Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14549831 times)

ProtonFox, powerflux and 20 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline BU508A

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 4522
  • Country: de
  • Per aspera ad astra
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33125 on: June 14, 2019, 01:38:53 pm »
I got one of those little scopes, ideal for that type of thing, will work of a 9v and although have a low bandwidth are ideal use on low stuff like cars and audio where often you just need to confirm if a signal is present or not.

I'm skulking around since some time on one of those Vellemans Handheld scopes:

https://www.velleman.eu/products/view?id=431482&country=be&lang=en



nice little things....
“Chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being sought. It always defeats order, because it is better organized.”            - Terry Pratchett -
 

Offline Brumby

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 12288
  • Country: au
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33126 on: June 14, 2019, 01:57:25 pm »
The DSO138 was a cheap purchase which would give me some SMD soldering experience.  A little DSO was a project that might be of some use - more than a practice board to flash some LEDs.  It's not the most friendly to use, but it does have its moments.
 

Offline Mr. Scram

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 9810
  • Country: 00
  • Display aficionado
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33127 on: June 14, 2019, 02:08:50 pm »
I've always felt my attention was focused on fiddling with the thing more than on the measurements I was trying to make, but I can imagine it being useful in some situations. Like with Brumby the soldering experience and finding out I can do SMD was the most valuable.
 

Offline Specmaster

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14483
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33128 on: June 14, 2019, 02:28:49 pm »
The DSO138 was a cheap purchase which would give me some SMD soldering experience.  A little DSO was a project that might be of some use - more than a practice board to flash some LEDs.  It's not the most friendly to use, but it does have its moments.
Yep, I opted for the version that had the SMD parts already soldered and I soldered the TH bits, the theory being that It been years since I had anything like it and it, like you said, might provide something useful at the end of it and it has been useful a couple of times, so well worth the cost. :-+
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline Specmaster

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14483
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33129 on: June 14, 2019, 03:44:44 pm »
Just when I thought my car troubles were over, when I picked up my car after having the alternator drive belt replaced at £386 I noticed that the blower motor on the heating and air con was not working so it was at the garage yesterday and they took the blower out and it was seized so they lubricated it and freed it up and tried it, said it was working OK but needed a new one for a long term repair fair enough OK? The damage yesterday was £48 and they quoted me £391 for a new blower and a £100 for fitting it  :wtf:

Checked on the Skoda forum and also some YT videos and it seems that depending on the version of the car, i.e manual air con, lhd or rhd, automatic air con etc then there different prices for the blower ranging from £50 right through to £200 and the fitting of is easy if you can get to it behind the glove box,it takes about 15 mins to take out the old unit and fit the new one, 1 screw and a twist to remove, the reverse to replace!!

So I just  ordered on line a new blower, with 2 year warranty for £148, free delivery and my blower has special connections because it also has to be able to work without the ignition being on and operates via the solar sunroof so that when the suns at it hottest, the blower is blowing air through the car to help reduce the internal temperature, so instead of costing me £491 via the dealer for supply and fit, I'm paying £148 and fit myself for the identical part  :rant: Can't wait for DHL to deliver my new blower  :-DD

Edit I forgot to mention that this morning the blower was again dead!!!
« Last Edit: June 14, 2019, 04:02:26 pm by Specmaster »
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline med6753

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11313
  • Country: us
  • Tek nut
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33130 on: June 14, 2019, 03:50:21 pm »
$487 USD to have an alternator drive belt replaced?  :wtf:  Other than that I'm speechless.  :palm:
An old gray beard with an attitude.
 

Offline Specmaster

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14483
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33131 on: June 14, 2019, 03:56:35 pm »
$487 USD to have an alternator drive belt replaced?  :wtf:  Other than that I'm speechless.  :palm:
Yeah, well to be fair to the dealer, they also had to reassemble the bits of the car the RAC (one of our motoring emergency services) had wrongly removed at the roadside to try and repair it at the scene. But it does still seem to be huge amount but these days I'm not agile as I used to be otherwise I'd have done it myself plus at the moment I'm struggling with an infected ankle which does not help.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2019, 03:59:37 pm by Specmaster »
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline bd139

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 23017
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33132 on: June 14, 2019, 04:05:08 pm »
Yeah one of my current colleagues at the moment has the same vehicle. I think they had to take the engine out to fix something trivial recently on it. Mine is apparently the same. Similar to a Tek 465 multiplier  :-DD

Hope your ankle gets better soon  :-+
 

Offline Specmaster

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14483
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33133 on: June 14, 2019, 04:12:59 pm »
Yeah one of my current colleagues at the moment has the same vehicle. I think they had to take the engine out to fix something trivial recently on it. Mine is apparently the same. Similar to a Tek 465 multiplier  :-DD

Hope your ankle gets better soon  :-+
Thanks, but I don't understand why they didn't replace the belt last year when had the engine out to replace the timing belt and water pump. It would have made sense for them to have suggested it then if the engine has to be either removed or stripped down. They did suggest the water pump at the time so why not the alternator belt [emoji848]

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline bd139

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 23017
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33134 on: June 14, 2019, 04:38:43 pm »
Suspicious. They are probably following the manufacturer's strip down instructions which were probably written by someone who has never even looked at the thing other than on a computer. My Fiat was like that. "hose has a hole in it - we'll have to rip the engine out". Fuck that, fixed it myself with some contortion and some pain killers afterwards  :-DD
 

Offline med6753

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11313
  • Country: us
  • Tek nut
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33135 on: June 14, 2019, 04:40:50 pm »
I'm a big fan of German engineering. They come up with some innovative, clever, and technologically leading designs. But there are two things they seem to forget. One.....serviceability. Example: Certain model Audi's where you have to disassemble the ENTIRE front end of the car to do the mandatory replacement of the timing belt. And my oldest son is the collision manager for a local BMW dealership. Some of things they have to do to fix BMW's just leaves me shaking my head. Second.....why are some designs so needlessly complex when a simpler solution will work just fine? Called the KISS principle.....Keep It Simple Stupid.   
An old gray beard with an attitude.
 

Offline bd139

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 23017
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33136 on: June 14, 2019, 04:46:50 pm »
Think we should all buy a Land Rover defender. The broken bits fall off when they're ready to be replaced  :-DD

Was considering buying one again recently.
 

Offline med6753

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11313
  • Country: us
  • Tek nut
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33137 on: June 14, 2019, 04:48:26 pm »
Think we should all buy a Land Rover defender. The broken bits fall off when they're ready to be replaced  :-DD

Was considering buying one again recently.

Yea, well that's British engineering. A whole different animal.  :o :-DD
An old gray beard with an attitude.
 

Offline Specmaster

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14483
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33138 on: June 14, 2019, 05:03:14 pm »
I'm a big fan of German engineering. They come up with some innovative, clever, and technologically leading designs. But there are two things they seem to forget. One.....serviceability. Example: Certain model Audi's where you have to disassemble the ENTIRE front end of the car to do the mandatory replacement of the timing belt. And my oldest son is the collision manager for a local BMW dealership. Some of things they have to do to fix BMW's just leaves me shaking my head. Second.....why are some designs so needlessly complex when a simpler solution will work just fine? Called the KISS principle.....Keep It Simple Stupid.
Yep, you're right, my car is basically the Audi A6 but with a steel body instead of Alloy. So I suppose I benefit in other ways, build quality, comfort, space etc etc, I do love my car.

I've always said that if the designers had to the maintenence that they would follow the KISS strategy [emoji83]

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk
« Last Edit: June 14, 2019, 05:06:50 pm by Specmaster »
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline GregDunn

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 725
  • Country: us
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33139 on: June 14, 2019, 05:28:15 pm »
I'm a big fan of German engineering. They come up with some innovative, clever, and technologically leading designs. But there are two things they seem to forget. One.....serviceability. Example: Certain model Audi's where you have to disassemble the ENTIRE front end of the car to do the mandatory replacement of the timing belt. And my oldest son is the collision manager for a local BMW dealership. Some of things they have to do to fix BMW's just leaves me shaking my head. Second.....why are some designs so needlessly complex when a simpler solution will work just fine? Called the KISS principle.....Keep It Simple Stupid.

I owned a series of Audis back in the mid 70s-early 90s.  Great cars to drive, but the quality of engineering on the individual pieces....!!! 

I maintained them rigorously and hardly drove them over the speed limit (to be fair, I think top speed was about 80mph). Over the span of 7 years, my brand new one required alternator, starter, wheel bearings, water pump, fuel injection air duct, water hoses, numerous bulbs, three dash switches, window handles, mirror, gear shift "boot", various pieces of trim, overhead light, air conditioning pump, fan belts, entire exhaust system, front struts, and a new voltage regulator every 10,000 miles.  And a bad connection caused the fuel pump circuit to heat up and melt the fuse box, giving intermittent power to the pump.  I stopped taking them into the dealer, which really only wanted to service Porsches but charged the same for parts no matter what you drove (one of the dash switches was something like $300 and this was in the 70s).  Found a small independent mechanic for the few things I wasn't qualified to fix myself.  I really shouldn't have bought a second Audi, but since I already had all the tools and spare parts...

At least everything was accessible for replacement so you didn't have to disassemble the car, but I was nervous about driving them any further than across town.  I've put nearly 300K miles on my two Mazdas, and the biggest issue so far has been a couple of dodgy tires which were replaced under warranty.
 

Offline Specmaster

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14483
  • Country: gb
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33140 on: June 14, 2019, 05:44:22 pm »
Phew you did suffer with that Audi, what model was it? All I've had so far has brake pads, tyres, timing belt and fan belt and now this blower and the car is 6 in November 53,000 miles and never been over 80mph. The first 2.5 years it was my company car which I purchased when I retired because of its history and its loaded with all the gear. I've had many VAG cars over the years and they have all by and large been pretty good to me. If I could afford the running costs I think I'd have a Phaeton, a big luxury barge by Volkswagen.

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline mnementh

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 17541
  • Country: us
  • *Hiding in the Dwagon-Cave*
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33141 on: June 14, 2019, 05:44:57 pm »
I think being bitten by it is rite of passage :-DD

The thing that always gets me is the bits of kit which specifically have an X2 capacitor across the inlet before the switch. When I'm unplugging shit on the bench and moving things around I'll occasionally stick my fingers across the plug pins by accident and that little bastard will empty into me. Depending on where it was on the AC cycle when you pulled the plug this can be somewhere between "hmm" to "holy fuckadoodle you little wanker". Either way the plug gets dropped which is hazardous with our monstrous things. I'm waiting until I drop one on a toe or something.

The golden rule of mechanicking that my grand-dad taught me very young:

"Whatever the beast; she isn't truly yours until you've bled for her. And you aren't truly hers until you've given her a name."  I think "tzzzzzzt" and dropping it on your feet is the electronics mechanic variant of that rule.  :-DD

You can get trainers with steel toecaps for £25. They also protect against teenagers trying to influence you by treading on your toes: simply smile beatifically, and say "my turn now".

That... that is the embodiment of another of grand-dad's favorite sayings: "Old age and treachery will win out over youth & exuberance EVERY TIME."  >:D

mnem
*LIT UP AF*

alt-codes work here:  alt-0128 = €  alt-156 = £  alt-0216 = Ø  alt-225 = ß  alt-230 = µ  alt-234 = Ω  alt-236 = ∞  alt-248 = °
 

Offline med6753

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11313
  • Country: us
  • Tek nut
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33142 on: June 14, 2019, 05:58:12 pm »

That... that is the embodiment of another of grand-dad's favorite sayings: "Old age and treachery will win out over youth & exuberance EVERY TIME."  >:D

mnem
*LIT UP AF*

I live by this saying EVERY GOD DAMN DAY.  >:D :-+ :-DD
An old gray beard with an attitude.
 
The following users thanked this post: mnementh

Offline mnementh

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 17541
  • Country: us
  • *Hiding in the Dwagon-Cave*
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33143 on: June 14, 2019, 06:02:44 pm »
Best bite other than a 5KV 3ms electric fence zap was when I was just 13, building a valve PSU and got zapped from the 700V 100mA on the plates of the rectifier tube. OUCH !

When she was in an ornery phase, I used an electric fence to teach my pre-teen daughter not to fiddle with electrickery. Got her to make a fist and lightly touch the fence with her knuckles - and why doing it that way ensured her muscles wouldn't be locked with her still gripping the cable. Yes, an exaggeration, but all in a good cause.

When I was a young sprout growing up on the farm, I'd had enough experience with electric fences to get a bit blase' about being bitten, even with the new "Weed-Wacker" (approx 1/2-second AC burst as opposed to single DC pulse generated by a turn signal flasher as was common up til then; this was designed to burn/dry out the skin of offending vegetation so it no longer "killed the fence") grand-dad had installed.

Being still 10 feet tall & bulletproof, I would demonstrate my toughness to my young cohorts by deliberately touching the fence and getting zapped as loudly as possible; I'd already developed a fairly thick hide on my hands as a result of wrench-twirling with the old man so it wasn't as bad as you might think. I might have already started to like it a little, even at that tender young age. ;)

Anyways... one of my cohorts bet me $10 (which was more than enough for a '60-something Mustang car model I'd been drooling over at the Woolworth's next town over) that I wouldn't pee on it. Of course I took the bet; but knowing the sort of kids I hung out with, made him show me the money on pain of clubbing him insensate with whatever I could lay my hands on at the moment.

When I woke up several minutes later, barefoot and pee-soaked pantleg on my coveralls, I was somehow fortunate enough to have landed so they managed to cover my indiscretion. There was a $10 bill stuffed in my front pocket and the gang were almost to the top of the hill ahead of me.

The money was nice... but I just tucked it back in and lay there grinning as I looked up at the clear blue sky. I think that was the day I became electricity's bitch.  :-DD

mnem
Only slightly exaggerated.
alt-codes work here:  alt-0128 = €  alt-156 = £  alt-0216 = Ø  alt-225 = ß  alt-230 = µ  alt-234 = Ω  alt-236 = ∞  alt-248 = °
 

Offline med6753

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11313
  • Country: us
  • Tek nut
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33144 on: June 14, 2019, 06:05:43 pm »
I know I said I was going to do painting. Tomorrow.  ;D

Instead I cleaned up the exterior of the Heath S-3 Electronic Switch. Removed the front plate and cleaned it. I also sprayed it with 2 coats of clear coat. Turned out nice. I should have done that on the OL-1. Spray painted the cabinet blue. Cleaned up all the knobs and stuff. Deoxit'ed the pots and switches. The exterior is all done. Nothing has been done yet on the interior. I have to inventory the capacitors and well as spot check the carbon resistors.



Here is an excellent video on what an electronic switch is and how it works.

An old gray beard with an attitude.
 
The following users thanked this post: xrunner, kj7e

Offline mnementh

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 17541
  • Country: us
  • *Hiding in the Dwagon-Cave*
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33145 on: June 14, 2019, 06:29:43 pm »
When we are going to assemble the high voltage power supply for the anode of the GU81-M, we got a security advice from our Prof.: "Be careful, when you are handling with that capacitor. The energy in it can kill a cow instantly." And that was all he wrote. 

:o  ;D   Btw, the capacitor was one of those paraffine filled ones with 3.5kV max voltage and a capacity of about 4.7µF. We were running the GU81-M with 2500V.
This is a similiar looking example:      We had a lot of fun.  8)  ;D

Mounty

Sounds like old man Kirsch... who, after we put LV electrolytics in the outlet strips on his bench, adjusted our attitudes by relocating those caps to OUR workbenches (of course he knew who the perpetrators were by that time) and turning them off at the breaker box behind the door, where he could set them off for best effect during workbook time. >:D 

I was the only one who noticed the caps BEFORE the fireworks... because I actually followed his lab checklist EVERY TIME and MADE SURE of what was plugged into the power strip, and that it was turned OFF before I sat down.

"I'm going to have to watch you, young man." was all he said.

Holy crap you guys have been getting some good zaps and some of the descriptions of them have had me chortling like a good un here, especially bd139's "holy fuckadoodle you little wanker" I can just picture him muttering those words when he stuffs his porkers in the sockets. Would have thought by now, you'd learnt the lesson not to fucking do that cos it bites  :palm:
I'm a slow learner  :-DD



mnem
I think "Holy fuckadoodle!" is my new favorite cussword now.

« Last Edit: June 14, 2019, 06:31:50 pm by mnementh »
alt-codes work here:  alt-0128 = €  alt-156 = £  alt-0216 = Ø  alt-225 = ß  alt-230 = µ  alt-234 = Ω  alt-236 = ∞  alt-248 = °
 
The following users thanked this post: neo

Offline mnementh

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 17541
  • Country: us
  • *Hiding in the Dwagon-Cave*
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33146 on: June 14, 2019, 06:34:11 pm »
[Peeing on an Electric Fence Video]  Dumbass  :palm: :-DD


Been dere, dunnat, collected $10. :-DD

mnem
Obviously, I need start catching up fully on the thread BEFORE I post.  :o
« Last Edit: June 14, 2019, 06:36:01 pm by mnementh »
alt-codes work here:  alt-0128 = €  alt-156 = £  alt-0216 = Ø  alt-225 = ß  alt-230 = µ  alt-234 = Ω  alt-236 = ∞  alt-248 = °
 

Offline med6753

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11313
  • Country: us
  • Tek nut
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33147 on: June 14, 2019, 06:35:11 pm »
In the meantime I suppose you could try probing with the 12AX7 out of circuit; see if the 60hz noise you're "seeing everywhere" goes away.  :-//

[EDIT]      I just tripped over this while looking for something else. [/EDIT] >:D eBay auction: #362619939251

mnem
*tinker-ily*

Ask and you shall receive. I didn't realize it but the Heath S-3 has two 12AX7's in it. So I reconfigured the OL-1 filament for AC volts and swapped out the 12AX7. No joy, still FUBAR. So that rules out all the tubes as the source of the 60Hz hum. So I'm going to proceed with the redesign of the filament for DCV.
An old gray beard with an attitude.
 

Offline med6753

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 11313
  • Country: us
  • Tek nut
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33148 on: June 14, 2019, 06:38:42 pm »
[Peeing on an Electric Fence Video]  Dumbass  :palm: :-DD


Been dere, dunnat, collected $10. :-DD

mnem
Obviously, I need start catching up fully on the thread BEFORE I post.  :o

You dumbass.  >:D :-DD
An old gray beard with an attitude.
 

Offline FransW

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 270
  • Country: nl
Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #33149 on: June 14, 2019, 06:50:22 pm »
[Peeing on an Electric Fence Video]  Dumbass  :palm: :-DD


Been dere, dunnat, collected $10. :-DD

mnem
Obviously, I need start catching up fully on the thread BEFORE I post.  :o

The Darwin Awards recognize individuals who have supposedly contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool via death or sterilization by their own actions.
PE1CCN, Systems Engineering, HP, Philips, TEK, BRYMAN, Fluke, Keithley
 
The following users thanked this post: mnementh


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf