Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Robert763]

Talking of spectrum analysers, there are lots of Agilent E4402B 100Hz-3GHz and HP 8560E 30Hz-2.9GHz (and other things) are in the Ramco auction https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/timed/ramco/catalogue-id-ramco-10236

Only trouble with Ramco is it's a lottery. Most of the TE in that auction is ex MoD but that does not mean it's working. Prices have been a bit high of late too. Fo complex items like a modern SA you need to get two for the price you would pay for one and hope that they don't both have the same fault. 
I've not seen a lot of the recent TE they have sold come up for re-sale do it is either going to dealers. perhaps overseas, or "end users". Ramco did say there might be shipping delays from the last auction as they had over 300 individual purchasers on that one auction. So no more than 3 or 4 lots per buyer.
(Got preview to work, wasn't scrolling up enough)

[tggzzz]

Talking of spectrum analysers, there are lots of Agilent E4402B 100Hz-3GHz and HP 8560E 30Hz-2.9GHz (and other things) are in the Ramco auction https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/timed/ramco/catalogue-id-ramco-10236

Only trouble with Ramco is it's a lottery. Most of the TE in that auction is ex MoD but that does not mean it's working. Prices have been a bit high of late too. Fo complex items like a modern SA you need to get two for the price you would pay for one and hope that they don't both have the same fault. 
I've not seen a lot of the recent TE they have sold come up for re-sale do it is either going to dealers. perhaps overseas, or "end users". Ramco did say there might be shipping delays from the last auction as they had over 300 individual purchasers on that one auction. So no more than 3 or 4 lots per buyer.
(Got preview to work, wasn't scrolling up enough)

All very true. Even board/component swapping in a modern SA isn't necessarily trivial; my hp8562b is a mechanical marvel in the way all the boards are mounted and flap out like pages in a book.

[bd139]

Yeah very scary those things. I'd rather get one that at least looks like it's working.

Most of the Ramco stuff you can only see the front. The back, you never know.

NSFW (look at the connectors):



As for non-trivial, they're 10x worse than that 7L12 I had and that was a flipping pandora's box that one:



Currently laser printer shopping. So many pieces of rip off crap out there 

[0culus]

Definitely a when here. Spectrum analysers are notoriously fragile. I'm sure I will blow mine up when I get it. One of the attractions of this particular one is that if you do blow it up then it doesn't mean crying like a baby for several days 

I'm still on the market for a half decent HP one, preferably with tracking gen or at least with LO out, but the entire supply seems to have dried up at the moment or has gone "stupid price".

If you're playing with higher power levels, you need a radio test set instead such as an HP 8920A or B. 


...otherwise with mitigations like directional couplers, attenuators, and DC blocks you can protect your SA very well. But you have to pay attention. The 8920 series will take 60W at the input by default...100W if it's got an option.

[bd139]

Yeah Marconi 2955 is a winner there as well. Plus a whole bucket of OM IC's for it 

[Ice-Tea]

There is a R&S CRTU-RU on ebay UK at the moment for £750. That's a 2.7GHz SA with 50W input rating (200W peak) AND a Signal Generator AND a uW  to 50W power meter  (wide or narrowband). With a PC and free R&S software (FreRes) you get tracking generator / scalar network analyser (with offset frequencies) functionality. It covers the 2.4GHz band which a Siglent 3021 does not. A SSA3032 is twice as much. Neither have a proper signal generator.
(connection to seller  )

Recently finished up a CMU200, roughly identical to the CRTU. Tested it completely, closed to cover, ran tests again. Obviouslt, didn't work any more  . Story of my life, need to find time to fix that.

That said: if you consider bidding on that eBay unit, make sure the full (and passed) internal and external loop tests are availbled. A lot of units fail that.

[tggzzz]

NSFW (look at the connectors):

That's ..... impressive - in several senses of the word.

[BU508A]

Some LASER aficionados hangin' around here?   

[bd139]

No sharks. Disappointed.

[BU508A]

No sharks. Disappointed.

Wanna sharks? Glomgold has a more sophisticated kind of them: sharkas!   

[Saskia]

quick update:
delivered Hubby safely to the medical rehab clinic ( for you mericns: that's heart rehab, not drug / alcohol withdrawal ...)

Went to Reichelt to get a bit distracted (there's nothing I can do for him while he's in the hospital)

Picked up a 32" UHD monitor, some mainboards, shitloads of SATA cables, and a WIHA wire stripper. I will let Neomys Sapiens have a closer look at it when I am back in the area.

Decided to do some more relaxation shopping and got a new camera (EOS R) on a whim (i.e. without thinking to much about the monetary consequences). Big mistake. Optical shit is bloody expensive.

Anyway, at least my lenses will continue to work on this critter. Otherwise I would probably return it ...

Decided to drive to the coast, will leave on Monday. Will try to get some exercise to regain lost strength for when hubby is getting out of the clinic.

Will go Hamburger feasting with my daughter tomorrow.

Then start arranging my stuff and crosschecking the TA-E 86, I brought the good one along and want to test, if it is really the TA-E 86 acting up, or something else.

I might have WiFi at the airbnb I'll be staying at so that I hopefully don't have to fight through 800 pages when I get back.

[mnementh]

No sharks. Disappointed.

Wanna sharks? Glomgold has a more sophisticated kind of them: sharkas!   

New DuckTales...? AGAIN...? Seriously...? Ducking Disney, man... molesting the corpse for fun & profit a third (or is it fourth...?) time now...

mnem

LaunchPad McQuack is my spirit guide.

[Saskia]

Question: TDS420A 4 Channel 200 MHz Oscilloscope ...
is that 2x TDS210 in one case ?
is it worth 200€

(available literally next door ...)

[Kosmic]

Decided to do some more relaxation shopping and got a new camera (EOS R) on a whim (i.e. without thinking to much about the monetary consequences). Big mistake. Optical shit is bloody expensive.

Hoooo nice, 30 mp, full frame. Can you buy a adapter and use your EF lens ?

Bought a Canon 5Ds recently, I'm in camera paradise. Working so well for me.

[Kosmic]

Question: TDS420A 4 Channel 200 MHz Oscilloscope ...
is that 2x TDS210 in one case ?
is it worth 200€

(available literally next door ...)

at 200Mhz bandwidth and 100Ms/s sampling rate it's another deprecated sampling scope. Not real time. I would skip.

[Specmaster]

Question: TDS420A 4 Channel 200 MHz Oscilloscope ...
is that 2x TDS210 in one case ?
is it worth 200€

(available literally next door ...)

No, TDS210 is only 60MHz

Here is the data sheet for your one, what do you think?

[Kosmic]

My Mastech MS8911 is slowly becoming my go to LCR meter for quick measurement. I'm still working on my 10Mhz distribution amplifier and got some 1pF cap. The damn thing is able to measure them somehow accurately.

[Saskia]

@Kosmic Adapter for EF was included for 1700 brussels pesos nib.
The native lenses are sooooooooooooooo expensive, I think I'll be using the adapter.

Alternative would have been a 5DS R, but that would not have been less expensive, but a lot bulkier, even though 50 mpx are nothing to be sniffed at.

[Saskia]

Question: TDS420A 4 Channel 200 MHz Oscilloscope ...
is that 2x TDS210 in one case ?
is it worth 200€

(available literally next door ...)

No, TDS210 is only 60MHz

Here is the data sheet for your one, what do you think?

I am running low on floor space, I think I'll skip. If he would let go of it for 100, I would probably take it and abuse it for audio stuff.
I still have my DSOX2002A keysight that I will most likely use for low frequency audio stuff, so I should be fine ...

Thanks tho.

[Kosmic]

@Kosmic Adapter for EF was included for 1700 brussels pesos nib.
The native lenses are sooooooooooooooo expensive, I think I'll be using the adapter.

Alternative would have been a 5DS R, but that would not have been less expensive, but a lot bulkier, even though 50 mpx are nothing to be sniffed at.

Apparently the adapter is working fine and there is no negative impact on using EF lens.

Yeah I was looking for a chunkier camera when I bought the 5DS 

[AVGresponding]

'kkin fleabay man...

uwot m8? ow much? yer avin a giraffe incha?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fluke-PM3394A-Philips-Combiscope-200MHz-200MS-s-4-Channel-Oscilloscope-IEEE-488/193604168619


jes leev it m8, snot werf it
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Philips-Oscilloscope-20MHz-Oscilloscope-Pm-3208-365/164145337086


Ah now this venue has a much finer ambience and clientele, we approve
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Philips-PM3055-50-MHz-Dual-Time-Base-Oscilloscope/124309383908


It's a veritable smörgåsbord, or perhaps that should be kaasstengels
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Philips-PM-3244-Oscilloscope/324268626711


What's that Skippy? It's cheap Philips scope day on ebay?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oscilloscope-Philips-PM3206-15MHz/233656356330


What's happening to the bandwidth, it keeps shrinking?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Philips-Oscilloscope-Pm-3233-10MHz/154058977409


Even this little bobby-dazzler went for way less than I expected (no, it wasn't me this time), despite the ludicrous colour scheme
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Capri-mk3-3-0-Ghia-manual/133499337435

Question: TDS420A 4 Channel 200 MHz Oscilloscope ...
is that 2x TDS210 in one case ?
is it worth 200€

(available literally next door ...)

No, TDS210 is only 60MHz

Here is the data sheet for your one, what do you think?

The TDS420A is a CRT scope, and even mine which is fully optioned only has 120kpts memory. The sample rate is only 100MS/s.
The 210 at least has 1GS/s for its 60MHz, so at least you'll not end up in ET.

I do love my 420 more than my 210, however. In the words of Paul Carlson, I enjoy the "galloping relays", when it boots up (which takes quite some time I might add).

EDIT: My 420 was just under £100 shipped, which I consider way better value than the £130 or so for my 210.

[Robert763]

Yeah very scary those things. I'd rather get one that at least looks like it's working.

Most of the Ramco stuff you can only see the front. The back, you never know.

NSFW (look at the connectors):
including "tested and W

That seller has a lot of kit that has what is obviously deliberate connector damage. Some on front too. I've seen that sort of thing done in spite by a user of the equipment who is't allowed to buy it from their employer and knows it's going to end up in a WEEE skip.  That seller also has some R&S kit including CRTU-RUs that are "tested and working" but "no hard drive" These don't work without a hard drive and building one up from scratch, even for just the non-licenced functionlity, is non trivial. R&S publish the software but first you have to get it booting DOS 6.22 (no, not FreeDos or anything else) before the R&S installer will run.

[bd139]

Could also be the clearance guys chucking it loose in the back of a Transit. I’ve seen that before. In goes 20x HP DL580’s. Out comes a pile of scrap metal.

This planet is full of wasteful clueless evil idiots 

Edit: half tempted to bag that second hand unused Siglent SDG1032X on eBay at the moment. Only problem is it’s 10% off usual retail price. Is it worth losing supplier warranty for a £25 saving? No stock at Telonic though.

It would of course be instantly persuaded that it’s an SDG1062X 

[Cubdriver]

quick update:
delivered Hubby safely to the medical rehab clinic ( for you mericns: that's heart rehab, not drug / alcohol withdrawal ...)

Went to Reichelt to get a bit distracted (there's nothing I can do for him while he's in the hospital)

Picked up a 32" UHD monitor, some mainboards, shitloads of SATA cables, and a WIHA wire stripper. I will let Neomys Sapiens have a closer look at it when I am back in the area.

Decided to do some more relaxation shopping and got a new camera (EOS R) on a whim (i.e. without thinking to much about the monetary consequences). Big mistake. Optical shit is bloody expensive.

Anyway, at least my lenses will continue to work on this critter. Otherwise I would probably return it ...

Decided to drive to the coast, will leave on Monday. Will try to get some exercise to regain lost strength for when hubby is getting out of the clinic.

Will go Hamburger feasting with my daughter tomorrow.

Then start arranging my stuff and crosschecking the TA-E 86, I brought the good one along and want to test, if it is really the TA-E 86 acting up, or something else.

I might have WiFi at the airbnb I'll be staying at so that I hopefully don't have to fight through 800 pages when I get back.

Do they make L series glass for the EOS R?  I've been avoiding looking at them, and figure I'll stick with my DSLRs, but am certainly interested in your thoughts on it.  Have an early M with an EF adapter, too - it looks ridiculous with a big SLR lens on it.



-Pat

[capt bullshot]

Question: TDS420A 4 Channel 200 MHz Oscilloscope ...
is that 2x TDS210 in one case ?

No, different stuff.
Has only 100MS/s, but larger memory.

is it worth 200€

IMO not.
If you want one (TDS420 pimped up to TDS460), looks a bit beaten up but worked last time I messed around with it, pay me a visit. Somewhere between Wilhelmshafen and Ingelheim (nearer to Ingelheim).

Anyway, I wouldn't recommend the TDS420 / 460 for any serious work of today. It' just old and does 100MS/sec only and doesn't have any spectacular or interesting features.