Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Zucca]

Went to the Bay of Ebil to see quite how painful bd139's life was about to become hunting down that ZM1000 and tripped across this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METRIX-OX803B-2-x-40-MHz-0956-analog-oscilloscope-/184087117880

For those who can't be bothered to follow the link it's a "METRIX OX803B 2 x 40 MHz / 0956 analog oscilloscope" with a "Buy it now" price of £1,181.23. I've seen some dumb asking prices for 'scopes before, but I think that's a record new level of fuckwitery.

One day I want to try to sell my dirty underwear in Ebay auction starting at 1€ and see what I get at the end.

[mnementh]

My T12 made a bang  . Honestly 10% more quality is required there.  They seem to be designed for production use in China where they have one dude on the line who’s job is to fix shit.

Weller tips are crap now. I actually used one TCP tip for ten entire years once (!)

Yeah remember, so did my first one from Bang 'em Good. When they said 28V MAX, they meant 28V... not 29, or 28.5... 

The metal-slug tips on their recent adjustable-temp stations, I agree. They're seriously on a par with the $25 936 clones. Their newer stations with cartridge tips are as good or better than the best Hakko has to offer. One of the reasons those TCP tips last so long (aside from just plain higher quality of material/manufacture) is that temp regulation is built into the tip... you can't crank up the heat and burn the fuck out of it. 

I firmly believe that learning how to solder with these fixed-temp large-mass irons teaches you better soldering skills... but that line of discussion inevitably leads to PEBKAC errors and how to best resolve them.

mnem
 

[mnementh]

   "It's more than a religion, it's the only way to live" ~ Manowar

ROFL-ROFL-ROFL!!!

mnem

[mnementh]

Good decision to move this one on. Either that or strip it for parts. *** Take ALL 3D printer reviews from all sources with a huge grain of salt as MOST reviewers are getting freebies or percentage of sales. The Ender 3 as a first up fairly idiot proof printer takes some beating.

I almost sold that 3D printer yesterday for 230€... at the end the buyer did not pulled the trigger. 

@Germans: Bitte nicht im Ebay Kleineanzeige diese Drucker kaufen...

Holy Fucking Asscrackers! I can't believe you actually got serious nibbles at that price range.  I'll just shut the fuck up now, and quietly lick my Tevo Tarantula wounds in the corner... 

mnem
"It only hurts until you die."

[Cerebus]

One day I want to try to sell my dirty underwear in Ebay auction starting at 1€ and see what I get at the end.

Two things wrong there that will limit your success:

• You're not a girl.
• You didn't specify Japanese eBay.

[mnementh]

Likewise, my T12 OLED has been up to all the jobs I have thrown at it so far. I love the fact that it has a low standby temperature and as soon you pick the handle it ramps up to working temp within a couple of seconds or so and if you require a boost because you hit ground plane or some lead free solder, give the setting knob a quick press and boom you have the heat you need.

I also have a clone 936 station and that has a big arse old transformer in it as well.

   
mnem's current T12 Station

Put a 1000uF or so cap across the outputs of that XFMR supply... if it reads BELOW 28V, she's a prime candidate for "upgrading" with a T12 module kit for cheap. 

mnem
NO BOOM FOR YOO!!!

[Zucca]

Holy Fucking Asscrackers! I can't believe you actually got serious nibbles at that price range.  I'll just shut the fuck up now, and quietly lick my Tevo Tarantula wounds in the corner... 

I suspect it was just a crazy monkey with a stolen phone in his hands.



Re: Metcal. At the Produtronica in Munich this year the Thermaltronics stand had so much more interesting toys than the Metcal one. One day I will post the pics. the most impressive was the dual coil soldering big ass iron. It took the two RF input into one device to give you more power.
Moreover I liked very much the color code on the Thermaltronics tips to get the temperature sorted out.



That's why I bought red and blue nail shellac.. to upgrade all my tips: no color=yellow.

mnem after you push me to buy that transparent nail shellac I have no brakes now....

[mnementh]

Oh no...  I have rented another garage a couple blocks from my house for... ahem.. "storage". This is probably a bad thing...   

*casts a prayer to Ifni for your heathen soul...*

mnem
...to join the rest of us heathens in our neverending toolish debauchery       

[mnementh]

  This makes me cry a little inside...

Were you not able to make a shipping damage claim? Or was it just not worth the hassle given what you paid...?

mnem
*tzzzzt^

[bd139]

I paid $19 for it. My plan B was sell the good tubes and drivers if it was a turd so hardly worth complaining.

I can still turn it into a usable counter with about 3h of effort which is probably worth it. Either that or recycle the enclosure as it’s a nice one with tilt feet.

Edit: new switch just turned up for the PL330QMD so I’ll stick that in tonight

[mnementh]

Good luck, you risk the wrath of the nixie fans.  Just like I got the great unwashed that goes ape every time I get out the blue spray paint. 

But med... Weeee lurrrrve youuuuu!!! How can you say such hurtful things...? 

mnem
Seriously dood... you have a problem. Don't make us haveta do a intervention. 

[mnementh]

Ok decided to turn this counter into an absolutely pointless project just for the hell of it. Plan is as follows:

1. Rip out the transformer and entire power supply and sell.
2. Rip out the nixie tubes, drivers and sell.
3. Build a simple buck-boost 12v -> 5v -> 15.5v supply for the internal rails (have some TI simple switchers and some inductors somewhere I can use for this and supply filtering).
4. Attach a powerpole connector to the back of it instead of a horrible integrated lead.
5. Build a new front panel board with LED displays on one side and SMD 74LS47 devices on the other side that just plugs into the latch bus.
6. Clean up front panel, paint and relabel as IB-1100A
7. Paint it blue

Just put a 5.5mm COAX POWER (barrel connector) socket on it and recycle a old 19.5V laptop charger to power it. A couple LM317Ts and done. Minimal assache, cheap and reliable.

And yes, please paint it blue... just for med. 

mnem
 

[Cerebus]

I suspect it was just a crazy monkey with a stolen phone in his hands.

Yeah, but I suspect that wasn't the monkey who bid on your 3DP, I suspect that money is the one who works in the patent office that approved this patent for colour coded identification:

Proof, if we needed it, that the world is going to the dogs:

• 1902-1909 Patent office clerk publishes the Special Theory of Relativity and revolutionises our knowledge of the physical world
• 2019 Patent office clerk issues a patent that fails both the essential, fundamental tests for a patent of non-obviousness and for novelty that a six year old child with nothing more than a blackboard, a cuddly toy and sticky jam encrusted face and fingers would not have missed. "You had one job..."

[mnementh]

Holy Fucking Asscrackers! I can't believe you actually got serious nibbles at that price range.  I'll just shut the fuck up now, and quietly lick my Tevo Tarantula wounds in the corner... 

I suspect it was just a crazy monkey with a stolen phone in his hands.   

Re: Metcal. At the Produtronica in Munich this year the Thermaltronics stand had so much more interesting toys than the Metcal one. One day I will post the pics. the most impressive was the dual coil soldering big ass iron. It took the two RF input into one device to give you more power. Moreover I liked very much the color code on the Thermaltronics tips to get the temperature sorted out.

   That's why I bought red and blue nail shellac.. to upgrade all my tips: no color=yellow.

mnem after you push me to buy that transparent nail shellac I have no brakes now...

SNERK!!! @ monkey-phone... 

I have no problem with Thermaltronics in principle... remember, the company was started by ex-MetCal engineers. It's just that using them side-by-side... their cartridges simply do not perform as well or last as long used on my MX-5000.

I've seen some discussion that the performance issues are due to MetCal altering their firmware so that it detects and impedes the function of Thermaltronics cartridges... I find that difficult but not impossible to swallow. And even if they did this, it's entirely possible there were real quality/safety concerns that prompted it, like Apple and their chipped iPwn/iPad chargers. 

Even it is is ALL true and MetCal did it just to fuck people who buy Thermaltronics cartridges for their MetCal... that does NOT alter the fact that my Thermaltronics tips have not held up nearly as well.

Oh, and when the neighbor's kids paint your toenails with YOUR nail polish... we ALL want pictures. 

mnem
Fortunately, I keep my scales color-coded for just such an emergency...

[med6753]

I suspect it was just a crazy monkey with a stolen phone in his hands.

That monkey will make more intelligent choices with that phone than most people can.   

[bd139]

It's using a windows phone by the looks so it's already done for 

[med6753]

Ok decided to turn this counter into an absolutely pointless project just for the hell of it. Plan is as follows:

1. Rip out the transformer and entire power supply and sell.
2. Rip out the nixie tubes, drivers and sell.
3. Build a simple buck-boost 12v -> 5v -> 15.5v supply for the internal rails (have some TI simple switchers and some inductors somewhere I can use for this and supply filtering).
4. Attach a powerpole connector to the back of it instead of a horrible integrated lead.
5. Build a new front panel board with LED displays on one side and SMD 74LS47 devices on the other side that just plugs into the latch bus.
6. Clean up front panel, paint and relabel as IB-1100A
7. Paint it blue

Just put a 5.5mm COAX POWER (barrel connector) socket on it and recycle a old 19.5V laptop charger to power it. A couple LM317Ts and done. Minimal assache, cheap and reliable.

And yes, please paint it blue... just for med. 

mnem
 

Don't worry, he will. I sent him a case of Krylon Bahama Sea Blue. 

[BU508A]

Went to the Bay of Ebil to see quite how painful bd139's life was about to become hunting down that ZM1000 and tripped across this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METRIX-OX803B-2-x-40-MHz-0956-analog-oscilloscope-/184087117880

For those who can't be bothered to follow the link it's a "METRIX OX803B 2 x 40 MHz / 0956 analog oscilloscope" with a "Buy it now" price of £1,181.23. I've seen some dumb asking prices for 'scopes before, but I think that's a record new level of fuckwitery.

Holy shit, what are they smoking? 

Dried greed with a pinch of foolishness from their customers.

[med6753]

It's using a windows phone by the looks so it's already done for 

Believe it or not I'm still using my Nokia 925 with Win8.1 but I am upgrading this Christmas. Nothing wrong with the phone itself. Extremely reliable but slowly all the apps are going down the toilet due to lack of support.

[mnementh]

Ok decided to turn this counter into an absolutely pointless project just for the hell of it. Plan is as follows:

1. Rip out the transformer and entire power supply and sell.
2. Rip out the nixie tubes, drivers and sell.
3. Build a simple buck-boost 12v -> 5v -> 15.5v supply for the internal rails (have some TI simple switchers and some inductors somewhere I can use for this and supply filtering).
4. Attach a powerpole connector to the back of it instead of a horrible integrated lead.
5. Build a new front panel board with LED displays on one side and SMD 74LS47 devices on the other side that just plugs into the latch bus.
6. Clean up front panel, paint and relabel as IB-1100A
7. Paint it blue

Or you COULD do steps 1, 2 & 7, then recycle the enclosure to... build you a new T12 OLED station.      

mnem
*agitating-ily*

[tggzzz]

Ok decided to turn this counter into an absolutely pointless project just for the hell of it. Plan is as follows:

1. Rip out the transformer and entire power supply and sell.
2. Rip out the nixie tubes, drivers and sell.
3. Build a simple buck-boost 12v -> 5v -> 15.5v supply for the internal rails (have some TI simple switchers and some inductors somewhere I can use for this and supply filtering).
4. Attach a powerpole connector to the back of it instead of a horrible integrated lead.
5. Build a new front panel board with LED displays on one side and SMD 74LS47 devices on the other side that just plugs into the latch bus.
6. Clean up front panel, paint and relabel as IB-1100A
7. Paint it blue

Just put a 5.5mm COAX POWER (barrel connector) socket on it and recycle a old 19.5V laptop charger to power it. A couple LM317Ts and done. Minimal assache, cheap and reliable.

And yes, please paint it blue... just for med. 

mnem
 

Don't worry, he will. I sent him a case of Krylon Bahama Sea Blue. 

And add a few brass cogwheels; double the price if there is a motor driving them.

[capt bullshot]

Not exactly TEA and not electronic either ..

Had some water damage in the house, first picture shows the "patch" applied to the borked pipe.
Now look at the second picture, showing a really interesting "wiring" of the pipes. The repair guy said, this was a really rare view (he claims to have about 600 cases per year.

[med6753]

You have rednecks in Germany?  Because that is a classic "Redneck Repair" 

[BU508A]

Not exactly TEA and not electronic either ..

Had some water damage in the house, first picture shows the "patch" applied to the borked pipe.
Now look at the second picture, showing a really interesting "wiring" of the pipes. The repair guy said, this was a really rare view (he claims to have about 600 cases per year.

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)

Right before Christmas. Excellent timing. 

I hope, the damage isn't too much. Do you need now to dry the walls?

[BU508A]

You have rednecks in Germany?  Because that is a classic "Redneck Repair" 

Be warned: Rednecks of this type can be found everywhere.