Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[neo]

No worries  , use the 'high grade' custom brackets to screw it under the desk for stealth mode or I had it screwed under a shelf. It will run on one port depending on the source but I had a powered hub next to it so ran it on two when it was in the shack.

This being the heaviest and most expensive thing i've yet bought i've prepared a special cup of tea for you all.

Hope you were wearing your back brace 

I never picked it up from a weak position, always had the leverage on my side... at least until it came time to put it in the server rack. 

[beanflying]

I love my hydraulic trolley as does my back  Will take 100kg+ to 1.2m or so.

Gratuitous Agilent and Advantest shot just to keep it on topic. Differential has been at 0.30-0.33 mV for a few weeks now and still don't know which is more right 

Time to add some more varnish to the 3D printer enclosure in the pic.

[Brumby]

Gratuitous Agilent and Advantest shot just to keep it on topic. Differential has been at 0.30-0.33 mV for a few weeks now and still don't know which is more right 

That's one rabbit hole I am happy to avoid.  Ignorance is bliss - and I'm a happy camper 

Don't know how long that will last, though.  I have a 24bit ADC dev board I got to play with - and that is fine if I'm not too fussed about calibration.

Hmmm... I think I'm doomed - but it just hasn't hit me in the face yet.

[Specmaster]

Been playing around with the LCR 1705 tweezers and I have to say that I'm a bit impressed and dismayed at the same time.

It features a rechargeable battery, charged via a supplied USB cable (A to mini 5) and takes around 120 minutes to reach full charge and is normally good for approx 20 hours of use with the backlight off. It comes with only a set of gold plated straight interchangeable tips pre-fitted while its sibling, the 1707 comes with a spare set of angled tips, might make reading the display slightly easier to read but I'll have to and source a set to put that to the test.

Has 4 test selectable test frequencies for use with inductor and capacitor testing, these being 100Hz, 120Hz, 1KHz and 10KHz while the 1707 model also has 100KHz to keep you RF boys happy?

It seems to be able to test components with a reasonable accuracy while they are in circuit which is a great and it has a claimed reading update time of 2.5 samples per second but it takes in practise around 4 seconds to decide (in auto mode) if the device your testing is an inductor or a cap and display a reading. To read and display a pure resistance seems to take between 5 and 6 seconds on average as opposed to 2 seconds on a fluke 8842A but I suppose it would work out to be better overall and might even be quicker in the long run when you don't need to look away from the DUT to read the display and thus less chance of slipping of the part being read?

Accuracy seems to be pretty good  so as already mentioned, I'm pretty impressed with it but the biggest disappointment is that can't read the ESR of caps, I'll still need to lift a leg for that and use one of my other LCR/ESR testers for that function.

This is now a discontinued item by RS and I was able to snag this one on eBay new and sealed for £41 delivered https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-ISO-TECH-Smart-Tweezer-LCR-Tester-LCR-1705-T-M-J11-8659824/323632011397? Yes there are plenty of less expensive tweezers on there and a couple that are considerably more expensive so this I feel is a good middle of the road product and is ideal for the hobbiest, if I was making a living from it I would no doubt invest in the one of the more expensive tweezers as they can do the ESR and a bit more I believe from the get go.

EDIT:
The screen is also backlit although not visible in the photo, and this can be switched off. The manual reads as if it is on by default. but that is wrong, you have to give the power button a quick blip to turn it on/off.

EDIT 2
A big thank you to Kosmic for pointing out to me that these tweezers do infact support ESR but call it Rs and that function is only accessible via manual menu selection and when on comparable test frequencies, the results agree with the XJW01 so I'm a happy bunny.

 


   

[Specmaster]

Crazy lot of scopes and Sig Gens and a strange thing to lump them all together. Maybe SWMBO has spoken 

I think its more than likely that these have come from a factory that has moved from one end of Harlow to a new purpose built facility at the opposite end of Harlow away from prying eyes behind large embankments. The factory in question is called Raytheon UK, which is heavily involved in the manufacture of defence and national security systems.

Was definitely not from Raytheon

Oh well, it was only a guess as a company that was technical and large enough to warrant lots of similar equipment, although the scopes and generators were very low frequencies for their type of work I guess? 

[beanflying]

It seems to be able to test components with a reasonable accuracy while they are in circuit which is a great and it has a claimed reading update time of 2.5 samples per second but it takes in practise around 4 seconds to decide (in auto mode) if the device your testing is an inductor or a cap and display a reading. To read and display a pure resistance seems to take between 5 and 6 seconds on average as opposed to 2 seconds on a fluke 8842A but I suppose it would work out to be better overall and might even be quicker in the long run when you don't need to look away from the DUT to read the display and thus less chance of slipping of the part being read?

Might be even slower than the 121GW  Have you looked at the software or tried any components in circuit yet?

Those $7 evilbay boards with a set of clips or tweezers on them are not to bad an option for real basics or sorting a few components out.


Both of mine are somewhere over the Pacific according to tracking but I suspect a holiday stopover in Hawaii is coming up for one of them.

[Specmaster]

It seems to be able to test components with a reasonable accuracy while they are in circuit which is a great and it has a claimed reading update time of 2.5 samples per second but it takes in practise around 4 seconds to decide (in auto mode) if the device your testing is an inductor or a cap and display a reading. To read and display a pure resistance seems to take between 5 and 6 seconds on average as opposed to 2 seconds on a fluke 8842A but I suppose it would work out to be better overall and might even be quicker in the long run when you don't need to look away from the DUT to read the display and thus less chance of slipping of the part being read?

Might be even slower than the 121GW  Have you looked at the software or tried any components in circuit yet?

Those $7 evilbay boards with a set of clips or tweezers on them are not to bad an option for real basics or sorting a few components out.


Both of mine are somewhere over the Pacific according to tracking but I suspect a holiday stopover in Hawaii is coming up for one of them.

Yes I have tried measuring components in circuit, I have an Aiwa mini hifi in pieces at the moment so I used the tuner module to try some test measurements on as I have the service manual and so know the parts correct values and it appears to be almost spot on against the parts list so thats a thumbs up 



I also have a couple of those cheap evilbay boards that I use for parts sorting and also quick ESR readings as well. I haven't looked at the software (firmware) as I doubt that it will be updated / supported by the original maker as it also a discontinued item within their range as well so I'll have to live with it as it is.



This XJW01 is by far the most accurate LCR bridge / tester I have have but it is flawed by its choice of frequencies 100Hz, 1KHz and 7.8KHz where most others go with 100Hz, 120Hz, 1KHz and 10KHz?


What ones did you go with in the end and when do you expect them to arriving at your door then?

[beanflying]

I was just going to get the LCR Research Pro 1 Plus for way to many $$ then a set of NIB ST-5S BT Smart Tweezers was on evilbay at the same time I got for $100 USD delivered so I got both I most likely won't keep both after giving them both a good test drive.

ETA will be later next week.

[Specmaster]

Wow, those NIB ST-5S tweezers over here are £396 from Farnell, they look excellent and was one of the ones that I mentioned was many times the price of mine. I have just ordered a set of kelvin tweezers to fit my XJW01 for £13 which will give me the same capability as those NIB ones but not the portability 

[beanflying]

E14/Farnells are OTT on a lot of test gear even their 'specials' aren't especially this end, the ST-5S in bluetooth form is under $300USD plus shipping on Amazon.

For components I use them a bit. I am waiting on some precision inductors from them to fit into the Muirhead Decade Switches I dropped the resistors from last week. Just got shippping confirmation so they should be in for some testing too.

[med6753]

A life changing event took place tonight. I am now retired. It happen sooner than I had planned but I'm OK with it. I had announced late last year that I had intentions of retiring sometime in February or March of this year. I wanted to make sure my Social Security payments were set up and in place before stopping work. Well, my place of employment had other plans. They decided to do some lay offs and since I said I was retiring soon they “retired” me today. Since they went this route that obligates them to pay me unemployment until I collect SSI. It will take about a month before the SSI kicks in. And unemployment doesn't pay all that much so it will be a little lean here for a month but I have other assets so I'll be OK. But I will have to curb some big TEA spending for a while.

No more daily commute, no more tolls, no more bullshit, no more working for assholes. I think I'm gonna like this. 

[beanflying]

Nice non Work if you can get it  Semi retirement works nicely too if you can find a small niche to play in and have it not affect your other $ coming in.

[Kosmic]

Accuracy seems to be pretty good  so as already mentioned, I'm pretty impressed with it but the biggest disappointment is that can't read the ESR of caps, I'll still need to lift a leg for that and use one of my other LCR/ESR testers for that function.

Did you try to go in manual mode ? you are looking for Rs (series resistance).

[Kosmic]

No more daily commute, no more tolls, no more bullshit, no more working for assholes. I think I'm gonna like this. 

Woo this is pretty cool! Congrats 

[med6753]

No more daily commute, no more tolls, no more bullshit, no more working for assholes. I think I'm gonna like this. 

Woo this is pretty cool! Congrats 

Yea, thanks!  The only issue I'm going to have is transitioning back to awake during the day and sleep at night. I've worked the overnight shift for almost 10 years and I dragged my biological clock kicking and screaming to adjust to it. Now I want to go back to the rest of the world. So why am I sitting here just after midnight wake awake?     

[bitseeker]

A life changing event took place tonight. I am now retired.

...

No more daily commute, no more tolls, no more bullshit, no more working for assholes. I think I'm gonna like this. 

Congrats, med! Of course, you can also flip some TE to support your A for full post-retirement TEA.

[tautech]

No more daily commute, no more tolls, no more bullshit, no more working for assholes. I think I'm gonna like this. 

Woo this is pretty cool! Congrats 

Yea, thanks!  The only issue I'm going to have is transitioning back to awake during the day and sleep at night. I've worked the overnight shift for almost 10 years and I dragged my biological clock kicking and screaming to adjust to it. Now I want to go back to the rest of the world. So why am I sitting here just after midnight wake awake?     

Lack of top shelf spirit consumption. 

Seriously, of course just for medicinal purposes  a night cap is the key to getting back into good sleep routines.
Enjoy retirement Med.

[med6753]

A life changing event took place tonight. I am now retired.

...

No more daily commute, no more tolls, no more bullshit, no more working for assholes. I think I'm gonna like this. 

Congrats, med! Of course, you can also flip some TE to support your A for full post-retirement TEA.

Got nothing I want to flip at the moment. As I've mentioned before my TEA acquisitions tend to be units I want to fix, use, and keep. But that may change now that I have almost infinite time to play in the TEA arena. 

[med6753]

No more daily commute, no more tolls, no more bullshit, no more working for assholes. I think I'm gonna like this. 

Woo this is pretty cool! Congrats 

Yea, thanks!  The only issue I'm going to have is transitioning back to awake during the day and sleep at night. I've worked the overnight shift for almost 10 years and I dragged my biological clock kicking and screaming to adjust to it. Now I want to go back to the rest of the world. So why am I sitting here just after midnight wake awake?     

Lack of top shelf spirit consumption. 

Seriously, of course just for medicinal purposes  a night cap is the key to getting back into good sleep routines.
Enjoy retirement Med.

Currently no alcohol in the residence. That may have to change. 

[beanflying]

For moral support and as it's 4.30pm on a Friday must be knock off time from sorting out the junk. Cheers 

[med6753]

Not a hard liquor drinker. Never have been, never will be. I know.....I'm a poor excuse for an Irishman. 

[beanflying]

I opened this one about 3 weeks ago and it sits tucked in behind the monitor within easy reach so I am either very strong minded or weak depending on how you look at it 

[tautech]

I opened this one about 3 weeks ago and it sits tucked in behind the monitor within easy reach so I am either very strong minded or weak depending on how you look at it 

2.30pm in Perth and on 2nd Little Creatures.....here’s to ya’ll. 

[bitseeker]

Congrats, med! Of course, you can also flip some TE to support your A for full post-retirement TEA.

Got nothing I want to flip at the moment. As I've mentioned before my TEA acquisitions tend to be units I want to fix, use, and keep. But that may change now that I have almost infinite time to play in the TEA arena. 

Yup, I also buy stuff I like. Some stay, while others go on to fund more stuff I like (and I get to enjoy using them while they're around). That way, if no one else wants it, it's no loss since I liked it anyway (and as we all know, one also needs spares ).

No rush. Next time, just buy two (or more) of what you want to fix, use, and (possibly) keep.

[GregDunn]

No more daily commute, no more tolls, no more bullshit, no more working for assholes. I think I'm gonna like this. 

My health took a turn for the better the day I retired.  I highly recommend it.