What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[Specmaster]

After a long time looking for a decent AM/FM RF signal generator and buying a few lame ducks, it seems that I have final found a good one, British made as well, well build and heavy.

Cleaned it up, opened it up and checked for anything obvious that was wrong/broken, powered it up and hey presto, not only does it work on all wavebands but its pretty much bang on frequency with 3 bands being spot with the dial indication and the 2 highest bands being 11Mhz out. Coupled with a decent British made frequency counter, I'm calling this one a home run.

[AF6LJ]

Good deal, everyone should have at least one boat anchor. 

[Terry01]

After a long time looking for a decent AM/FM RF signal generator and buying a few lame ducks, it seems that I have final found a good one, British made as well, well build and heavy.

Cleaned it up, opened it up and checked for anything obvious that was wrong/broken, powered it up and hey presto, not only does it work on all wavebands but its pretty much bang on frequency with 3 bands being spot with the dial indication and the 2 highest bands being 11Mhz out. Coupled with a decent British made frequency counter, I'm calling this one a home run.

Nice 1 buddy! Nice looking unit! 

[Specmaster]

Thats not the heaviest boat anchor I've had but pretty close. I used to have a Marconi TF995B which was about 4 times the size and twice the weight of this one. Hell, this thing has not one screening tin/box inside covering the oscillator section but two of them. Its built like battleship, and inside is a work of art. Some more photos of the internals can be seen here Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread « Reply #10071 on: Today at 04:13:17 am »  (page 403)

[GerryBags]

Yes, I have a TF1370A, waiting for me to tackle it.. there was some interesting flash-over evidence inside, as well as a decapitated SQ valve and a completely incinerated PTC thermistor. That thing would anchor a Dutch barge. I got it when my camera was on the blink and haven't gotten round to taking any photos, so I looked for an example pic and found a photo from the original listing.... I recognized the yellowed type-written note about switching transients due to crappy caps. It's much, much cleaner now and I will take a couple of snaps later on, another fine example of British engineering.

[Specmaster]

Yes they are nice but that Marconi one is just so huge, it had to go as far as I was concerned as it just so heavy to have up stairs which is where my lab/bench is located in the boxroom ( they called it 4th bedroom, 1.6m x 3.3m a bedroom   

It seems both Marconi and Advance were used by the British Military as well so they must be of a very standard to be used by them.

[Specmaster]

Just snagged this on Ebay, this is my second 3466A and according to the email just received should be with tomorrow as it has been by 24hr courier.

[GerryBags]

Very nice! I do like those displays. 

Ooooh! I hear jets overhead, I may hobble outside and have a squidge.

[Specmaster]

Very nice! I do like those displays. 

Ooooh! I hear jets overhead, I may hobble outside and have a squidge.

Yes, I like the warm glow from LEDs. I see that you are N Wales, is that where the RAF and USAF go to do their low flying through the valleys by any chance?

[GerryBags]

Yes, we're a navigation marker for the Mach Loop, I think. They line up with one end of the lake and then swing around the mountain at the far end. Because it's low level you don't get to see them for long, and it's too cloudy today - as it often is. My nephew has found a spot you can drive to and watch the jets down in a valley from above. Some of the on-board videos are amazing; the skill of those pilots! I've also seen, only on video unfortunately, an AC130 taking on the Mach Loop. Seeing that monster at low level standing on its wingtips would be a sight to see.

[Specmaster]

Perhaps one day my son and I might make the journey down to get some photos in the loop. We often go to RAF Lakenheath where they fly F15's and almost daily they fly through the Loop, come back, refuel, change crews and take off and do it all over again. When you see them in the loop on video they are pretty large beasts as well. I did manage to photo the Vulcan from above at Beechy Head a couple of years ago on its last flight at the Eastbourne airshow, awesome beast that was too, there's a couple of my photos here on the forum of that too.

[GerryBags]

If you happen to stop near Llyn Crafnant near Trefriw, you'd be more than welcome to stop in for a cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake. It's a lovely spot. The cafe has also meant that I might have to get myself a Fluke DMM to keep track of the fridge and freezer temps with a bit more accuracy than they have managed so far.... that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I'm leaning towards a 116.

[rsjsouza]

I got Dave's latest sale of the Sanwa PM300 and it is a pretty well built meter: CAT III 600V / IV 300V True RMS with 600µF capacitance meter, 3V diode tester, super fast latched continuity and Rel/Min/Max modes. The handy box is also very well put together.

I foresee myself using it quite a lot.

[Specmaster]

That sure sounds like the perfect justification for a new DMM go on, go get it, you know you want it, you need it, you must have it 

[GerryBags]

Thanks, Specmaster, i knew I could count on you for impartial advice! Fluke's backlights on the newer models make going for the cheaper, older ones very difficult. It's so blue! 

[Specmaster]

My pleasure GerryBags, I know you'd do the same for me given the chance  Seeing as the 116 is specifically aimed at the HVAC market, I think if its so Blue I suggest you turn the heating up a bit and  the air con down so you can get some heat into it again.

[beanflying]

An 8th Soldering Iron 

TS100 and a few tips for the toolbag and maybe bench use.

Plasma Ball because I have always wanted one. 

Anyone want to buy a very very used 30 year old Weller WTCP or a couple of 'free' postage only junk plug in irons.......

[djos]

Just bought A Vera plus home automation controller.

http://getvera.com/controllers/veraplus/

I think HA is like GAS, once you start you keep going deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole! 

[Specmaster]

I got myself a 2nd HP3466A and it appears to be within calibration as shown against my other one and connected to my voltage reference module. Sadly though, because of poor packing the handle is in 2 parts but I did get a partial refund to offset it. Time to break out the superglue I think and see if it will stick this type of plastic.

[VK5RC]

I think the solvent type glue (like aerofix cement) might be worth a try,. Rob

[Specmaster]

Thanks for that but I doubt it as the plastic looks to be of the oily type so I suspect that it needs something like the Gel type of superglue. I can but keep trying till I find something does work.

[beanflying]

Sadly most Thermoplastics won't take glue well.  You may do better to look for a good plastic welder or make a sleeve of some sort over the break.

[GerryBags]

You could drill it and pin it. The trick is to get the two halves to line up, but with half an inch hole in either side and snug fitting brass or ally tube and thin cyanocrylate will make it strong enough to use to carry it with. If you can get hold of PC-80 vinyl superglue (150 Kg per sq.cm) you'd be able to hang off it. The first version would do fine for sitting on the stack, though.

E2A: If you're left with any gaps where shards of plastic have gone, fill the area with thin or gel cyano and then sprinkle baking soda over the joint. Wherever the baking soda mixes with the glue it will cure instantly, leaving a rock hard, sandable, paintable surface.

It's not just me that does this! http://www.instructables.com/id/Baking-Soda-Reinforcing-Glue-Repair/

I repaired the filter capacitor box on my 2467B (yes, I snapped off the little lug in the middle), but I drilled it, pinned it, and filled the gaps with SG/BS and it's strong enough to use as normal, I've had the top on and off a few times since just to make sure. That is the same type of plastic or similar. Solvent glues didn't touch it.

[Specmaster]

You could drill it and pin it. The trick is to get the two halves to line up, but with half an inch hole in either side and snug fitting brass or ally tube and thin cyanocrylate will make it strong enough to use to carry it with. If you can get hold of PC-80 vinyl superglue (150 Kg per sq.cm) you'd be able to hang off it. The first version would do fine for sitting on the stack, though.

I've just remembered that when I got my first 3466A, it too had a broken handle and it was photographed and displayed on Ebay with it so I knew it was broken and in the same location as well strangely enough. I managed to repair that one to the position where today I can carry it about with impunity if I wanted to and I used Loctite Gel power flex glue for that so I've just tried it again and now I just need to leave it along for a few hours to see if it works again.

[GerryBags]

Nice one! 

It sounds as though HP should have had a metal rod going through the handle anyway. All plastics tend to get brittle as they age. I think the Loctite glue is quite similar to the PC-80. I'm not sure what Loctite add for the flexibility but that is what the vinyl is there for in the PC-80, it makes a big difference to the shear strength, superglue's only real drawback.

Don't laugh, but if you happen to give yourself a cut that needs stitching you can patch yourself up with superglue a treat. I believe the cyanoacrylate formula was developed as a field-dressing during the Vietnam War. I can't stand car travel, the vibrations are agonizing to me, so I've often resorted to superglue after doing something stupid rather than have an hour of torture in the car, followed by 8 hours of torture sitting in A&E.