Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[HalFET]

Be glad that they don't clean it better.  Dirty lets those of us who recognize a diamond in the rough to get it for less $$$!!

I second that.

And that looks like a nice counter - nice score.

That is a nice one. I have the "A" version, but no 1GHz option. One day I'll find one at a good price.

Quick disassembly and cleanup it looks quite good.  Came with the 1GHz option 003, I found the OCXO option 004 separately and installed.  GPSDO is on its way.  Going to replace the large power supply AE caps for good measure.

How much was the OCXO for it? And can it be GPS disciplined or is that a manually tuned one?

Yeah, this is easily one of the best counters HP ever made. They're really good price-value wise. My only remark is that you need an angle grinder to open up some of them.

[bd139]

I just discovered that 10, 7805 regulators that i bought are not worth anything and are probably counterfeit.

Talking of forgeries. I bought 60 assorted TO92 regulators from China for less than $1. They all turned up labelled National Semiconductor. Also, they all work bang on spec. 

Genuine or not they do the job.

[Brumby]

It's called "Pot luck".

Sometimes it's good.  Sometimes not.


OK if you have the time.

[bd139]

Large 10m tall antenna pole just arrived. It is longer than my house is diagonally. Time to annoy the neighbours by burning their TV front ends out. This is going to require some TEA expenditure. Need a VNA or antenna analyser now (any excuse - ho ho ho!)

[ChrisLX200]

Large 10m tall antenna pole just arrived. It is longer than my house is diagonally. Time to annoy the neighbours by burning their TV front ends out. This is going to require some TEA expenditure. Need a VNA or antenna analyser now (any excuse - ho ho ho!)

You'll need to put a flashing red light on top to warn low flying aircraft

[Specmaster]

Large 10m tall antenna pole just arrived. It is longer than my house is diagonally. Time to annoy the neighbours by burning their TV front ends out. This is going to require some TEA expenditure. Need a VNA or antenna analyser now (any excuse - ho ho ho!)

You'll need to put a flashing red light on top to warn low flying aircraft

Many a true word spoken in jest, he is very close to Heathrow Airport so he may indeed need a red light. 

[bd139]

Yes I literally am under Heathrow 27L approach so may be a good idea 

[kj7e]

I tried to explain to my neighbors getting the radiating portion of the antennas away from the ground lessened the chance for RFI,  I had some who where cool, some who where not.  In the end I won.

74' freestanding tower with KT36XA for 10,15 and 20m and a 5 ele for 6m above.  Rotatable dipoles for 40m off the side and 75m at the top with a 2m/70cm omni to cap it off.


It didn't help I was feeding it from a Henry 4K Ultra hahahahahahah;

[bd139]

That's more like it. When I get myself a larger property I will build a proper tower like that. At the moment I have to try and keep this low key. So 10m pole with inverted V loaded dipole for 20/40m with a 2m going on the top if no one notices it to start with

We're limited to 400W ERP here top end so no fancy amplifiers really.

Eventually want a tower big enough to take a full set of weather station sensors as well as I have a Heathkit weather station in the cupboard.

[tggzzz]

Yes I literally am under Heathrow 27L approach so may be a good idea 

Before 2nd July 1987 you wouldn't have been - back then it was 28L

(Yes, I know, don't bother to explain it to me...)

[tggzzz]

When I get myself a larger property I will build a proper tower like that.

Check the deeds carefully; quite a few have strangely restrictive covenants.

[bd139]

Yes I literally am under Heathrow 27L approach so may be a good idea 

Before 2nd July 1987 you wouldn't have been - back then it was 28L

(Yes, I know, don't bother to explain it to me...)

Magnetic declination for those who want to google it

When I get myself a larger property I will build a proper tower like that.

Check the deeds carefully; quite a few have strangely restrictive covenants.

Yes. Fortunately they only usually apply to permanent structures. The usual trick is to use a movable concrete block and make sure you take it down occasionally, which is perfectly fine



I know someone who has a 60 foot mast in their garden who did exactly that. The village council objected to it being constructed and contacted the local council to complain about planning. The planning inspector turned up, he demonstrated that it was temporary by folding it down and moving it and left.

[kj7e]

Problem solved!

[bd139]

Hahaha. If only that worked here. Flag pole rule doesn't apply here. Plus people think you are nuts or scum, which is usually the case, if you fly a flag here.

[Specmaster]

Using that would almost take up the entire garden around your location unless I'm mistaken. They are very mean with garden sizes over here in general, the country houses have by far the largest gardens around.

[tggzzz]

When I get myself a larger property I will build a proper tower like that.

Check the deeds carefully; quite a few have strangely restrictive covenants.

Yes. Fortunately they only usually apply to permanent structures. The usual trick is to use a movable concrete block and make sure you take it down occasionally, which is perfectly fine

I know someone who has a 60 foot mast in their garden who did exactly that. The village council objected to it being constructed and contacted the local council to complain about planning. The planning inspector turned up, he demonstrated that it was temporary by folding it down and moving it and left.

You can reason with local authorities, and they don't have spare money. OTOH residents' associations staffed by Captain Mainwaring wannabees...

[bd139]

Using that would almost take up the entire garden around your location unless I'm mistaken. They are very mean with garden sizes over here in general, the country houses have by far the largest gardens around.

That would indeed. Mine is pissy. Fortunately we've got property on the end so there is a 2.5m wide piece of garden that runs from the front of the front garden to the back garden. Total span is about 25m. I am rising the pole on the fence slightly above the roof and then the elements are running along the roof profile.

I ran it through EZNEC to look at the radiation patterns and it mostly misses the roof by the looks if I hoist it 1m above.

Actually looking at a house just outside Chatteris this weekend. That has a 75x40m footprint.

You can reason with local authorities, and they don't have spare money. OTOH residents' associations staffed by Captain Mainwaring wannabees...

Best way to deal with those types I found is getting them to sue me. They spend a lot of money being told they can't win by their solicitors

[Specmaster]

Up in the Fens eh, very flat there, should be good for radio signals yes?

[bd139]

Possibly. There is a radio telescope out that way which is a good tip on it being not too noisy. Well not until I turn up 

[tggzzz]

Actually looking at a house just outside Chatteris this weekend.

Things to look out for...

Contours, which can be vital.
The price of brussel sprouts, so you can converse with the natives.
Shop fittings: which decade are they from.
Low flying SR71s and U2/TR1s (oops, showing my age).
A 1:50000 OS map. Compare the amount of ink (any/all colour) compared with other places you know. (My current location has an order of magnitude more than near my previous house in Cottenham!)
Sky. Lots of it, and bugger all else.
The time/money cost of travelling to somewhere you want to be.

Opinionated? Shurely shome mishtake.

[Specmaster]

Possibly. There is a radio telescope out that way which is a good tip on it being not too noisy. Well not until I turn up 

Arh yes, that'll be the The Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory along the A603 which is or was part of the Cambridge University but I believe that they are derelict now. 

[Specmaster]

Actually looking at a house just outside Chatteris this weekend.

Things to look out for...

Contours, which can be vital.
The price of brussel sprouts, so you can converse with the natives.
Shop fittings: which decade are they from.
Low flying SR71s and U2/TR1s (oops, showing my age).
A 1:50000 OS map. Compare the amount of ink (any/all colour) compared with other places you know. (My current location has an order of magnitude more than near my previous house in Cottenham!)
Sky. Lots of it, and bugger all else.
The time/money cost of travelling to somewhere you want to be.

Opinionated? Shurely shome mishtake.

Haha yes its certainly far from anywhere and loads of sky, space and loneliness and not that much low flying going on these days,we have virtually no air force left, apart the USAF at Lakenheath and Mildenhall 

[mnementh]

This space For Rent.

I for one have much enjoyed your closings like we used to for another sadly departed member SgtRock aka Clear Ether. 

If you need inspiration have a look at his posts:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/profile/?area=showposts;u=6719

Ahhh... yes, he has some good quotes. My Post Scripts are more of a thing I do to keep my wit sharp. Sometimes it's immediately relevant to the conversation at hand, sometimes it's stream of consciousness, sometimes it's something that the conversation tangentially reminded me of... sometimes it's purely "Random Mode". :eek:

My mother was a hippie, and a soulful blues singer, and crazy wicked smart. She taught me that your mind is your most precious possession, and that if you don't use it, you lose it.

I see it as honoring her and her wisdom in some small way.

Actually looking at a house just outside Chatteris this weekend.

Things to look out for...

Contours, which can be vital.
The price of brussel sprouts, so you can converse with the natives.
Shop fittings: which decade are they from.
Low flying SR71s and U2/TR1s (oops, showing my age).
A 1:50000 OS map. Compare the amount of ink (any/all colour) compared with other places you know. (My current location has an order of magnitude more than near my previous house in Cottenham!)
Sky. Lots of it, and bugger all else.
The time/money cost of travelling to somewhere you want to be.

Opinionated? Shurely shome mishtake.

I would seriously be tickled pink to see such a thing with my own eyes.

As for space vs travel distance... I agree with my granddad; if you can see your neighbors, they're too damned close. 


mnem
"Every moment deserves its own song." ~ my mom

[bd139]

Problem I found years ago living out in the countryside is that if you can see your neighbours you can usually smell the cow shit instead

Still thinking about that 7904 on eBay. Doesn’t power up. Thinking of low offer. Might just be duff PSU caps as it’s an early switcher.

[tggzzz]

I would seriously be tickled pink to see such a thing [SR71] with my own eyes.

Very unlikely to, now. ISTR NASA keeps one flying.

The first time I saw one it had an armed guard, and the other dripped fuel as it accelerated down the runway. I refuse to consider how many decades ago, but I do remember that the entry cost was per car - so we took 7 people in a 5 seat car, with two in the boot

There is an SR71 at Duxford, 10 miles south of Cambridge; you can touch it. The last time I went there was in a DC-3