Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mansaxel]

Are sure that you didn't just see the "math' of 'mathmos'? Could be part of an interference engine.

NOW I remembered where I recognised the fun in "interference engine" -- it has to be a play on "Difference Engine" which is the title and subject of a SF novel by Gibson and Sterling, widely regarded as the spark of steampunk.  Not that it detracts from your innovative use of the concept, it is in style, and I'm all for it.

It's been in my shelf for some time, shall I reread it?

[hendorog]

Anybody is looking for a good old 26GHz VNA for 450$ ? Shipping might be a bit expensive though


This is sad but I don't think I have the place for a giant like that.

NOoooo run away.....
Two big issues, no RF source (needs a 8341A) and that big slot on the top right side marked "Tape" 
About the only bit of any value is the S parameter test set and even that needs major mods to work with other analysers.
Then there all the cables, calibration and verification kits.
You can do much better for les total outlay unless you really need ultimate performance.

I agree with Robert.
The RF hardware (8515A) is the special part, and you can't get it cheaply in modern equipment. The rest of it has been superseded and can be replaced using modern HW and SW.

On that note it isn't hard to repurpose the test set. I've got one working on my 8753C.
The samplers and VTO are either removed or disconnected and I added a second transfer switch to bring the dual R lines back into a single for the 8753.
No fan required - at least mine came without one anyway and I never bothered.

The test set functions are manually controlled currently using GPIB commands from a laptop, which a few of us worked out here a while ago.
I intend to make it automatic, but that intention has been sitting in the intention box for quite a while now.

I did say major modifications, not difficult...

I told Rob (tautech) that would be the first thing you would say

Actually easier than it sounds - just took out a few parts, added one and re-routed a few cables. Everything was off the shelf, no cutting/soldering etc so it can actually be put back to original if required in maybe an hour or so.
Lots of empty space in the thing so it is simple stuff.

I just scored a 8753B Unfortunatly it has a 75R test set. But it did come with all the original cables, cal kit (75R), 11850C and 9122D FDD.  It apperars to be a "one driver" from new machine. It has option 2 and Firmware 3.0 factory installed. They had a "C" model too but it was £500 more. For that difference I'll put a LCD upgrade in the B. I also got a 8754A with 50R S parameter test set wth leads. It has a minor issue that all the CRT controls are loose. the come out of the panel on a long 1/8" shaft. I'm guessing that they had plastic couplers that have shrunk and split. No rush on that one as I have a working 8754A already.

Nice. I had an 8753B for a while, which I fixed up and sold. I really like the look of green vector screens on those, but those LCDs look awesome.

[xrunner]

Anyway, could not resist, I powered up the beast then too it apart, pictures below ! 
This way you an see the period power cord and I also fitted the little hood/visor on the CRT.

Big Iron for sure. I notice the finishing on the larger metal parts/pieces - I always liked that kind of finish but I don't know how it was done.

[BU508A]

Arrival today and a little riddle for you:
where does this mainboard coming from?



Edit:
to be more specific: from which device is this mainboard coming from?

@Zucca: Yes, you are right. 

Well you got me on that one. Design cues suggest something analogue and carefully designed with some amount of digital brains on this board driving the whole show. Only thing I can see is “MATH MOTHER BD” so it’s clearly the brains of the outfit.

Calibrator? No idea 

Edit: ooh hang on are those displays at the bottom?

Are sure that you didn't just see the "math' of 'mathmos'? Could be part of an interference engine.

Barbarella is ALWAYS an option, but not in this case. 

A counter?

Nope. The first guess of bd139 was right.  It is a calibrator.
Here is the top side of the mainboard.

[Specmaster]

Gah, fecking internet is on the blink yet, bleeding Virginmedia, their M350 service keep going down ever since I cancelled their M500 service, I have almost nightly outages and I'm getting a bit pissed with them, anyone know of another service that offer 300Mb service or better for around £50?

I'm currently looking to ditch VM/Telewest/Blueyonder, since there is now FTTP outside my house and as far as I can tell they will poke a fibre into my house.

Problem is I also want landline, just because I'm a belt-and-braces pessimist. Previously I had a BT landline and ISDN(!) connection, but the wires have been disconnected from the other pole outside my house.

BT indicates they can give me a much cheaper price than VM. But I'd prefer Andrews and Arnold or Zen.

So investigations continue, but are paying second fiddle to Deeds of Variation and IHT400. If you don't have a clue what those are, consider yourself lucky.

Indeed, unfortunately I do happen to know what both of those are, but I was the sole benefactor when my Mum passed and my inheritance did not attract the attention of HM, Good luck with those issues.

[bd139]

Gah, fecking internet is on the blink yet, bleeding Virginmedia, their M350 service keep going down ever since I cancelled their M500 service, I have almost nightly outages and I'm getting a bit pissed with them, anyone know of another service that offer 300Mb service or better for around £50?

I'm currently looking to ditch VM/Telewest/Blueyonder, since there is now FTTP outside my house and as far as I can tell they will poke a fibre into my house.

Problem is I also want landline, just because I'm a belt-and-braces pessimist. Previously I had a BT landline and ISDN(!) connection, but the wires have been disconnected from the other pole outside my house.

BT indicates they can give me a much cheaper price than VM. But I'd prefer Andrews and Arnold or Zen.

So investigations continue, but are paying second fiddle to Deeds of Variation and IHT400. If you don't have a clue what those are, consider yourself lucky.

@tggzz: Go Zen. I wouldn't bother with a land line unless you really need it. The issue is they are now terminated at the same box in the street as your FTTP so there are no redundancy benefits. It's way past pessimism. If the power goes, your comms do. Buy a 3m HT and get to know the locals (only joking  ). Good luck with the nightmare on your hands - I know exactly what those are unfortunately.

You're probably better with a basic 4g phone (nokia lump) and a SIM now for reliability. Our local service here has been down a lot less time than the land line, which was chopped in half by some wankers with a hedge trimmer.

@Specmaster - 300 meg on Zen is £49 a month and it actually works properly and you get a router that isn't a complete sack of shit.

[mansaxel]

Totally agree with you. I saw that thread and decided not to comment because quite frankly I have the same arguments at work

As always we're sharecropping on a public forum which is always an operational risk for any community.

I really must finish that backup script but my love for writing code is being hampered by my employment. On a positive note I've got 23 days accrued holiday to use up before the end of the year so I might get bored after a week off. Actually I could take a month out and do a contract 🤔

It's really strange ... this place is full of very smart software and hardware geeks. They can tear into just about anything, tell you how it was made, re-engineer it, fix it, improve it. Nothing is off-limits! But for some reason the forum software is too hard to fix? I have installed, run, and dealt with these "mods" before. But it was over ten years ago and I'm way out of the loop on SMF now. But I do know, if I ever had one of those "mods" act buggy the first thing I did was get it the Hell off my forum before it caused more problems, no matter how many code inserts it made I went in and deleted them by hand if the uninstall didn't work.

Rant over I'm done, nothing will happen. 

I had the misfortune of running a small phpBB install back in say 2004-2005. It broke on every upgrade. And the patches and mods usually were responsible for that.  I did learn a lot about defensive sysadminning then, making sure that you had a plan B. And a plan C.  Poor SS4 with SunOS 5.8 that was.

This is one of the major reasons I will not allow PHP on my machines, and certainly not for public-facing sites. I recently have been playing with a vm that runs OPNsense, though, and that actually seems to be written by people who are careful and possess clue. It being built on top of HardenedBSD of course keeps the LennartWare people away, and that makes for quality.

[Cubdriver]

Anyway, could not resist, I powered up the beast then too it apart, pictures below ! 
This way you an see the period power cord and I also fitted the little hood/visor on the CRT.

Big Iron for sure. I notice the finishing on the larger metal parts/pieces - I always liked that kind of finish but I don't know how it was done.

You mean the very fine scratches in the panels?  Probably done with a Timesaver or the like.  We used a lot of sheet metal at my old job and it had that sort of a surface finish.



-Pat

[BU508A]

I do like the Tektronix mug, even if we don't use mugs all that much over here. Certainly never had one in my life, and I am 44... so clearly not an essential part of life here !

I'm having some more of those mugs, if you want one. 
EUR 15.- plus shipping to France. 

[tggzzz]

Gah, fecking internet is on the blink yet, bleeding Virginmedia, their M350 service keep going down ever since I cancelled their M500 service, I have almost nightly outages and I'm getting a bit pissed with them, anyone know of another service that offer 300Mb service or better for around £50?

I'm currently looking to ditch VM/Telewest/Blueyonder, since there is now FTTP outside my house and as far as I can tell they will poke a fibre into my house.

Problem is I also want landline, just because I'm a belt-and-braces pessimist. Previously I had a BT landline and ISDN(!) connection, but the wires have been disconnected from the other pole outside my house.

BT indicates they can give me a much cheaper price than VM. But I'd prefer Andrews and Arnold or Zen.

So investigations continue, but are paying second fiddle to Deeds of Variation and IHT400. If you don't have a clue what those are, consider yourself lucky.

@tggzz: Go Zen. I wouldn't bother with a land line unless you really need it. The issue is they are now terminated at the same box in the street as your FTTP so there are no redundancy benefits. It's way past pessimism. If the power goes, your comms do. Buy a 3m HT and get to know the locals (only joking  ). Good luck with the nightmare on your hands - I know exactly what those are unfortunately.

You're probably better with a basic 4g phone (nokia lump) and a SIM now for reliability. Our local service here has been down a lot less time than the land line, which was chopped in half by some wankers with a hedge trimmer.

Smart phones won't cut it for me, unfortunately. I'm -110dB in one ear[1] and -80dB in the other. If the better ear gets any worse, I'm elegible for a cochlear implant!

The other issue is dropping the damn things in water or having them fall out of a pocket. I've had both happen, once including a 6m fall from the roof onto concrete which the clamshell phone survived.

[1] the deafaid for that ear doesn't have a loudspeaker; it transmits the sound to the less grotty ear.

[BU508A]

Arrival today and a little riddle for you:
where does this mainboard coming from?



Edit:
to be more specific: from which device is this mainboard coming from?

@Zucca: Yes, you are right. 

Are those five relays on the bottom edge of the board?

Yes, they are. To be exact: those are sockets for some relays.
See top view of the board in the previous posting.

[bd139]

Arrival today and a little riddle for you:
where does this mainboard coming from?



Edit:
to be more specific: from which device is this mainboard coming from?

@Zucca: Yes, you are right. 

Well you got me on that one. Design cues suggest something analogue and carefully designed with some amount of digital brains on this board driving the whole show. Only thing I can see is “MATH MOTHER BD” so it’s clearly the brains of the outfit.

Calibrator? No idea 

Edit: ooh hang on are those displays at the bottom?

Are sure that you didn't just see the "math' of 'mathmos'? Could be part of an interference engine.

Barbarella is ALWAYS an option, but not in this case. 

A counter?

Nope. The first guess of bd139 was right.  It is a calibrator.
Here is the top side of the mainboard.

Woohoo 

Now the answer is which calibrator?

TRW caps and legend suggests American and Fluke.

Lost - can't find or know anything that matches.

[Vince]

Anyway, could not resist, I powered up the beast then too it apart, pictures below ! 
This way you an see the period power cord and I also fitted the little hood/visor on the CRT.

Uh.... just realized I forgot to post the very pic illustrating the above ! 

Here it is below ! 

Big Iron for sure. I notice the finishing on the larger metal parts/pieces - I always liked that kind of finish but I don't know how it was done.

You mean the dull/mat light grey finish, in contrast with the shiny chromed handle bars and toggle switches ?
Yeah I like it too (don't like shiny stuff), but not versed into H/W so no idea what kind of finish it is.
Looks real nice up close though, especially the myriad of 6mm screws all around the face plate that secure the instrument to its cabinet.
Looks kinda similar to these stainless steel screws, maybe they are, don't know...

[Cubdriver]

Woohoo 

Now the answer is which calibrator?

TRW caps and legend suggests American and Fluke.

Lost - can't find or know anything that matches.

Those damned interlocking fork 'edge' connectors suggest Fluke, too - hate those fucking things - can't find extender cards for them.

-Pat

[tggzzz]

Gah, fecking internet is on the blink yet, bleeding Virginmedia, their M350 service keep going down ever since I cancelled their M500 service, I have almost nightly outages and I'm getting a bit pissed with them, anyone know of another service that offer 300Mb service or better for around £50?

I'm currently looking to ditch VM/Telewest/Blueyonder, since there is now FTTP outside my house and as far as I can tell they will poke a fibre into my house.

Problem is I also want landline, just because I'm a belt-and-braces pessimist. Previously I had a BT landline and ISDN(!) connection, but the wires have been disconnected from the other pole outside my house.

BT indicates they can give me a much cheaper price than VM. But I'd prefer Andrews and Arnold or Zen.

So investigations continue, but are paying second fiddle to Deeds of Variation and IHT400. If you don't have a clue what those are, consider yourself lucky.

Indeed, unfortunately I do happen to know what both of those are, but I was the sole benefactor when my Mum passed and my inheritance did not attract the attention of HM, Good luck with those issues.

Pleasingly, anazingly, the two beneficiaries (myself and my half-brother) agree on everything, and will probably pass our inheritances directly to our kids so as to avoid IHT when we die.

The aggro will relate to the complexities of the forms (his problem), shifting detritus (my problem), and valuing a large house which requires complete renovation, and whether a Himalayan Moon Bear and Gharial is worth £2000 or £0.

[Neper]

A "Wobuloscope"...

Excursion totale...

Thanks but that's still just as obscure to me !    Only difference is, it's French sounding obscure rather than English sounding obscure !

In a normal year we'd have left for just that, this coming weekend. Two weeks in our beloved Nord (59). Already the second year where we won't. Merde ! 

Oh boy, in 44 years in this country, you are the very first human being I come across who actually WANTS to go there !  Every body here either refuses to get up there even for a job, and those who are already there because they were born there, dream every night that they will win the lottery and be able escape this land of misery ! 

The people up there really have nothing on their side, it sucks... 

I gather the 'excursion totale' is the maximum frequency deviation of the wobulator.

As to Le Nord, you appear to be caught in the usual misconceptions of all those people who have never got beyond Germinal and Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis. Which is a good thing, in a way, because it keeps things less crowded. Even Bergues has returned to being a nice little town, now the tourists go elsewhere again.

[Vince]

A Wobulator is a signal generator that can be swept or "wobbled" over a narrow range. They were used in conjunction with an oscilloscope to aid in adjustment of radio receivers, particuarly the IF section. Effectively it plots the frequency response like a scalar neatwork analyser. It appears your Wobuloscope is an all in one instrument for this. They went out of fashion with fixed IF filters (mechanical, quartz and ceramic) and integrated circuit IFs.
Last time I used something similar was adjusting the multi-stage cavity tuned transmit RF amplifiers in aircraft distance measuring equipment (DME). These were interactive and if you set them for mid band they tended to be out at the band ends. Basically you used the 'scope X output to sweep the VCO (PLL disconnected) across the band. A diode detector on the output fed the Y input. We did so many King KN 65s that we had an old Telequipment scope modified with a variable gain / offset amplifier tapped into the timebase for just that task.

Thanks for shedding some light !! 

OK so it can do FM then...  that's consistent with this knob that's labeled something like "Frequency Span" if I had to translate it. It lets you select a fixed span of either 0.5 , 2 , 5 , 10 , 15 or 20 MHz.

BTW despite the age of this thing, they did label frequencies in MHz not in MC/s like the American gear ?!
So those who say MHz is modern "rubbish"... no it's not modern, was already used over here back in the day ! 

[xrunner]

You mean the dull/mat light grey finish, in contrast with the shiny chromed handle bars and toggle switches ?

Well I mean the finish on the plates inside, like the snippet attached. 

[factory]

Arrival today and a little riddle for you:
where does this mainboard coming from?



Edit:
to be more specific: from which device is this mainboard coming from?

@Zucca: Yes, you are right. 

Well you got me on that one. Design cues suggest something analogue and carefully designed with some amount of digital brains on this board driving the whole show. Only thing I can see is “MATH MOTHER BD” so it’s clearly the brains of the outfit.

Calibrator? No idea 

Edit: ooh hang on are those displays at the bottom?

Are sure that you didn't just see the "math' of 'mathmos'? Could be part of an interference engine.

Barbarella is ALWAYS an option, but not in this case. 

A counter?

Nope. The first guess of bd139 was right.  It is a calibrator.
Here is the top side of the mainboard.

Woohoo 

Now the answer is which calibrator?

TRW caps and legend suggests American and Fluke.

Lost - can't find or know anything that matches.

Fluke 3330B
Is it just coincidence that zhoefler was flogging one in bits recently? What did it do to upset them?

David

[bd139]

Woohoo 

Now the answer is which calibrator?

TRW caps and legend suggests American and Fluke.

Lost - can't find or know anything that matches.

Fluke 3330B
Is it just coincidence that zhoefler was flogging one in bits recently? What did it do to upset them?

David

Damn think you are right. Well done

[BU508A]

Arrival today and a little riddle for you:
where does this mainboard coming from?



Edit:
to be more specific: from which device is this mainboard coming from?

@Zucca: Yes, you are right. 

Well you got me on that one. Design cues suggest something analogue and carefully designed with some amount of digital brains on this board driving the whole show. Only thing I can see is “MATH MOTHER BD” so it’s clearly the brains of the outfit.

Calibrator? No idea 

Edit: ooh hang on are those displays at the bottom?

Are sure that you didn't just see the "math' of 'mathmos'? Could be part of an interference engine.

Barbarella is ALWAYS an option, but not in this case. 

A counter?

Nope. The first guess of bd139 was right.  It is a calibrator.
Here is the top side of the mainboard.

Woohoo 

Now the answer is which calibrator?

TRW caps and legend suggests American and Fluke.

Lost - can't find or know anything that matches.

Desoldered the caps. They are Spragues, 125µF / 450VDC / 85°C and I think, they are having a date code: "7608L"
And yes: Fluke is the manufacturer.

[Neper]

OK so it can do FM then...

Not quite. Its frequency can be swept, usually at a rate of 5 to 10 Hz.

[Kosmic]

someone should recruit this guy.


https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-scandalous-history-of-the-last-rotor-cipher-machine/particle-1


or maybe he is here already?  (but encrypted....we may never know)

might be him https://www.eevblog.com/forum/profile/?u=93857 

[BU508A]

Fluke 3330B
Is it just coincidence that zhoefler was flogging one in bits recently? What did it do to upset them?

Congrats! 

Exactly, that is that thing!
Last week I saw that he is putting all those cards online and immediately they are on my watchlist.
I called him the other day, asking, if the main board is still around. He confirmed and sold it to me
together with the wo transformers for overall 30 Euro.
I managed also to get the reference board of this 3330B and some other cards.
I already do have two 3330B, and now I have some spare parts for repair.

I asked him the same question, why he took it apart. The reason is simple and I'm sure you've guessed it already:
This way he got more money out of this "old girl" (his words).

It is really a pity, seeing such nice gear butchered but on the other hand I was able to get some spare parts.

[Cubdriver]

someone should recruit this guy.


https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-scandalous-history-of-the-last-rotor-cipher-machine/particle-1


or maybe he is here already?  (but encrypted....we may never know)

might be him https://www.eevblog.com/forum/profile/?u=93857 

Scrolling through his post list, yes, it is him - he mentions and links to the IEE Spectrum article.

-Pat