Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/used-equipment-101-taking-the-gamble-on-fleabay/


mnem
 

[Zucca]

Last 3 Kits...

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/(de)-fs-30x-0603-resistor-kit/

[Cubdriver]

I think Ebay buyers who don't leave feedback ought to be banned, I'm getting sick of the bastards, their quick in sending you derisory offers, asking that you take extra care when packing the item etc and then, once delivered all safe and sound they to ground and if you email them and ask them to leave you feedback so that you may leave them some as well, and what do they do? they ignore your request 

As a seller, do you leave them feedback?  My long-time feedback policy (developed when I was first starting out and had little feedback, after leaving feedback for all sellers and frequently not getting any in return) is that as a buyer, once I pay for the item, my part is done.  The seller should then leave me feedback.  If they do not leave me feedback, then they get none from me.

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

The mail man just dropped off the latest package from our favorite wallet evacuation site, a little Systron-Donner digital meter.  It initially powered up, but as I was applying some test voltages, it went dark.  I think it likely has filter caps that are no longer, as it was made about 45 years ago and they appear to be the original ones.  For the nixie fans, I've uploaded another short (and unfortunately rather dizzying due to my crappy handheld camera work) video documenting its turn on, and quick demise.  We'll call it a 'soft' demise, as no magic smoke emerged and it looks like a fuse did its thing for once...

More fodder for the repair queue.   



-Pat

[nixiefreqq]

ballantine?  my old man drank their beer up until they stopped brewing the swill.

I want it, BUT...…….my hp counters might revolt.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ballantine-Laboratories-Digital-Frequency-Counter-Model-5700A/183383140011?hash=item2ab27ca6ab:g:dEUAAOSwcWpbdfqG

LOL - that's sorely tempting.     Must resist - I have too damned much stuff now!!

-Pat

you would be doing a good deed, and stop me jonesing for the damn ugly thing.

its got 9 (count 'em 9) digits.  none of my orange glowing hp units have 9.

come on man.....have pity.  buy it and stop me from going back to look again and again.

its making me itch all over!

You need to find a 5360A counter (11 or 12 orange glowy digits?), I regret not bidding on one a few years ago that made very little, having said that it looks very complex if it goes wrong and has a special rats-nest wiring loom inside;

https://pmanning.smugmug.com/Electronics/HP-5360A-Computing-Counter

David

always lusted for a 5360a because of all the glowing goodness.  BUT after reading the "the emperors" horror story about the multiple units he acquired.....no way.

apparently the problem is the massive parts count.  he reports over 500 ttl ic's that just constantly decide that their time has come.

don't really need a reason to up the dosage on my bp meds right now.

http://emperoroftestequipment.weebly.com/

[tggzzz]

I think Ebay buyers who don't leave feedback ought to be banned, I'm getting sick of the bastards, their quick in sending you derisory offers, asking that you take extra care when packing the item etc and then, once delivered all safe and sound they to ground and if you email them and ask them to leave you feedback so that you may leave them some as well, and what do they do? they ignore your request 

As a seller, do you leave them feedback?  My long-time feedback policy (developed when I was first starting out and had little feedback, after leaving feedback for all sellers and frequently not getting any in return) is that as a buyer, once I pay for the item, my part is done.  The seller should then leave me feedback.  If they do not leave me feedback, then they get none from me.

On fleabay it is not a symmetrical relationship between buyer and seller.

I believe[1] that once feedback is given, it becomes more difficult to take action subsequently.
The buyers can immediately tell if the seller has cheated them, claim a refund, and ebay will support the buyer.
The seller cannot tell whether the buyer will file a false charge claiming the item was not as described, and demand a refund; and ebay will not support the seller.

Hence, as a buyer I give positive feedback ASAP, but as a seller I will not give feedback until the buyer has indicated their good faith.

[1] I have no experience as a seller, but have made a few claims for small items as a buyer; some plastic bags missing a ziplock, and some Kelvin leads that were open circuit.

[Specmaster]

I think Ebay buyers who don't leave feedback ought to be banned, I'm getting sick of the bastards, their quick in sending you derisory offers, asking that you take extra care when packing the item etc and then, once delivered all safe and sound they to ground and if you email them and ask them to leave you feedback so that you may leave them some as well, and what do they do? they ignore your request 

As a seller, do you leave them feedback?  My long-time feedback policy (developed when I was first starting out and had little feedback, after leaving feedback for all sellers and frequently not getting any in return) is that as a buyer, once I pay for the item, my part is done.  The seller should then leave me feedback.  If they do not leave me feedback, then they get none from me.

On fleabay it is not a symmetrical relationship between buyer and seller.

I believe[1] that once feedback is given, it becomes more difficult to take action subsequently.
The buyers can immediately tell if the seller has cheated them, claim a refund, and ebay will support the buyer.
The seller cannot tell whether the buyer will file a false charge claiming the item was not as described, and demand a refund; and ebay will not support the seller.

Hence, as a buyer I give positive feedback ASAP, but as a seller I will not give feedback until the buyer has indicated their good faith.

[1] I have no experience as a seller, but have made a few claims for small items as a buyer; some plastic bags missing a ziplock, and some Kelvin leads that were open circuit.

This is just how I operate as well, in buyer mode, I always leave feedback but as a seller, only after the buyer has left feedback otherwise I might be leaving myself wideopen for claims from the buyer, and I've had a couple but Ebay have always allowed me to keep the sales money anyway because of the circumstances and also because I take photos at stages of the packing process to prove that it items was very well packed when I dispatched it.

[neo]

The mail man just dropped off the latest package from our favorite wallet evacuation site, a little Systron-Donner digital meter.  It initially powered up, but as I was applying some test voltages, it went dark.  I think it likely has filter caps that are no longer, as it was made about 45 years ago and they appear to be the original ones.  For the nixie fans, I've uploaded another short (and unfortunately rather dizzying due to my crappy handheld camera work) video documenting its turn on, and quick demise.  We'll call it a 'soft' demise, as no magic smoke emerged and it looks like a fuse did its thing for once...

More fodder for the repair queue.   

-Pat

Hey, you finally got one too!
Using my systron donner / fairchild 7050 as a reference.
Change all the caps, the HV one literally fell apart in my hands.
It may need a new cord since it may be the original with it having no iec jack.
And there is a transistor that, when looking at it from the front, is in the back left. Q34 though the board is unnumbered, it is identifiable as the only one on that back corner and it has a heatsink on it. Failure of this part bricks the entire thing till it is replaced.

Above all else please exercise caution and safety, there exists exposed mains on the bottom of this thing.

edited to make more useful.

[bitseeker]

Do i absolutely need my Keyithley electrometer that goes from 20mA down to a 2pA rage?

Compared to atto amps, 2pA is a rage (of electrons).

Mine only goes down to 20pA with 10fA resolution. So, I guess I'm safe from atto amp nuttiness.

When is the last time used the prefix atto because even using femto was too big!

EDIT: By the way 100 attoamps is about 600 electrons per second. So the thing might as well be called a electron counter.

Indeed, on both counts.

[bitseeker]

Volt nuttery and TEA - and a slight OCD tendency to like having sets of complimentary gear, "forced " me to get a Fluke Lead Compensator 721A, to go with the 720A KVD  and 845AR Null voltmeter

I think for TEA it may be better for us to just add up the poundage of all your equipment and present the number rather than show pics of it all LOL.

Well, at least that way the units would be going the other direction. Gigagrams anyone?

[bitseeker]

This thread needs a disclaimer. It's not a self-help group 

Sure it is. You can help yourself to more test equipment at any time. We'll even give you links, if needed.

[bitseeker]

I think Ebay buyers who don't leave feedback ought to be banned, I'm getting sick of the bastards, their quick in sending you derisory offers, asking that you take extra care when packing the item etc and then, once delivered all safe and sound they to ground and if you email them and ask them to leave you feedback so that you may leave them some as well, and what do they do? they ignore your request 

Yeah, I've gotten those too, including the detailed packing request with no feedback. Now, I've started checking if people (buyers or sellers) leave feedback before posting any.

[Carl_Smith]

I think Ebay buyers who don't leave feedback ought to be banned, I'm getting sick of the bastards, their quick in sending you derisory offers, asking that you take extra care when packing the item etc and then, once delivered all safe and sound they to ground and if you email them and ask them to leave you feedback so that you may leave them some as well, and what do they do? they ignore your request 

As a seller, do you leave them feedback?  My long-time feedback policy (developed when I was first starting out and had little feedback, after leaving feedback for all sellers and frequently not getting any in return) is that as a buyer, once I pay for the item, my part is done.  The seller should then leave me feedback.  If they do not leave me feedback, then they get none from me.

-Pat

I agree with Pat here.  When the buyer pays they have done their part of the transaction and the seller should give positive feedback immediately.  This allows the buyer the opportunity to give neutral or negative feedback if there is a problem worthy of such, without fear of retaliation from the seller with unwarranted negative feedback.

For this reason, as a buyer I will not give feedback until the seller leaves me one.  Although, now that I think about it, I guess there's no good reason I couldn't leave positive feedback once I'm sure I am satisfied with the item.  But I guess another reason I do it this way is to encourage the seller to leave feedback.

As a seller, I immediately leave positive feedback for the buyer when I ship the item. 

I have sold far more on eBay than I have ever bought, so I'm not being biased toward the buyers here.  I've sold over 200 items on eBay in the last 4 years and only once have I wished that I hadn't left positive feedback for a buyer at the time of shipping the item.   I had one buyer that bought something that he didn't know the purpose of, then claimed it was defective when it didn't do the thing it was never supposed to do.  eBay let him return the item even though at that time I had no returns on all my listings, and eBay made me pay the return shipping as well.  Once I explained this to eBay, and explained to eBay that the returned item tested good, they refunded the return shipping charge but I was still stuck with an item I couldn't sell as new in package.  And now I set all my listings to allow returns with buyer pays return shipping.  I figure if eBay is going to let them return things anyway, I might as well make my listings look better by allowing returns.

Despite my leaving feedback for every one of the 233 buyers I've sold to in the last 4 years, I still have received only 104 feedback as seller.   

[neo]

The mail man just dropped off the latest package from our favorite wallet evacuation site, a little Systron-Donner digital meter.  It initially powered up, but as I was applying some test voltages, it went dark.  I think it likely has filter caps that are no longer, as it was made about 45 years ago and they appear to be the original ones.  For the nixie fans, I've uploaded another short (and unfortunately rather dizzying due to my crappy handheld camera work) video documenting its turn on, and quick demise.  We'll call it a 'soft' demise, as no magic smoke emerged and it looks like a fuse did its thing for once...

More fodder for the repair queue.   

-Pat

Hey, you finally got one too!
Using my systron donner / fairchild 7050 as a reference.
Change all the caps, the HV one literally fell apart in my hands.
It may need a new cord since it may be the original with it having no iec jack.
And there is a transistor that, when looking at it from the front, is in the back left. Q34 though the board is unnumbered, it is identifiable as the only one on that back corner and it has a heatsink on it. Failure of this part bricks the entire thing till it is replaced.

Above all else please exercise caution and safety, there exists exposed mains on the bottom of this thing.

edited to make more useful.

@Bitseeker, do you suppose this merits a POI or is the meter too obscure?

[Specmaster]

I think Ebay buyers who don't leave feedback ought to be banned, I'm getting sick of the bastards, their quick in sending you derisory offers, asking that you take extra care when packing the item etc and then, once delivered all safe and sound they to ground and if you email them and ask them to leave you feedback so that you may leave them some as well, and what do they do? they ignore your request 

As a seller, do you leave them feedback?  My long-time feedback policy (developed when I was first starting out and had little feedback, after leaving feedback for all sellers and frequently not getting any in return) is that as a buyer, once I pay for the item, my part is done.  The seller should then leave me feedback.  If they do not leave me feedback, then they get none from me.

-Pat

I agree with Pat here.  When the buyer pays they have done their part of the transaction and the seller should give positive feedback immediately.  This allows the buyer the opportunity to give neutral or negative feedback if there is a problem worthy of such, without fear of retaliation from the seller with unwarranted negative feedback.

For this reason, as a buyer I will not give feedback until the seller leaves me one.  Although, now that I think about it, I guess there's no good reason I couldn't leave positive feedback once I'm sure I am satisfied with the item.  But I guess another reason I do it this way is to encourage the seller to leave feedback.

As a seller, I immediately leave positive feedback for the buyer when I ship the item. 

I have sold far more on eBay than I have ever bought, so I'm not being biased toward the buyers here.  I've sold over 200 items on eBay in the last 4 years and only once have I wished that I hadn't left positive feedback for a buyer at the time of shipping the item.   I had one buyer that bought something that he didn't know the purpose of, then claimed it was defective when it didn't do the thing it was never supposed to do.  eBay let him return the item even though at that time I had no returns on all my listings, and eBay made me pay the return shipping as well.  Once I explained this to eBay, and explained to eBay that the returned item tested good, they refunded the return shipping charge but I was still stuck with an item I couldn't sell as new in package.  And now I set all my listings to allow returns with buyer pays return shipping.  I figure if eBay is going to let them return things anyway, I might as well make my listings look better by allowing returns.

Despite my leaving feedback for every one of the 233 buyers I've sold to in the last 4 years, I still have received only 104 feedback as seller.   

I disagree with leaving feedback for buyers as soon as they have paid. There are real numpties out there and I recently had one of them and Ebay made me take it back despite me stating returns not allowed. Once the items were returned, they were not packed in the manner that I did and they arrived back damaged. I took photos and got onto Ebay about the problems and they agreed that the buyer had not taken care of them, they were sent out as new and sealed and back opened, damaged and not even packed well enough to prevent damage being done. Ebay refunded all of my money within minutes. I got the feeling that the buyer was going to be trouble as prior to the sale he was seeking a special deal which he got and then he went to ground for a few days before replying saying that he wanted the items accepted the deal and then took another few days to bloody pay for them.

Had I left positive feedback for him then it would give other sellers a better impression of him than he deserved and then he could go on and bugger other sellers about. I have 100% positive feedback with almost 1,000 transactions now and I wish to protect that status so there is no way that I'm going to be unreasonable in my dealings, so as a buyer, if I'm happy with the item then I give positive feedback and if I'm not, then before leaving feedback I contact the seller and give them the chance to remedy the position first and then leave feedback once an arrangement has been agreed. As a seller, I let the buyer know that once they have left feedback for me, then I'll do likewise for them and that is I believe absolutely fair to all parties involved. Once you've left feedback you can't take it back or change it and that feedback system is a double edged sword that if used correctly helps buyer and seller alike.

[xrunner]

There are real numpties out there ...

Oh that's my word of the day - numpties! 

[Carl_Smith]

...so as a buyer, if I'm happy with the item then I give positive feedback and if I'm not, then before leaving feedback I contact the seller and give them the chance to remedy the position first and then leave feedback once an arrangement has been agreed.

I agree with this.  People should attempt to resolve issues before leaving negative feedback.

And if things are resolved, leave a positive feedback, maybe with something like "had an issue but seller took care of it."

[mtdoc]

I think Ebay buyers who don't leave feedback ought to be banned, I'm getting sick of the bastards, their quick in sending you derisory offers, asking that you take extra care when packing the item etc and then, once delivered all safe and sound they to ground and if you email them and ask them to leave you feedback so that you may leave them some as well, and what do they do? they ignore your request 

As a seller, do you leave them feedback?  My long-time feedback policy (developed when I was first starting out and had little feedback, after leaving feedback for all sellers and frequently not getting any in return) is that as a buyer, once I pay for the item, my part is done.  The seller should then leave me feedback.  If they do not leave me feedback, then they get none from me.

-Pat

I agree with Pat here.  When the buyer pays they have done their part of the transaction and the seller should give positive feedback immediately.  This allows the buyer the opportunity to give neutral or negative feedback if there is a problem worthy of such, without fear of retaliation from the seller with unwarranted negative feedback.

For this reason, as a buyer I will not give feedback until the seller leaves me one.  Although, now that I think about it, I guess there's no good reason I couldn't leave positive feedback once I'm sure I am satisfied with the item.  But I guess another reason I do it this way is to encourage the seller to leave feedback.

As a seller, I immediately leave positive feedback for the buyer when I ship the item. 

I have sold far more on eBay than I have ever bought, so I'm not being biased toward the buyers here.  I've sold over 200 items on eBay in the last 4 years and only once have I wished that I hadn't left positive feedback for a buyer at the time of shipping the item.   I had one buyer that bought something that he didn't know the purpose of, then claimed it was defective when it didn't do the thing it was never supposed to do.  eBay let him return the item even though at that time I had no returns on all my listings, and eBay made me pay the return shipping as well.  Once I explained this to eBay, and explained to eBay that the returned item tested good, they refunded the return shipping charge but I was still stuck with an item I couldn't sell as new in package.  And now I set all my listings to allow returns with buyer pays return shipping.  I figure if eBay is going to let them return things anyway, I might as well make my listings look better by allowing returns.

Despite my leaving feedback for every one of the 233 buyers I've sold to in the last 4 years, I still have received only 104 feedback as seller.   

I agree with Pat and Carl. A buyer has fullfilled their obligation once they have paid for the item.  They are not obliged to leave good feedback.  Why would a buyer leave positive feedback to a seller that has not left them feedback after their purchase?

Of course there are some dickhead's out there that will return stuff or claim that an item was not as described, etc. But that is the price of doing business on eBay.  Such a buyer is hardly going to be persuaded to not do so based on lack of feedback from the seller.    Feedback helps the buyer evaluate a seller not visa versa. As a seller on eBay, I cannot refuse to sell to someone if they have poor feedback.

[bitseeker]

The mail man just dropped off the latest package from our favorite wallet evacuation site, a little Systron-Donner digital meter.

Hey, you finally got one too!
Using my systron donner / fairchild 7050 as a reference.

@Bitseeker, do you suppose this merits a POI or is the meter too obscure?

Added

[bitseeker]

...so as a buyer, if I'm happy with the item then I give positive feedback and if I'm not, then before leaving feedback I contact the seller and give them the chance to remedy the position first and then leave feedback once an arrangement has been agreed.

I agree with this.  People should attempt to resolve issues before leaving negative feedback.

And if things are resolved, leave a positive feedback, maybe with something like "had an issue but seller took care of it."

Yep, it happened to me where an item arrived that wasn't as described. I contacted the seller and he took care of it right away without putting up a fight. I left positive feedback stating that the item wasn't as described, but the return was quick and painless. Usually I'd leave at most a neutral if I have to make a return under eBay Buyer Protection, but the seller was quick and professional about it.

[neo]

The mail man just dropped off the latest package from our favorite wallet evacuation site, a little Systron-Donner digital meter.

Hey, you finally got one too!
Using my systron donner / fairchild 7050 as a reference.

@Bitseeker, do you suppose this merits a POI or is the meter too obscure?

Added

Thanks, though i meant my description of what likes to go wrong in them, that works too. All one needs do is scroll down to find it.

[bitseeker]

Yeah, I usually link to the practical beginning of the topic of interest. It's all good.

[Cubdriver]

ballantine?  my old man drank their beer up until they stopped brewing the swill.

I want it, BUT...…….my hp counters might revolt.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ballantine-Laboratories-Digital-Frequency-Counter-Model-5700A/183383140011?hash=item2ab27ca6ab:g:dEUAAOSwcWpbdfqG

LOL - that's sorely tempting.     Must resist - I have too damned much stuff now!!

-Pat

you would be doing a good deed, and stop me jonesing for the damn ugly thing.

its got 9 (count 'em 9) digits.  none of my orange glowing hp units have 9.

come on man.....have pity.  buy it and stop me from going back to look again and again.

its making me itch all over!

You need to find a 5360A counter (11 or 12 orange glowy digits?), I regret not bidding on one a few years ago that made very little, having said that it looks very complex if it goes wrong and has a special rats-nest wiring loom inside;

https://pmanning.smugmug.com/Electronics/HP-5360A-Computing-Counter

David

always lusted for a 5360a because of all the glowing goodness.  BUT after reading the "the emperors" horror story about the multiple units he acquired.....no way.

apparently the problem is the massive parts count.  he reports over 500 ttl ic's that just constantly decide that their time has come.

don't really need a reason to up the dosage on my bp meds right now.

http://emperoroftestequipment.weebly.com/

There are certainly north of 300 of them, IIRC - there are individual photos of each of the boards on the SmugMug link above.  That's part of why the bloody thing weighs 55 pounds - the massive 5V supply for all those little black caterpillars living inside it!

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

The mail man just dropped off the latest package from our favorite wallet evacuation site, a little Systron-Donner digital meter.  It initially powered up, but as I was applying some test voltages, it went dark.  I think it likely has filter caps that are no longer, as it was made about 45 years ago and they appear to be the original ones.  For the nixie fans, I've uploaded another short (and unfortunately rather dizzying due to my crappy handheld camera work) video documenting its turn on, and quick demise.  We'll call it a 'soft' demise, as no magic smoke emerged and it looks like a fuse did its thing for once...

More fodder for the repair queue.   

-Pat

Hey, you finally got one too!
Using my systron donner / fairchild 7050 as a reference.
Change all the caps, the HV one literally fell apart in my hands.
It may need a new cord since it may be the original with it having no iec jack.
And there is a transistor that, when looking at it from the front, is in the back left. Q34 though the board is unnumbered, it is identifiable as the only one on that back corner and it has a heatsink on it. Failure of this part bricks the entire thing till it is replaced.

Above all else please exercise caution and safety, there exists exposed mains on the bottom of this thing.

edited to make more useful.

Excellent - thank you for the first hand knowledge and insight.  That will help when I go to fix it.

-Pat

[bitseeker]

Hmm, should there be an "official" TEA channel on YouTube?

And welcome to page 600 (if your forum settings are at the default number of posts per page).