Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

The Racal 9839 UHF frequency meter/counter arrived earlier, packaging very poor as usual, thankfully no further damage other than it already has. The 9839 has a pre-scaler for up to 560MHz & eight number readout bulbs in quite a compact size case and no fan.


It appears a previous owner has done quite a bit of work before giving up (possibly why an IC is missing).


I like how they thoughtfully sleeved the fuse holder & mains socket, but then fitted a filter board with exposed connections above these, the transformer connections are right above the +5V adjustment pot too.


I've no idea why the track from the +200V fuseholder has been cut (dotted green line) and a link added between R60 & the electrolytic capacitor. The 60mA fuse for the +200V rail is OK.


The display only has a few digits working, I should be able to work through the faulty sections using the 9835/7 manual as the display boards are similar (no manuals exist for the 9839), some IC's have been replaced & a number of tracks repaired by a previous owner, I can see at least one broken track that got missed.


I've already adjusted the +5V rail as it was around +5.2V.

David

Nice. Does the standard work? I’ve had two Racals with bust standards. One wouldn’t pull anywhere near 5Mhz and the other one was completely dead (Crystal died)

Yeah that Racal 9025 had a dead crystal, I haven't checked this one other than noting it warmed up, the check mode does give a reading on the three working number readout bulbs was planning to work thorough the display counting logic, maybe need to check the oven too now, by the way I haven't got anything here that is calibrated.

David

That’s not a bad start. Should be easier to debug than those HP decoder modules at least.

The drifted one I had was 20KHz out so I reckon it’ll be fairly obvious just hooking it up to a known “okish” counter or something. Think the adjustment range is about 100Hz either side. Decided to just rework and replace on that.

[med6753]

USPS Fail. The distance between Tonopah, Arizona and Phoenix, Arizona is approximately 50 miles. It took 5 days to go those 50 miles.  And USPS is still predicting delivery on the 26th but does admit it's delayed. What a joke. 

This is a gray light filter for the Type 535A scope.

This is turning into an epic fail. It didn't finally LEAVE Phoenix until yesterday. No update today. I guess it's coming via a Mexican leading a jackass. 

[Robert763]

Urf someone please buy that cute little HP so I don’t 

No No, you're off HP now remember after your last issues with them........

Yeah talked myself out of it now 

I'm not going to rescue you again after the 2022 

[bd139]

Urf someone please buy that cute little HP so I don’t 

No No, you're off HP now remember after your last issues with them........

Yeah talked myself out of it now 

I'm not going to rescue you again after the 2022 

Ahh I dodged a bullet with that one I think anyway 

[Robert763]

And in Germany, some heavyweight RF voodoo plumbing from Hernia Producer;
https://www.ebay.de/itm/203224667146


David

   

Ooooh... you gotta love equipment rated in ergs and GHz... and is that a Starrett micrometer movement repurposed as a variable air gap? What exactly is the purpose of a "Adjustable Short" in this scenario...?

mnem
 

The adjustable short allows you to adjust the length of a shorted stub of waveguide. This can be used as a wavemeter or to cancel out a mismatch elsewhere in the system.

[mansaxel]

A fixer-upper, certainly, but we all need a DC clamp meter, don't we?

eBay auction: #312843162068

Anyone considering that HP 428B should make sure that the probe is the correct one before bidding, as there are identical looking HP oscilloscope current probes that terminate with a BNC.

Oh, interesting. I think this one is OK, though. Does not look like a coaxial cable to me.

The manual contains colour code and alignment procedure so that one can fix the probe and if used for another meter, re-align meter to probe. The probes are enough individualists that the factory aligned the meter to a probe and then engraved the probe connector with the last digits of the meter serial, but all that can be done with the manual and a stack of TE.

OTOH, I got my meter for half that price. And it works, now that I've fixed it.

[Cubdriver]

USPS Fail. The distance between Tonopah, Arizona and Phoenix, Arizona is approximately 50 miles. It took 5 days to go those 50 miles.  And USPS is still predicting delivery on the 26th but does admit it's delayed. What a joke. 

This is a gray light filter for the Type 535A scope.

This is turning into an epic fail. It didn't finally LEAVE Phoenix until yesterday. No update today. I guess it's coming via a Mexican leading a jackass. 

Yeah, they seem to be pretty hosed up this season.  I just today got some Molex crimpers off the 'bay that shipped from Maryland on the 18th; original expected delivery date was the 22nd.  Guess they're a bit behind on the drag curve.  I'll cut them a little bit of slack; it has been a rather unprecedented year shipping-wise.

-Pat

[med6753]

Yeah, they seem to be pretty hosed up this season.  I just today got some Molex crimpers off the 'bay that shipped from Maryland on the 18th; original expected delivery date was the 22nd.  Guess they're a bit behind on the drag curve.  I'll cut them a little bit of slack; it has been a rather unprecedented year shipping-wise.

-Pat

Sorry, I'm not cutting them any slack. They should have known that Covid would cause an increase in packaging traffic and make the necessary adjustments. UPS did. Last week I had a one day package from Texas to me only 2 hours later from when they typically show up. And I'll bet FedEx was the same. 

Edit....and I've had numerous FUBAR's from USPS even in normal times. For example: 2 WEEKS for a Fluke 8505A to go from Long Island to me...approx distance of 120 miles. 

[SilverSolder]

Yeah, they seem to be pretty hosed up this season.  I just today got some Molex crimpers off the 'bay that shipped from Maryland on the 18th; original expected delivery date was the 22nd.  Guess they're a bit behind on the drag curve.  I'll cut them a little bit of slack; it has been a rather unprecedented year shipping-wise.

-Pat

Sorry, I'm not cutting them any slack. They should have known that Covid would cause an increase in packaging traffic and make the necessary adjustments. UPS did. Last week I had a one day package from Texas to me only 2 hours later from when they typically show up. And I'll bet FedEx was the same. 

Edit....and I've had numerous FUBAR's from USPS even in normal times. For example: 2 WEEKS for a Fluke 8505A to go from Long Island to me...approx distance of 120 miles.

I've had some amazing experiences like that with USPS as well...  the strangest thing is how the tracking history is "falsified" for want of a better term.   It shows as sent, and all kinds of hops on the way...  then doesn't arrive...   wtf??

[Ice-Tea]

What the actual fuck?

[PA0PBZ]

Clearly type 'L'
https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/l/

[mnementh]

I would still order from AllTest even though they sometimes use stock photos. Just be aware of it. I have gotten screaming deals from them with no complaints. Their packaging is second to none. And as I see it if you do get a dud you can claim not as described.

In other news.....Lady Cop just left her house in route to Grand Central. She'll call me again when she's on the train.

You two keep being good to each other.

EDIT: Yeah, but they used to be what I considered a "trusted source" as opposed to merely a "better than average crapshoot", if you know what I mean. It sucks that had to go away... another victim of "The 2020 Tsunami of Suck..."

Seeing as you're in the same zone with Alltest, I suspect shipping may be a bit saner for you. What is typical for something this size?

mnem
*currently hoeing out my drawers*

[ch_scr]

What the actual fuck?

Nothing a sturdy sidecutter can't fix 

[mnementh]

USPS Fail. The distance between Tonopah, Arizona and Phoenix, Arizona is approximately 50 miles. It took 5 days to go those 50 miles.  And USPS is still predicting delivery on the 26th but does admit it's delayed. What a joke. 

This is a gray light filter for the Type 535A scope.

This is turning into an epic fail. It didn't finally LEAVE Phoenix until yesterday. No update today. I guess it's coming via a Mexican leading a jackass. 

Yeah, they seem to be pretty hosed up this season.  I just today got some Molex crimpers off the 'bay that shipped from Maryland on the 18th; original expected delivery date was the 22nd.  Guess they're a bit behind on the drag curve.  I'll cut them a little bit of slack; it has been a rather unprecedented year shipping-wise.

-Pat

Uhhhh... yeah. 

I guess you weren't aware that your Postmaster General had most of the mainline sorting machines "decommissioned for refresh" in critical hub sorting centers across the US... conveniently just after the press reported a massive uptick in mail-in voting and demands for mail-in votes, and with no requisitions for replacement hardware either on the books or planned. 

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/photos-show-mail-sorting-machines-parts-us-postal/story?id=72468917

mnem
Every last one of them... chosen to destroy the office they occupied, not to serve in it.

[mnementh]

What the actual fuck?

Nothing a sturdy sidecutter can't fix 

mnem
 

[mansaxel]

What the actual fuck?

Benvenuto in Italia! (or "L type")



My travel adapter kit contains one. I've amassed a collection of <national plug> - cable - <C13 connector> cables (a lot of them moulded and collected from various imported gear) which I mate up with a 4-way outlet that has a short cable with a C14 plug. Both when I travel for work or the family goes on vacation, LOTS of outlets are required, so we usually bring an extender as well, because hotel rooms are so underprovided with outlets. If we go to France, we usually manage on only a outlet strip with a CEE7/7 plug, because we tend to skip Denmark via ferry, and Luxembourg is managed with one stop in Berchem for cheap smokes, leaving only French and German outlets, which can be managed with the 7/7:



Edit: Corrected speling thanks to Zucca pointing my error out. Grazie!

[Ice-Tea]

What the actual fuck?

Nothing a sturdy sidecutter can't fix 

mnem
 

Eh, dont think a device that counts on being earthed should go without..

[factory]

A fixer-upper, certainly, but we all need a DC clamp meter, don't we?

eBay auction: #312843162068

Anyone considering that HP 428B should make sure that the probe is the correct one before bidding, as there are identical looking HP oscilloscope current probes that terminate with a BNC.

Oh, interesting. I think this one is OK, though. Does not look like a coaxial cable to me.

The manual contains colour code and alignment procedure so that one can fix the probe and if used for another meter, re-align meter to probe. The probes are enough individualists that the factory aligned the meter to a probe and then engraved the probe connector with the last digits of the meter serial, but all that can be done with the manual and a stack of TE.

OTOH, I got my meter for half that price. And it works, now that I've fixed it.

It's difficult to tell either way from those ePay pictures, the one close up of the end of the cable is focused perfectly on the bench underneath instead. 

The oscilloscope version of the probe is the HP 1110A (AC-21F) probe with optional HP 1111A AC amplifier, the AC-21F goes with the HP 154A oscilloscope plug-in (one channel for voltage & one for current) for the HP 150A oscilloscope.

Some pictures of one of the pair of 1110A/1111A I have (took me a long time to find a second probe).



 

Edit: That 1111A probably needs the capacitors checking, it has those ones that fail with the white rubber seal, I didn't have anything to properly test them with when the pictures were taken.

David

[Saskia]

managed to flip one of my cameras, even turned out a small profit.

[factory]

The Racal 9839 UHF frequency meter/counter arrived earlier, packaging very poor as usual, thankfully no further damage other than it already has. The 9839 has a pre-scaler for up to 560MHz & eight number readout bulbs in quite a compact size case and no fan.


It appears a previous owner has done quite a bit of work before giving up (possibly why an IC is missing).


The display only has a few digits working, I should be able to work through the faulty sections using the 9835/7 manual as the display boards are similar (no manuals exist for the 9839), some IC's have been replaced & a number of tracks repaired by a previous owner, I can see at least one broken track that got missed.

David

Nice. Does the standard work? I’ve had two Racals with bust standards. One wouldn’t pull anywhere near 5Mhz and the other one was completely dead (Crystal died)

Yeah that Racal 9025 had a dead crystal, I haven't checked this one other than noting it warmed up, the check mode does give a reading on the three working number readout bulbs was planning to work thorough the display counting logic, maybe need to check the oven too now, by the way I haven't got anything here that is calibrated.

David

That’s not a bad start. Should be easier to debug than those HP decoder modules at least.

The drifted one I had was 20KHz out so I reckon it’ll be fairly obvious just hooking it up to a known “okish” counter or something. Think the adjustment range is about 100Hz either side. Decided to just rework and replace on that.

A quick update, I used the HP 8443A to check the frequency standard of the Racal 9839, after an hour there is just under 10Hz difference between the two standards, the HP 8443A reads either 1.00000MHz or 1.00001MHz.
And using the 1MHz output from the 8443A I found both the low & high frequency ranges of the Racal were working fine, even if I only have 2.5 working digits.


Next task, find the spare boards and swap the first confirmed dead number readout bulb to find out if the pre-scaler high speed divider is working, like the HP 5243/5/8 series this is a separate circuit to the rest of the counter section.

David

[mnementh]

What the actual fuck?

Nothing a sturdy sidecutter can't fix 

mnem
 

Eh, don't think a device that counts on being earthed should go without...

Sorry... I forget sometimes that not everybody here has my background in R/C. 

To put it in context; that is a TRAXXAS LiPo battery connector. On the other end of those wires is a 3-4S LiPo capable of delivering 100-200A or more through a short; hence this PSA pic I created long ago as part of my blog in response to a sudden proliferation of battery bombs just after TRAXXAS released their virally popular Stadium Truck product line. Shockingly, TRAXXAS customers tend to either be complete noobs or just plain not the brightest bulbs in the string.

So I guess the takeaway is... make sure you unplug it first, and never cut the two wires together. 

mnem
 

[bd139]

The Racal 9839 UHF frequency meter/counter arrived earlier, packaging very poor as usual, thankfully no further damage other than it already has. The 9839 has a pre-scaler for up to 560MHz & eight number readout bulbs in quite a compact size case and no fan.


It appears a previous owner has done quite a bit of work before giving up (possibly why an IC is missing).


The display only has a few digits working, I should be able to work through the faulty sections using the 9835/7 manual as the display boards are similar (no manuals exist for the 9839), some IC's have been replaced & a number of tracks repaired by a previous owner, I can see at least one broken track that got missed.

David

Nice. Does the standard work? I’ve had two Racals with bust standards. One wouldn’t pull anywhere near 5Mhz and the other one was completely dead (Crystal died)

Yeah that Racal 9025 had a dead crystal, I haven't checked this one other than noting it warmed up, the check mode does give a reading on the three working number readout bulbs was planning to work thorough the display counting logic, maybe need to check the oven too now, by the way I haven't got anything here that is calibrated.

David

That’s not a bad start. Should be easier to debug than those HP decoder modules at least.

The drifted one I had was 20KHz out so I reckon it’ll be fairly obvious just hooking it up to a known “okish” counter or something. Think the adjustment range is about 100Hz either side. Decided to just rework and replace on that.

A quick update, I used the HP 8443A to check the frequency standard of the Racal 9839, after an hour there is just under 10Hz difference between the two standards, the HP 8443A reads either 1.00000MHz or 1.00001MHz.
And using the 1MHz output from the 8443A I found both the low & high frequency ranges of the Racal were working fine, even if I only have 2.5 working digits.


Next task, find the spare boards and swap the first confirmed dead number readout bulb to find out if the pre-scaler high speed divider is working, like the HP 5243/5/8 series this is a separate circuit to the rest of the counter section.

David

Nice! Prescaler is probably some semi unobtainable Plessey IC knowing Racal.

[factory]

Yes there is a Plessey SP630F in there, I suspect a tunnel diode is on the same board too (D1), can't confirm this as I don't have a manual and don't want unreadible crap from Mauritron, the other source emanualsbank is a scam.


David

[mnementh]

      Left side finished. Looking good, fits the 54645A like it was made for it. Which it was. Now printing right side.

mnem
*wanders off in search of caffeine*

7.5 hours; 40% done. Fortunately, printing a wedge does progress exponentially.

mnem
*goes back to hoeing out his drawers in anticipation of the new cart setup*

[Zucca]

What the actual fuck?

Bienvenuto in Italia! (or "L type")

Almost there mansa! It's "Benvenuto". the big one is for 15A and small for 10A. The idea is good but in the end it's a big PITA for the everyday life.