Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bitseeker]

Yeah, batteries are the reason I should open mine. I'm sure they're either gone or mighty crusty.

[neo]

Yeah, batteries are the reason I should open mine. I'm sure they're either gone or mighty crusty.

I opened mine for two reasons, the batteries and the noise. The batteries are fine and the noise seems to be emitted by the display 

[neo]

Fellow tea members please help advice i am having very sinful righteous thoughts regarding a fluke 8800A on ebay claimed and looking to be in good condition. Is it worth considering if it goes cheap (~$50 or so with shipping for example) or should i wait for hamfest and hope and/or see if they have one there?
I have no clue why, other than it having 2 digits more than my current multimeters, but i really want this particular multimeter.

[Cubdriver]

Fellow tea members please help advise i am having very sinful righteous thoughts regarding a fluke 8800A on ebay claimed and looking to be in good condition. Is it worth considering if it goes cheap (~$50 or so with shipping for example) or should i wait for hamfest and hope and/or see if they have one there?
I have no clue why, other than it having 2 digits more than my current multimeters, but i really want this particular multimeter.

'nuff said.  Go for it!   

-Pat

[neo]

Fellow tea members please help advise i am having very sinful righteous thoughts regarding a fluke 8800A on ebay claimed and looking to be in good condition. Is it worth considering if it goes cheap (~$50 or so with shipping for example) or should i wait for hamfest and hope and/or see if they have one there?
I have no clue why, other than it having 2 digits more than my current multimeters, but i really want this particular multimeter.

'nuff said.  Go for it!   

-Pat

Such constructive advice!

[Cubdriver]

Such constructive advice!

I do what I can.   

-Pat

[neo]

Such constructive advice!

I do what I can.   

-Pat

Well the wallet approved it, or i asked when she could care less, so i guess i will let you know if i win it come Sunday.

[tggzzz]

I didn't need it. I don't need it. It wasn't too expensive. Honest.

Now I'll have to find a use for it; that might be expensive.

[Rbastler]

I dind't want to build two labs, one at home and one were I study. But guess what.... I bought a PE1540 and a Fluke 8050A, both in need dor repair, for the second one.
Plus a amp for 0.1-1300Mhz I didn't really need. Now I need to find a use for it....

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

[mtdoc]

I didn't need it. I don't need it. It wasn't too expensive. Honest.

Now I'll have to find a use for it; that might be expensive.

Based on the photo tag, it's the work of the devil.

[nctnico]

A few days ago I realised I ran out of shelve space for my equipment  Now I need to figure out where I can create a some extra shelve space.

[tggzzz]

I didn't need it. I don't need it. It wasn't too expensive. Honest.

Now I'll have to find a use for it; that might be expensive.

Based on the photo tag, it's the work of the devil.

In that picture it is more natural than 666

[Rbastler]

A few days ago I realised I ran out of shelve space for my equipment  Now I need to figure out where I can create a some extra shelve space.

I feel you. I had to buy a new table for new gear.

[tautech]

I didn't need it. I don't need it. It wasn't too expensive. Honest.

Now I'll have to find a use for it; that might be expensive.

I'll play along,  is it ?

[Cubdriver]

I didn't need it. I don't need it. It wasn't too expensive. Honest.

Now I'll have to find a use for it; that might be expensive.

I'll play along,  is it ?

Looks like an ESI Dekastat adjustable decade resistor.

-Pat

[tggzzz]

I didn't need it. I don't need it. It wasn't too expensive. Honest.

Now I'll have to find a use for it; that might be expensive.

I'll play along,  is it ?

Looks like an ESI Dekastat adjustable decade resistor.

Close. It is an ESI Dekapot Kelvin-Varley voltage divider. http://www.ietlabs.com/esi-dp-1211-dp1311-voltage-dividers.html

The support for the pointer is damaged but repairable; I hope that's the only fault!

[buck converter]

So Today at a highschool STEM camp at a college, my friend said, "look a dumpster full of computers!" reminding myself that I don't need more computers , i go in the hallway to check it out. They were not computers, they were HP and Tektronix analog oscilloscopes. There were atleast 15 . the looked good, some had power cords, the BNCs were tight.

I was not hungry to take the scopes because I am addicted to old stuff or because I need one, rather because I knew I could sell them to raise money for my High school's robotics team, which desperately needs money . This past year, we could not afford a Laptop to program the robot. I got this idea when browsing eBay for an oscilloscope, a seller said it was for his robotics team, I know how desperate his club could be.

I had to ask the instuctor if they are being chucked, for a few reasons: The dumpster was indoors; there was a note that said "to centeral Islip, room 203". After telling him about my robotics club, he agreed to find out if I could take some. I will not find out until Monday. If i do get some, I will sell some on eBay to raise money for my robotics team, and I will sell some at a low price on this forum to begginers like me, who learned so much from these tools.

[alm]

Sounds like a nice find if you can get permission. If you sell them, doing some basic testing, reporting the results and having pictures of them displaying a stable trace (the probe calibration signal is very convenient) can substantially raise the value over the 'Do not know how to test, sold as as-is' junk.

[buck converter]

not all of the scopes had probes/power cables, is it worth it to buy some to be included with working units?

[Cubdriver]

I don't think I'd go so far as to buy probes to include with them, but as alm stated, if you can do at least a rudimentary checkout on them and show them displaying something more than a dot or a line, that should definitely bump resale value.

If they have IEC 320 ac inlets (the 'standard' computer power cord connector) and you can get your hands on some appropriate power cords that would help, too, though I've never considered that sort of power cord being missing to be a big show stopper as they're so readily available.

-Pat

[tautech]

not all of the scopes had probes/power cables, is it worth it to buy some to be included with working units?

IMHO yes.
P6100 probes can be sourced for ~$15/pair and mains cables for ~$5 and with a little time and effort to find user/service manuals online and compile them onto a CD you should be able to ask $50 more.

Sure some can do all this themselves while others can't be bothered and just want something all ready to go.

[buck converter]

I don't think I'd go so far as to buy probes to include with them, but as alm stated, if you can do at least a rudimentary checkout on them and show them displaying something more than a dot or a line, that should definitely bump resale value.

If they have IEC 320 ac inlets (the 'standard' computer power cord connector) and you can get your hands on some appropriate power cords that would help, too, though I've never considered that sort of power cord being missing to be a big show stopper as they're so readily available.

-Pat

My first and only oscilloscope came with a third party power cord and third party probes. It looked like there was a function generator in the lot, that would make a good tool for testing.

This only happen if I get permission to take the lot.

[bitseeker]

It's only anecdotal, but it seemed from the various sold listings I've seen that scopes, multimeters, and the like that included probes (even if they're cheap inexpensive ones) tended to fetch more (sometimes much more) than those that did not. YMMV

[nctnico]

It's only anecdotal, but it seemed from the various sold listings I've seen that scopes, multimeters, and the like that included probes (even if they're cheap inexpensive ones) tended to fetch more (sometimes much more) than those that did not. YMMV

When I sell a scope I try to sell it with probes even if they are utter crap. Somehow people expect a scope to have probes included and they lose interest in a scope without probes. Personally I think used probes are like someone else's used underwear. I don't want to go anywhere near that because you never know what happened with it. Probes don't have eternal life.

[bitseeker]

I would also be suspicious of used probes. But, as you said, when included it makes the lot feel more complete and less like recycling leftovers.