Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

You know, every time I get an eMail from AutoDesk/Fusion360, it's to tell me about more features they're taking away. As they still refuse to offer a reasonably-priced nonprofit/personal use subscription, I'm beginning to wonder how long before all that's left is the advertising. 

mnem
Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

This is why I started on FreeCAD. I know Autodesk are cunts!

[AVGresponding]

Madness!

AVO 8 Mk6 sold on fleabay for £85 + £10.95 p+p. Did it have drugs stashed in it or something?!?   

[bd139]

Whaaaaaaat. I've vastly underestimated the selling power of this whole covid thing. Think I need to go dead ham hunting 

[Saskia]

Never heard of Edward Hopper. But then my total knowledge of the art world wouldn't even fit on a thimble. 

Philistine! He was one of the best known American painters of the 20th Century, and from your home state no less. Next you're going to be telling us you've never heard of Norman Rockwell, also from New York.

That makes me a philistine as well because I've never heard of either of them 

The various avenues this thread takes from time can be very enlightening and entertaining, we have a very broad spectrum of intellects on here and that to my mind adds to the huge appeal of this lovely community we have built here, keep it chaps.

Yep, and I guess I can add "philistine" to my list of supposedly undesirable characteristics. If I were on the Titanic I'd barely qualify for 4th class and definitely be sleeping with the fishes. But that's OK. I'd rather be a "Low brow" rather than a "High Brow" with my nose in the air like my shit don't stink. My shit stinks, bad. 

Gee....now I'm gonna have to fight off Saskia with a stick. 

Cow Dung. I have Hubby.

[med6753]

Never heard of Edward Hopper. But then my total knowledge of the art world wouldn't even fit on a thimble. 

Philistine! He was one of the best known American painters of the 20th Century, and from your home state no less. Next you're going to be telling us you've never heard of Norman Rockwell, also from New York.

That makes me a philistine as well because I've never heard of either of them 

The various avenues this thread takes from time can be very enlightening and entertaining, we have a very broad spectrum of intellects on here and that to my mind adds to the huge appeal of this lovely community we have built here, keep it chaps.

Yep, and I guess I can add "philistine" to my list of supposedly undesirable characteristics. If I were on the Titanic I'd barely qualify for 4th class and definitely be sleeping with the fishes. But that's OK. I'd rather be a "Low brow" rather than a "High Brow" with my nose in the air like my shit don't stink. My shit stinks, bad. 

Gee....now I'm gonna have to fight off Saskia with a stick. 

Cow Dung. I have Hubby.

Good, because have you ever met an angry black woman? Not pretty and life threatening. 

I value my life. 

[Saskia]

yarp, my DI 

[med6753]

The platinum plated, assembled by Vestal Virgins, and blessed by the Pope himself GR to female BNC arrived. Nearly $30 USD including shipping and tax. Cheaper than other highway robberies out there but a week after ordering it's still uncomfortable to sit down.   

Tautech has graciously offered to send me one from his stash. That will make me whole. Shipping price from NZ? A measly $10 USD.

[Saskia]

Sigh. Seems time did not go easy on those Quadral Montans I bought.

Need to check the crossover, replace the capacitors and maybe even the resistors (if out of spec which I don't hope), then crosscheck if the tweeters are working the way they are supposed to, and finally recenter/realign one of the woofers as I hear a slight hum, which should just not be there.

It's definitely not coming from the Power Amp which I just tested with another pair of speakers.

That's a couple of hundred for the repair.

FFS, what am I doing, I am building another OTT vintage stereo system ...

(Sony TA-E 86B, Nakamichi PA 5E Mk2, Quadral Montan, Nakamichi OMS 5E Mk2, Nakamichi BX1, Denon DP47 ...)

 Back in those days, that would have gone for ~ 12- 13kDM ...

[med6753]

And here I am pissing and moaning about a $30 GR connector. 

[bd139]

Hey it took me a week to buy 6 fucking capacitors because I was trying to find the best deal. Don't sweat it 

[Saskia]

@med:

fixing those 2 tweeters is 130 € each.

The 2 crossovers, if I send them in: 250€. I guess I'll just source the parts ...

The woofer: have to ask how much my friend wants for reconing and recentering.
but tbh I think the crossover is dead as the tweeter fuse was blown in this speaker and the capacitors are well beyond EOL (about 15 years).

[Robert763]

On Driving, 2 hours each way is about my limit these days. I used to do regular runs from the south coast to Yorkshire hitting Anchor Surplus, M&B Radio, John's Radio and a radio rally. All gone now (well technically Anchor are still trading but not what they used to be and no TE).
About 18 months ago I did a run up to Edinburgh, not picking up, delivering. I'd put a Schaffner transient generator on ebay as "collection only". It was 3 6U 19" cases each about 30-40kg. So it sold for £2500 and they buyer wanted it delivered . I said £0.60 a mile each way plus cost of a hotel for the night and they said OK
I did OK on the deal overall. The Fiat Croma 150hp  turbo diesel averaged 55 MPG on the run. Profit on the unit was pretty good. I'd bought it on ebay for 99p including a dual remote controlled variac, High speed highvoltage relays, 6' rack, Shaffner voltage pick-up clamp, bunch of quality coaxial cables, etc which I kept  .

I've driven to Aachen in Germany, no not to visit Helmut Singer, to pick up a gas turbine engine, one of my other hobbies is small jet engines. I did visit Singer while I was there and picked up a couple of heavy items from his clearance list and some geiger counters agin in heavy boxes. Not surised singer went bust, his prices were far too high.

[bd139]

Helmut Singer was a piss taker to the extreme!

Was that Anchor Supplies in Nottingham? I used to live walking distance from them yet had no idea they existed until after I moved away

Edit: footnote. Never live in Nottingham City area. Total fucking shit hole of a place.

[mnementh]

Urrrkkk... just slipped & fell down the stairs on my way back down after moving a shelf unit up to the bedroom. Think I broke a toe. 

Currently rummaging in my desk for Ibuprofens and hoping for a stray Tylenol3 or Tramadol. The package of stairstep safety treads I just haven't been able to get around to installing sits on the corner, mocking me.

mnem
"Son, come help me duct tape my toes together..."
"Okay fatherrrrr.... whuuuuu?"

*in best mock Hellboy voice* "Oh, I am gonna be sore in the mornin'..."

[Saskia]

On Driving, 2 hours each way is about my limit these days. I used to do regular runs from the south coast to Yorkshire hitting Anchor Surplus, M&B Radio, John's Radio and a radio rally. All gone now (well technically Anchor are still trading but not what they used to be and no TE).
About 18 months ago I did a run up to Edinburgh, not picking up, delivering. I'd put a Schaffner transient generator on ebay as "collection only". It was 3 6U 19" cases each about 30-40kg. So it sold for £2500 and they buyer wanted it delivered . I said £0.60 a mile each way plus cost of a hotel for the night and they said OK
I did OK on the deal overall. The Fiat Croma 150hp  turbo diesel averaged 55 MPG on the run. Profit on the unit was pretty good. I'd bought it on ebay for 99p including a dual remote controlled variac, High speed highvoltage relays, 6' rack, Shaffner voltage pick-up clamp, bunch of quality coaxial cables, etc which I kept  .


Did you, by any chance, have any dealings with Michael Ross out of Cambridge ?

if so and should you still have contact, say hi to him for me.

I've driven to Aachen in Germany, no not to visit Helmut Singer, to pick up a gas turbine engine, one of my other hobbies is small jet engines. I did visit Singer while I was there and picked up a couple of heavy items from his clearance list and some geiger counters agin in heavy boxes. Not surised singer went bust, his prices were far too high.

[Robert763]

Yes in the Cattle Market. 20 years ago they had all sorts of stuff. Then the MOD changed the disposal process and it all went a bit weird. Heard a rumour that one of the owners/managers whatever got locked up for dodgy dealing. The burn down in the cattle market fire a few years ago.
 

[Robert763]

Did you, by any chance, have any dealings with Michael Ross out of Cambridge ?

if so and should you still have contact, say hi to him for me.

I've driven to Aachen in Germany, no not to visit Helmut Singer, to pick up a gas turbine engine, one of my other hobbies is small jet engines. I did visit Singer while I was there and picked up a couple of heavy items from his clearance list and some geiger counters agin in heavy boxes. Not surised singer went bust, his prices were far too high.

No, don't know him. I'm a faily recent resident to the Cambridge area and haven't really networked at all.

[Saskia]

@mnem get better soon

[med6753]

Hey it took me a week to buy 6 fucking capacitors because I was trying to find the best deal. Don't sweat it 

I hear you. I know for example Mouser isn't the cheapest but I always get the right part, when I want it. To me that's worth the extra it may cost.

[med6753]

Edit: footnote. Never live in Nottingham City area. Total fucking shit hole of a place.

I hear the sheriff is a real prick and always trying to sniff Lady Marion's panties. 

[Saskia]

if he tried that uninvited, he would be volunteering for capsaicin injections.

[Robert763]

Another recent ebay purchase

Nice case, Ebay description said remote unit and it had a manual for something else. Actual contents


An Ameritec AM-44  Not popular in the UK this "telephon test set is a nice audio generator AR power .  frequency / noise meter amplified speaker, DTMF generator and Butt phone.


User interface is not intuative but it's a handy battery operated unit for audio testing. A hand held Transmission Impairment Test Set.
Like most of these the "receiver" is DC blocked to 60V or so. This makes them useful for measuing and listening to noise on power supplies.
Only £7.50 including postage. They seem to go for a lot more in the USA. I'll have to buy a couple more Bantam jacks to make up test leads though.

Only

[Cerebus]

Edit: footnote. Never live in Nottingham City area. Total fucking shit hole of a place.

I hear the sheriff is a real prick and always trying to sniff Lady Marion's panties. 

That latter bit sounds suspiciously like projection.

[BU508A]

Urrrkkk... just slipped & fell down the stairs on my way back down after moving a shelf unit up to the bedroom. Think I broke a toe. 

Ouch, that hurts while reading it. Get well soon. A humbling dragon looks kind of funny ...

[Specmaster]

Urrrkkk... just slipped & fell down the stairs on my way back down after moving a shelf unit up to the bedroom. Think I broke a toe. 

Currently rummaging in my desk for Ibuprofens and hoping for a stray Tylenol3 or Tramadol. The package of stairstep safety treads I just haven't been able to get around to installing sits on the corner, mocking me.

mnem
"Son, come help me duct tape my toes together..."
"Okay fatherrrrr.... whuuuuu?"

*in best mock Hellboy voice* "Oh, I am gonna be sore in the mornin'..."

Bloody hell, OUCH.
Was there moisture on the steps then or are those steps bloody polished, either way thats a recipe for accidents, get those grip pads down ASAP and I hope that you've not broken your toe and that the pain soon subsides. Get well soon old pal.