Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14406730 times)

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Offline capt bullshot

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16225 on: September 13, 2018, 05:33:23 am »

    So, what's up with this? (Note: Scheduled for Sep 18, 2018)

I've seen this before in an article or ad, can't remember where anyway. It's supposedly the new Mother Of All Scopes in terms of BW and sample rate.

Safety devices hinder evolution
 

Online Berni

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16226 on: September 13, 2018, 05:41:51 am »
Yeah its probably the official release date for the new 110GHz scope. Really is quite the technical achievement from them.
 

Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16227 on: September 13, 2018, 05:47:49 am »
Ah, I was wondering if it might have been that scope. There was a thread about it a month or so ago.
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline nfmax

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16228 on: September 13, 2018, 07:25:41 am »
Jeezus, thayy puttin' teevees on evveythang now; even gawt wun onna toaster oven. Iff'n it kin dew a fam'ly size pizza,  ah'll tekk itt!   :-DD

mnem
Now Ahh kin watch muh Jerry Springer reruns wha'll muh teevee dinners bern teww a krisp...  :-+

Ah, back on food again eh? We're reliable that way.

At the moment I'm just winding down the day with the turn, fold, roll and rest stage of a batch of flaky pastry. Stewed some apples earlier with cinnamon and allspice. Tomorrow — hot, fresh, flaky apple turnovers.

TEA relevance? I need a new pointy kitchen thermometer for checking the internal temperatures of things wot is cooking. That's test gear right? The one I've currently got has a response time measurable in minutes. Anybody have any recommendations for something fast responding that's got a food-safe pointy probe?

If you have a thermometer already, how about one of these probes? https://www.labfacility.com/temperature-sensors/handheld-temperature-sensors/shark-tail-style/needle-tip-2378.html I'm not sure about the handle temperature rating: give Labfacility a call.
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16229 on: September 13, 2018, 07:50:59 am »
Don’t think I’ve ever used a thermometer when cooking.

Keysight thermocouple probes are probably ok for that if you need them.
 

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16230 on: September 13, 2018, 01:24:28 pm »
Jeezus, thayy puttin' teevees on evveythang now; even gawt wun onna toaster oven. Iff'n it kin dew a fam'ly size pizza,  ah'll tekk itt!   :-DD

mnem
Now Ahh kin watch muh Jerry Springer reruns wha'll muh teevee dinners bern teww a krisp...  :-+

Ah, back on food again eh? We're reliable that way.

At the moment I'm just winding down the day with the turn, fold, roll and rest stage of a batch of flaky pastry. Stewed some apples earlier with cinnamon and allspice. Tomorrow — hot, fresh, flaky apple turnovers.

TEA relevance? I need a new pointy kitchen thermometer for checking the internal temperatures of things wot is cooking. That's test gear right? The one I've currently got has a response time measurable in minutes. Anybody have any recommendations for something fast responding that's got a food-safe pointy probe?

   
I just sounded off on this on this with my HOT SHINY BALLS post a few weeks ago... that ThermoPro TP01S insta-read thermo-tormenter is one of their highest-rated products of all time, and less than US$8 PLUS a 3-year warranty if you register the product with the MFR. It's advertised at 4-7 second read time; on my grill, it gets to the single digit in "one thousand, two thousand...", and the tenths stops moving right on the "5-thousand..." count every time. It gets a "two claws up" rating from this TinkerDwagon. ;)

The blue backlight is just right at 10 seconds timeout, it comes on at power-up and has a button to re-enable BL with same 10-second timeout. Auto Power-off is nicely un-annoying at 10 minutes. The stainless steel probe is 135mm long, which is considerably longer than the average of 90-100mm. It runs on 2 LR44 batteries, which keeps the LCD nice & crisp even when the BL is on. It comes with a protective film over the front surface, so you get "two lives" on the screen too.

I wash it under running water, but no higher than the neck as it is not supposed to be a waterproof design; this is not a problem with that long probe. However, to its credit, it is NOT a throwaway design tool either; as you can see, it DOES come apart with no less than 4 screws, and another 5 screws in the main PCB. I keep thinking about sealing it up with some silicone, but that would void the 3-yr warranty.  I long ago learned the lesson of foldable thermometers; they last only as long as you DON'T fold them. Once you get in the habit of folding them, they die in no time.

The only drawback to me is that while the display is crisp and clear, it does only have about a 40-45° viewing angle where that crispness is there. Well, that and the 7mm digits; I'd have liked a little bigger, but this is pretty typical of the "pocket size" thermometer I prefer, as the button batteries limit design to a relatively small twisted-nematic LCD.

If you need a "leave-in" thermometer, or you need bigger digits, their next model up is the TP-16 which is only $18; it has a "step-down" quick-read tip, but doesn't say how quick it reads or have a BL. For the "More than $10" range, I'd probably splurge on the $33 TP-21 though; it has wireless remote display AND a display ON the transmitter. It does not appear to have a step-down "quick-read" tip, but it does have an extra-long probe.

Cheers,

mnem
*Gone thermal*
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 01:31:29 pm by mnementh »
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Online tautech

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16231 on: September 13, 2018, 01:29:25 pm »
....................
mnem
*Gone thermal*
Dwagon's do that !  :-DD
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16232 on: September 13, 2018, 02:01:20 pm »
Don’t think I’ve ever used a thermometer when cooking.

Keysight thermocouple probes are probably ok for that if you need them.
*Sigh*

This is another one of those "changing times" things, I'm afraid.

With the advent of "factory farming" the meat you buy simply isn't safe anymore. All meat production, even beef, has been so deregulated that there is no way it is physically possible for it to be properly inspected by the few inspectors at any such facility, even IF they weren't directly employed by those factories. The days of meat inspection being a government service for the good of the public are long gone, at least in America.

We have specific standards for % of soil, feces and disinfectant contamination on every foodstuff we consume; our grains have a standard for "acceptable" percentage of "cellulose" and "insect parts" content as well. We used to consider such things to be "if there's enough that you can detect it, it's too much" kindof thing; now it's deliberately quantified so they can decide just how much they can afford to pay the fines on. If they get caught.  :palm: Our grain is so dirty, most of Asia refuses to buy it; they've told our producers repeatedly to go fuck themselves, no matter how much the US govt threatens them with trade sanctions.

The point is, you simply cannot trust any food that hasn't been cooked to at least 145°F/63°C, and most meat needs 160/71C° to 170°F/77°C for at least 3 minutes to be safe. The difference of just a few degrees is the difference between safe to eat and cooked to death; unless you like to eat rubbery/leathery meat there's really no way to make sure it's safe to eat without a thermometer.

The reason an "insta-read" thermometer is so important is the human factor. We're lazy, easily-distracted, impatient children at our best; when we're making food we're 10x worse. People need insta-read so that you actually get in and keep the the habit of cooking to temperature, and so that you don't keep getting burned and use that as an excuse NOT TO.

mnem
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 02:10:38 pm by mnementh »
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16233 on: September 13, 2018, 02:09:18 pm »
....................
mnem
*Gone thermal*
Dwagons do that !  :-DD
I have no idea what in the world you're talking about... ;)

mnem
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Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16234 on: September 13, 2018, 02:09:30 pm »
If you have a thermometer already, how about one of these probes? https://www.labfacility.com/temperature-sensors/handheld-temperature-sensors/shark-tail-style/needle-tip-2378.html I'm not sure about the handle temperature rating: give Labfacility a call.

That looks quite promising. I don't need a particularly heat-safe handle (or cable) as typical usage is probing chunks of meat to make sure that they're not going to over cook but also so they're not raw in the middle. I was thinking more in terms of an all in one solution but I do actually already keep a cheap type K thermometer and a couple of probes in the kitchen anyway for non food contact use.
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline nfmax

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16235 on: September 13, 2018, 02:21:50 pm »
...and returning from food to TEA, there is endless scope for the TEA addict in thermometry! Current score here: 1 x Labfacility PRT lab bench instrument (rescue), with a semi-standard PRT, a 'daily use' probe, and multiple home-made sensors using different types of PT 100; two RS and one Maplin hand-held K thermocouple meters (one a dumpster find, one a 'rescue') and assorted thermocouples; a bunch of flexible mineral-insulated K thermocouple probes (dumpster find); a goodly stock of K-type connectors & extension leads (dumpster find); three Agilent 34970A dataloggers, with a stack of input modules (one from eBay, two rescue); and a Keysight U5585A thermal imager.

It's enough to get you hot under the collar, even though it is cool  8)
 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16236 on: September 13, 2018, 02:22:17 pm »
Don’t think I’ve ever used a thermometer when cooking.

I hardly ever do either but I have two principal uses for one. Firstly, when cooking meat (something like a chicken breast roasted on its own) to be carved and served cold -  there's just a few ˚C difference in peak cooking temperature between raw in the middle (< ~65˚C),  moist and juicy (68˚C) and dry and crumbly (>=72˚C). Easy to get wrong on smaller chunks of meat like a single breast. The other is things involving hot sugar - jam, Italian meringue, fondant and the like.
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline nfmax

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16237 on: September 13, 2018, 02:24:27 pm »
Reconstitute dried yeast using water at 42˚C, it is the optimum temperature
 

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16238 on: September 13, 2018, 02:24:41 pm »
;D
And yet.............APC was a brand I had in mind. Got given a APC1000 that cooked batteries and looked into it some before shelving it.
Wasn't quite sure if divider components had drifted or it was just adjusted wrong but they don't have a trimmer instead there's some service mode for adjustments AFAIK.

Another project in the queue .....................
My guess is you just got a single bad unit; over 20 years in IT my experience says this is NOT typical of their product.

Even Tripplite has some bad designs though... they released a power module family about 10 years ago that is commonly incorporated into medical and IT mobile PC carts that have been "silent-recalled" for this very problem, particularly with popular upgrade Lixx batteries that are supposed to be drop-in replacements for older 35AH SLAs. They made the mistake of advertising them as compatible when there is something in the combination of the module and the protection circuit used in these  LIxx batteries that long-term results in either under or over-charging of the pack inside.

Since the module costs ~$600 and the battery costs ~$1200, you know which part always takes the blame.  :palm:

mnem
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Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16239 on: September 13, 2018, 02:26:30 pm »
We had an APC unit catch fire. Did a lot of expensive damage. High energy stuff is dangerous regardless of brand. I’ll dig the photos out at some point. 

Don’t think I’ve ever used a thermometer when cooking.

I hardly ever do either but I have two principal uses for one. Firstly, when cooking meat (something like a chicken breast roasted on its own) to be carved and served cold -  there's just a few ˚C difference in peak cooking temperature between raw in the middle (< ~65˚C),  moist and juicy (68˚C) and dry and crumbly (>=72˚C). Easy to get wrong on smaller chunks of meat like a single breast. The other is things involving hot sugar - jam, Italian meringue, fondant and the like.

Ah. Wrap the thing tightly in foil, 28 minutes at 180. Stab it and check the juice colour. Cloudy? Another 5 minutes.

Jam. This can be a dick. I’ll give you that. I made some blackberry jam a few years back and it came out like jelly cubes.

Reconstitute dried yeast using water at 42˚C, it is the optimum temperature

Or on the back of my dryer :)
 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16240 on: September 13, 2018, 02:32:23 pm »

   
I just sounded off on this on this with my HOT SHINY BALLS post a few weeks ago... that ThermoPro TP01S insta-read thermo-tormenter is one of their highest-rated products of all time...

Thanks for that. Sadly I can't find anybody shipping that model in the UK, some of the other ThermoPro models, but not that one. The cheery $10 price tag becomes less cheery if I add $20 shipping.  :(
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16241 on: September 13, 2018, 02:42:29 pm »
...and returning from food to TEA, there is endless scope for the TEA addict in thermometry! Current score here: 1 x Labfacility PRT lab bench instrument (rescue), with a semi-standard PRT, a 'daily use' probe, and multiple home-made sensors using different types of PT 100; two RS and one Maplin hand-held K thermocouple meters (one a dumpster find, one a 'rescue') and assorted thermocouples; a bunch of flexible mineral-insulated K thermocouple probes (dumpster find); a goodly stock of K-type connectors & extension leads (dumpster find); three Agilent 34970A dataloggers, with a stack of input modules (one from eBay, two rescue); and a Keysight U5585A thermal imager.

It's enough to get you hot under the collar, even though it is cool  8)

Look, I'm trying not to go down that hole. I'm already a time-nut (GPS disciplined stratum 1 time server with NPL traceability at stratum 2, components for GPSDO IEEE 1588 PTP server acquired), a proto-volt-nut (a collection of mutually consistent but not yet traceable voltage references) and I really could do without another precision hole to go down. Stop tempting me!  :)
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16242 on: September 13, 2018, 02:54:43 pm »
...APC...
My guess is you just got a single bad unit; over 20 years in IT my experience says this is NOT typical of their product.


I've had very variable results with APC over the years across the 1kVA and upward ranges - no experience with the sub-1kVA models. I've seen some units that just keep working flawlessly, some that kill batteries in much less than their natural life ought to be, and some that are simply magic smoke generators, either for themselves or kit that is powered from them. I'd snap up a known good secondhand APC unit in a heartbeat, but I'd be reluctant to buy a brand new one except from a dealer with whom I had enough clout to ensure prompt, efficient warranty service.
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16243 on: September 13, 2018, 03:00:37 pm »

   
I just sounded off on this on this with my HOT SHINY BALLS post a few weeks ago... that ThermoPro TP01S insta-read thermo-tormenter is one of their highest-rated products of all time...

Thanks for that. Sadly I can't find anybody shipping that model in the UK, some of the other ThermoPro models, but not that one. The cheery $10 price tag becomes less cheery if I add $20 shipping.  :(
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ThermoPro-Digital-Instant-Cooking-Thermometer/dp/B07CB8JG21/

Here it is... they got the model wrong in the Product listing; it is the TP-01S, not TP-01A. I think that may be a special packaging just for Amazon; it came in a little sealed box, not the usual hook-hang card-style blister-pack.
[EDIT]

AVOID the little bulb-shaped one they also offer on that page; my last one had that same kind of segmented LCD display and it was an utter POS. You breathe on the little fucker and it all turns black and you can't read it; absolutely USELESS on the grill.

[/EDIT]

Here's the manual from the MFR too.

mnem
*Juicy-ometer*
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 03:06:56 pm by mnementh »
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Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16244 on: September 13, 2018, 03:12:31 pm »
Ah. Wrap the thing tightly in foil, 28 minutes at 180. Stab it and check the juice colour. Cloudy? Another 5 minutes.

Nah. Marinade in chilli, olive oil, a little salt and lemon juice. Fry one side in a hot pan for 3-4 minutes - it should look on the verge of burning. Turn over and shove the whole pan into a 220˚C oven for ~8 minutes. Whip out, check core temperature, if OK wrap in foil and leave to cool. Chill in fridge, carve:



Yes, that is left over pork, sage and onion stuffing. Yes, with the wholemeal roll, mayonnaise and salad it was delicious.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 03:14:16 pm by Cerebus »
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16245 on: September 13, 2018, 03:17:53 pm »

   
I just sounded off on this on this with my HOT SHINY BALLS post a few weeks ago... that ThermoPro TP01S insta-read thermo-tormenter is one of their highest-rated products of all time...

Thanks for that. Sadly I can't find anybody shipping that model in the UK, some of the other ThermoPro models, but not that one. The cheery $10 price tag becomes less cheery if I add $20 shipping.  :(
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ThermoPro-Digital-Instant-Cooking-Thermometer/dp/B07CB8JG21/

Here it is... they got the model wrong in the Product listing; it is the TP-01S, not TP-01A. I think that may be a special packaging just for Amazon; it came in a little sealed box, not the usual hook-hang card-style blister-pack.
[EDIT]

AVOID the little bulb-shaped one they also offer on that page; my last one had that same kind of segmented LCD display and it was an utter POS. You breathe on the little fucker and it all turns black and you can't read it; absolutely USELESS on the grill.

[/EDIT]

Here's the manual from the MFR too.

mnem
*Juicy-ometer*

£4.99, now we're talking.

Thanks mate. Looks like SWMBO's Amazon account is about to take a hit.

Edit: SWMBO came in 30 seconds later, she has been mugged...
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 03:24:10 pm by Cerebus »
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Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16246 on: September 13, 2018, 03:23:12 pm »
Ah. Wrap the thing tightly in foil, 28 minutes at 180. Stab it and check the juice colour. Cloudy? Another 5 minutes.

Nah. Marinade in chilli, olive oil, a little salt and lemon juice. Fry one side in a hot pan for 3-4 minutes - it should look on the verge of burning. Turn over and shove the whole pan into a 220˚C oven for ~8 minutes. Whip out, check core temperature, if OK wrap in foil and leave to cool. Chill in fridge, carve:



Yes, that is left over pork, sage and onion stuffing. Yes, with the wholemeal roll, mayonnaise and salad it was delicious.

Yum

Or just buy a pack of this if you can't be bothered: https://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Maggi-So-Juicy-Chicken-Herbs/74926011

 

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16247 on: September 13, 2018, 03:26:01 pm »
...APC...
My guess is you just got a single bad unit; over 20 years in IT my experience says this is NOT typical of their product.


I've had very variable results with APC over the years across the 1kVA and upward ranges - no experience with the sub-1kVA models. I've seen some units that just keep working flawlessly, some that kill batteries in much less than their natural life ought to be, and some that are simply magic smoke generators, either for themselves or kit that is powered from them. I'd snap up a known good secondhand APC unit in a heartbeat, but I'd be reluctant to buy a brand new one except from a dealer with whom I had enough clout to ensure prompt, efficient warranty service.
Most of the ones I deal with are the same family as the SmartUPS 1500 in my living room; that use the huge RBC-26/RBC-43 cartridge or even have a second/third one in a unit underneath. I have NOT seen a single one of those family die in less than 10 years. I've seen some that are 18-20 years and I'm there doing the second replacement cartridge, which I can see right in the logs when I change it out because it warns the owner that the batteries test to less than 80%.

I'd think that if the newer ones were a common failure item, I'd be replacing them en-masse; unless you're talking about the little underdesk units they sell through Best Buy, Wally world, Orifice Depot, etc. Those are NOT APC product; they are rebadged Chinese crap like I was talking about earlier. You can't buy a real 1500VA UPS for $150-180; yeah sure the electronics can handle it for a VERY Short time, but even the newest generation of low-IR AGM batteries will NOT take that abuse for long. Just the periodic load-testing that the UPS does to confirm battery capacity is probably enough to kill the battery after a few years.

That has nothing to do with the electronics; that has to do with trying to pull 1.5KVA out of a battery pack that has 1/4 the number of cells it SHOULD have.

mnem
*tzzzt*
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 03:35:32 pm by mnementh »
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Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16248 on: September 13, 2018, 03:35:36 pm »
Ours was one of their 10KVA 10U jobbies. Think it had RBC-44 cartridges in it. The inlet termination exploded (reason unknown), set fire to the entire rack destroying one of our core Junipers (£25k a pop), two DL380s (£20k a pop each) and half the Avaya stuff in there (no idea how much that was as we were renting it).

Made a right mess.

Incidentally because we had been hit by the clue stick, this was one of two machine rooms in the building and the spare one kicked in apart from the dev stuff which resulted in some arm waving annoyance.

edit: the guys we had come in to fix it actually used paint scrapers to get the bits of plastic off the rack so they could get the batteries out and dispose of it.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 03:42:51 pm by bd139 »
 

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #16249 on: September 13, 2018, 04:07:38 pm »
Ours was one of their 10KVA 10U jobbies. Think it had RBC-44 cartridges in it. The inlet termination exploded (reason unknown), set fire to the entire rack destroying one of our core Junipers (£25k a pop), two DL380s (£20k a pop each) and half the Avaya stuff in there (no idea how much that was as we were renting it).

Made a right mess.

Incidentally because we had been hit by the clue stick, this was one of two machine rooms in the building and the spare one kicked in apart from the dev stuff which resulted in some arm waving annoyance.

edit: the guys we had come in to fix it actually used paint scrapers to get the bits of plastic off the rack so they could get the batteries out and dispose of it.
Was it the battery inlet, or the AC inlet?

AC inlet I can see being possibly user error; plugged into a wrongly rated socket in the PDU, or a PDU that should have been replaced with the last HW refresh or the one two refreshes ago.  I see THAT all the time, and particularly lease companies don't press the issue even though they should for the sake of the install. You don't wanna know how many times I've arrived to do a rack & stack to find some crusty old 4 foot power strip with outlets that have broken and pushed inside the rail, and they tell me "plug into one that's good; power distribution upgrades are outside our SOW." :palm:

The other possible problem is the battery inlet connector; it is just a big Sermos connector. I STILL hate those things with a passion, even though I have to work with them all the time. Actually, probably BECAUSE I have to work with them all the time. There installer error can fuck you too; you HAVE to get them plugged in right, so BOTH contacts snap. It is, IMO, TOO EASY to get them cocked so they're making partial contact, ESPECIALLY after having to move that big thick cable so you can plug it in and then route it so you can get the cover back on. This is a problem with the units that use the RBC26 & RBC43  especially due to the angled/recessed plug. The RBC44 isn't that bad though; that battery cavity is huge.

But that is after all is said and done a design issue; IMO, the Sermos connector is NOT a good choice for long-term high-current load connection, no matter how much they swear it is, and even though everybody uses the damned things.   :rant:

mnem
I'm all out of "pithy".
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 05:42:55 pm by mnementh »
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