Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bitseeker]

Yeah, the watercooler does act up a bit from time to time, but seems to self-regulate well enough. I'm not worried.

[Specmaster]

I'm sure Specmaster didn't write that either. 

Interesting. I wonder what happened there. Probably the solution is to avoid using a tablet and to use a real machine.

Tablets are ok  for content consumption, but at crap at content creation.

I wonder what happened myself because although I do have a number of tablets, I don't use them for accessing or posting to the forum, way to fiddly for people with big fingers. 

[bitseeker]

The forum's WYSIWYG mode is notorious for discombobulating the quoting mechanism. However, if you're using the mobile mode, I'm not sure that still applies.

[med6753]

Boy oh boy have we strayed off subject here. I'm going say my peace concerning pets and animals then try to get back on TEA.

When I was a kid my house was a menagerie of dogs, cats, rodents, reptiles, and amphibians. You name it, we probably had it. And every Spring I'd be out in the woods bringing home what ever I could catch. Frogs, toads, salamanders, and yes, even snakes. There's a good chance that if the electronics bug hadn't bitten me in my early teens that I would have gone into the field of Biology. With all those creatures in and out of our house not one of us ever caught any disease or aliment from them. So it's interesting to see there are real concerns with dogs, and especially cats, being disease carriers.

I currently have no pets. Why? 2 main reasons. First, my complex does not allow any pets. And I'm OK with that. And second, I still work and live alone. While my preference is cats and they are semi-independent I don't feel I can give one the care and feeding it requires.

Back to TEA. When I bought the Tek OS-245(P)/U scope a few months ago the case was a light military gray that was scratched and battered. So I cleaned it up and spray painted it a dark gray which was what I had on hand. But I wasn't happy with it. I decided I wanted Tek blue and started searching for a reasonably priced alternative. I found it. Krylon Gloss Bahama Sea. It's not a perfect match and it can't be used as a touch up for a currently painted cabinet. But for a new application it turned out well. But obviously it does not have the textured finish typical of Tek cabinets.

I don't know if the Krylon spray paint is available outside U.S./Canada. And I was surprised that I found it in my local home center and didn't have to special order it. 

[Mr. Scram]

From a biological point of view it makes sense that human pets carry parasites that pose a risk to humans. Parasites are often quite specialized. Random wildlife is less likely to carry something that happens to be able to infect humans. Parasites that have human pets as a host have more to gain from including humans to their repertoire.

Granted, there are a few notable exceptions where wildlife carry nasties that can infect humans.

[mnementh]

[RANDOM MODE]

I'm up at half-past "OH, FU**!!!" in the morning adding Flash on Clash LEDs on my new Lightsaber and building a rechargeable 18650 Li cell for my son's.

I really do fixate sometimes...

[/RANDOM MODE]


mnem

[tautech]

Want to put an end to this pet disease and parasite discussion.....look up dogs and Hydatids and how humans can host it too.
Once it was a major human health hazard.
It makes my skin crawl just to see someone let their dog lick their face and those that insist walking their dogs on school playing grounds. 
YUK !

[Specmaster]

The forum's WYSIWYG mode is notorious for discombobulating the quoting mechanism. However, if you're using the mobile mode, I'm not sure that still applies.

Tell me about it, I have tried WYSIWYG mode, it is useless, so I switched back pronto [emoji44]

From mobile device so predictive text might have struck again [emoji83]

[Specmaster]

Back onto TEA I'm very hopeful of adding a few items of TEA and related items today to my collection. Not going to say what they are at the moment for fear of putting the mockers on it but I'm keeping my fingers crossed 🤞

From mobile device so predictive text might have struck again [emoji83]

[med6753]

Back onto TEA I'm very hopeful of adding a few items of TEA and related items today to my collection. Not going to say what they are at the moment for fear of putting the mockers on it but I'm keeping my fingers crossed 🤞

From mobile device so predictive text might have struck again [emoji83]

You must post pictures. At the very least exteriors but you will earn bonus points for interior pron.

Anything less is unacceptable 

[Specmaster]

Back onto TEA I'm very hopeful of adding a few items of TEA and related items today to my collection. Not going to say what they are at the moment for fear of putting the mockers on it but I'm keeping my fingers crossed 🤞

From mobile device so predictive text might have struck again [emoji83]

You must post pictures. At the very least exteriors but you will earn bonus points for interior pron.

Anything less is unacceptable 

Rest assured if successful, there will be pictures, of both the exterior and the internals, can't live without some porn in my life 🤣

From mobile device so predictive text might have struck again [emoji83]

[mtdoc]

Want to put an end to this pet disease and parasite discussion.....look up dogs and Hydatids and how humans can host it too.
Once it was a major human health hazard.
It makes my skin crawl just to see someone let their dog lick their face and those that insist walking their dogs on school playing grounds. 
YUK !

Au contraire - a little parasitic worm exposure can be good for you.  Without it you’re more susceptible to a bunch of really nasty autoimmune diseases.  Some tapeworms with your TEA mon ami! 

[med6753]

I'll contribute some ugly teaser pron. 

This is an isolation transformer I built from scratch almost 40 years ago. Back in the day when most TV's and all radios were not fully isolated from the AC line and one of these units was mandatory to safely work on them.

Interior view. 2 salvaged transformers in parallel to get at least 120 volts. Yes, it's ugly in there but it's fully grounded and I consider it safe. If I were to build it today I'd used much better construction techniques.

[Specmaster]

Hmm, interesting, not quite sure how you mean that having two transformers in parallel provides 120V, surely you'd get that from a single transformer.

I like the idea of the voltage selector switch but out of interest, what is current ratings of those wafer switches?

The front looks nice and neat and a nice touch with the load switch as well as the incoming switch.

[med6753]

Hmm, interesting, not quite sure how you mean that having two transformers in parallel provides 120V, surely you'd get that from a single transformer.

I like the idea of the voltage selector switch but out of interest, what is current ratings of those wafer switches?

The front looks nice and neat and a nice touch with the load switch as well as the incoming switch.

Oops, I meant to say series. My bad. One transformer was salvaged from an audio amp that provided 102 VAC secondary. The other transformer has multiple low voltage taps on the secondary. Series them together to get 120 volts or close. If I recall correctly the wafer switch was rated at 3 amps but don't hold me to it. I never had any problems with it.

[tggzzz]

Back onto TEA I'm very hopeful of adding a few items of TEA and related items today to my collection. Not going to say what they are at the moment for fear of putting the mockers on it but I'm keeping my fingers crossed 🤞

Bad luck with the Philips PM2534 system multimeter; the prices do seem to reflect the provenance.

I'm surprised that the pile of books reached £580. No doubt some were useful, but there were many "firelighters" in there as well!

[Specmaster]

Back onto TEA I'm very hopeful of adding a few items of TEA and related items today to my collection. Not going to say what they are at the moment for fear of putting the mockers on it but I'm keeping my fingers crossed 🤞

Bad luck with the Philips PM2534 system multimeter; the prices do seem to reflect the provenance.

I'm surprised that the pile of books reached £580. No doubt some were useful, but there were many "firelighters" in there as well!

Yep they certainly do reflect the provenance, while I missed out on the PM2534, didn't think it was worth going higher for incase it had the same shitty plastics that my PM2521 has. On the plus side however i did win a PM3390B 200MHz combiscope so at least I tip a toe into the digital scoping world and still have analog in the same machine, need to shift another of my other scopes now to make space for it, just wondering if it should the SS5710, the V-525 or the 1740, decisions decisions.

I bet the manuals for the 3390B were among that heap of books as well which might well be totally useless to the buyer, Just wish these action sites would employ people who actually know what it is that they are looking at and could then collate the other items that should be with the items, in this case and mains lead, manuals and maybe a pair of suitable probes? because it was supplied with manuals and a mains lead at the very least.

[mnementh]

I'll contribute some ugly teaser pron. 

This is an isolation transformer I built from scratch almost 40 years ago. Back in the day when most TV's and all radios were not fully isolated from the AC line and one of these units was mandatory to safely work on them.

Interior view. 2 salvaged transformers in parallel to get at least 120 volts. Yes, it's ugly in there but it's fully grounded and I consider it safe. If I were to build it today I'd used much better construction techniques.

Lovely example of Empirical Engineering.    The suicide tape around that cluster of wires is the perfect touch.

BTW... if you separate one of the bridges between sides of that outlet, you can mod your circuit to plug in any handy table lamp for use as a "dim bulb" test rig; I did that on one of my old medical isoformer/variacs back in the day.

mnem
Yes, you may touch it.

[med6753]

Lovely example of Empirical Engineering.    The suicide tape around that cluster of wires is the perfect touch.

BTW... if you separate one of the bridges between sides of that outlet, you can mod your circuit to plug in any handy table lamp for use as a "dim bulb" test rig; I did that on one of my old medical isoformer/variacs back in the day.

mnem
Yes, you may touch it.

Hey, that's UL and CSA approved suicide tape. 

Yea, been thinking of building up a dim bulb tester after the Tek 465 scared the crap out of me when a tant blew up when I hit power on. 

[bitseeker]

Back to TEA. When I bought the Tek OS-245(P)/U scope a few months ago the case was a light military gray that was scratched and battered. So I cleaned it up and spray painted it a dark gray which was what I had on hand. But I wasn't happy with it. I decided I wanted Tek blue and started searching for a reasonably priced alternative. I found it. Krylon Gloss Bahama Sea. It's not a perfect match and it can't be used as a touch up for a currently painted cabinet. But for a new application it turned out well. But obviously it does not have the textured finish typical of Tek cabinets.

I thought that color sounded familiar and found the post about it from a few years ago. https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/looking-for-goodinexpensive-bench-power-supply/msg544277/#msg544277

A few posts up in that thread are some pics that Tim posted of Rustoleum "Lagoon" that he used as a substitute for Power Designs blue, which is also similar to Tek blue. https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/looking-for-goodinexpensive-bench-power-supply/msg544196/#msg544196

[bd139]

Damn it I can’t keep away. TEA is like a crack addiction. Caught myself slacking again as I’m blocked on something (fucking software license problems and it turns out they don’t work on a Friday in Israel).

Had some spare cash to burn due some financial kismet so I bought another Rigol AWG this morning as I need a very frequency stable IF signal source for something and it is the cheapest even with the problems. Phase noise is a bit pants but it will do. Should get this tomorrow if DPD don’t fuck up. Also found a complete blithering idiot seller on eBay who has no idea what they are selling and keeps under pricing things which are trivially broken. Unfortunately nothing interesting available today as some other people are floating around them like flies around shit. I’m not linking them here or I’ll do myself out of toys and profitable fix ups (sorry all )

Anyway I’m going to bed in a sulk because I feel man flu coming which means my new toys are all going to get covered in snot.

[Specmaster]

Damn it I can’t keep away. TEA is like a crack addiction. Caught myself slacking again as I’m blocked on something (fucking software license problems and it turns out they don’t work on a Friday in Israel).

Had some spare cash to burn due some financial kismet so I bought another Rigol AWG this morning as I need a very frequency stable IF signal source for something and it is the cheapest even with the problems. Phase noise is a bit pants but it will do. Should get this tomorrow if DPD don’t fuck up. Also found a complete blithering idiot seller on eBay who has no idea what they are selling and keeps under pricing things which are trivially broken. Unfortunately nothing interesting available today as some other people are floating around them like flies around shit. I’m not linking them here or I’ll do myself out of toys and profitable fix ups (sorry all )

Anyway I’m going to bed in a sulk because I feel man flu coming which means my new toys are all going to get covered in snot.

Oh dear, man flu is the worst. Get yourself a nice hot toddy, drink it all down, and go to bed, wrap yourself up even though it's warm. That'll sweat it out of you over night and then tomorrow you should be much better and able to keep toys snot free [emoji6]

From mobile device so predictive text might have struck again [emoji83]

[bd139]

Haven’t had a toddy for years. No whiskey unfortunately. Just a bottle of pink plonk in the fridge. Found some hooky 30mg codeine tabs in the cupboard. That will do the job 

Was going to spend some time on the D83 seeing as I was blocked on stuff but didn’t get around to it

[mnementh]

Haven’t had a toddy for years. No whiskey unfortunately. Just a bottle of pink plonk in the fridge. Found some hooky 30mg codeine tabs in the cupboard. That will do the job 

Was going to spend some time on the D83 seeing as I was blocked on stuff but didn’t get around to it

Hooo yeah... a little Vicodin and some cheap wine and you'll be ready for some proper retail therapy. Amazon, y'all better fire up the drones now!


mnem

[Specmaster]

Haven’t had a toddy for years. No whiskey unfortunately. Just a bottle of pink plonk in the fridge. Found some hooky 30mg codeine tabs in the cupboard. That will do the job 

Was going to spend some time on the D83 seeing as I was blocked on stuff but didn’t get around to it

The Philips lab sale prices went through the roof but I did manage to secure a Fluke PM3390B for a reasonable price til they stuck commission and VAT on top, still way under the going rate though [emoji6]

From mobile device so predictive text might have struck again [emoji83]