Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

why does come to mind ?

Yep! 

[mnementh]

My HP cup was lost by USPS. Please observe one minute of silence with me.
I am a little sad, it was a wonderful piece of electronic history somehow.

It will never come back.

*salutes and hums a dirge on comb & paper kazoo*

Let us hope the dearly departed eventually finds a good home once that particular dead-letter bin goes up for auction. 

mnem
   Ω

[mnementh]

I’ve actually got two at the moment and I can’t do either of them    I’m mostly working on “administrative shit” at the moment 

In the decent companies I've worked in, the decent middle managers have been adept at umbrella management deflecting seagull managers.   I've always thought that to be a joyless way od spending your life

So what... they've changed the species of bird now? We used to call them the MPs; because they never come out of their pigeonholes except to sqwawk and flap aboot and shit all over everything...

mnem
What goes around, comes around again... and again... and again...

[med6753]

I assume "MP's" are Magpies? 

[McBryce]

Here you go bd, a cheap fixer-upper for you, with low possibility of schematics!   

[<SNIP>
Not sure what this is, but I feel it's a Saskia type item:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Inferred-Heater-Unknown-Item-R4/224246270092


Not sure why it's inferred that it's a heater, but looks interesting.

I'm 99% sure it an infrared illuminator for CCTV. One filter missing. Inferred may be miss-spelling or autocorrect for infrared.
One filter missing. It's not worth £40 never mind £400 now LED ones are available.

I'll confirm and remove your 1% of doubt. It's something like this with the outer case missing: https://www.euport.nl/index.php/accessoires/ir-schijnwerpers/infrarood-schijnwerper-120-graden-940nm-525.html

Half the buildings in an industrial estate will have these around the building for night vision CCTV. Definitely not worth anything close to the asking price.

McBryce.

[factory]

Well that was the easy bit with the HP 5248M, one dead 1853-0001 transistor (Q3) on the A25 oscillator power supply board replaced, luckily I had a used spare from something else. Output now back to +20V with a load test and I reconnected/refitted it to the counter.
Apparently 1853-0001 is a selected 2N1132 (according to the 5065A manual) and 1854-0003 on the same board is a selected 2N1711, if that helps anyone else who needs to replace those.



Still lots more problems to find & fix with this counter, at least it now has a 5MHz & 10MHz output on the back from the 00105 series crystal oven, none of the other selections or the separate 100MHz output are working.

The main input board & six out of the eight display boards are working properly, but it currently only counts in manual count mode with the gate active all the time.

David

[mnementh]

Dammit, David... why didja have to go bringing something on-topic into our Tuesday Morning Bitchfest...?

I assume "MP's" are Magpies? 

Management Pigeons. Sorry; thought that was obvious from context. 

mnem
Vengeance is Mine, INC...

[factory]

Sorry Mnem, I was going to post most of that last night but got too tired. 

David

[med6753]

Well that was the easy bit with the HP 5248M, one dead 1853-0001 transistor (Q3) on the A25 oscillator power supply board replaced, luckily I had a used spare from something else. Output now back to +20V with a load test and I reconnected/refitted it to the counter.
Apparently 1853-0001 is a selected 2N1132 (according to the 5065A manual) and 1854-0003 on the same board is a selected 2N1711, if that helps anyone else who needs to replace those.



Still lots more problems to find & fix with this counter, at least it now has a 5MHz & 10MHz output on the back from the 00105 series crystal oven, none of the other selections or the separate 100MHz output are working.

The main input board & six out of the eight display boards are working properly, but it currently only counts in manual count mode with the gate active all the time.

David

In case you run out of NOS 2N1132 and 2N1711 both are replaceable by NTE128 although may need some tweaking. And it's available via Amazon, at least here in the U.S.

[tggzzz]

Dammit, David... why didja have to go bringing something on-topic into our Tuesday Morning Bitchfest...?

I assume "MP's" are Magpies? 

Management Pigeons. Sorry; thought that was obvious from context. 

I assumed "Members of Parliament", since that isn't inappropriate.

[factory]

In case you run out of NOS 2N1132 and 2N1711 both are replaceable by NTE128 although may need some tweaking. And it's available via Amazon, at least here in the U.S.

I haven't got any NOS HP transistors, only used spares.
The TVT book I have gives BC160, 2N2905 or 2SA537 as equivalent types for the 2N1132, I have some new of the first two. And BFY46, BFY68, BSY54 or BSY71 as equivalent types for the 2N1711, haven't got any of those.

Interesting that NTE can replace both the 2N1132 and 2N1711 with one type, which can't be right as one is NPN & the other PNP.

David

[mansaxel]

One of the better points about HP was that if I had been promoted six times I would have been CEO. The reasons the intervening levels were there were obvious and sensible.

ISTR that IBM had 14 layers.

The only management book that is worth the paper is "Up The Organisation"

If I'm promoted four times I'm Director General. That will never, ever happen, mostly because I don't want to, but also because I'm no journalist, and it's only those who get that seat.

The levels above me are more or less removed from reality. As they often are. I am, however, on speaking terms with all of them except the DG; mostly because I haven't had reason to.

Much of the present company is organised along the lines of Qui audet adipiscitur; which means that they who get shit done are rewarded. If your job is to provide a service upon which shit gets done this can be a bit of a challenge, what with the demands of predictability conflicting with the desires of ambitious people..

[mnementh]

I assume "MP's" are Magpies? 

Management Pigeons. Sorry; thought that was obvious from context. 

I assumed "Members of Parliament", since that isn't inappropriate.

I think the term originally derived from this Org Chart; some variant of which has been making the rounds for probably close to a century.

mnem

[mnementh]

One of the better points about HP was that if I had been promoted six times I would have been CEO. The reasons the intervening levels were there were obvious and sensible.

ISTR that IBM had 14 layers.

The only management book that is worth the paper is "Up The Organisation"

If I'm promoted four times I'm Director General. That will never, ever happen, mostly because I don't want to, but also because I'm no journalist, and it's only those who get that seat.

The levels above me are more or less removed from reality. As they often are. I am, however, on speaking terms with all of them except the DG; mostly because I haven't had reason to.

Much of the present company is organised along the lines of Qui audet adipiscitur; which means that they who get shit done are rewarded. If your job is to provide a service upon which shit gets done this can be a bit of a challenge, what with the demands of predictability conflicting with the desires of ambitious people...

   

Whatever the development scenario, one or both of these covers it. 

mnem
 

[mnementh]

In case you run out of NOS 2N1132 and 2N1711 both are replaceable by NTE128 although may need some tweaking. And it's available via Amazon, at least here in the U.S.

I haven't got any NOS HP transistors, only used spares.
The TVT book I have gives BC160, 2N2905 or 2SA537 as equivalent types for the 2N1132, I have some new of the first two. And BFY46, BFY68, BSY54 or BSY71 as equivalent types for the 2N1711, haven't got any of those.

Interesting that NTE can replace both the 2N1132 and 2N1711 with one type, which can't be right as one is NPN & the other PNP.

David

A lot of such FUBARs since NTE took over the ECG catalog; I'd guess transcription errors by wage-slave data-entry types with absolutely zero knowledge of transistor parameters vs the way ECG documented MCPs in the catalog. 

mnem

[AVGresponding]

Here you go bd, a cheap fixer-upper for you, with low possibility of schematics!   

[<SNIP>
Not sure what this is, but I feel it's a Saskia type item:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Inferred-Heater-Unknown-Item-R4/224246270092


Not sure why it's inferred that it's a heater, but looks interesting.

I'm 99% sure it an infrared illuminator for CCTV. One filter missing. Inferred may be miss-spelling or autocorrect for infrared.
One filter missing. It's not worth £40 never mind £400 now LED ones are available.

I'll confirm and remove your 1% of doubt. It's something like this with the outer case missing: https://www.euport.nl/index.php/accessoires/ir-schijnwerpers/infrarood-schijnwerper-120-graden-940nm-525.html

Half the buildings in an industrial estate will have these around the building for night vision CCTV. Definitely not worth anything close to the asking price.

McBryce.

His stuff is never worth the asking price, though I was hoping it was along the lines of an IR target illuminator rather than a more mundane CCTV light source.

As to the inferred pun, looks like I need to telegraph my humour a bit more. Anyone have a good morse key?

[mnementh]

Sorry... not enuf complete illiterates in here for that to work; you'll have to paint us a picture. 

mnem
*agitating-ily*

[factory]

His stuff is never worth the asking price, though I was hoping it was along the lines of an IR target illuminator rather than a more mundane CCTV light source.

As to the inferred pun, looks like I need to telegraph my humour a bit more. Anyone have a good morse key?

I can't understand why his pricey stuff keeps selling (OK having the international shipping may help), for example that non-working -hp- 3460A sold for somewhere under £300 (we will never know the actual sold price thanks to ePay's deceit  ).

eBay auction: #324372745454

David

[mnementh]

Okay... so when did Android remove "Call duration" from "Call Details"...? This has been essential information instantly available on every cellphone since... well... since they were just cellular phones.

The more I use Android10, the more it feels like the "we took everything useful out so now you have to install a app for that" ASSHOLE VERSION. 

mnem

[bd139]

Android is the worst for such fuckery. Not that the fuckery ever even worked to start with.

I am STILL bitter from the week of holiday photos that their pile of shit ate with a corrupt SD card. Turned out it had stopped backing the photos up to google photos as well  . Bought an iPhone after that. Zero problems (apart from I cracked mine the other day - thank fuck for 28 days of applecare left )

[Robert763]

In case you run out of NOS 2N1132 and 2N1711 both are replaceable by NTE128 although may need some tweaking. And it's available via Amazon, at least here in the U.S.

I haven't got any NOS HP transistors, only used spares.
The TVT book I have gives BC160, 2N2905 or 2SA537 as equivalent types for the 2N1132, I have some new of the first two. And BFY46, BFY68, BSY54 or BSY71 as equivalent types for the 2N1711, haven't got any of those.

Interesting that NTE can replace both the 2N1132 and 2N1711 with one type, which can't be right as one is NPN & the other PNP.

David

A lot of such FUBARs since NTE took over the ECG catalog; I'd guess transcription errors by wage-slave data-entry types with absolutely zero knowledge of transistor parameters vs the way ECG documented MCPs in the catalog. 

mnem

All this talk of transitor subsitution makes me think of TITS 

For non UK members Towers Internatonal Transistor Selector was the UK equivilent to TVT or D.A.T.A books. Never did work out if the acronym was deliberate or not

[med6753]

In case you run out of NOS 2N1132 and 2N1711 both are replaceable by NTE128 although may need some tweaking. And it's available via Amazon, at least here in the U.S.

I haven't got any NOS HP transistors, only used spares.
The TVT book I have gives BC160, 2N2905 or 2SA537 as equivalent types for the 2N1132, I have some new of the first two. And BFY46, BFY68, BSY54 or BSY71 as equivalent types for the 2N1711, haven't got any of those.

Interesting that NTE can replace both the 2N1132 and 2N1711 with one type, which can't be right as one is NPN & the other PNP.

David

A lot of such FUBARs since NTE took over the ECG catalog; I'd guess transcription errors by wage-slave data-entry types with absolutely zero knowledge of transistor parameters vs the way ECG documented MCPs in the catalog. 

mnem

Hold your horses and blaming "the man" again. Perhaps little old peon me made a mistake. Let me go check again. Geez....everything is a fucking conspiracy with you. 

[Robert763]

His stuff is never worth the asking price, though I was hoping it was along the lines of an IR target illuminator rather than a more mundane CCTV light source.

As to the inferred pun, looks like I need to telegraph my humour a bit more. Anyone have a good morse key?

I can't understand why his pricey stuff keeps selling (OK having the international shipping may help), for example that non-working -hp- 3460A sold for somewhere under £300 (we will never know the actual sold price thanks to ePay's deceit  ).

<SNIP>

David

You used to be able to get an idea by selecting sellers other items, sold items, orderd by price. This would oder on sold price so if sell sold a lot you knew it was no less than the item below it in the list. They seem to have "fixed" that feature.

[mnementh]

His stuff is never worth the asking price, though I was hoping it was along the lines of an IR target illuminator rather than a more mundane CCTV light source.

As to the inferred pun, looks like I need to telegraph my humour a bit more. Anyone have a good morse key?

I can't understand why his pricey stuff keeps selling (OK having the international shipping may help), for example that non-working -hp- 3460A sold for somewhere under £300 (we will never know the actual sold price thanks to ePay's deceit  ).

eBay auction: #324372745454

David

I dunno aboot that... from a seller's perspective, it's a good thing and it's none of your damned business if I was desperate enough that one time to accept a crazy lowball offer on some really valuable item. Just invites all the lowballing lowlifes to inundate you with BS offers, half of which have no intent of actually paying anyways; they're the reason I've pretty much completely stopped selling on fuckBay.

You wouldn't expect to get such confidential information from a IRL auction house; why would you expect it from fleaBay...? Oh, right... because in a previous incarnation they did ignorantly publish such privileged information for a while... 

mnem
eBay.

[med6753]

In case you run out of NOS 2N1132 and 2N1711 both are replaceable by NTE128 although may need some tweaking. And it's available via Amazon, at least here in the U.S.

I haven't got any NOS HP transistors, only used spares.
The TVT book I have gives BC160, 2N2905 or 2SA537 as equivalent types for the 2N1132, I have some new of the first two. And BFY46, BFY68, BSY54 or BSY71 as equivalent types for the 2N1711, haven't got any of those.

Interesting that NTE can replace both the 2N1132 and 2N1711 with one type, which can't be right as one is NPN & the other PNP.

David

A lot of such FUBARs since NTE took over the ECG catalog; I'd guess transcription errors by wage-slave data-entry types with absolutely zero knowledge of transistor parameters vs the way ECG documented MCPs in the catalog. 

mnem

Hold your horses and blaming "the man" again. Perhaps little old peon me made a mistake. Let me go check again. Geez....everything is a fucking conspiracy with you. 

Holy shit, can you believe it. It was ME who fucked up. So sorry to blow your conspiracy theory all to hell. 

2N1132   PNP  NTE129
2N1711   NPN  NTE128

Both are available via Amazon USA.