Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Got one. It’s hammer shaped and can knock nails in

Edit: more seriously I have some nice Wera ones.

[Specmaster]

And it also shows of course that you've been there 

[tautech]

BT linesman set

Always wanted a set but now we're no longer on the copper network there seems no point so now to work out how to hack into a 5GHz microwave link.....   

[bitseeker]

They sit around here for weeks in the UK. No one seems to want them.

Also Heathkit did a DMM with Panaplex displays, the IM-2202: http://www.mjlorton.com/forum/index.php?topic=388.0

Yeah, it's a bummer when your acquisition targets don't align well with your geography.

[bd139]

Yes. Talking of which I’ve been working on SWMBO to align my acquisition targets without my geography being affected  ... SA might be a reality after all.

[bitseeker]

I'm not sure which is worse, time nuttery or volt nuttery, possibly time I would say, not that I'm a position to shout from, what with my radio controlled watches 

If you've got the time, there's plenty of nuttery to keep you occupied.

[bitseeker]

They sit around here for weeks in the UK. No one seems to want them.

Also Heathkit did a DMM with Panaplex displays, the IM-2202: http://www.mjlorton.com/forum/index.php?topic=388.0

Hmmm... okay, I'm going to show some ignorance here, or maybe just my CRS acting up again... a question for those who are aficionados of the tech and know:

I know I've had gear with red Panaplex (segmented plasma) display; are these all amber with red filters like the kit you linked to? I could SWEAR I remember seeing actual red ones, stripped down to the bare module on some of my old gear from back in the day... I know that all the plasma screens they used on the luggable PCs and early laptops were amber, so now I'm doubting my recollection...

The displays I've seen are like the one on the TI-4000. They have no particular color when powered off (looks all gray). They're like Nixie tubes, but with segments instead of full digits. When energized, they glow orange/amber and have a similarly colored filter for contrast.

[bd139]

AFAIK they are basically multiple incandescent filaments in the same envelope so in theory you can change the colour with the applied voltage. Too much and bye bye though. 

[Cubdriver]

Panaplex displays are neon - unfiltered they will be orange, same as nixies and bare neon lamps.



-Pat

[tggzzz]

AFAIK they are basically multiple incandescent filaments in the same envelope so in theory you can change the colour with the applied voltage. Too much and bye bye though.

That description matches numitron displays.

[Specmaster]

Heres some Panaplex displays in operation

[mnementh]

mnem, you could well be right, so maybe its looking as it if could end being Philips or HP then.

Problem with them is documentation of course. But if you can get it, the service documentation is usually almost as detailed and complete as Tek. When did a "Principles of Operation" section stop being a given in any service literature?      

They sit around here for weeks in the UK. No one seems to want them.

Also Heathkit did a DMM with Panaplex displays, the IM-2202: http://www.mjlorton.com/forum/index.php?topic=388.0

Hmmm... okay, I'm going to show some ignorance here, or maybe just my CRS acting up again... a question for those who are aficionados of the tech and know:

I know I've had gear with red Panaplex (segmented plasma) display; are these all amber with red filters like the kit you linked to? I could SWEAR I remember seeing actual red ones, stripped down to the bare module on some of my old gear from back in the day... I know that all the plasma screens they used on the luggable PCs and early laptops were amber, so now I'm doubting my recollection...

The displays I've seen are like the one on the TI-4000. They have no particular color when powered off (looks all gray). They're like Nixie tubes, but with segments instead of full digits. When energized, they glow orange/amber and have a similarly colored filter for contrast.

Yes; neon and plasma displays are cousins... both forms of ionized gas illumination. The difference is what gases are used; pure neon glows red, while the gas commonly used in a NE-1 neon bulb (and nixie tubes) is a mix of neon and helium, because this mix is more resistant to arcing and produces more visible light from a small volume. Knowing this, I'm sure it's POSSIBLE they made Panaplex (or Nixies too, I suppose) displays with pure neon for red digits; I just don't know if they DID. I know I've seen NE-1s and candelabra "flicker bulbs" in red neon; I had a couple in my window along with the usual amber ones until a few years ago when a certain short person knocked them down.

Heres some Panaplex displays in operation

Oooh... video of working VariSymbol modules! Awresome, that is a real treat!



 

Moving forward...

I've been triaging a bunch of junque precious artifacts from my storage room; among them are a pair of these REDEL P1 type interconnects for Ifni knows what all. I vaguely remember them being from a lot of low-voltage lighting, or maybe lawn sprinkler timer parts, but I haven't been able to confirm that purpose.

IIRC, they look somewhat similar to the connectors on those Solartron meters you guys were talking about a while back. They are in a 2+4 configuration; larger pins are 1.3mm dia, smaller pins are 0.5mm. They are soldered to double-insulated 18-20ga wires on the larger pins, and 24-26ga wires on the smaller pins. Cables appear to be unshielded, but outer sheathing is o-ring sealed against the screw-together outer housing and appears to be direct buriable Pliovic or similar. Overall length is approx 2015mm, so 2m nominal length.



Anybody wants them, drop me a PM with a snail mail address. First come, first served. If I have a lot of people ask, I'll split them up between the first two.

I also have several 40-80GB 3.5" IDE hard drives that still run quiet and formatted without issue. If you can use them to resurrect some of your older gear, same deal applies.


Cheers,


mnem
*Back to the grind*

[bd139]

Random victory. Fixed the HT on the D83. Was a dead electrolytic capacitor. It’s now rock solid.

Next step work out how I killed horizontal sweep!

[mnementh]

I've been consolidating pics, videos, documents and music from various old hard hard drives from the last 10 years into a single contiguous archive (hopefully with minimal file duplication) so I can decommission the hard drives. I've been at it for two shit... three days, and I'm about half done.

I'm so feeling my inner CodeMonkey right now... have consumed nothing but caffeine & leftovers since Saturday. Gauging from razor stubble, been similar time since last shower.


Please shoot me now.


mnem

[tautech]

Random victory. Fixed the HT on the D83. Was a dead electrolytic capacitor. It’s now rock solid.

Associated with the EHT primary side oscillator ?

[bd139]

That's the one. It had been replaced already but appears to have been replaced with a wholly inadequate wun hung lo unit.

Also found out the issue with the X channel doing bugger all. I checked the calibrator output and that was suspiciously dead as well. Then I went back and checked the voltages on the power supply on the horizontal board. 24V line was down to 18.05V! Hmm. Schooboy error. Guess who obviously munted the trimmer during assembly. Ah well you live and you learn. Adjusted it back up to 24 volts and bingo. It works. Literally everything is "about right" which wasn't the case when it was received. Big improvement!

HT is still a bit dicky. Drops out and whines for a few seconds occasionally rather than fails to start entirely but that's the old poly caps in it which I will replace when I find some suitable ones I'm willing to pay for. Well I hope it's the poly caps. If it's not it's the transformer. I isolated the whine using a low tech piece of cardboard and nature's second most useful test gear after the nose i.e the ear.

Mainly though, the arse transplant worked and I didn't cock anything up other than the power supply trim!

Regulation victory picture!

I've been consolidating pics, videos, documents and music from various old hard hard drives from the last 10 years into a single contiguous archive (hopefully with minimal file duplication) so I can decommission the hard drives. I've been at it for two shit... three days, and I'm about half done.

I'm so feeling my inner CodeMonkey right now... have consumed nothing but caffeine & leftovers since Saturday. Gauging from razor stubble, been similar time since last shower.


Please shoot me now.


mnem

Good luck. I hate doing that. I literally spent 3 months doing it a few years back. Was worth it in the end though 

[bitseeker]

I've been consolidating pics, videos, documents and music from various old hard hard drives from the last 10 years into a single contiguous archive (hopefully with minimal file duplication) so I can decommission the hard drives.

Ah, yes. That's been on my to-do list for some time, along with archiving files from tons of 5-1/4" floppies.

Please shoot me now.

Maybe after you're done.

[Specmaster]

Wow, that's a thing of beauty, nice sharp trace on it [emoji106]

[bd139]

Wow, that's a thing of beauty, nice sharp trace on it [emoji106]

It’s super sharp. The picture actually looks really fuzzy compared to the result via eyeballs.

[tautech]

Wow, that's a thing of beauty, nice sharp trace on it [emoji106]

It’s super sharp. The picture actually looks really fuzzy compared to the result via eyeballs.

Brings a tear to the eye ! 
Sent mom a pic ?

[bd139]

I will indeed do that when she’s got her cataracts sorted next week

[Specmaster]

I will indeed do that when she’s got her cataracts sorted next week

She'll be so pleased and proud of you then for sure.

[tautech]

I will indeed do that when she’s got her cataracts sorted next week

Oh dear ! Hope that goes well !

Those traces will sharpen up more when you finish reworking the EHT area.
Done the EHT divider resistors ?

[bd139]

I will indeed do that when she’s got her cataracts sorted next week

She'll so pleased and proud of you then for sure.

Or probably smirk, raise one eyebrow and ask when I’m taking away all the other junk in her place 

I will indeed do that when she’s got her cataracts sorted next week

Oh dear ! Hope that goes well !

Those traces will sharpen up more when you finish reworking the EHT area.
Done the EHT divider resistors ?

Yeah sounds horrible. Can’t stand people poking around in eyes 

They might sharpen up more. The HT oscillator isn’t healthy at the moment so there’s some noise on the traces if you look closely. I’m happy if it just starts consistently

[Specmaster]

I've been consolidating pics, videos, documents and music from various old hard hard drives from the last 10 years into a single contiguous archive (hopefully with minimal file duplication) so I can decommission the hard drives.

Ah, yes. That's been on my to-do list for some time, along with archiving files from tons of 5-1/4" floppies.

Please shoot me now.

Maybe after you're done.

Crikey, are you still using 5.26 floppies? They were the drives on my first main stream computer, Amstrad 1512 with twin floppy drives. I later added a hard drive card of 20MB size which was an eye watering £100 plus even secondhand then. These days that equates to approx 4 digital photos [emoji848]