Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[tautech]

Question for tautech. Hopefully he'll see this later when he wakes up.

Siglent SD1052DL. If both channels are connected and I hit "Auto" to trigger it always defaults to channel 2. How can I change the default to channel 1?

Dunno, that really sucks.
Never imported the DL's or the later Plus models.
Do you have the last FW installed ? Version 5.06.02.19
You can get it here:
http://www.siglent.com/Uploadfile/file/20140926/SDS1000DL_V100R005B06D02P19.rar

Have you tried Default first to ensure Ch1 is already set to Trigger ?

Of course the DL has been superseded by DL+ and they run different FW, however I'll shoot HQ an email just to see if they have something better in their archives......after you let me know if you get it sorted first.

[bd139]

Signal generator dilemma lands again. The 33120A as much as I like it is going. Why? Only one output, only 15MHz, the attenuators don't attenuate very low at all, it's noisy, large, the interface sucks for configuring sweeps and it and has no output switches.

At the same time people are paying £300 for a good one on ebay at the moment. Ergo as much as it pains me and as much as I think the Rigol DG800 series is poop from the touchscreen perspective I shall be grabbing a DG822 I think for £30 LESS than the 33120A will sell for and it solves all of those problems as much as I hate to admit it

Well I would but Telonic are out of stock ffs 

Edit: and yes I'm going to have to eat a couple of hats there.

[med6753]

Dunno, that really sucks.
Never imported the DL's or the later Plus models.
Do you have the last FW installed ? Version 5.06.02.19
You can get it here:
http://www.siglent.com/Uploadfile/file/20140926/SDS1000DL_V100R005B06D02P19.rar

Have you tried Default first to ensure Ch1 is already set to Trigger ?

Of course the DL has been superseded by DL+ and they run different FW, however I'll shoot HQ an email just to see if they have something better in their archives......after you let me know if you get it sorted first.

I can set the default manually to channel 1 but as soon as I hit "Auto" it goes through it's routine and triggers back on channel 2. It's really no big deal I was just wondering if there was a way to permanently set the default to channel 1. If just channel 1 is connected yes it does default to channel 1.

I'll check the firmware. I haven't updated it since I purchased it.

Thanks! 

[neo]

To get at the one under the relay, just pull the relay from its socket, hook on to the cap legs with grabber probes and measure away, the relay could be plugged back in while the grabs are on the cap if required?

Edit, you could also if needed cut one leg , measure the cap and ESR  while there and then resolder the leg again.

Thanks spec! I'd yet to think of that and had almost forgotten about him. Luckily that ones good.

[tautech]

Dunno, that really sucks.
Never imported the DL's or the later Plus models.
Do you have the last FW installed ? Version 5.06.02.19
You can get it here:
http://www.siglent.com/Uploadfile/file/20140926/SDS1000DL_V100R005B06D02P19.rar

Have you tried Default first to ensure Ch1 is already set to Trigger ?

Of course the DL has been superseded by DL+ and they run different FW, however I'll shoot HQ an email just to see if they have something better in their archives......after you let me know if you get it sorted first.

I can set the default manually to channel 1 but as soon as I hit "Auto" it goes through it's routine and triggers back on channel 2. It's really no big deal I was just wondering if there was a way to permanently set the default to channel 1. If just channel 1 is connected yes it does default to channel 1.

I'll check the firmware. I haven't updated it since I purchased it.

Thanks! 

Thinking more.....with a weight off my mind after a poo  , it should Autoset the trigger only to the channel with a signal and I think to the strongest.
Never much use Autoset, rarely in fact preferring to drive and take charge as I know what I'm doing.....don't I ? 

[PA0PBZ]

it should Autoset the trigger only to the channel with a signal and I think to the strongest.

So what does it do when you swap the signals on CH1 and CH2?

[beanflying]

When I saw the video Bean put up about the 8656B attenuator, my interest was piqued.

The mechanical aspect of the repair was not particularly intimidating
- but my unit did things differently...


Not to worry, I located the low band input to the attenuator (up to 123.5MHz), unscrewed the SMA connector and hooked it up to a scope.  Played around with all the controls and the signal did what I expected - so the attenuator does, indeed, appear to be the problem.  Need to check out the junker.

Interesting they have re used the old casting for the Mechanical attenuator switching version but swapped to those new cans types. Lucky you got a 'spare' 

[tautech]

it should Autoset the trigger only to the channel with a signal and I think to the strongest.

So what does it do when you swap the signals on CH1 and CH2?

If we look at Med's use case, the signals look the same display amplitude and channel attenuation is also the same. Maybe ch2 is a few mV higher so Autoset selects it for the trigger.

Some fiddling with other signals should explain the Autoset trigger behavior.

[Specmaster]

Ok then, this is OTT, more chatter in conversation street by the TEA machine if you will 

Here are some photos taken today at RAF Marham on the last official day of the Tornadoes tour of bases in the UK before being withdrawn from service in I think 3 weeks time. These were meant to have taken with my latest purchase, a NOS Canon EOS 7D with just 1 shutter operation to its name. It was a display model in a glass display case at a camera dealers and so is absolutely mint condition and I got it for a real bargain price with a warranty, this one to hijack one of BD's sayings, I'm taking this one to the grave with me when I go  So then these shots were taken on what is now going to be my second (backup) camera, a Canon EOS 50D which is still bloody camera.

Why did I not use the 7D, because it was only delivered today and as I had to leave this morning at 05:00 Hrs and the 7D was not arriving til at least 11:35 

Any way, here are some links to some of the shots, only ground taxing I'm afraid as the only access point arranged by the RAF was still distance from the runway so landing and takeoff shots would have been quite small. With the new camera they might have been better because it has more pixels so I could cropped in a bit. None of these photos have been edited at all, they are straight from the camera.

When I get my sone to edit some video footage for me, if your interested, I'll post links to some of those later as well, they are only 720HD and are my first attempts at doing video so parts of them are very shaky, hence the editing being needed. Next time I go there (next week) I'll be able do some video in 1080HD on the 7D.

[bd139]

Cool stuff. Thanks for posting 

[0culus]

Neat. To be replaced with the F-35?

Cool Tornado fact: it was the only aircraft ever to get a photograph of Concorde in supersonic flight. The Tornado is unable to sustain Mach 2+ for long due to fuel consumption, so the Concorde had to slow to Mach 1.5-6 or so for the Tornado crew to get the shot.

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/heres-the-only-picture-of-concorde-flying-at-supersonic-speed/

[Cubdriver]

neo, check the ripple before you go shotgunning filter caps on HP gear - they used really good ones.  It's pretty rare that I've had to replace one, and on those occasions it has been pretty much totally duff.  Don't make a bunch of extra work for yourself if it's not needed.  This isn't consumer grade equipment where they used the cheapest parts they could find.

-Pat

[Vgkid]

I recognize those binding posts...
It is not attached to something from that brand , though.

[Specmaster]

Neat. To be replaced with the F-35?

Cool Tornado fact: it was the only aircraft ever to get a photograph of Concorde in supersonic flight. The Tornado is unable to sustain Mach 2+ for long due to fuel consumption, so the Concorde had to slow to Mach 1.5-6 or so for the Tornado crew to get the shot.

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/heres-the-only-picture-of-concorde-flying-at-supersonic-speed/

Yes, you are correct, the F35 is it's replacement and the base has 9 of these already delivered, not sure how many will be based there in total. I have to admit that I'm not a great fan of the aircraft. It might well be technologically advanced but it might also be so complicated that as they get a bit older, they could well go "tech" a lot more and be out of service awaiting repairs. The Tornado itself has a bait of going tech just when you don't need it, for instance, the camouflaged one was painted last month, flew 2 sorties since and went tech and today was infact it's 3rd flight in a month 

[nixiefreqq]

neo, check the ripple before you go shotgunning filter caps on HP gear - they used really good ones.  It's pretty rare that I've had to replace one, and on those occasions it has been pretty much totally duff.  Don't make a bunch of extra work for yourself if it's not needed.  This isn't consumer grade equipment where they used the cheapest parts they could find.

-Pat

cub makes a good point. 

I have replaced some of those big cans in 141t's.  but like he says, not often.
(and the dead ones were not hard to spot with normal tests for ripple in circuit or esr/low capacitance  when out of circuit)

 

[beanflying]

When you look at imgur pics then hit next post 













https://imgur.com/gallery/TUnSdYT

[VK5RC]

My 141 caps are 'virginal' -
+1 for the ESR test first.
-Rob

[neo]

I hate having a job, it quite literally translates to no time or money for anything as opposed to just having no money for it. Trying to fix this is an excellent example thereof.

Can't do ripple check at these voltages. So, OK, ESR it is. 7 wires unsoldered and a broken phenolic wafer later i now know that the caps are fine and i have no convenient scapegoat for all voltages being wonky.    Back to zero  

[Mr. Scram]

I hate having a job, it quite literally translates to no time or money for anything as opposed to just having no money for it. Trying to fix this is an excellent example thereof.

Can't do ripple check at these voltages. So, OK, ESR it is. 7 wires unsoldered and a broken phenolic wafer later i now know that the caps are fine and i have no convenient scapegoat for all voltages being wonky.    Back to zero

The money part is supposed to be fixed when you have a job.

[neo]

The money part is supposed to be fixed when you have a job.

Yes it is... it isn't though. Don't get me wrong i just got a massive lot from Inverted that i otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford and that is thanks to the job. But right now i'm looking at the choice between food and a car.... for the second time. Damn things keep breaking.

[med6753]

it should Autoset the trigger only to the channel with a signal and I think to the strongest.

So what does it do when you swap the signals on CH1 and CH2?

Same. Triggers on channel 2. I think the firmware is working correctly. When you press "AUTO" the firmware goes to channel 1 first, then to channel 2. Once it figures everything out it just triggers off the last signal processed, which is channel 2.

[med6753]

When you look at imgur pics then hit next post 

Perhaps that's what's at the bottom of the rabbit hole? 

[ArthurDent]

Found this item on the bay of evil a few weeks ago - it was caked with about 100 years of gunk (not an exaggeration) but cleaned up pretty well.  I used to work for the company which made it, so it is a nice souvenir of a time when test gear could look like furniture and yet not be ugly.

I picked up a similar thing at a flea market a couple years ago.  Bakelite and metal, looks like.

Wait- you mean the modern ones have switches!!

[beanflying]

So now I own two accurate clocks  Both of my children are off to Agilent Discipline school in the next few weeks for a little

0.006% combined is still within the 1 year spec for both combined but is one right and one really really wrong or are they just polar opposites of the 'real' number. 

Edit added a Hi Z measured 1V from the 735A. Will leave them on for a day or so and see if it changes 

[beanflying]

Found this item on the bay of evil a few weeks ago - it was caked with about 100 years of gunk (not an exaggeration) but cleaned up pretty well.  I used to work for the company which made it, so it is a nice souvenir of a time when test gear could look like furniture and yet not be ugly.

I picked up a similar thing at a flea market a couple years ago.  Bakelite and metal, looks like.

Wait- you mean the modern ones have switches!!

Nice Ratio Box  I just refurbished my 'modern one'