Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Cerebus]

Patience, my dear Padawan, is the key.   

[med6753]

Visited somewhat unfriendly staff at my local USPS today.......

Type 310A capacitor cans to Pat in CT.

465B knob and imperial machine screws to BravoV in a land far, far away.

And in other news. Had a major crap out on the Type 310A. Was just doing a burn-in when things went south. No smoke but definitely FUBAR. More details later. Right now I'm in no mood to work on it. 

[Robert763]

BTW I did some ripple current calculations for this on paper and came across approximately 1.65A at 50Hz for the 100Hz rated ESR for the cap so I picked a Vishay/BC MAL215819102E3 snap in as a replacement. It's 100V which I didn't think had much headroom until I looked at my mains voltage which is running at 255V today and it was just touching 89V across the caps

Had to hit RS in the end for that caps so I'm busy filling the basket with other goodies 

Hmm, 1.95A ripple rating and 5000h life. It will work, but I still think a parallel combinnation of lower capacity higher voltage capacitors would be a better solution. For example 5 Nichicon UCS2C221MHD 220uF 160V. 10% capacity boost, plenty of voltage overhead, 10,000h life and 1A ripple per capacitor (Factored from 2.3A 100kHz rating). Five Amp ripple rating is closer to the original.

[bd139]

Agreed entirely however complexity increases considerably. The 1.65A is a fairly large estimation based on 20v p-p dropout under heavy load. (20v -> rms -> divide by ESR at 100hz)

[bd139]

Patience, my dear Padawan, is the key.   

I ain't got time to be patient! I spent an hour earlier saving 30 minutes.

[Specmaster]

Thats Murphy for you, always gets his oar one way or other, bastard.

Talking of Murphy .... that ain't a capacitor any more 

Try at lower frequency just for fun. can you do 100hz?

Did you check at 100Hz or 120Hz ? You should not try to measure high value capacitor like that at 200Khz (my understanding of how your LCR meter is currently setup).

That was also  what I thought , big capa should always  be check at 100 or 120hz (iit's also the industry  standard)

In an other case good with LCR meter doesn’t  mean  good in circuit. I had recently  the case with a 10000u from an old HP instrument.

In what way was the 1000uF cap good with a LCR meter, was it in the value of capacitance or ESR? I suspect it was good in terms of being close to 1000uF but had a bad ESR?

[Specmaster]

Visited somewhat unfriendly staff at my local USPS today.......

Type 310A capacitor cans to Pat in CT.

465B knob and imperial machine screws to BravoV in a land far, far away.

And in other news. Had a major crap out on the Type 310A. Was just doing a burn-in when things went south. No smoke but definitely FUBAR. More details later. Right now I'm in no mood to work on it. 

Hopefully its just another duff hollow tube 

[0culus]

Tomorrow's fun will be replacing the A15 board in my 8568B, which is a factory A->B conversion. I scored 2.5 original upgrade kits from fleabay; I don't need all that but it might be useful in the future or I could barter it with someone for another piece of gear. All I really need is the A15 board, which the partial kit comes with. The reason for all this? GPIB is 100% dead on this unit. I've already tried re-seating all the ribbon cables and stuff, but no dice.

So it's time for major surgery. I am clearing off a section of bench to make room and will take pics. 

The CRT on my 8566B started jittering horizontally. Did you ever had that problem on your 8568 / 8566 ?  I'm procrastinating the maintenance at the moment. That thing is so huge and heavy.

I have a display section that does this sometimes. It’s likely to be a bad capacitor. This one isn’t in service at the moment as it goes with my 8566A which I replaced with that nos 66B.

[Kosmic]

Tomorrow's fun will be replacing the A15 board in my 8568B, which is a factory A->B conversion. I scored 2.5 original upgrade kits from fleabay; I don't need all that but it might be useful in the future or I could barter it with someone for another piece of gear. All I really need is the A15 board, which the partial kit comes with. The reason for all this? GPIB is 100% dead on this unit. I've already tried re-seating all the ribbon cables and stuff, but no dice.

So it's time for major surgery. I am clearing off a section of bench to make room and will take pics. 

The CRT on my 8566B started jittering horizontally. Did you ever had that problem on your 8568 / 8566 ?  I'm procrastinating the maintenance at the moment. That thing is so huge and heavy.

I have a display section that does this sometimes. It’s likely to be a bad capacitor. This one isn’t in service at the moment as it goes with my 8566A which I replaced with that nos 66B.

Yeah I thought the same. Will probably wait until it's really bad to open up the beast.

[Cerebus]

Patience, my dear Padawan, is the key.   

I ain't got time to be patient! I spent an hour earlier saving 30 minutes.

Ah yes, that special kind of laziness that finds an 'easy way' that is in fact more work than just doing something. Another thing I am a master of ... when I finally stop procrastinating the original task.

[AVGresponding]

If anyone here was bidding on the Time Electronics 2003N Voltage Potentiometer from CDL, sorry (not sorry)!

However, at least you can console yourself with the knowledge that I had to perform emergency surgery on it as soon as I unpacked it.

Twenty year old nicads, need I say more?

Luckily the whole PSU section removes from the main unit, making the job of cleaning/repairing somewhat easier. The main unit seems to work ok, with just the symptoms of dirty switches, going by what the manual says.

Aside from that, it seems spot on, powering it with the TTi 354, and checked against the K2000 and 7075, the decade switches work perfectly. In fact, its resolution exceeds the capabilities of both meters on the lowest two ranges (9.9999mV and 999.99uV). Now I just have to get my head around the null voltage measuring function.

Not bad for something that was made in 1975!

Pics will follow when I have the time, as usual...

[tggzzz]

Aside from that, it seems spot on, powering it with the TTi 354, and checked against the K2000 and 7075, the decade switches work perfectly. In fact, its resolution exceeds the capabilities of both meters on the lowest two ranges (9.9999mV and 999.99uV). Now I just have to get my head around the null voltage measuring function.

I expect you will find that it is the old technique for measuring an external voltage, as I learned in school with a Weston cell, a NiFe cell, resistance wire, a metre rule, and a sensitive meter.

You apply the external voltage and twiddle the internal voltage until the two are the same, i.e. where the null meter reads 0.

[Specmaster]

Patience, my dear Padawan, is the key.   

I ain't got time to be patient! I spent an hour earlier saving 30 minutes.

Ah yes, that special kind of laziness that finds an 'easy way' that is in fact more work than just doing something. Another thing I am a master of ... when I finally stop procrastinating the original task.

I hate to think how much time I have wasted instead of doing nothing until the time was right, i.e., the required tool, etc has been located / purchased, to say nothing of the extra cost involved because more often than not, damage is done to the item being worked on which means new items have to be purchased 

[Specmaster]

So it seems that Japanese software is not very robust either and has cost the British Post Office millions in compensation so far and more to come.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54384427

[0culus]

Tomorrow's fun will be replacing the A15 board in my 8568B, which is a factory A->B conversion. I scored 2.5 original upgrade kits from fleabay; I don't need all that but it might be useful in the future or I could barter it with someone for another piece of gear. All I really need is the A15 board, which the partial kit comes with. The reason for all this? GPIB is 100% dead on this unit. I've already tried re-seating all the ribbon cables and stuff, but no dice.

So it's time for major surgery. I am clearing off a section of bench to make room and will take pics. 

The CRT on my 8566B started jittering horizontally. Did you ever had that problem on your 8568 / 8566 ?  I'm procrastinating the maintenance at the moment. That thing is so huge and heavy.

I have a display section that does this sometimes. It’s likely to be a bad capacitor. This one isn’t in service at the moment as it goes with my 8566A which I replaced with that nos 66B.

Yeah I thought the same. Will probably wait until it's really bad to open up the beast.

Does it ever re-form? If left on for an extended period, mine will start to reform and it will lessen the jittering. If it doesn't, it probably means whatever cap (or caps) is responsible are more far gone on yours.

[Kosmic]

Tomorrow's fun will be replacing the A15 board in my 8568B, which is a factory A->B conversion. I scored 2.5 original upgrade kits from fleabay; I don't need all that but it might be useful in the future or I could barter it with someone for another piece of gear. All I really need is the A15 board, which the partial kit comes with. The reason for all this? GPIB is 100% dead on this unit. I've already tried re-seating all the ribbon cables and stuff, but no dice.

So it's time for major surgery. I am clearing off a section of bench to make room and will take pics. 

The CRT on my 8566B started jittering horizontally. Did you ever had that problem on your 8568 / 8566 ?  I'm procrastinating the maintenance at the moment. That thing is so huge and heavy.

I have a display section that does this sometimes. It’s likely to be a bad capacitor. This one isn’t in service at the moment as it goes with my 8566A which I replaced with that nos 66B.

Yeah I thought the same. Will probably wait until it's really bad to open up the beast.

Does it ever re-form? If left on for an extended period, mine will start to reform and it will lessen the jittering. If it doesn't, it probably means whatever cap (or caps) is responsible are more far gone on yours.

Yes eventually goes back to normal after a while. Not sure if the cap is heating up or something. This summer it was fine and now it's a bit colder and it's acting up. Might be a coincidence too.

[bd139]

So it seems that Japanese software is not very robust either and has cost the British Post Office millions in compensation so far and more to come.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54384427

That doesn’t surprise me. Japanese culture is fundamentally opposed to producing quality software. It’s all carefully organised into hierarchical incompetence and blame. They do well with engineering because it’s much hider to hide something physical that is going shit shaped. Although they seem to have managed that with nuclear power in the last couple of decades.

I refuse on principal to work for any Japanese companies after seeing the same shit show three times with different companies. The finest being hired as a contractor a product being 2 months behind delivery and the VP of the company thinking it was delivered and paid for already.

Edit: then again I’m dealing with a suitably large steaming pile at the moment so YMMV on cultural assignment of failure modes.

[bd139]

If anyone here was bidding on the Time Electronics 2003N Voltage Potentiometer from CDL, sorry (not sorry)!

However, at least you can console yourself with the knowledge that I had to perform emergency surgery on it as soon as I unpacked it.

Twenty year old nicads, need I say more?

Luckily the whole PSU section removes from the main unit, making the job of cleaning/repairing somewhat easier. The main unit seems to work ok, with just the symptoms of dirty switches, going by what the manual says.

Aside from that, it seems spot on, powering it with the TTi 354, and checked against the K2000 and 7075, the decade switches work perfectly. In fact, its resolution exceeds the capabilities of both meters on the lowest two ranges (9.9999mV and 999.99uV). Now I just have to get my head around the null voltage measuring function.

Not bad for something that was made in 1975!

Pics will follow when I have the time, as usual...

Excellent. Looking forward to that 

[Neomys Sapiens]

@Neomys Sapiens:

Are these crimping pliers any good? I want them for crimping BNC connectors on RG316 and RG400 cable

TOOLCRAFT PZ-505 818645

https://www.ebay.com/itm/392718039113





Plan B would be a Knipex 97 52 50:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353127955942

R U kidding me? Tooolcraft? Blech!

On the other side, that Knipex is not cheap. For that price you could score a M22520/5-01 with a fitting insert, if you forego cosmetic perfection.  I even saw one (without insert) below 100.- on ebay.de.

One of the few SUCCESFULL aquisition in the last month were the fixed-die Suhner crimp pliers for both 50R and 75R BNC/TNC. The seller did offer one again, but I can't say whether there are still more. I payed around 10.- for one and 20.- for the other.

If you need the BNC/TNC inserts for the M22520/5-01 or the M22520/10-01 identified by Mil and Mfg. ID, just drop me a note.

I already thought that you will pull me by the ears because of the toolcraft. 
But in my defense I was left unsupervised I liked the flexibility of it.

I had a look at the pliers from Daniels, very nice! Thank you!

But I think I'll go after the Knipex because I can use it for RG58/59/400 RG174/316 the same time without changing the crimping inserts.

1o ear-pull points have already been credited to your physical punishments account.

But what it with Knipex PreciForce? It suggests that their other crimping pliers are non-Preci Force! On those labeled PreciForce they seem to discourage the exchange of dies. So they can't keep the alignment well enough on those with interchangeable die sets?
But as they aren't listed under in the QML/QPL anyway, what do I care?

[Specmaster]

So it seems that Japanese software is not very robust either and has cost the British Post Office millions in compensation so far and more to come.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54384427

That doesn’t surprise me. Japanese culture is fundamentally opposed to producing quality software. It’s all carefully organised into hierarchical incompetence and blame. They do well with engineering because it’s much hider to hide something physical that is going shit shaped. Although they seem to have managed that with nuclear power in the last couple of decades.

I refuse on principal to work for any Japanese companies after seeing the same shit show three times with different companies. The finest being hired as a contractor a product being 2 months behind delivery and the VP of the company thinking it was delivered and paid for already.

Edit: then again I’m dealing with a suitably large steaming pile at the moment so YMMV on cultural assignment of failure modes.

Interesting, which country then, in your opinion produces the best software?

[bd139]

Former soviet Eastern European countries. When they’re not on fire or killing each other.

[Cerebus]

Folks, does anybody have an recommendations/preferences for brands of crimpable D sub-miniature connectors? Preferably ones where the crimp tooling is reasonably cheap and easy to come by.

Reason: have need to use some D9s, I'm fed up with soldering the things and I thought that perhaps it was time to tool up for crimpable ones again. Last time I had to do that I was spending an employers money, so didn't really care about tooling costs so much.

[bd139]

Ah been there. I was going to use 2x D25 ribbons as a bus for my Z80 computer (another unfinished project). I used the cheap ones from Rapid and crimped them in a vice. Think they were made by TruConnect.

Alternatively buy the cable ready made if you can.

Edit: when you crimp them, insert a sacrificial opposite gender D-sub connector into the one you’re crimping so it doesn’t kill it.

[BU508A]

You mean, something like this?



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133532375537

[Specmaster]

Today has been a bit of a shitshow and a bit OK in varying degrees. As it was pouring down almost all day, I got to actually test my new wiper blades and I think that they are brilliant and an absolute steal at £1.99 a blade. Then I went to my sisters-in-law flat to look at her electrically heated bathroom heater / towel rail which she reported as being cold all the time. I suspected it was a thermostat problem. Firstly the electrical connection box had all the screws facing the wall so it meant removing the dam thing of the wall. These were oil filled radiator, or so I thought. The thing had blown the fuse, the thermostat checked out OK, checked the earth connection and sure enough, live connection, via the element to earth, so can oil conduct, or can these be water filled? So now awaiting her to source a new heater for installation.

On my way home again, the rain so heavy that the roads were flooded and came across a manhole in the middle of a road that had water shooting out through holes in it and the water pressure was so great that it lifted the manhole cover up a couple of inches, exposing sharp and hidden metal edges awaiting some poor sap to drive into it with who knows what resultant damage and possible accident, so I had to call the police and get them to come out to it put warning signs out to try and prevent any accident happening. 

I also had an email from Amazon telling me that my dashcam had finally made to my local Basildon depot and was out to be delivered to me today by 9pm, this turned up at 8:40pm and also got an email from DPD informing me that had my parcel from IT and that it would be delivered to me on Monday, thanks IT, I'll post a report on the tear down and hopefully subsequent repair of the TTi power supply when it hits the bench.