Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[TERRA Operative]

Quantum in this context usually means the smallest change possible. Like when people mention a 'quantum leap' (Which is about as small as an electron jumping orbits) instead of the more accurate 'paradigm shift'.     Problem is, it's been used incorrectly so much that 'quantum leap' now means a big jump...   

You're right.    Fixed now.

mnem
*toddles off to dismantle an offending bedframe*

Sorry for poking. It gets me almost as much as when people spell 'voilà' as 'viola' or even the nails-on-chalkboard 'walla'... aaaaggghhh!! 

[Andrew_Debbie]

Auction catalog for  7E communication is out.    PP Auction - Site is near the Hampton Court  --  You know,  King Henry's pad west of London.

Fastest Train from Bangor to Hampton Court is    5 hours 20 minutes with 3 changes  EACH WAY.    ~ £76 return with my railcard discount.

Going to Esher is about 20 minutes faster (maybe)  but a little longer walk and £1 more.   

Hardly worth it for an AWG I don't need.     The 58503B would be fun but it is bound to sell for far more than I'm willing to pay.

[Ice-Tea]

Okay... so we're more likely talking 1d10t cowboys and whack-job off-the-gridders doing this stoopit shit, or are you saying that the difference is that PV installation/deployment actually has some regulation over there, where over here it's still a wild wild west show...? 

It's a bit of both, ackshually. There are hacks installing this; they're using the nice plugs and cables, but disregarding the EMI/RFI part (they've never even heard those words). 

The industry at large is only slowly waking up to the interference problem, and as I mentioned above, they usually crept around legislation by weaseltesting the components rather than the system.

Little addon: normally, panels are delivered with male and female MC4 connectors so stringing them up should be a no-brainer. Only the connection to the inverter requires using your brain and preferably the correct crimp appliance.

[tautech]

   I regret not to buy this when I was living in Germany.

Ooooooh... shiny kit.

   https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1100513560.html   (I think that's the correct listing)

Much nicer than this one (12V Spot Welder V5.6) I bought a lifetime ago in the GWN, which resurfaced yesterday while I was looking for caps for that Apple power brick. So far, I really have not had a need for it; all the cells I've built with lately have come from busting packs, so I just trim the existing shunts into tabs I can solder to. Guess I do still need to at least build and try the fucking thing sometime soon...  I figured for $12, at least worth a punt. Get some nice high-current FETs for cheap if nothing else.

This showed up in my YT queue... guy does sound like a bit of a fanboi, but I guess as he got the thing for free, that's to be expected. 

That said... definitely a quantum level exponentially better hardware for the money he didn't spend than my $12 cheapie. From the videos I've looked at, the key to getting good welds with the cheapie is technique; you have to find the sweet spot between shorting the probes with too good contact (the thing just misfires) and almost making bad contact (thus introducing resistance at the point of contact) to get a decent weld.

The K-Weld unit can actually provide the current needed such that you just hold the probes tightly in place and you get a proper weld, and it is designed to be calibrated to accurately deliver it every time. *sigh*

Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".

mnem
 

Kweld development thread:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/guesses-on-what-i-am-attempting-here/

Yep, this thing is the real McCoy.

[GreyWoolfe]

Just got myself the bargain of a lifetime, a brand new and sealed Bosch 18V combo drill set worth £156 and I got it, with full warranty, for less than £50.

My son turned me on to the Bosch 12V impact driver and drill set.  He uses his at work.  I love mine, does 99% of everything I need around the house.  Everything else is done with my Ryobi One+ toys or my drill press.  I really like the smaller size and lighter weight compared to the Ryobi.  If/when all my Ryobi stuff craps the bed, I can see myself buying Bosch cordless tools.

[Cerebus]

Here's a question for the radio aficionados here.

What's the go with shortwave radios? If I want a really good one (new or second hand), what should I look at for a self-contained radio (I.e. no rtl-sdr type gizmos).

For many years the portable Sony any-broadcast-band-including-shortwave receivers were beloved by travellers, hams and spys. Sony seem to have rather gone to the dogs in recent years so I have no idea if they can currently be trusted to turn out the goods in the way that they used to be.

[mnementh]

Yup... I mentioned them sometime well after the Grundig; I kindof forgot that they were once the name in portable [insert product type here].

Oh, yeah... Sony also had a line of worldband radios with excellent cred... and as they're your local boys, might be easier to glom something decent at a reasonable price:

http://www.classic-worldband.com/pages/info/SONY_thumbs.htm   Again, another whole new    in and of themselves...

mnem
I'm helping...!   

[mnementh]

Quantum in this context usually means the smallest change possible. Like when people mention a 'quantum leap' (Which is about as small as an electron jumping orbits) instead of the more accurate 'paradigm shift'.     Problem is, it's been used incorrectly so much that 'quantum leap' now means a big jump...   

You're right.    Fixed now.

mnem
*toddles off to dismantle an offending bedframe*

Sorry for poking. It gets me almost as much as when people spell 'voilà' as 'viola' or even the nails-on-chalkboard 'walla'... aaaaggghhh!! 

No problem; dwagon hide is thick. 

Besides... I know I can be obtuse; dense even. As much "putting up with" as I require anywhere I hang out, I can damn well put up with an occasional poke, even some outright ridicule when I do something especially daft.

mnem
They took my thumbs.

[Cerebus]

Quantum in this context usually means the smallest change possible.

Like when people mention a 'quantum leap' (Which is about as small as an electron jumping orbits) instead of the more accurate 'paradigm shift'. 

Problem is, it's been used incorrectly so much that 'quantum leap' now means a big jump...   

Au contraire, I appreciate the modern usage because what most people are promising when they say "a quantum leap in ..." is a paradigm shift, but what they actually eventually deliver is indeed a mere quantum leap.

[Andrew_Debbie]

Racal RA 1792  on UK eBay -->  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294869854445

Listed as for parts or not working.   At the asking price I wouldn't bother.  It isn't good enough to be worth the hassle.

When working, it tunes, 15kHz to 30MHz continuous.

The RA 1778 and RA 1779  HF recievers are better, if you can find one at reasonable price.

I've never owned any of them.

[Robert763]

Review of the Lowe HF225
https://mwcircle.org/legacy-receiver-reviews/receiver-review-lowe-hf-225/

[mansaxel]

Review of the Lowe HF225
https://mwcircle.org/legacy-receiver-reviews/receiver-review-lowe-hf-225/

Nice!

I've got a HF150, very nice radio.

[factory]

Auction catalog for  7E communication is out.    PP Auction - Site is near the Hampton Court  --  You know,  King Henry's pad west of London.


A few interesting lots:

2x  HP33120A  AWG --   I'd bid if I had a trip to London Planned.
HP 58503B GPS time & frequency reference receiver   -- I expect this antique to sell for far more than it should.   

TTi EX354D power supply in the box.

Fluke multimeters  -- 29, 8022A, 322  and so on

Racal Dana Rubidium Frequency Standard. -->  https://www2.ppauctions.com/lot/164397/lot-161?auction_filters=cGFnZT02
Racal Dana 9478  - House frequency standard distribution amplifier.  Time nuts?

Tek 465B   https://www2.ppauctions.com/lot/164409/lot-173?auction_filters=cGFnZT02

Many used and Unused Pelican cases. 

UV prom programmers and an eraser.

194 HP 3582A spectrum analyser
HP 8591A spectrum analyser, 9kHz - 1.8GHz with accessories in Peli 1650 protector case
Qty various compasses, inclinometers etc (unused)

Nice Sinclair/TTI frequency meter (RS rebrand) & HP logic dart; https://www2.ppauctions.com/lot/164362/lot-126

Shame there seems to be no postage mentioned this time (previous sale had postage mentioned for small items) & too far for me, train would be no go with my health & risk of getting covid (immunosuppressed), so I won't be bidding, will probably go for silly money anyway. 

David

[Saskia]

my boss was hospitalized for severe COVID today. He is vaccinated, boosted, has had his chemotherapy shot and contracted the stuff when he needed to go to Vienna to prepare for a completely useless but mandatory face to face meeting.

what a shitshow.
I hope he survives this.

[tautech]

my boss was hospitalized for severe COVID today. He is vaccinated, boosted, has had his chemotherapy shot and contracted the stuff when he needed to go to Vienna to prepare for a completely useless but mandatory face to face meeting.

what a shitshow.
I hope he survives this.

Oh dear, compromised immune system. 
Best of luck for him and you S as I know he knows your worth.

[mnementh]

Ugghhh. Hope he gets well soon; the last thing you need is new uncertainty in your life.

mnem
*sends a prayer to Ifni*

[mnementh]

mnem
*toddles off to dismantle an offending bedframe*

This afternoon's labor of love: I now have all 3 of my printers reassembled and basic functionality testing done. Now I need to find/make/hoe out someplace to set them up so they can be used.


mnem
Offending bed frame is much less offensive now that it is in a box made by cutting up a huge UHaul box. And shoved in the attic.   

[factory]

Looking around, I think what I want is a full-band or all-band radio rather than a dedicated shortwave only receiver. That Grundig Satellit looks like it's pretty much the style of thing I need. Something like that would be good.

Restoration is ok for a decent unit, my budget would be a couple hundred dollars max I think.

A few from my collection (in storage) all of which probably need restoration & recapping, can't comment how good the shortwave performance is as reception is crap here with all the modern RF noise generators, gets much worse at night.  Plus I only really use the MW & FM bands these days, gone are the days we had music on LW (used to listen to Atlantic 252 kHz when I was younger).

Philips AM-FM De-luxe with 4 SW bands, my Grandad gave me trashed one many years ago to take apart, which I never did, I still have it and bought a nicer one more recently (also have the Pye version), these look a nightmare to service.



USSR era Selena & VEF? radios, I've had these for several decades, Shango066 likes the Soviet era radios too, some of which he reckons are excellent performers.


I was looking at some Zenith Trans-Oceanic radios at the local HAM sale last month, but limited funds prevented me buying one.

David

[mnementh]

IN OTHER NEWS: USPS just delivered my NEJISAURUS PZ-58 screw-chomping pliers.

They are quite delightful: Excellent fit & finish; a joy in the hand. A full report and side by side comparison will be forthcoming when my PZ-57s arrive.

mnem
 

[Neper]

For many years the portable Sony any-broadcast-band-including-shortwave receivers were beloved by travellers, hams and spys. Sony seem to have rather gone to the dogs in recent years so I have no idea if they can currently be trusted to turn out the goods in the way that they used to be.

Sangean make similar radios of good quality. Their ATS 909 is a very decent radio.

https://www.sangean.eu/products/product.asp?l=2&cid=16&mid=106&act_tab=1

[mnementh]

Quantum in this context usually means the smallest change possible.

Like when people mention a 'quantum leap' (Which is about as small as an electron jumping orbits) instead of the more accurate 'paradigm shift'. 

Problem is, it's been used incorrectly so much that 'quantum leap' now means a big jump...   

Au contraire, I appreciate the modern usage because what most people are promising when they say "a quantum leap in ..." is a paradigm shift, but what they actually eventually deliver is indeed a mere quantum leap.

Quantum LIP...?

mnem
*impairing productivity since nineteen-mumblety-mumble*

[mnementh]

mnem
*genuine virtual lizard-person*

[Specmaster]

Made some progress today with the Thandar SC110 mini portable scope, stripped it down for fault-finding and after a good long coat of looking at under magnification I have so far failed to find a smoking gun, it really all looks pretty good to me. All the solder joints that are visible without further stripping seem to be in good condition, maybe I might find something lurking beneath the vertical and horizontal board once I remove it, who knows.

I find a few caps with small holes in them, but they exhibit zero outward signs of suffering, the holes appear to have been there from new  .

Here a few pics so far, I doubt that I shall be working on it tomorrow as I shall be over at Hangar 11 collection, working on that Ferguson TE20 tractor restoration.

[tautech]

Tants and lots of them !

[tggzzz]

Made some progress today with the Thandar SC110 mini portable scope, stripped it down for fault-finding and after a good long coat of looking at under magnification I have so far failed to find a smoking gun, it really all looks pretty good to me. All the solder joints that are visible without further stripping seem to be in good condition, maybe I might find something lurking beneath the vertical and horizontal board once I remove it, who knows.

I shall be interested to hear how you separate the vertical boards, and how you test them when separated.