Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/stan-lee-dead-marvel-comics-real-life-superhero-was-95-721450

*Sigh*

mnem
*Toddles off to ded, feeling very small*

[URI]

TEA again.
Just bought my second Fluke PM6681 universal timer (read here). I don't really have the space for it. 
But for the overall price I really couldn't stand it.


It's a nice universal timer/counter/analyzer capable of 11 digit resolution/s even though it has only a 10 digit display; Just program it to subtract the number that's filling the leading digit and it's showing the trailing 10 digits with 11 digit resolution on the two LSBs. 
It's a bit of a hack and a HP 53132A can show 12 digits at a time, but it actually has the accuracy and spec-wise the PM6681 and the 53132A play in the same league. And the 53132A is offered for much higher prices regularly if you don't want to gamble with a defective one to fix hopefully ...or not.
There are as well clone Input C (for the GHz range) assemblies from Poland and China available for affordable prices that are reported to do their job well. Oh, that rabbit whole. But no GHz source here so no imminent risk at the moment. 

I just have that feeling of a manifesting thought some other gear has to go for it. 
Perhaps the Philips/Fluke PM6680 ore one of the Philips/Fluke PM6685s..? 
Doesn't matter how hard that will be for me, I will have to go that route because I'm sharing the room my TEA lab bench is in with my swmbo.
On the other hand: More money to spend on other TE. Probably smaller to fit left spaces..   

[bd139]

I don’t know if it’s got option 001 or not yet (no rear view in listing) but I know a supplier who has the board and cable assembly for it 

Plan was to see if any of the older HP GPSDO in same form factor are still viable and bus one of them and a suitable counter to it.

Evil master plan has been running a while now

Sounds like a mighty good plan.

(Also need an E3631A  )

Indeed. Nice power supplies and prices have been falling over the past couple of years, unlike the 34401A.

My "stack" from that era, thus far:

34401A
34410A
33120A
E3631A
E3648A

Excellent. I have noticed the affordability increasing. One of the reasons I bought a DG1022Z was that it was less expensive than the 33120A’s. I want to try and stick to stuff with service info now and that HP line is the last defence against irrepairability on that front. Although I notice that some of the newer Agilent stuff is actually documented in TAOE 3e in the precision chapter.

I don’t know if it’s got option 001 or not yet (no rear view in listing) but I know a supplier who has the board and cable assembly for it 

Note: I just recalled that some 33120 that I've seen don't have outlines on the rear panel for the option 001 BNCs. I haven't seen inside that version, so I don't know if the chassis has the cut outs behind the panel overlay or not. Hopefully, the motherboard isn't any different.

Ah that might be a show stopper (or not). Time will tell. I looked at the board design and there is what looks like an SMB connector on non equipped devices so may be lucky.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/stan-lee-dead-marvel-comics-real-life-superhero-was-95-721450

*Sigh*

mnem
*Toddles off to ded, feeling very small*

RIP. Had no idea. I was pretty much brought up on Stan’s stuff. 

What a life though. If I get that old I’ll be a happy man.


While I’m here: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F202499284916

Missing boat anchor logo as I can’t work it out. It’s 8am and my eyes aren’t working yet.

And for you guys in the US, reasonably priced lateish 34401A’s https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F153258823598


Randomness: this came up on my YouTube feed. The design of this scope is pretty amazingly well executed.  I may be tempted to locate one. Yes it’s a Heathkit 15Mhz dual trace but I like it:

https://youtu.be/ZTjmXyApGkE

Interesting bit at 16:05

[Ero-Shan]

TEA again.
Just bought my second Fluke PM6681 universal timer (read here). I don't really have the space for it. 
But for the overall price I really couldn't stand it.

That looks quite nice indeed! The LCD even is backlit. Only the keys look cheap. But then, even newer HP gear has them ...

Where'd you get it, if I may ask? Can't remember seeing it at the 'bay.

[glarsson]

Perhaps the Philips/Fluke PM6680 ore one of the Philips/Fluke PM6685s..? 

Why stop there? Go for the PM6690 instead. :-)

[med6753]

Randomness: this came up on my YouTube feed. The design of this scope is pretty amazingly well executed.  I may be tempted to locate one. Yes it’s a Heathkit 15Mhz dual trace but I like it:

https://youtu.be/ZTjmXyApGkE

Interesting bit at 16:05

What a coincidence. I watched the same video last night and part 2 where he fixes channel 1.

[Specmaster]

What a delight that Heathkit scope is to work on. Modern designers ought to try and emulate some of those technics so boards can be pulled with ease and reinserted easily. That said of course, I have to say that the audio equipment I've working on recently is also relatively easy to work on the boards as most of them just use ribbon cables as the interconnections between them, just a bit smaller and denser populated but getting the boards out at times is a work of art.

[URI]

TEA again.
Just bought my second Fluke PM6681 universal timer (read here). I don't really have the space for it. 
But for the overall price I really couldn't stand it.

That looks quite nice indeed! The LCD even is backlit. Only the keys look cheap. But then, even newer HP gear has them ...

Where'd you get it, if I may ask? Can't remember seeing it at the 'bay.

I found it on ebay.com and bought it right away eight ours after being listed. 
Yes the keys are standard rubber keys. But since everyone uses them since the '90s even for Test Equipment costing 10s of k$ they can't be too bad, can they?
In fact, even the classic HP keys do get defective/inoperable..     
Personally I like cherry keys but I haven't found those in Test Equipment yet.   

Perhaps the Philips/Fluke PM6680 ore one of the Philips/Fluke PM6685s..? 

Why stop there? Go for the PM6690 instead. :-)

Mentioning the high prices of HP 53132A's the PM6690's are even worse in that field. Yes, in fact they are a class up the HP 53132A, but I would only go for a Jammy Git awarding price. 

[glarsson]

Don't hold your breath waiting for a Jammy Git price on a PM6690 or CNT90. We are not selling...

[Cerebus]

...what to click and similar to the day job some days (it's about as much fun as JIRA!). So basically it's just unpleasant or boring.

I was just having a nice TEA break from work and you ruined it by dragging me back there with that JIRA reference. 

Sod!

[grizewald]

Don't you just love used test equipment?

I had a dual Thurlby PL320 delivered today. (A version 1 with the rat's nest of point-to-point wiring inside.)

Before powering up to see how good or bad it is, I took the covers off to make sure it hadn't been shaken apart on the journey.



There seems to be something extra next to the big power resistor in the middle! (Apart from the dust that is.)

I wonder where this poor little guy lives?



 

[grizewald]

Talking of Chinese stuff, look what Mr Postman brought today from Banggood. Much woot:

Welcome to another addiction!



(This isn't even all of them.  )

[PA0PBZ]

I wonder where this poor little guy lives?

My bet: It was never part of the PSU but it dropped in...

[Mr. Scram]

Sounds like a mighty good plan.

Indeed. Nice power supplies and prices have been falling over the past couple of years, unlike the 34401A.

My "stack" from that era, thus far:

34401A
34410A
33120A
E3631A
E3648A

I've been looking for a good second 34401A, but only beat up ones for way too much money seem to be around. There are more interesting options for that kind of money.

[bd139]

...what to click and similar to the day job some days (it's about as much fun as JIRA!). So basically it's just unpleasant or boring.

I was just having a nice TEA break from work and you ruined it by dragging me back there with that JIRA reference. 

Sod!

Hahahaha. These new guys want me to fill in timesheets with it. It takes literally a minute every time you submit an entry for it to update. At this rate I'm going to have to create a "filling in timesheet" entry which will cause recursion and the universe will explode.

I've been looking for a good second 34401A, but only beat up ones for way too much money seem to be around. There are more interesting options for that kind of money.

Still expensive. I will quite happily pay £350 for one with bumpers that is working and shipped from UK via respectable courier. None have appeared with that characteristic yet.

Welcome to another addiction!

(This isn't even all of them.  )

Thank you

Need a DEA thread (Drone Equipment Anonymous)

Don't you just love used test equipment?

I had a dual Thurlby PL320 delivered today. (A version 1 with the rat's nest of point-to-point wiring inside.)

Before powering up to see how good or bad it is, I took the covers off to make sure it hadn't been shaken apart on the journey.

There seems to be something extra next to the big power resistor in the middle! (Apart from the dust that is.)

I wonder where this poor little guy lives?

Had a few of those older PL supplies. Horrid things to work on but once they work they're good.

That trimmer isn't like the ones they used inside the ones I saw as they all had ceramic base. Very cheap one that. Probably someone pushed it through a vent on the top or something. Was it from a school? School ones were full of all sorts of shit. I found one with "Dave is a smelly wanker" on a bit of paper posted into it 

[grizewald]

I wonder where this poor little guy lives?

My bet: It was never part of the PSU but it dropped in...

It looks like it used to be part of the supply, but someone decided that adjustment wasn't needed and replaced it with a pair of resistors. The original home of that trimmer was on the other side of the PCB from the two resistors added on the back of the board. Nice of them to leave the original trimmer rattling around inside. 



Looking around, there seem to have been quite a few different modifications here and there on the two supplies.

Reckon I'll just power it up and see how much magic smoke I can release!

[bd139]

That's solved then. Have fun with that one

[grizewald]

That's solved then. Have fun with that one

Thanks!

[grizewald]

It lives!



It even seems fairly accurate. In fact, the supply with the missing trimmer was spot on.

I think this is a case of a quick vacuum to get the dust out and then just putting the covers on and trying to forget the rest of the horrors that I've seen in there.

Now I have two rails, I can have some fun building bd139's scope thing!

[PA0PBZ]

It looks like it used to be part of the supply, but someone decided that adjustment wasn't needed and replaced it with a pair of resistors.

Well, there is a sign with "calibration not required" on the front, so yeah… 

[grizewald]

Well, there is a sign with "calibration not required" on the front, so yeah… 

 

Spot on!

I'll give it some proper load testing and make sure it doesn't ripple, but so far, it looks like a winner!
No fans either. I love kit without fans. The noise my Rigol scope makes sounds like I have a wind tunnel on the bench.

[Mr. Scram]

Hahahaha. These new guys want me to fill in timesheets with it. It takes literally a minute every time you submit an entry for it to update. At this rate I'm going to have to create a "filling in timesheet" entry which will cause recursion and the universe will explode.

Still expensive. I will quite happily pay £350 for one with bumpers that is working and shipped from UK via respectable courier. None have appeared with that characteristic yet.

Thank you

Need a DEA thread (Drone Equipment Anonymous)


Had a few of those older PL supplies. Horrid things to work on but once they work they're good.

That trimmer isn't like the ones they used inside the ones I saw as they all had ceramic base. Very cheap one that. Probably someone pushed it through a vent on the top or something. Was it from a school? School ones were full of all sorts of shit. I found one with "Dave is a smelly wanker" on a bit of paper posted into it 

Even the beat up 34401As seem to be pricy, indeed. Though I tend to gravitate towards good cosmetic condition gear. I'd rather ruin it myself!

[mnementh]

   Talking of Chinese stuff, look what Mr Postman brought today from Banggood. Much woot:

   Welcome to another addiction!  (This isn't even all of them.  )

Good lord... I've given away more than that; first when I went down the "Tiny Whoop" rabbit hole, then again when I crawled out and found everything I had saved was 3 generations out of date. Pretty much all I kept last go around was some unbuilt "antiques" and some custom frames made by friends in the biz. And I STILL have more than that left...         

It looks like it used to be part of the supply, but someone decided that adjustment wasn't needed and replaced it with a pair of resistors. The original home of that trimmer was on the other side of the PCB from the two resistors added on the back of the board. Nice of them to leave the original trimmer rattling around inside. 

  Looking around, there seem to have been quite a few different modifications here and there on the two supplies. Reckon I'll just power it up and see how much magic smoke I can release!

I suspect more like somebody couldn't find the trimmer, so took a reading of the one on the other supply and bodged in the closest fixed resistor they could throw together from what was lying around on the bench. You know, "Until I can scrounge up a replacement..." which turned into "Fuggettaboudditt..." which turned into "I have a life; fuck this noize, just sell it down the river".     "Then our oh so careful" shipping services got hold of it, tumbled the fiddly bits loose, and there you have it:

A "Ooooh... looky what I found!" easteregg.

I love the design ethic of that thing... "Fuck making a custom box for our dual supply; we'll just glue two single supplies together. We'd have to pay somebody to design something we already designed, then pay somebody to make it, then horror of horrors, we'd have to keep paying people to warehouse and track a part the size of two whole PSUs in inventory. Awww, HELL no!"   

mnem
   I am NOT addicted!!!  I just have a little "hole in the air" fetish...   

[bd139]

They are literally two power supplies in the same box with a switching module. The newer units they have a different front panel but same design.

I went for two separate units as they are slightly narrower and they are asymmetrical. One is 30V 1A and one 15V 4A. I don't have the room for the switching module unfortunately as well. Slightly missing my E3630A though as it took up a hell of a lot less room.



I like them. Quiet, accurate, virtually indestructible, excellent responses, reliable and dirt cheap!

I have been tempted by a new EL302RT. That has a 5V switcher in it as well which is fine for digital stuff. Also smaller again!

[grizewald]

Good lord... I've given away more than that; first when I went down the "Tiny Whoop" rabbit hole, then again when I crawled out and found everything I had saved was 3 generations out of date. Pretty much all I kept last go around was some unbuilt "antiques" and some custom frames made by friends in the biz. And I STILL have more than that left...         

Thankfully, I never got into the worst of the miniature quad addiction. When the largest room in your apartment is no larger than 20 m², even the smallest craft spend more time on the floor than they do in the air. As Stockholm is coastal and has permanent winds, flying anything without any weight outside is merely a good way to dispose of it!

I love the design ethic of that thing... "Fuck making a custom box for our dual supply; we'll just glue two single supplies together. We'd have to pay somebody to design something we already designed, then pay somebody to make it, then horror of horrors, we'd have to keep paying people to warehouse and track a part the size of two whole PSUs in inventory. Awww, HELL no!"   

Yeah, I love the way that the "Quad Mode" switch unit in the middle doesn't align with the rest of the unit. It sticks out a bit, for no good reason, the black bar doesn't line up with the black bar on the supplies and it contains almost nothing which hardly justifies the width it takes up. Using the decimals on the current meters to indicate set, measure and limit is equally off the wall.

The entire supply has "idiosyncratic" stamped all over it, but to my eye, that's good reason to like it!