Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14406393 times)

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Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7350 on: February 14, 2018, 01:09:31 am »
Yeah, well, what can I say. My lab isn't as exciting. :-DD
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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7351 on: February 14, 2018, 01:17:41 am »
Is there a good way to clean the insides of BNC's of 40+ years of gunk or just swap them out?

Took a wire brush to clean to this.
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Offline ChrisLX200

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7352 on: February 14, 2018, 01:18:52 am »
Thanks, I will let you know. Had another look at the DPS5015, no other sign of physical damage and the fuses are still good, but -50v on the ground plane probably not healthy for the ICs. I'll try tracing some voltages, not much else to do tonight.

Any good news on it? Hopefully, you can revive it with some rework and replacement parts.

Nope it's beyond my meagre repair abilities. Free to anyone who wants it but I'm guessing every IC on the board is blown (-50v on the ground pins) so hardly worth the postage :)
 

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7353 on: February 14, 2018, 01:23:20 am »
Is there a good way to clean the insides of BNC's of 40+ years of gunk or just swap them out?

Took a wire brush to clean to this.
Personally I'd swap them out, for what they cost, penny's, it's not worth the time nor effort cleaning them.
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Offline ChrisLX200

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7354 on: February 14, 2018, 01:26:53 am »
Is there a good way to clean the insides of BNC's of 40+ years of gunk or just swap them out?

Took a wire brush to clean to this.

I cleaned a bunch on the outside with a small bronze brush in a Dremel and they came up sparkling, the insides were pretty much OK and a spray with contact cleaner (soak then wipe out) was all that was needed. Having said that, new ones are cheap so if they are for decent test kit I'd put new ones in. The ones I cleaned were Tektronix, silver plated I think, so worth a bit of effort.
 

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7355 on: February 14, 2018, 01:43:15 am »
I've had a couple of the tips where one of the contact rings has decided to unclip itself that I've had to throw in the trash can. Do the genuine Hakko tips have the same issues or are they soldered rings on them?

Oh, the genuine Hakko T12 cartidges are a 10-year tool, easily. Much better quality than the cheap Chinesium ones for sure. One genuine cartridge costs as much as a dozen cheapies, but for sure it's worth splurging on genuine for the ones you use all the time. I expect for most folks, that's probably a long conical, a BC1 or BC2(1.1mm/2.1mm bevel-cut conical), and a 2-4mm chisel. An ILS if you use that all the time and a BCM2 (hollow bevel-cut conical) for drag-soldering and fixing bridges as I don't think I've seen the cheapos come in that style.

I had one where the entire plastic/contact end was sortof zig-zag out of alignment and even though I tried sanding the plastic to bring them all in line, I couldn't get a reliable connection. Aside from that one, all of them I've bought have been good. I haven't seen the "shedding contacts" failure mode yet (knock on wood). I'll keep my eyes peeled for such shenanigans as the contact sockets can be a bit hinky anyways; I had one out of 3 handles that just wouldn't make reliable contact on half my tips. i don't need them melting down in case of a short.

It is my understanding that the counterfeit Hakko tips seen all over fleaBay and Amazon in single packaging are considerably better quality than the 5/$10 ones I've bought; I can tell you that the Aoyue T13 cartridges (short version of the T12) I got ten years ago are all still usable except the J1 which was a hair-thin tip when it was new.


I had one bounce off my head once when I was a kid. Teaches you a lot of respect for the things.
Uhuh. I was about 15 when I spent my holidays working at a small engineering company specializing in the then nascent PLCs and related stuff. One of my tasks was to build a better 24VDC power supply for the test stand (like the usual, industrial DC, but smoother...)
The companies' office was in a converted flat in a nice housing area, so complete with stucco ceilings.
The power supply had 6 big capacitors, one of which got his polarity misplaced.
They had to live with the ugly brown stain at the ceiling until they moved out.
Whenever I entered the lab during my association with this company, which did last several years, someone would look up.

 ::)

We do not speak of the Motorola Incident.  >:D

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Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7356 on: February 14, 2018, 02:17:39 am »
The Fluke 8800A arrived yesterday in one piece. The seller did an excellent job with the packaging. It was in a large box surrounded by peanuts plus the unit itself was bubble wrapped. I didn't fully appreciate how much larger an 8800A is compared to a typical 8000A or 8600A in both height and length. And it's heavy! When I got it the cover off it became very clear. This thing is built like a brick shithouse. Metal covers top and bottom plus an all metal chassis. That's the good news.

The bad news is that it powers up but that's about it. The display flashes random numbers. None of the functions work. And certain switch positions cause the power transformer to start screeching. Clearly we have some major problems. I did some initial checks of the power supply and all voltages are good except the +35V source. It's reading +25V so something is loading it down. This unit is loaded with tants so I think my approach right now is inventory all of them and do a mass replace plus do the filter caps too. Then assess where I'm at and take it from there. Anyone aware of any other areas to check? I know the reed relays and the front switch panel can be problem areas so I'll be checking that. I'm also going to contact the seller. I'll praise him for his packaging but see if he's willing to do a partial refund. I have no intention of sending it back. One way or another I'm going to fix it.     

Update. The 8800A is up and running. See attached schematic. C18 was holding down the +35V. C21 popped a seal at the negative end and was starting to leak. Also replaced C19, C20, C22. Haven't done the tants at C23, C25, and C26 yet but plan on it as insurance. The range switches are flaky and will need a cleaning. It appears that all the reed relays are OK. Photo shows it connected to the AD584M reference of 9.99691V. Good news is that it's dead nuts. Once I replace the tants and clean the switches I'll do a burn-in of at least 5 or 6 hours then check it's calibration. But so far it's looking good!

And as I mentioned in another post the seller refunded the purchase price minus $10 USD. Can't beat that!
« Last Edit: February 14, 2018, 02:20:58 am by med6753 »
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Online beanflying

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7357 on: February 14, 2018, 02:21:35 am »
Tidying up the yellow peril's face. Compromised new BNC guts old hardware. New display time pot/switch fitted.

Goo remover, sand paper, dremel, wire brush and IPA were used in rotation several times.
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Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7358 on: February 14, 2018, 02:29:45 am »
Tidying up the yellow peril's face. Compromised new BNC guts old hardware. New display time pot/switch fitted.

Goo remover, sand paper, dremel, wire brush and IPA were used in rotation several times.
Excellent job of cleaning that up, looking really good [emoji4]
Who let Murphy in?

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Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7359 on: February 14, 2018, 02:59:54 am »
Update. The 8800A is up and running. See attached schematic. C18 was holding down the +35V. C21 popped a seal at the negative end and was starting to leak. Also replaced C19, C20, C22. Haven't done the tants at C23, C25, and C26 yet but plan on it as insurance. The range switches are flaky and will need a cleaning. It appears that all the reed relays are OK. Photo shows it connected to the AD584M reference of 9.99691V. Good news is that it's dead nuts. Once I replace the tants and clean the switches I'll do a burn-in of at least 5 or 6 hours then check it's calibration. But so far it's looking good!

Amazing the relays are all fine. Sounds like you got a winner after all.

Quote
And as I mentioned in another post the seller refunded the purchase price minus $10 USD. Can't beat that!

Score! :-+
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Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7360 on: February 14, 2018, 03:02:02 am »
The Fluke 8800A arrived yesterday in one piece. The seller did an excellent job with the packaging. It was in a large box surrounded by peanuts plus the unit itself was bubble wrapped. I didn't fully appreciate how much larger an 8800A is compared to a typical 8000A or 8600A in both height and length. And it's heavy! When I got it the cover off it became very clear. This thing is built like a brick shithouse. Metal covers top and bottom plus an all metal chassis. That's the good news.

The bad news is that it powers up but that's about it. The display flashes random numbers. None of the functions work. And certain switch positions cause the power transformer to start screeching. Clearly we have some major problems. I did some initial checks of the power supply and all voltages are good except the +35V source. It's reading +25V so something is loading it down. This unit is loaded with tants so I think my approach right now is inventory all of them and do a mass replace plus do the filter caps too. Then assess where I'm at and take it from there. Anyone aware of any other areas to check? I know the reed relays and the front switch panel can be problem areas so I'll be checking that. I'm also going to contact the seller. I'll praise him for his packaging but see if he's willing to do a partial refund. I have no intention of sending it back. One way or another I'm going to fix it.     

Update. The 8800A is up and running. See attached schematic. C18 was holding down the +35V. C21 popped a seal at the negative end and was starting to leak. Also replaced C19, C20, C22. Haven't done the tants at C23, C25, and C26 yet but plan on it as insurance. The range switches are flaky and will need a cleaning. It appears that all the reed relays are OK. Photo shows it connected to the AD584M reference of 9.99691V. Good news is that it's dead nuts. Once I replace the tants and clean the switches I'll do a burn-in of at least 5 or 6 hours then check it's calibration. But so far it's looking good!

And as I mentioned in another post the seller refunded the purchase price minus $10 USD. Can't beat that!

Nice win, well done
Who let Murphy in?

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Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7361 on: February 14, 2018, 03:03:53 am »
Tidying up the yellow peril's face. Compromised new BNC guts old hardware. New display time pot/switch fitted.

Goo remover, sand paper, dremel, wire brush and IPA were used in rotation several times.

Wow, that looks good. So, the BNC shell is original, but the center jack and dielectric are new?
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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7362 on: February 14, 2018, 03:11:13 am »
Used all the old brass spacers, washers etc. New Body and inner even though the old ones I suspect are silver are losing plating in spots.

Farnells are awesome, ship and deliver me the Pot/Switch that wasn't in stock in Sydney within 24 hours by toll express worth about $4, backorder the Cases that were in stock along with the Resistors  that were overseas delivery and the rest of the order. Bean counters can't be counting very well.
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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7363 on: February 14, 2018, 03:39:15 am »
Apart from replacement of the BNC's it's ass is beyond being wiped  :P

Or replace the entire panel :palm:
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Offline Brumby

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7364 on: February 14, 2018, 03:40:56 am »
Bean counters can't be counting very well.

I think the bean counters have been told ....

Don't piss off a customer who has a $5 order for something they may need urgently.  If you do, then they'll take their next $500 or $5,000 order somewhere else.
« Last Edit: February 14, 2018, 03:44:56 am by Brumby »
 
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Offline neo

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7365 on: February 14, 2018, 04:14:16 am »
Bean counters can't be counting very well.

I think the bean counters have been told ....

Don't piss off a customer who has a $5 order for something they may need urgently.  If you do, then they'll take their next $500 or $5,000 order somewhere else.

All companies should think similar to that, be nice to what looks like a little guy because loyalty is worth more than a small pittance.

Instead for example arrow makes unreasonable changes the their shipping policies without warning, which is fine if they have something to make up for it*. Which they don't...

*Mildly disgruntled following recent components order.
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Offline kj7e

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7366 on: February 14, 2018, 04:36:49 am »
This came in today;







Always amazes me how people dont clean up gear before putting on eBay.  Quick disassembly and cleanup it looks quite good.  Came with the 1GHz option 003, I found the OCXO option 004 separately and installed.  GPSDO is on its way.  Going to replace the large power supply AE caps for good measure.

« Last Edit: February 14, 2018, 05:01:51 am by kj7e »
 

Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7367 on: February 14, 2018, 05:08:33 am »
Be glad that they don't clean it better.  Dirty lets those of us who recognize a diamond in the rough to get it for less $$$!!

And that looks like a nice counter - nice score.

-Pat
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7368 on: February 14, 2018, 05:11:17 am »
Tidying up the yellow peril's face. Compromised new BNC guts old hardware. New display time pot/switch fitted.

Goo remover, sand paper, dremel, wire brush and IPA were used in rotation several times.

Definitely a contender for "Most Improved Since Last Week"... ;)

Now it's ready to go count The Universe.  :-DD


Cheers and uhhh... Don't get any on ya,


mnem
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Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7369 on: February 14, 2018, 05:16:41 am »
Apart from replacement of the BNC's it's ass is beyond being wiped  :P

Or replace the entire panel :palm:

Or not worry about it, unless you look back there often. ;)
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Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7370 on: February 14, 2018, 05:19:10 am »
Be glad that they don't clean it better.  Dirty lets those of us who recognize a diamond in the rough to get it for less $$$!!

I second that. :-+

Quote
And that looks like a nice counter - nice score.

That is a nice one. I have the "A" version, but no 1GHz option. One day I'll find one at a good price.

Quick disassembly and cleanup it looks quite good.  Came with the 1GHz option 003, I found the OCXO option 004 separately and installed.  GPSDO is on its way.  Going to replace the large power supply AE caps for good measure.

How much was the OCXO for it? And can it be GPS disciplined or is that a manually tuned one?
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Offline kj7e

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7371 on: February 14, 2018, 05:28:38 am »
I bought a second 5316B with the 004 option for $65 just for parts (the oven mostly), the front of the case was crushed, display broken but still works for the most part.  I'm working on picking up a replacement front panel, bezel and case then Ill put the second one back up for sale.  The OEM OCXO is manually adjustable only.  I have one of the BG7TBL GPSDO's on the way to use for calibration and for a shop reference.
« Last Edit: February 14, 2018, 05:32:46 am by kj7e »
 
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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7372 on: February 14, 2018, 05:36:10 am »

This space For Rent.
I for one have much enjoyed your closings like we used to for another sadly departed member SgtRock aka Clear Ether.  :-DD

If you need inspiration have a look at his posts:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/profile/?area=showposts;u=6719
« Last Edit: February 14, 2018, 05:44:59 am by tautech »
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Offline neo

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7373 on: February 14, 2018, 05:44:03 am »
Bean counters can't be counting very well.

I think the bean counters have been told ....

Don't piss off a customer who has a $5 order for something they may need urgently.  If you do, then they'll take their next $500 or $5,000 order somewhere else.

All companies should think similar to that, be nice to what looks like a little guy because loyalty is worth more than a small pittance.

Instead for example arrow makes unreasonable changes the their shipping policies without warning, which is fine if they have something to make up for it*. Which they don't...

*Mildly disgruntled following recent components order.

Make that "Majorly disgruntled, bordering on pissed."

I just discovered that 10, 7805 regulators that i bought are not worth anything and are probably counterfeit.
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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #7374 on: February 14, 2018, 05:54:18 am »
Less poo on it's ass. Next cnc run a plate under the switches and bnc's with labels.
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....
 


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