Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Now Boris is hospitalized! 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/mar/27/i-shook-hands-with-everybody-says-boris-johnson-weeks-before-coronavirus-diagnosis-video

[Specmaster]

He'll get the very best of treatment, the red carpet type you can be certain of that, he won't be treated to the normal experience that we would get if it was one of us though 

[xrunner]

Now Boris is hospitalized! 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/mar/27/i-shook-hands-with-everybody-says-boris-johnson-weeks-before-coronavirus-diagnosis-video

Oh my Gawd! 

[Kosmic]

OK, new toy time, one that I've been waiting to find...

So inevitably I have far too many boxes that draw graphs of voltage-vs-time (scopes), too many that draw voltage-vs-frequency (spetrum analysers), but until today nothing that would complete the triumvirate by drawing frequency-vs-time (a modulation domain analyser MDA). I did buy an MDA cheaply last year, but it was effin heavy, junk and ended up in the skip – after I rescued an HP80811-60111 OCXO.

So I've been keeping an eye out for an MDA, but mostly they are £600+P&P (on my limit for a toy), often have dents, and even if a display is shown, the self-check screen shows a fault. Not interested.

So, when I noticed an Agilent 53310A where the owner showed it measuring things and also a clean self-test screen, I looked more closely. Since it had the high stability oscillator and third RF channel and was only £250+P&P, I jumped at the chance, even though that mutated into £350 and would take 4 weeks to get here. In the event, it arrived in 2 weeks

I remembered to change both mains voltage settings, and pulled off the lid, and the tube was still intact, so I turned it on, and bingo: I'm a happy camper.


...

Good catch, look like it's in good shape 

For good measure, you should double check the power supply. In most 53310A the caps in the power supply end up dying and leaking all over the place, causing a lot of damages.

[worsthorse]

Damn. Gotta quit procrastinating by scanning ebay for stuff I-do-not-need-but-prefer-to-own. I bought another 3400A that I hope has a good thermocouple and found a couple of items to add to my sniping app.

The only project on my bench right now is the S38B, which I have dis-assembled and am now cleaning. I have most of the parts needed to do the restoration but for a multi-section cap, which is on order.  I am going to get this one finished and working before I start anything else.  The only real obstacle I see: I don't own a tube tester, so I can check for is filament goodness.

And, no, I am not going to buy a tube tester.   

[Kosmic]

He'll get the very best of treatment, the red carpet type you can be certain of that, he won't be treated to the normal experience that we would get if it was one of us though 

Not much they can do in the hospital though. They can try pumping air and oxygen into the patients but they need to kill the virus by themselves. If for some reason the immune system can't identify and eliminate the virus correctly it's checkmate 

[xrunner]

Not much they can do in the hospital though. They can try pumping air and oxygen into the patients but they need to kill the virus by themselves. If for some reason the immune system can't identify and eliminate the virus correctly it's checkmate 

How are you doing now?

[tggzzz]

For good measure, you should double check the power supply. In most 53310A the caps in the power supply end up dying and leaking all over the place, causing a lot of damages.

Thanks. A little googling leads in that direction

[Cerebus]

He'll get the very best of treatment, the red carpet type you can be certain of that, he won't be treated to the normal experience that we would get if it was one of us though 

The news says he has been admitted to a "London hospital", conspicuously it does not say a London NHS hospital. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the Churchill or a similar private hospital.

I'm just waiting to see what the NHS staff do to Jeremy Hunt if he ends up in an NHS bed anytime soon. Going to hospital is always a risky thing, doubly so if you've systematically worked at making everybody who works there your enemy.

[Kosmic]

Not much they can do in the hospital though. They can try pumping air and oxygen into the patients but they need to kill the virus by themselves. If for some reason the immune system can't identify and eliminate the virus correctly it's checkmate 

How are you doing now?

I'm a lot better. Fever is mostly gone (some time it's coming back at the end of the day for some reasons) and I'm coughing a little bit.

I'm still not sure if I got it or not since they don't care to test people like me over here They are keeping their tests for health workers and such.

[VK5RC]

He'll get the very best of treatment, the red carpet type you can be certain of that, he won't be treated to the normal experience that we would get if it was one of us though 

Rather bizarrely it is usually the opposite - it is well known that celebrities often get substandard care - while often ushered through - no waiting - but rarely do they get observations, or staff take time to get a good past history etc. One term is 'VIP syndrome'
Rob

[Mr. Scram]

There's one for sure about all of this and that is, once its all over and done with, we'll never take for granted things like freedom and, going out, shopping, TP and a host of other things that we will never take for granted ever again.

Sure we will. Give it a few month or maybe years and everyone will continue as if nothing happened.

[Cubdriver]

I've been spending time beefing up my bench. I just finished machining an insert for a very basic but useful magnifying lamp. Engine flywheels work surprisingly well as lamp bases . Pretty successful weekend project.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the way it came out . Now what to do with all the desk space I made.... 

Here's the whole machining process:

Nicely done.  I thought from the initial pics it looked like a small South Bend.  I got an 8" three jaw chuck last year for my 10K; finally had occasion to use it a few months ago.  It looks rather disproportionate, but worked just fine.  Gotta love having a metal lathe on hand!

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

Damn. Gotta quit procrastinating by scanning ebay for stuff I-do-not-need-but-prefer-to-own. I bought another 3400A that I hope has a good thermocouple and found a couple of items to add to my sniping app.

The only project on my bench right now is the S38B, which I have dis-assembled and am now cleaning. I have most of the parts needed to do the restoration but for a multi-section cap, which is on order.  I am going to get this one finished and working before I start anything else.  The only real obstacle I see: I don't own a tube tester, so I can check for is filament goodness.

And, no, I am not going to buy a tube tester.   

Gonna buy two?     (Or three, so you have a tiebreaker?)

-Pat

[bd139]

He'll get the very best of treatment, the red carpet type you can be certain of that, he won't be treated to the normal experience that we would get if it was one of us though 

The news says he has been admitted to a "London hospital", conspicuously it does not say a London NHS hospital. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the Churchill or a similar private hospital.

I'm just waiting to see what the NHS staff do to Jeremy Hunt if he ends up in an NHS bed anytime soon. Going to hospital is always a risky thing, doubly so if you've systematically worked at making everybody who works there your enemy.

There’s something utterly comedic about it 

Looking at Svea stoves at the moment. Proper rollercoaster day. It was land rovers earlier. This is what happens when the TE listings are naff!

[med6753]

Damn. Gotta quit procrastinating by scanning ebay for stuff I-do-not-need-but-prefer-to-own. I bought another 3400A that I hope has a good thermocouple and found a couple of items to add to my sniping app.

The only project on my bench right now is the S38B, which I have dis-assembled and am now cleaning. I have most of the parts needed to do the restoration but for a multi-section cap, which is on order.  I am going to get this one finished and working before I start anything else.  The only real obstacle I see: I don't own a tube tester, so I can check for is filament goodness.

And, no, I am not going to buy a tube tester.   

You don't need one. Chances are very good that the tubes are OK. Filaments can be checked very easily with an ohm meter.

I don't own a tube tester and I do a lot of work with vacuum tubes. And rarely do I have a bad one. The tubes most prone to failure are rectifier tubes if the filter capacitors are shorted or audio output tubes if the grid bypass capacitors are leaky which can cause them to overload.

Tubes are very resilient and reliable. Want proof? My 57 year old Tek 535A with 63 tubes did not require any replacements during it's recent restoration. 

[ArthurDent]

... Looking at Svea stoves at the moment. ...

I have a couple of Svea 123 backpacking stoves with the optional pump. One of them went the entire distance on the Appalachian Trail (3500Km) with me.

[nixiefreqq]

He'll get the very best of treatment, the red carpet type you can be certain of that, he won't be treated to the normal experience that we would get if it was one of us though 

The news says he has been admitted to a "London hospital", conspicuously it does not say a London NHS hospital. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the Churchill or a similar private hospital.

I'm just waiting to see what the NHS staff do to Jeremy Hunt if he ends up in an NHS bed anytime soon. Going to hospital is always a risky thing, doubly so if you've systematically worked at making everybody who works there your enemy.

There’s something utterly comedic about it 

Looking at Svea stoves at the moment. Proper rollercoaster day. It was land rovers earlier. This is what happens when the TE listings are naff!

my optimus 8R is over 40 years old and still works just fine.

(don't ever place it with the pressure relief valve pointed toward you....or anyone else)

[bd139]

Thanks both. I have been on the end of a pressure valve event before with a different stove. Think it was a Coleman clone. Nearly lost my eyebrows. I’ve got a Trangia which is 3/4 my age and perfectly fine. Just really bloody slow and not very exciting

[nixiefreqq]

my baby.

[bd139]

Very nice 

(Apart from the calculator  )

[tggzzz]

I’m looking at land rovers. Never good that 

I used to have a 1959 series 2.

Well, it was mostly that, but had many parts from Minis, an a Perkins 402.3 diesel. It would pull the skin off custard, but only up to 54mph (gradient irrelevant).

Excellent machine for fettling, e.g. when a wheel fell off when overtaking, or the fuel tank partially fell of just before arriving at work, or the engine partially fell out in a campsite.

 In all those cases I had sufficient spares onboard to be able to repair and continue (nut, bolt, and engine mount respectively).

[med6753]

Bean, thanks for the heads up. I won the auction. 

[tautech]

Thanks both. I have been on the end of a pressure valve event before with a different stove. Think it was a Coleman clone. Nearly lost my eyebrows. I’ve got a Trangia which is 3/4 my age and perfectly fine. Just really bloody slow and not very exciting

Get a Coleman Dual fuel and run it on unleaded gas. They have a few models that are dual fuel. Gas can be a bit stinky if you need to use it indoors in a power cut but boy does it pump out the heat !

Melt lead for fishing sinkers with mine. 

Edit to add
Model 533
Comes in a protective plastic 2 piece case.
https://www.coleman.com/all-camp-kitchen/camping-stoves/guide-series-compact-dual-fuel-stove/col_3000003654_pr/COL_3000003654

[ArthurDent]

my optimus 8R is over 40 years old and still works just fine.
(don't ever place it with the pressure relief valve pointed toward you....or anyone else)

I picked up a Russian copy of the 8R new in the box. I fired it up and it works fine and seems to be acceptable quality. I added it to my collection of stoves.