Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

I haven't quite pulled the trigger on a 34401A just yet... but considering how everyone else is making me jelly, I'll probably end up with one on the way by the end of the week! 

I do have a Tek 284 and a 50 ohm amplitude calibrator that should be here annnnnnny minute now.. ((listening for breaks squeaking outside))

*just chillin' with a Mohito and my 3478A, blissfully ignorant of ALL THAT...*

mnem
*simplify*

[mnementh]

Hey! What about the UK still being not fully metrical-ised..?      

This is probably related with driving on the wrong side. 

*whispers*

"Whitworth standard thread...!" 

mnem
*runs away and hides*

[tautech]

Hey! What about the UK still being not fully metrical-ised..?      

This is probably related with driving on the wrong side. 

*whispers*

"Whitworth standard thread...!" 

mnem
*runs away and hides*

BSPT, UNC, UNF, BA...................

[xrunner]

... I'll probably end up with one on the way by the end of the week!

Looks good here -

Scheduled Delivery: Friday 09/06/2019

Estimated Time: by End of Day

[mnementh]

Hey! What about the UK still being not fully metrical-ised..?      

This is probably related with driving on the wrong side. 

*whispers*

"Whitworth standard thread...!" 

mnem
*runs away and hides*

BSPT, UNC, UNF, BA...................

You forgot USS, SAE & NPT. Oh, and Acme.  'sides... they the ones claimin' ta be all civilized & shit widda metrical-ness. We 'merkins KNOWZZ WE IZZ BARBARIANZZ. 

mnem
I am vertically inclined: I screw up.

[beanflying]

For those teetering or worried about overusing their 34401A's VFD's there is an alternate. Buy one of these as well with some enabling from the shack

[xrunner]

For those teetering or worried about overusing their 34401A's VFD's there is an alternate. Buy one of these as well with some enabling from the shack

Let me get through this week with enough money left over for food first. 

[beanflying]

For those teetering or worried about overusing their 34401A's VFD's there is an alternate. Buy one of these as well with some enabling from the shack

Let me get through this week with enough money left over for food first. 

Due to dropping my $ down on a new GPU for my PC I am eating out of the cupboard and freezer for at least a week  If I do this at least I can buy a beer 

[bitseeker]

@BU508A

Thanks for the heads up on these, now I know what to look for in a 34401A.   

1) Red & Black connectors
2) "Agilent" instead of "Hewlett Packard" on the face plate
3) Lack of VFD display module

Anything else I should keep an eye out for before I purchase one (aside from the obvious condition factor and intact seals)?

You are welcome. 

A word about the VFD: the VFD aren't the problem.  The drivers for them in the old models are. They are unobtainium
and sometimes they get leaky. When this happens, a change of the VFD will not help, you have to replace the whole display section.
Otherwise these old meters are very fine. But if you can get an Agilent branded one for the same money, I'd take this one.
The oval/round knobs are a matter of taste.

And I would take one with the bumpers and the handle. Very handy.

Edit:
Regarding the indicator:
"On older issue 34401a meters (fw version 06-04-01 and prior) have a custom HP designed micro controller with integrated high voltage VFD driver which is not obtainable, unless bought as a whole front panel assembly, which again is not cheap."

Source:
https://github.com/openscopeproject/HP34401a-OLED-FW

And do note that changing the display assembly isn't enough to upgrade the meter. The firmware has to be compatible with the display assembly, too. Thus, the best option is to get a meter with the newer driver IC.

The definitive, closed-case method to determine which display assembly is in a particular meter is by its firmware version: http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/34401A-06.pdf

[bitseeker]

Assume it's in American format (stupid format) so that's 5th July 2002

Second that   

Yeah, I prefer yyyy-mm-dd.

[bitseeker]

Assume it's in American format (stupid format) so that's 5th July 2002

Second that   

It's for defensive purposes.

[tautech]

Assume it's in American format (stupid format) so that's 5th July 2002

Second that   

Yeah, I prefer yyyy-mm-dd.

We must all be backwards downunder then: dd-mm-yyyy 

[bitseeker]

Hehe. I adopted the international standard yyyy-mm-dd because (1) it sorts well, (2) it's not dd-mm-yyyy vs. mm-dd-yyyy that often is ambiguous, and (3) it's supposed to be international.

[bitseeker]

Another sad TEA casualty report. I finally got a Tek 191 and it got rear-ended.

[Addicted2AnalogTek]

The 284 arrived and all is well... power supplies have clean output and no repairs necessary.
I only had to tweak the internal TD bias adjustment in order to get pulse output.   




Now all that's left to do is go through the full check and adjustment procedure....
after I go through the checks on the samplers... which I want need a Leo Bodnar pulser to check with certainty...

[Addicted2AnalogTek]

Another sad TEA casualty report. I finally got a Tek 191 and it got rear-ended.

Those feet are extremely fragile.. If it wasn't for some experimental 3D printed ones, only one of my three units in those cases would have any at all.

I actually have a bag of the bits of smashed ones around somewhere for some reason.

I was fortunate to buy this 284 from someone who really knows how to package this stuff... The box could have been thrown down 10 flights of stairs and would have definitely survived.

[bitseeker]

Each rear foot is in two large pieces with a couple of small additional fragments. Do you know if this plastic is best repaired with cyanoacrylate or some other adhesive?

[BU508A]

It's for defensive purposes.

If you can't defeat them, confuse 'em?   

[beanflying]

Each rear foot is in two large pieces with a couple of small additional fragments. Do you know if this plastic is best repaired with cyanoacrylate or some other adhesive?

Injection molded plastics suck to glue! You can 'help' by using a little bicarb soda on the parts before adding your CA. The CA preferably should be a good known brand not $1 store crud and better yet grab some CA Activator. Then there is the 3D printed option if needed.

[mnementh]

It's for defensive purposes.

If you can't defeat them, confuse 'em?   

”If you can’t bedazzle them with brilliance, bedaffle them with bullshit. “ ~ grand-dad

mnem
*debaffled*

[BU508A]

I like your grand-dad.   

[Specmaster]

Hey! What about the UK still being not fully metrical-ised..?   [emoji14]   

This is probably related with driving on the wrong side. 

*whispers*

"Whitworth standard thread...!" 

mnem
*runs away and hides*

BSPT, UNC, UNF, BA...................

Nope, all new gear these days is all metric crap but it will be years before we get rid all other spanners. Come to think about it, the last I used my BA set was about 40 years ago and they are in a tool chest buried deep in the garage.

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

[Specmaster]

Assume it's in American format (stupid format) so that's 5th July 2002

Second that  [emoji14] 

It's for defensive purposes.

Yeah, the magenta one is a plan of Trumps wall [emoji1787][emoji1787]

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

[bd139]

LMAO. It’s laugh at our political elite week this week. Interesting times.

34401A day today! Woohoo

[Mr. Scram]

LMAO. It’s laugh at our political elite week this week. Interesting times.

34401A day today! Woohoo

Interesting time as in the Chinese proverb? From now on every day is 34401A day!