Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

It’s pretty useful generally. It’s three independent floating supplies that you can parallel if you need more wumph. You are rarely at the mercy of the builder on these as Heathkit sold more assembled than they did as kits mainly to schools and university labs. The only weak point is the metering which used fixed resistors and was way out. The interesting bit is you just can’t blow it up!

Really as far as power goes it’s fine for most electronics work. I’ve used it to build and power hundreds of circuits.  I only got the Thurlby unit because I wanted better metering and some more watts per channel for building switching supplies.

I think I paid £20 for it about 10 years ago which was a good deal. £2 a year

Thats even more reason to retain it in your collection

[bd139]

Hadn’t got anywhere to put it!

This is being resolved. Looking at a house next Tuesday with a large garage

[URI]

Hadn’t got anywhere to put it!

The time will come when you regret having it sold. 

This is being resolved. Looking at a house next Tuesday with a large garage

As long that garage won't be occupied with your fiat...then: hope the best for you and your TEA

[Specmaster]

Garage is to be what 1.A garage for the car, 2.A workshop or 3. Both?

Hows you EGR? I would have thought that the car was drivable still? I blew a turbo hose on a Passat once and man, that was not at all drivable unless you crept along with the engine almost at idling speed. Go anywhere near the throttle and it was a modern tank putting out a smoke screen for self defense it was that thick on emissions, a car with a police bullseye permanently behind you.   

[bd139]

Garage for workshop. Cars live on roads

EGR being replaced tomorrow morning. The car drops into “limp mode” when anything goes wrong with it. Sounds similar. I had a Land Rover Defender TD 2.5 which blew a hole in a turbo. That still worked fine. Had an extra air hole so it went faster. Then the turbo blew up properly on the way to the garage. Still perfectly driveable even if it sounded like someone shaking a sack of nuts.

[bitseeker]

Received a strange box today from Fedex.

Triax cables! Ouch to the wallet.

[Specmaster]

Garage for workshop. Cars live on roads

EGR being replaced tomorrow morning. The car drops into “limp mode” when anything goes wrong with it. Sounds similar. I had a Land Rover Defender TD 2.5 which blew a hole in a turbo. That still worked fine. Had an extra air hole so it went faster. Then the turbo blew up properly on the way to the garage. Still perfectly driveable even if it sounded like someone shaking a sack of nuts.

I know all about that limp home mode, I used to have as company cars Volkswagen Passats and on 2 of them I had the throttle sensor fail on me while actually overtaking someone on a 2 way road and when that happens the car goes into limp home mode so the car suddenly loses all speed rapidly and there was a string of traffic behind me and I had to get to the left hand side of the road and rapidly as there was on coming traffic as well. That situation is seriously scary I can tell you.

Since then I have had Skoda Superbs, they share the same engines and running gear as the passats but seem to be put together with a bit care and they have been totally reliable, I'm now on my fourth and I've brought the car from the leasing company last year as it really is the best car that I've had the privilege of driving and I've had Fords, Vauxhalls, Rovers, Citroens, Jaguars, Peugeot's, and Chryslers. 

I can't get head around why the Passat didn't go into that mode when the turbo blew up.

[bd139]

Probably a sensor failure prevented it entering limp mode  (last three things wrong with the Fiat were sensors)

Most reliable car I had was a Rover 416SLi in about 1995. Basically a Honda with a Rover badge

[Mr. Scram]

Probably a sensor failure prevented it entering limp mode  (last three things wrong with the Fiat were sensors)

Most reliable car I had was a Rover 416SLi in about 1995. Basically a Honda with a Rover badge

All the best stuff's made in Japan!

[bd139]

Apart from software. The only thing they just can’t do.

[URI]

Received a strange box today from Fedex.

Triax cables! Ouch to the wallet.

I think I came across that lot on ebay, too.
Wasn't too hard for the wallet, if I remember correctly. 
Good steal! 

[bitseeker]

Received a strange box today from Fedex.

Triax cables! Ouch to the wallet.

I think I came across that lot on ebay, too.
Wasn't too hard for the wallet, if I remember correctly. 
Good steal! 

Oh, in that case, good on ya, TiN!

[TiN]

At 77$ it was essentially free. I was surprised nobody bid.

[URI]

At 77$ it was essentially free. I was surprised nobody bid.

I was tried by that offer because I needed a Triax connector for my newly acquired HP3437A but had no use for the rest of that bunch and a single Triax plug is less then 77$.   
Sometimes still able to stand TEA..! 

[GreyWoolfe]

I don't know if I am happy about this but I acquired my 7th DMM, an HP 3466A for $30.  Some contact cleaner and vigorous button pushing now has the proper indicator LED matched to the proper function switch press.  I have 2 hands and 2 eyes, why do I have 7 meters?  OK, 6 meters on the bench, the 7th is in my company van.  I don't wanna be a TEA, I don't wanna be a TEA, I don't wanna be a TEA.  I do like the pretty red LED display, mmmmmmmmmmm.

[bd139]

Nice one. I rather like the old HP LED meters. Keep getting outbid on the damn things.

Boring week here. Bought a little unexciting dual rail fixed 15/-15v supply to run a data logging project I have off so I can free up the bench supply. Did consider building one but it was coming up at around £50. There is literally NOTHING on eBay of interest at the moment. Boo hiss.

[Specmaster]

I don't know if I am happy about this but I acquired my 7th DMM, an HP 3466A for $30.  Some contact cleaner and vigorous button pushing now has the proper indicator LED matched to the proper function switch press.  I have 2 hands and 2 eyes, why do I have 7 meters?  OK, 6 meters on the bench, the 7th is in my company van.  I don't wanna be a TEA, I don't wanna be a TEA, I don't wanna be a TEA.  I do like the pretty red LED display, mmmmmmmmmmm.

Good glad to hear that a spot switch cleaning did the trick, so the ACV is now working, now to fix the missing battery, is the charger/switch over board present along with battery retaining bracket? Mine had a duff battery but after a spot of re jigging I was able to get a sealed battery and modify the cables to accept it. Very nice meter.

[tautech]

I don't know if I am happy about this ................................. I don't wanna be a TEA, I don't wanna be a TEA, I don't wanna be a TEA. 

Too late, you're one of us now. 
Resign to it and enjoy.

[djos]

I don't know if I am happy about this but I acquired my 7th DMM, an HP 3466A for $30.  Some contact cleaner and vigorous button pushing now has the proper indicator LED matched to the proper function switch press. 

What do folks recommend for contact cleaner? I assume it is a deoxidiser of some description?

[Specmaster]

Well I've used WD-40's Fast Drying Contact Cleaner in the past successfully but now I'm trying Servisol Super 10 which also lubricates the contacts.

[bd139]

I use the WD40 brand contact cleaner as well. Doesn’t gunk up or destroy plastics.

[Cubdriver]

I don't wanna be a TEA, I don't wanna be a TEA, I don't wanna be a TEA.  I do like the pretty red LED display, mmmmmmmmmmm.

Meh.  You're here now.  You might as well take off your coat, pull up a chair and stay a while.   

-Pat

[ChrisLX200]

I also use Servisol Super 10, seems to be very good. It fixed a messy problem with my daughter's Nintendo 3DS which she spilt Coke over then left for 3 weeks before saying anything...
So it was all gummed up and the switches didn't work (it wouldn't even power up). I used the servisol to clean up and the swiches all worked again.

[khs]

I don't know if I am happy about this but I acquired my 7th DMM, an HP 3466A for $30.  Some contact cleaner and vigorous button pushing now has the proper indicator LED matched to the proper function switch press.  I have 2 hands and 2 eyes, why do I have 7 meters?  OK, 6 meters on the bench, the 7th is in my company van.  I don't wanna be a TEA, I don't wanna be a TEA, I don't wanna be a TEA.  I do like the pretty red LED display, mmmmmmmmmmm.

No, it's not TEA.

Imagine a device with -12V, +5V, +12V and +24V plus input voltage.
All together you NEED 5 DMM's. One DMM is in your company van, so 6 DMM's.

One DMM is no DMM.

So there is no TEA.

It's CTEAM:  Commercial Test Equipment Acquisition Management. 

[GreyWoolfe]

Nice one. I rather like the old HP LED meters. Keep getting outbid on the damn things.

Boring week here. Bought a little unexciting dual rail fixed 15/-15v supply to run a data logging project I have off so I can free up the bench supply. Did consider building one but it was coming up at around £50. There is literally NOTHING on eBay of interest at the moment. Boo hiss.

You know you are lying to yourself, there is always something of interest on evilBay if you look hard enough.   My meter was at the local surplus store.  It was there for almost 2 weeks.  I think no one bought it because unshielded test leads were loose in the banana jacks.  I have some banana plugs from Frankie that fit perfectly so I cut off the ends to the test lead set I got for free with it, cleaned up the probes and put the better plugs on.  Now I have to work on replacement caps for by HeathKit IG 4505 Oscilloscope calibrator.  There are 2 bulging electrolytics so I am going to replace all 4 of them.  The volt out side works fine on my scopes, the time out side needs a little help and hopefully the cap replacement will fix that.  I also plan of replacing the cable with a BNC connector.

Meh.  You're here now.  You might as well take off your coat, pull up a chair and stay a while.   

-Pat

OK, I will pull up a chair, but I don't own a coat, it doesn't get cold enough in Central Florida for me to wear a coat.  I don't even own a long sleeve shirt!

No, it's not TEA.

Imagine a device with -12V, +5V, +12V and +24V plus input voltage.
All together you NEED 5 DMM's. One DMM is in your company van, so 6 DMM's.

One DMM is no DMM.

So there is no TEA.

It's CTEAM:  Commercial Test Equipment Acquisition Management. 

So, since 1 of the 6 on the workbench is actually for working on company equipment, that means I have only 5 for me.  5 is less than 7 so I don't really have TEA yet.  I would need 1 more for your scenario, so you're right, it isn't TEA.