Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Carl_Smith]

Whenever I see listings this fu**ed-up, my  detector goes nuts and I have to believe there's just got to be some some criminal activity involved. Like the listing is being used as a communication point for some drug deal, or it's part of a money-laundering/tax evasion scheme or something similarly convoluted.

The kind of twisted shit that only career criminals and those used to getting "money for nothing" ever even think of to game the system. 

Ha.  So I'm not the only one supicious of things like that.  It's gone now but for many months there was an ad on the free section of my local craigslist for someone giving away a roller shade.  A dirty beat up shade that was ripped on the side for about 4 inches in.  Should go straight into the garbage.  I was wondering if it was something similar -- a word of mouth thing where people say to contact the guy with the free roller shade and he'll set you up with what you need...

I've seen lots of other stuff that should go in the garbage on the free section of craigslist, but they usually don't get reposted after the first appearance.

[beanflying]

Considering a high roll on some Heathkit junk again. Why do I keep doing this. All it does is hurt me. 

Edit: outbid. Phew! 

   eBay auction: #293033386565

[Brumby]

Hornsby - Yep, I could drive there.

$300 - Not in the budget.

[beanflying]

Hornsby - Yep, I could drive there.

$300 - Not in the budget.

And then double it at least for an Antenna would see you in the Dog House for an extended period 

Riddle me this Tek heads. Refooting of the 453 is done and I went looking for the lost Graticules and found there was a fine mesh screen in front of the CRT (now cleaned). In the bits box was the Glass version as pictured with the mesh beside it. Is the mesh 'normal' and can the scale be better illuminated or do I just go with the glass?

Time to break out the IPA for the Tek and a nice Stout for me 

[0culus]

Looking nice there, bean.  Tomorrow FedEx is bringing me a very cool new-to-me toy for the lab. After a considerable number of HP instruments, finally getting back to Tektronix.

Also, been experimenting more with the ADF. At low frequencies if you want a usable signal for radio stuff, definitely gonna need some solid filtering. Below about say 500-1000 MHz, there are *lot* of strong harmonics reaching out past 12 GHz. 

[mnementh]

See, it's not a simple as you thought.  Hence the cutting, crowbar, and booty fab. 

Edit...maybe I should submit here:

https://whitetrashrepairs.com/

   Well, no. Not that hard at all; it just means I have to do a little research.      For MYSELF, in your place, I'd have modded the OE squirrelcage to fit the motor portion of one of the oodles of fans from my "cooling" bin. Would take me a couple hours tops, including balancing the rotating mass. But my model aviation hobby has given me considerable practice building "fans" from scratch, and I've accumulated the tools to make it relatively easy. 
Cheers,

mnem
*sghetti time for da kiddles*

PPS: *SNERK!!!* at whitetrashrepairs.com

And now I've finally got a minute to post some pics... I went and did it just to prove I wasn't just blowing smoke up your arse. 

As always... the fabricobbling comes easy; its documenting shit that makes it take 3 times as long. 

For now I'm just going to leave this here with the descriptions on the photos... it's late & I'm tired, and I have the kids all over me like ferrets on crack until Monday. Oh, and a road trip to Louisiana in there somewhere I need to rest up for... 

mnem
"Remember, kids: The difference between science and fucking off is WRITING IT DOWN!!!"

[tggzzz]

Thats a kiddies one, a basic 4 banger, here's a proper calculator, 54 years old, its the very one I brought when I was at college and its still going strong, uses a 9v battery and has never even had as much as a battery leak in that time and is still my personal favorite goto calculator out of all the ones in my collection.

54yo? 1965? Even 45 (=>1974) may be a couple of years too old. (I too had one at uni.)

[tggzzz]

And now I've finally got a minute to post some pics... I went and did it just to prove I wasn't just blowing smoke up your arse. 

As always... the fabricobbling comes easy; its documenting shit that makes it take 3 times as long. 

Yup.

But that is sufficiently interesting and valuable to other people that it is worth giving it a proper title in a thread of its own. As it is, buried in message 29k of (probably) >50k, nobody will find it again.

[tautech]

Very impressive mnem, take a bow. 

And now I've finally got a minute to post some pics... I went and did it just to prove I wasn't just blowing smoke up your arse. 

As always... the fabricobbling comes easy; its documenting shit that makes it take 3 times as long. 

Yup.

But that is sufficiently interesting and valuable to other people that it is worth giving it a proper title in a thread of its own. As it is, buried in message 29k of (probably) >50k, nobody will find it again.

Nah, bitseeker will add it to the POI's.

[Specmaster]

Thats a kiddies one, a basic 4 banger, here's a proper calculator, 54 years old, its the very one I brought when I was at college and its still going strong, uses a 9v battery and has never even had as much as a battery leak in that time and is still my personal favorite goto calculator out of all the ones in my collection.

54yo? 1965? Even 45 (=>1974) may be a couple of years too old. (I too had one at uni.)

I'm not quiet sure what you mean to "old" [emoji848]. When you say you had one at uni kind of implies that no longer have one, correct? Why?

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

[tggzzz]

Very impressive mnem, take a bow. 

And now I've finally got a minute to post some pics... I went and did it just to prove I wasn't just blowing smoke up your arse. 

As always... the fabricobbling comes easy; its documenting shit that makes it take 3 times as long. 

Yup.

But that is sufficiently interesting and valuable to other people that it is worth giving it a proper title in a thread of its own. As it is, buried in message 29k of (probably) >50k, nobody will find it again.

Nah, bitseeker will add it to the POI's.

Not very likely to be found by google and the TekScopes mob.

[Specmaster]

And now I've finally got a minute to post some pics... I went and did it just to prove I wasn't just blowing smoke up your arse. 

As always... the fabricobbling comes easy; its documenting shit that makes it take 3 times as long. 

Yup.

But that is sufficiently interesting and valuable to other people that it is worth giving it a proper title in a thread of its own. As it is, buried in message 29k of (probably) >50k, nobody will find it again.

Totally agree, it's a really intreasting project in its own right and breathes fresh life into a good oscilloscope again that without it is useless [emoji122]

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

[tggzzz]

Thats a kiddies one, a basic 4 banger, here's a proper calculator, 54 years old, its the very one I brought when I was at college and its still going strong, uses a 9v battery and has never even had as much as a battery leak in that time and is still my personal favorite goto calculator out of all the ones in my collection.

54yo? 1965? Even 45 (=>1974) may be a couple of years too old. (I too had one at uni.)

I'm not quiet sure what you mean to "old" [emoji848]. When you say you had one at uni kind of implies that no longer have one, correct? Why?

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

I'd have said 43 years old at most.

It broke, I got a TI, HP became sufficiently cheap that I finally bought one, I wasn't so stupidly acquisitive as I am now and threw out the uninteresting old calculators.

Sent from my keyboard using FondleARodent (having killed two in the past 12 hours).

[bd139]

I murder calculators through use so I'm less inclined to actually use a vintage one. Seems like a poor investment.

I tend to only keep stuff I use around (test gear included).

[Specmaster]

Thats a kiddies one, a basic 4 banger, here's a proper calculator, 54 years old, its the very one I brought when I was at college and its still going strong, uses a 9v battery and has never even had as much as a battery leak in that time and is still my personal favorite goto calculator out of all the ones in my collection.

54yo? 1965? Even 45 (=>1974) may be a couple of years too old. (I too had one at uni.)

I'm not quiet sure what you mean to "old" [emoji848]. When you say you had one at uni kind of implies that no longer have one, correct? Why?

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

I'd have said 43 years old at most.

It broke, I got a TI, HP became sufficiently cheap that I finally bought one, I wasn't so stupidly acquisitive as I am now and threw out the uninteresting old calculators.

Sent from my keyboard using FondleARodent (having killed two in the past 12 hours).

No, not at all, I went to Dovedale College in Chelmsford in 1965 and was the calculator I brought from W H Smiths for that purpose. A few years later I remember going to the UK offices of CBM to purchase its newer and more powerful brother the programmable PR100, looks completely different, even colourwise as well, it's brown. I also still have that one, rechargeable and needs a new battery pack one day when I have nothing more interesting to do. [emoji41]

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[beanflying]

Much as having a Calculator on the desk is 'nice' I have a phone with a nice app/scientific Calc and so does my PC  Bench Real Estate is hard to find why add more clutter? My original Uni used Sharp might have to be found and sold seems some idiot might want one  eBay auction: #282979974302

[Specmaster]

I murder calculators through use so I'm less inclined to actually use a vintage one. Seems like a poor investment.

I tend to only keep stuff I use around (test gear included).

I doubt any calculator could have as much use as my Commodore, maybe it lasted this long as opposed to your, I presume, HPs might well be due to differance of the buttons. From experience, HP ones need a reasonable amount of force to make contact and they click and exert pressure on the pcb. The Commodore by comparison is silent, easy to press and nicely sprung and thus passes zero pressure onto the pcb.

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

[Specmaster]

Much as having a Calculator on the desk is 'nice' I have a phone with a nice app/scientific Calc and so does my PC  Bench Real Estate is hard to find why add more clutter? My original Uni used Sharp might have to be found and sold seems some idiot might want one  eBay auction: #282979974302

Yep, I have a Sharp PC1211 (not sure the number is correct), I also have at least another Sharp pocket pc and a Casio one that has built-in programs for electrical calculations. The first computer I owned was that PC1211 around 38 years ago. I modded it to run off the batteries in the docking station as the button cells were expensive at the time.

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[bd139]

Can someone please persuade me I need an HP 3310A and an 5316A 

[VK5RC]

Re HP calculator keyboards, as an HP calculator collector nut - they were sold as an accessory for test equipment! I have never come across pcb flex - fracture issues. The front pcbs on the classics and up to the 41cv typically have a 4 to 5 plastic welds along each row of buttons.
The most common button issue is 'coffee' and a IPA wash often solves that.
Re the battery for the 45, some ebay guy has a 3x AAA holder that I like - bit over priced for what it is.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F223456768636
Rob

[Brumby]

Can someone please persuade me I need an HP 3310A and an 5316A 

You need an HP 3310A and a 5316A.


(Was that too much?)

[med6753]

Very impressive mnem, take a bow. 

And now I've finally got a minute to post some pics... I went and did it just to prove I wasn't just blowing smoke up your arse. 

As always... the fabricobbling comes easy; its documenting shit that makes it take 3 times as long. 

Yup.

But that is sufficiently interesting and valuable to other people that it is worth giving it a proper title in a thread of its own. As it is, buried in message 29k of (probably) >50k, nobody will find it again.

Nah, bitseeker will add it to the POI's.

Not very likely to be found by google and the TekScopes mob.

Or add it to 2465B Teardown thread.

[med6753]

Hornsby - Yep, I could drive there.

$300 - Not in the budget.

And then double it at least for an Antenna would see you in the Dog House for an extended period 

Riddle me this Tek heads. Refooting of the 453 is done and I went looking for the lost Graticules and found there was a fine mesh screen in front of the CRT (now cleaned). In the bits box was the Glass version as pictured with the mesh beside it. Is the mesh 'normal' and can the scale be better illuminated or do I just go with the glass?

Time to break out the IPA for the Tek and a nice Stout for me 

I don't know what that mesh is for.  Perhaps it's part of a camera mount?

[med6753]

The 4x attenuator is like a ping pong ball. First Jersey City distribution which is south of me. Then to Springfield which is north of me. Now to local distribution in Newburgh. It should be to my PO this morning and delivered today. Notice I said "should be". 

[VK5RC]

The HP 5316 has one of the best LED display - really jumps out.
The specs on a 5334b are pretty hot.