Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Cerebus]

What's the little jack used for on the right side?

I would guess its for a 6v wall wart, is that correct Cerebus?

Haven't been able to find out for sure as I can't find a manual in any of the usual places. It appears to have +6V and -6V routed to it, so my surmise is as a power output for some optional active probe and/or preamplifier.

[mnementh]

Or it could be a Gould Advance Gamma meter?

Bingo! Made in Gould's Essex factory about, oh, three miles from where I'm sitting at the moment. Now gone, and I believe the estate in question is currently at risk of being turned into luxury flats (as is every other scrap of usable land around here at the moment, Stratford High Street is beginning to look like a stretch of any US cities' downtown residential district.)

For your no-prize I cede my rights to use the words "defenestrate", "autodefenestrate", and the phrase "trans-fenestral situations" on the forum to you for one whole week! 

Since all other relevant options appear to have been deprecated, I shall be forced to fenestrate you upon the tallest building within 3-33 km (roll D11 to determine) that Frenchmen (but not women, unless they are distractingly curvaceous, nor Saxons of any gender) from all walks of life may point and gawk!    Please gird your loins that small children are not scarred for life; this is a family exhibition. 

mnem
Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!!!

[Cerebus]

Since all other relevant options appear to have been deprecated, I shall be forced to fenestrate you upon the tallest building within 3-33 km (roll D11 to determine) that Frenchmen (but not women, unless they are distractingly curvaceous, nor Saxons of any gender) from all walks of life may point and gawk!    Please gird your loins that small children are not scarred for life; this is a family exhibition. 

So, you wish to put Cerebus in a pierced window in a high building so that Frenchmen can look up on Cerebus and fall prostrate in worship? By Tarim, Cerebus approves! Ensure that there is adequate apricot brandy and enough wenches for the expected duration.

[bitseeker]

Thank goodness Pixel Time is over.

For those in the US and Canada who've survived, it's TEA Time with 15% off "everything" on eBay today.

https://pages.ebay.com/promo/2018/0828/67245.html

You knew it was coming, mnem!

[Specmaster]

Thank goodness Pixel Time is over.

For those in the US and Canada who've survived, it's TEA Time with 15% off "everything" on eBay today.

https://pages.ebay.com/promo/2018/0828/67245.html

You knew it was coming, mnem!

Oi, come on Ebay, there are loads of us TEA folk here in the UK, stop giving us 10% of selected none TEA related sellers and gives us a unilateral deal like you do our brethren across the pond will yeh??? 

[bitseeker]

+1

I wonder, though, if you could still buy stuff on ebay.com or ebay.ca and ship to UK.

[Specmaster]

Probably but then the shipping would kill it stone dead in most cases, nice idea though.

[neo]

I at first was panicked and kinda bummed that the coupon showed upwhen i'm broke but then i realized it really isn't THAT good of a deal, 15% of 25 is 3.75, of 50 is 7.5. So yeah, good if you had money in hand and wanted to buy something anyway, however if not and you get swept up by it isn't anything but a petty cash grab from ebay.

[Specmaster]

Of course thats what all these money off coupons are about, they only issue them when revenue is dropping so they try and encourage more people to spend money that some cannot really afford in the first instance, in an effort to improve their cash flow.

[bitseeker]

On occasions when I do catch one of these and I happen to have something to buy that isn't an auction ending days later, I find the discount useful for buying stuff from China.

The vendors there are often competing for the bottom and aren't that keen on giving price breaks even when they dare to enable the Make Offer button (you might get 1-5% off). Thus, 15% off is a good discount and doesn't take anything off the seller's margin, so they don't pre-raise their prices like what happens on AliExpress.

[mnementh]

Since all other relevant options appear to have been deprecated, I shall be forced to fenestrate you upon the tallest building within 3-33 km (roll D11 to determine) that Frenchmen (but not women, unless they are distractingly curvaceous, nor Saxons of any gender) from all walks of life may point and gawk!    Please gird your loins that small children are not scarred for life; this is a family exhibition. 

So, you wish to put Cerebus in a pierced window in a high building so that Frenchmen can look up on Cerebus and fall prostrate in worship? By Tarim, Cerebus approves! Ensure that there is adequate apricot brandy and enough wenches for the expected duration.

I shall fully eneavour to comply; so far I have 17 apricots and two wenches, one of whom is named Brandy. She promises to bring a case of Guinness and a friend who is French. likes to French kiss. Gender of said friend YTBT.

I'll keep you updated.   

Thank goodness Pixel Time is over.

For those in the US and Canada who've survived, it's TEA Time with 15% off "everything" on eBay today.

https://pages.ebay.com/promo/2018/0828/67245.html

You knew it was coming, mnem!

Yup. Was just about to check again when I saw your post.   



DE-5000 FULL KIT on its way to me from eina-japan; a highly-rated vendor with lots of sales and good feedback on this item since January. US $88.40 delivered; ETA Sept 11-18th. 

Alas, fleaBay is being douche-ey and only allowing one use per customer; I should have made an offer on one of those 3468As earlier and put it all in one order, but I saw eina-japan's supply of DE-5000 kits dwindling and clicked BIN instead of ADD TO CART. 

Ah well... maybe this is Ifni's way of telling me to save my money for important shit. 


mnem
*Snogg-time*

[mnementh]

For those of you contemplating a Brymen 867S/869S, this promo makes them much more attractive at US $166.10/$228.58 respectively.    Alas, eBay will not help you pay for shipping, so the discount only applies to the actual sale price of the meter.   

mnem
"Carry on my wayward son; there'll be peace when you are done..."

[bd139]

Of course thats what all these money off coupons are about, they only issue them when revenue is dropping so they try and encourage more people to spend money that some cannot really afford in the first instance, in an effort to improve their cash flow.

That's basically marketing 101 for you.

[Cerebus]

Since all other relevant options appear to have been deprecated, I shall be forced to fenestrate you upon the tallest building within 3-33 km (roll D11 to determine) that Frenchmen (but not women, unless they are distractingly curvaceous, nor Saxons of any gender) from all walks of life may point and gawk!    Please gird your loins that small children are not scarred for life; this is a family exhibition. 

So, you wish to put Cerebus in a pierced window in a high building so that Frenchmen can look up on Cerebus and fall prostrate in worship? By Tarim, Cerebus approves! Ensure that there is adequate apricot brandy and enough wenches for the expected duration.

I shall fully eneavour to comply; so far I have 17 apricots and two wenches, one of whom is named Brandy. She promises to bring a case of Guinness and a friend who is French. likes to French kiss. Gender of said friend YTBT.

I'll keep you updated.   

[Cerebus shuffles off into the distance, muttering to himself]

"Just can't get the staff nowadays. Lord Julius tells Cerebus that beheading is not 'an appropriate disciplinary procedure'. Cerebus will have to talk to Lord Julius. Where did Cerebus put Cerebus' conversational sword and chainmail?"

[Ten Minutes Later]

"Why did Cerebus come to armoury? Where are Cerebus' reading glasses? Ooh, sharp, shiny..."

[tautech]

Since all other relevant options appear to have been deprecated, I shall be forced to fenestrate you upon the tallest building within 3-33 km (roll D11 to determine) that Frenchmen (but not women, unless they are distractingly curvaceous, nor Saxons of any gender) from all walks of life may point and gawk!    Please gird your loins that small children are not scarred for life; this is a family exhibition. 

So, you wish to put Cerebus in a pierced window in a high building so that Frenchmen can look up on Cerebus and fall prostrate in worship? By Tarim, Cerebus approves! Ensure that there is adequate apricot brandy and enough wenches for the expected duration.

I shall fully eneavour to comply; so far I have 17 apricots and two wenches, one of whom is named Brandy. She promises to bring a case of Guinness and a friend who is French. likes to French kiss. Gender of said friend YTBT.

I'll keep you updated.   

[Cerebus shuffles off into the distance, muttering to himself]

"Just can't get the staff nowadays. Lord Julius tells Cerebus that beheading is not 'an appropriate disciplinary procedure'. Cerebus will have to talk to Lord Julius. Where did Cerebus put Cerebus' conversational sword and chainmail?"

[Ten Minutes Later]

"Why did Cerebus come to armoury? Where are Cerebus' reading glasses? Ooh, sharp, shiny..."

     

You two would be a real hoot to get together for a round of TEA......tell us when that might happen, to be a spectator would be a real joy. 

Translation
we all have sick perverted minds !

[Specmaster]

Of course thats what all these money off coupons are about, they only issue them when revenue is dropping so they try and encourage more people to spend money that some cannot really afford in the first instance, in an effort to improve their cash flow.

That's basically marketing 101 for you.

Room 101? 

[mnementh]

Since all other relevant options appear to have been deprecated, I shall be forced to fenestrate you upon the tallest building within 3-33 km (roll D11 to determine) that Frenchmen (but not women, unless they are distractingly curvaceous, nor Saxons of any gender) from all walks of life may point and gawk!    Please gird your loins that small children are not scarred for life; this is a family exhibition. 

So, you wish to put Cerebus in a pierced window in a high building so that Frenchmen can look up on Cerebus and fall prostrate in worship? By Tarim, Cerebus approves! Ensure that there is adequate apricot brandy and enough wenches for the expected duration.

I shall fully eneavour to comply; so far I have 17 apricots and two wenches, one of whom is named Brandy. She promises to bring a case of Guinness and a friend who is French. likes to French kiss. Gender of said friend YTBT.

I'll keep you updated.   

[Cerebus shuffles off into the distance, muttering to himself]

"Just can't get the staff nowadays. Lord Julius tells Cerebus that beheading is not 'an appropriate disciplinary procedure'. Cerebus will have to talk to Lord Julius. Where did Cerebus put Cerebus' conversational sword and chainmail?"

[Ten Minutes Later]

"Why did Cerebus come to armoury? Where are Cerebus' reading glasses? Ooh, sharp, shiny..."

I see you've found Brandy's friend... the Guiness should be along any minute now, and it should be bringing Brandy, her sister Brandee, and her other sister Brandi.

So far on the spirits column, I have a cartload of Orange Julius Schnapps, an angry gentleman who was apparently run over by said cartload and is now haunting it, and a liter of Frangelico.

Also, "Leslie" from the Society for the Prevention of Parsley Placement on People's Plates in Public Places keeps calling for you but refuses to leave a message, and evidently news of your Green Garnish Crusades has reached the Vatican; you have a call from Pope Da'Gottago parked on the courtesy palantir in the West foyer just outside the armoury. I respectfully suggest you have clothes on before you answer this time; this IS a video call. 

mnem
"I was drunk off my ass on Schnapps..." ≠ "I'm sorry."

[mnementh]

(SNIP oodles of weirdness for brevity's sake)
      

You two would be a real hoot to get together for a round of TEA......tell us when that might happen, to be a spectator would be a real joy. 

Translation
we all have sick perverted minds !

Oh, this kind of round robin is one of my favorite mental exercises. Not often I get someone willing to take up the gauntlet though. Thanks, C!   

When I was younger, my friends used to say "Hey... lets gets mnem wasted and listen to him talk." 


mnem
Now they say "Aren't you gonna clean that up?"

[bd139]

Some quick unicorn porn. Replaced the capacitor, selenium rectifier. Voltage was too high at 175V (especially for the 160V cap across it) so I piddled around for a bit and ended up adding a 3.3K dropper in series with the diode. This dropped the differential supply down to the correct voltage ranges at the cost of 100mW out of the window. Meh.

There's a 1M tip resistor further up the line here that you can't see but check this. 10V reference. I haven't touched a damn thing and it was zeroed properly 



Everything appears to work! Will replace the mains cable tomorrow. Have ordered a probe kit from the US. Cost me more than the meter did!

[Specmaster]

(SNIP oodles of weirdness for brevity's sake)
      

You two would be a real hoot to get together for a round of TEA......tell us when that might happen, to be a spectator would be a real joy. 

Translation
we all have sick perverted minds !

Oh, this kind of round robin is one of my favorite mental exercises. Not often I get someone willing to take up the gauntlet though. Thanks, C!   

When I was younger, my friends used to say "Hey... lets gets mnem wasted and listen to him talk." 


mnem
Now they say "Aren't you gonna clean that up?"

🤣🤣

[Specmaster]

Some quick unicorn porn. Replaced the capacitor, selenium rectifier. Voltage was too high at 175V (especially for the 160V cap across it) so I piddled around for a bit and ended up adding a 3.3K dropper in series with the diode. This dropped the differential supply down to the correct voltage ranges at the cost of 100mW out of the window. Meh.

There's a 1M tip resistor further up the line here that you can't see but check this. 10V reference. I haven't touched a damn thing and it was zeroed properly 



Everything appears to work! Will replace the mains cable tomorrow. Have ordered a probe kit from the US. Cost me more than the meter did!

Yes, my Heathkit multimeter is the same 10v bang on the 10 line, very scary indeed considering as you rightly said minimal BOM

[bd139]

It’s actually quite a feat. If you consider all the resistors other than the dividers in these are shitty old carbon composition ones as well.

[Cerebus]

Since all other relevant options appear to have been deprecated, I shall be forced to fenestrate you upon the tallest building within 3-33 km (roll D11 to determine) that Frenchmen (but not women, unless they are distractingly curvaceous, nor Saxons of any gender) from all walks of life may point and gawk!    Please gird your loins that small children are not scarred for life; this is a family exhibition. 

So, you wish to put Cerebus in a pierced window in a high building so that Frenchmen can look up on Cerebus and fall prostrate in worship? By Tarim, Cerebus approves! Ensure that there is adequate apricot brandy and enough wenches for the expected duration.

I shall fully eneavour to comply; so far I have 17 apricots and two wenches, one of whom is named Brandy. She promises to bring a case of Guinness and a friend who is French. likes to French kiss. Gender of said friend YTBT.

I'll keep you updated.   

[Cerebus shuffles off into the distance, muttering to himself]

"Just can't get the staff nowadays. Lord Julius tells Cerebus that beheading is not 'an appropriate disciplinary procedure'. Cerebus will have to talk to Lord Julius. Where did Cerebus put Cerebus' conversational sword and chainmail?"

[Ten Minutes Later]

"Why did Cerebus come to armoury? Where are Cerebus' reading glasses? Ooh, sharp, shiny..."

I see you've found Brandy's friend... the Guiness should be along any minute now, and it should be bringing Brandy, her sister Brandee, and her other sister Brandi.

When Cerebus orders a triple brandy he expects a drink, not a triplet of wenches and Cerebus did not order black ale!

So far on the spirits column, I have a cartload of Orange Julius Schnapps, an angry gentleman who was apparently run over by said cartload and is now haunting it, and a liter of Frangelico.

Cerebus will take the spirits in a stein. Have the idiot with the cart beheaded unless you can think of a more amusing punishment.

Also, "Leslie" from the Society for the Prevention of Parsley Placement on People's Plates in Public Places keeps calling for you but refuses to leave a message, and evidently news of your Green Garnish Crusades has reached the Vatican; you have a call from Pope Da'Gottago parked on the courtesy palantir in the West foyer just outside the armoury. I respectfully suggest you have clothes on before you answer this time; this IS a video call. 

Is "Leslie" what the bug is calling himself nowadays?

If the pope calls Cerebus will wear what he always wears, chainmail, medallions, a sword and, if it's been raining, a strange musky smell. If the pope doesn't like it remind him that Cerebus was once Tarim's "vicar on Palinau" and it wouldn't take much more annoyance today to make a pogrom to re-take that seat seem like a relaxing vacation.

[med6753]

Some quick unicorn porn. Replaced the capacitor, selenium rectifier. Voltage was too high at 175V (especially for the 160V cap across it) so I piddled around for a bit and ended up adding a 3.3K dropper in series with the diode. This dropped the differential supply down to the correct voltage ranges at the cost of 100mW out of the window. Meh.

There's a 1M tip resistor further up the line here that you can't see but check this. 10V reference. I haven't touched a damn thing and it was zeroed properly 



Everything appears to work! Will replace the mains cable tomorrow. Have ordered a probe kit from the US. Cost me more than the meter did!

That's great! But I'm surprised that the B+ was that high. Apparently the 6AL5 duo diode requires a higher B+ than the 7A6 duo diode in my older (1951) Heath V-5.

[med6753]

Summer's last gasp here with another heat wave and the power grid is having trouble keeping up. Several reports of pole transformers releasing their magic smoke in spectacular fashion (burning oil, etc) and other reports of primary cables simply burning open and dropping to the ground and starting brush fires. And obviously creating a very real hazard.

Reached 94 F (34 C) today with oppressive humidity. Got home from work this morning and never went back out until tonight. Slept in a nice comfy 72 F (22 C) bedroom.