Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

I currently have ZERO items inbound from all sources as of this morning My only deliveries for the next few weeks will be nasty clear fronted envelopes I suspect

I'm not quite as bad, I still have some USB plugs on their way from China in order to modify loads of battery operated Christmas lights to run off phone chargers. Already nabbed a few of those chargers with 6 ports on them, grab a few more soon. Got my eye on a few eBay items at present but nothing directly TEA related  but I'm coiled like a spring waiting for the right thing to come along and then I'll be all over it like a rash 

As for those nasty clear fronted envelopes, I know that I to have more than my fair share of those on their way to me, always just after bleeding Christmas 

[bd139]

Got tonnes of stuff waiting to turn up here. Two OCXOs, 18650 pack parts, laptop batteries, laptop screen, soldering sponges, shucko adapters, desolder braid, clothes, books, storage boxes, groceries 

Only thing TEA related is the OCXOs ... in time we shall see.

[beanflying]

I have hit it fairly hard in the last month so a break won't hurt while I learn to play with the toys I guess. Maybe I will even 'build something' 

[med6753]

Jameco order arrived yesterday. Mouser order should be today. The Fluke 8810A Ebay win not sure yet. It's coming from Texas and tentative date of next Tuesday but I think it will be sooner than that.

Edit...today visiting a friend who has for me an older Dell tower that I will use for manuals/schematics on the bench. 

[tggzzz]

Even so it was still rather expensive considering it was within spec, they only checked the ranges, never had to adjust anything 

The alternative could be that you paid to ship it there and back, only to find you couldn't afford their quote

Peace of mind is never cheap, just look at any insurance policy.

[Specmaster]

Got tonnes of stuff waiting to turn up here. Two OCXOs, 18650 pack parts, laptop batteries, laptop screen, soldering sponges, shucko adapters, desolder braid, clothes, books, storage boxes, groceries 

Only thing TEA related is the OCXOs ... in time we shall see.

Looks as if throwing the shackles of a SWMBO off has been good for you, plenty to get your teeth sunk into there for a while.

[Specmaster]

Even so it was still rather expensive considering it was within spec, they only checked the ranges, never had to adjust anything 

The alternative could be that you paid to ship it there and back, only to find you couldn't afford their quote

Peace of mind is never cheap, just look at any insurance policy.

Not quite the same as an insurance policy though because you can rely on the calibration, watch an insurance company try to find a way of wriggling out of settling a claim   

[med6753]

Got tonnes of stuff waiting to turn up here. Two OCXOs, 18650 pack parts, laptop batteries, laptop screen, soldering sponges, shucko adapters, desolder braid, clothes, books, storage boxes, groceries 

Only thing TEA related is the OCXOs ... in time we shall see.

Looks as if throwing the shackles of a SWMBO off has been good for you, plenty to get your teeth sunk into there for a while.

I've got to "cool it" for a while. First unemployment check isn't until next week. And got a letter from Social Security stating that my first retirement check won't be until February 27. 

[tggzzz]

Even so it was still rather expensive considering it was within spec, they only checked the ranges, never had to adjust anything 

The alternative could be that you paid to ship it there and back, only to find you couldn't afford their quote

Peace of mind is never cheap, just look at any insurance policy.

Not quite the same as an insurance policy though because you can rely on the calibration, watch an insurance company try to find a way of wriggling out of settling a claim 

I had one try and fail to do that back in 1985. Perhaps my "typeset" letter courtesy of a Mac helped persuade them I wasn't going to put up with their rubbish.

More recently and worryingly, I had to make a medical claim before treatment on a Jan 1st. The settlement company didn't have the details from the sales company (AA insurance, no less), and couldn't get them because it was a bank holiday. Fortunately my credit card was sufficient.

On principal and to save time, I always look at the full exclusion clauses in the Ts&Cs before I look at what is covered.

[nfmax]

Got tonnes of stuff waiting to turn up here. Two OCXOs, 18650 pack parts, laptop batteries, laptop screen, soldering sponges, shucko adapters, desolder braid, clothes, books, storage boxes, groceries 

Only thing TEA related is the OCXOs ... in time we shall see.

My Inbound List currently contains one of @RoadRunner's LM399 boards waiting to be shipped (will be part of a transfer standard), and an Agilent E4418B + 8482A power sensor, seemingly on an epic road trip across the USA on Interstate 80. Will it go all the way to New York NY? I'm all agog!
 

[beanflying]

My Inbound List currently contains one of @RoadRunner's LM399 boards waiting to be shipped (will be part of a transfer standard), and an Agilent E4418B + 8482A power sensor, seemingly on an epic road trip across the USA on Interstate 80. Will it go all the way to New York NY? I'm all agog!
 

If it is on evilbay Global Shipping your heading for Erlanger for a few days stop over. One of my Tweezers sat for 5 days going no where 

[bd139]

My Inbound List currently contains one of @RoadRunner's LM399 boards waiting to be shipped (will be part of a transfer standard), and an Agilent E4418B + 8482A power sensor, seemingly on an epic road trip across the USA on Interstate 80. Will it go all the way to New York NY? I'm all agog!
 

Oooh. I was considering one of those LM399 boards but decided I need to be a time nut more than a volt nut seeing as I like playing around with radios. I'm getting rather obsessive about drift on WSPR.

Looks as if throwing the shackles of a SWMBO off has been good for you, plenty to get your teeth sunk into there for a while.

She's still around. Just I run the show without room for negotiation now.

[Specmaster]

My Inbound List currently contains one of @RoadRunner's LM399 boards waiting to be shipped (will be part of a transfer standard), and an Agilent E4418B + 8482A power sensor, seemingly on an epic road trip across the USA on Interstate 80. Will it go all the way to New York NY? I'm all agog!
 

Oooh. I was considering one of those LM399 boards but decided I need to be a time nut more than a volt nut seeing as I like playing around with radios. I'm getting rather obsessive about drift on WSPR.

Looks as if throwing the shackles of a SWMBO off has been good for you, plenty to get your teeth sunk into there for a while.

She's still around. Just I run the show without room for negotiation now.

Sounds like the ideal arrangement you made there, boss 

[TerraHertz]

A moron sold .... and I bought. Netted a ACDC Electronics EL-300N yesterday night.
Quite cheap, because 'no output from this power supply'!

Always so satisfying.

Where does the 'N' on the model number come from? Does it actually say EL-300N on the front, or just EL-300 ?
Because when I search for EL-300N, all the pics that come up seem to be of EL-300 units. Same as the one I have. See pic.

And this is relevant to you (if you don't have a manual) because I scanned the EL-300 and EL-301 manuals I have.
  http://everist.org/archives/scans/acdc_electronics/
In RAR-book form, not PDF. The result is much better, just an extra step to unpack them.

Rather disappointingly, my EL-300s are 120VAC mains, and can't easily be converted to 240VAC.

[mnementh]

Interesting stuff. I found your notes on the vector graphics used in Asteroids quite interesting. 

Why don't you like .pdf? Most of the problems people have with it have nothing to do with the format; it's well-developed and there are a number of 3rd-party apps that aren't near as much of a PITA to use. The major problems Adobe has with it revolve around trying to maintain security on a product they wanted to abandon a decade ago. 

Why so hard to convert to 240V? These should draw very little current; you should be able to power all 4 from a travel-size step-up transformer. Since you have them all in a rack-mount bay already, that solution seems exquisitely simple, at least to me.

mnem
   *Slurrrp*   Ifni bless the coffee devils...

[Inverted18650]

Thanks, trying to sort out what I may need to budget for to get one calibrated if I buy one out of Cal.

Vintage Rescue in Adelaide needed @VK5RC  eBay auction: #113549308699

I have one of these units as well, I will power it up and see if it is functional and calibrated.

[Martin.M]

We have a analyzer day 

[Inverted18650]

We have a analyzer day 

Indeed!

[0culus]

We have a analyzer day 

Oooo, that is beautiful. What year?

I may be closing in an a nice 8568B example myself.

[PA0PBZ]

We have a analyzer day 

Ok, I'll play!

[mnementh]

Here's neoBracket V8-V9; looking a lot better. I think I'm going to declare success at this point and move on with my life. 

mnem
*Off to pick up the kiddles*

[Mr. Scram]

Here's neoBracket V8-V9; looking a lot better. I think I'm going to declare success at this point and move on with my life. 

mnem
*Off to pick up the kiddles*

The bottom one is looking good. What did the trick?

[bd139]

Seeing as we're having analyser day, departed now (too big) but remembered:

[Mr. Scram]

Seeing as we're having analyser day, departed now (too big) but remembered:

You sold it? Shame.

[bd139]

Yes but I don't regret selling it to be honest. It was way too big for my current place and the only places I could store it risked damage. Plus the center frequency control (pure uobtainium) was getting slippy and had backlash. And it went for a fuck load more than I paid for it 

Edit: I enjoyed turning it from a pile of junk into something that worked. The journey counts sometimes more than the destination.

This is me happy  :