Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[URI]

Hahaha. No. We've issued MAD here (mututally assured destruction) so I'm taking her to Westfield tomorrow to go to the MAC cosmetics counter for some expensive small pots of shit.

Yeah, compensation, been there too.. 

[Mr. Scram]

Yeah, compensation, been there too.. 

Double your household's frivolous spendings in one fell swoop!

[bd139]

She’s got an eye on a new iPhone as well. That’s not happening.

Anyway back on topic, that IO-12 looks in good condition. Hopefully the guy who assembled it was not senile then. You can just about use them for scope clocks. If it’s well constructed and the caps aren’t shot you should be able to observe up to about 5MHz or so which is quite useful.

[Specmaster]

iPhone is way more than your power supply cost.

[neo]

She’s got an eye on a new iPhone as well. That’s not happening.

Anyway back on topic, that IO-12 looks in good condition. Hopefully the guy who assembled it was not senile then. You can just about use them for scope clocks. If it’s well constructed and the caps aren’t shot you should be able to observe up to about 5MHz or so which is quite useful.

By my math he must of been ten or so when he assembled it, and since he is not senile now i doubt he was then. I bought the two from different people.

Also i opened it and it is cherry, competent assembly too and the caps look good BUT i have heard nothing good about them. They are very notorious and since i don't have a capacitor tester and DO listen to Mr.Carlson they are all going to go.

[bd139]

The capacitors look fine usually. Until fire comes out

[neo]

The capacitors look fine usually. Until fire comes out

Exactly why they gotta go. 

[mnementh]

To whoever might find it interesting, i went to another reasonably local hamfest and came back with another Hickok 209A and my first bit of heathkit gear, a model O-12 oscilloscope in great condition only without a graticule and the power switch/intensity control is stuck.

I had to pay an extra 5 bucks on the hickok to stave off an argument with an old man who i think may have been slightly senile. He saw me again 5 minutes later and didn't remember that i was the one to buy it.

The former owner of the Heathkit said he assembled it himself all those years ago, not entirely sure what use i have for it i just like looking at it.

I paid $25 each on them

Reminds me greatly of an old Eico 'scope I had as a youth... it too needed the sparks extracted from all those little coffee cans.

The capacitors look fine usually. Until fire comes out

Exactly why they gotta go. 

Hahaha. No. We've issued MAD here (mututally assured destruction) so I'm taking her to Westfield tomorrow to go to the MAC cosmetics counter for some expensive small pots of shit.

Yeah, compensation, been there too.. 

My wife and I have an understanding; she doesn't say anything about my "Small whirry flying things" habit, and I don't say anything about her handbag and mani-pedi habit... though I do live in mortal fear of the day when she discovers a place where she can satisfy both addictions at the same time.

The tool habit... heh, she's an enabler, as long as I keep her car and phone working. She's the one who bought my 1054Z, and she's the one who bought my last 3 high-current power supplies. Plus numerous other bits of noisy, stinky and sometimes incendiary gear on my bench.


mnem
Electrons may be very very tiny, but when they gang up on you they ALWAYS win.

[djos]

My wife and I have an agreement, she doesn't complain about all the little bits and pieces I'm always buying for projects and I don't complain about her expensive handbags and shoes... Hmmmm, I think she's prolly getting the better deal.

I usually let her know when I'm buying more expensive items... Oh well, she does cop the lion's share of kid management and household maintenance. 

Anyhoo, back on topic, I just ordered an Aneng 8008 cause 3 multimetres simply isn't enough and a 4th was required to keep the other's company. 

[Specmaster]

My wife and I have an agreement, she doesn't complain about all the little bits and pieces I'm always buying for projects and I don't complain about her expensive handbags and shoes... Hmmmm, I think she's prolly getting the better deal.

I usually let her know when I'm buying more expensive items... Oh well, she does cop the lion's share of kid management and household maintenance. 

Anyhoo, back on topic, I just ordered an Aneng 8008 cause 3 multimetres simply isn't enough and a 4th was required to keep the other's company. 

Hmm, let me tell you that 4 also get lonely and require company as I found out I have 4 analogue multimeters, 1 vacuum tube voltmeter / ohmmeter, 4 x 3.5 digit handheld multimeters and 3 x 3.5 digit, 2 x 4.5 digit and 1 x 6.5 digit (7.5 on 10Vdc) bench multimeters and now the 6.5 digit one is already feeling neglected so I'm on the cusp of getting it another to keep it company   

[djos]

Hmm, let me tell you that 4 also get lonely and require company as I found out I have 4 analogue multimeters, 1 vacuum tube voltmeter / ohmmeter, 4 x 3.5 digit handheld multimeters and 3 x 3.5 digit, 2 x 4.5 digit and 1 x 6.5 digit (7.5 on 10Vdc) bench multimeters and now the 6.5 digit one is already feeling neglected so I'm on the cusp of getting it another to keep it company 

Oh dear, I sense im going to need a lot more group therapy here.... 

[Specmaster]

Hmm, let me tell you that 4 also get lonely and require company as I found out I have 4 analogue multimeters, 1 vacuum tube voltmeter / ohmmeter, 4 x 3.5 digit handheld multimeters and 3 x 3.5 digit, 2 x 4.5 digit and 1 x 6.5 digit (7.5 on 10Vdc) bench multimeters and now the 6.5 digit one is already feeling neglected so I'm on the cusp of getting it another to keep it company 

Oh dear, I sense im going to need a lot more group therapy here.... 

I think that may be the case, check out the lyrics to the Eagles "Hotel California" last 2 verses

Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said, 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device'
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
'Relax' said the night man,
'We are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!'

It seems to be appropriate here, we are guilty as charged TEA 

[Cubdriver]

I think that may be the case, check out the lyrics to the Eagles "Hotel California" last 2 verses

Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said, 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device'
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
'Relax' said the night man,
'We are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!'

It seems to be appropriate here, we are guilty as charged TEA 

I think you might have emphasized the wrong lines.  THIS one is the one I always think of...

-Pat

[neo]

Hmm, let me tell you that 4 also get lonely and require company as I found out I have 4 analogue multimeters, 1 vacuum tube voltmeter / ohmmeter, 4 x 3.5 digit handheld multimeters and 3 x 3.5 digit, 2 x 4.5 digit and 1 x 6.5 digit (7.5 on 10Vdc) bench multimeters and now the 6.5 digit one is already feeling neglected so I'm on the cusp of getting it another to keep it company 

Oh dear, I sense im going to need a lot more group therapy here.... 

I think that may be the case, check out the lyrics to the Eagles "Hotel California" last 2 verses

Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said, 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device'
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
'Relax' said the night man,
'We are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!'

It seems to be appropriate here, we are guilty as charged TEA 

I have referenced that song in here before.

[bitseeker]

There is depressingly nothing very interesting on eBay at the moment. 

Yeah. I looked at my watch list yesterday to see what was coming up for sniping and there wasn't anything until Monday.

I put starting amount bids on a couple of things to get rid of the buy it now because they were stupidly high and that is about it.
...
It’s called pricing injustice. It’s got a 0.99 starting price and a £120 buy it now and it’s worth £20.  I like blowing the additional fee they spent to add that pointless buy it now price

bd139, pricing justice warrior! Hopefully, you get a good deal for your heroism.

So I scored an HP branded one (late rev) for £255 inc delivery, cleaned, tested, 3 month warranty, printed manual and SMM on CD. Better than £633 inc VAT for a new Keysight branded one from RS/Farnell!

Nice! Yeah, the 3630 has been around a long time. No need to buy a new one.

I'll keep an eye out for an E3611A

Also nice. I got one, although the seller tried to pull a fast one, hiding heatsink damage and an inappropriate button cap. So, I got a good deal on it.

[VK5RC]

HP 334A and 3300A
Went to a Ham-fest to help my local club with the BBQ, look what I found for AUS$50 for both and working! Sore shoulders carrying them back the 200m to the car.

[HalFET]

The tool habit... heh, she's an enabler, as long as I keep her car and phone working. She's the one who bought my 1054Z, and she's the one who bought my last 3 high-current power supplies. Plus numerous other bits of noisy, stinky and sometimes incendiary gear on my bench.

Now if only cloning technology was available.

[Martin.M]

Restoration of the Systron Donner 7004 Multimeter is done,
the next member of my nixie area..

[sorenkir]

You have the "french" version with colored button. Mine has black buttons (and a battery option).
Michel.

[Specmaster]

Yours also seems to have red Nixie tubes.

[Martin.M]

no,
the transparent front glas get darker and darker in the 45 years of life time.
My both instruments have that replaced by light yellow front glas plates, the old was too much ugly, dark brown.
The french version is build by systron donner munich germany  I found it in the bay.

[bd139]

More TEA here. Getting on the new stuff bandwagon now.

One Keysight U1241C on the way. 3m drop proof, IP67, torch, 10000 count, data logging, 0.09%, ambient temp, proper CAT rating, mV/uA ranges, 2KHz true RMS AC bandwidth, 10MHz counter, IR-USB link (need to buy that now). Sooooo much better value than a similarly priced fluke. Something I can poke around white goods, the car and  use on the bench basically.

Got it from RS so should see it on Tuesday

The Fluke 8024B will be retired after this and put in the cupboard.

[Specmaster]

IP67, expecting moist conditions then eh? No that remote data logging could be very handy if tracking down intermittent faults, hmm. 

At this rate your bench will be consisting of all new test gear complete with illumination, in fact so much illumination that you'll have to wear shade when working there.

[bd139]

Yeah under the bonnet of my Fiat in the pissing rain in the dark which is when it always fails. Actually when we move we’re (well I am) doing solar installation so it’s a speculative purchase. Plus there may be some automation/PLC stuff to play with soon.  Remote data logging is useful for loads of things. Think of it as an extremely slow and more accurate oscilloscope

Added sunglasses to shopping list (I actually don’t have a pair at the moment) 

[HalFET]

More TEA here. Getting on the new stuff bandwagon now.

One Keysight U1241C on the way. 3m drop proof, IP67, torch, 10000 count, data logging, 0.09%, ambient temp, proper CAT rating, mV/uA ranges, 2KHz true RMS AC bandwidth, 10MHz counter, IR-USB link (need to buy that now). Sooooo much better value than a similarly priced fluke. Something I can poke around white goods, the car and  use on the bench basically.

Got it from RS so should see it on Tuesday

The Fluke 8024B will be retired after this and put in the cupboard.

Nice buy, and actually the IR-Bluetooth modules are also quite nice! Good software, and ok battery life. Just got to remember to tape down the bluetooth modules's battery compartment cover, otherwise you'll be losing that bit in the first week.

My only real remark about it is that Keysight first went ahead and created a meter with a flashlight in there (useful), and then proceeded to put the IR link port in the most horrible place imaginable. It's just next to or underneath the flashlight. So the moment you attach something you lose the flashlight functionality, which can be surprisingly handy when attempting to install the meter as impromptu data logger. The U1241C also screws up in another way, on the lower end models they made a cut out in the tilting bale which contained the hook for hanging it, but in the higher-end models it was molded into the bumper/case, as a result the hook becomes completely useless when you plug something onto the IR interface. It's one of the main reasons I've stuck to the U1232A and didn't go with something higher end. Though I suppose they sell some fancy hanger for the U1241C that alleviates this problem. Bit of useless rant isn't it?

*Edited to make it slightly more clear*