Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14406244 times)

zepto, salvagedcircuitry and 20 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline 0culus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3032
  • Country: us
  • Electronics, RF, and TEA Hobbyist
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23850 on: January 29, 2019, 09:57:29 pm »
That's fair. I thought CRTs usually imploded though? Makes a big mess but not necessarily creating shrapnel.  :o
 

Offline bd139

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 23017
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23851 on: January 29, 2019, 09:59:48 pm »
Quite a bit of shrapnel tends to bounce off stuff. Also the problem is cleaning up little bits of glass is difficult. I have a pretty bad scar on my right hand as a reminder of that :)
 

Offline 0culus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3032
  • Country: us
  • Electronics, RF, and TEA Hobbyist
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23852 on: January 29, 2019, 10:03:05 pm »
Oh I've slashed a fingertip open with a vacuum tube that I didn't know was broken. NOT fun.  :--
 

Offline bd139

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 23017
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23853 on: January 29, 2019, 10:05:37 pm »
Indeed. It was an ECC82 that gave me this scar. Managed to smash it trying to get it out of a corroded socket back in the very early 1980s. Didn't see the chunk of it on the table that had escaped the clean up and put my hand down on it. Cue "muuuuuuuuum my hand is pissing blood"  :-DD
 

Offline 0culus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3032
  • Country: us
  • Electronics, RF, and TEA Hobbyist
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23854 on: January 29, 2019, 10:08:53 pm »
Indeed. It was an ECC82 that gave me this scar. Managed to smash it trying to get it out of a corroded socket back in the very early 1980s. Didn't see the chunk of it on the table that had escaped the clean up and put my hand down on it. Cue "muuuuuuuuum my hand is pissing blood"  :-DD

Yeoowch. Yeah, I was going through a stash of tubes at a local surplus store and there was one that wasn't obviously broken (but it was) and I managed to rake my finger across a very sharp bit of glass sticking out. Luckily they had first aid supplies and I got it cleaned up and bandaged.
 

Offline bd139

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 23017
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23855 on: January 29, 2019, 10:11:10 pm »
Oof that's the worst when that happens.  At least I was semi expecting to let some juice out rather than being caught by surprise :)
 

Offline 0culus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3032
  • Country: us
  • Electronics, RF, and TEA Hobbyist
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23856 on: January 29, 2019, 10:15:59 pm »
In other news, in the same lot, I found 4 RCA high power mercury vapor rectifier tubes. Each one complete with all the little balls of mercury. I passed on that, because while I can deal with broken glass if one of my display tubes breaks, I do NOT want that mess in my lab!
 

Offline 0culus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3032
  • Country: us
  • Electronics, RF, and TEA Hobbyist
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23857 on: January 29, 2019, 10:23:26 pm »
I use these blocks of foam to display tubes. Works very well! The little tubes are out of a bag of random TV tubes I bought at a hamfest. The big ones (from left): Tung-Sol 5998 (working these are worth a lot of money but this one has no getter left) Sylvania JAN 1625 transmitter tube (this type was used in military aircraft radios during WW2, including B-17s), and an RCA JAN 8025 (a very oddball transmitter tetrode triode).
« Last Edit: January 29, 2019, 10:27:01 pm by 0culus »
 
The following users thanked this post: Inverted18650

Offline bd139

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 23017
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23858 on: January 29, 2019, 10:26:39 pm »
That looks pretty cool  :-+

I wanted to do something similar myself with a display cabinet (which is safe!) when we eventually move house. There are a lot of cool tubes out there.
 

Offline 0culus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3032
  • Country: us
  • Electronics, RF, and TEA Hobbyist
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23859 on: January 29, 2019, 10:28:21 pm »
For sure. My local surplus store has a huge number of tubes of all kinds, so when I get the itch, I'll go pick up a few. I try to go for oddballs.
 

Offline GregDunn

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 725
  • Country: us
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23860 on: January 29, 2019, 11:11:53 pm »
Now I wouldn't own a used BMW even if you paid me. They may be fine examples of German craftsmanship and engineering but they are maintenance nightmares if something breaks. And unfortunately that happens quite often. And how do I know this little tidbit? My Son is the collision manager at the local BMW dealer.  :scared:

Owned 2 Audis, back when just out of college.  Again, fascinating craftsmanship, but I once made a list of the things which broke on those cars and it was unreal.  Multiple voltage regulators, water pump, starter, fuse box, dash and door handles/knobs, light switches, fan belts, air conditioner pump bearings, shift lever boot, tach cable, air induction hose, water hoses, struts, wheel bearings, and more I can't think of right now.  More stuff on one car than I've had on six cars since then.
 

Offline 0culus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3032
  • Country: us
  • Electronics, RF, and TEA Hobbyist
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23861 on: January 29, 2019, 11:16:06 pm »
My favorite BMW repair fail is on certain older 5 series cars (including M5), disconnecting the battery improperly would literally blow up the navigation system computer (which also controls other things). The manual did NOT make this clear!
 
The following users thanked this post: Inverted18650

Offline Inverted18650

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 875
  • Country: us
    • Test Gear Addicts
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23862 on: January 29, 2019, 11:19:42 pm »
My favorite BMW repair fail is on certain older 5 series cars (including M5), disconnecting the battery improperly would literally blow up the navigation system computer (which also controls other things). The manual did NOT make this clear!

Mine is changing the water pump on the E46 cars and not tighting the fan blade back down properly...they wobble off at high RPM and destroy everything in the way. I blew up a 99 E46 on the road coming back from Nuremberg with my family in the car (headed to Bamberg), in the middle of winter...spun the main bearing and blew a cloud of black smoke so big it looked like the car was on fire.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2019, 11:21:38 pm by Inverted18650 »
 

Offline 0culus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3032
  • Country: us
  • Electronics, RF, and TEA Hobbyist
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23863 on: January 29, 2019, 11:24:00 pm »
My favorite BMW repair fail is on certain older 5 series cars (including M5), disconnecting the battery improperly would literally blow up the navigation system computer (which also controls other things). The manual did NOT make this clear!

Mine is changing the water pump on the E46 cars and not tighting the fan blade back down properly...they wobble off at high RPM and destroy everything in the way. I blew up a 99 E46 on the road coming back from Nuremberg with my family in the car (headed to Bamberg), in the middle of winter...spun the main bearing and blew a cloud of black smoke so big it looked like the car was on fire.

Damn!  :-BROKE
 

Offline Inverted18650

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 875
  • Country: us
    • Test Gear Addicts
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23864 on: January 29, 2019, 11:32:23 pm »
I love the E46 platform, still have one now, the 05 model, last year they made them and my boy will get it this year when he gets his DL.

note: my HP3456A has no bids and 5m's left. not even worth $200 right now, amazing. Maybe I need to put this stuff away a month or so and wait for people to get tax money or save a bit more.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2019, 11:38:04 pm by Inverted18650 »
 

Offline Neomys Sapiens

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3268
  • Country: de
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23865 on: January 29, 2019, 11:45:15 pm »
@mnemeth
I'm a bit flabbergasted about your computer. Is that really for some kid or why did you not use industrial components?
:-// Huh?

mnem
*Off to pick up the kids*

It's just that ... never mind.
 

Offline Specmaster

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14483
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23866 on: January 29, 2019, 11:48:59 pm »
Test gear RIP today. A friend has a Tek 7603 with a bad tube in it which has outgassed through a crack in the anode cap. Figured, hey I've got a parts mule D83 here with a 7603 tube in it. Problem solved. Now this D83 has never been powered up as most of it is trashed inside. Alas I got the tube out and the heater is totally open circuit on this one (yes I checked it properly!) .... Noooooooooooooooo! :(

Quick picture of the marvel before degassing it with a beer bottle redneck style so I don't scare the shit out of the bin men when they empty it.



And the final resting place (I really need to get my bin cleaned).



RIP. Now a minute of silence please.

tggzzz: unfortunately the suggestion of doing what you did and turning into an ornament was declined vigorously  :--

Can't do that here with our bin men, if they saw that in the bin they would refuse to take, broken or not, I'd have to take it to our recycling centre and put in the bin with other old electronic items.
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline med6753

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11311
  • Country: us
  • Tek nut
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23867 on: January 29, 2019, 11:49:48 pm »
I must admit. Back when I was young and stupid I too once committed CRT-micide. It was an older all glass round 561 (no suffix) CRT. I had salvaged the chassis for the power transformer. The rest of it was junk but the CRT appeared OK but I had no use for it. I wrapped it in an old quilt and hit it with a sledge hammer. Made a hell of a popping sound.

I have since begged for forgiveness from the CRT gods, performed my penance, and been given a second chance.  :-DD :-DD :-DD

 
An old gray beard with an attitude.
 

Offline Inverted18650

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 875
  • Country: us
    • Test Gear Addicts
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23868 on: January 29, 2019, 11:58:58 pm »
You must say ten "hail high-voltages" and you will be forgiven my son.

Offline med6753

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11311
  • Country: us
  • Tek nut
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23869 on: January 30, 2019, 12:02:34 am »
That's fair. I thought CRTs usually imploded though? Makes a big mess but not necessarily creating shrapnel.  :o

That's true. Initially the CRT will "implode" due to the high vacuum. But the pieces keep going, especially if it's all glass, and the result is an "explosion" and shrapnel everywhere. If you ever get the chance to see a TV CRT manufactured from the mid 1960's onward you will see a mesh screen built into the aquadag coating on the bell of the CRT. This is to prevent the glass from exploding outward should the CRT be broken under vacuum.

And how do you properly "deactivate" a CRT and relieve the vacuum so it's safe? Simple. Under the base socket is an exhaust tip just like a normal vacuum tube. Break off the exhaust tip and the air slowly goes into the CRT without causing it to implode. 
« Last Edit: January 30, 2019, 12:08:31 am by med6753 »
An old gray beard with an attitude.
 
The following users thanked this post: bitseeker, mnementh, Inverted18650

Offline Specmaster

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14483
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23870 on: January 30, 2019, 12:03:01 am »
I remember as a kid coming across a few old TV's just dumped in a field with the backs off. Luckily I was aware of the dangers but could not resist smashing one or two of them in the name of public safety of course so I stood quite some distance away and lobbed brick bats at them, never forgot the bang they made when they imploded and I have a healthy regard for any CRT regardless of its size as a result of that experience, I certainly would not want to be close to one when it imploded thats for damn sure.  :scared:
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline bd139

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 23017
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23871 on: January 30, 2019, 12:10:43 am »
Breaking the pips on the end is no fun. Specmaster’s brick treatment is the best.

When I was a kid I did a few. It’s a rite of passage. Best was an old Grundig 32” job from the 70s. It wasn’t old but was BER so someone stuck it on the street for the scrappy. Chucked a brick at that and it bounced off. Wasn’t having any of that shit! Then we got startled by a passing police car so moved on. I respect that TV to this day.
 
The following users thanked this post: mnementh

Offline neo

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1694
  • Country: us
  • The specialist.
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23872 on: January 30, 2019, 12:11:58 am »
My mother was into recycling such that she'd have twenty or so old non working box tvs in a row. My job was to take a sledgehammer and go TV to TV breaking the CRT for safety.   :popcorn:
A hopeless addict (and slave) to TEA and a firm believer that high frequency is little more than modern hoodoo.
 
The following users thanked this post: bd139

Offline beanflying

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7355
  • Country: au
  • Toys so very many Toys.
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23873 on: January 30, 2019, 12:12:03 am »
I used to wrap my leftover salvaged CRT's in a canvas tarp for easy cleanup if it all went wrong then break the pip or it is just possible a 1/2 brick may have been used on more than one occasion >:D
Coffee, Food, R/C and electronics nerd in no particular order. Also CNC wannabe, 3D printer and Laser Cutter Junkie and just don't mention my TEA addiction....
 

Offline 0culus

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 3032
  • Country: us
  • Electronics, RF, and TEA Hobbyist
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #23874 on: January 30, 2019, 12:14:59 am »


 :scared:
 
The following users thanked this post: Inverted18650, bd139, malagas_on_fire


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf