Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

Mega M328 328 Atmel.
Those little useful component testers
- what is this 3 legged thing... it will tell you..

That red one was the first one I ever got; mine was preassembled tho. Postmortem revealed the 3.3V reg was dead short and the Atmega328 took it personally. Shocking. That's when I got the Yiwangia unit you guys may have seen on my bench; it came built into a recycled caller ID shell. That one runs on a recycled puffy LiPo from my Delta wing. 

   

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2060353.m570.l1313&_nkw=ESR02&_sacat=0

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=DTU-1701&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=DTU1701

Since then, I've upgraded... got one of these BSIDE ESR202 Pro units for CAD$27 WITH the tweezers; vendor had the black one on sale, and the red one $10 less for some reason.  Only took 3 weeks from China.

I highly recommend it; the ZIF socket pinout on the 328 Component Tester is a wee bit confusing; the slots on this one are much more straightforward. Also, it reliably tests LEDs and generally gives more consistent results than older firmwares.

But the big thing for me is the SMD test panel being all up high and easy to get to; that is just... the shit. Nothing else makes testing tiny chip parts as ... well, not easy. I'm too old and too bad eyesight for it to ever be easy again.    But at least it's not like volunteering to get kicked in the junk over and over again, like most handwork with SMDs is.   I can reliably get valid results even with 0602 and SOT-23 parts using this thing. 

EDIT:    I forgot... this thing is also available one eBay & Aliex as the DTU-1701, often for a few dollars cheaper. Usually can still be found ~US$25-27 net if you shop carefully. Look for V3.1 or newer.

mnem
 

[med6753]

I've got one too.

[mnementh]

I feel your pain.

The best stuff I've ever found for repairing plastic is this:  https://www.amazon.com/Devcon-22045-Plastic-Welder-Dev-Tube/dp/B003NUGL9S

It smells so evil you just know it has to work.  And it does.  I've even glued paddle switches back together with this stuff, strong as new. This product has a shelf life of a year, make sure you get fresh stuff and you're golden.

Too thick. I need the wicking action of CA. I have a bottle of Bondene ABS welding solvent on the way; I just need to stop glancing over to the the side of my bench where the 54645A sits, mocking me.

mnem
"It mocks me, and I am mocked. Make it stop!"

[Specmaster]

That red one was the first one I ever got; mine was preassembled tho. Postmortem revealed the 3.3V reg was dead short and the Atmega328 took it personally. Shocking. That's when I got the Yiwangia unit you guys may have seen on my bench; it came built into a recycled caller ID shell. That one runs on a recycled puffy LiPo from my Delta wing. 

   

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2060353.m570.l1313&_nkw=ESR02&_sacat=0

Since then, I've upgraded... got one of these BSIDE ESR202 Pro units for CAD$27 WITH the tweezers; vendor had the black one on sale, and the red one $10 less for some reason.  Only took 3 weeks from China.

I highly recommend it; the ZIF socket pinout on the 328 Component Tester is a wee bit confusing; the slots on this one are much more straightforward. Also, it reliably tests LEDs and generally gives more consistent results than older firmwares.

But the big thing for me is the SMD test panel being all up high and easy to get to; that is just... the shit. Nothing else makes testing tiny chip parts as ... well, not easy. I'm too old and too bad eyesight for it to ever be easy again.    But at least it's not like volunteering to get kicked in the junk over and over again, like most handwork with SMDs is.   I can reliably get valid results even with 0602 and SOT-23 parts using this thing. 

mnem
 

Are the specs on the listing correct, it only does 0-50   , what about the ESR of caps?

I expect it does and this a classic case of a lazy seller?

[mnementh]

I have no idea which vendor's listing you're talking about; I posted two eBay searches in thread... 

mnem
 

[mnementh]

mnem
 

[SilverSolder]

I feel your pain.

The best stuff I've ever found for repairing plastic is this:  https://www.amazon.com/Devcon-22045-Plastic-Welder-Dev-Tube/dp/B003NUGL9S

It smells so evil you just know it has to work.  And it does.  I've even glued paddle switches back together with this stuff, strong as new. This product has a shelf life of a year, make sure you get fresh stuff and you're golden.

Too thick. I need the wicking action of CA. I have a bottle of Bondene ABS welding solvent on the way; I just need to stop glancing over to the the side of my bench where the 54645A sits, mocking me.

mnem
"It mocks me, and I am mocked. Make it stop!"

The urethanes can also be used to strengthen something on the back, even if you pieced the jigsaw back together with CA for aesthetic reasons.  Basically cut a V groove in the crack on the back, and fill it in with the high strength stuff - and you get the best of both worlds.

[Neomys Sapiens]

I'm having one of the earlier models of these universal testers. As Spec wrote, very useful for repairs and for characterizing unkown parts. I've putted mine in a Bopla case and created a little storage for the testing leads.

The DUT here is a TIP132.

BU508A, I strongly advise to give some consideration to the wellbeing of your ears!
Klemmkästen sind KEINE Geraetegehaeuse!
(Junction boxes are NOT instrument enclosures!)

[Specmaster]

I have no idea which vendor's listing you're talking about; I posted two searches in thread... 

mnem
 

Almost all the vendors quoted 0-50 , some quote nothing but I did see one or two that quoted 50M which is a bit more like it. Quite an interesting item through but for now, I'll stick with what I have.

[BU508A]

Mega M328 328 Atmel.
Those little useful component testers
- what is this 3 legged thing... it will tell you..

https://youtu.be/geClqpqGQcc

Tony, where is your fume extractor?

Dave reviewed one ca. 5 months back.

[BU508A]

I'm having one of the earlier models of these universal testers. As Spec wrote, very useful for repairs and for characterizing unkown parts. I've putted mine in a Bopla case and created a little storage for the testing leads.

The DUT here is a TIP132.

BU508A, I strongly advise to give some consideration to the wellbeing of your ears!
Klemmkästen sind KEINE Geraetegehaeuse!
(Junction boxes are NOT instrument enclosures!)

Och menno! Nix darf man! *kicking little pebbles*

In my defense, I was left unsupervised.

And the enclosure from Bopla is no Klemmenkasten, it is a Euromas II EM 217 F and even Bopla is offering feet for it.

Hoping, this time my ears will be left alone.   

[mnementh]

   I have no idea which vendor's listing you're talking about; I posted two eBay searches in thread... 

mnem
 

Almost all the vendors quoted 0-50 , some quote nothing but I did see one or two that quoted 50M which is a bit more like it. Quite an interesting item through but for now, I'll stick with what I have.

      

Oh, I wasn't suggesting you should kick yours to the curb; I was just promoting my current favorite for folks who are actually looking for such a beast or who might have a few TEA-assignable shekels burning a hole in their pockets. I bought mine primarily because my collection of the things are still in a trailer in Buffalony. 

mnem
 

[uski]

All TEA inmates are invited to help me choose what to buy on my next equipment purchase. 

>> Rigol MSO5074 or Siglent SDS2104X Plus ? <<

PS: "Buy both" is NOT ALLOWED 

[med6753]

All TEA inmates are invited to help me choose what to buy on my next equipment purchase. 

>> Rigol MSO5074 or Siglent SDS2104X Plus ? <<

PS: "Buy both" is NOT ALLOWED 

Is buy neither allowed? Get one of these.   

[0culus]

Yes, every self respecting lab needs at least one Tek glowing scope. 

[Saskia]

looks like one of the old radar operator panels. When the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor ...

[bd139]

Yes, every self respecting lab needs at least one Tek glowing scope. 

And an RPN calculator 

[AVGresponding]

[Brumby]

When you see TWO handles on a bit of kit, you just know you're in the market for a forklift .... or spinal damage.

[mansaxel]

Klemmkästen sind KEINE Geraetegehaeuse!
(Junction boxes are NOT instrument enclosures!)

Doch! Das sind sie. Vielleicht nicht so elegant wie gewünscht, aber doch.

(Oh indeed they are, perhaps not as elegant as you'd wish, but still!)

[tonyalbus]

All TEA inmates are invited to help me choose what to buy on my next equipment purchase. 

>> Rigol MSO5074 or Siglent SDS2104X Plus ? <<

PS: "Buy both" is NOT ALLOWED 

iwould always go for siglent ...

[tonyalbus]

Mega M328 328 Atmel.
Those little useful component testers
- what is this 3 legged thing... it will tell you..

https://youtu.be/geClqpqGQcc

Tony, where is your fume extractor?

Dave reviewed one ca. 5 months back.

on the floor, bench full  .  for little solder job, i open window... i would be defferent if its my day job... but you are correct...

[tautech]

All TEA inmates are invited to help me choose what to buy on my next equipment purchase. 

>> Rigol MSO5074 or Siglent SDS2104X Plus ? <<

PS: "Buy both" is NOT ALLOWED 

That's what Howardlong did !

[bd139]

Howardlong is slightly insanely well equipped and probably should be in here. I bought a Tek 465 off him years ago and his place was up to the ceiling with gear 

[med6753]

Howardlong is slightly insanely well equipped and probably should be in here. I bought a Tek 465 off him years ago and his place was up to the ceiling with gear 

Someone I can look up to. I'm not too far behind him.