Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

You never know what crashed into that ship? 

Hahaha 

Well it certainly wasn't a plane 🤣

[glarsson]

You never know what crashed into that ship? 

Recalled Samsung phones on their way back to the factory?

[Specmaster]

You never know what crashed into that ship? 

Recalled Samsung phones on their way back to the factory?

Not mine, it got a software update last night and besides a new look it seems that it has got faster if anything 

[mtdoc]

You never know what crashed into that ship? 

Recalled Samsung phones on their way back to the factory?

Or someone below deck probing mains with a cheap DMM, or an oscilloscope without differential probe, or using an isolation transformer incorrectly, or....

[bd139]

Either that or something worked out it was heading to Big Clive and self immolated.

[Specmaster]

Either that or something worked out it was heading to Big Clive and self immolated.

Brilliant 

[bitseeker]

This place is like an Alcoholics Anonymous group except they meet in the pub

Precisely! How do you think we got so many members?

[AF6LJ]

This place is like an Alcoholics Anonymous group except they meet in the pub

Precisely! How do you think we got so many members?

We are a bunch of enablers.
Someone once asked why we all have 20 Oscilloscopes and 20 DMMs>
Hell Why not.

[bitseeker]

Hi, everyone, I'm back from recovery.

Welcome back!

This TEA thread is a real denial of service-attack for members who want to read all postings.. 
Took me really a while to catch up!

Yeah, tell me about it. Took me two days to catch up after a week away. TEADoS!

[bitseeker]

We are a bunch of enablers.
Someone once asked why we all have 20 Oscilloscopes and 20 DMMs>
Hell Why not.

Indeed!

I was hoping to get my workbench all tidied up over the holidays, so I could have a nice arrangement of equipment on/around it. Well, that failed.

[bd139]

Yeah I did the same last night. The pile is just a different shape now 

[Specmaster]

I've had some extra holes added to me over the years. Keeping something 100% original isn't necessarily the best objective in my mind. If it's working and of use and fulfils its purpose then it's good.

I've just spoken to my mother (as I said before she actually worked for Telequipment) who said not to touch it with a twenty foot barge pole. To quote her exact words: "if it hasn't been used then it probably didn't work when we sold it, or did but for not very long!". They had a high return rate because their QA was shit apparently so this might have gone out and come back again, sat in storage and then auctioned off later when Tek shut them down. Also she suggested that because they were priced under Tek by so much that they used to get "funny old smelly men in sheds and labs buying them would use them until they had as many holes in as their clothes".

Did you put in another bid in the end? I ask because I was watching it and now I see its gone.

[bd139]

I didn't. I'm hoping the seller was suitably offended by the low offers and will relist it cheaper

[beanflying]

Just arrived today: Prema 6040 S, 7.5 digit DMM

Hooked it up to my Geller Lab 10V reference. My Keithley DMM7510 reads 10.000112V,
the Prema reads actually 10.000589V and is drifting higher.

I'll wait for 24h to see, what happens.

Pictures from the inside will follow.

Can't quite make it out but is that a shorting bar to mains earth on the negative terminal? Maybe a bit of rubbish getting into your reading 

[Specmaster]

I didn't. I'm hoping the seller was suitably offended by the low offers and will relist it cheaper

I see, I was contemplating making an offer, purely on its overall exterior condition, although I do think the trace position knobs have caps missing but generally the condition is really good.

[Specmaster]

Whatever the real reason for the recent revelation by Apple in admitting that they deliberately slowed down older phones, possible trouble for them seems to be looming large over the hill.

As previously stated I'm sitting on the fence here because while I don't have an iPhone, I do have an iPod Touch and an iPad Air along with lots of Android devices. I was on the BBC news site just now I noticed this on there.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42615378

[Specmaster]

Finally it seems as if all the missing parts to go with the T12 handle (already in the UK) are now on their way and in the air so not much longer to wait.

Incidentally, if anyone is looking at the Kgser brand of T12, I have been looking at feedback from customers who have submitted photos as a mini review. It seems that they use the same method of internal construction as the Quicko 952, photos of which are already posted here in earlier posts and more importantly the identical power supply so the only difference is in the software and the controller, the actual grunt, the power unit is the same, so precisely the same performance should be expected but with a different feature set in the interface and of course they use 5 pins and Quicko 4 pins.

[djos]

Incidentally, if anyone is looking at the Kgser brand of T12, I have been looking at feedback from customers who have submitted photos as a mini review. It seems that they use the same method of internal construction as the Quicko 952, photos of which are already posted here in earlier posts and more importantly the identical power supply so the only difference is in the software and the controller, the actual grunt, the power unit is the same, so precisely the same performance should be expected but with a different feature set in the interface and of course they use 5 pins and Quicko 4 pins.

Good to know, I may have to grab one! 

[beanflying]

Volt/Temp.  .... nuttery increasing. S/Hand UPS arrives tomorrow then time for the fit out/modding to commence   

[BU508A]

Can't quite make it out but is that a shorting bar to mains earth on the negative terminal? Maybe a bit of rubbish getting into your reading 

Could be. The blue binding post is labled as "Schirm" which means "Shield or Shielding".
I've checked the schematics (can be found here as .pdf: http://www.prema.com/index.php/en/service-en/maintanance-of-measuring-instruments)
but it is still unclear to me, what it exactly means.

I have to open it anyway, since I've found out yesterday evening, that there is something wrong with the measuring resistor part.
Sadly, it seems that the option for measuring ACV isn't installed.

[URI]

Shall I cry or shall I laugh?
I bought precision dial gauges from a seller in Germany. He offered shipping through Deutsche Post (envelope) or pick up.
I negotiated sendind them all together in one packet with him for a regular amount of money. OK.

After that I successfully chose sending to my Packstation address in ebay (automated booths for self-service collection of parcels, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packstation) that is different from my postal address. Note: Because it's a service of DHL only DHL can put packets/parcels into Packstation booths.

This seller managed to send to my Packstation address with UPS without even asking back or something! 

I'm curious how this will end.. Still waiting. 

[bd139]

I reckon it'll end up at the local depot and you'll have to go and get it. That's usually what happens if you use that service in the UK. Near me if you miss a UPS package, they will usually deliver it to a rather nasty little shop you have to go and collect it. Shop is nasty because the guy who runs it hates anyone who has a delivery to pick up and it's got a brothel above it. Looks like you're going in there to ask about something else 

Got my T12 / 9501 handle finally. Took an hour to drive 2km to the bloody post office to get it. Should have walked.

I have done a quick assembly job on it and it all fits together nicely. Needed some sprue marks cleaned up a bit but looks good. Working out how to wire this to the base unit is going to be interesting.



Source: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/SHEVCHENKO-T12-950-Handle-Digital-Soldering-Station-FX-9501-Handle-Soldering-Iron-For-HAKKO-912-Handle/32835065313.html

I am being careful to avoid where the wiring shrapnel comes out 

When I receive the other kit I'll look at how to cram the vibration switch and cap etc in it.

[bd139]

Replying to anyone who considers buying the above handle; they do a 4 pin one here which should work with the Quickco irons and might be easier than tearing the other one to bits to get the parts out: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/T12-9501-Soldering-Iron-handle-for-HAKKO-T12/32802136633.html

Incidentally, instructions for wiring the handle are in the listing above as well.

[Specmaster]

I reckon it'll end up at the local depot and you'll have to go and get it. That's usually what happens if you use that service in the UK. Near me if you miss a UPS package, they will usually deliver it to a rather nasty little shop you have to go and collect it. Shop is nasty because the guy who runs it hates anyone who has a delivery to pick up and it's got a brothel above it. Looks like you're going in there to ask about something else 

Got my T12 / 9501 handle finally. Took an hour to drive 2km to the bloody post office to get it. Should have walked.

I have done a quick assembly job on it and it all fits together nicely. Needed some sprue marks cleaned up a bit but looks good. Working out how to wire this to the base unit is going to be interesting.



Source: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/SHEVCHENKO-T12-950-Handle-Digital-Soldering-Station-FX-9501-Handle-Soldering-Iron-For-HAKKO-912-Handle/32835065313.html

I am being careful to avoid where the wiring shrapnel comes out 

When I receive the other kit I'll look at how to cram the vibration switch and cap etc in it.

Good news at last eh. The answer to how to wire it for the Quicko is here follow steps 1 to 6, use either the mercury or the vibration switch, the 4 pin version does not use the thermister, ntc or the capacitor
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/T12-9501-Soldering-Iron-handle-for-HAKKO-T12/32802136633.html

[bd139]

Cool. That looks relatively easy.

What does the NTC do? I know what the capacitor does.