Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Kosmic]

The results might not be perfect, but it's like night and day!

The only question is how long they will stay that way.

Apparently, depending of the UV exposition, it might take multiple years to get to the state they were before the whitening process.

I've read anecdotal reports that a spray of satin-finish clear acrylic helps increase longevity. Not sure why.  @Cerebus, any good chemistry you can lay on us that might explain...?

Apparently UV light cause the yellowing. So if you apply a UV blocking layer on top of the parts in theory it would stop (or slow down) yellowing.

[BravoV]

Everything was sealed in a bag to keep the Ozone in.

One sure thing, once the ozone escaped from the solution into the air, you need to let them free in a good ventilated area asap, besides a fully sealed container is not good, it will pop, once the air pressure is built up enough, especially at unattended time.

My kid is a chemist, told me this ozone thing is nasty stuff, can destroy lung and kills nostril's sensitive nerves inside your noses. 

[Kosmic]

Everything was sealed in a bag to keep the Ozone in.

One sure thing, once the ozone escaped from the solution into the air, you need to let them free in a good ventilated area asap, besides a fully sealed container is not good, it will pop, once the air pressure is built up enough, especially at unattended time.

My kid is a chemist, told me this ozone thing is nasty stuff, can destroy lung and kills nostril's sensitive nerves inside your noses. 

I would expect the Ozone concentration to be fairly low. But I have no idea. If you don't put too much oxiclean, the bag will not pop.

[BravoV]

I would expect the Ozone concentration to be fairly low. But I have no idea. If you don't put too much oxiclean, the bag will not pop.

Agree, but again, just "minimize" the ozone exposure to your breathing organs, my friend.

[Kosmic]

I would expect the Ozone concentration to be fairly low. But I have no idea. If you don't put too much oxiclean, the bag will not pop.

Agree, but again, just "minimize" the ozone exposure to your breathing organs, my friend.

I didn't know it was toxic. I'll take some precautions next time. Thanks for the warning 

[PA0PBZ]

Used in the preparation and sourcing of Mountan Oysters so you are all a bit right and all very wrong in the head 

Oh god, that doesn't make it any better 

[bitseeker]

Oh well, the 34401A finally went for £191, which is probably insane for a broken meter.

Yeah, that's a bit insane (I paid just a handful of dollars more for a working, late-model one with the oval shift key), but such nuttiness is not out of the question for ePay. In general, though, prices of the 34401A have been rising since the model went end-of-life.

[grizewald]

I suspect my UV lights not being strong enough. To get those results, I had to leave the parts under the light for something like 5 days.

Wrong wavelength perhaps?

And yes, ozone is really nasty stuff. It desperately wants to get rid of that extra oxygen molecule and is a powerful oxidising agent as a result.

[BravoV]

So, I'm still trying different mix but one thing is clear, my UV light bulbs are crap. Need to find something better. Everybody seem to have their own secret recipes but the important ingredients are, Ozone (produced by the peroxide), UV and heat.

** I don't recommend those light!

Why is that ?

Wonder if using UV-C lamp, like those used alot in germicidal/disinfecting water/food, will yield better result ?

They're cheap and readily available at those water treatment spare-parts store.

UV-C lamp has transparent glass, instead of dark color like above example.

Just becareful though, UV-C is also nasty.

[worsthorse]

My BSOD¹ struck again this week. After doing my best to ignore a CL advertisement for a TDS540 that "mostly worked", hoping some other fool would buy it and save me from myself, I drove north and picked it up yesterday.



It is mechanically sound and while it fails a number of diagnostic tests, I am able to get a signal on channels 2, 3 and 4:



When I tested it before buying, it failed the ATTN/ACQ board startup test.  After running it for about thirty minutes and running the extended tests, I saw this:



The error log shows about two dozen errors, which boil down to the acquisition and processor boards. These scopes are famous for SMD tant failures on those two boards.  After reading a bunch of TDS540 repair threads, I figured it was a reasonable acceptable wager that replacing the tants and cleaning the boards will, as it has in other instances, return the scope to a usable state.

My plan is to open it up, see if the tants look like I think they look, and if they do, come up with a plan for removing/replacing them.  If they don't or I find other damage, I am not sure what I will do; probably sell it to someone who knows more about fixing them than I do.

________

¹Bright Shiny Object Disorder, a sub-syndrome of TEAS.

[Kosmic]

So, I'm still trying different mix but one thing is clear, my UV light bulbs are crap. Need to find something better. Everybody seem to have their own secret recipes but the important ingredients are, Ozone (produced by the peroxide), UV and heat.

** I don't recommend those light!

Why is that ?

Wonder if using UV-C lamp, like those used alot in germicidal/disinfecting water/food, will yield better result ?

They're cheap and readily available at those water treatment spare-parts store.

UV-C lamp has transparent glass, instead of dark color like above example.

Just becareful though, UV-C is also nasty.

First of all it's not 40W (advertised) but more 20W (measured). Secondly I don't think they produce the right light. In general people get better result by letting their parts warmup under the sun. Somehow it's producing the right light and enough heat.

With UV light it should take some hours and not days. So that's why I'm suspecting my UV light being problematic. Ordered some of those https://www.ebay.com/itm/T5-UV-Ultraviolet-Quartz-Lamp-Germicidal-Sterilizer-Disinfection-Light-With-Plug/184054777743. Hopefully I will get better results.

[Specmaster]

Oh well, the 34401A finally went for £191, which is probably insane for a broken meter.

Yeah, that's a bit insane (I paid just a handful of dollars more for a working, late-model one with the oval shift key), but such nuttiness is not out of the question for ePay. In general, though, prices of the 34401A have been rising since the model went end-of-life.

Thats when prices should be coming down.

[bitseeker]

Ok fears of packaging were unfounded. It's absolutely fine and in very good condition. I insisted that the seller removed the wrecking ball mains plug which he did so have popped a new plug on it and fired it up. Component tester and scope seem to work absolutely fine. The CT button is a bit sticky and it needs a clean but I can work with that. 3dB point appears to be around 10MHz as per spec which is pretty good.

Very very pleased. I'll tear it down later and do an internal inspection.

Wow, looks like new, bd! Glad you went for it. And it's so cute!

[Specmaster]

My BSOD¹ struck again this week. After doing my best to ignore a CL advertisement for a TDS540 that "mostly worked", hoping some other fool would buy it and save me from myself, I drove north and picked it up yesterday.



It is mechanically sound and while it fails a number of diagnostic tests, I am able to get a signal on channels 2, 3 and 4:



When I tested it before buying, it failed the ATTN/ACQ board startup test.  After running it for about thirty minutes and running the extended tests, I saw this:



The error log shows about two dozen errors, which boil down to the acquisition and processor boards. These scopes are famous for SMD tant failures on those two boards.  After reading a bunch of TDS540 repair threads, I figured it was a reasonable acceptable wager that replacing the tants and cleaning the boards will, as it has in other instances, return the scope to a usable state.

My plan is to open it up, see if the tants look like I think they look, and if they do, come up with a plan for removing/replacing them.  If they don't or I find other damage, I am not sure what I will do; probably sell it to someone who knows more about fixing them than I do.

________

¹Bright Shiny Object Disorder, a sub-syndrome of TEAS.

So glad you clarified that up, I was thinking it stood for Blue Screen Of Death.

[bitseeker]

cute little scopes, ok 



the moste cute mini scopes ever are british COSSOR

All the cute little scopes come out to play when I'm not looking.

[BravoV]

First of all it's not 40W (advertised) but more 20W (measured). Secondly I don't think they produce the right light. In general people get better result by letting their parts warmup under the sun. Somehow it's producing the right light and enough heat.

With UV light it should take some hours and not days. So that's why I'm suspecting my UV light being problematic. Ordered some of those https://www.ebay.com/itm/T5-UV-Ultraviolet-Quartz-Lamp-Germicidal-Sterilizer-Disinfection-Light-With-Plug/184054777743. Hopefully I well get better results.

Great, looking forward for your result using UV-C lamp. 

Regarding UV-C, please be careful, its much more dangerous compared to the black-light UV generated by your previous one.

-> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_germicidal_irradiation#Safety

The reason is, according to my kid  , that particular generated wavelength somehow accelerate chemical reaction, like destroying cell's DNA, hence warning as it may cause skin cancer, as the skill cell's DNA is trashed. 

Apart from destroying eyes retina, UV-C wavelength also known to make eyes lenses turn into cloudy/hazy, and the damage its permanent as the bio-chemical thingy inside the eye's lens liquid is some how degraded/destroyed. 

Also, when UV-C light hit O2 (plain Oxygen), they will turn into Ozone.

Just becareful.

[bitseeker]

Putting the B channel to the left of the A channel is suitably odd.

What with driving on the other side of the road, pulling faders DOWN to increase gain, having "4" on a meter scale indicate 0dB, enumerating mixing desk channels right to left, and rage-quitting the most prosperous loose federation of countries on the earth, having "B" left of "A" is just keeping in style of consistent back-asswards behaviour.

 

And don't get me started about the habit of measuring people in "stone".

Then there's the difference between how household light switches work. In Sweden, the light goes on when the switch is up, in the UK when it's down.

Putting the B channel first is particularly perverse though.

Yeah, light/power switches. I was surprised the first time I experienced that. Ah, the joys of travel (and realizing that so many things just happen to be done the opposite way all over the place).

A more recent TEA experience along those lines: The Rigol DG800/900 has the rocker power switch oriented with "on" in the down position. I haven't seen this on Rigol gear before and thought maybe it was destined for UK distribution or something. Even the one I got here in the US has the same orientation.



So, I figured I would just pull the switch out of the front panel far enough to flip it over and then push it back in. Easy, right? That's when I discovered that doing so prevents the switch from going back in straight. The bloody wires run into the side screw that affixes the front panel! Great going on the industrial design, Rigol!

[Kosmic]

First of all it's not 40W (advertised) but more 20W (measured). Secondly I don't think they produce the right light. In general people get better result by letting their parts warmup under the sun. Somehow it's producing the right light and enough heat.

With UV light it should take some hours and not days. So that's why I'm suspecting my UV light being problematic. Ordered some of those https://www.ebay.com/itm/T5-UV-Ultraviolet-Quartz-Lamp-Germicidal-Sterilizer-Disinfection-Light-With-Plug/184054777743. Hopefully I well get better results.

Great, looking forward for your result using UV-C lamp. 

Regarding UV-C, please be careful, its much more dangerous compared to the black-light UV generated by your previous one.

-> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_germicidal_irradiation#Safety

The reason is, according to my kid  , that particular generated wavelength somehow accelerate chemical reaction, like destroying cell's DNA, hence warning as it may cause skin cancer, as the skill cell's DNA is trashed. 

Apart from destroying eyes retina, UV-C wavelength also known to make eyes lenses turn into cloudy/hazy, and the damage its permanent as the bio-chemical thingy inside the eye's lens liquid is some how degraded/destroyed. 

Also, when UV-C light hit O2 (plain Oxygen), they will turn into Ozone.

Just becareful.

No worries, my protocol is pretty strict. Even with the cheap black light. The box is mostly light tight and I only operate the light when the box is face down. I saw people operating those UV-C light in an aquarium with the light leaking all over the place. Pretty scary.

[Kosmic]

Putting the B channel to the left of the A channel is suitably odd.

What with driving on the other side of the road, pulling faders DOWN to increase gain, having "4" on a meter scale indicate 0dB, enumerating mixing desk channels right to left, and rage-quitting the most prosperous loose federation of countries on the earth, having "B" left of "A" is just keeping in style of consistent back-asswards behaviour.

 

And don't get me started about the habit of measuring people in "stone".

Then there's the difference between how household light switches work. In Sweden, the light goes on when the switch is up, in the UK when it's down.

Putting the B channel first is particularly perverse though.

Yeah, light/power switches. I was surprised the first time I experienced that. Ah, the joys of travel (and realizing that so many things just happen to be done the opposite way all over the place).

A more recent TEA experience along those lines: The Rigol DG800/900 has the rocker power switch oriented with "on" in the down position. I haven't seen this on Rigol gear before and thought maybe it was destined for UK distribution or something. Even the one I got here in the US has the same orientation.



So, I figured I would just pull the switch out of the front panel far enough to flip it over and then push it back in. Easy, right? That's when I discovered that doing so prevents the switch from going back in straight. The bloody wires run into the side screw that affixes the front panel! Great going on the industrial design, Rigol!

I'm also annoyed by the power switch on my DG831 

[Kosmic]

Talking about dangerous stuff, anybody is using cadmium solder wire front time to time ? I bough a 3M respirator with p100 filter but I'm wondering if it's really necessary ? I'm also planning to have a fan blow the air outside when doing the soldering. Or should I simply go outside ?

[WastelandTek]

Hey guys, maybe this is a silly question.

Does anyone know of a software where one can do some semblance of real time FFT with a PC?

I remember doing FFT back in the day but you had to capture your sample with the sound card and let the PC crunch, but that was on pentium IIIs, so maybe ?? you can get a kind of laggy realtime now ??

I am wanting to make the distortion adjustments on this HP 200-CD

[bitseeker]

gawd, we're into WWII already

this thread really moves

... and at the rate we're going, we'll be getting ahead of ourselves by the end of February.

 

[bitseeker]

Oh well, the 34401A finally went for £191, which is probably insane for a broken meter.

Yeah, that's a bit insane (I paid just a handful of dollars more for a working, late-model one with the oval shift key), but such nuttiness is not out of the question for ePay. In general, though, prices of the 34401A have been rising since the model went end-of-life.

Thats when prices should be coming down.

That's what I was expecting to happen, too.

My BSOD¹ struck again this week....

________

¹Bright Shiny Object Disorder, a sub-syndrome of TEAS.

So glad you clarified that up, I was thinking it stood for Blue Screen Of Death.

Added to the Glossary for future reference. 

[bitseeker]

Then there's the difference between how household light switches work. In Sweden, the light goes on when the switch is up, in the UK when it's down.

Putting the B channel first is particularly perverse though.

Yeah, light/power switches. I was surprised the first time I experienced that. Ah, the joys of travel (and realizing that so many things just happen to be done the opposite way all over the place).

A more recent TEA experience along those lines: The Rigol DG800/900 has the rocker power switch oriented with "on" in the down position. I haven't seen this on Rigol gear before and thought maybe it was destined for UK distribution or something. Even the one I got here in the US has the same orientation.



So, I figured I would just pull the switch out of the front panel far enough to flip it over and then push it back in. Easy, right? That's when I discovered that doing so prevents the switch from going back in straight. The bloody wires run into the side screw that affixes the front panel! Great going on the industrial design, Rigol!

I'm also annoyed by the power switch on my DG831 

I'm glad we got these at the Jammy Git^TM prices we did. I would've been truly annoyed by its "features" had I paid regular price.

[bitseeker]

I couldn't make it to TEA Time today. Hope there was some good chatter again. What did y'all get on about?