Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Neomys Sapiens]

While I was poking around in something, measuring voltages and stuff using one of my VEPOTEs (Very Expensive Piece of Test Equipment), I realized that my probes are utter crap. If test equipment can be embarrassed, mine is. I could build some new ones from scratch but I figure that's not the best use of my time, right? Or is it? Which brings me to today's poll question:

What manufactured banana jack-ended test lead sets do you have that you couldn't live without?

And the bonus question:

What brand of un-shrouded banana jack-ended test lead set do you recommend (because my old gear won't accommodate shrouds)?

Please stop me before I decide that the only option is custom building my own!. 

I'm with Neomys Sapiens here, the Stäubli plugs and housings pictured below are great! They are also what ab-precision sell with their high end cable sets.

Just to add a word of caution: if you are going to make test leads of highly flexible yourself and intend to solder them - USE A HEATSINKING CLIP. The wicking effect is even stronger that normal with finely stranded conductors. As quality silicone of teflon wire isn't cheap, this precaution should help to avoid problems.

[mnementh]

I take advantage of this nature of fine-stranded wires and deliberately tin so a little wicks up; it moves the flex point further up the wire, where it is actually supported by the sheathing, as opposed to concentrating it right at the end of the sheathing where only the bare wire is taking all load. It also reduces the natural tendency of silicone sheathing to "walk" up the wire leaving exposed conductor.

Most fittings for custom test leads don't have strain reliefs built in; IMO this practice helps make the leads last longer.

mnem
moo.

[Neomys Sapiens]

I take advantage of this nature of fine-stranded wires and deliberately tin so a little wicks up; it moves the flex point further up the wire, where it is actually supported by the sheathing, as opposed to concentrating it right at the end of the sheathing where only the bare wire is taking all load. It also reduces the natural tendency of silicone sheathing to "walk" up the wire leaving exposed conductor.

Most fittings for custom test leads don't have strain reliefs built in; IMO this practice helps make the leads last longer.

mnem
moo.

Until you are in the middle of nowhere (not in your lab) and there are about 10 members of 'the brass' looking at you for an answer and your favorite test leads start to give random readings.

[mnementh]

And why would you imagine this is any likelier than if you soldered it so the stress is all right at the end of the conductor?    Test leads break; everything wears out eventually, it's a fact of life. I've tried it both ways; IMO, based on personal experience, leads done my way last longer. 

[edited to reduce unintended aggro tone]

Cheers,

mnem
*Kiddle-time*

[Specmaster]

Quick F87 update ...

As received:



Jacks removed and area cleaned up:



New jacks installed. From TME.eu.



Job done:



Fully working and on the bench now. Total expenditure was £46.50 for the duff meter, £40.01 for the replacement jacks. Going price is £130 for an original 87 so this is a winner!

Thats nice but are these jacks OEM? I ask because the original had red ring around the V and Resistance terminal, the new is grey? That really is a cracking deal for you meter, well done 

[0culus]

Got my Arduinos and DFRobot LCD shields today for the tracking generator build. Now I should be able to breadboard up a test rig for the signal generator. Still not entirely sure of the control requirements for the tracking gen board, but that's a tomorrow problem.  I got a pair of arduinos just in case.

[bd139]

Thats nice but are these jacks OEM? I ask because the original had red ring around the V and Resistance terminal, the new is grey? That really is a cracking deal for you meter, well done 

Yes they came from TME who are respectable euro supplier. Packaging was Fluke branded. The entire assembly is grey. I wonder if they do this so that only original fitted parts are red and third party repairs are grey or something so you can ID them. Not a problem either way - it does the job and it's not going anywhere.

Been on the IM-13U VTVM this evening. Got power supply and earth sorted and the damn thing was all over the place. Well it turns out we have some carbon composition resistor problems....



Better go resistor shopping I think. Just going to buy a whole set rather than play whack a mole.

[med6753]

Thats nice but are these jacks OEM? I ask because the original had red ring around the V and Resistance terminal, the new is grey? That really is a cracking deal for you meter, well done 

Yes they came from TME who are respectable euro supplier. Packaging was Fluke branded. The entire assembly is grey. I wonder if they do this so that only original fitted parts are red and third party repairs are grey or something so you can ID them. Not a problem either way - it does the job and it's not going anywhere.

Been on the IM-13U VTVM this evening. Got power supply and earth sorted and the damn thing was all over the place. Well it turns out we have some carbon composition resistor problems....


Better go resistor shopping I think. Just going to buy a whole set rather than play whack a mole.

You certainly do have resistor problems. 27K indicated vs 38K actual.   

[0culus]

Got my Arduinos and DFRobot LCD shields today for the tracking generator build. Now I should be able to breadboard up a test rig for the signal generator. Still not entirely sure of the control requirements for the tracking gen board, but that's a tomorrow problem.  I got a pair of arduinos just in case.

Successful breadboard test of the ADF board! For the final build I may just order one of those logic level conversion boards that bean pointed me to. Eventually I should simplify even further and pop for a 3.3V arduino, but I work with what I got.

[0culus]

Got my Arduinos and DFRobot LCD shields today for the tracking generator build. Now I should be able to breadboard up a test rig for the signal generator. Still not entirely sure of the control requirements for the tracking gen board, but that's a tomorrow problem.  I got a pair of arduinos just in case.

Successful breadboard test of the ADF board! For the final build I may just order one of those logic level conversion boards that bean pointed me to. Eventually I should simplify even further and pop for a 3.3V arduino, but I work with what I got.

Bean, it looks like the tuning accuracy and stability is decent on the ADF board after the onboard oscillator warms up. Unfortunately, you have to remove a teeny SMD resistor on the ADF to use an external ref in...so I'm not even going to bother till I get the the amscope stereo microscope setup I'm looking at. 

I don't have a way to directly plot phase noise right now, but it's pretty awful from a qualitative look at the SA trace at a narrower RBW and span. Not unsurprising, given how cheap these boards are. Should be good enough for a first stab at this tracking gen project, in theory.

[mnementh]

Quick F87 update ...  As received:    Jacks removed and area cleaned up:    New jacks installed. From TME.eu.    Job done:    Fully working and on the bench now.

Total expenditure was £46.50 for the duff meter, £40.01 for the replacement jacks. Going price is £130 for an original 87 so this is a winner!

Thats nice but are these jacks OEM? I ask because the original had red ring around the V and Resistance terminal, the new is grey? That really is a cracking deal for you meter, well done 

Yes, I can confirm as I've ordered direct from Fluke's parts line. I was told the grey collar indicates an upgrade part; no idea what was "upgraded", as none of the ones I replaced seemed to last any longer than the original. 

mnem
I dinn't do that...

[med6753]

Quick F87 update ...  As received:    Jacks removed and area cleaned up:    New jacks installed. From TME.eu.    Job done:    Fully working and on the bench now.

Total expenditure was £46.50 for the duff meter, £40.01 for the replacement jacks. Going price is £130 for an original 87 so this is a winner!

Thats nice but are these jacks OEM? I ask because the original had red ring around the V and Resistance terminal, the new is grey? That really is a cracking deal for you meter, well done 

Yes, I can confirm as I've ordered direct from Fluke's parts line. I was told the grey collar indicates an upgrade part; no idea what was "upgraded", as none of the ones I replaced seemed to last any longer than the original. 

mnem
I dinn't do that...

How do you manage to break them?   I still have the original input jacks on my 87 and I've had it 22 years.   

[neo]

Mmmm yeah... I had similar dreams after watching "Weird Science". I grew out of it once I realized they'd still come with all the baggage from the book... and if they didn't... well, I don't have the patience for raising an adult-sized infant that's already full of adult hormones.

mnem
A quiet, normal life... is that too much to ask?

It becomes a particularly interesting prospect if your a writer, at least i think so. I'm a dreamer, been that way too damn long to change now and so I'll keep hoping for the magic 'animate' button.

[nixiefreqq]

Got my Arduinos and DFRobot LCD shields today for the tracking generator build. Now I should be able to breadboard up a test rig for the signal generator. Still not entirely sure of the control requirements for the tracking gen board, but that's a tomorrow problem.  I got a pair of arduinos just in case.

Successful breadboard test of the ADF board! For the final build I may just order one of those logic level conversion boards that bean pointed me to. Eventually I should simplify even further and pop for a 3.3V arduino, but I work with what I got.

you really gotta' sneak that calculator into the shot...…..don't you?

ya' might as well poke me with a pointy stick.

(am a little grumpy.  twice today got outbid in my attempt to replace a pocket knife lost in 1983.  hmmmmmm.  maybe there is a lesson here in learning to let things go?)

edit- btw.....nice SA.

[0culus]

*snip*

you really gotta' sneak that calculator into the shot...…..don't you?

ya' might as well poke me with a pointy stick.

 

Well, it wasn't planned, but I'll take it. 

(am a little grumpy.  twice today got outbid in my attempt to replace a pocket knife lost in 1983.  hmmmmmm.  maybe there is a lesson here in learning to let things go?)

edit- btw.....nice SA.

Aw that sucks...and thanks!

[worsthorse]

Thanks all for the test lead advice. Lots of good stuff to sort through there. 

Spent the day flying. Will be helping my folks move out of their house and into an apartment for the next four or five days. Lots of boxes to lift, trips to Goodwill to make, and sorting to do...  not much TEA time til I get home.

[mnementh]

Mmmm yeah... I had similar dreams after watching "Weird Science". I grew out of it once I realized they'd still come with all the baggage from the book... and if they didn't... well, I don't have the patience for raising an adult-sized infant that's already full of adult hormones.

mnem
A quiet, normal life... is that too much to ask?

It becomes a particularly interesting prospect if your a writer, at least i think so. I'm a dreamer, been that way too damn long to change now and so I'll keep hoping for the magic 'animate' button.

Oh, sure... as an intellectual exercise the notion is of course appealing; but then, so is the idea of dragons stalking the streets in broad daylight. As long as you keep it on that side of Plato's Cave, go for the gusto, man! 

mnem
This electron right here just pisses me off. ~~~>

[mnementh]

Quick F87 update ...  As received:    Jacks removed and area cleaned up:    New jacks installed. From TME.eu.    Job done:    Fully working and on the bench now.

Total expenditure was £46.50 for the duff meter, £40.01 for the replacement jacks. Going price is £130 for an original 87 so this is a winner!

Thats nice but are these jacks OEM? I ask because the original had red ring around the V and Resistance terminal, the new is grey? That really is a cracking deal for you meter, well done 

Yes, I can confirm as I've ordered direct from Fluke's parts line. I was told the grey collar indicates an upgrade part; no idea what was "upgraded", as none of the ones I replaced seemed to last any longer than the original. 

mnem
I dinn't do that...

How do you manage to break them?   I still have the original input jacks on my 87 and I've had it 22 years.   

When you're standing on a ladder in a hot suspended ceiling, or outside in subfreezing weather with gloves on, or even just distracted at your bench... it's easy to be a little rough swapping the cables to switch modes. Especially using it with unshrouded cables. The part that breaks, allowing the insulator to stick inside the lead shroud, is literally paper-thin. Well... maybe not that thin... but 0.3-0.5mm thick plastic. I had mine for almost 30 years... replaced the socket assembly twice. Did the same repair for literally dozens of people over the years.

mnem
 

[beanflying]

Today's unanswered question is VK5RC $39 poorer in money terms and added another piece to his collection  This was the one I missed out on of three bits of test gear



I will have to settle for 'another' Counter and a Scope/Cart. The Racal only because it is quirky and max's out at a HUGE 1.2Mhz and the Tek because I didn't own any.

[0culus]

@beanflying

I got the tracking generator working. I don't think it's performing quite as well as the one demonstrated by DS instruments in this youtube video:



...however it's a start! Keep in mind that the one in the video is the newer revision that has a signal generator onboard, so none of this bodging with another signal generator required. And I've got a breadboard in the mix. And I'm powering them off my powered USB hub, so there's likely some improvements to be made. I stupidly don't have any coaxial filters handy, but I attached some pics of a couple of pads and a nasty mix of cheap Chinese amazon special cables connected by a cheap SMA tee with the third port unterminated.  Those cables and connectors are likely going to go intro the trash soon, as I'm collecting better stuff. 

[0culus]

And one more for good measure, an HP 11048C feed-thru termination.

[beanflying]

Watch the load you are putting on the plastic trestle table  I have seen some of those go really wrong at Markets in the past. Interesting on the ADF I will get back to playing more seriously over the next few months. Need to finish a major shack layout change then a Re Cal on all of my gear when I get my Bench DMM's back from Keysight so there goes this month 

[0culus]

Watch the load you are putting on the plastic trestle table  I have seen some of those go really wrong at Markets in the past. Interesting on the ADF I will get back to playing more seriously over the next few months. Need to finish a major shack layout change then a Re Cal on all of my gear when I get my Bench DMM's back from Keysight so there goes this month 

This table is a good one, has a serious metal frame underneath, or I definitely would not stack stuff on it. It's temporary rental house crap anyway. Once I move, I'm getting a proper bench. 

[edit] and the weight is over a leg, not in the middle.

[0culus]

Here's the 11048C termination from 0-2.5 GHz...





...of course the problem with all this is that it just makes me want to get a VNA system even more. 

[bitseeker]

I will have to settle for 'another' Counter and a Scope/Cart. The Racal only because it is quirky and max's out at a HUGE 1.2Mhz and the Tek because I didn't own any.

Interesting. Does that counter work like the HP 521C?