Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Chisel tip = 

Conical tip = 

I like conical tips for most things.  The only thing I use a chisel tip for is doing silver soldering in Tek ceramic strips. You need as much thermal mass as you can get for that. And that tip only sees silver solder.

I've had ZERO issues mixing 60/40 solder with the silver solder on the ceramic strips. Just use care and don't go overboard.

I got a deal on a pound of Kester 2% Ag. I'm set for life. 

Relatively recent experience with solder with circa 2% Ag in it has really sold me on it. I rarely encounter anything where the silver content is a technical necessity, but it goes on so buttery smooth that I just want to use it. However, as I don't even seem to have made a dent in the reel of Multicore 60/40 that I've had for at least 10 years, perhaps 20, I don't even have a good excuse at the moment. A decent reel of decent solder always seems expensive when you shell out for it, and seems really cheap when you discover how long it lasts you at home consumption levels.

I'm using the stuff from Felder: Felder Iso-core "EL" Sn62Pb36Ag2

RS has it (geez, that stuff is expensive in the UK)
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/solder/1047577/

That is what I’m using for repairs and SMD stuff m. And yes that’s what I paid for it 

I use loctite multi core 60/40 for prototyping with TH 

[vk6zgo]

They had a show playing on the Motor Trend channel last year I thought was interesting, because of the conversion to batteries and because it had Euro cars I don't see over here. Some Brit guys were doing the conversions. Hope they have it on again.

https://www.vintagevoltage.tv/

OH NO !! Poor old cars ruined with electric BS , that's a tragedy ! Can't they leave them alone retiring peacefully ?! 

There are enough modern cars crap and ugly and dull that you can practice on if so you want, why destroy poor old cars ! 

They should go to jail. Thankfully they only do a handful of cars so in the grand scheme of things they don't endanger the old car population to any sizeable extent, but still, that's mutilation, I thought law sent you to jail for eternity for mutilating people ! Should be the same for cars ! 

But, it that show let you see "exotic" (to you) cars, I guess at least it had some good to it...

This was true back in the days of brushed forklift motors and golf cart electrics... not so anymore. The conversion kits have evolved quite a bit, due to demand; most of the properly done ones make a vehicle which is better than OEM in terms of performance and reliability.

mnem
*vrooom-vrooom*

My comment was irrespective of the implementation ! If it's electric it's BS to me, period ! 
To each their own, I hate electric cars for so many reasons I won't even care to begin.
I am happy that people who like them can buy them, so long as I am not forced into buying one and still have the possibility to drive my old ICE cars.

As far as maintenance, electric or not it's still a car, so needs maintenance. Only the power train is different but it's not magical either, and we all know how power electronics like to fail. When your fancy Tesla will be 20 years and 300.000kms old, let's see how good it is and much it costs to fix the electronics and motors, compared to an old car. Will be fun to watch.

Anyway don't mean to start a flame war or anything, hate that... just don't like electric cars that's all... but not keeping anyone who likes them to buy them, every body should have the right to have fun with whatever it is that they enjoy.  I would hate to be told I can' t do electronics at home because some moron somewhere decided that using a soldering iron could be dangerous if not used properly or whatever !

Ummm... yeah. Speaking as someone who has literally done dozens of ground-up automobile builds and who loves this kind of work (except on my daily driver  ), some of which were in fact electric, I can tell you for a fact you don't know what you're talking aboot. ^* Modern EV conversions use off-the-shelf parts in most cases developed for the task, or developed to use existing EV parts like the Tesla motor/axle unit and marry them to open-source (or sometimes proprietary) generic control electronics. These control electronics are the key; and the market and technology are right now in a state of exponential growth.

EVs have their place, plus we already know they can perform as well as or better than their ICE-powered cousins. And this is with technology that is literally in the "Model T vs steam engine" stages of development.

The next few decades will, whether we old-school motorheads like it or not, yield more and more powerful & reliable EVs... and along with it, lots more open-source control electronics similar to the dozen or so aftermarket EFI systems commonly in use by ICE hotrodders today.

Point being... you can either learn to love this technology, or be run over by it. Hating it is just a sure way to a shortened lifetime full of ulcers.

mnem
 
^{*EDITED to clarify}

This is exactly the kind of thing that gets you into trouble. Vince tells what he likes and what he doesn't - no statements of fact, or even opinions involved, just an expression of personal preferences and a bit of skepticism about where this is going to end maintenance wise. Then you tell him that he doesn't know what he's talking about - a dangerously strong way to word things, basically saying "You're an idiot". I'm certain that when it comes to his own personal feelings Vince absolutely does know what he's talking about.

Edit: Med, if you hear a knock at your door, it's UPS with the popcorn I sent you.

Nope. not this time. That's why I went back and highlighted to clarify that I was specifically talking aboot his "EV is BS" statement. That is a horrifically narrow-minded thing to say, and it is just plain WRONG.

Y'all know I hate the way EV is being produced right now... that is a great big steaming pile, as it really only benefits Big Energy/Big Oil.

But EV as a concept... it is where everything is headed, whether we like it or not. We can either embrace it and find ways to make it fun, or die miserable and bereft like the mythical buggy-whip moguls of old.

mnem
 

Sorry, I know you said "mythical", but that hit on one of my "pet hates", & triggers a rant:-

"Change agents" are taught this analogy at the knees of their mentors, & mindlessly repeat it, although a moments reflection will reveal it is BS-----of course, they never do reflect.

Buggy whip manufacture was mainly only a niche market for young showoffs----most people who worked with horses had no use for them.
Apart from that, with a little simple maintenance they would last for decades, so the replacement market was minimal.

I would venture to say that more buggy whips are sold today to "Madam La Lash" & her colleagues than ever were in the heyday of buggies.

[mansaxel]

Flunky: "Sir, this is Mr Hardacre who has been selling lots of pot metal tools overseas. He's here for his award."
DoE: "Been fleecing foreigners have you laddie? Good man! Well done! Here, have a tin star. Carry on! Now, where's m' pink gin?"

You couldn't fault him for taste in drinks, though.  I've developed a liking for Gin and Bitters that makes me try to see if I can order it anytime I'm in a bar. Just to see if they know. (For context, this is mostly Sweden, so there is no pink gin tradition)

First time I did it, the bartender, without hesitation, asked, "Do you want standard bitters or our own?". Sadly, that's never been repeated. I've even had to instruct a bartender in London how to do it... 

[mansaxel]

I've had three Renaults & two Fords----but I'm happy to say, I no longer  have any of them!

It's a well known fact that Ford (Europe) makes cars to keep Opel from being the worst.

[Specmaster]

<snip>
Neatly merging this with Specmaster's points about Harlow and Stevenage, both of which have very well structured cycle routes end to end and were designed with this in mind. But they are stinking shit holes - I worked in both  . Despite the places being fitted for public transport the local authority never looked after the cycling infrastructure, privatised the public transport which now charges extortionate amounts to keep afloat and punishes drivers with parking fees. The only viable and affordable transport in some of these areas are independent taxi firms which are low ball outfits running whatever piece of shit that still has wheels that hasn't fallen off.

The only thing is the common denominator race to the bottom on inefficiency and revenue generation only. Solving real fucking problems is dead. And the grave is being pissed on by new problems and marketing solutions for them.

Talking about Harlow, its bloody miracle that anything there has any wheels left, honestly their roads must a serious contender for the worst in the UK. I always say that a blind person being driven would know almost instantly that they crossed the county border into Essex, most Essex road are really disgusting for cracks, poor surfaces and huge amounts of potholes. But Harlow council take that low level of maintenance to another level, zero 

[tggzzz]

I've had three Renaults & two Fords----but I'm happy to say, I no longer  have any of them!

It's a well known fact that Ford (Europe) makes cars to keep Opel from being the worst.

OTOH the Ford Fiesta has a reputation for reliability - or at least the version made as the Mazda 2 does

[bd139]

<snip>
Neatly merging this with Specmaster's points about Harlow and Stevenage, both of which have very well structured cycle routes end to end and were designed with this in mind. But they are stinking shit holes - I worked in both  . Despite the places being fitted for public transport the local authority never looked after the cycling infrastructure, privatised the public transport which now charges extortionate amounts to keep afloat and punishes drivers with parking fees. The only viable and affordable transport in some of these areas are independent taxi firms which are low ball outfits running whatever piece of shit that still has wheels that hasn't fallen off.

The only thing is the common denominator race to the bottom on inefficiency and revenue generation only. Solving real fucking problems is dead. And the grave is being pissed on by new problems and marketing solutions for them.

Talking about Harlow, its bloody miracle that anything there has any wheels left, honestly their roads must a serious contender for the worst in the UK. I always say that a blind person being driven would know almost instantly that they crossed the county border into Essex, most Essex road are really disgusting for cracks, poor surfaces and huge amounts of potholes. But Harlow council take that low level of maintenance to another level, zero 

That might explain the large amount of SUVs in Essex actually 

More seriously yep. When I was working in Harlow about 20 years ago my immediate colleague wrote off his Honda Civic on a pothole on First Avenue. Tore the near side front suspension arm off entirely  . I was surprised to find that it took them 3 years to fill that one in afterwards with their temporary workaround of putting a new traffic cone in it once a week when the local scrotes nicked the last one to adorn their heads.

[tggzzz]

I'd love to know the secret sauce in the standby stands. I mean obviously it's a magnet or two but what's the orientation, what's the necessary field strength. Reason being that I haven't got a magic stand and I haven't seen one at a good price and I'm sure that it's just a case of sticking a couple of neo-diddlyum magnets in the right place.

The photos show the orientation with the strongest changes. The first and last are relatively "free floating", the middle three are solid.

Cool, thanks. I'll try and figure that out later. I'm presuming that the intent of the static field is to saturate the 'core' element of the tip so it can't be too delicate a balance - just a strong enough field to push it off the top of the BH curve.

I've added pictures of another axis to my previous post.

I'd fiddle with a pair of magnets until they show the same field pattern.

[BU508A]

Did another attempt at this Sisyphos-vs.-Tektronix picture.
I think, my mistake was, that I've created the transparency background with the Tek scope already in the picture.
I've changed this and did the transparency thing (Colour (white) to transparency) first and then added the Tek-scope.

I've updated the previous posting of mine but for convenience, here is the newly created picture.
It is a .png file, uploaded to Imgur so no interferences from SMF side (hopefully).



The main reason for this change is: I've ordered a first version at Spreadshirt and the result was not convincing.

[BU508A]

In the German ebay ads appeared today a Marconi 2955a RF test set (NAWTS):

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/marconi-test-set-2955a/1857501440-168-1369


I'm wondering, if Tony could be interested in this thing ... 

[tonyalbus]

In the German ebay ads appeared today a Marconi 2955a RF test set (NAWTS):

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/marconi-test-set-2955a/1857501440-168-1369


I'm wondering, if Tony could be interested in this thing ... 

No!! don't buy it... that is what started the whole TEA thing 
Be warned. 

[tonyalbus]

i am trying to convince my wife for a second house so i can build a second lab..
than i do need that second Marconi..
she mumbles something.. money, budget.. eating dry breads for the rest of our lives...
what is wrong with dry breads 

[xrunner]

i am trying to convince my wife for a second house so i can build a second lab..
than i do need that second Marconi..
she mumbles something.. money, budget.. eating dry breads for the rest of our lives...
what is wrong with dry breads 

If you're out of bread let her eat cake ... 

[Robert763]

<SNIP>

I learned from watching the ladies on the production line that it doesn't matter if your tip is big if you know how to wield it properly. Giggity. No, seriously the lasses in production used to use the most awful chunky fire sticks and they'd use the same bit for small delicate operations as they would to solder the shell of a connector to a ground plane. Obviously SMD is a whole world of scale smaller than the 70s/80s stuff I watched them go at, so there probably is a thing as "too big a bit" but although the 1.5mm seems big compared to some parts I use it quite happily in the 0603 - 1210 range. I'll also use it on 1.27 mm pitch SOIC parts and I've even used it to drag solder 0.5mm parts and wipe solder bridges off of 0.5mm pitch parts. For me, it's a happy "solder almost anything size" but your mileage may vary.

Yep. When repairing the HCD OCXO (in Rapco 1804 GPSDO) I used the same 1/4" Screwdriver 700F Weller TCP magnastat bit to both remove and replace th SOT transistor (yes same device back without damage) and solder up the can.
That is of course a classic one piece bit the new two piece ones are crap. There is not enough thermal contact between the bit and the curie point "sensor".   

[capt bullshot]

And now, fun with TEA time:

The newly arrived TA520 time interval analyzer, a dual channel arb, a scope, a lab psu (somewhere in the background), a GPSDO (not visible) and the TXCO radio clock (not visible):



All cobbled together with two external mixer / amplifier circuits




to give me some DMTD (dual mixer time difference) results of the (rather drifty) radio clock vs. the TruePosition GPSDO



The mixer circuits themselves achive about 50ns peak-to-peak jitter when driven from the dual channal arb at 10MHz and 10.0001MHz (100Hz difference).
In the actual configuration, the outputs are set to the same frequency (100Hz above 10MHz) and drive one mixer each. The other mixer inputs are the 10MHz ref out of the GPSDO and the 10MHz output of my (poorest) TCXO radio clock.

[Cerebus]

As always, there's more to than that. Part of the SmartHeat system is that the RF energy delivered is regulated by the base dependent upon the mass it detects as loading of the RF energy being fed the tip. More metal mass in contact alters that, and it ramps up (increases duty cycle) the RF energy applied. This is the "Smart" part of the SmartHeat system.

I'd like to see a reference to that that is more than just marketing bullshit i.e. proper technical documents. I have circuit diagrams for both the original MX500 and the SP-200 and there's nothing in them that would do that. They just react to the match/mismatch between the source and the load according to the curie point element doing its bit. If they've done something genuinely smart in the newer supplies (remembering that these need to retain compatibility with the existing handpieces/tips) I'd be pleasantly surprised.

Here are the two schematics (Ain't the MX-500 one a perfect example of how NOT to draw a schematic).

Exits pursued by a nap-attack.

That MX-500 schematic layout is awful.  Sheesh.   

-Pat

Yeah, that's a real "make my head ache" schematic. It makes what's quite a simple circuit logically look impossible to fathom.

[mnementh]

...Y'all know I hate the way EV is being produced right now... that is a great big steaming pile, as it really only benefits Big Energy/Big Oil.

But EV as a concept... it is where everything is headed, whether we like it or not. We can either embrace it and find ways to make it fun, or die miserable and bereft like the mythical buggy-whip moguls of old.

mnem
 

Sorry, I know you said "mythical", but that hit on one of my "pet hates", & triggers a rant:-

"Change agents" are taught this analogy at the knees of their mentors, & mindlessly repeat it, although a moments reflection will reveal it is BS-----of course, they never do reflect.

Buggy whip manufacture was mainly only a niche market for young showoffs----most people who worked with horses had no use for them.
Apart from that, with a little simple maintenance they would last for decades, so the replacement market was minimal.

I would venture to say that more buggy whips are sold today to "Madam La Lash" & her colleagues than ever were in the heyday of buggies.

And pervy little dwagon fanciers to use on their pervy widdle dwagons. 

Madam La Lash usually uses a riding crop, BTW... it's more aboot appearances & establishing dominance and the Nazi Commandant stereotype perpetuated by TV and movies subconsciously reinforces that. Pleasure/pain junkies usually go straight for actual whips and cat o' 9 tails, etc.

mnem
"A little pleasure... a little pain... it's all good... };-=)~~~~<

[bd139]

As always, there's more to than that. Part of the SmartHeat system is that the RF energy delivered is regulated by the base dependent upon the mass it detects as loading of the RF energy being fed the tip. More metal mass in contact alters that, and it ramps up (increases duty cycle) the RF energy applied. This is the "Smart" part of the SmartHeat system.

I'd like to see a reference to that that is more than just marketing bullshit i.e. proper technical documents. I have circuit diagrams for both the original MX500 and the SP-200 and there's nothing in them that would do that. They just react to the match/mismatch between the source and the load according to the curie point element doing its bit. If they've done something genuinely smart in the newer supplies (remembering that these need to retain compatibility with the existing handpieces/tips) I'd be pleasantly surprised.

Here are the two schematics (Ain't the MX-500 one a perfect example of how NOT to draw a schematic).

Exits pursued by a nap-attack.

That MX-500 schematic layout is awful.  Sheesh.   

-Pat

Yeah, that's a real "make my head ache" schematic. It makes what's quite a simple circuit logically look impossible to fathom.

It’s fairly simple.

Best bet to work it out is stare at some Japanese ham radio schematics and then anything looks fine 

When I’m deciphering shit I tend to open it up in MS paint or equivalent and draw boxes around the logical sections in different colours.

[mnementh]

Oh totally agree on that. As I told my uncle who has a model S: it feels like I’m in a cheap android tablet with wheels on it. Horrible cars with horrible ride and too many unsafe distractions as well.

Yup. That is why, when I read aboot this EV project or that one which uses complete drivetrain gutted from a model S, it just makes me smile. 

mnem

[Cerebus]

<snip>
Neatly merging this with Specmaster's points about Harlow and Stevenage, both of which have very well structured cycle routes end to end and were designed with this in mind. But they are stinking shit holes - I worked in both  . Despite the places being fitted for public transport the local authority never looked after the cycling infrastructure, privatised the public transport which now charges extortionate amounts to keep afloat and punishes drivers with parking fees. The only viable and affordable transport in some of these areas are independent taxi firms which are low ball outfits running whatever piece of shit that still has wheels that hasn't fallen off.

The only thing is the common denominator race to the bottom on inefficiency and revenue generation only. Solving real fucking problems is dead. And the grave is being pissed on by new problems and marketing solutions for them.

Talking about Harlow, its bloody miracle that anything there has any wheels left, honestly their roads must a serious contender for the worst in the UK. I always say that a blind person being driven would know almost instantly that they crossed the county border into Essex, most Essex road are really disgusting for cracks, poor surfaces and huge amounts of potholes. But Harlow council take that low level of maintenance to another level, zero 

Not if they're crossing the border from Newham. The last time I saw any road maintenance here was when magically just before the 2012 Olympics all the roads that would get used by any official Olympic traffic got repaired to first world standards. My road has a surface like a tank training ground, as do most roads in the borough. The next road along from me has a local councillor living in it, it's got a road surface like a snooker table.

[Cerebus]

I'd love to know the secret sauce in the standby stands. I mean obviously it's a magnet or two but what's the orientation, what's the necessary field strength. Reason being that I haven't got a magic stand and I haven't seen one at a good price and I'm sure that it's just a case of sticking a couple of neo-diddlyum magnets in the right place.

The photos show the orientation with the strongest changes. The first and last are relatively "free floating", the middle three are solid.

Cool, thanks. I'll try and figure that out later. I'm presuming that the intent of the static field is to saturate the 'core' element of the tip so it can't be too delicate a balance - just a strong enough field to push it off the top of the BH curve.

I've added pictures of another axis to my previous post.

I'd fiddle with a pair of magnets until they show the same field pattern.

Thanks, you're a Gent. That'll make it much easier to construct a rough sketch of the field lines.

[tggzzz]

I'd love to know the secret sauce in the standby stands. I mean obviously it's a magnet or two but what's the orientation, what's the necessary field strength. Reason being that I haven't got a magic stand and I haven't seen one at a good price and I'm sure that it's just a case of sticking a couple of neo-diddlyum magnets in the right place.

The photos show the orientation with the strongest changes. The first and last are relatively "free floating", the middle three are solid.

Cool, thanks. I'll try and figure that out later. I'm presuming that the intent of the static field is to saturate the 'core' element of the tip so it can't be too delicate a balance - just a strong enough field to push it off the top of the BH curve.

I've added pictures of another axis to my previous post.

I'd fiddle with a pair of magnets until they show the same field pattern.

Thanks, you're a Gent. That'll make it much easier to construct a rough sketch of the field lines.

People here have been helpful about what tips to use, so that's the least I could do.

In general I like to "give as good as I get", a.k.a. known as the best strategy for repeated games of prisoners' dilemma: tit-for-tat.

[mnementh]

I've had three Renaults & two Fords----but I'm happy to say, I no longer  have any of them!

It's a well known fact that Ford (Europe) makes cars to keep Opel from being the worst.

OTOH the Ford Fiesta has a reputation for reliability - or at least the version made as the Mazda 2 does

As long as you're not talking aboot this smog-strangled Cortina-engine-powered little turd. I had 3 of them when I was a teen driving on a Cinderella license; it took that many parts units to keep one on the road.

mnem
*shudders from PTSD flashback aboot a time the high beam fuse fell out of the dash from going over a bump and resultant drive into a ditch*

[med6753]

I'm going to spare everyone the gory details and sob story but after this morning's fiasco the Type 547 for the long term is going to be swapped with the Type 535A in the TEA closet. The Type 535A will go back into the far corner of bench 2. What I essentially have is a vertical amplifier circuit that does NOT match any schematic that I can find. I replaced the known components this morning and upon application of power the vertical circuit with nary a whimper destroyed itself. I've reached the end of my patience with this scope plus I can't continue to blow up hard to find and costly vertical amplifier bits. I have other equipment that needs maintenance/attention and I'm just wasting my time with this POS.

So what will happen to it? I may eventually fix it or scrap it. Undecided at this point.     

[Cerebus]

*shudders from PTSD flashback aboot a time the high beam fuse fell out of the dash from going over a bump and resultant drive into a ditch*

"Son, I say son, yoaw've been neglectin' to eat yoaw carrots son ain'tcha?"