Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

Employing a new security device to keep the test gear safe  Stumpy turned up last week around the yard but put his nose inside the shack today.

Yo, cuz. *scaly fist bump*


mnem
};=)~~~~<

[beanflying]

Stumpy Tail or Shingleback Lizzard. Had a Blue Tongue of similar length cruise through the yard a few months ago. Blue Tongues are more slender and snake like smooth.

I think a decent 2m Goanna would be more of a deterrent but they don't live around here 

[Cubdriver]

Put to cover back on the beast tonight, then played a bit with feeding an external modulation signal into it. 






Now it's time to put the 8662A back on the bench and change out the known bad cap in it and see where that gets me.

-Pat

<edit - typo>

[neo]

Pat, just curious, but do you have more HP gear than teeth in your mouth? 

[Brumby]

Is that even a challenge?  A full set of teeth only numbers 32.



... or less   

[Cubdriver]

Pat, just curious, but do you have more HP gear than teeth in your mouth? 

   Yeah, by a long shot.  And other than wisdom teeth and two bicuspids that had to come out for braces, I still have my teeth.  I really need to get the hell away from eBay.   

-Pat

[beanflying]

Is it just me or is test gear made by Wayne Kerr really unattractive to boast about owning or to buy in the first place ....






The second G&T made me do it 

[neo]

Is that even a challenge?  A full set of teeth only numbers 32.

30 in my case, not braces just an awful sweet tooth.

In my opinion it is a challenge, 32 items even with an average cost of 50 is still 1600, and we both know the good stuff cost considerably more. Plus the less teeth the greater the challenge! 

[Cubdriver]

Is that even a challenge?  A full set of teeth only numbers 32.

30 in my case, not braces just an awful sweet tooth.

In my opinion it is a challenge, 32 items even with an average cost of 50 is still 1600, and we both know the good stuff cost considerably more. Plus the less teeth the greater the challenge! 

Yeah, but my acquisitions have also been spread out over about six or seven years.  And actually a fair number of them from the surplus place in CA were on the order of $50 each.  (Then about another $30 each to ship 'em home, of course.)  I don't think I want to do the math.   

-Pat

[neo]

This talk of comparing equipment to teeth got me thinking.... (Me thinking means RUN!!)

A single year of active buying later, i have
3 rack mount multimeters, 2 of those 5.5 digit Flukes (MMM nixie tubes!) and a 3456A.
8 small bench mount meters, relatively small, 1 Instek, 1 Fairchild, 1 Keithley and 5 Flukes. 2 of the Flukes are experiencing flukes.
2 function generators , 1 Instek and a HP 3312A
3 Frequency counters, B&K, Bel Merit and a HP 5340A which is also experiencing flukes.
As well as a Tek 7704 fully loaded mainframe which i'm STILL learning how to use.
Plus, 2 Hickok 209As, only one of which work.

Oh and a busted 608C that i don't even know how to begin fixing, then there that Simpon function gen from 43 with the suspiciousely low output. Oh an also a HP VTVM.

Thats the summary and to the point i am left wondering 2 things,
Where will I be in 5 years? 
Am i doing this right? 

Also, @Pat specifically, you do NOT want an 8400A, unless to look at, their a crap shoot and not very stable that i can tell. I figured out what killed mine, the A-D converted screwed up and from there it just kind of, for lack of better term, suffered a catastrophic meltdown. The 8300A however seems to be the much improved version.

[tggzzz]

This gem  ^^^ of Tek 475 repair experience deserves its own thread or at least be tacked onto a 475 repair thread.....NOT buried in the TEA thread !
Thanks for sharing.

I might do that, once completed.

Actually I've remembered I have replaced one component (a transistor array in the fan controller) with four transistors I happened to have. Repair by junk boax at its finest, and a justification for all those component drawers with some components from the 70s and earlier.

[Gandalf_Sr]

Two lightning stories from my RAF days:

1. Nobody knows how fast the Lightning will go, it runs out of fuel before it stops accelerating.
2. A Chief Technicial was sitting in a Lightning cockpit on a wooden chair (the ejector seat had been removed) doing test runs down the runway where he would accelerate and then test the braking system - he accidentally knocked it into reheat and took off!  The best part was that, with some assistance from aircrew on the ground, he was able to land it.

[neo]

Two lightning stories from my RAF days:

1. Nobody knows how fast the Lightning will go, it runs out of fuel before it stops accelerating.
2. A Chief Technicial was sitting in a Lightning cockpit on a wooden chair (the ejector seat had been removed) doing test runs down the runway where he would accelerate and then test the braking system - he accidentally knocked it into reheat and took off!  The best part was that, with some assistance from aircrew on the ground, he was able to land it.

Thats amazing! Did he manage to avoid soiling his drawers?

[bd139]

This gem  ^^^ of Tek 475 repair experience deserves its own thread or at least be tacked onto a 475 repair thread.....NOT buried in the TEA thread !
Thanks for sharing.

I might do that, once completed.

Actually I've remembered I have replaced one component (a transistor array in the fan controller) with four transistors I happened to have. Repair by junk boax at its finest, and a justification for all those component drawers with some components from the 70s and earlier.

Those transistor arrays always seem to have died if the fan gets obstructed. . Bog standard 2n2222 array.

Glad the restoration is going well 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Is it just me or is test gear made by Wayne Kerr really unattractive to boast about owning or to buy in the first place ....

The only fault I see with their better gear is that you are unlikely to get a grab on it, because there are people out there well aware of its merits. As I have reported, I was tempted by one of their RLC meters a short time ago, but to no avail. (it was a 3245, which goes up to 300k)
I got a good overview of the available RLC meters some time ago, and there is limited choice if you want a device that is compact AND universal and yet able to operate beyond 100kHz. Even the larger of the SRS units stops there, and I'm not willing to have a HUGE HP blocker like a 427x sit around for this. There is a nice Tegam that operates up to 1MHz but the distributor is sitting on the last of it's kind, stating that it's 10k or he keeps it for himself. So I would boast if I managed to get my hands on a 41100 or 43100 or 4270. Even the 6430 with 500kHz looks decent.


So what is the background of your question? Are you sitting on one and want to get rid of it cheaply because of it lacking boast value? HEERE! HEEERE! Trying to help!

[bitseeker]

Pat, just curious, but do you have more HP gear than teeth in your mouth? 

   Yeah, by a long shot.  And other than wisdom teeth and two bicuspids that had to come out for braces, I still have my teeth.  I really need to get the hell away from eBay.   

Hmmm. It appears my HP gear outnumbers my teeth as well. Fortunately for my lab (and my occupancy in it), most of it is half-rack width.

[bitseeker]

This talk of comparing equipment to teeth got me thinking.... (Me thinking means RUN!!)

 

A single year of active buying later, i have

...censored for the protection of new TEA members...

Thats the summary and to the point i am left wondering 2 things,
Where will I be in 5 years? 
Am i doing this right? 

Well, that grew quickly, didn't it? I suppose you can look at Pat's lab as one potential future of yours. But first, your HP collection needs to outnumber your teeth.

[Ero-Shan]

Of course, Avro's have form. Eric Brown rolled a Lancaster on 16th May 1947.

Please stop talking about aircraft! I loved them years before even knowing the word 'electronics'. Now I envy you for that as well!

You really know how to torture me. 

I prefer the Handley Page Victor over the Vulcan, though. That was was a real beautiful ugly bird (and Handley Page, HP, fits quite well in here.  )

I served my military duty in the air force, but didn't even get close to any aircraft, which was extremely disappointing. 

[Cubdriver]

Well, that grew quickly, didn't it? I suppose you can look at Pat's lab repair queue as one potential future of yours. But first, your HP collection needs to outnumber your teeth.

Fixed it for you.   Come on, let's try to be precise here, we're technical types!!   

Most of it is still in the 'to be wrung out' pile!  (And yet I keep buying more!    )

-Pat

[Specmaster]

Of course, Avro's have form. Eric Brown rolled a Lancaster on 16th May 1947.

Please stop talking about aircraft! I loved them years before even knowing the word 'electronics'. Now I envy you for that as well!

You really know how to torture me. 

I prefer the Handley Page Victor over the Vulcan, though. That was was a real beautiful ugly bird (and Handley Page, HP, fits quite well in here.  )

I served my military duty in the air force, but didn't even get close to any aircraft, which was extremely disappointing. 

What, you want mercy.. after you tortured us all with your massive dumpster hauls, its you who knows how to torture us other poor long suffering TEA lovers with your fantastic hauls 

Your right, that Victor was a real ugly bird, but still a highly capable one, but it was the Vulcan that captured everyone's imagination though.

How can you serve in the Airforce but not get close to aircraft?
 

[bd139]

Good evening. Was at parents all day and they have shitty reception.

Bought a new function generator to replace the DG1022Z. TTi TG215. Basic 2Mhz analogue unit with digital frequency readout. I had a TG210 a while ago which I sold when I bought the DG1022Z. That was a silly idea as I found the DG1022Z was a noisy buggy fucker so this will free up some cash to grab a Marconi 2022/2019 if one turns up. This removes the last whining Chinese fan piece of crap from the bench.

[Specmaster]

Good evening. Was at parents all day and they have shitty reception.

Bought a new function generator to replace the DG1022Z. TTi TG215. Basic 2Mhz analogue unit with digital frequency readout. I had a TG210 a while ago which I sold when I bought the DG1022Z. That was a silly idea as I found the DG1022Z was a noisy buggy fucker so this will free up some cash to grab a Marconi 2022/2019 if one turns up. This removes the last whining Chinese fan piece of crap from the bench.

All very nice pieces of gear but sadly, all have for you one common flaw, at least on your current bench, thats the LCD displays 

You can have the 2019, its way big for my bench, I'll have 2022 if one comes along at the right price. Theres a 2022E on at the moment for £569.69 plus a further £52.28 P&P for parts only!.

[bd139]

Bench is changing. There will be lighting, shelving and a decent surface, post argument with the other half 

2019 is huge. I used to have one. I'd rather have the 2022 but they're difficult to come by for a reasonable price and in working condition.

Recalibrated my E3630A just now. This is the most bastard design they could have come up with. Look where the display trimpots are. Right next to the mains switch and yes those terminals are live and next to a RIFA X2 (yes that has been replaced with something a little less incendiary). Grr.



I'm going to get rid of the E3630 and replace it with a dual TTi unit with tracking outputs, whop the PL154 next to that and be done with buying power supplies ever again.

[Specmaster]

Bench is changing. There will be lighting, shelving and a decent surface, post argument with the other half 

2019 is huge. I used to have one. I'd rather have the 2022 but they're difficult to come by for a reasonable price and in working condition.

Recalibrated my E3630A just now. This is the most bastard design they could have come up with. Look where the display trimpots are. Right next to the mains switch and yes those terminals are live and next to a RIFA X2 (yes that has been replaced with something a little less incendiary). Grr.



I'm going to get rid of the E3630 and replace it with a dual TTi unit with tracking outputs, whop the PL154 next to that and be done with buying power supplies ever again.

Well thats a really sensible and natural place to locate the trim pots, it sorts the men from the boys does that, men would naturally grab an insulated trimmer while wet behind the ears boys will attempt to trim it with a conventional terminal screwdriver and send a 240volt jolt either straight into the electronics via the wiper contact or kill themselves with it, well done Agilent on a well thought through piece of design.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Of course, Avro's have form. Eric Brown rolled a Lancaster on 16th May 1947.

I served my military duty in the air force, but didn't even get close to any aircraft, which was extremely disappointing. 

Was it a technical posting at all?
If so, it depends on the timeframe. You have missed out on some really nice stuff (Tornado), some ok (upgraded US stuff) and some really shitty systems and components (Frogz). I have some really strange electromechanical parts and assemblies which are supposed to have come out of the Nora(tlas). Pfui Deifi!

So, other Inst (FlaRak of stationary) might not have been as sexy, but also saving you some hairs/nerves/whatever. I was and am active quite across their industrial base (Ground too). Right now, the most GAF related thing I'm seeing is stationary radar data nets, It is about time that I get involved again with somthing airborne again, but unfortunately all the indigenous larger UAV projects are floundering. For Barracuda, I would have even applied directly, but preferably third party, because EADS sucks.
I was at a conference once, where the towed decoy of the Eurofighter (and the cancellation thereof) was discussed. I could only paraphrase the old tale of 'being named Meier, if...' by saying 'die Sparer von heute sind die Meier von morgen'. Only few got the reference, and those were miffed.