Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Mr. Scram]

That’s pretty quick. I’m starting to regret my TCP purchase. I bought it because I had a TCP from about 1991 to 2002 then sold everything and went on hiatus for a few years. Then I bought an Aoyue 937 so I understand your frustration there. The thermostat on that was a turd so it just got turned up and used as a fire stick. Then it broke and I found I needed a soldering iron to fix it. Fail. So I bought an antex xs25 because it was Sunday and I could bag one in maplin. Then I bought the TCP because my original one was pretty good.

Short spell in industry we used Pace and Weller irons.

On the bright side, I think these older style Wellers are fairly bulletproof. More so than the fancy computer controlled models. It's great to have something you know will work regardless, and will work in 25 years time.

The WD2M has a bit of transformer buzz, which isn't deafening but can be annoying when the house is quiet. I'm considering revarnishing the transformer, but I'm not quite sure how much it'll help. I'd hate to spend money and a day on it to find nothing improved. If I decide to do it I'd do it proper though.

[bd139]

Indeed. At worst with the TCP irons you get a sticky switch and you just whack it on the table and sorted.

Transformer buzz does my head in. I love my HP E3630A but it’s damn annoying buzzing away. I might get rid of it when the PL154 turns up as they are always silent.

[Specmaster]

Interesting seeing all these comments being raised about the veritable mainstay of British industry, the Weller like this and its associated transformer buzz. My old Katsu, a 936D clone also suffered from that buzzing as well and working late at night like I tend to do, I was very conscious of it. My new solder iron is silent, well apart from its buzzer that it is, but you can turn it off if you want to, depending on the user settings you select.

It just signals when its going into sleep mode and power off modes and also when you pick the iron up it squeaks to alert you that it is activated otherwise it as quiet as a church mouse.

If ever I want to be transported back a few years I have around the place and in the garage about half a dozen of the old direct mains heated irons and at least one with a temp control in the handle, about as much as chocolate fire guard, it was either on or off and was in a part of the handle where it was always getting knocked so it was getting adjusted accidentally in use, bloody useless heap it was and that's what lead me to get the 936D clone which was fine until the tips and the heater began to oxidise on the inside then it became unpredictable but still far better then what I had before.

[Mr. Scram]

I asked the owners of WD1 stations here how their station was doing and that one apparently is dead quiet. I haven't been able to find anyone else with a WD2M station to ask, but I don't think this model normally is this loud. It's not deafening, but I can hear it across the room which is a bit above what I would consider regular transformer buzz. I guess it may have been bumped and jostled around in transit, cracking the varnish in the process.

I opened her up and fiddled around with the transformer mounting, but that hasn't quite solved the problem. That's why I'm considering revarnishing it. I'm not looking to improve it, just to restore it to what it used to be.

[beanflying]

In keeping with the traditions of Boxing day I brought my electronic workers an 11RU Box. 

[blacksheeplogic]

I asked the owners of WD1 stations here how their station was doing and that one apparently is dead quiet. I haven't been able to find anyone else with a WD2M station to ask, but I don't think this model normally is this loud.

I have a WD2M which I use with the Micro Tools. It's quite and I don't notice it.

[Specmaster]

Yes, thats always an issue with transformers and of course, because you can hear you assume everyone else can which is not always the case some people struggle to hear frequencies as low as the 50Hz hum of a transformer, might account for some of the really crap sounding radios etc you can buy these days, why pay for frequencies you can't hear eh? Personally I love my music to have the best reproduction I can give it but thats another story and it's I late, I have to get up early tomorrow and take my wife to work, so I'm toddling off to bed now.

[tautech]

I am so fucking pissed off at the moment. Did a 50 mile round trip to pick up two scopes and the capital toss wank had already sold them.

Alas two nice big Telequipment D83 mainframes are not mine

Yep, that would get me going too. 

Bloody nice scopes they are too, a poor mans Tek if you like.
By the time the D83's came on the scene Telequipment was owned by Tek.

If you get one sometime I've got some cross/ref files, manuals and notes I can send if you want them.

[beanflying]

Off to rummage around and find the first soldering Iron I learned to use. It's 'special' 

[Mr. Scram]

I have a WD2M which I use with the Micro Tools. It's quite and I don't notice it.

Thanks, that unfortunately confirms what I suspected. It does mean I can attempt a fix, though.

[beanflying]

Super Crusty Superscope. Able to melt PCB tracks in seconds 

Always wanted the miniscope iron for Dads transformer but couldn't afford it. Spare tips springs and carbon contacts in a Dr Pat tin somewhere 

[mnementh]

Holy F*&%ing a%$crackers man, that thing sure IS special... like Special Ed. 

Isn't that the iron they used to wire up the Titanic? Not the SAME AS the iron... but the VERY iron..? 


mnem
- .... .- -     - .... .. -. --. ·----· ...     -... . . -.     .- .-. --- ..- -. -..     ... .. -. -.-. .     -.-. .... .-. .. ... -     .-- .- ...     .. -.     -.. .. .- .--. . .-. ... ·-·-·-

[Mr. Scram]

Holy F*&%ing a%$crackers man, that thing sure IS special... like Special Ed. 

Isn't that the iron they used to wire up the Titanic? Not the SAME AS the iron... but the VERY iron..? 


mnem
- .... .- -     - .... .. -. --. ·----· ...     -... . . -.     .- .-. --- ..- -. -..     ... .. -. -.-. .     -.-. .... .-. .. ... -     .-- .- ...     .. -.     -.. .. .- .--. . .-. ... ·-·-·-

The iron that sunk with the Titanic.

[Vgkid]

Why did you regret it to purchase a Solartron 7065?

It was plagued with problems , power switch , constant reboots(due to problem with the digital start board) , power supply isue , throwing off the linearity , input impedance issues , voltage reference drift , rs232 board locking up the unit.
A neat unit to read the schematic / troubleshoot. Still not useable.

[beanflying]

Yep that Iron was my Dad's when he was an Electrician and nearly 40 years ago it, me a dalo pen and an old fish tank were building sometimes working projects 

I plugged it in and still got uber hot in 5 or 6 seconds with a little jiggling of the switch ring. 

[Cubdriver]

Pfft.  Get a real soldering iron!   


(U.S. Quarter, 0.95"/24.1mm dia)


(that's my thumb)



 

-Pat

[tautech]

Pfft.  Get a real soldering iron!   


(U.S. Quarter, 0.95"/24.1mm dia)


(that's my thumb)



 

-Pat

I've got a Rawlplug brand Mk4 230V iron much the same size but with a fine chisel tip, 7/16" wide. 

Still with factory lead like seen in this online pic:


Can't find a sign or a mention of wattage. 

[BU508A]

It was plagued with problems , power switch , constant reboots(due to problem with the digital start board) , power supply isue , throwing off the linearity , input impedance issues , voltage reference drift , rs232 board locking up the unit.
A neat unit to read the schematic / troubleshoot. Still not useable.

Oh dear. 
Seems you got a really sick puppy there.

Please let me know if I can help, e.g. doing some reference measurements, taking pictures from the inside etc.

Regards,

Andreas

[beanflying]

Pfft.  Get a real soldering iron!   


(that's my thumb)
 

-Pat

I have a very similar one with about a 5/8" square head on it. 110V with a variac to run it on out 240V. It's use for me was end soldering Nicad and NiMh cells for flight packs. Tin both ends slide the tip between to flow then remove and slap the cells together to stick. Good for a few hundred Amps 

Avoiding splashing oneself with solder balls from the slap was the tricky bit

[neo]

Ah no not that one. Gumtree one. The 200 scopes one is in derby. This one is farnborough.

I am waiting for a tek 7603 to appear. SWMBO is going to hate me for that one. 

It’s a linear supply so nice noise free soldering 

That 7603 is a huge beast but for what? I don't see as it does anything particularly special compared to other scopes, like the 1740 for instance, ok it has interchangeable modules but it only has 5V per division, my Iwatsu does 10v and the HP can do 20v a division. And I think you're right SWMBO won't like the size of the beast, that won't sit on your bench thats for sure. 

I own a 7704A and i love the thing, makes my other scope looks like a child's toy. I can't be certain but i think a 7603 also has the probe readout, a feature that is in the running as one of the best ideas ever.

Also my PD power supply arrived today and you won't believe the packaging. Double wrapped in bubble wrap then clam-shelled into special foam that forms and sets around the object and this a quad layer box that was ultimately stapled shut. This is the best packaging i have ever seen.

The thing (seemingly) works perfectly but is a bit crusty and needs a new cord.

In further news i bought a 6 dollar spool of magnet wire and was then given 2 led spotlights speced at 2400 lumens each for free in exchange for a four word review. Highest paid my words have even been at 10 bucks a piece. 

[BU508A]

Thanks, that unfortunately confirms what I suspected. It does mean I can attempt a fix, though.

Not sure how big the differences are between a WD2M and (my) WD1M but mine is dead silent.
And after adding some white LEDs to the left and right side of the LCD I'm really happy with it.
I'm using the 120W soldering iron with a 2.4mm soldering tip.

Regarding heating up speed: my second soldering station, a JBC HD-2B with the T470 soldering iron
heats up within 5 - 7 seconds from sleeping mode to 350°C, faster than my Weller.

[bd139]

I am so fucking pissed off at the moment. Did a 50 mile round trip to pick up two scopes and the capital toss wank had already sold them.

Alas two nice big Telequipment D83 mainframes are not mine

Yep, that would get me going too. 

Bloody nice scopes they are too, a poor mans Tek if you like.
By the time the D83's came on the scene Telequipment was owned by Tek.

If you get one sometime I've got some cross/ref files, manuals and notes I can send if you want them.

Indeed. My mother actually worked at the Telequipment factory back in the late 1960s and early 1970s on the production line as well so there was some sentimental value at least.  They are marvellous scopes for the money. They actually have the same tube as the 7603’s but without readout and not quite as good a final amp. Can still get differential plugins as well. I owned a D83 for a couple of years around 2000 that I paid £5 for so I was hoping to get rid of sellers remorse a bit

Anyway I shall not lament that loss any further.

I will take you up on any documentation offers if I get my hands on one again - thank you appreciated.

The plan was to refurb one working unit and then develop a custom pair of plugins with an HF band spectrum analyser based on the numerous ARRL / W7ZOI designs out there.

[Specmaster]

Pfft.  Get a real soldering iron!   [emoji14] [emoji14] [emoji14]


(U.S. Quarter, 0.95"/24.1mm dia)


(that's my thumb)



 

-Pat

Perfect for SMD working [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

[bd139]

Where do you put the coal in that? 

[Specmaster]

Where do you put the coal in that? 

In the container by the quarter[emoji23]