Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Haha so true.

[mansaxel]

Oof! I wonder who at Uni-Trend thought it was a good idea to put the current knob under the Volts display and the voltage knob under the Amps display for CH2, but then do it correctly for CH1.

(And then green binding posts for negative and black for chassis ground.)

Yes, it is a major source of brainfuck. I haven't -- yet -- blown something with it because of that (but I discovered how hot a 1N4148 can be if turned back-asswards across a 24V relay coil the other day), but that's just sheer luck. That I don't trust the meters beyond 15% accuracy does help, since I mostly set it up with an external meter as reference.

I'm ogling an Oltronix and some other specimen to get better supply options on the bench, but I'm not likely to part with this one unless I happen to get lots of new supplies, because, once it's been adjusted and is running, it performs as it should.

[mansaxel]

Ugh I didn’t even notice it was the fraudster again FFS. I’m losing my eBay touch 

Neither did I. But it did bring back memories of something I saw earlier this morning, on IIRC German Ebay, where they insisted on BIN for an auction.    WTF, I thought, and wandered on. I'm now considering myself warned and educated. 

[Specmaster]

Mine's fine  . Actually my printer has been mostly trouble free

Mine too. Until I go fucking with it. 

got one too and it's working fine.

Y'all just don't know any better. You paid for a Chevy Nova and got a Yugo; how wouldja know any better when all you've ever driven is a Opel?

Did either of you bother to even look at the article...?

mnem
 

Nope, but they might have spotted the authors name...Dominic Cummins, the mastermind behind everything thats bad in British politics right now 

[beanflying]

So do I allocate $ to non critical cool TEA or buy more Laser bits this week? Curse my current non budget

[AVGresponding]

So do I allocate $ to non critical cool TEA or buy more Laser bits this week? Curse my current non budget

What could more cool than lasers..?   

[tggzzz]

R&R time now on ebay and I discovered this bad boy: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153907899851

I think it is quite impressive how that seller has use coronavirus as a reason to pivot from selling stamps and coins, to selling guitars, watches, test equipment - all starting at £12 and finishing at Monday, 13:47.

I reported a few earlier today, then got back to trying to find caps for my hp8562a spectrum analyser. The Rifa replacements were the easiest: just use the same part number.

Ugh I didn’t even notice it was the fraudster again FFS. I’m losing my eBay touch 

They have learned from previous mistakes and become more subtle: the start price was in double digits

[beanflying]

So do I allocate $ to non critical cool TEA or buy more Laser bits this week? Curse my current non budget

What could more cool than lasers..?   

Nixies and lots of knobs 

More worrying is Rocky Horror showing on the local idiot free to air tonight - will is cause Nightmares of Dragons in Fishnets 

[bd139]

R&R time now on ebay and I discovered this bad boy: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153907899851

I think it is quite impressive how that seller has use coronavirus as a reason to pivot from selling stamps and coins, to selling guitars, watches, test equipment - all starting at £12 and finishing at Monday, 13:47.

I reported a few earlier today, then got back to trying to find caps for my hp8562a spectrum analyser. The Rifa replacements were the easiest: just use the same part number.

Ugh I didn’t even notice it was the fraudster again FFS. I’m losing my eBay touch 

They have learned from previous mistakes and become more subtle: the start price was in double digits

Agile fraud? 

[tggzzz]

What could more cool than lasers..?   

Things cooled by lasers.
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1997/9955-the-nobel-prize-in-physics-1997/

[mansaxel]

So do I allocate $ to non critical cool TEA or buy more Laser bits this week? Curse my current non budget

What could more cool than lasers..?   

If the lasers are mounted on sharks' heads, obviously.

[Cerebus]

So do I allocate $ to non critical cool TEA or buy more Laser bits this week? Curse my current non budget

What could more cool than lasers..?   

Nixies and lots of knobs 

More worrying is Rocky Horror showing on the local idiot free to air tonight - will is cause Nightmares of Dragons in Fishnets 

There's a light, shining at the Frankenstein place,
There's a l-i-i-i-i-ght burning in the fireplace, ...

[Cerebus]

Agile fraud? 

Tautology?

[tggzzz]

More worrying is Rocky Horror showing on the local idiot free to air tonight - will is cause Nightmares of Dragons in Fishnets 

See an original 1973 Rocky Horror Picture Show T-shirt in the picture below. I can still get in it, but the fabric is becoming fragile.

Watching Tim Curry stomp up the aisle in the theatre was a sight to behold

[Cerebus]

See an original 1973 Rocky Horror Picture Show T-shirt in the picture below. I can still get in it, but the fabric is becoming fragile.

Is that the fabric of the T-shirt, or the fabric of the body contorting to get into a T-shirt when it's more used nowadays to a small-check shirt and a comfy cardigan?   

[0culus]

Welp, I got me a nice TEA bonanza from the UPS guy today. I talked to him for a bit and he said they are as busy as Christmas season with everyone mail ordering everything. 

Anyway, pics to come as I have time, but here's the damage (all HP):

4262A LCR Meter, in good shape WITH 16062A Kelvin leads AND 16061A test fixture
778D dual directional coupler (now I have two; these are super nice couplers to have around)
8477A power meter calibrator for my 432A power meter
11683A power meter range calibrator...PRISTINE and a hard to find piece
A grab bag of HP extender cards (VERY nice to have around)
A ton of HP T&M catalogs, spanning 2 decades plus with only a few missing years

and last, but certainly not least, a 5087A distribution amp with a full complement of output amp cards. At last, I can tie up to 12 instruments to my GPSDO. 

OK, as promised, here's some pix of most of it (extender cards are still in bubble wrap and I can't be arsed to deal with it right now).   

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Wow! Nice haul, 0culus. Looks in really good nick.

Hmm, I suppose I should get an 8477A, too, for my 432A.

I am quite happy with all of it. The HP catalogs are wonderful for finding accessories you’re missingenabling TEA. 

On the bright side I believe it’s easier to find  the 8477A than the 11683 range calibrator!

[Saskia]

what's cooler than lasers ?

umm, let's build a low wavelength coherent beam thingie ...
where do we get the gamma rays, and how do we make them march in line ....
hmmm ...
and where do we point it ?
*hmmmm*

enough !
it's astounding, time is fleeting,
maaaaaadnessssss takes its toll.
But listen closely
not for very much longer
I've got to
keep control ...

[AVGresponding]

Nutters!

Anyway, in-context, I doubt bean wants sharks in his house to mount his laser/s on, and do we really want powerful coherent gamma ray sources anywhere near us?
I mean, given that gamma ray bursts from quasars can sterilise an entire galaxy, and all, ijs   

[tggzzz]

See an original 1973 Rocky Horror Picture Show T-shirt in the picture below. I can still get in it, but the fabric is becoming fragile.

Is that the fabric of the T-shirt, or the fabric of the body contorting to get into a T-shirt when it's more used nowadays to a small-check shirt and a comfy cardigan?   

Both the fabric and the material are more fragile now But the material is the limiting factor in this case (If you look carefully, you can see a split seam in the left armpit)

[nixiefreqq]

didn't bother me a bit.

[Saskia]

of course it's nutty. Do we want the source of a GRB anywhere near us ? near meaning less than 500 Mill. light years ?
don't think so ...
it's a matter of fact that scientists are working on gamma ray lasers, though, it's one thing that's needed for chip manufacturing to get past the 7 nm down to even smaller structures...
anyway.

[bd139]

Fucking ebay hams!!!! 

1. List something with clear title and description.
2. Fuckwit buys it.
3. Fuckwit then reads the title and description.
4. Fuckwit asks to cancel order

 

G0 prefix fuckwit.

[tggzzz]

Fucking ebay hams!!!! 

1. List something with clear title and description.
2. Fuckwit buys it.
3. Fuckwit then reads the title and description.
4. Fuckwit asks to cancel order

 

G0 prefix fuckwit.

If you haven't shipped it, is there a possibility of cancelling the order but retaining some money to make him realise his dimwittedness?

I put "I'll asnwer questions. I won't sell to people with inadequate/poor feedback; ask if in doubt". Haven't had a problem - yet. But then I don't knowingly sell to hams

[bd139]

Unfortunately not. What happens is you get charged the final value fee instantly and then ebay refund it if the buyer requests cancellation at their end. There is no penalty for him at all.

Also as a seller you can't leave a buyer negative feedback now as well. Not that it was any good before as they'd just appeal it and ebay would delete the negative feedback.

Yeah don't sell to or buy from hams unless it's cash in hand. Hamfests are a grave risk on the purchasing front. About 50% of items suffer from "wandering flame thrower instead of soldering iron" problems and all items should be paid scrap value for

You can thank distance selling regulations for this. Buyer remorse is covered 

[mnementh]

Y'all just don't know any better. You paid for a Chevy Nova and got a Yugo; how wouldja know any better when all you've ever driven is a Opel?

Do you know, by the way, that Ford car manufacture in Europe exists solely to make Opel the second worst car being made?

  LOL IRL... That doesn't sound right; many of my friends on other boards have defended the EU Fiesta/Escort as having price/reliability comparable to Toyota Corolla/Camry. In other words, a cheap car that's good for 10 years even if you abuse it and longer if you take care of it. But thanks for the belly laugh; I needed it.

Oof! I wonder who at Uni-Trend thought it was a good idea to put the current knob under the Volts display and the voltage knob under the Amps display for CH2, but then do it correctly for CH1.

(And then green binding posts for negative and black for chassis ground.)

Yes, it is a major source of brainfuck. I haven't -- yet -- blown something with it because of that (but I discovered how hot a 1N4148 can be if turned back-asswards across a 24V relay coil the other day), but that's just sheer luck. That I don't trust the meters beyond 15% accuracy does help, since I mostly set it up with an external meter as reference.

I'm ogling an Oltronix and some other specimen to get better supply options on the bench, but I'm not likely to part with this one unless I happen to get lots of new supplies, because, once it's been adjusted and is running, it performs as it should.

I would make it a mission to swap the controls around on the offending half of that thing fer damn sherr.  Just erase the labels above the knobs with alcohol on a rag. If it resists, try using a pencil eraser pressing through the cloth; I've found this allows more control and more pressure without damaging the plastic. The binding posts... some Sharpie will turn one of the green ones black; migrate them around and problem solved.

mnem