Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[tggzzz]

Picked up my stuff & followed the other local PMG Tech to his Series 2 Landrover.

My first experience of these beasts----sliding side windows, & flip out vents under the windscreen were the sum total of ventilation.

Not entirely true. There was a fair amount of ventilation through all the shut lines, quite a few of the bodywork seams and quite often through a hole or six in the floor (often deliberately made to allow water to drain away). 

... or where they I hadn't bothered to replace a rusty bolt that held a floor panel to the chassis.

Heater? Why do need a heater - just put another layer of clothing on!

[mnementh]

   Things that make you go Mmmm 

Mmmokay... so the 18650 cell fell out...? Or do you mean the fact it has a cell holder glued in there instead of wires soldered to a tabbed cell?

My guess would be it was a "exigencies of time" decision made to get production out the door when a shortage of tabbed cells or maybe small LiPos were holding things up. Not everybody has a tab-welder in their hip pocket, or ability to go get one at a moment's notice.

At low current draw it's pretty much immaterial as long as the battery doesn't fall out; I see exactly this kind of arrangement for 18650s all the time with RC transmitters.

mnem
 

[Robert763]

Laser cutter upgrade for Bean
https://www.ppauctions.com/lot/157535/lot-7
 

[beanflying]

   Things that make you go Mmmm 

Mmmokay... so the 18650 cell fell out...? Or do you mean the fact it has a cell holder glued in there instead of wires soldered to a tabbed cell?

My guess would be it was a "exigencies of time" decision made to get production out the door when a shortage of tabbed cells or maybe small LiPos were holding things up. Not everybody has a tab-welder in their hip pocket, or ability to go get one at a moment's notice.

At low current draw it's pretty much immaterial as long as the battery doesn't fall out; I see exactly this kind of arrangement for 18650s all the time with RC transmitters.

mnem
 

You need to look into the gloom of the plastic given the level of these things produced and the Red wire matches the - in the case and + molding goes to the Black. This one has been running out of ergs before midnight on low power light after nearly three years use so I was swapping the cell out. The two springs are a PITA  too but that wasn't the  item 

[beanflying]

Laser cutter upgrade for Bean
https://www.ppauctions.com/lot/157535/lot-7
 

2kW is some serious poke and like @Brumby and the Sydney one I would run into a bit of a space issue 

[BU508A]

But I thought, Australia is HUGE?!?

 

[beanflying]

But I thought, Australia is HUGE?!?

 

The backyard here would fit a shed that would take the Laser and associated stock for the Laser and we have three phase at the street. But locally I have a Waterjet and not far away a Laser Cutter who work cheap if you do the prep 

Right now I am fighting for some space to build a 1200x900 bed sized Laser 

[mnementh]

   Things that make you go Mmmm 

Mmmokay... so the 18650 cell fell out...? Or do you mean the fact it has a cell holder glued in there instead of wires soldered to a tabbed cell?

My guess would be it was a "exigencies of time" decision made to get production out the door when a shortage of tabbed cells or maybe small LiPos were holding things up. Not everybody has a tab-welder in their hip pocket, or ability to go get one at a moment's notice.

At low current draw it's pretty much immaterial as long as the battery doesn't fall out; I see exactly this kind of arrangement for 18650s all the time with RC transmitters.

mnem
 

You need to look into the gloom of the plastic given the level of these things produced and the Red wire matches the - in the case and + molding goes to the Black. This one has been running out of ergs before midnight on low power light after nearly three years use so I was swapping the cell out. The two springs are a PITA  too but that wasn't the  item 

Ahhh... NOW I SEE IT !!!

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Laser cutter upgrade for Bean   https://www.ppauctions.com/lot/157535/lot-7   

2kW is some serious poke and like @Brumby and the Sydney one I would run into a bit of a space issue 

mnem
Jigga-watts... heh... heh-heh...

[kj7e]

Everything on the shelf, 100% functional and calibrated, batteries and all.  Need to find a HP 4328A in good shape for a good price, there are a few on eBay, but the seller wont deal and wants too much.

[Runco990]

Everything on the shelf, 100% functional and calibrated, batteries and all.  Need to find a HP 4328A in good shape for a good price, there are a few on eBay, but the seller wont deal and wants too much.

NICE!!!   

[mnementh]

For all you BW junkies... 

mnem
Jigga-bytes... heh... heh-heh...

[Brumby]

But I thought, Australia is HUGE?!?

 

Australia is huge.  Nearly the same size as the lower 48 states of the USA.

...it's just that the little patch we call our own isn't quite as expansive.

[cyclin_al]

Those of you with a keen eye will notice there's something a bit funny aboot the sprocket here; it is actually a one-way sprocket meant to go on the wheel of a fixie, with a special hub to mount it to a keyed shaft. This is actually what makes this kit worth every penny; it means that you never have the pedals turning under motor power like with some kits, nor do you have the motor dragging on you when pedaling. All in a nice tidy little package that weighs ~2kg with the mounting plate.

Called a sprag clutch. 

Naaaahhh... edit: the most common sprag clutch is a roller bearing modified such that in one direction the rollers cam out and jam against the bearing surface and it locks up. We "whirry little flying thing" wingnuts use them in the drive gearing on our model helis.

These are just like any other bicycle gear cluster, with ball bearings and a separate ratchet & pawl mechanism inside. When the wheel freewheels, now I get that ticketa-ticketa-ticketa-ticketa sound in stereo, and I can hear it clearly as the ratchet in the 7-speed gear cluster on the other side operates at a different timbre & frequency from the one on the motor.

mnem
 

Gotta call out on one tiny thing ... it is NOT a fixxie if it has a clutch.  It has to be fixed to be a fixxie.  It is fairly common for some to call a single-speed (which has a clutch) a fixxie (which has no clutch), but I have no idea why since the riding experience is totally different.  A fixxie is something that has to be learned the hard way... after all braking is also done through the pedals.

All the bicycle hubs that I have seen have a separate ratchet & pawl mechanism exactly as dwagon describes.
There are now some that I have not yet seen which use different mechanisms; look up Rohloff or DT Swiss.
However, the dwagon does not need such high-end parts and I suspect does not have the budget either for such parts.
Most importantly of all, the Rohloff does not lend itself easily to tinkering.

I was just talking about this topic this morning at the tail-end of a work meeting.
My work client gets that ticketa-ticketa-ticketa-ticketa sound in stereo triplicate (not sure what the equivalent word to stereo is in three ways).
His bike has a freehub mechanism for the pedals, another for the electric motor (both located at the bottom bracket) and the third in the rear wheel hub.
He suggested getting rid of the mechanism in the rear wheel hub as the other two would suffice.  My response was then the derailleur and chain tensioner would have to be redesigned and would be easier to leave the standard parts as-is.

[cyclin_al]

I've been enabled, got one of fake nixie clocks, this one uses etched perspex numbers, stacked together with under-lighting by multi colour LED. USB C powered with battery clock cr2032 back up. WAF high👍

I have not seen those before.  Looks very very nice!
... cycles off to shopping websites to look for one.

Even better that the nixxies get to stay where they belong, in original TE.

I always liked the look of nixxie clocks, but would never consider ruining TE to get tubes.

EDIT:  Found a modern version that does not harm TE of any generation.  Called a Lixie...

https://github.com/connornishijima/Lixie_II_OSHW
Even better is that blank acrylic panes can be engraved to do things other than basic numbers.
Great side-project to get distracted from my project, which was a distraction from another project...

[mnementh]

Those of you with a keen eye will notice there's something a bit funny aboot the sprocket here; it is actually a one-way sprocket meant to go on the wheel of a fixie, with a special hub to mount it to a keyed shaft. This is actually what makes this kit worth every penny; it means that you never have the pedals turning under motor power like with some kits, nor do you have the motor dragging on you when pedaling. All in a nice tidy little package that weighs ~2kg with the mounting plate.

Called a sprag clutch. 

Naaaahhh... edit: the most common sprag clutch is a roller bearing modified such that in one direction the rollers cam out and jam against the bearing surface and it locks up. We "whirry little flying thing" wingnuts use them in the drive gearing on our model helis.

These are just like any other bicycle gear cluster, with ball bearings and a separate ratchet & pawl mechanism inside. When the wheel freewheels, now I get that ticketa-ticketa-ticketa-ticketa sound in stereo, and I can hear it clearly as the ratchet in the 7-speed gear cluster on the other side operates at a different timbre & frequency from the one on the motor.

mnem
 

Gotta call out on one tiny thing ... it is NOT a fixxie if it has a clutch.  It has to be fixed to be a fixxie.  It is fairly common for some to call a single-speed (which has a clutch) a fixxie (which has no clutch), but I have no idea why since the riding experience is totally different.  A fixxie is something that has to be learned the hard way... after all braking is also done through the pedals.

All the bicycle hubs that I have seen have a separate ratchet & pawl mechanism exactly as dwagon describes. There are now some that I have not yet seen which use different mechanisms; look up Rohloff or DT Swiss. However, the dwagon does not need such high-end parts and I suspect does not have the budget either for such parts. Most importantly of all, the Rohloff does not lend itself easily to tinkering.

I was just talking about this topic this morning at the tail-end of a work meeting. My work client gets that ticketa-ticketa-ticketa-ticketa sound in stereo triplicate (not sure what the equivalent word to stereo is in three ways). His bike has a freehub mechanism for the pedals, another for the electric motor (both located at the bottom bracket) and the third in the rear wheel hub. He suggested getting rid of the mechanism in the rear wheel hub as the other two would suffice.  My response was then the derailleur and chain tensioner would have to be redesigned and would be easier to leave the standard parts as-is.

Interesting... I always thought "fixxie" meant fixed gear ratio, as in you get one gear, period... not direct-drive.

Why on earth would anyone volunteer for that misery...? The ONLY place I can think of where that would have value would be the oval-track "human-powered speed record" crowd where they literally count every gram...  Hardly the kind of bike you'd expect to see under a man-bun commuter whose trip to "work" is all of 6 blocks...

mnem
*currently searching for some decent-durable-looking dwagon-sized pedals that don't cost a hundred-something a pair*

[AVGresponding]

Those of you with a keen eye will notice there's something a bit funny aboot the sprocket here; it is actually a one-way sprocket meant to go on the wheel of a fixie, with a special hub to mount it to a keyed shaft. This is actually what makes this kit worth every penny; it means that you never have the pedals turning under motor power like with some kits, nor do you have the motor dragging on you when pedaling. All in a nice tidy little package that weighs ~2kg with the mounting plate.

Called a sprag clutch. 

Naaaahhh... edit: the most common sprag clutch is a roller bearing modified such that in one direction the rollers cam out and jam against the bearing surface and it locks up. We "whirry little flying thing" wingnuts use them in the drive gearing on our model helis.

These are just like any other bicycle gear cluster, with ball bearings and a separate ratchet & pawl mechanism inside. When the wheel freewheels, now I get that ticketa-ticketa-ticketa-ticketa sound in stereo, and I can hear it clearly as the ratchet in the 7-speed gear cluster on the other side operates at a different timbre & frequency from the one on the motor.

mnem
 

Gotta call out on one tiny thing ... it is NOT a fixxie if it has a clutch.  It has to be fixed to be a fixxie.  It is fairly common for some to call a single-speed (which has a clutch) a fixxie (which has no clutch), but I have no idea why since the riding experience is totally different.  A fixxie is something that has to be learned the hard way... after all braking is also done through the pedals.

All the bicycle hubs that I have seen have a separate ratchet & pawl mechanism exactly as dwagon describes. There are now some that I have not yet seen which use different mechanisms; look up Rohloff or DT Swiss. However, the dwagon does not need such high-end parts and I suspect does not have the budget either for such parts. Most importantly of all, the Rohloff does not lend itself easily to tinkering.

I was just talking about this topic this morning at the tail-end of a work meeting. My work client gets that ticketa-ticketa-ticketa-ticketa sound in stereo triplicate (not sure what the equivalent word to stereo is in three ways). His bike has a freehub mechanism for the pedals, another for the electric motor (both located at the bottom bracket) and the third in the rear wheel hub. He suggested getting rid of the mechanism in the rear wheel hub as the other two would suffice.  My response was then the derailleur and chain tensioner would have to be redesigned and would be easier to leave the standard parts as-is.

Interesting... I always thought "fixxie" meant fixed gear ratio, as in you get one gear, period... not direct-drive.

Why on earth would anyone volunteer for that misery...? The ONLY place I can think of where that would have value would be the oval-track "human-powered speed record" crowd where they literally count every gram...  Hardly the kind of bike you'd expect to see under a man-bun commuter whose trip to "work" is all of 6 blocks...

mnem
*currently searching for some decent-durable-looking dwagon-sized pedals that don't cost a hundred-something a pair*

They are popular with hipsters, which should tell you all you need to know...

[cyclin_al]

moo.

Looking for my big red box of o-rings, that I might mod these RC cars with oil-damped shocks. grr.

mnem
and I'll probably use my cheap0 Chinese calipers to measure 'em.

When fixing up the well after the fracking expert a few weeks back, my engineer buddy strongly suggested I get the big red box of o-rings from Princess Auto.

What size do you need?  If that kit from Princess Auto has the size you need, then that gives me a second reason to pick one up...

I have the big red kit from Princess Auto. What's steaming my ol' tail-scales is that I can't lay paws on it.  Or the little kit I bought before that one.  And Ifni save me, I ordered another at 3am out of frustration, as they have it half price in the Surplus Dept; all of $12 right now.

I still need to glom up some pretty heavy oil for these; according to the vids, they need like 800cst to be at all effective. I know I have some 1000cst here somewhere too; but I'll probably wind up buying that as well. I may try a little Vaseline from the medicine cabinet first tho.

I think it's probably Murphy or one of her puppies making a example of me for daring to bitch aboot the way tape measures only exist part-time in the prime material plane.   

In answer to your question, the one we always need is A0005 3/32 ID; also 2mm ID x 1-1.5mm cross-section will work as well. The upper cap needs ~9mm ID x 1mm cross-section, according to the vids. And you're gonna need 'em for yours; there's 8 of each for 2 vehicles, and when you need to rebuild after they get worn and leaky, that'll use up all there are in the kit.

mnem
 It's kinda like deja vu'... kinda like deja vu'...

like a broken record ... round and round we go

I found my mini o-ring kit from Princess Auto!  Actually, I did not know I even had the kit 
This is after I ordered the big red kit; I have to go sometime soon to pick it up.

But of course, it cannot be that easy.  The ring labelled 3/32 ID has a cross section of more than 1.5mm.  MeasuredApproximated with my cheap Princess Auto calipers with the dead battery 
Same thing with the 3/8 (9mm) size; the cross section is way too big at over 1.5mm.

The only reason I found the o-rings and a whole bunch of tape measures is because I was searching for something else.
Due to my own stupidity, I lost a square PTO Lock Pin.  I was in a rush to hook up the trailer; but I did get to the gravel pit for a load of sand on a Friday literally 1 minute before closing time.    The only person left at the pit was the boss...
No problemo, right?
I just pull out my handy kit from Princess Auto and get another one and continue on my way.
It is 4 days later and I still have not found the kit:

[cyclin_al]

Those of you with a keen eye will notice there's something a bit funny aboot the sprocket here; it is actually a one-way sprocket meant to go on the wheel of a fixie, with a special hub to mount it to a keyed shaft. This is actually what makes this kit worth every penny; it means that you never have the pedals turning under motor power like with some kits, nor do you have the motor dragging on you when pedaling. All in a nice tidy little package that weighs ~2kg with the mounting plate.

Called a sprag clutch. 

Naaaahhh... edit: the most common sprag clutch is a roller bearing modified such that in one direction the rollers cam out and jam against the bearing surface and it locks up. We "whirry little flying thing" wingnuts use them in the drive gearing on our model helis.

These are just like any other bicycle gear cluster, with ball bearings and a separate ratchet & pawl mechanism inside. When the wheel freewheels, now I get that ticketa-ticketa-ticketa-ticketa sound in stereo, and I can hear it clearly as the ratchet in the 7-speed gear cluster on the other side operates at a different timbre & frequency from the one on the motor.

mnem
 

Gotta call out on one tiny thing ... it is NOT a fixxie if it has a clutch.  It has to be fixed to be a fixxie.  It is fairly common for some to call a single-speed (which has a clutch) a fixxie (which has no clutch), but I have no idea why since the riding experience is totally different.  A fixxie is something that has to be learned the hard way... after all braking is also done through the pedals.

All the bicycle hubs that I have seen have a separate ratchet & pawl mechanism exactly as dwagon describes. There are now some that I have not yet seen which use different mechanisms; look up Rohloff or DT Swiss. However, the dwagon does not need such high-end parts and I suspect does not have the budget either for such parts. Most importantly of all, the Rohloff does not lend itself easily to tinkering.

I was just talking about this topic this morning at the tail-end of a work meeting. My work client gets that ticketa-ticketa-ticketa-ticketa sound in stereo triplicate (not sure what the equivalent word to stereo is in three ways). His bike has a freehub mechanism for the pedals, another for the electric motor (both located at the bottom bracket) and the third in the rear wheel hub. He suggested getting rid of the mechanism in the rear wheel hub as the other two would suffice.  My response was then the derailleur and chain tensioner would have to be redesigned and would be easier to leave the standard parts as-is.

Interesting... I always thought "fixxie" meant fixed gear ratio, as in you get one gear, period... not direct-drive.

Why on earth would anyone volunteer for that misery...? The ONLY place I can think of where that would have value would be the oval-track "human-powered speed record" crowd where they literally count every gram...  Hardly the kind of bike you'd expect to see under a man-bun commuter whose trip to "work" is all of 6 blocks...

mnem
*currently searching for some decent-durable-looking dwagon-sized pedals that don't cost a hundred-something a pair*

They are popular with hipsters, which should tell you all you need to know...

As far as I know, the fixxies started out back with the invention of the bicycle.
Then quickly faded away, after all the bicycle with two wheels the same size was known in those days as the safety bicycle.
I suspect the next invention after two wheels the same size was the clutch mechanism with pawls.

The fixxie then returned for the oval track.  Some enterprising individual (probably an engineer) reduced weight and parts by eliminating the clutch in order to gain performance.
That niche market created the supply of parts.  You do need a homologated design to compete in the Olympics.

The story continues that some bike courier solved a performance and theft issue by using a fixxie.  The parts were available due to the oval track bikes.  Most people are not capable of riding that misery.  Using a fixxie meant the courier could leave his bike just about anywhere without having to carry a lock and no one could steal it since no one could ride the thing.
That was the case until the hipsters came along.  I have no idea why the bike courier culture is held in such high esteem to be copied in that way 

I learned to ride a fixxie just for the sake of being able to say I can ride anything.  However, I still need to acquire access a penny-farthing and learn to ride it.
I am sane and I absolutely do not volunteer to any greater degree for that misery.  I have never owned a fixxie and have no plans of ever having one. 

EDIT: Found the reference I remembered (contrary to SWMBO):

Just tripped over this video of “typical London” involving DPD 

[dl6lr]

Some pics attached for your amusement. 

Reminds me of a trip with our two childs in a Toyota Previa, including my sister-in-law, after visiting grandparents for Xmas. Our van was loaded up to the roof with our luggage, childs toys and buggy, a slade, a complete stereo set (we would like to have some music during our vacation), a computer,... Packed like a chinese puzzle. Another friend was very irritated when he was suggested that a small bag could be loaded to the back seat instead of the rear trunk in his car...

[factory]

I've been enabled, got one of fake nixie clocks, this one uses etched perspex numbers, stacked together with under-lighting by multi colour LED. USB C powered with battery clock cr2032 back up. WAF high👍

I wouldn't call them a fake nixie, they are more a modern redesign of the KGM multi-indicator (aka edge lit display), which date back to at least the late 1950's; https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=GB&NR=847972&KC=&FT=E&locale=en_EP#
These are also used in endangered TEA and were (maybe still are?) also being hunted to extinction by clock builders. 

But they were also made in custom form for other applications, such as these in a BBC outside broadcast truck from the late 1960's. Some of the pictures aren't great, as they were taken in 2013 at one of the local vintage steam & vehicle etc. rallies.
More info & history here; http://www.tvobhistory.co.uk/bbc-north-3.html




The OB truck also contains some vintage TV related TEA.




David

[mnementh]

Interesting... I always thought "fixxie" meant fixed gear ratio, as in you get one gear, period... not direct-drive.

Why on earth would anyone volunteer for that misery...? The ONLY place I can think of where that would have value would be the oval-track "human-powered speed record" crowd where they literally count every gram...  Hardly the kind of bike you'd expect to see under a man-bun commuter whose trip to "work" is all of 6 blocks...

mnem
*currently searching for some decent-durable-looking dwagon-sized pedals that don't cost a hundred-something a pair*

...The fixxie then returned for the oval track.  Some enterprising individual (probably an engineer) reduced weight and parts by eliminating the clutch in order to gain performance.
That niche market created the supply of parts.  You do need a homologated design to compete in the Olympics.

The story continues that some bike courier solved a performance and theft issue by using a fixxie.  The parts were available due to the oval track bikes.  Most people are not capable of riding that misery.  Using a fixxie meant the courier could leave his bike just about anywhere without having to carry a lock and no one could steal it since no one could ride the thing.
That was the case until the hipsters came along.  I have no idea why the bike courier culture is held in such high esteem to be copied in that way 

I learned to ride a fixxie just for the sake of being able to say I can ride anything.  However, I still need to acquire access a penny-farthing and learn to ride it.
I am sane and I absolutely do not volunteer to any greater degree for that misery.  I have never owned a fixxie and have no plans of ever having one. 

Mmmmmokaaaayyyy... can anyone who can be arsed to respond to this twisted tale confirm that they have actually seen one of the above-mentioned hipsters riding an actual fixxie? As in, direct-drive, etc...?

I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't a bit of internet confusion/conflation/confoundment arising from the obviously common misapprehension that a fixxie is just a single-speed bike, that has then become hyperinflated from going round-and-round the www... 

I mean, not to be a dick aboot it but... I just don't see Mr man-bun developing the muscle tone required to actually ride that without killing himself... 

As for my "dwagon-sized pedals" quandary... I gave up & ordered the Mongoose ones off Amazon. They're 13mm shank, but come with 13-14mm adapters which will give me the extra extension I'm looking for. 98mm x 98mm platform should be enough, and they'll be here in 2 days for $24.


mnem
 

[Cerebus]

Mmmmmokaaaayyyy... can anyone who can be arsed to respond to this twisted tale confirm that they have actually seen one of the above-mentioned hipsters riding an actual fixxie? As in, direct-drive, etc...?

Yes, I've seen loads around the Hoxton and Shoreditch areas.

[tautech]

Some pics attached for your amusement. 

Reminds me of a trip with our two childs in a Toyota Previa, including my sister-in-law, after visiting grandparents for Xmas. Our van was loaded up to the roof with our luggage, childs toys and buggy, a slade, a complete stereo set (we would like to have some music during our vacation), a computer,... Packed like a chinese puzzle. Another friend was very irritated when he was suggested that a small bag could be loaded to the back seat instead of the rear trunk in his car...

That it certainly was as every door/opening had to be accessed to get everything in and unpacking was just the same. 
A 5 minute job it was not !
As it turned out the weather was OK and could well have used my little 6'x4' trailer or even the neighbors van but the challenge of being difficult and getting one up on that goddamn Murphy was too enticing. 

[med6753]

A surprise package arrived today from the Great White North. An "offical" Tek Alignment Tool Kit.  I can certainly put that to good use. Especially some of the odd ball lengths and sizes. Some adjustments can be a real pain if you don't have the right tool. This kit solves that problem.

Mnem, can't thank you enough!