: February 02, 2017, 06:31:22 am »
Well, then you need one of these Buchla function generators.  ;D

Holy hell.  :o
And a Uni degree to know how to operate it.  :scared:

More knobs than you can shake a stick at alright. But from the looks of it it seams like it works like one of those drum machine sequencers where it just loops around all the time. If it can interpolate between them this would make a sweet reflow oven profile controller.

If we're talking boatanchory but modern signal generators, clearly the 8662A is the one to get. http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1981-02.pdf   >:D

It was some groundbreaking specs for its time, I think you can maybe do better for close in phase noise today, but it will be very expensive.

I just have a modern, Agilent-badged 8644B as my only RF signal generator.  Pretty darned good specs and cost me only about the same as my vastly inferior 8648B had (which is sitting around with a broken power supply for which replacements seem to go for $300 used on eBay.  I should take a look at it again sometime, but I think I found an open transformer winding, and it was a switching supply made by a third party for which no schematic was available.)

I also probably should not buy another RF synthesizer, I got 2 already. Tho none of them has a HP badge on it....no no rack is full.
 

Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #174 on: February 02, 2017, 06:44:37 am »
Berni, if the rack is full, that's a strong indication that you need another rack, too.   >:D >:D

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


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