Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[PA0PBZ]

They are all at it now  , quoting stupid estimated delivery dates that is 
It helps them to claim that they beat the estimated delivery dates and therefore are a good company to do business with as they always better their own deadlines.

I wish… more often than not their estimates are correct if not a bit optimistic.

[Berni]

It happened again....

I bought a thing on ebay, and the shipping cost me more than what i payed for it... and it was listed "for parts".

[bd139]

That panda graphic reminds me of a friend I had years ago who was arrested doing 65mph in a 30 zone in a Ford Sierra Cosworth wearing an Orville the Duck costume. Not the brightest lad.

It happened again....

I bought a thing on ebay, and the shipping cost me more than what i payed for it... and it was listed "for parts".

This is a confession booth as well

[URI]

It happened again....

I bought a thing on ebay, and the shipping cost me more than what i payed for it... and it was listed "for parts".

Don't be worried too much.   
That happens to me also ..regularly. Living in Europe is a downside of TEA -transatlantic shipping costs..   

But it's a question of how your brain is trained/conditioned: I remember bargains (price for the TE only) very much better than the individual shipping costs. Even customs fees fade away quickly from my memory..
So it's just a matter of time I feel comfortable with an acquisition again -sometimes the delivery time from the US over the pond is enough for me.   

It's just training -try it, helps a lot.   
But never tell anybody about shipping prices, most importantly not your wife/partner -that would ruin all your efforts in this field...      

[tggzzz]

It happened again....

I bought a thing on ebay, and the shipping cost me more than what i payed for it... and it was listed "for parts".

... $10 and $65 in my case. I'm not sure whether that is or

But it is marked "used", and the picture indicates plausible operation.

[Specmaster]

... $10 and $65 in my case. I'm not sure whether that is or

But it is marked "used", and the picture indicates plausible operation.

Depending on what it is and who it came from, it could be a very good thing 

[tggzzz]

... $10 and $65 in my case. I'm not sure whether that is or

But it is marked "used", and the picture indicates plausible operation.

Depending on what it is and who it came from, it could be a very good thing 

POWER DESIGNS 2020B PRECISION DC SOURCE, titansales123

I'm happy about the sale price, less happy about the GSP p&p cost.

[bd139]

GSP 

Many a purchase I have been put off by that smelly great big turd.

The VTVM probes I just ordered shot me for £10.53 for a 90g jiffy bag the other day from US.

[Specmaster]

If it arrives in a spray foam lined carton to provide about 3" of secure high density foam on all sides of the gear then it is well worth it as that packaging can withstand a nuclear detonation almost. I've had 2 items shipped over the pond in that packaging and considering how these get manhandled on their route is unbelievable. Both items arrived without any further incident and both worked right out of the box, well after adjusting the voltage tappings of course.

Tomorrow my third such item from the other side of the pond should be delivered and will be packed in the same vein so it's well worth it in my view, especially if the item your after is not available over here or is as rare as rocking horse shit.

[bd139]

I still can't bring myself to pay as much as that for shipping even if the item is $10.

Edit: My rationale being is there are some totally mental crazy bargains here if you know where to look, plus most of the time if you decide to resell, the return isn't as good as local items and I've got enough grey hairs already. In fact even the grey ones are bailing out now.

[med6753]

All functions have the same common lead. There is no possibility for the AC probe and DC probe to become conductive to the other as they have different front ends and switching. This is true of the V-7A at least. I haven't looked at earlier units which might be hooky as hell.

The only nasty failure mode I'm aware of is if you connect a voltage source to it in X1 ohms range it'll smoke the 9.1 ohm resistor in the divider chain.

The older V-5 is the same as your V-7 even though it's a slightly different design. I don't understand why there would be the statement of possible voltage "feed-thru" from the DC probe to AC probe. Can't happen if wired correctly.

You'll smoke the 9.1 ohm resistor in all the Heath VTVM's right up through when they were discontinued in the 1980's. In fact, other brands of VTVM's will smoke the Ohms section too if you apply voltage to them.

[med6753]

Back on TEA. Probes and batteries for VTVM arrived today. Can recommend KK4HXJ's kits to anyone. They're really good quality.

Hmm, interesting note on his probe kits about voltage maybe present on the other probe while in use? Surely the original meters came with an additional probe for AC use so the you did not have to leave the DC probe connected in order to make use the only ground/common connection. The meters come with a Common and AC/Ohms jacks lus plus the DC which also by design connects to common?

That is one problem that my conversion eliminates as you only have the usual 2 probes and they both have to be used to make any measurement.

Got a link? I'm curious as to see what the probe assembly is.

When I rebuilt the Heath V-5 I decided NOT to install a 3 wire plug and ground it. I left it as designed 2 wire isolated. I have no intention of using on mains voltage so I saw no need to make the conversion. I have handheld DMM's such as the Fluke 87 to handle that work.

[Specmaster]

All functions have the same common lead. There is no possibility for the AC probe and DC probe to become conductive to the other as they have different front ends and switching. This is true of the V-7A at least. I haven't looked at earlier units which might be hooky as hell.

The only nasty failure mode I'm aware of is if you connect a voltage source to it in X1 ohms range it'll smoke the 9.1 ohm resistor in the divider chain.

The older V-5 is the same as your V-7 even though it's a slightly different design. I don't understand why there would be the statement of possible voltage "feed-thru" from the DC probe to AC probe. Can't happen if wired correctly.

You'll smoke the 9.1 ohm resistor in all the Heath VTVM's right up through when they were discontinued in the 1980's. In fact, other brands of VTVM's will smoke the Ohms section too if you apply voltage to them.

Seeing as are heathkit meters, maybe that statement is there covering himself because these meters could be purchased as kits or factory assembled, so it's feasible that a kit built one could be incorrectly wired?

[med6753]

All functions have the same common lead. There is no possibility for the AC probe and DC probe to become conductive to the other as they have different front ends and switching. This is true of the V-7A at least. I haven't looked at earlier units which might be hooky as hell.

The only nasty failure mode I'm aware of is if you connect a voltage source to it in X1 ohms range it'll smoke the 9.1 ohm resistor in the divider chain.

The older V-5 is the same as your V-7 even though it's a slightly different design. I don't understand why there would be the statement of possible voltage "feed-thru" from the DC probe to AC probe. Can't happen if wired correctly.

You'll smoke the 9.1 ohm resistor in all the Heath VTVM's right up through when they were discontinued in the 1980's. In fact, other brands of VTVM's will smoke the Ohms section too if you apply voltage to them.

Seeing as are heathkit meters, maybe that statement is there covering himself because these meters could be purchased as kits or factory assembled, so it's feasible that a kit built one could be incorrectly wired?

Good point. Could be a liability statement because we are a bunch of sue happy assholes over here. "It's always some else's fault" 

[Specmaster]

I still can't bring myself to pay as much as that for shipping even if the item is $10.

Edit: My rationale being is there are some totally mental crazy bargains here if you know where to look, plus most of the time if you decide to resell, the return isn't as good as local items and I've got enough grey hairs already. In fact even the grey ones are bailing out now.

It all depends on getting the right vibrations and taking a calculated risk, this is where the tips mnementh published come in very handy, the other thing of course is the cost of said item compared to the UK prices, for instance https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Used-1-Pcs-Hp-5-1-2-Digital-Multimeter-HP3468A-Tested-yg/123121925305 is many times the price I paid for a 3468A, even with the import duty and GSP cost added on.

[tggzzz]

I still can't bring myself to pay as much as that for shipping even if the item is $10.

Edit: My rationale being is there are some totally mental crazy bargains here if you know where to look, plus most of the time if you decide to resell, the return isn't as good as local items and I've got enough grey hairs already. In fact even the grey ones are bailing out now.

The only UK price I saw for those "stored in a damp barn, as seen" 2020 PSUs was £50+35%=£70 with 300 mile car journey on top. So even with GSP, the price isn't bad.

I hope

[Specmaster]

Back on TEA. Probes and batteries for VTVM arrived today. Can recommend KK4HXJ's kits to anyone. They're really good quality.

Hmm, interesting note on his probe kits about voltage maybe present on the other probe while in use? Surely the original meters came with an additional probe for AC use so the you did not have to leave the DC probe connected in order to make use the only ground/common connection. The meters come with a Common and AC/Ohms jacks lus plus the DC which also by design connects to common?

That is one problem that my conversion eliminates as you only have the usual 2 probes and they both have to be used to make any measurement.

Got a link? I'm curious as to see what the probe assembly is.

When I rebuilt the Heath V-5 I decided NOT to install a 3 wire plug and ground it. I left it as designed 2 wire isolated. I have no intention of using on mains voltage so I saw no need to make the conversion. I have handheld DMM's such as the Fluke 87 to handle that work.

To play devil's advocate here, what about anyone else using it on mains voltage, its clearly capable although it has zero protection. What about if you sell it on, that entire metal cabinet could be come live or "hot" if the wrong pole is plugged into the common socket 

[med6753]

Back on TEA. Probes and batteries for VTVM arrived today. Can recommend KK4HXJ's kits to anyone. They're really good quality.

Hmm, interesting note on his probe kits about voltage maybe present on the other probe while in use? Surely the original meters came with an additional probe for AC use so the you did not have to leave the DC probe connected in order to make use the only ground/common connection. The meters come with a Common and AC/Ohms jacks lus plus the DC which also by design connects to common?

That is one problem that my conversion eliminates as you only have the usual 2 probes and they both have to be used to make any measurement.

Got a link? I'm curious as to see what the probe assembly is.

When I rebuilt the Heath V-5 I decided NOT to install a 3 wire plug and ground it. I left it as designed 2 wire isolated. I have no intention of using on mains voltage so I saw no need to make the conversion. I have handheld DMM's such as the Fluke 87 to handle that work.

To play devil's advocate here, what about anyone else using it on mains voltage, its clearly capable although it has zero protection. What about if you sell it on, that entire metal cabinet could be come live or "hot" if the wrong pole is plugged into the common socket 

And I'll give you a blunt and to the point answer.....you need to understand what you are doing. If you don't and do it anyway and hurt or kill yourself I consider it Darwin at work.

[bd139]

Exactly that. Decent meter only stops the meter doing stupid things. There’s still a whole person worth of trouble there.

For reference if you stick one of those VTVMs in the primary side of a mains transformer I think you are crazy noo noo wally head.

Anyway had my 1AM piss so going back to bed now 

[Specmaster]

Exactly that. Decent meter only stops the meter doing stupid things. There’s still a whole person worth of trouble there.

For reference if you stick one of those VTVMs in the primary side of a mains transformer I think you are crazy noo noo wally head.

Anyway had my 1AM piss so going back to bed now 

Haha, with more grey hairs, whether they stay or bugger off, piss breaks get more regular [emoji48]

[bitseeker]

... $10 and $65 in my case. I'm not sure whether that is or

But it is marked "used", and the picture indicates plausible operation.

Depending on what it is and who it came from, it could be a very good thing 

POWER DESIGNS 2020B PRECISION DC SOURCE, titansales123

I'm happy about the sale price, less happy about the GSP p&p cost.

That seller always lists items with a starting bid of $9.99 (makes it look cheap in order to get bids) and pads the rest of the cost in the shipping fees. On the one hand, if you consider the overall price to be OK, it doesn't matter. On the other hand, if you decide to return the item (not under eBay Buyer Protection), then shipping is often not refundable. That does matter.

Anyway, that power supply, for me in the US, would've cost $9.99 + $52.35 shipping (a ridiculous amount when you consider I've shipped HP 8590 spectrum analyzers for around $50). If you check other listings, you'll see that more expensive items start at $9.99 and cost more shipping, less expensive items have cheaper shipping.

So, you effectively only paid $10 extra for international shipping.

[mnementh]

In Other News...


Been working on & off all day to design myself a meter stand in SketchUp... teaching myself by doing  for to print it up, since my DE-5000 is on the way. 

All I can say is... this is software that is clearly made by and for architects and materials engineers, NOT for human beings with a wetware brain. It isn't just counter-intuitive... it is anti-intuitive.  Every... goddamn... step... of... the... way... it had to shit on me in some fashion.   

I've finally found a piece of software that is as much of an outright dicksore to use as Eagle. 

mnem
"Everybody needs something to believe in; I believe I'm going to bed." ~me

[bitseeker]

"Everybody needs something to believe in; I believe I'm going to bed." ~me

Likewise. Night y'all in those awakening time zones.

[Specmaster]

"Everybody needs something to believe in; I believe I'm going to bed." ~me

Likewise. Night y'all in those awakening time zones.

Mind the bedbugs don't bite y'all [emoji44]

[Berni]

... $10 and $65 in my case. I'm not sure whether that is or

But it is marked "used", and the picture indicates plausible operation.

Depending on what it is and who it came from, it could be a very good thing 

POWER DESIGNS 2020B PRECISION DC SOURCE, titansales123

I'm happy about the sale price, less happy about the GSP p&p cost.

Ah yes i remember seeing that exact PSU from that exact seller. Its quite a neat looking unit.


As for GSP i like it for shipping boatanchors since its usually the cheapest way when the thing you want to ship weighs 30kg. But for small and light things GSP is indeed ridiculously expensive. As an alternative i use a reshipping service. If i need to buy something that has GSP but its cheap and small i will instead have it shipped to a US reshipping service and then have them ship it to me over normal cheap USPS.