Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

Has anyone ever found himself talking to his equipment? I'm asking for a friend.

Oh, and I see we've reached the a page number that will remind of a certain multimeter.

I spend more time swearing at it than talking to it!

AllTheGearNoIdea

[neo]

I have an eBay watch list full of stuff like that. I'd pull the trigger but the process of having to explain it to the wife keeps me in check

What i tend to do.
"Theres something i really want. I got the money to cover it already in paypal!"
"Hmmm.... okay."
1 week later...
"YOU BOUGHT ANOTHER ^{-insert equipment name here-}?!?  "
Or if i didn't already have one "YOU SPENT HOW MUCH?!   "
It works.
_{Exaggerating for the sake of humor.}

Has anyone ever found himself talking to his equipment? I'm asking for a friend.

Oh, and I see we've reached the a page number that will remind of a certain multimeter.

Yes. Yes i have.

Has anyone ever found himself talking to his equipment? I'm asking for a friend.

Oh, and I see we've reached the a page number that will remind of a certain multimeter.

I spend more time swearing at it than talking to it!

AllTheGearNoIdea

I only do that when it doesn't work for no reason what so ever.

Chris, I think most of us in this thread have at best a rather tenuous grasp on sanity. 

-Pat

I can personally attest to the fact that i, if no one else here, am completely beyond all hope irrevocably insane.
I bought this today http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluke-8200A-Digital-Voltimeter/301847051330?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 because of a ten dollar coupon, but bought it on the wrong account so i didn't get the discount, oops.  Pretty high up there on my wish list though lets just hope it doesn't have the type of weird glitch that i seem to attract...

LOL - I've had that one in my watch list for a month or more, but hadn't pulled the trigger on it.  Thank you for saving me from myself...   

-Pat

Your welcome, though now i am marginally freaking out about the burnt button.  I try to think of my reasoning only to remember there wasn't much, just that it was one of the multimeters i really wanted and it was 120 bucks cheaper than any others.

[bitseeker]

Some dot-matrix LED display 'porn', for cubdriver et al.
And another HP 5245L ! A "unique renovators delight" 

Nice!!  And, of course, there's yet another HP badge that's out there, swirling about in the maelstrom with all those missing socks and dropped screws that vanished into the aether.

-Pat

Nice displays, Rob!

Pat, you took the words right out of my keyboard regarding the missing HP badge. One day, someone has to find where all these missing things (HP badges, left socks, SMD passives, the last screw on anything you take apart, etc.) congregate. It'll be the mother lode of the millennium.

[bitseeker]

I can personally attest to the fact that i, if no one else here, am completely beyond all hope irrevocably insane.
I bought this today http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluke-8200A-Digital-Voltimeter/301847051330

I recognize that 8200A. Looking forward to hearing more about it when it arrives. Hope all goes well with the repairs.

Via the US Cal Club, I was recently able to put my 8100A on the roving 10-volt standard and it read 10.002V. Amazing!

[neo]

I can personally attest to the fact that i, if no one else here, am completely beyond all hope irrevocably insane.
I bought this today http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluke-8200A-Digital-Voltimeter/301847051330

I recognize that 8200A. Looking forward to hearing more about it when it arrives. Hope all goes well with the repairs.

Via the US Cal Club, I was recently able to put my 8100A on the roving 10-volt standard and it read 10.002V. Amazing!

And here i am hoping there are no repairs! 

[xrunner]

One day, someone has to find where all these missing things (HP badges, left socks, SMD passives, the last screw on anything you take apart, etc.) congregate. It'll be the mother lode of the millennium.

And HP feet ... there must be thousands of HP feet partying with all that other stuff. 

[AF6LJ]

One day, someone has to find where all these missing things (HP badges, left socks, SMD passives, the last screw on anything you take apart, etc.) congregate. It'll be the mother lode of the millennium.

And HP feet ... there must be thousands of HP feet partying with all that other stuff. 

They enter an interdenominational vortex, they end up spraying out in my roommate's garage.

[Cubdriver]

And HP feet ... there must be thousands of HP feet partying with all that other stuff. 

They enter an interdenominational vortex, they end up spraying out in my roommate's garage.

Collect some and send them to us, then, please!!   

-Pat

[bitseeker]

And HP feet ... there must be thousands of HP feet partying with all that other stuff. 

Yeah. I stashed some extra feet, just in case, for the next HP goodie I come across. No such stash for badges, though.

[Cubdriver]

And HP feet ... there must be thousands of HP feet partying with all that other stuff. 

Yeah. I stashed some extra feet, just in case, for the next HP goodie I come across. No such stash for badges, though.

They're certainly rare enough (the old black ones for sure!) that I'm usually willing to go $15-20 more for a piece of gear that has that vs one that does not.  The newer olive and putty colored ones are readily available, so they're much less of an issue.

Conversely, lately the lack of an HP emblem has made me less inclined to bid on things.  Rather silly, I know, but if it's missing, the item better be cheaper than comparable ones that have it.

-Pat

[tautech]

What do you guys/gals do about those horribly brittle rear feet on the HP17** scopes ?

They won't see any use on the bench of course other than to space out from the wall but for those that might want to stand them on their rear for storage or use there's nothing to prevent the rear BNC's or CRT cover plate from getting damaged or scratched, despite that without feet they won't stand on their rear anyway. 
I've tuned some up in the past from some engineering nylon shafting but wondered if anyone has a source of something pre-made that can be easily adapted. They need be at least 1.5" (40mm) long.
TIA.

[Specmaster]

What do you guys/gals do about those horribly brittle rear feet on the HP17** scopes ?

They won't see any use on the bench of course other than to space out from the wall but for those that might want to stand them on their rear for storage or use there's nothing to prevent the rear BNC's or CRT cover plate from getting damaged or scratched, despite that without feet they won't stand on their rear anyway. 
I've tuned some up in the past from some engineering nylon shafting but wondered if anyone has a source of something pre-made that can be easily adapted. They need be at least 1.5" (40mm) long.
TIA.

You could try looking around for some alloy wall mounted door stops, there are some that are almost identical in appearance but they are not cheap, but then again neither the right feet.

[bd139]

I just live without the feet. I've never had a scope with feet that weren't broken.

[tautech]

What do you guys/gals do about those horribly brittle rear feet on the HP17** scopes ?

They won't see any use on the bench of course other than to space out from the wall but for those that might want to stand them on their rear for storage or use there's nothing to prevent the rear BNC's or CRT cover plate from getting damaged or scratched, despite that without feet they won't stand on their rear anyway. 
I've tuned some up in the past from some engineering nylon shafting but wondered if anyone has a source of something pre-made that can be easily adapted. They need be at least 1.5" (40mm) long.
TIA.

You could try looking around for some alloy wall mounted door stops, there are some that are almost identical in appearance but they are not cheap, but then again neither the right feet.

That's not a bad idea, thanks. 
You know of course the originals are some sort of ABS to provide insulation from surfaces they might be used on so I'd be sure to look for some with a decent rubber end on the door stop.
Luckily the fastening screws are still in this unit so all I'd need to do is shape the foot of the door stop to fit snugly into the rear corners of the case and not obscure the fixing point.
The list of more things to find on Aliexpress grows. 

[bd139]

If you look through the pictures on this eBay auction someone made one out of wood: https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/122697662787

[tautech]

If you look through the pictures on this eBay auction someone made one out of wood: https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/122697662787

I've made them before from old broom handle.   

Back then I fixed and sold any old CRO but these days I'd like to make a bit better job as these old HP's are well thought of.....by some. 

[bd139]

I rather like them. I've give up on the feet though. The last scope I had with feet was my Tektronix 475 and the three people who saw it asked if it still had feet and were more impressed with that than the fact it worked.

[tautech]

I rather like them. I've give up on the feet though. The last scope I had with feet was my Tektronix 475 and the three people who saw it asked if it still had feet and were more impressed with that than the fact it worked.

For the additional price of these...not, they're cheap as chips and only a bit of effort to get them to fit:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/CSS-Home-Stainless-Steel-Round-Base-Wall-Mounting-Door-Stopper-Holder/32597769591.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.168.WXbL35&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1_10152_10065_10151_10068_10344_10342_10343_10340_10341_10307_10137_10060_10155_10154_10056_10055_10054_10059_100031_10099_10338_10339_10103_10102_440_10052_10053_10142_10107_10050_10051_10326_10084_10083_10080_10082_10081_10110_10175_10111_10112_10113_10114_143_10312_10313_10314_10078_10079_10073,searchweb201603_11,ppcSwitch_5&btsid=aa391694-c17f-465c-87cb-2094d7d9df06&algo_expid=976cb595-cd1b-4f8b-9f98-1348657eae7f-22&algo_pvid=976cb595-cd1b-4f8b-9f98-1348657eae7f

These are a bit tall @ 73mm and unless I can find some shorter, they'll have to do.....after painting to HP green. 
Rear feet on CRO's are also to wrap the mains lead around. 

[bd139]

Interesting solution. Will look like it has just landed from space as well

[tautech]

Interesting solution. Will look like it has just landed from space as well

You may not think feet on a CRO are important but for those that float scopes, they are....just saying. 

[bd139]

That's a fair point. I haven't had the need to float one yet. I treat the scope as true ground and use either differential measurements or float the source (isolation transformer / floating supplies). So far have avoided that problem!

I've got a rather shit battery powered Thandar SC110A somewhere which will be used to solve that problem if I need to. Oh and if it still works.

[Specmaster]

I just live without the feet. I've never had a scope with feet that weren't broken.

I always like to have some sort of  feet on mine so that you could stand them on the floor if needed, or to prevent them from being pushed right back against a wall, to ensure that you have air circulation to help dissipate heat. Out of my 4 working scopes, 3 have their original feet and one has a piece of 2 x 1 timber as a foot, the other 2 work in progress scopes, a Hameg 408-1A (original feet) and a HP 1740A has no feet.

Speaking of scopes, I was bidding for a HP 1740A on Ebay and was outbid at the last minute while I was unable to respond because I was helping to put an old warbird back in its hanger this afternoon, anyone on here bought a HP 1740A today??? 

[bd139]

If that was the one that went for 76.50 then I was watching it but not bidding.

[Specmaster]

Yep that was the one OK, I see it was snapped up by a noob on Ebay (zero feedbacks) so maybe paid over the odds for it anyway as it needs a real good clean up. Anyway, I could not have rebid on it as the metal hanger created a faraday cage and I didn't any notification I'd been outbid.

I'm watching other items and hope that the price doesn't get too high on them.

[bd139]

If it was a zero feedback buyer it might get relisted in a couple of days with "no timewasters". I've had to do that recently when shifting some stuff. No I'm not shipping 12Kg packed to fecking Guernsey for the basic parcel force rate. Grr

Playing around with aeroplanes is more fun than eBay anyway