Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

Could someone tell me in laymans terms how to make this thing display all 6 digits?

I found the magic combination of button presses.... This is going to be a steep learning curve.

Yes, I get the feeling most of those boat anchors are steep curves.

[neo]

Could someone tell me in laymans terms how to make this thing display all 6 digits?

I found the magic combination of button presses.... This is going to be a steep learning curve.

Yes, I get the feeling most of those boat anchors are steep curves.

You see on my 8400A a button does just what it says, on my 5346A a button does what you tell it to. You tell it with other buttons. Just to make it a 6.5 digit meter you need to store 6 and then press 9

[bitseeker]

... I love over doing grounds, my Ham Radio has another 8' ground rod just below the radio bench and a star point grounding with 2" strap to the HF radio and high power amplifier.  Ground is good.

Your radio bench looks great!

[kj7e]

Could someone tell me in laymans terms how to make this thing display all 6 digits?

I found the magic combination of button presses.... This is going to be a steep learning curve.

Yes, I get the feeling most of those boat anchors are steep curves.

You see on my 8400A a button does just what it says, on my 5346A a button does what you tell it to. You tell it with other buttons. Just to make it a 6.5 digit meter you need to store 6 and then press 9

Wait till you start playing with stats on stored readings.   That one took me some time.  But yes, think of the 3456A as an RPN calc, number, enter, function.

Another example, default is 10 NPLC, to change it to 100, press "100 -> STORE -> N CYC INT".  Your saving registers for the meter to use.

[tautech]

Solid copper earth bar, 2" braid on the left ties it directly to a 8' ground rod in the shop floor just below it. 

That's what I call half a ground ! 

From my rural experiences, a ground like that just won't cut it for our high powered mains electric fence units.
My preference has been for a 20ft length of galv 20mm/3/4'' ID water pipe.
Threaded one end to allow fitment of 2x 90⁰ elbows/bends to allow connection of a garden hose and water supply while thrusting the whole thing up and down and bit by bit down to full length into the ground.
Pneumatic water hammer action allows it to get down fairly quick in most soils that don't have hard aggregates.
5-10 mins is typical installation time.
The greatest benefit is the lowest end is generally always below the water table.

[mnementh]

Personally, I think pulling 1700W from a PSU connected to a single 120VAC outlet is pretty damned impressive. 

Especially with those funny little flame throwing plugs you have over there 

You aren't just kidding. Between aluminum wiring and push-in connectors on outlets (yes, they still produce them here) and a 120V-15A/1750 Watt wiring standard, it's a wonder every damned house in the country hasn't burned to the ground.   

You guys can plug a small welder in the kitchen right next to the toaster; I have to make an adapter to plug into a dryer outlet.  I'm only partwise joking actually; the 220V MIG I have in my garage only draws 8-11A on low setting.


mnem

[orin]

Solid copper earth bar, 2" braid on the left ties it directly to a 8' ground rod in the shop floor just below it. 

That's what I call half a ground ! 

From my rural experiences, a ground like that just won't cut it for our high powered mains electric fence units.
My preference has been for a 20ft length of galv 20mm/3/4'' ID water pipe.
Threaded one end to allow fitment of 2x 90⁰ elbows/bends to allow connection of a garden hose and water supply while thrusting the whole thing up and down and bit by bit down to full length into the ground.
Pneumatic water hammer action allows it to get down fairly quick in most soils that don't have hard aggregates.
5-10 mins is typical installation time.
The greatest benefit is the lowest end is generally always below the water table.

Yeah, real vicious critters you need to keep in down there...  that is a NZ flag, right?

Bonus points for identifying the location.

[beanflying]

Got to keep their Moa's inside the fences.


NZ where the Men are Men and the Sheep ......

Lucky I come from a non Rugby playing state 

[tautech]

Solid copper earth bar, 2" braid on the left ties it directly to a 8' ground rod in the shop floor just below it. 

That's what I call half a ground ! 

From my rural experiences, a ground like that just won't cut it for our high powered mains electric fence units.
My preference has been for a 20ft length of galv 20mm/3/4'' ID water pipe.
Threaded one end to allow fitment of 2x 90⁰ elbows/bends to allow connection of a garden hose and water supply while thrusting the whole thing up and down and bit by bit down to full length into the ground.
Pneumatic water hammer action allows it to get down fairly quick in most soils that don't have hard aggregates.
5-10 mins is typical installation time.
The greatest benefit is the lowest end is generally always below the water table.

Yeah, real vicious critters you need to keep in down there...  that is a NZ flag, right?

Bonus points for identifying the location.

BOI or Coromandel ?

[bd139]

NZ always looks nice to me. Like Australia but less bitey killy kicky things and considerably greener.

[neo]

With my new 3456A i have two capacitor questions,
A, where ARE They? Manual list 46 and i don't see anything even resembling a tantalum.
B, Assuming i find any, are they old enough to deserve mandatory replacement?

Also i wouldn't mind the scenery in NZ, but all the fun bits are here. 

[beanflying]

Lies and Propaganda we only spread the myths to keep the Tourist numbers controlled 



Must plan a trip North of Auckland and the BOI in the next few years. South Island is great too think Wales for you poms 4 sheep + per person 

[tautech]

Must plan a trip North of Auckland and the BOI in the next few years.

Do so ~this time of year and get out for some game fishing if you can.
Just had a few days on a cuz's launch and one of the chaps aboard caught a 68kg yellowfin.
Susumi.
Yum.   

[beanflying]

Yep agreed now until about April for the best weather. This is the fishing in my backyard at present fins and a mask for Abalone and Crays off the beach if you know where to go Tuna charter with a few mates next month.

http://richardsonmarine.com.au/

[bd139]

I like mine already battered 

I went fishing as a kid a lot. It was utterly mind numbingly boring because all we could catch was perch. Eventually we tried fishing with fireworks and a net. That was far more interesting

[beanflying]

I like mine already battered 

I went fishing as a kid a lot. It was utterly mind numbingly boring because all we could catch was perch. Eventually we tried fishing with fireworks and a net. That was far more interesting

The term you are looking for is 'expanding bait' 

A lot of our coast is now fairly tightly managed to stop over fishing so going out to catch a feed is fairly easy. The Tuna thing is only just coming back after nearly being wiped out.

[Specmaster]

I like mine already battered 

I went fishing as a kid a lot. It was utterly mind numbingly boring because all we could catch was perch. Eventually we tried fishing with fireworks and a net. That was far more interesting

Snap thats all I seemed to catch and how people can sit there hour after hour and all night beats the hell out of me, hmm never tried fishing with fireworks could be fun.

[tautech]

 
Tiddlers. 

Mine from last year.

[bd139]

That's impressive! A lot of tuna and mayo sandwiches

[tautech]

That's impressive! A lot of tuna and mayo sandwiches

Thanks. Just like the bigger one we got a couple weeks back it also won the Heaviest other Species prize in the BOI Eldorado comp last year.
New rod, reel and bits and bobs of fishing gear. 

[bd139]

Nice work. Now you see you get bugger all like that around here

TEA win finally! Just bought me a broken HP 54602B 150MHz 4 channel scope for £50. Local collection just around the corner from me as well. Display is squashed. Common problem always caused by duff capacitor in display assembly. Win! I love these scopes. They are like analogue scopes. No lag, instant display but are digital.

[tautech]

Nice work. Now you see you get bugger all like that around here

TEA win finally! Just bought me a broken HP 54602B 150MHz 4 channel scope for £50. Local collection just around the corner from me as well. Display is squashed. Common problem always caused by duff capacitor in display assembly. Win!

How does the multiplexing work for channels 3&4 with that control setup ? 

[beanflying]

Save your pennies and come this way. Plenty over the 100kg mark later in the season  https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/sport/fishing/recordbreaking-southern-bluefin-tuna-weighing-178kg-caught/news-story/cfe1e6d4418868c19fd006be092a3054

That's right TEA is the subject. Nice scope buy 

[tautech]

Save your pennies and come this way. Plenty over the 100kg mark later in the season  https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/sport/fishing/recordbreaking-southern-bluefin-tuna-weighing-178kg-caught/news-story/cfe1e6d4418868c19fd006be092a3054

Tiddlers again.

Just a bit bigger than the 160kg Blue Marlin I got a few years back.

Off South Island westland, southern bluefin tuna; 300+kg.

[bd139]

How does the multiplexing work for channels 3&4 with that control setup ? 

They're not without compromise. Channels 3 and 4 are 0.1+0.5v/div only and sweep only after 1/2 sweep alternatively in pairs. Extra two channels are handy for digital and monitoring but that's about it.

Main thing here though is that:

1. 150MHz bandwidth (repetitive only)
2. These things have no bugs at all. None at all. Not one. Literally the only thing in the universe!
3. 1mv/div vertical on the 54602.
4. until you've sat in front of one you dont realise how fast they are. zero lag.  They feel like a 2465 but are smaller and cheaper and have automatic measurements
5. they're tiny



Also 4x the price I paid if they're working