Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[0culus]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-8565A-Spectrum-Analyzer/292802470214

Looks a LOT like an 8569, just modular. Interesting.

[Kosmic]

I the unit was great so I can't complain..

I like the green screen. Man those reference caps are really precise. Was shopping for some precision cap and the best I could find was 0.5%. Still enough for me though.

[Brumby]

This was my attempt...

   Better stop now or I'll end up down one for real....

I think... speaking as a dwagon, with some experience here... that any such attempt just makes it look like you're trying to set Benjamin Bunny on fire.  I mean, if that's the feel you're going for, then    , well done.

But otherwise... maybe a strategic withdrawal from the meme would be most prudent. The only way it would work is if you found a way to actually put a nixie counter in frame to put the hearthlike glow in context. 

mnem
*Glowy*

Yeah - I was in a bit of a hurry as I had something I had to attend to, so it ended up a bit redder than I intended.  Nevertheless, I won't make any further efforts as these artistic forays are a rabbit hole in themselves.  However, I will say that while adding some nixies might give some context, by just having the (right shade of) orange glow, it draws the imagination ... unless you have a nixie nut, who will jump straight to that conclusion.

[Inverted18650]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-8565A-Spectrum-Analyzer/292802470214

Looks a LOT like an 8569, just modular. Interesting.

I was wrong I am in for a 8559A, also an HP4140B and Tek PS5250 from the same seller. But I wont do the bid war, no watchers or bids when I put it up, so we'llsee if any hold though

[Martin.M]

I have buyed that in .fr
looks now much better

Those mini scopes are so neat. I must get one, one day.

the restoration of them can be a adventure. But they need not a lot of space for a collection.

200Series,  µTek 

211 is a single channel 0,5MHz
212 is a two channel 0,5MHz
213 is a single channel 1MHz with onscreen DMM
214 is a two channel 0,5MHz with storage CRT
221 is a single channel 5MHz

higher numbers are the little DSO.

222 you have seen, 10MHz, the cpu clock is only 8MHz
224 is the same, but specified to 60MHz

general problem: batteries damage inside.
211 - 221 use NiCd , and when they are leaky the acid will destroy something on the board. This can grow to a hard job.
Exception is the 213, it have 2 pcs D Cells sitting in large wholes of the boards, so the acid soup flow in the downside case and there is no destroy to calculate.

222+224:  they are made with smd ! The batteries are obsololete, it requires 8V lead cells to work.

CRT of all of them:  obsolete, you can wait years to get one.

Specialities: µTek is made to check at higher voltages. Do not wonder to see at the little vertical button 100V/div that is no mistake !
About that the isolation class of the probes is very special, including the ground clips.
222 + 222A, 224 have isolation amplifiers, they allow higher voltage between the 2 ground clips.

Picture:  212, 213, 214, 221 and 222.  (I am looking for the 211..)

[0culus]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-8565A-Spectrum-Analyzer/292802470214

Looks a LOT like an 8569, just modular. Interesting.

I was wrong I am in for a 8559A, also an HP4140B and Tek PS5250 from the same seller. But I wont do the bid war, no watchers or bids when I put it up, so we'llsee if any hold though

At this point I basically have 2 and a half spectrum analyzers (the half is the one I'm working in), so I don't think I need another just yet. About out of space to put stuff for now. 

[beanflying]

Spending far to many HOURS manually trimming the Ratio Box but it's kind of therapeutic 

This is the offending Nominal 600 Ohm card removed fairly easily from the system. It is actually two parallel runs wound in opposite directions to minimize inductance so I shortened both by a 1/2 a turn to bring them from 607  to 594  meaning I had to bump up the trimming bobbin by 3  to get to where it needed to be. Give me a swizzle stick and a trim pot any day.

Trimmed some of the others closer to their nominal values so the divider should be nearly well under 0.02% when I am done if not a bit better if my patience holds out.

[Inverted18650]

My "portable" mini Tek 323. Still 'works a treat' but I do need to replace the battery bank

[Inverted18650]

Spending far to many HOURS manually trimming the Ratio Box but it's kind of therapeutic 

This is the offending Nominal 600 Ohm card removed fairly easily from the system. It is actually two parallel runs wound in opposite directions to minimize inductance so I shortened both by a 1/2 a turn to bring them from 607  to 594  meaning I had to bump up the trimming bobbin by 3  to get to where it needed to be. Give me a swizzle stick and a trim pot any day.

Trimmed some of the others closer to their nominal values so the divider should be nearly well under 0.02% when I am done if not a bit better if my patience holds out.

That is TEA at it best!  Breathe in TEA, breathe out negativity, OOOHM....OHMMMM's....OHMMM...OHMMM's

[0culus]

My "portable" mini Tek 323. Still 'works a treat' but I do need to replace the battery bank

Huh I never new Sony put their brand on Tek equipment. Neat!

[med6753]

My "portable" mini Tek 323. Still 'works a treat' but I do need to replace the battery bank

Huh I never new Sony put their brand on Tek equipment. Neat!

That was so Tek could get into the Japanese market. Japan has very strict "protectionist" laws that prevent companies from other countries from doing business there unless they partner with a Japanese company. Hence Sony/Tek. But it never was very successful as they were competing with the likes of Hitachi.

It also seems likely that Sony benefited from the partnership but I've never seen any literature to back that up. By the time of this partnership Tek had the best CRT technology and techniques far and above anyone else. I'll bet the superior Sony Trinitron CRT has some Tek "genes" in it.   

[Inverted18650]

My "portable" mini Tek 323. Still 'works a treat' but I do need to replace the battery bank

Huh I never new Sony put their brand on Tek equipment. Neat!

They had a short run with Sony and a lot of them are now collectibles. I gotta say, as cool as the American EE is and was, the Sony spin brought a new era of compact design. Its getting harder to find complete Sony/Tek gear (not that it is "hard" now, just watch the part #'s) but soon the 'parts swappers' will have ruined the era. This unit is still 100% Sony/Tek. You can see the stamp o the CRT. The Japanese EE's did well to make the US EE's rethink space. I am sure Martin.M will fill us in more.

[Inverted18650]

@med: noone replied to the post for either of the 7704 units yet, so I still plan to send you the A model. Shipping via USPS is gong to be about $85. Its big, odd and heavy. But I will PM you the dimensions and weight of the box and you can shop around for better prices as well.

On that note if anyone is travelling up to NY and coming through TN, maybe we can link up and you can run it up to MED or at least get a lot closer.

[med6753]

@med: noone replied to the post for either of the 7704 units yet, so I still plan to send you the A model. Shipping via USPS is gong to be about $85. Its big, odd and heavy. But I will PM you the dimensions and weight of the box and you can shop around for better prices as well.

On that note if anyone is travelling up to NY and coming through TN, maybe we can link up and you can run it up to MED or at least get a lot closer.

I expected that amount given it's size/weight so I'm not surprised. Monday morning I'll go to the Post Office and get a money order for $85 and send it your way.

Thanks!! 

P.S. Just pack it well because you know it's gonna get tossed around and dropped despite any "Fragile" stickers.     

[Specmaster]

Lets play with the PM6303A RCL meter...pics to come

That really is very good, I'll have to some precision parts to see how good my meter is now.

[tautech]

My "portable" mini Tek 323. Still 'works a treat' but I do need to replace the battery bank

Huh I never new Sony put their brand on Tek equipment. Neat!

They had a short run with Sony and a lot of them are now collectibles. I gotta say, as cool as the American EE is and was, the Sony spin brought a new era of compact design. Its getting harder to find complete Sony/Tek gear (not that it is "hard" now, just watch the part #'s) but soon the 'parts swappers' will have ruined the era. This unit is still 100% Sony/Tek. You can see the stamp o the CRT. The Japanese EE's did well to make the US EE's rethink space. I am sure Martin.M will fill us in more.

I sure wish Martin would spill all his invaluable knowledge on Teks in his Tek restoration thread. <busy strumming fingers> and 
Or in a new thread: Martin.M's Tek ramblings................. 

[tggzzz]

unpacking HP 8556A

Unpacking HP 19511-80014... 

mnem
Oh, I kill me... 

Part number humor. I like it.

That part is entirely real, and is located under my kitchen. In HP it was fondly known as "the pit prop".

[beanflying]

I am about to unwind. To many Bobbins wound, cut tweaked soldered, tweaked , cut rewound tweaked ..... 

600 Ohm needs a touch more wire but I am out and will live with it being 0.03% low  Plenty good enough for 4.5+ digits at that.

[Specmaster]

I have buyed that in .fr
looks now much better

Those mini scopes are so neat. I must get one, one day.

the restoration of them can be a adventure. But they need not a lot of space for a collection.

200Series,  µTek 

211 is a single channel 0,5MHz
212 is a two channel 0,5MHz
213 is a single channel 1MHz with onscreen DMM
214 is a two channel 0,5MHz with storage CRT
221 is a single channel 5MHz

higher numbers are the little DSO.

222 you have seen, 10MHz, the cpu clock is only 8MHz
224 is the same, but specified to 60MHz

general problem: batteries damage inside.
211 - 221 use NiCd , and when they are leaky the acid will destroy something on the board. This can grow to a hard job.
Exception is the 213, it have 2 pcs D Cells sitting in large wholes of the boards, so the acid soup flow in the downside case and there is no destroy to calculate.

222+224:  they are made with smd ! The batteries are obsololete, it requires 8V lead cells to work.

CRT of all of them:  obsolete, you can wait years to get one.

Specialities: µTek is made to check at higher voltages. Do not wonder to see at the little vertical button 100V/div that is no mistake !
About that the isolation class of the probes is very special, including the ground clips.
222 + 222A, 224 have isolation amplifiers, they allow higher voltage between the 2 ground clips.

Picture:  212, 213, 214, 221 and 222.  (I am looking for the 211..)

You can replace those batteries and this video shows how to do that.

[med6753]

I am about to unwind. To many Bobbins wound, cut tweaked soldered, tweaked , cut rewound tweaked ..... 

600 Ohm needs a touch more wire but I am out and will live with it being 0.03% low  Plenty good enough for 4.5+ digits at that.

Sure beats the hell out of my resistor reference. Simple switch box with 0.1% resistors 1  thru 10M. Plugs directly onto DMM under test to minimize lead resistance. Works good enough for me. 

[beanflying]

When I get the Hamon divider built it should be more accurate than this but I can keep higher voltages away from it's internals using this to divide it down initially if I want to throw 1kV at it 

Not sure what the original spec of the Ratio box was as there is virtually zero info available on them. Generally they got used as part of a Bridge measuring circuit but that is about all I know.

I have a small stash of Vishay 0.005% reference resistors I treat with kid gloves if I want to be really accurate to measure against.

[tggzzz]

Sure beats the hell out of my resistor reference. Simple switch box with 0.1% resistors 1  thru 10M. Plugs directly onto DMM under test to minimize lead resistance. Works good enough for me. 

4-wire sensing works for me.

[Specmaster]

My "portable" mini Tek 323. Still 'works a treat' but I do need to replace the battery bank

Huh I never new Sony put their brand on Tek equipment. Neat!

They had a short run with Sony and a lot of them are now collectibles. I gotta say, as cool as the American EE is and was, the Sony spin brought a new era of compact design. Its getting harder to find complete Sony/Tek gear (not that it is "hard" now, just watch the part #'s) but soon the 'parts swappers' will have ruined the era. This unit is still 100% Sony/Tek. You can see the stamp o the CRT. The Japanese EE's did well to make the US EE's rethink space. I am sure Martin.M will fill us in more.

I sure wish Martin would spill all his invaluable knowledge on Teks in his Tek restoration thread. <busy strumming fingers> and 
Or in a new thread: Martin.M's Tek ramblings................. 

You can replace those batteries and this video shows how to do that.

[med6753]

Sure beats the hell out of my resistor reference. Simple switch box with 0.1% resistors 1  thru 10M. Plugs directly onto DMM under test to minimize lead resistance. Works good enough for me. 

4-wire sensing works for me.

I tend to employ the "KISS" principle. 

[bd139]

KISC here (keep it simple and cheap)