Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[neo]

Those couplings really are useful, I've had occasion to use them myself and they really work well.

Cost me 8 bucks and didn't even come with the grubs screws. But yeah, it really is quite useful and definitely worth it, it just stings a bit. 

[Specmaster]

Those couplings really are useful, I've had occasion to use them myself and they really work well.

Cost me 8 bucks and didn't even come with the grubs screws. But yeah, it really is quite useful and definitely worth it, it just stings a bit. 

get them on Aliexpress where they come with grub screws and they don't sting as much. 

[bd139]

Many years ago I was a cheap arse and found out that you can just get wheel collets for model aircraft and weld two of them together with a car battery .

£1.25 for 5 then

[Neomys Sapiens]

I had no logic analyser  (It took me a lot of therapy to admit this) but then I got a beautiful HP1615A from the 70's that was used to design the dutch traffic control computers. To bad ROM 0 is dead as a dodo and no copies to find. While working on that I missed ,......you guessed it, a Logic analyser.... To be short, the HP is still dead but I now have a Tek 1241A with a big travel-style tektronix bag with the pods, cables, grabbers, rom and ram packs, manuals options etc)

Yes, Tek1241 is the thing to have. I have a huge Tek at work that can synchronize with the big Tek scope, but for most affairs it is overkill. The 1241 can also stow nicely between the 24xx scopes.
Do you have any personality modules / CPU specific ROM packs? That stuff is really hard to find, probably getting lost much earlier than the instruments. 

[beanflying]

Porn and TEA same same or does that just mean we have Mechanophilia 

[PA4TIM]

I have 5 pods, with the all the "testleads" and grabbers. A RAM cartridge, RS232 comm pack, 12R01 performance analyse rom pack, 12RM24 6809 rom pack, 12RM41  Z80 rompack,  The test clips/cables  needed for the ROM packs, the original operation manuals, optional accessoires manuals, reference guides and practice manuals. The original power cord, the hood for the front and the original very big Tektronix  bag for the pods etc. Known history and in perfect shape. I only removed dust inside, lubricated the push buttons and I have saved all the data from the eproms
I made a short teardown video about that for my channel I hope to upload that this weekend.

[bitseeker]

The best thing, a bunch of new toys to play with that are really usable too, and no guilty feelings or the evil eye of SWMBO.

You know you've got TEA when you celebrate the fact that your new toys are really usable, too.

[URI]

Ok, some test equipment porn.   
(Glad I missed the spam posting -things like that don't belong here. There are other parts of the internet for that.)

My HP 6114A arrived today.
For $41 + ~$90 shipping costs I wouldn't call it a real bargain but it's worth it, if I could repair it without bigger hassle.

That said I directly moved it from the cardbox package onto my bench.
The outer cardbox was damaged but the padding was very good, the 6114A didn't get hurt being shipped around half of the planet. 

After switching it from 115V~ to 230~ input I switched it on and it behaved just like the seller had described it. Ok.
Problem: It put out voltage some volts lower than the voltage dialed in even though the voltage and current regulation seem to be working basically. And it had 50mV ripple on the output.

Ok, first, I took it apart.   

Turned out that one rail for the control board was at ca. 19V DC with 9V AC ripple on it. The brave 6114A regulated that down to 50mV ripple on the output.

First I suspected one of the rectifier diodes to be dead -they all were intact.
After that I powered the faulty rail from my Oltronics B300D supply and -tada: The 6114A came back to life and worked as it should -despite being completely decalibrated by the seller -he must have tried to solve the problem through recalibrating. I'm glad he didn't touch anything else inside.

With this finding my next suspect was the electrolytic capacitor for the +28V rail.
Some further mechanical dismantling it turned out that it is completely dead:

I had checked the one for the negative rail and that had more than 800µF (490µF nominal value!).
Strange that one of two similar capacitors is completely dead while the other is as good as new. 

I only had a bunch of 220µF/400V capacitors available for testing so I bodged two of them in parallel into the 6114A:

That brought it back to life again. Winner! 
Some calibrating later (quiet easy with modern equipment like electronic loads and DMMs with >> 10megOhm input resistance  )
the 6114A was spot on again and also the hefty ripple was gonski.      



This repair was a quick hack because I couldn't wait. I'll check all the other electrolytic capacitors as well as the tantalums and will replace some or all of them. Don't know yet.

[xrunner]

Good work glad you got the thing working!

[bitseeker]

Nicely done. The base price was really good, too.

[Specmaster]

Ok, some test equipment porn.   
(Glad I missed the spam posting -things like that don't belong here. There are other parts of the internet for that.)

My HP 6114A arrived today.
For $41 + ~$90 shipping costs I wouldn't call it a real bargain but it's worth it, if I could repair it without bigger hassle.

That said I directly moved it from the cardbox package onto my bench.
The outer cardbox was damaged but the padding was very good, the 6114A didn't get hurt being shipped around half of the planet. 

After switching it from 115V~ to 230~ input I switched it on and it behaved just like the seller had described it. Ok.
Problem: It put out voltage some volts lower than the voltage dialed in even though the voltage and current regulation seem to be working basically. And it had 50mV ripple on the output.

Ok, first, I took it apart.   

Turned out that one rail for the control board was at ca. 19V DC with 9V AC ripple on it. The brave 6114A regulated that down to 50mV ripple on the output.

First I suspected one of the rectifier diodes to be dead -they all were intact.
After that I powered the faulty rail from my Oltronics B300D supply and -tada: The 6114A came back to life and worked as it should -despite being completely decalibrated by the seller -he must have tried to solve the problem through recalibrating. I'm glad he didn't touch anything else inside.

With this finding my next suspect was the electrolytic capacitor for the +28V rail.
Some further mechanical dismantling it turned out that it is completely dead:

I had checked the one for the negative rail and that had more than 800µF (490µF nominal value!).
Strange that one of two similar capacitors is completely dead while the other is as good as new. 

I only had a bunch of 220µF/400V capacitors available for testing so I bodged two of them in parallel into the 6114A:

That brought it back to life again. Winner! 
Some calibrating later (quiet easy with modern equipment like electronic loads and DMMs with >> 10megOhm input resistance  )
the 6114A was spot on again and also the hefty ripple was gonski.      



This repair was a quick hack because I couldn't wait. I'll check all the other electrolytic capacitors as well as the tantalums and will replace some or all of them. Don't know yet.

Good work, those little Chinese component testers are really worth their weight in gold imo. I've had caps go down with zero external signs but the tester finds them.

[tautech]

Ok, some test equipment porn.   
(Glad I missed the spam posting -things like that don't belong here. There are other parts of the internet for that.)

My HP 6114A arrived today.
For $41 + ~$90 shipping costs I wouldn't call it a real bargain but it's worth it, if I could repair it without bigger hassle.

That said I directly moved it from the cardbox package onto my bench.
The outer cardbox was damaged but the padding was very good, the 6114A didn't get hurt being shipped around half of the planet. 

After switching it from 115V~ to 230~ input I switched it on and it behaved just like the seller had described it. Ok.
Problem: It put out voltage some volts lower than the voltage dialed in even though the voltage and current regulation seem to be working basically. And it had 50mV ripple on the output.

Ok, first, I took it apart.   

Turned out that one rail for the control board was at ca. 19V DC with 9V AC ripple on it. The brave 6114A regulated that down to 50mV ripple on the output.

First I suspected one of the rectifier diodes to be dead -they all were intact.
After that I powered the faulty rail from my Oltronics B300D supply and -tada: The 6114A came back to life and worked as it should -despite being completely decalibrated by the seller -he must have tried to solve the problem through recalibrating. I'm glad he didn't touch anything else inside.

With this finding my next suspect was the electrolytic capacitor for the +28V rail.
Some further mechanical dismantling it turned out that it is completely dead:

I had checked the one for the negative rail and that had more than 800µF (490µF nominal value!).
Strange that one of two similar capacitors is completely dead while the other is as good as new. 

I only had a bunch of 220µF/400V capacitors available for testing so I bodged two of them in parallel into the 6114A:

That brought it back to life again. Winner! 
Some calibrating later (quiet easy with modern equipment like electronic loads and DMMs with >> 10megOhm input resistance  )
the 6114A was spot on again and also the hefty ripple was gonski.      



This repair was a quick hack because I couldn't wait. I'll check all the other electrolytic capacitors as well as the tantalums and will replace some or all of them. Don't know yet.

This ^ NEEDS to have it's own thread in the Repair board.
Gems like this can help all manner of readers well into the future and best not to be buried in the TEA thread.
TIA

[URI]

[HP 6114A repair description]

This ^ NEEDS to have it's own thread in the Repair board.
Gems like this can help all manner of readers well into the future and best not to be buried in the TEA thread.
TIA

Ok, fixed that:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/hp-6114a-repair-(fault-regulation-seems-to-work-voltage-low-output-ripple)/

[Brumby]

A "thank you" gift I received from a member here for helping them out.  I wasn't expecting anything in return, I just enjoyed helping them.  I felt a bit self-conscious and it took me a couple of days to accept, but it was a very kind gesture and one that I have already made use of.

[bitseeker]

[HP 6114A repair description]

This ^ NEEDS to have it's own thread in the Repair board.
Gems like this can help all manner of readers well into the future and best not to be buried in the TEA thread.
TIA

Ok, fixed that:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/hp-6114a-repair-(fault-regulation-seems-to-work-voltage-low-output-ripple)/

I also added the original post to the PoI index.

[bd139]

Comedy pricing: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362266671092 

Spot the problem with it.

[tautech]

Comedy pricing: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362266671092 

Spot the problem with it.

Which one ? 

[DC1MC]

Comedy pricing: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362266671092 

Spot the problem with it.

Holly crap, are those bullet holes on the side ?!?!? 

[bd139]

I think they are dick head holes. Clearly it's missing a few things and that's where the dick heads attempted to get into it.

[Specmaster]

I think they are dick head holes. Clearly it's missing a few things and that's where the dick heads attempted to get into it.

Made me laugh when they said it may have a few knobs missing and was not tested. As if it could have been tested like that, knob heads abound everywhere unfortunately. [emoji16]

[PA4TIM]

Those holes should have the screws to open the sidecaps. The most comic part:

Item has not been tested and may have some knobs missing,

  Not only the knobs, the switch too

The high price is compensated by the name: a curve tracer semiconductor instrument monitor unit
They could ask more if they make that complete, it is a  : curve tracer semiconductor meter  tester powersupply charger instrument monitor unit

I have one, my big pride and joy, it was owned by a cal lab and stored in a climatized room unused since 1987. There was not even dust inside. Included were the original manual and a bunch DUT fixtures . (and the best part, it was free)
Pictures: http://www.pa4tim.nl/?p=2175

[TAMHAN]

This unit is completely overpriced. I paid about that for mine, which at least optically was complete....

[Cubdriver]

Comedy pricing: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362266671092 

Spot the problem with it.

Well, as they pointed out at least twice in the detailed description, it may be missing some knobs...  They're apparently not 100% certain about that, though...

-Pat

[Specmaster]

Comedy pricing: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362266671092 

Spot the problem with it.

Well, as they pointed out at least twice in the detailed description, it may be missing some knobs...  They're apparently not 100% certain about that, though...

-Pat

Too early to be a April fools joke.

[Cubdriver]

Comedy pricing: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362266671092 

Spot the problem with it.

Holly crap, are those bullet holes on the side ?!?!? 

Those are the captive retaining clamps that hold the side covers on.  The discoloration around them is residue from the frangible anti-tamper stickers cal labs put over cover screws to deter folks from opening things and mucking about.

I note that the description lists it as 'used'.  Doesn't that imply in working condition, based on evilBay's listing standards?  If anyone offer there in Großbritannien needs a parts mule, perhaps you could buy it then file a 'not as listed' (or whatever it is) claim against the seller and get it for peanuts...  (Not that I would suggest doing such a thing, of course, but being bitten like that might teach the seller a lesson in honesty...)

-Pat