Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14556593 times)

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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30675 on: May 04, 2019, 01:39:37 pm »
Almost there. ALMOST.

mnem

Time for a shipping container on the front lawn because that is always a classy look ;D
Huh, when Iever I get round to clearing my garage, which a dumping place for things no longer wanted in the house etc, it's always gonna be  a skip on my drive as I'm desperate to get  the stuff gone.
That is totally yesterday's news for me... I ALREADY had THAT hoeing-out during my last 2 moves.

The last year has mostly been me taking one box or two at a time and sorting through stuff that hasn't seen light of day since it was packed up in my last move, and taking out the one or two things that are really precious and irreplaceable (keepsake boxes, the shadow boxes full of kids' infant things, parts of my home stereo I've been looking for ever since the move, etc) and Goodwill-piling the boxes of old toys, clothes, shoes, books that they (and let's face it, us old farts too) have outgrown.

Like everything in life, it's def a learning experience. Pretty amazing how your priorities crystallize when the move is actually ON YOU.

mnem
*simplify*
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Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30676 on: May 04, 2019, 01:51:52 pm »
your solution for wiring the old oval hp power sockets surely qualifies you for the "crown of bodge".

I'll wear it with all the dignity I can muster.  :)

Quote
ps "counter cathedral" made me laugh out loud.  swmbo came over and looked over my shoulder.  she saw the picture of your collection and walked away shaking her head.

That's more than I could hope for!
 
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Offline nixiefreqq

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30677 on: May 04, 2019, 01:53:55 pm »
Almost there. ALMOST.

mnem

Time for a shipping container on the front lawn because that is always a classy look ;D
Huh, when Iever I get round to clearing my garage, which a dumping place for things no longer wanted in the house etc, it's always gonna be  a skip on my drive as I'm desperate to get  the stuff gone.
That is totally yesterday's news for me... I ALREADY had THAT hoeing-out during my last 2 moves.

The last year has mostly been me taking one box or two at a time and sorting through stuff that hasn't seen light of day since it was packed up in my last move, and taking out the one or two things that are really precious and irreplaceable (keepsake boxes, the shadow boxes full of kids' infant things, parts of my home stereo I've been looking for ever since the move, etc) and Goodwill-piling the boxes of old toys, clothes, shoes, books that they (and let's face it, us old farts too) have outgrown.

Like everything in life, it's def a learning experience. Pretty amazing how your priorities crystallize when the move is actually ON YOU.

mnem
*simplify*

good luck buddy!

if not for the move 4 years ago there would never have been motivation to unload all the tube radio stuff.  it was fun to play with and a joy to own, but you reach a point in life where the boatanchors just gotta' go.

like a wise old SFC told me once in the basement of the pentagon.  big projects are like big rocks.  just keep chipping away one whack at time and eventually they will be gone. 
free range primate
 
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30678 on: May 04, 2019, 02:05:38 pm »
Now look what I've found in one of my drawers!

   Does anyone know what that crosshair screen is for? Maybe for a scope camera? (I remember using one in my early days at the company.)

The others fit to a 5440 scope. Having two of them, I'd like to keep the blue and a clear one, but could give away the others, including the crosshair (maybe not all of them to one, except he/she redistributes them to others).

Normally, I'd say it was for use in vector mode... but it looks like the center of the overlay has a focusing magnifier grate. Maybe to precisely center and focus the beam to account for parallax when taking photos for waveform samples?



Hmm... a quick Gurgle for "Tektronix 387-0893-02" indicates it is used with the C50/52/53 family cameras for photography with a 576 Curve Tracer. Again, maybe to precisely center and focus the beam prior to photos?

mnem
*diversionary tactics*
« Last Edit: May 04, 2019, 02:22:04 pm by mnementh »
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30679 on: May 04, 2019, 02:19:38 pm »
Still got kids toys floating around from when they were 2 which was a long time ago now!
Be prepared for everything old becoming new...

My second son sought one specific gift for his 21st ..... Hungry, Hungry Hippos.

Yes.  He got it.

https://youtu.be/dB14bTUWRwI

mnem
*Dumber than advertised*
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Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30680 on: May 04, 2019, 02:37:24 pm »
Now look what I've found in one of my drawers!

   Does anyone know what that crosshair screen is for? Maybe for a scope camera? (I remember using one in my early days at the company.)

The others fit to a 5440 scope. Having two of them, I'd like to keep the blue and a clear one, but could give away the others, including the crosshair (maybe not all of them to one, except he/she redistributes them to others).

Normally, I'd say it was for use in vector mode... but it looks like the center of the overlay has a focusing magnifier grate. Maybe to precisely center and focus the beam to account for parallax when taking photos for waveform samples?



Hmm... a quick Gurgle for "Tektronix 387-0893-02" indicates it is used with the C50/52/53 family cameras for photography with a 576 Curve Tracer. Again, maybe to precisely center and focus the beam prior to photos?

mnem
*diversionary tactics*

Yes, that was my thought also. It reminded me of the wedges in the center of my old Canon A-1 for focusing. Should have 'gurgled' myself. ;)
 

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30681 on: May 04, 2019, 03:20:00 pm »
your solution for wiring the old oval hp power sockets surely qualifies you for the "crown of bodge". 
   I think the seller I bought my HP 101A crystal oscillator from can also claim that crown, he just hacked up a common IEC lead till it fitted.  :o   

I've had a few items with round crimp terminals bodged on too.

David
P.S. I have no idea where that lead is now and yes I still have it.  >:D

These are actually NEC/NEMA modular power sockets; one of the first standardized power cord/sockets with ground dating back to the late 50s.

They were pretty universal for about 20 years on all manner of commercial/industrial/scholastic AV & electronics products. My AV Dept manager showed me how to do this bodge as a temporary fix (They were NOT supposed to leave the shop this way) on the bench with an IEC cord back in the 80s; you just use the tail-end of a 3mm or 1/8" drill bit to open up the 3 contact sockets a little, then use a carpet knife carve 1/8" deep x 1/2" down the skirt on all edges of the IEC connector. Once you've done a few, you get to where you can't even tell the plug's been hacked unless it's unplugged.  :-+

The big problem with these sockets has nothing to do with the cord; they're supposed to be the same standardized pinout as the IEC cord. Problem is that a lot of manufacturers didn't fully adhere to the standard; they'd make the equipment with HOT & NEUTRAL swapped in the socket, and make their cord with the plug bass-ackwards to match.  :palm:

As a result, we had a standing order to check any of these devices that came through the shop for this condition and reverse it in the device, then check the cable for correct pinout and if wrong, cut the socket end off the cable and confirm correct HOT BLADE-BLACK wiring.  :-+ Or just cut both ends off and roundfile the cord with extreme prejudice.  :-+ :-+

mnem
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30682 on: May 04, 2019, 03:27:53 pm »
(SNIP)
   Hmm... a quick Gurgle for "Tektronix 387-0893-02" indicates it is used with the C50/52/53 family cameras for photography with a 576 Curve Tracer. Again, maybe to precisely center and focus the beam prior to photos?

mnem
*diversionary tactics*
Yes, that was my thought also. It reminded me of the wedges in the center of my old Canon A-1 for focusing. Should have 'gurgled' myself. ;)

Never, EVER say that again.  :-DD

mnem
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Offline Neomys Sapiens

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30683 on: May 04, 2019, 03:28:15 pm »

your solution for wiring the old oval hp power sockets surely qualifies you for the "crown of bodge". 

I'd rather say the Hirschmann bodge is worse, as this connector is not even rare over here!
 

Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30684 on: May 04, 2019, 03:35:45 pm »
Working the 7904. Just as the seller indicated it won't power up and makes the classic switcher supply “tick-tick” noise.

I quickly determined that the issue was the supply itself and not the mainframe or the plug-ins. So I pulled the supply and here it is on the bench. It comes out fairly easily on the back of the scope and leaves a big gaping hole.





This is the pre-regulator board. I found that the bulk -17V supply was shorted. But I spent considerable time trying to find the shorted component because the schematic in the manual does not match this board. And pulling this board to trace it would involve an almost complete teardown. Soon I figured out that I have a latter version that uses tantalums rather than the aluminum caps shown on the schematic. Ah ha. So I start randomly checking the tants. Bingo. Shorted 47uf/20V tant. Bastard! I don't have 47uf but I do have loads of 15uf/35V. I put 2 in parallel. Should work. The tant that was shorted is just to the right of the red connector along the top.



Put everything together and scope powered up but no trace. Missing -15VDC. Started checking and it suddenly came up. So I did several power cycles plus poked, prodded, and vibrated stuff and it stayed up. And here it is. The beast is alive. Now I get to play. There are LOTS of dirty pots in need of deoxit.

An old gray beard with an attitude.
 
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30685 on: May 04, 2019, 04:17:43 pm »


"Kill them all. God will know his own." ~Abbot Arnaud Amalric

mnem
*egregious*  >:D
« Last Edit: May 04, 2019, 04:24:48 pm by mnementh »
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Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30686 on: May 04, 2019, 04:48:06 pm »
LOL effing tants always. Nice pictures though  :-+

Been having some fun here. One tip run this morning and I'm on strike so I thought I'd start building the receiver section of the radio that's going in that HP enclosure. Went through the junk box, did some finger in the air calculations and hit the soldering iron for a couple of hours. This is a superhet so I built the front end filter and first mixer (SA612 - all I have on hand!).



Then it dawned on me. FUCK I don't have an SA.

So spent 30 minutes with the DS1054Z FFT and actually got something useful out of it which was a shock. It's not quite as much of a turd as it feels like sometimes  :-+



Off to cook dinner then crystal filter...

Not totally happy with the input coupling being single ended. May make that differential yet.
« Last Edit: May 04, 2019, 04:49:55 pm by bd139 »
 

Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30687 on: May 04, 2019, 05:10:48 pm »

your solution for wiring the old oval hp power sockets surely qualifies you for the "crown of bodge". 

I'd rather say the Hirschmann bodge is worse, as this connector is not even rare over here!

They may be not rare over there, still I have just one.  :)
And it was definitely the 'better' bodge: the 2-mm sockets fit perfectly. The other ones had to be persuaded to stay on the pins.

By the way: I've found another cable (with Fischer connector, of course) for my Solartron! Now I can use the A200 and the 7061 at the same time, if I ever want to.  :-+
 

Offline worsthorse

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30688 on: May 04, 2019, 05:13:43 pm »

This morning, after grocery shopping and before starting the morning's chores, I stop for coffee.  The woman behind the counter asks,

So what's on your to do list this morning?

Picking up my coffee, I say,

Groceries, painting, and oh yeah, I have to finish tearing down an oscilloscope.

Long, blank stare. Um well yeah that's good. Have a nice day.

 :-DD :-DD



After being stymied by the setscrews, I moved to the back of the scope. No joy.



At least six rotted screws rusted in place. I will have to drill them out, too. With half a day invested already and no end in sight, well yessir I am starting to question my sanity.  In case you all weren't already doing so...







specialization is for insects.
 

Offline worsthorse

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30689 on: May 04, 2019, 05:18:08 pm »
Quote
Been having some fun here. One tip run this morning and I'm on strike so I thought I'd start building the receiver section of the radio that's going in that HP enclosure. Went through the junk box, did some finger in the air calculations and hit the soldering iron for a couple of hours. This is a superhet so I built the front end filter and first mixer (SA612 - all I have on hand!).



Nicely done. Small, too.  :-+

Quote
Then it dawned on me. FUCK I don't have an SA.

So spent 30 minutes with the DS1054Z FFT and actually got something useful out of it which was a shock. It's not quite as much of a turd as it feels like sometimes  :-+

Sweet!  I still haven't figured out how to get the DS1054Z to do that. Short attention span I guess.
specialization is for insects.
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30690 on: May 04, 2019, 06:33:29 pm »
Wasn’t as hard as it looked. Just set the thing to do the FFT from memory, zoom out to increase memory depth and then futz with span and centre frequency.
 

Offline 0culus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30691 on: May 04, 2019, 06:38:44 pm »
@bd I must have missed the original post, what are you building this radio for?
 

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30692 on: May 04, 2019, 06:44:13 pm »

This morning, after grocery shopping and before starting the morning's chores, I stop for coffee.  The woman behind the counter asks,

So what's on your to do list this morning?

Picking up my coffee, I say,

Groceries, painting, and oh yeah, I have to finish tearing down an oscilloscope.

Long, blank stare. Um well yeah that's good. Have a nice day.  :-DD :-DD

   After being stymied by the setscrews, I moved to the back of the scope. No joy.               At least six rotted screws rusted in place. I will have to drill them out, too. With half a day invested already and no end in sight, well yessir I am starting to question my sanity.  In case you all weren't already doing so...

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07Q7ZJXFL/

These little guys are your friend. Best $10 you'll ever spend. Make sure you get a set that goes down to at least #0, though. IRWIN makes a better set just for screw heads that doesn't require drilling, but cost ~$25: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0002NYBHI



https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001W02R0S Of course, IRWIN also makes a similar set of stud/bolt-head extractors. Yes, they're more expensive at ~$35. And yes, damn those monsters at IRWIN, they WORK.   :rant:

It all depends on how much you value your time and assache over money. :-+

mnem
*assache-motivated*
« Last Edit: May 16, 2019, 12:58:03 pm by mnementh »
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30693 on: May 04, 2019, 06:54:49 pm »
@bd I must have missed the original post, what are you building this radio for?

A while now. *Bah-dump-bump!*

HAM-age. Seriously.

mnem
*back to the salt mines*
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Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30694 on: May 04, 2019, 07:01:13 pm »
Indeed.

@bd I must have missed the original post, what are you building this radio for?

Three reasons:

1. I'm too cheap to buy an Elecraft K2.
2. I like making things.
3. I have this nice HP thing which was knackered inside so I stripped it. It needs something to go in it and it feels radio sized :)



Edit: I'm still considering the K2.
 
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Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30695 on: May 04, 2019, 07:04:23 pm »

This morning, after grocery shopping and before starting the morning's chores, I stop for coffee.  The woman behind the counter asks,

So what's on your to do list this morning?

Picking up my coffee, I say,

Groceries, painting, and oh yeah, I have to finish tearing down an oscilloscope.

Long, blank stare. Um well yeah that's good. Have a nice day.

 :-DD :-DD



After being stymied by the setscrews, I moved to the back of the scope. No joy.



At least six rotted screws rusted in place. I will have to drill them out, too. With half a day invested already and no end in sight, well yessir I am starting to question my sanity.  In case you all weren't already doing so...








Maybe, just maybe, she was hoping that were going to say something like, "Play your cards right and your on the list, love"  :-DD :-DD :-DD
Who let Murphy in?

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

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30696 on: May 04, 2019, 07:06:03 pm »
Indeed.

@bd I must have missed the original post, what are you building this radio for?

Three reasons:

1. I'm too cheap to buy an Elecraft K2.
2. I like making things.
3. I have this nice HP thing which was knackered inside so I stripped it. It needs something to go in it and it feels radio sized :)



Edit: I'm still considering the K2.
Good enough reasons in my book, well done with parts bin.  :-+
Who let Murphy in?

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

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30697 on: May 04, 2019, 07:09:00 pm »
@bd I must have missed the original post, what are you building this radio for?
Three reasons:

1. I'm too cheap to buy an Elecraft K2.
2. I like making things.
3. I have this nice HP thing which was knackered inside so I stripped it. It needs something to go in it and it feels radio sized :)

   Edit: I'm still considering the K2.

Needs more cowbell.

mnem
Also, at least one touchscreen.  >:D
« Last Edit: May 04, 2019, 07:10:53 pm by mnementh »
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Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30698 on: May 04, 2019, 07:11:42 pm »
@med, well done you jammy git, now you know why Jim Williams always said that when it comes to Tektronix scopes, the problems are nearly always down to Tants.  :-DD
Who let Murphy in?

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

Offline tggzzz

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #30699 on: May 04, 2019, 07:17:55 pm »
Old stuff is good stuff  >:D May or may not be any good 'last used in 1975' but will be added to my good working pair I already have.

Crusty and slightly dangerous if consumed.



Very nice. I wouldn't even know where to look for them ...

I blundered into my four at a school for 16-18 year olds that was closing down.

Even the ones from 1949 are well within spec: https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/2016/12/28/a-weston-standard-cell-an-introduction-to-voltnuttery/

Selling them via ebay would raise two questions about shipping:
  • functionality: not only the glass envelopes but also the crystal electrodes are fragile, e.g. keep upright, don't shake
  • legality: mercury and cadmium aren't healthy when they escape, and mercury vapour makes aeronautical go white when they know how it changes the properties of aluminium in airframes
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 


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