Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[m k]

The "snow days" of my childhood were far and few. Back then they put chains on the school buses and come hell or high water we went to school. It took a significant snow or a blizzard to cancel school. Today the threat of snow is enough to cancel.

Yes, I am older than dirt. 

We don't have "snow days" as such in the UK even though it sometimes snows enough to bring the whole world to a standstill (Moreso than places where they expect snow, it comes as a shock to the average urban, southern, Brit, causing chaos). When I were a lad if it snowed enough to bring the roads (and commercial buses, we don't have school buses) to a standstill you were expected to walk to school, no excuses. I did, more than once.

Back in the mid-eighties London got hit by unexpected heavy snow overnight. At the time a colleague who passed by my place every morning used to give me a lift into work. He didn't turn up, and after waiting 30 minutes past his expected arrival time I put my proper boots on and set off to walk to work, three odd miles away. I got there and was greeted by a head-office building that normally housed about a 100 people with only perhaps 5 people in it. Big girl's blouses the lot of them!

When I worked for a small airline in Jersey (CI) we had an unexpected snowfall. Snow is rare there. I got into work OK in my little FWD car but there was virtually noboby there. This included pilots. Apparently they didn't know how to drive in the snow or had frozen coolant. I got a telephone and address list of operations and the old crew bus. The bus was a rear engined air cooled VW. I managed to get everyone who was neeed to work. A bit of weight over skinny rear wheels works well in snow.

Having been driven around Guernsey I can only say that if the roads on Jersey are similar (single track, winding, with high walls and/or hedges on both sides) then that must have been 'interesting'.

With 1.5L boxer RR hippie van.

[Neomys Sapiens]

I seem to have won the relay battle by pounding the dissident voices into oblivion with a 25-page presentation.
So hermetic it will be...
And my NGRU was put to work for verification that they are really polarity insensitive.

[mnementh]

And So... It Begins.

Pressed the eldest into service today; we did a little clearcutting in preparation for trying to build my workbench space in the dwagon-cave.




First step once the clutter was hauled off is to get power situated with a GFCI outlet for my TE. 30 seconds into that and...

"Oh cheet, mang..."


A few more minutes of investigation revealed that the top outlet of the duplex is broken out and evidently switched from Ifni knows where the fuck all...




...and the lack of ground is evidently widespread and systemic (I can see at least 3 distinct "layers" of electrical work from different eras here), as pretty much every junction block in the basement with the same type of ROMEX run to it as that outlet looks like this.

FML.

mnem

[Neomys Sapiens]

And So... It Begins.
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[mansaxel]

The point of interest mostly is it has the weighted horizontal tuning knob that was a Marantz "thing",

Oh, and one actually wants the old separate tuners with the blue window and the long tuning scale. This is the 4230, so a receiver but they still are pretty much the same, also; a borrowed pic.

[Specmaster]

The point of interest mostly is it has the weighted horizontal tuning knob that was a Marantz "thing",

Oh, and one actually wants the old separate tuners with the blue window and the long tuning scale. This is the 4230, so a receiver but they still are pretty much the same, also; a borrowed pic.

Hi-Fi's and audio gear was so much better looking and sexier back then, don't you think?

[tautech]

The point of interest mostly is it has the weighted horizontal tuning knob that was a Marantz "thing",

Oh, and one actually wants the old separate tuners with the blue window and the long tuning scale. This is the 4230, so a receiver but they still are pretty much the same, also; a borrowed pic.

Hi-Fi's and audio gear was so much better looking and sexier back then, don't you think?

Eye candy emptied many of our pockets. 

[xrunner]

OK. This is for non-porous surfaces which won't be damaged by a little temporary contact with water. You will need:

{instructions copied}

This stuff can produce great results, but can also make a real mess if you're less than careful or rush. It's worth the time and care to get a result that doesn't annoy you in the future with a crease or trapped air bubble.

Sounds good. I want to get a few of the remaining torn pieces to lay flat with a tiny dab of tacky glue which I will work on while Amazon gathers my order. Thanks for the advice will post back when completed ... failure is not an option. 

[Vince]

Today bought another one of the chinese-slave wooden drawer blocks. At 12 Euros a pop I just can't resist.

I used it to tidy the "soldering corner" of the bench... all the small related tools and supplies were stuffed into a deep plastic box where getting to anything was a chore, had to dig, or empty the box on the bench and fill it back up... and I just could not even see everything I had in there...

Now it's all thrown into the bottom drawer. Still a bit of a mess but will do for now. At least it's a shallow mess now, so I can see what I have and can just pick it up easily, and a place to store everything to keep the bench tidy.

Drawer block fits perfectly height and width wise into the corner of the bench where the plastic box used to reside, under the soldering iron and hot air station.

Middle drawer I used to store the two bins for good/bad batteries, because you always need handy don't you. Then third / top drawer is a bit random stuff garnered from crap lying around the bench...  bound to be redefined later but for now it lets me tidy the bench, so good enough.

- roll of Kapton tape still unopened.
- roll of mod /  30AWG wire wrap wire.
- a syringe of "Electrolube" white plastic grease.. bought last year when I was working on my a pile of old CD players.
- bin full heat shrink piping.
- spare Weller soldering iron, spare heating element for it, and spare sponge. Daddy sent me that the other day.
- An ESD wrist strap, still in its original package, that I discovered.... sometimes I discover stuff I didn't know I had ! 

It's not all perfect though : the cable of the soldering iron and the hot air station, are in the way when I want to open a drawer, you can't have it all I guess.
Weller cord is not a problem, it's long and very flexible / silicon. I can just stick it on the side of the drawer block when I need to.
However the cable for the hot air station is painful. It's very short and very crap, super stiff. If you try to move it around even gently, the hand piece ends up popping out of its holder ! 

I guess I have first world problems eh  ! 

But still a vast improvement, am very happy with it.  Looks nice and tidy, stuff is not gathering dust in a plastic box, everything is accessible...

Next.....

[Cerebus]

This has nothing to do with anything, but I found it very satisfying to watch and leave it here in that spirit.

[Vince]

Some more lab tidying at 1AM and I will be done for today...


This morning along with the rolling chair, I also happened to receive the plastic " comb " thing used for routing wires in electrical cabinets... whatever it's called.  " Goulotte de câblage " here...

Anyway, it's 2 meter long. Cut a 50cm piece and screwed it in place. Populated it with my new coax cables and all my 4mm leads. With some sort of order so I can find what I want quicker, and put it back in its proper place more easily as well.  First the shorter coax cables, 50cm, then 100cm then 150cm ones. The 4mm leads sorted by colour and length. Long red then long black then short red then short black... looks like I have only one of the latter ?!    I guess I will find a few more over the coming weeks, as I keep digging deeper and deeper into my storage  boxes. Can't believe I have only one... that's highly suspicious ! 

That takes about half the comb's length. So with the other half I have space to put some more test leads. DMM leads, and I have a couple with a BNC on one end and god knows what at the other end, can't remember. Crocodile clips maybe.

The bench top runs all around the comb, so it's a back bending chore to stick the leads in place, not to mention the big parallax problems when trying to line up the top and bottom part of the comb... That's why I put the most used ones, ie coax and long 4mm leads, closed to me.
Think I might cut the lower half of the comb off. Not needed and just makes my life more difficult.

Of course that's not sustainable, it's only a first step... later I think I might mount the comb onto a long drawer runner so I can just grab the tip of the comb, drag it out over the bench top so that it's easily accessible, grab what I need on there, then push it back into place, out of the way. Much needed and shouldn't be too hard to DIY, so I think that will get done pretty soon.

That's it for today....

[mnementh]

   And So... It Begins.
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(pasted together of several pics; couldn't get eevBlog to deal with how tall it is, etc... blearrrgh)

So... you'd think that since this outlet is cut into a false wall with the NG meter, etc that tracing it out and finding the other end would be easy-peasy, right?

Fuck you, mnem.




After much frustration and not being able to find the other end of either ROMEX that comes out of this box, I decided to go from the other end. Found the breaker for this circuit and traced it direct to this junction block which contains all fabric-clad cable... 

My brain hurts. I'm going to do... anything else for a while.

mnem
like maybe make sure we have good batteries in all the smoke defectors...

[Vince]

Found the breaker for this circuit and traced it direct to this junction block which contains all fabric-clad cable... 

Didn't think you were into vintage electrical stuff... can we expect you to soon show us your first glowing Tek scope ?! 

like maybe make sure we have good batteries in all the smoke defectors...

MUCH needed for sure, with a grown up dragon at home  !!!

[Zucca]

I hate US mains so much....

This is a joke.... clown tools


pic above is small intentionally, you don't want to zoom in it and see the details.

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
    the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
    the splendor of our God.

Isaiah 35

[TERRA Operative]

Advice request

The original set-up procedures sticker on the top of the Boonton 4220 is and has been tearing over the years. What kind of protective "sticker" or covering can I put over it to prevent further damage (not clear package tape please   )?

I would be inclined to re-type it on the computer and print it on some laser printer sticker paper, laminate it with some clear book covering sticker sheet (Or get sticker paper with lamination sticker in the pack) and stick on a completely new set of instructions.

That way you aren't sealing in a ratty old bit of torn paper for evermore.

[xrunner]

I would be inclined to re-type it on the computer and print it on some laser printer sticker paper, laminate it with some clear book covering sticker sheet (Or get sticker paper with lamination sticker in the pack) and stick on a completely new set of instructions.

That way you aren't sealing in a ratty old bit of torn paper for evermore.

OK good idea. I will look into that tomorrow.

[mnementh]

   

I hate US mains so much....

This is a joke.... clown tools      pic above is small intentionally, you don't want to zoom in it and see the details.

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
    the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
    the splendor of our God.

Isaiah 35

Yeah, even with all your proselytizing, I'm still not convinced of the superiority of your little spring/cam clips, Z. I think their perceived "safety" is more a matter of the tech being a few decades old and lack of documented failure than anything inherent in the connection they provide.

If done properly, wire nuts primarily serve only as insulation over the joint and to keep the twisted wires from loosening. While I still prefer a wire carefully hooked under a screw or a properly-sized grub-screw barrier strip, I can live with wire nuts. I've seen wire-nutted connections I know for a fact are 60 years old still tight and corrosion-free; the main problem is moisture, which is universal.

One thing they do bring to the table is removing the competence of the sparky from the equation to some extent; veteran wire-monkey or brain-dead noob will both get the same quality of connection. I don't know that I feel this is necessarily a good thing.

Cheers,

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Advice request

The original set-up procedures sticker on the top of the Boonton 4220 is and has been tearing over the years. What kind of protective "sticker" or covering can I put over it to prevent further damage (not clear package tape please   )?

I would be inclined to re-type it on the computer and print it on some laser printer sticker paper, laminate it with some clear book covering sticker sheet (Or get sticker paper with lamination sticker in the pack) and stick on a completely new set of instructions.

That way you aren't sealing in a ratty old bit of torn paper for evermore.

I was going to suggest cutting a lamination sleeve at the fold, then laying that over it and going to town with a heat gun and a roller; this of course would necessitate testing on a sacrificial bit of paper and metal to see if it works without trying to bubble/curl up like crazy.

Though yeah; ultimately if the document is a text-only thing and you aren't trying to "preserve" it... or even if you are, and can be happy protecting the original with a new copy that's been laminated... that would be the one solution 100% guaranteed success.

mnem
*toddles off to ded*

[Zucca]

Yeah, even with all your proselytizing, I'm still not convinced of the superiority of your little spring/cam clips, Z. I think their perceived "safety" is more a matter of the tech being a few decades old and lack of documented failure than anything inherent in the connection they provide.

In Italy we say a knife in human hands can save life or kill people, it depends who is using it.

The brain behind the tools is the real deal.

My personal brain is allergic to all the US main stuff, thow.
It is my personal problem mnem... anyway good luck with your installation. I am sure you will not give up and I am curios to see how you will master that mess.

[Cubdriver]

I'm with mnementh on that one - I still think a properly made up wire-nutted connection is better than those little spring things.  Not as fast or easy to make up, but there's much greater contact area than you get with the spring terminals, and it makes a good solid connection if the wires are properly twisted with a pair of pliers before the wire nut is installed.

-Pat

[med6753]

I'm with mnementh on that one - I still think a properly made up wire-nutted connection is better than those little spring things.  Not as fast or easy to make up, but there's much greater contact area than you get with the spring terminals, and it makes a good solid connection if the wires are properly twisted with a pair of pliers before the wire nut is installed.

-Pat

Ditto. A properly wire nutted connection is safe and secure. Obviously key words are "properly wire nutted". Not a fan of spring loaded terminals. If those Wago's are anything similar to "push in" connectors on 120V outlets you can keep them. I've seen those fail under high current conditions and begin to char or lose connection completely. I don't use them no matter how convenient they are.

You'll find wiring abominations no matter where you are. I've watched some utubes of British sparkies unfucking some incredible tangled messes. All I can say is that it's a good thing many British residences are built of brick or stone.   

[AVGresponding]

The point of interest mostly is it has the weighted horizontal tuning knob that was a Marantz "thing",

It may be a Marantz "thing" but it's certainly not an exclusive. I've an old TEAC tuner that the (large) tuning knob is made out of machined billet aluminium, and it's so heavy, one good spin gives it enough momentum to get from one end of the dial to the other (and then some).

[cyclin_al]

This has nothing to do with anything, but I found it very satisfying to watch and leave it here in that spirit.

That has a lot to do with everything!  I have metal roofing installed on the garage and kennel (but similar size to a stable).  I did not install snow bars ... yet.
The old dog hated when that happened and the snow came down.  That video really did not capture the sound that would be experienced inside the building!

Note:  Must move the Napoleon BBQ before that happens.

Started shovelling at 3pm today.  Managed to get access to the main garage door by 4:45pm.
Then had a FML experience.

Took over an hour to start the snowblower.  Carburator must have been partially gummed up.  Yes, there was some fuel so it did not dry out to a hard varnish during storage.  Yes, there was stabilizer in the fuel.  Yes, it was high octane fuel with no ethanol.  Tank was mostly filled with new winter fuel purchased this month.

Not much later, the snowblower found the stick that the dog had been playing with.  Okay, actually a 3" diameter firewood log.  Yes, shear pins work.  It is a PITA to replace a shear pin, especially outside far from the garage.

Finished snow clearing at 9:51pm, then still had to walk the dog...

Now time for 

[Ice-Tea]

Wago clamps are entirely awesome. They now also have inline one-on-one clamps which fills a gap sugar cubes were still usefull for.

I'm almost done completely redoing the cabinet downstairs. I'll show pictures when done 

[mansaxel]

Yeah, even with all your proselytizing, I'm still not convinced of the superiority of your little spring/cam clips, Z. I think their perceived "safety" is more a matter of the tech being a few decades old and lack of documented failure than anything inherent in the connection they provide.

If done properly, wire nuts primarily serve only as insulation over the joint and to keep the twisted wires from loosening. While I still prefer a wire carefully hooked under a screw or a properly-sized grub-screw barrier strip, I can live with wire nuts. I've seen wire-nutted connections I know for a fact are 60 years old still tight and corrosion-free; the main problem is moisture, which is universal.

One thing they do bring to the table is removing the competence of the sparky from the equation to some extent; veteran wire-monkey or brain-dead noob will both get the same quality of connection. I don't know that I feel this is necessarily a good thing.

Cheers,

mnem
 

The fact that something is good because it is <jfk>haard</jfk> might be valid as political rhetoric but in a safety-critical activity the practice of "Warum Einfach, wenn's auch kompliziert geht" is a detrimental factor in system security.  Claiming it is good in that context IMNSHO is guild protectionism and back-asswards attitude to progress.  Not a Dragon way to do things, most of the time!

The Wago 221 series are uniquely evolved to cope with a number of problems, and while some other spring clamp systems (including earlier Wagos) have caused -- always in concert with ignorant sparkies -- some serious overheating problems, the 221 is largely free from these problems. 

Because, there were documented failures. And they were acted upon.

What happened in Sweden was that the early spring clamps were ill suited to our 7-strand conduit wire.  We pull loose bundles of 7-strand hookup wire in either AWG15 or AWG13 (1,5mm² or 2,5mm²) in PVC conduit where US practice would be ROMEX in metal conduit. We can pull our variant of ROMEX/Twin-and-earth/Nym-J, the EKK, and its halogen-free successors in conduit as well.

The 221 Series permits use where  7-strand FK / FQ (the latter halogen-free) is to be terminated and will give a <punk type=daft>harder, faster, better</punk> connection than wire nuts, electrically on par with carefully installed "Submarines" (dead-end insulated barrier strips).



It also is smaller and won't crowd junction boxes. If one is careful and stupid, new wires can be introduced without deenergising the circuit.  Try that with a wire nut... (In practice, it means that you are safer from accidental energising since time spent in contact with live metal is minimised.)

The 221 is much better than anything else I've ever tried. Wire-nuts are utter shit in comparison. I won't be going back. As a matter of fact, when I'm rewiring or redoing electricks, I remove all wire-nuts I can and replace with 221 clamps. At a considerable expense, but the results are definitely worth it.