Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

      

Ifni save me... I'm going there.   

mnem

I hope it works after all that effort. 

In all honesty, fixing the optical assy mechanicals is the most fun I've had in weeks.    This tedious micro-bodgery is the only part of it that feels like actual work. 

mnem
*tssssst...*

[0culus]

I had gathered by now that Saskia was a she. Mansaxel is too then ?! So that's too girls on a nerdy forum, I am impressed. Any other girl on TEA ? BU ? BD ? Specmaster ? Zucca ?  Don't be shy...

I identify as an attack helicopter.

[mnementh]

      

Ifni save me... I'm going there.   

mnem

I hope it works after all that effort. 

In all honesty, fixing the optical assy mechanicals is the most fun I've had in weeks.    This tedious micro-bodgery is the only part of it that feels like actual work. 

mnem
*tssssst...*

Microbodgery done; continuity exactly where I expect it and not anywhere else. A couple layers of Kapton to make sure it plays well with the metal chassis of the camera.

Like last time, this is a good place to stop. Next insanity installment tomorrow. 

mnem
 

[capt bullshot]

And now for something completely different   Fun with TEA!   (SNIP)

Now, I've taken the heat gun and partially warmed the RG174 by maybe 5°C ... 10°C. Result is here:

 There's a change in delay of the warmed up RG174 line of about 2.5ps within 12sec.

And the Capt'n is impressively far in already, mind! I have tried to build something comperable twice now, with the experiment (as shown) the significant "is it good enough" test. And whilst twice I insisted on unconventional methods (by building from stock my junk box the hoard) and I got closer the second time, twice I failed so far. TL;DR: I am reasonably impressed - my device has noise at least 10 times higher...

I've got another DMTD contraption built with XOR gates (a modification of the one I've shown here some time ago, inspired by your unconventional methods). Its performance is quite similar to this one, for what I've tested up to yesterday. Yes, it's an rabbit hole and Bunny won't get it back soon ...

This stuff enables you to measure e.g. how well your AWG / Signal generators synchronize to the external 10MHz reference. E.g. the Tek AWG is way better to test this than the Anritsu MG3633 SGs, though they're are said famous for their low phase noise. Or, a borrowed HPAK33522B from work: It's slightly better than the Tek here.

[capt bullshot]

      

Ifni save me... I'm going there.   

mnem

Been there, done that - long time ago when I could use my eyes without artificial amplification to do such soldering. Last time I had a broken FPC, luckily some chinese seller offered replacement for little money.

[mansaxel]

I've got another DMTD contraption built with XOR gates (inspired by your unconventional methods). Its performance is quite similar to this one, for what I've tested up to yesterday. Yes, it's an rabbit hole and Bunny won't get it back soon ...

Most of this goes comfortably over my head, which is something of a  moment -- since I'm supposed to understand at least a little bit about time / frequency transfer. First relevant Google hit on "DMTD" is a MSc thesis from Poland on the White Rabbit network, where clock synchronisation to 1ns is achieved over Synchronous Ethernet, using IEEE1588 Precision Time Protocol. My applications at work have 10³ less precision requirements than that. 

Edit: Swenglish somewhat corrected.

[capt bullshot]

Most of this goes comfortably over my head, which is something of a  moment -- since I'm supposed to understand at least a little bit about time / frequency transfer. First relevant Google hit on "DMTD" is a MSc thesis from Poland on the White Rabbit network, where clock synchronisation to 1ns is achieved over Synchronous Ethernet, using IEEE1588 Precision Time Protocol. My applications at work have 10³ less precision requirements than that. 

Edit: Swenglish somewhat corrected.

This one gets nearer to what I'm trying to achieve:
http://www.stable32.com/A%20Small%20DMTD%20System.pdf
And there's a thread here on eevblog:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/dmtd-board/?all

DMTD typically is all about measuring oscillator stability to ppt (1e-12) or better. The main point is: By mixing the DUT frequency with e.g. a 100Hz (10Hz, 1Hz) offset reference, the errors get multiplied by the ratio of reference to offset frequency (e.g. 100000 for 10Mhz / 100Hz), this way shifting picoseconds into 100's nanoseconds range, which can be easily measured by conventional counters. The TA520 is quite a luxury item here, as its 25ps resolution isn't required at all for these measurements.

[vk6zgo]

Nothing a ham has touched is probably working.

That's not nice of you to say. Most things I've touched were already broken before I repaired them. ;-)

Are you sure you aren't Irish?

[vk6zgo]

I had gathered by now that Saskia was a she.

Was? Still is as far as I know ... 

"Was" for someone who still "is" is common Australian English usage,--------maybe also French?

[dl6lr]

"Was" for someone who still "is" is common Australian English usage,--------maybe also French?

Same in german common speak.

[ch_scr]

Just got an email from keysight promoting this playlist on their Youtube channel.
Their pitch: No more secrets! Hear it from the engineers themselves – this is what’s behind the most powerful signal analyzer on the planet.
Also, it allows a look at their facilitys in some of the backgrounds 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2XuMA5AwNUwm8pKzVQzDGCjrMzdovFyG

[Saskia]

I had gathered by now that Saskia was a she.

Was? Still is as far as I know ... 

No intention of changing that 


Here you can find the teddy bear Mnem was talking about ...

[Vince]

I had gathered by now that Saskia was a she. Mansaxel is too then ?! So that's too girls on a nerdy forum, I am impressed. Any other girl on TEA ? BU ? BD ? Specmaster ? Zucca ?  Don't be shy...

I identify as an attack helicopter.

That's perfectly fine with me, I just love helicopters 

[Vince]

I had gathered by now that Saskia was a she.

Was? Still is as far as I know ... 

"Was" for someone who still "is" is common Australian English usage,--------maybe also French?

Yes this is exactly it. We say "was" even if talking to the person in the eye and he/she is very much alive and talking to you !   
Interesting to know some English speaking countries do the same.. but not all of them.  Makes life more difficult for the foreigner that I am...
And the Germans do it too then... how comes...

[Vince]

I had gathered by now that Saskia was a she.

Was? Still is as far as I know ... 

No intention of changing that 


Here you can find the teddy bear Mnem was talking about ...

I will never look at my Teddy bear the same way...

[med6753]

I had gathered by now that Saskia was a she.

Was? Still is as far as I know ... 

No intention of changing that 

I hope not. We need someone around here to clean the place and cook the meals.   

J/K. 

[nfmax]

I had gathered by now that Saskia was a she. Mansaxel is too then ?! So that's too girls on a nerdy forum, I am impressed. Any other girl on TEA ? BU ? BD ? Specmaster ? Zucca ?  Don't be shy...

I identify as an attack helicopter.

That's perfectly fine with me, I just love helicopters 

But French helicopters go round the wrong way!

[Specmaster]

      

Ifni save me... I'm going there.   

mnem

That is a typical Louis Rossman style "bodge" 

[med6753]

      

Ifni save me... I'm going there.   

mnem

That is a typical Louis Rossman style "bodge" 

Bodge or not, don't knock it if it works. 

[med6753]

Pee Wee Herman is at my local PO to be delivered today.

I hope it hasn't been to any movie theaters lately. 

[Specmaster]

      

Ifni save me... I'm going there.   

mnem

That is a typical Louis Rossman style "bodge" 

Bodge or not, don't knock it if it works. 

Totally agree, I don't have issues with Louis's repairs 

[Saskia]

Proposal to develop Insulin sensor submitted to the powers that be.
Now need to forward this to our CEO thru channels just in case some midlevel management critter decides that it's too much work to take a stand ...

[xrunner]

I had gathered by now that Saskia was a she.

Was? Still is as far as I know ... 

No intention of changing that 

Was, is, and will be! 

Now about Vince ... 

[Vince]

I had gathered by now that Saskia was a she. Mansaxel is too then ?! So that's too girls on a nerdy forum, I am impressed. Any other girl on TEA ? BU ? BD ? Specmaster ? Zucca ?  Don't be shy...

I identify as an attack helicopter.

That's perfectly fine with me, I just love helicopters 

But French helicopters go round the wrong way!

 

I don't know if there is a right or wrong way, however it is true that the main rotor on French helicopters does turn one direction but helis from the US or other countries rotate in the opposite direction ! 
This is less and less true though, since the French helis are now less and less French. The EC135 and 145 IIRC are originally an old German design so their rotor is turning the "right" way. Also, newer designs like the EC175 were co-designed with the Chinese so I suspect it also turns the "right"/"international" way.

As years go by and older French designs get phased out, progressively all French helis will rotate the same direction as the rest of the heli world...

[Vince]

I had gathered by now that Saskia was a she.

Was? Still is as far as I know ... 

No intention of changing that 

Was, is, and will be! 

Now about Vince ... 

Well same for me, was is and will be, hopefully for a few more decades !