Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14562770 times)

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55000 on: April 08, 2020, 12:00:28 am »
I was trying similar strategies against squirrels couple years ago. I ended up using a cage, was working quite nicely. I reckon, in your case, you would probably need to increase the size of the cage and that would probably attract neighbours attention.

* For the record, I relocated all the squirrels I caught in a park far far away.
Nah, have an offal hole at the ready.......one with a heavy concrete lid.  >:D
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Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55001 on: April 08, 2020, 12:05:13 am »
Dave debunks the 5G and Covid-19 theory.
 
Who let Murphy in?

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Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55002 on: April 08, 2020, 12:38:38 am »
I was trying similar strategies against squirrels couple years ago. I ended up using a cage, was working quite nicely. I reckon, in your case, you would probably need to increase the size of the cage and that would probably attract neighbours attention.

* For the record, I relocated all the squirrels I caught in a park far far away.

Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 
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Online beanflying

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55003 on: April 08, 2020, 12:39:11 am »
A few days ago ...

... there was a CRO on the bay that looked like I might get it cheaply. For parts only, smashed BNC, missing knob. Somehow it reminded me of the very first scopes I had seen as a young boy. And not much money lost, anyway. I actually got it for 6.50 € + 9.50 € shipping.

It is a Philips PM3230, a true dual beam scope:


The overall appearance of the instrument is (to me) that Philips tried to create an instrument for the professional market: The PCBs are layed out nicely, it is unclobbered, the trimmers are mostly separated from the PCBs, labeled and arranged neatly.

Alas, the ordeal of shipping - although not too shabby packaged - was too much for the power switch, and, even worse, for all those plastic PCB mounts. Upon opening, a small pile of broken plastic emerged. :(

Please note the huge diameter of the CRT where the deflection plates are connected!

There also has been a repair (attempt?) that does make me uneasy. Repaired/original channel side by side:

In it's current condition, I won't try to power it up (there are some broken wires from the not fastened PCB, after all). But at least it has got all tubes, so I won't complain.

From what I've read, the scope seems to be rather unstable. The combination of tubes and germanium transistors wasn't a match made in heaven. :P

One fine day, I hope I might see a trace on that screen.

One more thing: That was the time when they all used those 'quick open/close' screw-like mechanisms instead of real screws. If only they ever worked! :palm:


I have a close cousin that is in much worse condition to your a PM3231. Still have some feathers and bird poo to remove from the outside before I think of putting power to it :palm: Not sure what the availability of manuals is like but I do have a paper one for mine and a large format Circuit Diagram if it will help you.
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55004 on: April 08, 2020, 12:39:38 am »
In Other News...      'lectric s'ghetti, anyone...?  :-DD

mnem
"Sometimes, to clean a mess you gotta make a mess." ~grand-dad

      

Finally made it out the other side.  For anyone who gives a shit, details and too many pics are here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/3d-printer-yet/msg3004770/#msg3004770

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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55005 on: April 08, 2020, 12:42:22 am »
How's this for a disturbing TEA listing pic? :-BROKE      It seems this seller likes livin' on the edge. :scared:
does he do this on purpose?   its driving my blood pressure to the point it makes me wanna' scratch my head with a banana.   https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-5350B-Microwave-Frequency-Counter-10-Hz-to-20-GHz-Powers-On-Option-001/124143559453?hash=item1ce788631d:g:jo8AAOSwGF5eG4VS
What kind of person do that ? threatening to physically abuse those poor little TE just to encourage us to buy them.

Somebody who knows his prey...  :-DD

mnem
 :P
« Last Edit: April 08, 2020, 12:44:08 am by mnementh »
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55006 on: April 08, 2020, 02:37:44 am »
What was the load current you were pulling from it? I reckon power supply units tremble with fear when they cross the threshold of your house  :-DD I seem to recall some of other failures a couple of years back  :-//



mnem
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55007 on: April 08, 2020, 02:55:25 am »
I think I have discovered my spirit animal:   

mnem's spirit animal is Rocket Raccoon:

mnem
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Online beanflying

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55008 on: April 08, 2020, 03:58:23 am »
Fairly good condition with all the bits but already a bit much for me and not 'needed'  >:D eBay auction: #293535499340


ooooh, a 410B. I've almost got one. My 428B wants company. But that's too far away, and a bit much. A legendary bit of kit, though.

Yea, Bean is our resident pimp.  :P :-DD

And like any good pimp I sample the merchandise visually before deciding if I should pursue it or pass it on to others  >:D

I do have a good working B version of this lovely Nixie shod Lady eBay auction: #233147247927 and the adding an A model might make her jealous so I will just leave her on the Street Corner :-DD



Coffee, Food, R/C and electronics nerd in no particular order. Also CNC wannabe, 3D printer and Laser Cutter Junkie and just don't mention my TEA addiction....
 
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Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55009 on: April 08, 2020, 04:29:15 am »
Oh my, you've out pimped yourself this time. So tempting but alas other commitments at the moment. But yes, she is lovely and sexy.  :o ;D

But I'm sure one of our resident nixie fan boys is gonna snatch her up pronto and seductively stroke her knobs.   :-DD
« Last Edit: April 08, 2020, 04:30:58 am by med6753 »
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55010 on: April 08, 2020, 05:07:27 am »
Dude; you got a little somethin' on yer chin there...  :-DD

mnem
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Offline Neomys Sapiens

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55011 on: April 08, 2020, 05:10:01 am »
I have 27c256 and 512, would be in need of smaller and larger ones, esp. 2001/4001 and the old 24pin buddies (25xx)

If you have some to throw out, gladly.
In the mean time I'll probably try to virtualize the burner software and get a parallel port up and running in my Win7 office PC ...
(one less computer to f..k around with. Desk/bench space is precious ...
That will take until I go regularely to the office again, but there is a tray full of 'em which are surplus.
 
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Offline Saskia

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55012 on: April 08, 2020, 05:52:44 am »
highly appreciated.
 

Offline kleiner Rainer

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55013 on: April 08, 2020, 06:05:35 am »

No I'm close to the river but not that close. We've got an alley behind the house and gardens and I'm on the end of the block. So what happens is people wander out of the alley and up the path that runs through the back of all of our gardens because it's shorter and then get to mine at the end which has an inconvenient gate. The nicer bastards open the gate and just leave. The idiots will quite happily ninja kick their way through the gate (we're on the third gate now)  >:(. I don't want to leave the gate open as it'll encourage people to use it and tramp through the garden. So this is an experiment to attempt to screw up their eyes a bit. If you shine a torch on them through the window they usually leg it so this may work. I suspect it's 2-3 usuals and the occasional wanderer.

What about an MP3 player that contains the sounds of an ill-tempered Dobermann that gets activated by a PIR sensor? Random play would be recommended. The other option would be to make the gate more inconvenient and more robust - my dad went that way in a similar situation - there is a night when the local youth does all kinds of annoying stuff, one of them was removing the gates and "rearranging" them throughout the village. In Bavaria its called "Freinacht", maybe that tradition is also known in other countries. Making the gate extra sturdy and locking the pintles in place with cotter pins stopped that foreve, at least for us.

Rainer
 
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Offline capt bullshot

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55014 on: April 08, 2020, 06:17:10 am »

Nice, I've got one too (followed me home in a similar way as yours). Service manual with schematics can be found on the net. It has a nice sharp trace, but one thing I really dislike: All the settings are lost on power down, the scope always starts to the same defaults (no battery inside to replace that could backup the settings). And if the LCD backlight is burned out (it's incandescent), the LCD is hard to read.

Oh, wait a moment - mine has more buttons, indeed it's a PM3055. Looks quite similar otherwise.

I know that behaviour of settings memory loss over powercycle from my PM3065, too.
I came across a little extension that plugs in to a 9 pin SUB-D port on the back of the unit that looks like a RS232-connector (in fact I don't know if it is one).
This extension contains a RAM buffered by a rechargeable battery.
With this hooked on, the oscilloscope remembers its last settings and restores them after powering on.
In fact it looses memory again if I don't use the oscilloscope over a longer period of time. Haven't researched that really so I can't give you a number of days.
I got it from a local surplus dealer, Helmut Singer but I'm nearly confident he doesn't sell them any more because the company closed and is currently in liquidation (sells rests of their stock though).

If you are interested I'll crawl behind my PM 3065 and have a look if I can find out it's name or number -perhaps I can take a look into it.


Thanks for the offer, it's not necessary since I rarely use that scope. Otherwise, a teardown would be interesting anyway. I guess there's some kind of micro involved, since I don't know of a way to connect a battery backed SRAM through a SUB-D 9 connector without one. Or maybe some shift registers? This SUB-D 9 isn't a RS232 at all AFAIR.

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Offline kleiner Rainer

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55015 on: April 08, 2020, 06:25:54 am »
Thanks for the offer, it's not necessary since I rarely use that scope. Otherwise, a teardown would be interesting anyway. I guess there's some kind of micro involved, since I don't know of a way to connect a battery backed SRAM through a SUB-D 9 connector without one. Or maybe some shift registers? This SUB-D 9 isn't a RS232 at all AFAIR.

Possibly an I2C battery backed up RAM? PCF8570/8571? Or RTC PCF8583?

Rainer
 

Offline grizewald

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55016 on: April 08, 2020, 06:44:54 am »
Just a quick "I'm still alive" message.

Day 2: headache still debilitating, fever still present, aching bones still there but partially buried under the paracetamol.

These finished printing yesterday morning, so once I'm on my feet again, I'll be able to screw them to the side of a bookshelf and finally have somewhere to hang all my test leads.

  Lord of Sealand
 
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Offline Ice-Tea

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55017 on: April 08, 2020, 07:11:15 am »
RF riddle of the day. CMU200.

With a 100Hz span (1kHz too), I get this:



No, no modulation is applied.

10kHz and everything else looks fine. Except that it's 10dB off (too low)



The 10dB offset is also present in the selftesting routine on all frequencies and attenuations....



But oddly *not* on the power meter



Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55018 on: April 08, 2020, 07:25:21 am »
Now look what followed me home today ...


Nice, I've got one too (followed me home in a similar way as yours). Service manual with schematics can be found on the net. It has a nice sharp trace, but one thing I really dislike: All the settings are lost on power down, the scope always starts to the same defaults (no battery inside to replace that could backup the settings). And if the LCD backlight is burned out (it's incandescent), the LCD is hard to read.

Oh, wait a moment - mine has more buttons, indeed it's a PM3055. Looks quite similar otherwise.

I know that behaviour of settings memory loss over powercycle from my PM3065, too.
I came across a little extension that plugs in to a 9 pin SUB-D port on the back of the unit that looks like a RS232-connector (in fact I don't know if it is one).
This extension contains a RAM buffered by a rechargeable battery.
With this hooked on, the oscilloscope remembers its last settings and restores them after powering on.
In fact it looses memory again if I don't use the oscilloscope over a longer period of time. Haven't researched that really so I can't give you a number of days.
I got it from a local surplus dealer, Helmut Singer but I'm nearly confident he doesn't sell them any more because the company closed and is currently in liquidation (sells rests of their stock though).

If you are interested I'll crawl behind my PM 3065 and have a look if I can find out it's name or number -perhaps I can take a look into it.

I have so many scopes now that the best I can hope for is getting the PM3050 to work. Then it'll be put on a shelf and all but forgotten. I can hardly see why I should actually have a real use for it, with all the other ones around. The bane of TEA: having lots of gear but no use for it.
Sometimes having just the bare necessities does have an appeal to me. But then I look at some TE and feel the urge to own it.
Maybe I should consult a shrink. :scared:
 
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Offline Ero-Shan

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55019 on: April 08, 2020, 07:50:35 am »
A few days ago ...

... there was a CRO on the bay that looked like I might get it cheaply. For parts only, smashed BNC, missing knob. Somehow it reminded me of the very first scopes I had seen as a young boy. And not much money lost, anyway. I actually got it for 6.50 € + 9.50 € shipping.

It is a Philips PM3230, a true dual beam scope:


The overall appearance of the instrument is (to me) that Philips tried to create an instrument for the professional market: The PCBs are layed out nicely, it is unclobbered, the trimmers are mostly separated from the PCBs, labeled and arranged neatly.

Alas, the ordeal of shipping - although not too shabby packaged - was too much for the power switch, and, even worse, for all those plastic PCB mounts. Upon opening, a small pile of broken plastic emerged. :(

Please note the huge diameter of the CRT where the deflection plates are connected!

There also has been a repair (attempt?) that does make me uneasy. Repaired/original channel side by side:

In it's current condition, I won't try to power it up (there are some broken wires from the not fastened PCB, after all). But at least it has got all tubes, so I won't complain.

From what I've read, the scope seems to be rather unstable. The combination of tubes and germanium transistors wasn't a match made in heaven. :P

One fine day, I hope I might see a trace on that screen.

One more thing: That was the time when they all used those 'quick open/close' screw-like mechanisms instead of real screws. If only they ever worked! :palm:


I have a close cousin that is in much worse condition to your a PM3231. Still have some feathers and bird poo to remove from the outside before I think of putting power to it :palm: Not sure what the availability of manuals is like but I do have a paper one for mine and a large format Circuit Diagram if it will help you.

It came with a copy of the circuit diagram in paper form (poor quality). Found the manual on BAMA, albeit in Dutch ("Dubbelstraal oscillograaf"). This CRO is way behind in my repair queue. Might well be years until I get at it.

The PM3231 offers higher bandwidth, doesn't it?
 

Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55020 on: April 08, 2020, 08:02:43 am »
RF riddle of the day. CMU200.

With a 100Hz span (1kHz too), I get this:

(Attachment Link)

No, no modulation is applied.

10kHz and everything else looks fine. Except that it's 10dB off (too low)

(Attachment Link)

The 10dB offset is also present in the selftesting routine on all frequencies and attenuations....

(Attachment Link)

But oddly *not* on the power meter

(Attachment Link)

Given that my total knowledge of spectrum analyzers could fit in a thimble I offer nothing.  :-//

Edit...I'm sure you know what the problem is. You're just testing us. I fail.  :-DD
« Last Edit: April 08, 2020, 08:04:33 am by med6753 »
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Offline Ice-Tea

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55021 on: April 08, 2020, 08:12:33 am »
Uhm, yeah, sure. Exactly.

Actually, no.

This one has me stumped, actually. By no means an expert, but most of the time I have at least an idea. This time, logic seems to be lost, though..

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55022 on: April 08, 2020, 08:20:44 am »
A few days ago ...

... there was a CRO on the bay that looked like I might get it cheaply. For parts only, smashed BNC, missing knob. Somehow it reminded me of the very first scopes I had seen as a young boy. And not much money lost, anyway. I actually got it for 6.50 € + 9.50 € shipping.

It is a Philips PM3230, a true dual beam scope:


The overall appearance of the instrument is (to me) that Philips tried to create an instrument for the professional market: The PCBs are layed out nicely, it is unclobbered, the trimmers are mostly separated from the PCBs, labeled and arranged neatly.

Alas, the ordeal of shipping - although not too shabby packaged - was too much for the power switch, and, even worse, for all those plastic PCB mounts. Upon opening, a small pile of broken plastic emerged. :(

Please note the huge diameter of the CRT where the deflection plates are connected!

There also has been a repair (attempt?) that does make me uneasy. Repaired/original channel side by side:

In it's current condition, I won't try to power it up (there are some broken wires from the not fastened PCB, after all). But at least it has got all tubes, so I won't complain.

From what I've read, the scope seems to be rather unstable. The combination of tubes and germanium transistors wasn't a match made in heaven. :P

One fine day, I hope I might see a trace on that screen.

One more thing: That was the time when they all used those 'quick open/close' screw-like mechanisms instead of real screws. If only they ever worked! :palm:


I have a close cousin that is in much worse condition to your a PM3231. Still have some feathers and bird poo to remove from the outside before I think of putting power to it :palm: Not sure what the availability of manuals is like but I do have a paper one for mine and a large format Circuit Diagram if it will help you.

It came with a copy of the circuit diagram in paper form (poor quality). Found the manual on BAMA, albeit in Dutch ("Dubbelstraal oscillograaf"). This CRO is way behind in my repair queue. Might well be years until I get at it.

The PM3231 offers higher bandwidth, doesn't it?

Only 15 Meg compared to 10 so not much  ;) Like you it is really low on the list.
Coffee, Food, R/C and electronics nerd in no particular order. Also CNC wannabe, 3D printer and Laser Cutter Junkie and just don't mention my TEA addiction....
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55023 on: April 08, 2020, 10:25:08 am »
I was trying similar strategies against squirrels couple years ago. I ended up using a cage, was working quite nicely. I reckon, in your case, you would probably need to increase the size of the cage and that would probably attract neighbours attention.

* For the record, I relocated all the squirrels I caught in a park far far away.

The question is where do I relocate the humans I have caught?

Trying to decide if I need a Fluke 8010A in the collection again at the moment. There are a few being sold at the moment  :-//
 
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Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #55024 on: April 08, 2020, 10:35:58 am »
Just a quick "I'm still alive" message.

Day 2: headache still debilitating, fever still present, aching bones still there but partially buried under the paracetamol.

Glad you're still kicking.

Just realised that I should have said something about the below yesterday.

If it really starts getting on my nerves, I still have some very special pain killers left from my battle with cancer. Take a couple of those and you really don't have a care in the world!  :-DD

I'm presuming that those are opioids of some sort. Opioids are respiratory depressants, that is they reduce the neurological impulse to breathe. Not the thing to be taking when you've got a disease with serious respiratory effects. Let me stress that again, do not take any opioids if you've got a respiratory problem except on direct medical advice, and even then question them about the respiratory depression effects.
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 
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