Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Duracell have always been crap in this department. I remember my father having new Duracells leak in a camera flash in the early 90s. £500 flash even back then.

Out of thousands of them used, never seen a GP Ultra alkaline battery leak. Had one that was short and that was it.

Historically alkalines were the only choice for some applications as the rechargeables of the era would slowly discharge themselves. No so these days. Got stacks of LADDA cells from Ikea now. They're pretty good.

[Specmaster]

Duracell have always been crap in this department. I remember my father having new Duracells leak in a camera flash in the early 90s. £500 flash even back then.

Out of thousands of them used, never seen a GP Ultra alkaline battery leak. Had one that was short and that was it.

Historically alkalines were the only choice for some applications as the rechargeables of the era would slowly discharge themselves. No so these days. Got stacks of LADDA cells from Ikea now. They're pretty good.

Are GP freely available in supermarkets though, I've not seen them in shops at all.

From mobile device so predictive text might have struck again [emoji83]

[bd139]

Yeah they sell them in The Entertainer toy shop. I usually buy them in bulk from CPC though: http://cpc.farnell.com/gp-batteries/gppca15au006/battery-ultra-alkaline-aa-bulk/dp/BT05626

[Specmaster]

Yeah they sell them in The Entertainer toy shop. I usually buy them in bulk from CPC though: http://cpc.farnell.com/gp-batteries/gppca15au006/battery-ultra-alkaline-aa-bulk/dp/BT05626

I get Duracell Industrial, these are sold by Electrical Wholesalers and also a lot Ebay sellers have them and you can get in lots of 50 for £15.75 from this seller https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-x-Duracell-Industrial-AA-Alkaline-Batteries-Replaces-Procell-MN1500-1-5V-LR6/263721718391?epid=882101987&hash=item3d670a1277:g:3JoAAOSwrU1bDQiT

I've been using these for years now and I have not yet suffered a single failure of any sort with them and we have lots of them in use in equipment that is not used very often and no problems.

[bd139]

We had one of their PP3's blow up in the office inside the stationery cupboard. Made a proper bang! Unused in wrapper. Zero trust in anything from them 

Edit: for that price compared to the actual retail, you're probably getting Chinese clone ones. They don't leak! 

Quick trick if you want to find a genuine duracell or a fake one. If you get an 8xAA battery holder, of the cheapest variety and load it up with the cells under test, then drop it about an inch onto the table, the genuine ones will stay in the holder. The fake ones shoot all over the shit.

[med6753]

This was posted in the Vintage Tek Group on Facebook. A small electronics shop in Las Cruces, New Mexico. A quick Mapquest resulted in one way distance of 2175 miles and 34 hours continuous driving. Now if it had been under 30 hours I'd already be on my way. 

[Specmaster]

WTF, you mean to tell us that your letting just 4 hours stand between you and the apple of your eye, get a grip man, you'll never come across such a treasure trove again 

Why oh why are the best bits so fucking far away 

[med6753]

Why oh why are the best bits so fucking far away 

Ain't that the truth. My Brother is in Greeley, Colorado which is "only" 721 miles and 11 hours away. Maybe I can convince him to go for me. 

[Brumby]

If you do go and get more than 3 pieces of gear, take a truck.

[med6753]

If you do go and get more than 3 pieces of gear, take a truck.

If I do go I'm gonna be prepared. 

[bd139]

That's what the store looked like where I used to work, but newer stuff. You know 20-30 8656B's just waiting to be used for years. Was stacked to the ceiling.

Unfortunately I wasn't in the "first dibs" crew when they were throwing stuff in the skip.

[Brumby]

If you do go and get more than 3 pieces of gear, take a truck.

If I do go I'm gonna be prepared. 

If you go more than 1 layer high, you'll be overweight!

Just cover the floor and you'll be done.

[bd139]

Disappearing for a bit. Not sure how long. May post but much less frequently. Need to throw everything I have into a business venture. Dropping this here in case anyone thinks I’ve been killed by an HT circuit, a falling scope or an angry SWMBO ... fear not I shall return in force shortly

(And no I’m not sinning by selling any more gear  )

[Mr. Scram]

Disappearing for a bit. Not sure how long. May post but much less frequently. Need to throw everything I have into a business venture. Dropping this here in case anyone thinks I’ve been killed by an HT circuit, a falling scope or an angry SWMBO ... fear not I shall return in force shortly

(And no I’m not sinning by selling any more gear  )

Obviously posted by bd139's wife to cover her tracks. CONFESS!

[Specmaster]

Disappearing for a bit. Not sure how long. May post but much less frequently. Need to throw everything I have into a business venture. Dropping this here in case anyone thinks I’ve been killed by an HT circuit, a falling scope or an angry SWMBO ... fear not I shall return in force shortly

(And no I’m not sinning by selling any more gear  )

Good luck in the venture then, you will be missed of that I'm sure, just don't forget to ship your 3478A to me before you disappear in case one of those scenarios should happen 

[AF6LJ]

Disappearing for a bit. Not sure how long. May post but much less frequently. Need to throw everything I have into a business venture. Dropping this here in case anyone thinks I’ve been killed by an HT circuit, a falling scope or an angry SWMBO ... fear not I shall return in force shortly

(And no I’m not sinning by selling any more gear  )

You will be missed, take care.
And most of all..........
Good Luck.

[mnementh]

Oh, the joy of using "modern" batteries. Or, as mnem would say, "They don't make them like they used to."

Can you hear the vintage Eveready cells laughing?

Electronix Repair hack #678 (Mostly developed for resurrecting battery-defiled remote controls): Scrub battery connectors and PCBs with a toothbrush (or where possible without destroying plastic, a stainless steel detail brush) and Windex (Real Windex, or the good store brand stuff that you can smell has with lots of ammonia in it) to neutralize alkaline deposits and clean battery contacts down to clean metal. Rinse with distilled water and dry on a towel on your dash in the sun, or use your hair dryer/heat gun on low as conditions demand.

Once battery contacts are clean, smear a little silicone dielectric grease between the batteries and contacts to prevent corrosive relapse common with cleaned battery terminals. This stuff is available at your local Auto Parts Hell for a buck; it's made to go inside spark plug boots/coil packs when you replace the plugs.


mnem
We now return you to your regularly scheduled insanity.

[mnementh]

This was posted in the Vintage Tek Group on Facebook. A small electronics shop in Las Cruces, New Mexico. A quick Mapquest resulted in one way distance of 2175 miles and 34 hours continuous driving. Now if it had been under 30 hours I'd already be on my way. 

Now that's what I call "Irreversibly Contaminated"! 


mnem
No-o-o-o-o...!

[mnementh]

Disappearing for a bit. Not sure how long. May post but much less frequently. Need to throw everything I have into a business venture. Dropping this here in case anyone thinks I’ve been killed by an HT circuit, a falling scope or an angry SWMBO ... fear not I shall return in force shortly

(And no I’m not sinning by selling any more gear  )

Obviously posted by bd139's wife to cover her tracks. CONFESS!

Naaahhh... I've seen this pattern before.  I think he got "Penis Fingers" slammed in a trunklid and needs time to heal... 


mnem
Now the question becomes whether he did it himself, or if she was involved...

[tautech]

This was posted in the Vintage Tek Group on Facebook. A small electronics shop in Las Cruces, New Mexico. A quick Mapquest resulted in one way distance of 2175 miles and 34 hours continuous driving. Now if it had been under 30 hours I'd already be on my way. 

Now that's what I call "Irreversibly Contaminated"! 


mnem
No-o-o-o-o...!

How far for you mnem ?

[mnementh]

About 810 miles, 12 1/2 hours.

If I was gonna go there, right now it would be to LEAVE stuff, not acquire it.


mnem
Y'all don't believe me about this whole "Thinning out the herd" thing... 

[Specmaster]

Disappearing for a bit. Not sure how long. May post but much less frequently. Need to throw everything I have into a business venture. Dropping this here in case anyone thinks I’ve been killed by an HT circuit, a falling scope or an angry SWMBO ... fear not I shall return in force shortly

(And no I’m not sinning by selling any more gear  )

Obviously posted by bd139's wife to cover her tracks. CONFESS!

Naaahhh... I've seen this pattern before.  I think he got "Penis Fingers" slammed in a trunklid and needs time to heal... 


mnem
Now the question becomes whether he did it himself, or if she was involved...

Nah, its none of those, can't you guess it? He's on his way to a small electronics shop in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 

[tautech]

Disappearing for a bit. Not sure how long. May post but much less frequently. Need to throw everything I have into a business venture. Dropping this here in case anyone thinks I’ve been killed by an HT circuit, a falling scope or an angry SWMBO ... fear not I shall return in force shortly

(And no I’m not sinning by selling any more gear  )

Obviously posted by bd139's wife to cover her tracks. CONFESS!

Naaahhh... I've seen this pattern before.  I think he got "Penis Fingers" slammed in a trunklid and needs time to heal... 


mnem
Now the question becomes whether he did it himself, or if she was involved...

Nah, its none of those, can't you guess it? He's on his way to a small electronics shop in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 

Wonder if he's taking SWMBO along ?

C'mon dear, how would you like a trip to New Mexico ? 


PS
We won't miss your penis fingers !
Good luck with this one buddy.

[Specmaster]

About 810 miles, 12 1/2 hours.

If I was gonna go there, right now it would be to LEAVE stuff, not acquire it.


mnem
Y'all don't believe me about this whole "Thinning out the herd" thing... 

Whoa there, tread carefully friend or you'll be called the Heretic in the same way as bd139, although I did think that they were referring to me. 

[Specmaster]

Disappearing for a bit. Not sure how long. May post but much less frequently. Need to throw everything I have into a business venture. Dropping this here in case anyone thinks I’ve been killed by an HT circuit, a falling scope or an angry SWMBO ... fear not I shall return in force shortly

(And no I’m not sinning by selling any more gear  )

Obviously posted by bd139's wife to cover her tracks. CONFESS!

Naaahhh... I've seen this pattern before.  I think he got "Penis Fingers" slammed in a trunklid and needs time to heal... 


mnem
Now the question becomes whether he did it himself, or if she was involved...

Nah, its none of those, can't you guess it? He's on his way to a small electronics shop in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 

Wonder if he's taking SWMBO along ?

C'mon dear, how would you like a trip to Mexico ? 

Maybe, she want to have a Mexican Wave hair do done while there.