Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Cerebus]

Ambassador Kosh: “Understanding is a three-edged sword: your side, their side, and the truth.”

Sergeant (any army): "Listen up you 'orrible lot, I 'as to teach you 'ow to do this. Now, in doing anything there are three ways to do it: the wrong way, the right way, and the Army way!"

[Cerebus]

I really don't understand "early bidders". What do they expect will happen when they put in a low bid a whole week before the auction ends??

In the event of a tie between bidders the bidder who started bidding earliest wins, so even if you intend to snipe it can be worth being the first bidder on an item.

I think you have this backwards, in the event of a tie, it is the bidder who placed their bid first that wins, not the first ever bidder.

Well obviously only one of the the tied bidders can win. Being the first ever bidder is advantageous merely because if you do later find yourself tied with someone else you are guaranteed, having bid earlier than anyone else, to be the winner of the tie. On eBay it is possible for people to bid identical amounts simultaneously (and with sniping this probably happens as often as not), so they tie break on who started bidding first out of the tied bidders.

[alextwin007]

Finally joined the nixietube club with the purchase of a Heathkit IM-1202, and Bell & Howell Heath Digital Multimeter IMD 202-2.
Calibration was easy for both of them as they are essentially the same meter in different form factors 

Initially the Heathkit IM-1202 the nixietubes didn't look right, after taking it apart I realized that whoever assembeded the kit never took off the protective coating from the diffuser and over the course of 50 years it yellowed a lot.

Of course now I want more equipment with nixitubes, so if anyone knows of some small test equipment with nixitubes let me know.

[Brumby]

How does a bid for £191 appear to be made on the 27th without actually appearing in the bidding history until the end of the auction?

1. EBay uses a proxy bidding system where you put in your maximum amount and it only uses as much of that bid as it needs to in order for that bid to remain at the top.
 2. The leading bid at any time is the maximum bid of the second highest bidder plus an amount called the bid increment - up to the amount of the highest bidder's maximum.
 3. Where two (or more) bidders have placed the same amount as their maximum, the one who placed theirs first will be in the lead.
 4. For each bid manually entered by a buyer, one entry is added to the bidding history.  It has a timestamp of when that bid was made and the current amount of that bid.  When another bidder places a bid, that single entry gets updated, so the previous value is no longer visible.  If you were to have taken note of the bidding during the auction, you would see this change.  (I believe there is an option to view the proxy bidding in detail, but this is of little use when assessing the current state of bidding for a buyer interested in placing a bid - but it will clarify what happened along the way.)

On eBay it is possible for people to bid identical amounts simultaneously (and with sniping this probably happens as often as not), so they tie break on who started bidding first out of the tied bidders.

I did not know that.  You learn something every day!

[WastelandTek]

This my first M&K. I am loading in on Friday so I have more time to wander around and people watch.  I am going to Rickreall the month before, too. Hoping to clear out some of the odder gear like the Spectracom WWVB radios and Dovetron RTTY terminals, along with a collection of scopes and such that I will never get around to working on.

right on

I'm "planning" on loading in Friday as well...but I have been saying that for like 12 years and it hasn't happened yet. 

Pretty sure we are ground floor this year, look for the spinning anemometer..

[Brumby]

..... look for the spinning anemometer..

That explains the whine I've been hearing here .....   

[med6753]

Finally joined the nixietube club with the purchase of a Heathkit IM-1202, and Bell & Howell Heath Digital Multimeter IMD 202-2.
Calibration was easy for both of them as they are essentially the same meter in different form factors 

Initially the Heathkit IM-1202 the nixietubes didn't look right, after taking it apart I realized that whoever assembeded the kit never took off the protective coating from the diffuser and over the course of 50 years it yellowed a lot.

Of course now I want more equipment with nixitubes, so if anyone knows of some small test equipment with nixitubes let me know.

Yep....



And yep...

[bd139]

That’s sooooo annoying seeing that as I need a ZM1000 tube 

[med6753]

That’s sooooo annoying seeing that as I need a ZM1000 tube 

How much you willing to pay? 

[bd139]

Not much otherwise I’d have one by now 

[Brumby]

You guys kill me!   

[shakalnokturn]

I really, really, needed so badly another oscilloscope!
Unfortunately I was saved from this (https://www.ebay.com/itm/143508440790) by my lame internet connection and a session timeout.
Now please tell me, which of you went off with Ice-TEA's unique rack-mount scope?

[Specmaster]

Nah, I've had my brief affair with nixie's, they are just too big and cumbersome for my little bench, but if you buy right, spend some TLC on them, they can be a great money spinner as I found out, sold my Keithly meter for 4 times what I paid for it.

Ordered some new binding posts for the C3U as the old ones are a bit faded and also going to replace the posts on the TSS2021S for same reason and also it has a slightly broken screw cap, there'll be here sometime tomorrow from Amazon also having the solar roof panels serviced tomorrow.

Anyone here made up any USB A to USB mini B cables at all?  I'm making some up as for some reason I seem to have lost some that came with equipment. I know how to wire the A plug as I have already made some A to micro leads OK. I know refer to the internet and google for it, right? But here's the problem, do so and you'll be confused because there is 2 conflicting wiring diagrams, 1 is correct and the other is the mirror image   

Friday, I'm getting switched over to the fastest internet service offered by Virgin, 516MBs, anyone already on it? If so is it as good as they say or do you not get the speeds they claim? I currently have the 200 service, 221Mbs download and 21Mbs upload.

[worsthorse]

Stop me before I buy again   

There's a TDS540 500MHz scope on the local CL. 150USD. Failing one of the diagnostics (attn/acq); three of the four channels work. These scopes are (a) apparently notorious for cap failures causing these sorts of issues and (b) don't have schematics, though they do have a lot in common with the TDS520, which does.  Most of the posts on the tekscope list about it are at least ten years old. Could be a big win. Could be a disaster. I've never fixed anything like it, so I am thinking, most likely disaster.

Of course that probably won't stop me from acquiring it.

EDIT: nevermind. reading thirty pages of TDS540 posts on tekscopes thoroughly quenched my lust for this scope.   

[beanflying]

Come on in for the soothing glow 

[WastelandTek]

Stop me before I buy again   

There's a TDS540 500MHz scope on the local CL. 150USD. Failing one of the diagnostics (attn/acq); three of the four channels work. These scopes are (a) apparently notorious for cap failures causing these sorts of issues and (b) don't have schematics, though they do have a lot in common with the TDS520, which does.  Most of the posts on the tekscope list about it are at least ten years old. Could be a big win. Could be a disaster. I've never fixed anything like it, so I am thinking, most likely disaster.

Of course that probably won't stop me from acquiring it.

surprising

I usually find in our region that there are so many techs around that stuff is always overpriced.  Don't even get me started on that guy up in Shoreline... 

I think that is a deal for a 3 channel 500MHz scope.

My advise; grab it and then binge watch the signal path for the next week.

[Wolfgang]

That’s sooooo annoying seeing that as I need a ZM1000 tube 

I think a Czech guy called Dalibor Farny still makes them (for a small fortune, of course) 

[Cubdriver]

That’s sooooo annoying seeing that as I need a ZM1000 tube 

I think a Czech guy called Dalibor Farny still makes them (for a small fortune, of course) 

Yep!



-Pat

[Kosmic]

Let me see if I understand this.

If one of you in the UK saw something you wanted over here. I buy it, have it shipped to me, then shipped to you. Is that still subject to import duty, or VAT, or whatever? 

Yep.

Well that sucks.  I've bought stuff from QService in Greece. Bd sent me a meter for the Heath VTVM. Kosmic sent me a Heath scope from Canada. Other than US Customs being a bunch of slow pokes never any indication of import duty or any other crap.   

In the US, I think the maximum you can import without being taxed is 800$. In Canada it's 20$ 

I recently started using a PO box just across the border to buy stuff in the US. Interestingly, I never paid any tax crossing the border. Even if I fully declare the value. I suspect the border agent need to fill out some paper work if they decide to charge me something. So they are probably just lazy and kind of ignore all the box I'm brigging in 

[WastelandTek]

... (for a small fortune, of course) 

you blame him? 

[worsthorse]

surprising

I usually find in our region that there are so many techs around that stuff is always overpriced.  Don't even get me started on that guy up in Shoreline... 

Does he ever actually sell any of those scopes? I am assuming he's the guy with the dozen or so listed on CL all the time.

[mnementh]

And Now for Something Completely...

I am currently polluting my son's mind with Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This is his first Monty; a Rite of Passage.

mnem
*snif* They grow up so fast...

[WastelandTek]

surprising

I usually find in our region that there are so many techs around that stuff is always overpriced.  Don't even get me started on that guy up in Shoreline... 

Does he ever actually sell any of those scopes? I am assuming he's the guy with the dozen or so listed on CL all the time.

I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure he is the same guy I see every year at the M&K with a huge pile of overpriced rebuilt Tek scopes.

No, I don't believe he ever sells any, and I think he is grumpy about it.

[beanflying]

And Now for Something Completely...

I am currently polluting my son's mind with Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This is his first Monty; a Rite of Passage.

mnem
*snif* They grow up so fast...

So you are wisely saving the FF Nudity and Biggus Dickus for next week  

vale Terry Jones 

[Kosmic]

Found couples of 2N2369 laying around and decided to improvise quickly a Jim Williams pulse generator on the breadboard (yes breadboard  ) And it's not that bad!



The Owon XDS3202E is doing a good job and reporting 1.2ns (rated 1.7ns) while probing with it's 200Mhz 10x probe.



The Lecroy DDA-260 is reporting 965ps while probing with a AP020 1Ghz active probe.



Next step is to try with better connector and enclosure.