Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14554892 times)

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Offline 25 CPS

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103375 on: September 26, 2021, 02:23:30 pm »

Notice how we go from the many gigaohms on the tester and iPad to just over 9 megaohms?  What the insulation tester is now seeing is the resistance of the extension cord’s insulation shunted by the 10 meg impedance of the DMM.  We can either observe the 1000 V test voltage independently on the second meter or the insulation strength but not both at the same time.

Time to get  HV probe, at least one Gig ohm resistance !  ;D

Oh, for sure, I definitely need a high voltage probe for other purposes...



Oooooh nice. Do they have any more left?

I'm afraid not, it was advertised as the last one.  |O

Look like there's more where it came from. The seller listed some more at 150$

https://www.ebay.com/itm/393592090990

Anybody know the lowest offer he's going to accept ?

I love it when a plan comes together.  That solved the high voltage probe problem.  I did a shopping basket and ordered one of the Fluke temperature probes as well.
 
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Online Kosmic

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103376 on: September 26, 2021, 02:26:27 pm »
And now for something completely different:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/yokogawa-ta520-time-interval-analyzer/

This is a copy of the post in the repair thread:

So I've got this nice instrument for some timenuttery acticities.
The TA520 is a time interval analyzer that can do gapless period width or time delay measurements of signals of more than 10MHz

The unit works nicely as I received it from a seller of used equipment, except when it was operated for more than one or two hours. Then it started to display really strange results:




Good job, excellent investigation  :-+
 
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103377 on: September 26, 2021, 02:26:52 pm »
That makes me think of this for some reason. Probably because I never grew up when I got to 12  :-DD




mnem
Well, there's 2 minutes I'll never get back...   
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Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103378 on: September 26, 2021, 02:34:40 pm »

Look like there's more where it came from. The seller listed some more at 150$

https://www.ebay.com/itm/393592090990

Anybody know the lowest offer he's going to accept ?

I paid $140 plus shipping. They did not respond to a $100 offer, not even by turning them down. Granted, the offer was made over a weekend, so if they're a commercial operation might not reply then anyway. And I got a Syndrome relapse and bought it anyway. It IS a good deal, even at list, because the condition as verified is essentially brand new.

Besides, who needs more than 3 1/2 digits anyway?    :-DD :-DD :-DD

You are almost convincing me to buy one. That price is damn good especially including the HV probes. And only $12 shipping for me. But I already have a HV probe and Fluke 87 is just about as tough although I don't think I should pound nails with it.  ;D

YOU are not allowed to buy one of these.

i forbid it.
Absolutely right. med is entirely too "Wonder White Bread" to know what to do with his & hers Probulators.  >:D

They must be saved for those with the know-how and inclination to use them to their fullest. :-DD

mnem
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Offline Robert763

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103379 on: September 26, 2021, 02:36:16 pm »
Use "separates", and eschew "pre-packaged instruments".

All you need are a "decent" voltage source driving a "decent" KVD, plus a nice low-current moving coil meter. If you only want 3digit resolution, use 1m of resistance wire and a 1m steel rule instead of the KVD:)

And how pray am I to do that whenever a decent KVD crops up cheap somewhere you make off with it? Or if not you then I have Robert as a secondary suspect.  :)

You want a Fluke Differential voltmeter or a Muirhead KVD come and get one from me. £25 for either. I'll have to confirm the model of the fluke though. Or you can have a PYE DIY 6 decade KVD "kit for the same price.
 

Offline Robert763

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103380 on: September 26, 2021, 02:41:51 pm »
A new seller has popped up on ebay in the UK. They seem to have a lot of NOS TE spares. For example a Fluke 8060A front case moulding.
Rather than linking to an item which will disappear in time, here is his user info
www.ebay.co.uk/usr/stiff-3268
 
 
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Online tggzzz

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103381 on: September 26, 2021, 02:44:13 pm »
Use "separates", and eschew "pre-packaged instruments".

All you need are a "decent" voltage source driving a "decent" KVD, plus a nice low-current moving coil meter. If you only want 3digit resolution, use 1m of resistance wire and a 1m steel rule instead of the KVD:)

And how pray am I to do that whenever a decent KVD crops up cheap somewhere you make off with it? Or if not you then I have Robert as a secondary suspect.  :)

I'm not looking for KVDs.

I've only got 2 KVDs, a 3+2decade ESI and 7 decade Julie Research Labs. Neither were cheap (by my standards) :) I didn't even buy them in a hurry, making a couple of offers before I snagged them.
« Last Edit: September 26, 2021, 02:47:22 pm by tggzzz »
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
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Offline mansaxel

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103382 on: September 26, 2021, 02:45:38 pm »
Besides, who needs more than 3 1/2 digits anyway?    :-DD :-DD :-DD
Truth be told, not very many, in reality. Yes, there are occasions when you could do with more resolution. I think for most people, it is more about bragging rights and or peer pressure, something akin to the top speed and or BHP of a car, when does the average driver use the full performance of their cars in normal day-to-day driving?

I've found that battery charge and discharge monitoring is one application when it's sensible (or at least less frustrating) to watch individual millivolts at voltages beyond where a 31/2 digit meter would resolve them; 4 1/2 digits obviously will be enough to measure 12,000 volts at mV resolution. Fortunately I've got 2 meters for that, the MetraHit 25 and the -hp- 974a.

Other than that, no, not very often.

Offline armandine2

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103383 on: September 26, 2021, 03:18:24 pm »
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283555230461

vague memories of not getting my head around or much hands on coding -  and the hardware appeal has lasted.
Funny, the things you have the hardest time parting with are the things you need the least - Bob Dylan
 

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103384 on: September 26, 2021, 03:21:33 pm »
You might want to do a Google search for the basic principle of a wobulator.
Or you could whack the dragon with a 2x4 and watch him throw a wobbly.  :)



Careful where you whack him... he might like it.  >:D

mnem
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Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103385 on: September 26, 2021, 03:34:04 pm »
Use "separates", and eschew "pre-packaged instruments".

All you need are a "decent" voltage source driving a "decent" KVD, plus a nice low-current moving coil meter. If you only want 3digit resolution, use 1m of resistance wire and a 1m steel rule instead of the KVD:)

And how pray am I to do that whenever a decent KVD crops up cheap somewhere you make off with it? Or if not you then I have Robert as a secondary suspect.  :)
Just have to be a bit nimbler on your feet, I guess  :-DD

When I used to play rugby I observed that there were two ways to succeed at the game. Be nimbler than the opposition or be good at nobbling them.  >:D
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103386 on: September 26, 2021, 03:40:34 pm »


And this is just how fast a simple little project can turn to complete shit. I've had this clock for years... I quite like it, because mostly nondescript industrial design is not a complete eyesore and the the big blue digits are normally pretty crisp and I can even read the numbers without my glasses from a few feet away. Well, middle segment of the middle digit has started to fade and flicker; I figured hey, replace a single LED and live with the fact it'll probably be brighter than the others... worst case, hand soldering 21 0603-ish LEDs.

Things started oot pretty okay... quite surprised to see a nice reliable CT XFMR power supply. :-+




Uhhh-ohhhh...




...and now it is a complete shit-show that will test all my fixer-y skills. I might be able to get the "Display module" off by heating the heat-swaged pegs with a hot air gun... we'll see. But the fact there's nothing on the back of that cheap phenolic PCB means there's a COB on the other side... under the "Display module".

*blerk and a half*

mnem
« Last Edit: September 26, 2021, 03:42:11 pm by mnementh »
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Offline DC1MC

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103387 on: September 26, 2021, 03:46:58 pm »
Don't forget about it, is almost time  :scared: !!!

https://www.ebay.de/itm/373727179675




Cheers,
DC1MC

 

Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103388 on: September 26, 2021, 03:48:18 pm »
After hours of fiddle farting with compensation adjustments the Type 1A2 plug-in is perfectly matched to the Type 547. Channel 2 came out a little better than channel 1 but I deem it good enough. Here's channel 1 displaying 10MHz square which is not too shabby for a 50MHz scope. I'm happy with how it turned out. But unfortunately the intermittent sweep mag issue has returned with a vengeance. So I can't quite pronounce this guy done. But for now I'm deferring any more troubleshooting and the Type 547 will replace the Type 535A in the far corner of bench 2. The Type 535A will go on the recently built cart and go into the TEA closest.

The Type 1A1 plug-in that came with the Type 547 needs work but that's a separate project for another time.

The reason I'm deferring any more work on this scope for now is I want to get going on the 212 because I anticipate needing to order parts. Here is how you need to rip it down to get to the PSU on the bottom board. And to add to the fun there's mains voltage lurking around on that board. And this little guy is full of beaded tants. You know how I hate them. They will all be replaced. So tomorrow I'll dive in.   


An old gray beard with an attitude.
 
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Offline vk6zgo

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103389 on: September 26, 2021, 03:50:58 pm »
I didn't realize this was in the UK

With a name like Minchinhampton? Could it be anywhere else? When the Americans, Canadians, Aussies and Kiwis eschewed imagination and named everywhere after somewhere in Blighty, sometimes putting 'new' in front of it, they did have the good sense to leave names like Minchinhampton behind.  :)



Or the village/hamlet of Nempnett Thrubwell, for that matter.

Looks like you can even buy it, on fleabay naturally.

My personal favourite is "Peover Superior" simply because it collapsed my Auntie in breathless laughter when we saw a road sign to it on holiday, and the rest of the holiday was punctuated by her making lavatorial jokes, which pleased the young boy that I was at the time no end.
You would really appreciate "Shitterton"----some local govt spoilsports wanted to change it to "Sherton", but I don't think they got their way!

Good news is that they didnt! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shitterton

By the way, it is near the river Piddle!
 
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Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103390 on: September 26, 2021, 03:52:08 pm »
Use "separates", and eschew "pre-packaged instruments".

All you need are a "decent" voltage source driving a "decent" KVD, plus a nice low-current moving coil meter. If you only want 3digit resolution, use 1m of resistance wire and a 1m steel rule instead of the KVD:)

And how pray am I to do that whenever a decent KVD crops up cheap somewhere you make off with it? Or if not you then I have Robert as a secondary suspect.  :)
Just have to be a bit nimbler on your feet, I guess  :-DD

When I used to play rugby I observed that there were two ways to succeed at the game. Be nimbler than the opposition or be good at nobbling them.  >:D
And... which did you employ?
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103391 on: September 26, 2021, 03:55:53 pm »
Don't forget about it, is almost time  :scared: !!!

https://www.ebay.de/itm/373727179675




Cheers,
DC1MC


Don't want it...
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103392 on: September 26, 2021, 04:08:31 pm »
Use "separates", and eschew "pre-packaged instruments".

All you need are a "decent" voltage source driving a "decent" KVD, plus a nice low-current moving coil meter. If you only want 3digit resolution, use 1m of resistance wire and a 1m steel rule instead of the KVD:)

And how pray am I to do that whenever a decent KVD crops up cheap somewhere you make off with it? Or if not you then I have Robert as a secondary suspect.  :)
Just have to be a bit nimbler on your feet, I guess  :-DD

When I used to play rugby I observed that there were two ways to succeed at the game. Be nimbler than the opposition or be good at nobbling them.  >:D
And... which did you employ?

That would be telling.  :)

I've always been a believer that in contact sports unnecessary roughness was a no-no. However, as a teenager I used to do judo at a mostly adult club, so learned a lot about the application of necessary roughness. When you're perhaps 8 stone and your opponent is 11 or more you have to learn a trick or two.

Actually most of any prowess at rugby I possessed was being able to put on a good spurt of speed when needed and a good enough grasp of Newtonian mechanics to more often be the man who went through rather than the man who went flying. I also used to have thighs like tree trunks (alas no more) so dragging a couple of attached players through the mud was something I was quite good at.
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline AVGresponding

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103393 on: September 26, 2021, 04:18:37 pm »
nuqDaq yuch Dapol?
Addiction count: Agilent-AVO-BlackStar-Brymen-Chauvin Arnoux-Fluke-GenRad-Hameg-HP-Keithley-IsoTech-Mastech-Megger-Metrix-Micronta-Racal-RFL-Siglent-Solartron-Tektronix-Thurlby-Time Electronics-TTi-UniT
 

Online BU508A

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“Chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being sought. It always defeats order, because it is better organized.”            - Terry Pratchett -
 
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Offline capt bullshot

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103395 on: September 26, 2021, 04:50:35 pm »
Testing the preliminary fixed TA520 by measuring the wander of a cheap GPS module PPS output vs. the True Position GPSDO PPS output - or fine arts japanese technology vs. rock solid HPAK:

TA520 and 53131A - the perfect team for timenuttery



53131A directly reads time between PPS, no wait for the impatient



TA520 plots the same measurement over 10 minutes, you'll have to wait 10 minutes for the result



The plot is showing some phase wrapping, where the vertical jumps from 0ns to positive overrange are visible, the TA520 cannot display "negative" time difference, it wraps around to 0.9999999xxx seconds.

Edit: While posting this, another 10min measurement completed, without the wraparound and some more meaningful statistics:


« Last Edit: September 26, 2021, 05:00:04 pm by capt bullshot »
Safety devices hinder evolution
 
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Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103396 on: September 26, 2021, 05:07:50 pm »
I just had to post a pix of it all back together with the covers installed and in the corner running a burn-in. To think twice I came close to throwing it into the bin. This definitely has been my most difficult restoration and it's extremely satisfying to see it up and running.

BTW, I did get new batteries for the 212 scope.

An old gray beard with an attitude.
 

Offline 25 CPS

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103397 on: September 26, 2021, 05:39:59 pm »
Look like there's more where it came from. The seller listed some more at 150$

https://www.ebay.com/itm/393592090990

Anybody know the lowest offer he's going to accept ?

I did some digging just now because the seller's name looked familiar so I went back through my purchase history and, sure enough, he's there.  Remember those new-old-stock US Navy surplus Agilent 34401A meters that turned up on eBay last year?  It was the same seller who had those so I'm pretty confident buying one of those Flukes.  That's why anainstr looked familiar.

If the Fluke is is as good as the Agilent 34401A they sold me, I'll be quite happy:



« Last Edit: September 26, 2021, 05:49:10 pm by 25 CPS »
 

Online Kosmic

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103398 on: September 26, 2021, 05:43:50 pm »
I just had to post a pix of it all back together with the covers installed and in the corner running a burn-in. To think twice I came close to throwing it into the bin. This definitely has been my most difficult restoration and it's extremely satisfying to see it up and running.

BTW, I did get new batteries for the 212 scope.



Good job med  :-+
 
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Online Kosmic

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #103399 on: September 26, 2021, 05:46:25 pm »
Don't forget about it, is almost time  :scared: !!!

https://www.ebay.de/itm/373727179675




Cheers,
DC1MC


Don't want it...

GOOD!



It's not moving a lot. You might be able to get a good deal.

Hope you got Gixen setup and ready  :)
 


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