Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[eeviking]

My TEA is getting worse... TopLoser is killing me with those prices. Help please!

Me too. 

The damn pusher got me twice already, and he is offering free shipping on my next fix. 

Think I have to become a member in here soon.

[Cubdriver]

I have been fortunately way too busy to notice his deals until the stuff is all gone

475 is cleaning up nicely. Did this corner and the CRT bezel today at lunch time:

Looks fantastic!  The nice thing about Tek gear of that era is that the panel markings are in the anodizing itself, rather than being silkscreened on, so short of removing the anodizing they should stay in place.

-Pat

[Specmaster]

Because I'm careful with my equipment, I bought a case for my Fluke 87V on eBay. That way, I'm sure it will be safe when it's not in use. Today, I got my 87V out and what do you know: black marks on both sides of the holster from the strap of the case. I've been trying to get them off with soap, methanol or gentle scraping, but no dice. It looks like they're here to stay.

Sometimes you just can't win. Stuff like this kills me.

My TEA is getting worse... TopLoser is killing me with those prices. Help please!

Same here. It's terrible!

That does not sound like Fluke at all, I'd question if the either the meter or the holster are genuine?

[Specmaster]

I have been fortunately way too busy to notice his deals until the stuff is all gone

475 is cleaning up nicely. Did this corner and the CRT bezel today at lunch time:

Thats really impressive, swap out the BNC's and it'll look like new, great job 

[Mr. Scram]

That does not sound like Fluke at all, I'd question if the either the meter or the holster are genuine?

The meter and accessories came in the original box and there is nothing that makes me doubt whether its genuine. It all seems to add up, right up to the brand of the battery. I've taken apart the meter to check the board revision too. It would highly surprise me if the holster would be counterfeit.

I've heard about these holsters tarnishing easy before, or more specifically, being next to impossible to clean if tarnished by the wrong thing. It could be very well that the case was badly manufactured or is still outgassing and somehow reacted with the holster.

[bd139]

I have been fortunately way too busy to notice his deals until the stuff is all gone

475 is cleaning up nicely. Did this corner and the CRT bezel today at lunch time:

Thats really impressive, swap out the BNC's and it'll look like new, great job 

Unfortunately they are Tek special ones. The ring around the base is the probe sense ring which is used to identify 1x vs 10x probes which makes them difficult to replace. I'll get the Dremel out and polish them up with a little bit of silvo - should do the trick

[tautech]

Unfortunately they are Tek special ones. The ring around the base is the probe sense ring which is used to identify 1x vs 10x probes which makes them difficult to replace.

Really ?
This I never knew, impressive for such an old scope. 

Cleaning up well.....I guess you'll hang on to this one.

[bd139]

Yeah it was a pretty early invention for Tek. I think it appeared on the early 7000 series units as far back as 1969!

I'm going to the grave with this one.

[Specmaster]

What do you think about the Tek 2645, some people think it may be one of the best, if not the best scope they made?, 300Mhz and 4 channels?

[tggzzz]

What do you think about the Tek 2645, some people think it may be one of the best, if not the best scope they made?, 300Mhz and 4 channels?

I like those and the 485. The probes for the 2465's 2+2 channels can be expensive

[bd139]

They’re ok but I’d avoid them for amateur use. They are stacked full of hybrids and ASICs and Dallas NVRAM

The best scope ever made was the 7104 with a 7A29 and 7B10 or a sampling plugin.  Then another shittier 7000 series next to it with a 7L14 SA.

My wife assures me I don’t have the room for them. She’s right

[Mr. Scram]

I very gingerly tried to clean the marks off the 87V holster with a scouring pad. The result is that I now have a holster with marks and small scratches.

Today is a write-off. I'm very close to just ordering a spare holster for a ridiculous amount of money, but I know I'd better have a good night's rest first.

[bd139]

My old 77 never had a holster. If it's going to live on the bench, take it off and don't worry about it

Incidentally if you want to clean these, chuck the holster in a bowl of water with dish soap for a couple of hours and then all the crud just wipes off.

I am an obsessive compulsive cleaner for ref.

[khs]

The best scope ever made was the 7104 with a 7A29 and 7B10 or a sampling plugin.

I don't agree 100%

My best combination is:
7904, not the 7104 due to the quite sensitive CRT,
7D12/M2 -> get the voltage,
7A26 -> add two channels,
7D15 -> get the frequency and other - and
7B53A. Yes. 7B53A.

The 7D15 together with the 7B53A can count pulses in a burst. For me it's essential. From my knowledge no other oscilloscope can do this.

[Specmaster]

They’re ok but I’d avoid them for amateur use. They are stacked full of hybrids and ASICs and Dallas NVRAM

The best scope ever made was the 7104 with a 7A29 and 7B10 or a sampling plugin.  Then another shittier 7000 series next to it with a 7L14 SA.

My wife assures me I don’t have the room for them. She’s right

You certainly aren't kidding either, just seen inside the bottom of a couple that Dale gad in mailbag section, it's crammed with em, that's off my list then. 

[bd139]

Yeah there are a few that aren't very well cooled and tend to blow up as well. Really nice scopes but I wouldn't want to buy one. If I needed one I'd rent one and you can get a nice new mixed signal scope with mega-bandwidth for the same price.

The best scope ever made was the 7104 with a 7A29 and 7B10 or a sampling plugin.

I don't agree 100%

My best combination is:
7904, not the 7104 due to the quite sensitive CRT,
7D12/M2 -> get the voltage,
7A26 -> add two channels,
7D15 -> get the frequency and other - and
7B53A. Yes. 7B53A.

The 7D15 together with the 7B53A can count pulses in a burst. For me it's essential. From my knowledge no other oscilloscope can do this.

I'd go as far as to say all of those and my config next to each other

[CalMachine]

Not your Typical Test Equipment but I like to consider this lucky find, an Artifact!

Great Find! 
..and together with its documentation it's a really precious instrument. Worth the money! 

I have a Philips PM 2535 with a mode for measuring PT100s and show the results in °C with 0.1°C resolution best; that would be like cast pearls before swine.

Do you have an instrument precise enough to use this temperature sensor?
If not so you have to go for it now, urgently! 

I picked up an Instrulab 4221 Thermometer.  It's got accuracies of a few PPM!  I'm in the process of refurbing it

[bd139]

So we've got volt nuts, time nuts and temp nuts as well now?

[URI]

I picked up an Instrulab 4221 Thermometer.  It's got accuracies of a few PPM!  I'm in the process of refurbing it

Wow, you're in. 

Never heard of an Instrulab 4221. Googled it. Impressive according to the datasheet. 

Yeah, you're going temp-nuts.. 

I'm looking forward to you presenting it here, will you?

[khs]

So we've got volt nuts, time nuts and temp nuts as well now?

You may add HP8152A + HP81521B optical power meter.

[djos]

That does not sound like Fluke at all, I'd question if the either the meter or the holster are genuine?

The meter and accessories came in the original box and there is nothing that makes me doubt whether its genuine. It all seems to add up, right up to the brand of the battery. I've taken apart the meter to check the board revision too. It would highly surprise me if the holster would be counterfeit.

I've heard about these holsters tarnishing easy before, or more specifically, being next to impossible to clean if tarnished by the wrong thing. It could be very well that the case was badly manufactured or is still outgassing and somehow reacted with the holster.

I find Isopropyl wipes get almost anything off plastic and rubber cases.

[bd139]

So we've got volt nuts, time nuts and temp nuts as well now?

You may add HP8152A + HP81521B optical power meter.

Photon nuts?

[CalMachine]

I picked up an Instrulab 4221 Thermometer.  It's got accuracies of a few PPM!  I'm in the process of refurbing it

Wow, you're in. 

Never heard of an Instrulab 4221. Googled it. Impressive according to the datasheet. 

Yeah, you're going temp-nuts.. 

I'm looking forward to you presenting it here, will you?

I'll definitely bring a few post-refurb shots here.  There will most likely be a longer thread started in the metrology section!

[Specmaster]

Have we got any truck nuts to go with volt nuts, time nuts and temp nuts??

[tautech]

Have we got any truck nuts to go with volt nuts, time nuts and temp nuts??

Nothing too nuts only a '70 TK Bedford 7 tonne tipper.
Needs some work.....always needs work.