Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

Why sell them on eBay, keep them because you just know that your going to need them on another one real soon and the whole sag will begin again. 

[tautech]

Stuffed SLA .....battery resurrection research being undertaken:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=152765.msg1991789#msg1991789

 

[bd139]

Why sell them on eBay, keep them because you just know that your going to need them on another one real soon and the whole sag will begin again. 

I was thinking of selling them in batches of 5 for £5  ... Will buy some more if it does well!

Stuffed SLA .....battery resurrection research being undertaken:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=152765.msg1991789#msg1991789

 

Why? It's dead. Let it rest. You're creating zombies there!

I did this as a kid regularly. Mainly using old motorbike batteries from my father's bikes charged with 50V hifi transformers using old TV dropper resistors. So many non trivial fires there 

[tautech]

Stuffed SLA .....battery resurrection research being undertaken:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=152765.msg1991789#msg1991789

 

Why? It's dead. Let it rest. You're creating zombies there!

I did this as a kid regularly. Mainly using old motorbike batteries from my father's bikes charged with 50V hifi transformers using old TV dropper resistors. So many non trivial fires there 

I've done more than my fair share of trying to recover LA batteries too, to the point that I now normally bin/recycle them but this process is different to anything I tried before. There's at least another couple of days to finish the 'Circlotron' method before one could arise to any opinion of its value.

Years back we tried several desulphator builds and while they helped they couldn't recover a battery like the one I'm working on presently.
Gunna see this one through before judgements are made.

[bd139]

Fingers crossed it has some results. Will keep an eye on the thread 

I managed to recover a car battery once but I had to drain all the fluid out (killed half my nan's flower bed with that) and put new stuff in. Think I was about 12 then, back when you could walk in to a shop and buy battery acid, lighter and a can of propane at the same time and no one would blink an eye 

[Specmaster]

Why sell them on eBay, keep them because you just know that your going to need them on another one real soon and the whole sag will begin again. 

I was thinking of selling them in batches of 5 for £5  ... Will buy some more if it does well!

Stuffed SLA .....battery resurrection research being undertaken:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=152765.msg1991789#msg1991789

 

Why? It's dead. Let it rest. You're creating zombies there!

I did this as a kid regularly. Mainly using old motorbike batteries from my father's bikes charged with 50V hifi transformers using old TV dropper resistors. So many non trivial fires there 

What is it with you fires and explosions, do you have a death wish or something? 

[tautech]

Fingers crossed it has some results. Will keep an eye on the thread 

I managed to recover a car battery once but I had to drain all the fluid out (killed half my nan's flower bed with that) and put new stuff in. Think I was about 12 then, back when you could walk in to a shop and buy battery acid, lighter and a can of propane at the same time and no one would blink an eye 

Thanks.

About what one could buy once, pop ordered a gross (144) box of Gelly, 100yds of det cord,a bot of dets and some fuse and all he had to do was sign for it ! 
Back in those days you didn't even need an explosive ticket to buy or use it !

We had fun using the few remaining sticks and dets after he used the bulk of it to blow a drain down a swamp.
Kaboom. 

[bd139]

Hahaha if only it was like that now 

I think by about 1985 they stopped selling me dangerous stuff in that store. The gun shop however sold model cannon flash powder in 14oz bags though 

[Specmaster]

Fingers crossed it has some results. Will keep an eye on the thread 

I managed to recover a car battery once but I had to drain all the fluid out (killed half my nan's flower bed with that) and put new stuff in. Think I was about 12 then, back when you could walk in to a shop and buy battery acid, lighter and a can of propane at the same time and no one would blink an eye 

Yep, I agree, I seen that somewhere in print that if you could lift the plate assembly out of the case, give it a decent rinse out with a hose and flush the case out to removed the sediment from the bottom which actually it was claimed the real reason for LA failure, shorting of the lead plates via the sediment. After a through cleanse of the case and plates, reassemble and refill with fresh acid and the battery is as good as new. I have never actually tried to drain, flush and refill but it might a idea if you can hold of sufficient acid at a reasonable cost to either prove or debunk the theory.

[Specmaster]

Hahaha if only it was like that now 

I think by about 1985 they stopped selling me dangerous stuff in that store. The gun shop however sold model cannon flash powder in 14oz bags though 

Why was it in 14oz bags, was it illegal to sell a pound of it then???

[tautech]

Few years back we had a crowd in NZ that reconditioned the old black pitch LA batteries by melting the sealing tar and replacing all the innards with new assemblies then tarring them closed again. IIRC they used Aussie internals and offered good warranties.

[tautech]

Hahaha if only it was like that now 

I think by about 1985 they stopped selling me dangerous stuff in that store. The gun shop however sold model cannon flash powder in 14oz bags though 

Why was it in 14oz bags, was it illegal to sell a pound of it then???

Black powder for the old timers here was another necessary item, not so much for firearms but for blowing stumps and splitting logs for fencing needs....posts.

Black powder splitting wedge:

[Macbeth]

[Random Corner of the Internet Mode]

https://youtu.be/CKUcFhJLm34

https://youtu.be/7wHS2bwg-aw

Jeebus... this is really "a Thing"... seeking out and eating the oldest C-Rats & MREs you can find. 

[/Random Corner of the Internet Mode]

mnem
You cannot unsee that.

Sorry, but I don't understand what has this to do with Test Equipment?

Also Steve1989MREInfo is a well established youtuber and genuine guy - I particularly enjoy his smoking those ancient cigs that once where considered an essential ration to any enlisted man.

He's up there with "Gun Jesus" of Forgotten Weapons for me.

[bd139]

Hahaha if only it was like that now 

I think by about 1985 they stopped selling me dangerous stuff in that store. The gun shop however sold model cannon flash powder in 14oz bags though 

Why was it in 14oz bags, was it illegal to sell a pound of it then???

I think there was a restriction on a pound so they rounded it down a couple of ounces. Although when weighed it was suspiciously around a pound.

Hahaha if only it was like that now 

I think by about 1985 they stopped selling me dangerous stuff in that store. The gun shop however sold model cannon flash powder in 14oz bags though 

Why was it in 14oz bags, was it illegal to sell a pound of it then???

Black powder for the old timers here was another necessary item, not so much for firearms but for blowing stumps and splitting logs for fencing needs....posts.

Black powder splitting wedge:

Never seen one of them before. I bet it was fun setting them off!

[tautech]

Hahaha if only it was like that now 

I think by about 1985 they stopped selling me dangerous stuff in that store. The gun shop however sold model cannon flash powder in 14oz bags though 

Why was it in 14oz bags, was it illegal to sell a pound of it then???

Black powder for the old timers here was another necessary item, not so much for firearms but for blowing stumps and splitting logs for fencing needs....posts.

Black powder splitting wedge:

Never seen one of them before. I bet it was fun setting them off!

Never used the one I have and it's a bit different. Apparently you needed to tie a sack onto them so not to loose them.
These days we have big chainsaws !  .....harder to loose too. 

[URI]

Another story...

Today the Fluke PM6681 universal counter arrived.
My wife was at home while I was at work because she's on medical leave currently -so I was lucky to find it there instead of finding a note I'd have to fetch it at the depot.   

The counter doesn't have any options, but GPIB is standard on this model (dislike the older PM6680).   
With my GPSDO as the reference for all my frequency-related devices (counters and generators mainly) this lack of a built-in stable reference clock doesn't matter to me.

Overall cosmetics are good. The upper shell is dented a little bit like the feet of the above instrument bent the metal(?) near the front panel. I think I can fix that with a hardwood bar and a hammer.   

First quick check:
Keys all working and intact.
Display intact and display backlight working.
Self test completes without errors.
Channel A and B are working correct. So are the external reference in and out.
Winner! 

It's fun measuring the length of BNC cables using the TIME A-B function...  ~5,1*10^-9s at 10MHz (sine).      

PS: My wife SWMBO* rolled eyes a bit on this new counter being the second one of the same model. I feel I have to trade.. five counters, two PM6685, one PM6680 and now two PM6681 -I'm running out of arguments for having this pile of counters. TEA can be painful sometimes..         

PPS: SWMBO has several german counterparts, e.g. "die Beste" (the best) or "die beste Ehefrau von allen" (the best spouse of all) but also "die Regierung" (the government). I have to say: My wife is not like e.g. SWMBO like in "Rumpole of the Bailey". I want to confess she's the woman I love and I love her (amongst others) for her patience and tolerance for/of my TEA.

[Specmaster]

PPS: SWMBO has several german counterparts, e.g. "die Beste" (the best) or "die beste Ehefrau von allen" (the best spouse of all) but also to "die Regierung" (the government). I have to say: My wife is not like e.g. SWMBO like in "Rumpole of the Bailey". I want to confess she's the woman I love and I love her (amongst others) for her patience and tolerance for/of my TEA.

Sounds like SWMBO was approaching you with a frying pan in one hand and a rolling pin in the other with a glazed look in her eyes 

[URI]

PPS: SWMBO has several german counterparts, e.g. "die Beste" (the best) or "die beste Ehefrau von allen" (the best spouse of all) but also to "die Regierung" (the government). I have to say: My wife is not like e.g. SWMBO like in "Rumpole of the Bailey". I want to confess she's the woman I love and I love her (amongst others) for her patience and tolerance for/of my TEA.

Sounds like SWMBO was approaching you with a frying pan in one hand and a rolling pin in the other with a glazed look in her eyes 

You might think that but my wife had gone to bed already while I was totally unthreatened in any way when I wrote that line. 

[Cerebus]

Hahaha if only it was like that now 

I think by about 1985 they stopped selling me dangerous stuff in that store. The gun shop however sold model cannon flash powder in 14oz bags though 

Why was it in 14oz bags, was it illegal to sell a pound of it then???

Yes, for all practical purposes. At that time in the UK it was lawful, without a licence, for any person to acquire and hold up to one pound of black powder (and certain other similar low explosives) for "personal use"*. To acquire or hold more without an explosives licence was treated relatively seriously. So, if you bought it a pound at a time you had to run out entirely before you could lawfully purchase more - hence selling it in just under a pound quantities so you could grab a new can when you were running low and not get your collar felt.

The law on various things explosive changed just around when bd139 was talking about. It was around 1985 or so that I had to get my mate, who made a living at staging professional fireworks displays, to put a couple of people from 'Tech' (the Student's Union Technical Committee - sound, lighting and pyrotechics providers to the huddled student mass) through an officially approved 'safe firing training course' (run by him) so that we could get an explosives licence to continue buying unreasonably large fireworks for the 'Technical Committee's' annual Nov 5th bash. The loony thing was that the explosives licences issued at the time to cover fireworks also covered much deadlier stuff - detonators, det cord and the safer grades of demolition and mining explosives. In theory we could have waltzed off with them, despite the fact that the 'officially approved' course we'd done covered pretty much nothing beyond basic explosives safety - certainly not enough to have made the use of the more interesting things on the ticket in any shape or fashion 'safe'.

* In practical terms this meant loading and firing muskets and the like for reenactment and theatrical use. There wasn't much of a black powder shooting scene at the time in the way there is now.

[bitseeker]

Today the Fluke PM6681 universal counter arrived.
...
The counter doesn't have any options, but GPIB is standard on this model (dislike the older PM6680).   
With my GPSDO as the reference for all my frequency-related devices (counters and generators mainly) this lack of a built-in stable reference clock doesn't matter to me.

Overall cosmetics are good. The upper shell is dented a little bit like the feet of the above instrument bent the metal(?) near the front panel. I think I can fix that with a hardwood bar and a hammer.   

First quick check:
Keys all working and intact.
Display intact and display backlight working.
Self test completes without errors.
Channel A and B are working correct. So are the external reference in and out.
Winner! 

Congrats on that win. It was a good price.

[mnementh]

[Random Corner of the Internet Mode]
[VIDZ]

Jeebus... this is really "a Thing"... seeking out and eating the oldest C-Rats & MREs you can find. 

[/Random Corner of the Internet Mode]

mnem
You cannot unsee that.

Sorry, but I don't understand what has this to do with Test Equipment?

Also Steve1989MREInfo is a well established youtuber and genuine guy - I particularly enjoy his smoking those ancient cigs that once where considered an essential ration to any enlisted man.

He's up there with "Gun Jesus" of Forgotten Weapons for me.

it has not a single gawddamn thing to do with TE. that is why it was clearly labeled [RANDOM etc].   

What the hell does the guy's personal character have to do with anything? Deliberately gambling with botulism is not exactly my idea of wholesome family entertainment, but hey... anything for YoobToob, I guess. 

Another story...

Today the Fluke PM6681 universal counter arrived.
My wife was at home while I was at work because she's on medical leave currently -so I was lucky to find it there instead of finding a note I'd have to fetch it at the depot.   
(SNIP)
PS: My wife SWMBO* rolled eyes a bit on this new counter being the second one of the same model. I feel I have to trade.. five counters, two PM6685, one PM6680 and now two PM6681 -I'm running out of arguments for having this pile of counters. TEA can be painful sometimes..         

PPS: SWMBO has several german counterparts, e.g. "die Beste" (the best) or "die beste Ehefrau von allen" (the best spouse of all) but also "die Regierung" (the government). I have to say: My wife is not like e.g. SWMBO like in "Rumpole of the Bailey". I want to confess she's the woman I love and I love her (amongst others) for her patience and tolerance for/of my TEA.

Hear, hear my friend.

My wife doesn't ask why I have 4 RC transmitters (Hey! Thinned out the herd by half of my own accord!) when I can only fly one at at time... no, she listens patiently while I explain why I want need the newest model, and there's even a better than fair chance I'll find it under the tree this year.

I am still horns over tail in love with this woman, and not just because she puts up with my assorted shit; but rather, because she GETS me and still didn't run away screaming into the night! 

mnem

[URI]

[..]
PPS: SWMBO has several german counterparts, e.g. "die Beste" (the best) or "die beste Ehefrau von allen" (the best spouse of all) but also "die Regierung" (the government). I have to say: My wife is not like e.g. SWMBO like in "Rumpole of the Bailey". I want to confess she's the woman I love and I love her (amongst others) for her patience and tolerance for/of my TEA.

Hear, hear my friend.

My wife doesn't ask why I have 4 RC transmitters (Hey! Thinned out the herd by half of my own accord!) when I can only fly one at at time... no, she listens patiently while I explain why I want need the newest model, and there's even a better than fair chance I'll find it under the tree this year.

I am still horns over tail in love with this woman, and not just because she puts up with my assorted shit; but rather, because she GETS me and still didn't run away screaming into the night! 

mnem

You are a very lucky man!   
I feel lucky even though my wife won't put my next TEA-related item under the tree.   
-in fact even I don't know yet what it will be..   

[Specmaster]

[Random Corner of the Internet Mode]
[VIDZ]

Jeebus... this is really "a Thing"... seeking out and eating the oldest C-Rats & MREs you can find. 

[/Random Corner of the Internet Mode]

mnem
You cannot unsee that.

Sorry, but I don't understand what has this to do with Test Equipment?

Also Steve1989MREInfo is a well established youtuber and genuine guy - I particularly enjoy his smoking those ancient cigs that once where considered an essential ration to any enlisted man.

He's up there with "Gun Jesus" of Forgotten Weapons for me.

it has not a single gawddamn thing to do with TE. that is why it was clearly labeled [RANDOM etc].   

What the hell does the guy's personal character have to do with anything? Deliberately gambling with botulism is not exactly my idea of wholesome family entertainment, but hey... anything for YoobToob, I guess. 

Another story...

Today the Fluke PM6681 universal counter arrived.
My wife was at home while I was at work because she's on medical leave currently -so I was lucky to find it there instead of finding a note I'd have to fetch it at the depot.   
(SNIP)
PS: My wife SWMBO* rolled eyes a bit on this new counter being the second one of the same model. I feel I have to trade.. five counters, two PM6685, one PM6680 and now two PM6681 -I'm running out of arguments for having this pile of counters. TEA can be painful sometimes..         

PPS: SWMBO has several german counterparts, e.g. "die Beste" (the best) or "die beste Ehefrau von allen" (the best spouse of all) but also "die Regierung" (the government). I have to say: My wife is not like e.g. SWMBO like in "Rumpole of the Bailey". I want to confess she's the woman I love and I love her (amongst others) for her patience and tolerance for/of my TEA.

Hear, hear my friend.

My wife doesn't ask why I have 4 RC transmitters (Hey! Thinned out the herd by half of my own accord!) when I can only fly one at at time... no, she listens patiently while I explain why I want need the newest model, and there's even a better than fair chance I'll find it under the tree this year.

I am still horns over tail in love with this woman, and not just because she puts up with my assorted shit; but rather, because she GETS me and still didn't run away screaming into the night! 

mnem

Lucky you, my SWMBO would never do that for me. But yours clearly understands that a Dwagon has a warm heart (and everything else) with all that fire breathing [emoji91][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] good on ya.

[bd139]

Mine is expert with scissors. I sleep with one eye open.

[shakalnokturn]

You need to get some real sleep, stay at a friend's place, stop flipin' diodes.