Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread (Read 14984465 times)

bd139 · « **Reply #8225 on:** March 05, 2018, 10:42:15 pm »

Yeah I would rather they used smaller 1/8W ones and kept them flat if I'm honest. Not a major issue if populated as the manual is extensive and shows all component positions.

Documentation is pretty damn amazing actually for something made in 2018: http://qrp-labs.com/images/qcx/assembly3_A4.pdf

Keeping the TEA relevant, this just shows the effort that went into the design:

jordanp123 · « **Reply #8226 on:** March 05, 2018, 10:53:26 pm »

Just got it in, wanted a decent meter that had a IP67 rating.

Cerebus · « **Reply #8227 on:** March 05, 2018, 11:21:37 pm »

Quote from: bd139 on March 05, 2018, 10:29:48 pm

Quote from: Cerebus on March 05, 2018, 08:33:26 pm
Just a heads up for anyone in the UK who picked up one of those TT TF930 counters on ebay a while back and then didn't get to replace the knackered NiMH batteries because one certain BD139 cleaned out CPC's stock of them - they have some more in stock now. Part number is GP250AFH1A1P.

Mwuhahahaha

And on the subject of counters, I got my QRP Labs QCX transceiver today so will be disappearing for a few days to build and play with it. 3 hours in so far. I've got an excuse to actually use my TEA acquisitions on this one. The big test point marked FREQ in the middle of the board is demanding that I need my TF930 counter plugged into a 10MHz GPSDO however.

Now on that subject, and more TEA, this is the fucking business (to speak in Londonese): http://www.qrp-labs.com/vfo.html .... you can put their GPS kit (!) and OCXO kit (!) in it and it's a GPS backed frequency synthesizer which has two outputs. One can go to your counter as a 10MHz reference. Bingo!

I neeeeeed that!

Well, what prompted looking for batteries for the TF930 again was today's post. From our Chinese recycling friends an Isotemp 10 MHz OCXO intended as the guts of a GPSDO. It's been sitting on the counter since midday, gated at 1.000000000 s by my Trimble Resolution-T GPS timing receiver. Looks like I lucked out. With the VC pin left floating it's showing 10,000,000.44 Hz with the very occasional trip to 10,000,000.43 Hz for a few seconds. Spec is for a 1 day stability of +/- 1 ppb and so far it's looking good.

When the 10 MHz side of the GPSDO is done and working I plan on adding a auxiliary variable frequency output based on an AD9850 DDS board I've already got (currently jury rigged with a cheap 125 MHz crystal oscillator).

bitseeker · « **Reply #8228 on:** March 05, 2018, 11:50:12 pm »

Quote from: bd139 on March 05, 2018, 10:42:15 pm

Keeping the TEA relevant, this just shows the effort that went into the design:

And even more TEA relevant: What!?! You don't have a DMM?

bitseeker · « **Reply #8229 on:** March 05, 2018, 11:50:49 pm »

Quote from: jordanp123 on March 05, 2018, 10:53:26 pm

Just got it in, wanted a decent meter that had a IP67 rating.

Cool. I didn't recall that it was IP67 rated.

Terry01 · « **Reply #8230 on:** March 05, 2018, 11:58:18 pm »

Today something dawned on me....

I think I may need some help...

I have way tooooo much test gear for my electronics ability...waaayyyy tooo much!!
But the thing that really grabbed my attention...I have 2 "duble USB connectors" for my wheelchair!

I have 1 that I modded out to fit the charging port of my chair that works just fine, gives me all the power on the move i'll ever need. I got myself another 1 that I can wire into the harness permanently....if I have problems with it I have......5 multimeters...2 oscilloscopes,,,2 power supplies,,2 soldering stations,,,2 signal generators,,,and a ton of other components and gadgets to help me.
I know this is nothing compared to what most of you guys own but i'm doing ok for my first year or there about!

Can I join your club for some guidance or am I better left to my own devices??

beanflying · « **Reply #8231 on:** March 06, 2018, 12:34:14 am »

Quote from: Terry01 on March 05, 2018, 11:58:18 pm

Can I join your club for some guidance or am I better left to my own devices??

Far more likely if you hang out here you will gain more 'devices'

Terry01 · « **Reply #8232 on:** March 06, 2018, 12:43:47 am »

I'm in!

Where do I sign up ? ?

Specmaster · « **Reply #8233 on:** March 06, 2018, 01:01:35 am »

I think you just did sign up, welcome aboard ship mate.

Terry01 · « **Reply #8234 on:** March 06, 2018, 01:21:26 am »

I think my next venture will be into some older test gear. Maybe get some that's seen a bit of action and try to fix it up. I think that will be very interesting and moreish!

bitseeker · « **Reply #8235 on:** March 06, 2018, 01:26:35 am »

Quote from: Terry01 on March 06, 2018, 01:21:26 am

I think my next venture will be into some older test gear. Maybe get some that's seen a bit of action and try to fix it up. I think that will be very interesting and moreish!

Yep, you're afflicted alright. Welcome aboard.

beanflying · « **Reply #8236 on:** March 06, 2018, 01:29:43 am »

Cleaning up some boxes today and found a couple of soldering irons

The bad boy is 220W 110V (variac driven) for butt soldering NiCad or NiMh cells for R/C use.

The other is heading over the road to the Op shop.

mnementh · « **Reply #8237 on:** March 06, 2018, 03:55:24 am »

You could always keep them in the shed to start the charcoal for your BBQ...

mnem
Off. Slightly.

djos · « **Reply #8238 on:** March 06, 2018, 04:32:34 am »

Quote from: beanflying on March 06, 2018, 01:29:43 am

Cleaning up some boxes today and found a couple of soldering irons The bad boy is 220W 110V (variac driven) for butt soldering NiCad or NiMh cells for R/C use.

The other is heading over the road to the Op shop.

Soldering iron? looks more like a branding iron to me!

beanflying · « **Reply #8239 on:** March 06, 2018, 04:41:44 am »

If you got it wrong YES it was a branding iron

Biggest danger was solder splash with the technique used. Tin both cell ends first and line them up in a bit of channel, insert the iron between a pair to heat and melt the solder then remove the iron and slap them together before the solder hardened molten excess solder shot out sideways if you were a little vigorous. We were pulling 80 and up to 100A from 1200mAh Nicads (27 cell packs) then over 200A in the NiMh (20 Cell packs) days with packs made this way.

LiPo's are so easy these days

mnementh · « **Reply #8240 on:** March 06, 2018, 05:19:45 am »

I remember rewinding blender motors for AA class electric dragsters... and building cell-cycling jigs for a dozen 1/2 sub-Cs at a time; all monitored via RS-232 by little programs in BASIC.

mnem
Ahhh, moemories...

neo · « **Reply #8241 on:** March 06, 2018, 06:13:04 am »

I'm back, my internet went out for the weekend and you advanced nearly 10 pages

As a bit of an experiment i decided to see what an EMI filtered C-14 jack would do for the dancing digits on my 8400A, from the much quieter 70s.

I had to file out a little bit of the rear panel to fit it but it did in fact improve performance, no more excessively dancing digits.

beanflying · « **Reply #8242 on:** March 06, 2018, 06:58:21 am »

Wonder what the load rating is on the shelf

Really is time to look for a 42U rack. The other half has the UPS Temp stable enclosure and 2x 34970A loggers.

Cubdriver · « **Reply #8243 on:** March 06, 2018, 09:23:10 am »

Those wire racks will hold an insane amount of weight. I'm waiting for the floor under this one to give way.

That second shelf (with the green cabinet on the left) has got to be well north of 150 lbs, and the one above it with the scope in the neighborhood of another hundred.

-Pat

bd139 · « **Reply #8244 on:** March 06, 2018, 09:34:50 am »

Those wire racks are amazing. A big warning though from indirect experience. Make sure you stick them on good floor boards. My father had one and one side of it went through the floor

Specmaster · « **Reply #8245 on:** March 06, 2018, 09:36:45 am »

I was just going to say that the loading on each of those feet might be enough to punch through the floor

bd139 · « **Reply #8246 on:** March 06, 2018, 09:45:27 am »

At least they make good wood worm detectors

beanflying · « **Reply #8247 on:** March 06, 2018, 10:14:02 am »

Lucky I am on concrete. Mine are 1.2 x .6 Stainless mobile trolleys. Saving my pennies to esd mat the top.

Specmaster · « **Reply #8248 on:** March 06, 2018, 10:33:17 am »

So does that mean that the wheels look like they are flat

Ero-Shan · « **Reply #8249 on:** March 06, 2018, 03:11:57 pm »

Quote from: URI on March 05, 2018, 08:22:06 pm

I bought a HP 6114A from a guy in the US.
Found it on *bay as buy now/make an offer. After negotiating a little I got it for $41.
Ok, Buyer's Premium plus taxes are more than double of the price*.

And I don't really need it, I just wanted it for quite a while..
(I've got powerful supplies and an DC voltage/current calibrator accurate to 10^-5V)

On the other hand it's a very nice power supply with outstanding accuracy in a relatively compact form factor that will fit on my bench nicely.

It has an issue and it's now sitting on my repair list.
(Will post with pics..)

*-Over here in Germany it's offered quite rarely for an interesting price. Most offers are far more expensive than the over all cost of my recently acquired unit.

First time I see someone liking this supply. I have now 9 of them, but don't know if all of them are working.
Yesterday an idea occurred to me: While I don't want to sell any of my gear, I might be persuaded to exchange something for a piece I don't have yet. Owing to not-yet-invented matter transmitters and high shipping costs/customs problems, I was thinking of Germany, probably Europe, erstwhile.
This way I might part with some equipment where I have many pieces.


EEVblog Main Site	EEVblog on Youtube	EEVblog on Twitter	EEVblog on Facebook	EEVblog on Odysee

Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread (Read 14984465 times)

Share me