Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[beanflying]

That is both hypnotic and disgusting at the same time. 

mnem
Dammit... now I need to shop for some translucent filament... 

Black Red and Clear in PLA and PETG are the staples for what I have been doing in electronic/industrial stuff. If I did more thinyverse trashy decorative printing then I guess a bigger palette of colours would be needed. Loading up the clear right after this 

[bitseeker]

Hey it's Friday Night TEA!

It has arrived - the hp 8904A Multifunction Synthesizer! 

Packed very, very nicely - and ... it has feet! I finally got hp kit with feet. I plan to celebrate that with a glass of wine 

It is a very clean unit inside and out. Outputs look good. It has option 002 (two outputs). I hope to hack the other options into working tomorrow via The DEFPOMs video. 

Awesome! That looks to be in great condition. Nice catch, xrunner. Don't make me want to get one...don't make me want to get one...don't m...

Oh, hey, for a bit more Friday Night TEA, my two HP 3456A came in. The one that should be working was really well packed: meter wrapped in plastic, foamed in place, stapled and taped box. The second one, sold as parts but looked to be working, I haven't gotten out of the box, yet. I need to rearrange a bunch of stuff on my bench to fit these things. Each one is like a huge pizza box. Just not enough space.

[xrunner]

Awesome! That looks to be in great condition. Nice catch, xrunner. Don't make me want to get one...don't make me want to get one...don't m...

Resistance is futile. 

Oh, hey, for a bit more Friday Night TEA, my two HP 3456A came in. The one that should be working was really well packed: meter wrapped in plastic, foamed in place, stapled and taped box. The second one, sold as parts but looked to be working, I haven't gotten out of the box, yet. I need to rearrange a bunch of stuff on my bench to fit these things. Each one is like a huge pizza box. Just not enough space.

Rearrange? Rearrange?

Welcome to my world! 

[mnementh]

Sounds like a textbook case of  TETRIS, with a little JENGA engagement as well... 

mnem
"If it weren't for tangents, I'd have no place to go." ~ me

[bitseeker]

You put your test gear in, you take your test gear out... You do the hokey pokey... ♪♫♩

[mnementh]

...but what if the Hokey pokey REALLY IS what it's ALL ABOUT?!?   

mnem
Dammit, I just KNEW "42" was a red herring.

[bitseeker]

 

[med6753]

Well I have to fire up a boatanchor or two plus the space heater. No heat this morning and it's -2 degrees C outside. I know the landlord was working on the furnace yesterday to fix a minor issue. It was fine last night but this morning nada. So he fubar'ed something. Text sent, awaiting a response.

Currently 21 C in here so it's comfortable. But if a wind kicks up today that won't hold.

Update as I type this.....he's coming by to see what's up.

[beanflying]

5 minutes to Midnight and a balmy 22 degrees in the unheated shack still. The only real problem is the Port bottle is empty 

[med6753]

Yea well you guys are heading towards Summer as apposed to here Winter rapidly approaching. Already had our first major snow storm plus a week ago had overnight temps as low as -12 C.

[beanflying]

A few minutes later I have renewed my subscription to TEA with a 6 1/2 - 7 1/2 digit toy 

Here is 5 more digits hot off the printer and not fully trimmed for those who failed to bid on it 

https://youtu.be/GecYd0YZGUk

[Neomys Sapiens]

I did check the backup battery and it reads 3.3V. Seems pretty good. I have found the same exact replacement available - should I replace it? All opinions are read and considered! 

Don't go by the voltage. Go by the date code on the battery. THAT is your only real yardstick. If you're lucky, it's been replaced recently.

mnem
*More than the sum of my differential pairs*

I did an in-depth study on backup batteries for a major aerospace project. The requirement was to predict battery status, i.e. remaining charge, independent of temperature and without charge counting. What we found is that the most significant measurement is the recovery voltage after a load pulse.
So we implemented a measure-load-measure cycle as BIT.

[xrunner]

I did an in-depth study on backup batteries for a major aerospace project. The requirement was to predict battery status, i.e. remaining charge, independent of temperature and without charge counting. What we found is that the most significant measurement is the recovery voltage after a load pulse.
So we implemented a measure-load-measure cycle as BIT.

The only number I see that might be a date code is -

5024

but I can't find the magic decoder for it. Anyway, I did find the exact battery on Ebay so might as well replace it. I'm getting ready to go in and add the Option 001 which adds modulation capability, I really can't see using any of the other options. Hope it works ... 

Note: I usually write the date I change the battery ... on the battery itself. What a concept. 

[bd139]

Got me another HP triple supply (6236B) 

Double bonus - got to drive out to Gloucestershire to get it which means I’ll take day out.  This is the main excuse 

[xrunner]

Got me another HP triple supply (6236B) 

Double bonus - got to drive out to Gloucestershire to get it which means I’ll take day out.  This is the main excuse 

Great - good stuff coming in to people this weekend. 

[mnementh]

I did check the backup battery and it reads 3.3V. Seems pretty good. I have found the same exact replacement available - should I replace it? All opinions are read and considered! 

Don't go by the voltage. Go by the date code on the battery. THAT is your only real yardstick. If you're lucky, it's been replaced recently.

mnem
*More than the sum of my differential pairs*

I did an in-depth study on backup batteries for a major aerospace project. The requirement was to predict battery status, i.e. remaining charge, independent of temperature and without charge counting. What we found is that the most significant measurement is the recovery voltage after a load pulse.
So we implemented a measure-load-measure cycle as BIT.

The problem with that is not the state of charge; it is the expected life cycle of the product. Most of these backup batteries have an expected life cycle of 10 years or less. Anything beyond that and you have no idea if the battery is just about to develop a faulty plate or leak and take all your critical CMOS data with it. There is no form of electrical testing that can accurately predict this; the best you can do is perform reasonable preventive maintenance and be thankful that your "10 year or less" battery actually lasted 150-300% of expected life and you still have valid data preserved.

I did an in-depth study on backup batteries for a major aerospace project. The requirement was to predict battery status, i.e. remaining charge, independent of temperature and without charge counting. What we found is that the most significant measurement is the recovery voltage after a load pulse.
So we implemented a measure-load-measure cycle as BIT.

The only number I see that might be a date code is - 5024 - but I can't find the magic decoder for it. Anyway, I did find the exact battery on Ebay so might as well replace it. I'm getting ready to go in and add the Option 001 which adds modulation capability, I really can't see using any of the other options. Hope it works ... 

Note: I usually write the date I change the battery ... on the battery itself. What a concept. 

Be sure to seek out any relevant eevblog threads on this unit... there may be some "magic process" that folks have devised to prevent data corruption during the battery swap,  as with the cal data from certain 24xx scopes, HP voltmeters, etc. Some devices actually have a process to make a backup to file which the device can later be restored from. 

I make it a habit to do the exact same thing... and I've made a habit of assuming that if there is no such date code on a device, then the date of the battery is the manufacture date of the device. I also routinely measure the IR of my Lixx batteries over time; this figure I write on the battery along with a date. 

Mr Sharpie is any technician's best friend.

Got me another HP triple supply (6236B) 

Double bonus - got to drive out to Gloucestershire to get it which means I’ll take day out.  This is the main excuse 

Road trip! Road trip! Road Trip!!!

mnem
glerp?

[bd139]

Haha. More

https://youtu.be/FYuQctvKNLg

Mr bean actually goes past my house in this clip

I need to find three HP knob inserts now though 

[med6753]

Well I have to fire up a boatanchor or two plus the space heater. No heat this morning and it's -2 degrees C outside. I know the landlord was working on the furnace yesterday to fix a minor issue. It was fine last night but this morning nada. So he fubar'ed something. Text sent, awaiting a response.

Currently 21 C in here so it's comfortable. But if a wind kicks up today that won't hold.

Update as I type this.....he's coming by to see what's up.

Heat fixed. Don't know what the issue was and really don't care....as long as it continues to work.

I'm lucky in that I have a decent landlord who isn't a prick, obeys tenants rights laws, and is responsive to issues. But it goes both ways. Paying your rent on time (and in full) and not being a slob or a noisy party animal certainly helps the relationship.

[mnementh]

Haha. More  [Mr Bean Video] Mr bean actually goes past my house in this clip

I need to find three HP knob inserts now though 

https://youtu.be/8DUf8Ulp66A

You just can't do "Road Trip" without this classic... 

BTW... as a youngster, I actually sat my very own little dwagon arse in that version of BigFoot. Bob Chandler is one of the nicest guys in motorsports, bar none.

mnem
"Eat my Shortchs!" - Walter Matthau

[med6753]

The original "Cannonball Run - Sea to Shining Sea" was inspired by Car and Driver Magazine's Brock Yates. I think the record from NYC Manhattan to Los Angeles is around 44 hours.

[URI]

Oh, hey, for a bit more Friday Night TEA, my two HP 3456A came in. The one that should be working was really well packed: meter wrapped in plastic, foamed in place, stapled and taped box. The second one, sold as parts but looked to be working, I haven't gotten out of the box, yet. I need to rearrange a bunch of stuff on my bench to fit these things. Each one is like a huge pizza box. Just not enough space.

Ah, nice to read! I'm curious about the state they're in (cosmetic, function..) and how you like the rubber buttons.
Does either one or both of them have the option H01?
I don't know exactly what that could be. I remember reading something about a high voltage option but haven't found specs for that.

It's a bit irritating that you can stand unboxing even one TEA-related device.       
I couldn't regardless what state my bench is in.   
If there's the space for putting one 3456A on your bench there's room for several others; just stack them...   

Looking forward to you posting photos of your rearranged, 3456A-added bench.   

[xrunner]

Be sure to seek out any relevant eevblog threads on this unit... there may be some "magic process" that folks have devised to prevent data corruption during the battery swap,  as with the cal data from certain 24xx scopes, HP voltmeters, etc. Some devices actually have a process to make a backup to file which the device can later be restored from. 

Oh yea I've done this sort of thing before on other hp kit. There is a procedure in the service manual, but it's just basically wiring in a 3V source in to hold the memory until the battery is replaced.

[Specmaster]

Haha. More

https://youtu.be/FYuQctvKNLg
Not the one with the Reliant outside
Mr bean actually goes past my house in this clip

I need to find three HP knob inserts now though 

Not the one with the Reliant outside 

[Neomys Sapiens]

5 minutes to Midnight and a balmy 22 degrees in the unheated shack still. The only real problem is the Port bottle is empty 

Then you ought to switch to the starboard bottle!

[Specmaster]

5 minutes to Midnight and a balmy 22 degrees in the unheated shack still. The only real problem is the Port bottle is empty 

Then you ought to switch to the starboard bottle!

And fire up the boat anchor before you drift away.