Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

BTW, if you're looking at the PPAuction, you might like to consider that the Aunby storage can be an unheated farm barn, and that sometimes hessian sacking is used to protect the stock from damp. See, for example, the pictures for lot 131 and 646
https://www.ppauctions.com/lot.php?l_id=126018&id=250
https://www.ppauctions.com/lot.php?l_id=126533&id=250

Note also that they have cancelled their last two collective sales at short notice; draw your own conclusions.

I'd still take a $30-40 gamble on that PSU, and I'm a cheap bastahd. 

I already have one; they are nice (inc 10 turn wirewound pots) but heavy.

But I'm more interested in other stuff there, provided the prices aren't silly (e.g. a 2445 that's already at £172+15% with two days to go!). But the open storage is a concern.

I had it on my watch list but removed it when it got to £100 for the same reason. I'd have a go at the power supply as well but I don't need it 

[Specmaster]

Newest acquisition.  Another piece of HP goodness.

Fresh from the EEVblog lab.



(Sorry for the so-so photo.)

nice scopes! I had one in the distant past:

I still do.

I find it pleasant to use and can't bring myself to part with it (mainly because it was my first scope and the first scope I repaired). It is at least as usable as the 465s, but much cheaper.

It shows in the switch action and the way that the torque is transported onto the boards plug and sockets interface, always a source of problems, but a good scope to work on with a nice feel to it.

[bd139]

Yeah that was the only design flaw with it really.

I have considered buying an HP180A at some point just to see what those are like. I've never owned one of the earlier HP scopes. Has the same tube apparently.

[Brumby]

@Brumby) If that did genuinely come Daves lab, then that the one he did a video on with the suspect dodgy joints around the rectifiers on the power supply board, nice one.

Yes, it did come Dave's lab - and yes, it was the subject of a repair video.

[Specmaster]

@Brumby) If that did genuinely come Daves lab, then that the one he did a video on with the suspect dodgy joints around the rectifiers on the power supply board, nice one.

Yes, it did come Dave's lab - and yes, it was the subject of a repair video.

Here are links to the 2 videos that this scope starred in, for the benefit of anyone who is not aware of what it that we're speaking off here, and its a good example of why you can never have too many meters 

[mnementh]

I love that he picked the "tits up" shot for his thumbnail... that is soooo Dave. 

mnem
*Home alone with a sick widdle grrl*

[worsthorse]

Wch....this is the smallest box I have so your knob and shaft are well packed.  The USPS would have to run over it with a truck to destroy it. 

It's going to the PO this afternoon. 

Thank you @med! 

And never underestimate the USPS...   

[worsthorse]

@tggzzz - thanks for the pointers on the 485.     I am driving down to Corvallis to test (and buy) it this weekend. Four hours in the truck to save the shipping cost? But, of course. 

And... last night I was wandering around ebay, I found three TM500 plug-ins on auction. The seller says they all, "mostly work". 

Apparently, my resolution to not buy any more stuff until I catch up on repairing he stuff I have is, it appears, in already in tatters.   

[bd139]

Random bit of test gear related info here. Back when I was a kid I took the following two books out of the local library. They were never returned. This was partially due to the fact I couldn't be bothered to walk up the hill to the library, partly because I racked up so many fines it would have been financially prohibitive to return them and mostly because they were excellent books.

Well I was digging through the cupboard earlier, nearly getting to the bottom and I found them in a box. Turns out both are publicly available now so I'll leave the links here. These are the two books that guided my early experiments before being replaced with H&H in about '85

M G Scroggie - Foundations of Wireless and Electronics: https://archive.org/details/FoundationsOfWirelessAndElectronics8Th.ed/
M G Scroggie - Radio and Electronic Laboratory Handbook: https://archive.org/details/RadioLaboratoryHandbook/

The latter book is a really old edition (6th ed). Mine is 8th edition. Covers lots of interesting test methodologies, test equipment and standards etc as well which is always interesting.

[med6753]

@tggzzz - thanks for the pointers on the 485.     I am driving down to Corvallis to test (and buy) it this weekend. Four hours in the truck to save the shipping cost? But, of course. 

And... last night I was wandering around ebay, I found three TM500 plug-ins on auction. The seller says they all, "mostly work". 

Apparently, my resolution to not buy any more stuff until I catch up on repairing he stuff I have is, it appears, in already in tatters.   

Welcome. Grab a chair. Stay a while. 



Ignore the naysayers. 

[med6753]

Random bit of test gear related info here. Back when I was a kid I took the following two books out of the local library. They were never returned. This was partially due to the fact I couldn't be bothered to walk up the hill to the library, partly because I racked up so many fines it would have been financially prohibitive to return them and mostly because they were excellent books.

Well I was digging through the cupboard earlier, nearly getting to the bottom and I found them in a box. Turns out both are publicly available now so I'll leave the links here. These are the two books that guided my early experiments before being replaced with H&H in about '85

M G Scroggie - Foundations of Wireless and Electronics: https://archive.org/details/FoundationsOfWirelessAndElectronics8Th.ed/
M G Scroggie - Radio and Electronic Laboratory Handbook: https://archive.org/details/RadioLaboratoryHandbook/

The latter book is a really old edition (6th ed). Mine is 8th edition. Covers lots of interesting test methodologies, test equipment and standards etc as well which is always interesting.

What? No book entitled "How to Blow Shit Up?"  I guess it came naturally? 

[bd139]

That's in the blood

Also nostaliga from around then. We used to do this as well. Paint cans / propane works nicely 

[med6753]

  

[mnementh]

I feel my air superiority has been violated. 

mnem
 

[Specmaster]

Speaking of blowing things up, I fitted the Mosfet in the amplifier and was in the process of measuring voltages on the mosfets, probe slipped and I blew up the complimentary one on the right channel,  , just as well I also ordered 4 of them as well which should be here tomorrow 

[Ice-Tea]

Got a HP8563E (26.5GHz). That doesn't start up. Tries to, hickup after that. Currently watching a TSP video that might give some pointers!



Does this:

[mnementh]

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/04/08/bt_tower_broadcasts_error_message_to_the_nation_as_windows_crashes/

Symptom of the BREXIT brain-damage, or...?

mnem
I feel much better about my air superiority now. 

[bd139]

LOL that’s a big fail.

Another one. Hesitated on a Fluke 187 for 60GBP buy it now to go for a piss. By the time I’d emptied it was gone. Well done if it was someone here 

[bitseeker]

... and no I'm not paying £5 for an AM broadcast cap that is rusted solid and no it doesn't just need a bit of oil

Yeah, gotta love those, "it just needs a bit of..." excuses/offers/listings. If it only needed such a trivial thing, wouldn't you just do it and be able to get paid more? Yeah, I thought so!

[mnementh]

Got a HP8563E (26.5GHz). That doesn't start up. Does this:

This is a variant of SMPS "Tick-tick" failure. One or more rails has a short, and it is exhibiting a startup/voltage test/shutdown failure repeating cycle as a result.

Since LEDS indicate all rails are coming up for a fraction, my guess is there's a fault in one of the rails on the load side; something that only shorts once an active component is energized. Usually if the fault is in the PSU, one of those LEDs will stay dark, indicating the faulty rail.

First order of troubleshooting will be to disconnect PSU from all the main rails & see if it comes up all the way. Alternate potential fault is one or more weak filtering caps that cannot handle startup surge current. This is not as common.

Also, look for warm caps after it's been ticking a while. 

mnem
*Quick & dirty*

[mnementh]

15MHz AWG/Counter @ $99 up to 60MHz @ $139: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JW8JHZ/ref=biss_dp_sa1

Holy Bleeping BleepCrackers! If you need just the basics... Counter AND dual output DDS/AWG!!!   

Plus a 6% off coupon!!!

mnem
 

[worsthorse]

15MHz AWG/Counter @ $99 up to 60MHz @ $139: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JW8JHZ/ref=biss_dp_sa1

Holy Bleeping BleepCrackers! If you need just the basics... Counter AND dual output DDS/AWG!!!   

Plus a 6% off coupon!!!

mnem
 

Just don't let it be seen in any of your TEA bench photos lest your cred be seriously diminished with the 25GHz crowd. 

[Cubdriver]

... and no I'm not paying £5 for an AM broadcast cap that is rusted solid and no it doesn't just need a bit of oil

Yeah, gotta love those, "it just needs a bit of..." excuses/offers/listings. If it only needed such a trivial thing, wouldn't you just do it and be able to get paid more? Yeah, I thought so!

Yeah, that one always makes me laugh to myself and roll my eyes.  "It just needs a fuse to get it working!"  Me thinking *then why haven't YOU put the 50 cent fuse into it so you could sell it as working for $250 instead of 'it just needs a fuse' for $30?  Seems a no-brainer, but maybe I'm just dense...*

-Pat

[bd139]

I think the best one of those I had was a television I bought from a jumble sale when I was about 10 and stupid. Think it was a Bush TV22. Had a sign "works ok" on it.

"Yeah of course it works! - 20p mate".

Took it home and realised the sign should have been "contains copious amounts of fire"

[beanflying]

15MHz AWG/Counter @ $99 up to 60MHz @ $139: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JW8JHZ/ref=biss_dp_sa1

Holy Bleeping BleepCrackers! If you need just the basics... Counter AND dual output DDS/AWG!!!   

Plus a 6% off coupon!!!

mnem
 

Is a JDS6600 and can be had for a lot less. The box is full of air  eBay auction: #183044531625