Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

More work on the 475A.

Was going to replace some targeted tants in the PSU. I checked my records and it turns out I already did that back in 2019 including the notorious 47uf C1318 on the input to the HV Oscillator which will take out the HV fuse. So all the re-capping is done.



Checked both channel calibration/compensation and everything is dead on. So is sweep timing. This scope used to have a somewhat unstable trigger but apparently the re-cap fixed that. Now rock solid. High frequency response very good. 10MHz square wave. 



I cleaned the ALT switch and alternate mode still does not work. Sometimes displays just channel 1 or sometimes displays just channel 2. Never both at the same time. Add and Chop mode do work. I studied the circuit description and schematic and I have a good idea where I need to start probing. More later.

[Specmaster]

<snip>

1) Top notch packing sorry Spec.... with 80mm of foam to protect the front panel and also the back of the scope. 40/50mm foam on the sides. It is unheard of in French territory. If your average jope in your country is better than that, lucky you. For France, it's 5 start packing.  And the scope did survive the shipping just fine.
<snip>

Vince, I'm always happy to be proven wrong on events like this. Believe me when I say like so many others, it could have gone so wrong. Personally, I'd have packed that well wrapped in bubble wrap in all directions and then pack it into packing beads so it was completely floating on all sides in beads, all in a strong box. Thankfully, they did use a strong box which really helped along with the 80mm of foam.

You got a great bargain there, and even if has an issue, as long as you can fix, then you have really scored, great job.

[mansaxel]

And the modern LCD instrument isn't ? 

Yeah got one of those 

But it doesn’t take 7000 plug-ins 

That's the TE spirit!

Speaking of plugins, I've got the Artek scans of the 5A38, 5A48 and 5B40 plugins for my 5440. Very good quality. A joy to browse.  Thanks to med for plugging them so consistently and enabling me purchasing them.

[capt bullshot]

What's in the box ?
Well OK... I just received my cheap HP 54645D MSO..... let's open it together...

Opened it up yet?

YES ! Just done uploading hte pics to the computer, here they are.

Congratulations, lucky one! This is clearly jammy git territory

[med6753]

And the modern LCD instrument isn't ? 

Yeah got one of those 

But it doesn’t take 7000 plug-ins 

That's the TE spirit!

Speaking of plugins, I've got the Artek scans of the 5A38, 5A48 and 5B40 plugins for my 5440. Very good quality. A joy to browse.  Thanks to med for plugging them so consistently and enabling me purchasing them.

Yes, very definitely worth the minimal cost. Fully indexed so you can rapidly access the page you need. Plus they insure all fold out pages are fully scanned. Almost as good as a hard copy manual. 

[Neomys Sapiens]

And the next part of the big probe update is achieved with the aquisition of a Tek P6245 1.5GHz active probe.
Sadly, without box. Luckily, with accessories.

[Cubdriver]

<snip>

1) Top notch packing sorry Spec.... with 80mm of foam to protect the front panel and also the back of the scope. 40/50mm foam on the sides. It is unheard of in French territory. If your average jope in your country is better than that, lucky you. For France, it's 5 start packing.  And the scope did survive the shipping just fine.
<snip>

Vince, I'm always happy to be proven wrong on events like this. Believe me when I say like so many others, it could have gone so wrong. Personally, I'd have packed that well wrapped in bubble wrap in all directions and then pack it into packing beads so it was completely floating on all sides in beads, all in a strong box. Thankfully, they did use a strong box which really helped along with the 80mm of foam.

You got a great bargain there, and even if has an issue, as long as you can fix, then you have really scored, great job.

It’s always (in my opinion at least) best to set your expectations low - less room for disappointment that way.  Always remember - an optimist is frequently disappointed, whereas a pessimist is often pleasantly surprised.

Very glad to hear that the scope seems to be much better than initially expected based on the advert, and has arrived well packed and in pretty nice shape.  Nice score, Vince!  Congrats.   

-Pat

<edit - missing word>

[Robert763]

What's in the box ?
Well OK... I just received my cheap HP 54645D MSO..... let's open it together...

Opened it up yet?

YES ! Just done uploading the pics to the computer, here they are.

It is a perfect example of what I was trying to explain to Papa Smurf skepticism about ads that don't tick all his boxes. How it's not just how people think here.

So, case at hand : that HP MSO scope with just a single blurry shot of the front, zero info other than "in working order", not "even stating the model number, for only 100 euros... what do we get once unpacked ?

1) Top notch packing sorry Spec.... with 80mm of foam to protect the front panel and also the back of the scope. 40/50mm foam on the sides. It is unheard of in French territory. If your average joe in your country is better than that, lucky you. For France, it's 5 start packing.  And the scope did survive the shipping just fine.

2) Pic was showing the scope for dead on, zero glimpse of the covers. Trying to hide missing or damaged cover then ? No. cover is there, and in perfect mechanical and cosmetic condition. Rear cover is there too because well... you know why. Unlike my old Tek scopes with a metal cover and seperate plastic rear cover, the HP has one single buig plastic molding cover that includes the rear as well. Just one huge piece  of plastic.

3) No pic of the back and no specs stated... trying to hide the lack of module at the back ? Nope, I DO have a module at the back !!!    It's a serial and // module, cool, I can have a lot of fun with that 

4) See what' on the scope ?.... yes a looooovely HP clothe pouch ! That was NOT to be seen on the picture in his ad ! So I even get bonus stuff that was not even advertised !

5) Pouch is empty for sure, you say !? See for yourself....

- Power cord

- Thick paper copy of the user manual, also include instructions on how to tweak the guts of the scope to calibrate it.

- x2 original x10 HP probes , model HP 10074B. One is missing the grabber,how shocking will ask my money back 

- The FREAKING DIGITAL CABLE /probe is there !!!!!       
even has ALL its mini grabbers, 17 of them not 16, even have one spare ! Actually have THREE spares : there is also a couple Tek branded grabbers in the lot !

Do you think guy thought of stating all the above in his ad, and taking pics of it like I just did ? No ! Just a single pic of a blurry front panel, zero information not even the scope model number, not even showing the pouch on top !
Vince once again took a gamble and was EXTREMELY WELL rewarded !

Just like my HP 33120A HP counter the other day, from an ad that DID look extremely fishy even by my standards, cost only 100 Euros instead of 500 Euros going price here, and turned out to work 100% perfect and with a healthy VFD and even have the best time base / OCXO option which was "of course" not even specified in the ad !

I hope this illustrates my point with regards to French sellers. If you expect them to act logically and think the worse every time.... you just don't understand the psychology of people here and miss on superb bargains. So I will keep following my instinct and populate my lab with cool stuff for much cheaper on Leboncoin.fr than I could get them on Ebay.


OK so now for the damage, all I can see from the outside see below, is a small crack on the top right corner of the front panel. Not on the edge though, but on the back edge. Not done during shipping.
I think it was probably due to some guy trying to pry the scope open, not knowing how to take it apart. The tiny knob at the bottom left of the front panel, that controls the CRT brightness, was partially dislodged. I pushed a bit on it and it went back into position.

So I think the guy took it apart and was a bit of a monkey / cave man with it, as most people are sadly. So there might be monkey damage inside. Also if he opened it in the first place, it's probably because there was something wring with the scope, one can plausibly assume.... so the future is still uncertain...

But looking at the outside, can't see any blatant sign of it being dropped. Now let's crap it open for quick a sanity check, then power it up.... stay tuned...

Congratulations 
I could see the pouch in the sellers photo and it didn't look empty. I did not say anything because I didn't want to jinx it or get your hopes up.
It's a great little 'scope.
The knobs are pretty plain so it does not matter what you put on there for now.

Definite jammy git on the I/O module.
It's not just I/O. it adds memory and a bunch (19 IIRC) of extra measurement functions 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Regarding the upgrade of probes - where does that leave me?

I have already said that there should be at least one, better two P5205 to go with the 5210.
Same for the TCP202.

I have just one LV differential probe, which is a 400MHz P6246. So TWO P6247 or 6248 are target for now.
I have now three dissimilar active probes: a P6204 (modular 5mm head), a P6243 and a P6245 (both miniature/SMD). So AT LEAST one additional P6243 or P6245.

But that would still leave me unable to use the 4 channels of the instrument with the same type of probe at the full rated bandwidth!

On passive probes, I have one P6563A (500MHz, 1:20) and two P6562A (350MHz, 1:10). Those are miniature probes with a head similar to the active ones. I also have 4 P6139, of which 3 are grubby. They work, but one doesn't want to touch them. I have seen that phenomenon elsewhere too, it is some decay of the used plastic.
So more P6139 too.
I have several P6137, P6136 and P6134, which are still usable for everything that stays within their frequency range, but they do not really count anymore with the TDS5104.
And the single P5100 (1:100) should receive a sibling too.

So wayyyy to go.
That 'scope is a fecking rabbit hole by itself.

[Vince]

Oh yeah that sticky old plastic !

You get that in some car interiors too : Some old Ferrari suffer from that, the 355 at least IIRC.
My old Renault Safrane as well, textured soft plastic that covers the center console. it's not that old, first registered in summer 1999 but the Safrane hit the market in 1992 so the design of it is 30 years old now... the design of that plastic too, then...

[Vince]

Congratulations 
I could see the pouch in the sellers photo and it didn't look empty. I did not say anything because I didn't want to jinx it or get your hopes up.
It's a great little 'scope.
The knobs are pretty plain so it does not matter what you put on there for now.

Definite jammy git on the I/O module.
It's not just I/O. it adds memory and a bunch (19 IIRC) of extra measurement functions 

Thanks for not jinxing it, worked very well indeed ! 

[bd139]

Some TE content for once. Trite AC cal test of the 3465A confirmed ok

[Ice-Tea]

Regarding the upgrade of probes - where does that leave me?

Weeeellll.... I have some P6248, and P6249s left, you know? 

[Vince]

   

Holy sheepdip, Vince... you got the whole kit and two caboodles there. Good score! 



EDIT: IIRC, you should be able to plug that unit into your prehistoric LaserJet or a compatible plotter and print waveforms directly from it.

Here's that manual:

mnem
*toddles off to do something constructive*

Thanks for the manual 

OK so looks like there are 3 modules available for this scope, all add the same set of cool extra features, only difference is the I/O connector they offer.

So it's either GPIB, or Serial, or Serial  + // printer .... and I have the latter, yeah !!!!   

Serial is cool, gives me total remote control and programmability like GPIB, but the cable is so much thinner/more convenient to use, and serial is so easy to implement on your gizmos with just a simple 8 bit micro-controller and a few lines of code ! I love serial ! 
And of course the printer output, good old DB25 so yeah as you say, you can bet your ass I will be trying to connect it to my trusty 25 year old Laserjet 6P !! 

Cool features in that module indeed. Phase measurement is a huge plus for any analog work, to work on filters or closed loop control system or whatnot.
Extra memory to store traces can never hurt either... and extra math functions as well, integration and differentiation, and even FFT wow.... luxury here, need to platy with that !
I wonder if it's as crappy as the FFT in my Fluke Combiscope, I could try and compare them side by side, material for a future TEA post ! 

[xrunner]

Sweet - the hp 3465A looks really nice. 

Some TE content for once. Trite AC cal test of the 3465A confirmed ok

[Peter_O]

FRIDGE !
...

Why not using something like this?!

https://www.amazon.de/ARCELI-110V-220V-Fahrenheit-Temperaturregler-Thermostat/dp/B07RHDCH6T/

I had this or a very similar one for a 3d printer chamber heater and it worked fine. Amazingly cheap for what it is.

[Cerebus]

Some TE content for once. Trite AC cal test of the 3465A confirmed ok

Ooooow, the designer of that Rigol's case was clearly a Red Dwarf fan.

[nixiefreqq]

   

Holy sheepdip, Vince... you got the whole kit and two caboodles there. Good score! 



EDIT: IIRC, you should be able to plug that unit into your prehistoric LaserJet or a compatible plotter and print waveforms directly from it.

Here's that manual:

mnem
*toddles off to do something constructive*

Thanks for the manual 

OK so looks like there are 3 modules available for this scope, all add the same set of cool extra features, only difference is the I/O connector they offer.

So it's either GPIB, or Serial, or Serial  + // printer .... and I have the latter, yeah !!!!   

Serial is cool, gives me total remote control and programmability like GPIB, but the cable is so much thinner/more convenient to use, and serial is so easy to implement on your gizmos with just a simple 8 bit micro-controller and a few lines of code ! I love serial ! 
And of course the printer output, good old DB25 so yeah as you say, you can bet your ass I will be trying to connect it to my trusty 25 year old Laserjet 6P !! 

Cool features in that module indeed. Phase measurement is a huge plus for any analog work, to work on filters or closed loop control system or whatnot.
Extra memory to store traces can never hurt either... and extra math functions as well, integration and differentiation, and even FFT wow.... luxury here, need to platy with that !
I wonder if it's as crappy as the FFT in my Fluke Combiscope, I could try and compare them side by side, material for a future TEA post ! 

hey vince

nice score!

ok.....not trying to pee in your corn flakes.  but you need to open up that measurement/storage module and check the dates on the gaggle of dallas modules hiding inside.

[tggzzz]

Some TE content for once. Trite AC cal test of the 3465A confirmed ok

Ooooow, the designer of that Rigol's case was clearly a Red Dwarf fan.

Designer?

I assumed the case was optimised by a genetic algorithm for 3D printing. Or are you channelling that (suspended) google engineer who believes the chatbot is sentient?

[mnementh]

FRIDGE !
...

Why not using something like this?!

https://www.amazon.de/ARCELI-110V-220V-Fahrenheit-Temperaturregler-Thermostat/dp/B07RHDCH6T/

I had this or a very similar one for a 3d printer chamber heater and it worked fine. Amazingly cheap for what it is.

LOL... This and about a dozen similar have been suggested; Vince had a need to beat the problem with stuff he had on hand rather than spending money.

mnem
So very TEA...

[bd139]

Sweet - the hp 3465A looks really nice. 

Indeed. It’s rapidly becoming a favourite DMM.

[capt bullshot]

Some TE content for once. Trite AC cal test of the 3465A confirmed ok

What's that Barbie toy on top of the stack?

[bd139]

Some TE content for once. Trite AC cal test of the 3465A confirmed ok

Ooooow, the designer of that Rigol's case was clearly a Red Dwarf fan.

Designer?

I assumed the case was optimised by a genetic algorithm for 3D printing. Or are you channelling that (suspended) google engineer who believes the chatbot is sentient?

I think it was arranged around the least material being used to fit the contents to reduce the shipping cost.

I like it though. Mostly because you can buy the bottom end one and persuade it that it’s a 2x 100Mhz DG992 

[mnementh]

Some TE content for once. Trite AC cal test of the 3465A confirmed ok    

Ooooow, the designer of that Rigol's case was clearly a Red Dwarf fan.   

Designer?    I assumed the case was optimised by a genetic algorithm for 3D printing. Or are you channelling that (suspended) google engineer who believes the chatbot is sentient?

I'd suggest the design was chosen expressly to avoid any possibility of lawsuit over infringement of "trade dress" IP.

mnem
Seriously... who would dare attempt to claim that as their IP...?

[bd139]

Ok so scope dude came back and said that he wants eBay sold prices for the 7633. So that’s a no then 

Aaand my youngest just got home from her friend’s and is painted blue like a bloody Smurf and it won’t come off