Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Vince]

How so ?

He is the one constantly bashing old stuff for no reason, I am just tired of it, if he doesn't like people buying old stuff then can't he just not reply to such posts ?
I despise modern chinese stuff, but do I feel the need to tell him regularly what I think of his Siglent stuff ? No, because my opinion on his stuff is just that, my opinion, it's totally useless and irrelevant to him. I just wish he realized his opinion on old vintage stuff is just the same, irrelevant and personal, and should be treated as such.

[Robert763]

More TEA 
Won a Delta Elektronika Laboratory Power Supply SM1540D
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324895491108?
15V 40A switchmode. Says no power on. As it has the on/off switch covered I'm hoping it's just a remote control link needs making.
We will see 
Even if it is    being Delta tha manual with full circuits and troubleshooting information is readily available 

[Vince]

Vince,
I got the control panel out. All the minitrons work but one looks a bit dim. Don't know if it's a display or drive issue. They are socketed so easy to find out. You only need four for a clock It has a greenish night vision goggle (NVG) compatible display filter this needs a clean.
It does have a fault, it looks like the on/off/function switch is faulty. There is an internal 12V regulator and if I put voltage on that it works but there is no continiuity between the regulator positive input and any pin on the connector (pin U is 0V).
Additional good news is that I have manuals that include details of an internally identical control head, it just has a different pin out. The logic is all standard CMOS at 12V and would be easy to interface to.
I think it's worth £30
It's just under 1kg packed so postage would be £10
Send me a private messageif interested.

Sounds cool, deal ! 

Dim display I can relocated in the middle to be the separator between HH and MM. It being dim would then not look odd but might even be seen as a subtle feature. Defective mode switch well according to the diagram all switches including this one are just simple/ basic mechanical switches, not encoders.. so maybe it can be fixed without too much trouble...
Great that you have the diagram for the thing !  So there is no CPU at all in this thing, all discrete logic ! 
Quite a lot of chips then... and no SMD chips back then I guess... so all DIP packages ?? I am sure it's all very compact in there, but still... I guess this unit is not as tiny as I thought initially from looking at the pic. Maybe it's not the size of a match box after all... maybe it's the size of a match box... and a half ! 

So looks like the displays are multiplexed, cool.... not too many pins to interface with then, will make integrating my own H/W in such a cramped space... much easier than I thought. Still very tight I am sure, but feasible at least...well I think... hope.... we shall see how it goes once I have it on my bench !

Do yo have a high resolution picture of the diagram ? A bit hard to read as it is.

Can't wait to tear it apart to see how it's put together ! 

You can start packing the thing, this puppy is now mine....

Ahh you youngsters. Just becuse it has a digital display and a serial data bus output does not mean it has to have a microprocessor. It doese not even have  lot of discrete logic. The rotary switches produce parallel data. This is decoded (multiplexed digit by digit for input as well as display) and decoded for 7 segment display. A PISO shift register takes the same data from the switches and puts it out on  the serial bus.
It is all discrete logic. I'll put the infoI have on a CD for you. I've already soldered a red and black wire to the input of the 12V regulator internally and brought them out under the cover. So just connect those to anywhere between 15 and 28V DC and it will basically work.
Edit: It is all DIL ICs. 3 or 4 small PCBs so not too bad to work on.

Oh not fair ! 

I am 44 it's nt that young !    I wish I were much younger....

Of course you don't need a CPU for digital stuff... my reasoning was that I did not know just WHAT this unit was doing internally. You did say it wa sa remote control for the radio, but what did it do exactly ? Had no idea, so had to assume it must have some CPU to implement whatever features it might have. Plus it's a very compact unit so even with very little functionality, you just just can't do much without a CPU. CPU/MCU were probably expensive back then, or even state of the art (OK maybe not even around at all...) but Aircraft parts are always so very incredibly mega expensive that I didn't see that as a show stopper, so was still an option I thought....

But now you are telling me it's just a shift register for the remote user interface, then yes no need for a CPU...

Can you please tell me again I am a youngster ? Makes me feel younger, feels good !! 

[capt bullshot]

53132A universal counter

Ah I remember stumbling upon that one a few years back when I had a look for these old VFD HP units. I noticed it's much less common/harder to find than than 53131A, and have not seen any obvious difference on the front panel. What's different between the two inside, good or bad ?

The 53132A can aquire more digits in the same time the 53131A does, or vice versa - the 53132A can show more digits than the 53131 using the same gate time. It has a slightly better one shot time resolution (150ps vs 500ps afair) and apparently uses some additional methods to achieve 12 digits per second while the 53131A does 10 digits per second. Based on the same hardware, but the 53132A has some key components that the 53131A doesn't, so it can't easily be upgraded.

See the data sheet: https://www.keysight.com/de/de/assets/7018-06688/data-sheets/5967-6039.pdf

The 34410A is more recent than the 34401A and has more features - but I don't know the exact differences.

[Vince]

Thanks, OK so  the 53132A is basically a better performing counter than the 53131A, no downsides !  So worth getting if can be found for a similar price as the 53131A.

[Vince]

More TEA 
Won a Delta Elektronika Laboratory Power Supply SM1540D
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324895491108?
15V 40A switchmode. Says no power on. As it has the on/off switch covered I'm hoping it's just a remote control link needs making.
We will see 
Even if it is    being Delta tha manual with full circuits and troubleshooting information is readily available 

Looks nice and heavy duty but.... you should hide it from Tautech, he will ask you where is the CPU and graphical LCD and touch screen !! 

... you can reply that the user interface is 100% responsive, never freezes, zero F/W bug, and boot time is second to none ! 

[tggzzz]

Vince,
I got the control panel out. All the minitrons work but one looks a bit dim. Don't know if it's a display or drive issue. They are socketed so easy to find out. You only need four for a clock It has a greenish night vision goggle (NVG) compatible display filter this needs a clean.
It does have a fault, it looks like the on/off/function switch is faulty. There is an internal 12V regulator and if I put voltage on that it works but there is no continiuity between the regulator positive input and any pin on the connector (pin U is 0V).
Additional good news is that I have manuals that include details of an internally identical control head, it just has a different pin out. The logic is all standard CMOS at 12V and would be easy to interface to.
I think it's worth £30
It's just under 1kg packed so postage would be £10
Send me a private messageif interested.

Sounds cool, deal ! 

Dim display I can relocated in the middle to be the separator between HH and MM. It being dim would then not look odd but might even be seen as a subtle feature. Defective mode switch well according to the diagram all switches including this one are just simple/ basic mechanical switches, not encoders.. so maybe it can be fixed without too much trouble...
Great that you have the diagram for the thing !  So there is no CPU at all in this thing, all discrete logic ! 
Quite a lot of chips then... and no SMD chips back then I guess... so all DIP packages ?? I am sure it's all very compact in there, but still... I guess this unit is not as tiny as I thought initially from looking at the pic. Maybe it's not the size of a match box after all... maybe it's the size of a match box... and a half ! 

So looks like the displays are multiplexed, cool.... not too many pins to interface with then, will make integrating my own H/W in such a cramped space... much easier than I thought. Still very tight I am sure, but feasible at least...well I think... hope.... we shall see how it goes once I have it on my bench !

Do yo have a high resolution picture of the diagram ? A bit hard to read as it is.

Can't wait to tear it apart to see how it's put together ! 

You can start packing the thing, this puppy is now mine....

Ahh you youngsters. Just becuse it has a digital display and a serial data bus output does not mean it has to have a microprocessor. It doese not even have  lot of discrete logic. The rotary switches produce parallel data. This is decoded (multiplexed digit by digit for input as well as display) and decoded for 7 segment display. A PISO shift register takes the same data from the switches and puts it out on  the serial bus.
It is all discrete logic. I'll put the infoI have on a CD for you. I've already soldered a red and black wire to the input of the 12V regulator internally and brought them out under the cover. So just connect those to anywhere between 15 and 28V DC and it will basically work.
Edit: It is all DIL ICs. 3 or 4 small PCBs so not too bad to work on.

ICs? Who needs ICs for digital logic?

The divide-by-10 circuits in the 1965 Tek 184 use only 3 transistors. How do they do that? Having debugged mine, that's a rhetorical question!

Even earlier was the 1962 Tektronix Type 6R1 plug-in for the 567 oscilloscope. In particular have a look at the "memory" board. Notice how wonderfully ergonomic the displays are.

[Andrew_Debbie]

Outbid on both WaveTeks...   Just as well...

[tggzzz]

Outbid on both WaveTeks...   Just as well...

Ditto Tinsley standard resistors - by a factor of 3-4!

[Robert763]

Who needs electronics?

edit for serial data transmission and reception

[Vince]

Who needs electronics?

edit for serial data transmission and reception

Yes ! And if the user interface somehow freezes, no need to wait years for an hypothetical F/W upgrade from the manufacturer, and risk bricking your device.... no, just a few drops of oil and it's back in business !! 

[Specmaster]

Who needs electronics?

edit for serial data transmission and reception

Ok, I can understand how the manual entry system and printing works, but the data decoding???

[tggzzz]

Who needs electronics?

edit for serial data transmission and reception

Ok, I can understand how the manual entry system and printing works, but the data decoding???

String, wire, bent metal, cams. That's all you need for mechanical engineering products. The student can supply the relevant details.

[Specmaster]

Who needs electronics?

edit for serial data transmission and reception

Ok, I can understand how the manual entry system and printing works, but the data decoding???

String, wire, bent metal, cams. That's all you need for mechanical engineering products. The student can supply the relevant details.

serial data transmission and reception   

[med6753]

More USPS follies. The 8416 vacuum tube shipped from Sussex, NJ on the 24th. Sussex is exactly 60 miles south from me. Yesterday was a national holiday but it still did move SOUTH to Teterboro, NJ distribution center and then FURTHER south to Jersey City, NJ distribution center where it currently sits. Where will it go from there? It will drive on the NYS Thruway right by my place to NORTH Albany, NY distribution center. Then go back SOUTH of me to Newburgh, NY distribution center before FINALLY arriving at my PO on Monday. Or so sez the tracking projection. In the old days I could get a package from the UK faster than that. 

[Andrew_Debbie]

Outbid on Solartron / Schlumberger 7151 . . .

[Andrew_Debbie]

will not bid on the one that tggzzz is currently high bidder on.

[tggzzz]

will not bid on the one that tggzzz is currently high bidder on.

And got it, expensively - but there is a "cal due x/x/20" sticker on that one. Wouldn't have bothered, except I'm going there For Other Things.

Hope you got one of the others

I've backed off where I've guessed other members have been involved, and in at least two cases they got it cheaper than I did.

[factory]

Outbid on both WaveTeks...   Just as well...

Ditto Tinsley standard resistors - by a factor of 3-4!

I only bid a small amount on those, think I saw over £600 earlier.

Have won a hernia producer I've been looking for some time, the 745A AC calibrator, also got one of the hp 5340A counters, a Sullivan megohmmeter, the lot of hp 855x SA plug-ins and a few others.

David

[Robert763]

Who needs electronics?

edit for serial data transmission and reception

Ok, I can understand how the manual entry system and printing works, but the data decoding???

String, wire, bent metal, cams. That's all you need for mechanical engineering products. The student can supply the relevant details.

serial data transmission and reception   

Decode is a bar for each bit (5) mechanically set (or not) in sequence by the electromagnet.  Each bar has a set of slots according to the code  The print lever with corresponding lugs is then released to hit the paper
5 bit 50 Baud was one standard (Amateurs used 45.45 Baud).

[Robert763]

Outbid on both WaveTeks...   Just as well...

Ditto Tinsley standard resistors - by a factor of 3-4!

I only bid a small amount on those, think I saw over £600 earlier.

Have won a hernia producer I've been looking for some time, the 745A AC calibrator, also got one of the hp 5340A counters, a Sullivan megohmmeter, the lot of hp 855x SA plug-ins and a few others.

David

What did the Sulivan Megohmmeers go for? I own two already so could spare one if anyone missed in the auction.

[Ice-Tea]

You guys need to tell me your user names in the future. I don't really want to bid against you if I can avoid it. 

[AVGresponding]

I reckon I'd stand a slightly better chance of beating this than my Kasparov Sensor Chess: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373803628767





This has to be the oldest Solartron I've seen so far: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334232124623





This is too salty for me, even fully working, and even with the seller sending an offer of £180: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265415769040





Здравствуйте товарищ милливольтметр! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175033826065





Not heard of this manufacturer before, no doubt Robert, Cerebus, or tggzzz can elucidate: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224708780108

[tggzzz]

Outbid on both WaveTeks...   Just as well...

Ditto Tinsley standard resistors - by a factor of 3-4!

I only bid a small amount on those, think I saw over £600 earlier.

Have won a hernia producer I've been looking for some time, the 745A AC calibrator, also got one of the hp 5340A counters, a Sullivan megohmmeter, the lot of hp 855x SA plug-ins and a few others.

David

What did the Sulivan Megohmmeers go for? I own two already so could spare one if anyone missed in the auction.

£40-50, plus uplift. I got the other one.

[tggzzz]

You guys need to tell me your user names in the future. I don't really want to bid against you if I can avoid it. 

Mine, yours and David's aren't difficult to work out Glad you got lots of 7151s