Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

I always get like that. This one is a buy, turd polish and sell job though. Need some budget for parts you see

[HalFET]

I always get like that. This one is a buy, turd polish and sell job though. Need some budget for parts you see

Same on the 194. Anyone interested? 

[Specmaster]

I'm watching something that finishes tomorrow [emoji23]

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[Specmaster]

I always get like that. This one is a buy, turd polish and sell job though. Need some budget for parts you see

You hope, more caps will be required however, get some in [emoji3]

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

[bd139]

Hahaha yes. I’ve got about 20 arriving tomorrow to sort out the 2225.

Next thing has an off line switcher in it so will need to dig out the isolation transformer, cardboard and broom handle. Think the secondary linear supply is shot though which is safer to work on. Bastard is chock full of ASIC hybrids so fingers crossed it’s just the power supply. If I win it that is.

[Mr. Scram]

Do you ever bid on something, hoping someone outbids you to a point where it doesn't make sense any more?

Yeah, I did that. Now I'm actually the highest bidder. 

[bd139]

Yes.  I bid on a frequency counter the other day and decided I don’t need it now. This one ending in 5m: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F232556902931

[Mr. Scram]

Yes.  I bid on a frequency counter the other day and decided I don’t need it now. This one ending in 5m: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F232556902931

Your problem has been solved. Three times over, even!

This is why I don't really like sniping. It's a week or so of nothing, and then this.

[bd139]

Yeah it’s mental. Also that was not worth £108!  I paid £36 for my 5315 with OCXO and channel C option.

Edit: this is why I tend to get in early with the buy it nows and have a scraper running every 5 minutes to catch them. 2225 got for £49. £20 refund because it’s duff. One sold yesterday for £170!

It’s mental!

I passed on a chance to get three limping 2235’s for £120 yesterday as well.

I don’t understand why things are going so high. Especially if you look at some of the pricing history.

[tggzzz]

Yes.  I bid on a frequency counter the other day and decided I don’t need it now. This one ending in 5m: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F232556902931

Never mind, they are like tube trains: another affordable one will be along in just a minute.

Just be glad you aren't into voltnuttery or anything else with a "two clocks problem", e.g.:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fluke-Datron-Wavetek-1281-8-5-Digit-Self-Cal-Digital-High-Accuracy-Voltmeter-DMM/391926385045 (still sort-of regret not picking up an hp3458 for £1500+uplift)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Julie-Research-Labs-106-7-Voltage-Divider-Model-A-160-7/142396069594 (mine was 10% of that, and I'm highly suspicious of their adverts)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fluke-732A-DC-Voltage-Standard/142559763747

[bd139]

No definitely not going there. 4.5 digits or bust! 

(at least I can actually cal that!)

[HalFET]

Never mind, they are like tube trains: another affordable one will be along in just a minute.

Just be glad you aren't into voltnuttery or anything else with a "two clocks problem", e.g.:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fluke-Datron-Wavetek-1281-8-5-Digit-Self-Cal-Digital-High-Accuracy-Voltmeter-DMM/391926385045 (still sort-of regret not picking up an hp3458 for £1500+uplift)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Julie-Research-Labs-106-7-Voltage-Divider-Model-A-160-7/142396069594 (mine was 10% of that, and I'm highly suspicious of their adverts)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fluke-732A-DC-Voltage-Standard/142559763747

That 8.5 digit is so attractive, but yeah a working calibrated HP 3458 is on everyone's dream list I think?

[Mr. Scram]

Good. The 3457A I had bid on jumped up a few times before running out of time. I know I'll regret not getting it some time soon, but it's more than I want to spend on something like that now. Again, refocus on what's needed and all that. It still went for a fair price though. It amazes me how a 3458A goes for extortionary prices, yet something that goes most of the distance is cheap as chips. I guess that's what you get when you're king of the hill.

[tggzzz]

No definitely not going there. 4.5 digits or bust! 

(at least I can actually cal that!)

Think of 8*9s as an opportunity, not a problem.

My Solartron 7081 cost £75 (plus £25 for a mains filter/switch). The 10V transportable reference cost £15 (plus a trip to Hannover to get it measured).

And that lead to...  the rathole.

[bd139]

Yeah I'm trying to avoid going down that path. My requirements are relatively trivial and I'm trying to stick to requirements rather than wants. Wants are evil here, especially as I'm trying to focus desperately on product development at the moment.

Then again this is TEA so it's mostly about wants

[tggzzz]

No definitely not going there. 4.5 digits or bust! 

(at least I can actually cal that!)

Pah!  But I suppose Avo 8s are still sought after.

And if it isn't an Avo 8, it had better have a geek-porn display

[bd139]

Not sure why. Avos are horrible things. Can't stand them. We had them in my university lab and a very annoying shortage of DMMs.

In about 1990 I had an analogue thing going on and built myself a FET voltmeter. That was a pretty cool bit of kit. All cheap nasty Tandy parts which were fractionally cheaper than paying for the genuine Micronta one. Made an RF probe and used it to learn how old radios worked. Still at my parents' house. Need to get it at some point. Batteries probably shit the bed by now.

[Specmaster]

No definitely not going there. 4.5 digits or bust! 

(at least I can actually cal that!)

Pah!  But I suppose Avo 8s are still sought after.

And if it isn't an Avo 8, it had better have a geek-porn display

Avo 8s are most certainly still sought after, I recently bagged one, it was a real bargain to, leather case and a complete set of leads and crocs plus probes for £25 in really good condition to boot. It was for years the de facto standard reference instrument being as it is a 20,000 ohm per volt as all service charts in the era referenced the meter or another with 20k OPV, compare that with today's 10M or higher OPV on DMMs.   

[Mr. Scram]

Yeah I'm trying to avoid going down that path. My requirements are relatively trivial and I'm trying to stick to requirements rather than wants. Wants are evil here, especially as I'm trying to focus desperately on product development at the moment.

Then again this is TEA so it's mostly about wants

It's the same here. My plans continuously surpass the actually available funds, in a way that I risk hampering progressing the things I actually want to work on. It's no use to have a desk full of nice tools if you're development funds are gone. Then comes a check of the bank account, a quick calculation in the spreadsheet and the wants are dialled back again.

I've noticed a tendency to put second hand purchases above planned purchases of new equipment. I think the feeling that this is a one shot deal versus the ability to buy new things any time I want plays a large role in that. Also, second hand gear feels to provide better value for money, as nothing devalues as soon as you buy it, and smart purchases actually better the bottom line.

[HalFET]

No definitely not going there. 4.5 digits or bust! 

(at least I can actually cal that!)

Think of 8*9s as an opportunity, not a problem.

My Solartron 7081 cost £75 (plus £25 for a mains filter/switch). The 10V transportable reference cost £15 (plus a trip to Hannover to get it measured).

And that lead to...  the rathole.

My Solartron 7081 was lost by PostNL/TNT 

[Specmaster]

Not sure why. Avos are horrible things. Can't stand them. We had them in my university lab and a very annoying shortage of DMMs.

In about 1990 I had an analogue thing going on and built myself a FET voltmeter. That was a pretty cool bit of kit. All cheap nasty Tandy parts which were fractionally cheaper than paying for the genuine Micronta one. Made an RF probe and used it to learn how old radios worked. Still at my parents' house. Need to get it at some point. Batteries probably shit the bed by now.

Thats a lovely mental picture you painted there for sure. I know what you mean about DMM's not in the labs at Uni, they weren't at my college either, the reason for that was that they weren't invented then, this was in the early Sinclair days and in those days they made audio products like the X-10 amplifier, class D, hence why I like Avo 8s because they were the highest meter around in my college days.

[HalFET]

Sinclair on the box, mhhh. Which percentage of them caught fire or created ultrasonic waves which made the neighbour's dog commit mass murder?

[Specmaster]

I had some with no problems encountered at all.

[tggzzz]

No definitely not going there. 4.5 digits or bust! 

(at least I can actually cal that!)

Pah!  But I suppose Avo 8s are still sought after.

And if it isn't an Avo 8, it had better have a geek-porn display

Avo 8s are most certainly still sought after, I recently bagged one, it was a real bargain to, leather case and a complete set of leads and crocs plus probes for £25 in really good condition to boot. It was for years the de facto standard reference instrument being as it is a 20,000 ohm per volt as all service charts in the era referenced the meter or another with 20k OPV, compare that with today's 10M or higher OPV on DMMs. 

I suspect that's the mentality w.r.t. Tek 4{6,7,8}5s. Except they are nice to use.

Story about Avos from BT Martlesham c1980...

There was a bakeoff between Avo 8s and an LCD handheld DMM. It was even stevens at the end. Then the DMM salesman threw his meter across the room, went and picked it up, and challenged the Avo salesman to either same.

[bd139]

Thats a lovely mental picture you painted there for sure. I know what you mean about DMM's not in the labs at Uni, they weren't at my college either, the reason for that was that they weren't invented then, this was in the early Sinclair days and in those days they made audio products like the X-10 amplifier, class D, hence why I like Avo 8s because they were the highest meter around in my college days.

The X-10 was somewhat a fine example of "Sinclair truth stretching" of the era. I reckon it was designed as a class A or something and oscillated badly so they just sold it as a class D 

Peak kit at university for me was final year when they got a pile of HP 54501A's in.