Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[artag]

I did look at an R&S HM8118 a while back but had to resist because of the price. The problem with really large old equipment is I have a finite amount of space in my lab/office...

This is a problem often encountered when you have too few pieces of equipment.

Once you achieve zen mastery of the lifestyle, you'll realise that there's always room for Just One More.

[tggzzz]

A tek 465B corpse I got rid of over a year ago with a working unit came back again. Have distributed some of its organs to the worthy.

People buy corpses to turn them into mules. Just check on the selling prices of some knobs and pots/switches/clarostats located near the corner. But I'm sure you know that

Now, should I sell that working-but-spare CRT

[SingedFingers]

A tek 465B corpse I got rid of over a year ago with a working unit came back again. Have distributed some of its organs to the worthy.

People buy corpses to turn them into mules. Just check on the selling prices of some knobs and pots/switches/clarostats located near the corner. But I'm sure you know that

Now, should I sell that working-but-spare CRT

What knobs? (flogged them, the EHT multiplier and the feet already ). The delay sweep pot is on my LD sine generator breadboard as is one of the nice clarostat pots.



Annoyingly when I had this before I had two limping 465Bs and I had to either spend a ton of cash to get parts shipped from Sphere or sacrifice one to save the other. Shame really as this was the closest one to BER as the PSU caps and bridge rectifiers were shot as well has some of the attenuator modules.

Edit: CRT is good if anyone wants it. Some porn:

[Cubdriver]

SF, you could cross post that pic in the ceramic crt fabrication video thread!  Amazing the engineering that went into drawing a green line on a screen, huh?

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

And there's probably someone somewhere with a 465B that looks like it went through the war who would want the front panel - it looks like it's in excellent condition.  That's one from the era when Tektronix put the markings directly in the anodizing, so short of a reading it away they're on there for good.

-Pat

[SingedFingers]

I'll have a look for that thread and post it.

The panel is immaculate as it had the cover on it when I got it. Unfortunately the rest of the unit was in a right state as the pevious owner left it in a shed for a decade. The document/probe pocket had mushrooms in it to give you an idea.

[Cubdriver]

I'll have a look for that thread and post it.

The panel is immaculate as it had the cover on it when I got it. Unfortunately the rest of the unit was in a right state as the pevious owner left it in a shed for a decade. The document/probe pocket had mushrooms in it to give you an idea.

Holy crap!!  Scopes should not have mushrooms!  Ugh!

-Pat

[R005T3r]

All started at high school: I just couldn't resist to hear the professor lecturing, so I picked up an oscilloscope manual and started reading about it. It was a Hameg HM-303... It turned out to be very addictive, since I've impressed the professor when the time came (and avoided a bad mark  )

[xrunner]

All started at high school: I just couldn't resist to hear the professor lecturing, so I picked up an oscilloscope manual and started reading about it...

You actually read the manual for an oscilloscope? Did anyone see you doing that? Be very careful about doing that in the open. You will likely be ostracized by the rest of society when the word gets out. Once people find out that you read manuals you will lose many friends, except the ones that realize you can repair their electronics (that's the only reason they will keep you on as a "friend").

You are a very abnormal human being - like me. 

[R005T3r]

Not to mention that all the repairs are free...

I know, you have to be careful in public... And I tell you from experience that programming in public isn't the best option... Especially in boring situations...

[SingedFingers]

Day job is software engineering. Hell yes to that.

[VK5RC]

I just saw the ad for the Fluke DM284  -  I don't have a nice 'black' DMM ..........mmmmmmmm.............

[tggzzz]

Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear. Today's haul. As received and turned on, without checking.

I was going to crop the message in the background (a Christmas present from my daughter), but then somehow it just seems too apposite.

[artag]

Those solartron connectors are buggers.
For what it's worth, they're Fischer 104 series.

[tggzzz]

Those solartron connectors are buggers.
For what it's worth, they're Fischer 104 series.

So I'm coming to understand. I expect I'll make a homebrew cable sometime, once I've found some 1.3mm connector inserts and out how to drill holes in PTFE (or similar?). But before that I'm going to have a look inside to check on batteries, capacitors and so on.

[mtdoc]

I fell off the wagon today and bought a GwInstek GPD-3303S power supply.  Prices on eBay have come down with a flood of these from the ITT auctions.

I just counted and realized I own 10 working PSUs - mostly vintage HP and PD supplies -  and 1 broken TTI PSU I've been meaning to fix.

Clearly I have no need for one more.  But it will be my first programmable supply! That's how I justified it.

But now I've already caught myself looking at vintage HP supplies again on eBay.

One day at a time...

[xrunner]

One day at a time...

Indeed, that's how we all cope in here. 

[bitseeker]

I fell off the wagon today and bought a GwInstek GPD-3303S power supply.  Prices on eBay have come down with a flood of these from the ITT auctions.

There are two versions of this model. If yours is the one where the binding posts for channel 3 are further away from channel 1 than channel 1 is from channel 2, then you're probably OK. If all the binding posts are the same distance apart from one another, you may have an overshoot issue with channel 3. There are a couple of threads about it.

Edit: Just saw your post in the "scores" thread. It looks like you got one of the OK ones. You might want to double-check it before connecting anything voltage sensitive to channel 3.

I just counted and realized I own 10 working PSUs - mostly vintage HP and PD supplies

What a coincidence. Same here, along with a couple of programmable HPs that need some TLC.

One day at a time...

Indeed.

[mtdoc]

I fell off the wagon today and bought a GwInstek GPD-3303S power supply.  Prices on eBay have come down with a flood of these from the ITT auctions.

There are two versions of this model. If yours is the one where the binding posts for channel 3 are further away from channel 1 than channel 1 is from channel 2, then you're probably OK. If all the binding posts are the same distance apart from one another, you may have an overshoot issue with channel 3. There are a couple of threads about it.

Edit: Just saw your post in the "scores" thread. It looks like you got one of the OK ones. You might want to double-check it before connecting anything voltage sensitive to channel 3.

Thanks. I looked at those threads. That's one more reason I'm glad I bought a specific unit (versus one from sellers with multiple units).  I will check all the outputs though.

One of the reasons I like this supply is that someone has made the service manual available for download. It is includes schematics (rare for modern test equipment) and the full calibration procedure which I will likely go through.

[TiN]

Received new package today... Just 500 gramms...what that could be?

[lowimpedance]

Received new package today... Just 500 gramms...what that could be?

I'll bet you cannot RESIST opening it ........... no!.

[tautech]

Received new package today... Just 500 gramms...what that could be?

Some standard from a member maybe ? 

[TiN]

I resistively opened it. Nop, not a standard, something much more fun! 

Hint: it will involve need of oscilloscope   

[bitseeker]

Oh, man, TiN. You know we're already on the edge. Teasing us is just cruel and unusual punishment.

[tautech]

I resistively opened it. Nop, not a standard, something much more fun! 

Hint: it will involve need of oscilloscope   

Some sexy active probe.