Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14549788 times)

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Offline neo

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2750 on: October 13, 2017, 12:13:06 am »
I am watching it now, definitely want one. The noise in the video is slightly annoying is the only reason i don't have it watched yet.
A hopeless addict (and slave) to TEA and a firm believer that high frequency is little more than modern hoodoo.
 

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2751 on: October 13, 2017, 12:41:42 am »
Well I see that you're in the USA and I did a quick Ebay search and there is one on there right now on Buy it Now or best offer, might need a little bit of cleaning etc and the last owner has added his own reference voltage it seems, anyway here is the link http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Heathkit-Ig-4505-Deluxe-Oscilloscope-Calibrator-/202061628998?epid=1603942225&hash=item2f0bcfc646:g:odgAAOSwQm9Zw~dX
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Offline MarkL

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2752 on: October 13, 2017, 01:17:08 am »
...
Keep an eye open on Ebay for a Heathkit IG4505 and you can do it reasonably well with that without all other expensive kit provided you don't require it to be calibrated to Lab standards.
There's also the Heathkit IG-4244 to watch for, which is an update to the IG-4505.  It goes to 100MHz and has <1ns rise time, and adds a sine wave output for adjusting trigger circuits.  One sold in August for $70.
 

Offline neo

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2753 on: October 13, 2017, 01:19:13 am »
I saw that and i want it but right now i am so broke it ain't funny.
A hopeless addict (and slave) to TEA and a firm believer that high frequency is little more than modern hoodoo.
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2754 on: October 13, 2017, 05:42:49 am »
If you’re broke, that’s the best time to do it. All the cool things I have made were when I was broke. When I’m not broke I just buy kit and play with it.

If you look inside the scope calibrators they’re not particularly clever little boxes. Not sure why they fetch such a high price.  You can calibrate a scope to a reasonable degree with a 10Mhz crystal oscillator and some divider ICs. Vertical cal can be done with a battery, pot and DMM. Rise time of a 100MHz scope is in the order of 3.5ns so you don’t need a crazy fast edge. I reckon you could build something superior for $5 of stuff from Tayda.
 

Online Berni

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2755 on: October 13, 2017, 06:35:53 am »
Engineers are indeed the most creative when limits are placed upon them. When they have only basic components to get the job done they will toll late in to the night and make the components do impressive things that they ware never designed to do just to get the job done.

When not given limits we just go "That 20$ chip off digikey does what i need, job done"

 

Offline tautech

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2756 on: October 13, 2017, 07:08:41 am »
Argh yes, the Bedford TK and the Thames Trader, the best selling trucks of the period.
I get to drive my neighbours 400hp Misti 8 wheeler a bit when he's short handed, amazing how far trucks have progressed since we were kids. Its 18 speed Road Ranger was a bit daunting at first and it's got a 9m deck so it's a bit of a monster. When fully loaded it's 25 tonne all up and you always need to plan ahead on some of the steep and windy roads here in NZ. Great fun around town where everyone keeps out of your way.

My youngest went to the states twice for their 6 month harvest season where he learnt to drive the RR's clutchless, clever little bugger can shift up, down and split gears uphill or downhill and with no clutch.  :scared:
This dog is too old to learn those tricks.  :phew:
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Online tggzzz

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2757 on: October 13, 2017, 07:48:37 am »
If you look inside the scope calibrators they’re not particularly clever little boxes. Not sure why they fetch such a high price.  You can calibrate a scope to a reasonable degree with a 10Mhz crystal oscillator and some divider ICs. Vertical cal can be done with a battery, pot and DMM. Rise time of a 100MHz scope is in the order of 3.5ns so you don’t need a crazy fast edge. I reckon you could build something superior for $5 of stuff from Tayda.

Exactly; saved me the trouble of writing that. With skill, thought and imagination, it is possible to do much more with much less.

Specialised test equipment and instructions (especially scope calibration instructions) often call for specialised test gear for two reasons:
  • technicians can follow a do-what-I'm-told process to get a result that conforms to a defined corporate process
  • it makes writing such step-by-step instructions much easier
Note that isn't the whole story, but it is certainly a 90% story sufficient to get a scope working again.

OTOH engineers that understand the details of what they are trying to achieve can often find other way of skinning a cat. You've mentioned a couple of techniques, but obviously there are others.

Any crystal controlled oscillator (e.g. a cheap DDS unit) is more than sufficiently accurate for calibrating a timebase.
Calibrating voltage and linearity is made easier with any form of step-based attenuator. Understanding the front-end's construction and operation means that each gain stage (actually attenuation!) means you don't need high voltages.
Probably the trickiest is tweaking to get good transient behaviour. That requires any modern logic gate plus VHF/UHF construction techniques.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
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Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2758 on: October 13, 2017, 07:58:15 am »
Spot on. I’m actually trying to build a “$2 avalanche pulse generator” at the moment to check rise time. $2 is less than the price of the transistor specified in AN47 at the moment :)

High voltage caps? Nah, Chinese electrolytics in series :)

This is also, importantly, more fun!
 

Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2759 on: October 13, 2017, 09:53:53 am »
So, here's my first posting (hope I don't make any mistake).

My company is relocating and therefor filling the dumpsters with older TE that has accrued over several years and is defective or no longer in use.
Of course I'm not a TEA, but how could I just stand there and throw all this equipment out? So I asked and got permission to take what I want.  Needless to say, in no time I had a huge pile of stuff.  ;)
Yesterday, the first batch (no way everything would fit) was loaded in a car and driven home to me. Here's what I saved from imminent destruction:

HP: 3456A, 3458A, 8018A, 6032A, 4 x 6114A, 4 x 3478A
Solartron: 4 x 7150, 2 x 7045, 7050, 7140
Fluke: 45, 2 x 8050, 8040A
Data Precision: 3500
LeCroy: 9450
Philips: PM 2521
Tektronix: TM504, FG504, DC505A
TET electronics: PEL 60-1000
Prema: 5000
Siemens: Stabizet D2428

I admit that I had a bout of ESD since I acquired an FG503 for the empty slot in the TM504 (even before I had it   ::)).
The next carload will have the oscilloscopes (nothing fancy), further 8050's, and other stuff.

As I said, I'm not afflicted by TEA. I can stop every day.  ^-^

Please forgive the lousy picture quality.
 

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2760 on: October 13, 2017, 10:11:35 am »
Wow, what a nice haul you got. Where are you based in the world? I notice that you have a Phillip's 2521 and I've been looking for another as the one I have is in a sorry state due to in part broken plastic parts and sometimes needs multiple switch on and off cycles to get it into the self cal mode before it can used. Could I enquire if you'd part with it at all?

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

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Offline djos

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2761 on: October 13, 2017, 10:14:21 am »
Oh man, pics like that make me wanna cry!  |O

Your sir, are a Lucky lucky boy!  :clap:

Offline razberik

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2762 on: October 13, 2017, 10:22:28 am »
Thats the most ecologic way of recycling items !
 

Offline lowimpedance

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2763 on: October 13, 2017, 10:27:51 am »
 :wtf: Holy cow, lucky bugga indeed, HP3458 as well  :o.
For me this would only happens in my dreams  :P

Enjoy fixing that lot.......please post some tales in the repair thread.

ps. don't let a single piece of gear hit the bottom of that dumpster  :D
« Last Edit: October 13, 2017, 10:31:01 am by lowimpedance »
The odd multimeter or 2 or 3 or 4...or........can't remember !.
 

Online Echo88

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2764 on: October 13, 2017, 11:38:34 am »
3458A thrown in the dumpster, unbelievable.  :wtf:

 

Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2765 on: October 13, 2017, 12:02:59 pm »
It had too many numbers for the bean counters :)
 

Offline Zucca

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2766 on: October 13, 2017, 02:33:47 pm »
3458A! TEA TEA TEA TEA
Can't know what you don't love. St. Augustine
Can't love what you don't know. Zucca
 

Online tggzzz

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2767 on: October 13, 2017, 03:42:37 pm »
So, here's my first posting (hope I don't make any mistake).

My company is relocating and therefor filling the dumpsters with older TE that has accrued over several years and is defective or no longer in use.
Of course I'm not a TEA, but how could I just stand there and throw all this equipment out? So I asked and got permission to take what I want.  Needless to say, in no time I had a huge pile of stuff.  ;)

You are in serious danger of TEA; it is an easy slope down to damnation and degradation.

But never fear, we are here to help. But to be of most help, I need to know where in Germany you are located; the further north and west you are, the more help I can be.

P.S. you did make one mistake: not sending a PM to me a week before you announced this to the group.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2768 on: October 13, 2017, 03:46:50 pm »
Ero-Shan's house in a few days:

 

Offline Mr. Scram

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2769 on: October 13, 2017, 04:07:13 pm »
I don't consider myself an envious person, as I feel envy is one of the most disgusting emotions. But man, am I ever envious here  ;D
 

Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2770 on: October 13, 2017, 04:09:07 pm »
Wow, what a nice haul you got. Where are you based in the world? I notice that you have a Phillip's 2521 and I've been looking for another as the one I have is in a sorry state due to in part broken plastic parts and sometimes needs multiple switch on and off cycles to get it into the self cal mode before it can used. Could I enquire if you'd part with it at all?

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

In fact I have two of those. Yes, the plastics are kinda shitty on this one (well, not just on this one; although I have a sweet spot for Philips, they must have owned a plastics factory once: for a while, they produced more cracking plastics than electronics).
I'm from Germany, but that's of no consequence, as you're certainly joking - asking me if I'd part with test equipment ...  :-DD

I must admit that these are not my first devices. When I learned that I might get these, I started looking for manuals and repair advice. That was when I discovered EEVblog and this very thread. I immediately knew I had to sign up.
Before this haul I already owned about a dozen DMMs, 8 oscilloscopes, some analog meters, a frequency counter, and components galore (I collect them as well).

I've never been a RF guy, but suddenly I start yearning for a SA. This thread is no good. Must stay away from it.
 

Offline Mr. Scram

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2771 on: October 13, 2017, 04:14:52 pm »
Must stay away from it, says the guy with two car loads of old junk gems. Yeah buddy, too late.
 

Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2772 on: October 13, 2017, 04:48:18 pm »
Must stay away from - bah!!  Come on in - the water's fine!   >:D >:D

-Pat
If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 

Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2773 on: October 13, 2017, 04:55:26 pm »
So, here's my first posting (hope I don't make any mistake).

My company is relocating and therefor filling the dumpsters with older TE that has accrued over several years and is defective or no longer in use.
Of course I'm not a TEA, but how could I just stand there and throw all this equipment out? So I asked and got permission to take what I want.  Needless to say, in no time I had a huge pile of stuff.  ;)

You are in serious danger of TEA; it is an easy slope down to damnation and degradation.

But never fear, we are here to help. But to be of most help, I need to know where in Germany you are located; the further north and west you are, the more help I can be.

P.S. you did make one mistake: not sending a PM to me a week before you announced this to the group.

So you could prepare yourself for 'helping' me?

Just think of it all as beyond any repair.  ;D

Since the 3458A stops with a 'RAM TEST 1 LOW' error on startup, I was anxious to read and save the calibration data, which I successfully managed today. BTW: to get past the error (GPIB's not serviced yet), just issue a reset (RST) from the front panel keys.

I'm so much more relaxed now.  :popcorn:
 

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #2774 on: October 13, 2017, 05:11:15 pm »

In fact I have two of those. Yes, the plastics are kinda shitty on this one (well, not just on this one; although I have a sweet spot for Philips, they must have owned a plastics factory once: for a while, they produced more cracking plastics than electronics).
I'm from Germany, but that's of no consequence, as you're certainly joking - asking me if I'd part with test equipment ...  :-DD

I must admit that these are not my first devices. When I learned that I might get these, I started looking for manuals and repair advice. That was when I discovered EEVblog and this very thread. I immediately knew I had to sign up.
Before this haul I already owned about a dozen DMMs, 8 oscilloscopes, some analog meters, a frequency counter, and components galore (I collect them as well).

I've never been a RF guy, but suddenly I start yearning for a SA. This thread is no good. Must stay away from it.
Nope, on this occasion I wasnt joking, I love the accuracy of the meter but get infuriated sometimes when I have to reboot it so many times to get into the start up routine.

Even without the massive haul from work, (and I get the distinct impression that there may be more to come?) you are very welcome here as you already clearly have TEA even if you say that you must stay away from it, you already know that resistance is futile.

Like you I have 10 DMMs, 4 AMMs, 6 oscilloscopes (2 more being worked on) 1 function gen, 1 RF generator and another being worked on, 2 LCR and ESR meters, 1 VVTM and 2 bench PSUs in my collection. 
Who let Murphy in?

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