Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[nixiefreqq]

Yeah, the 8568B had double the noise since both halves have a powerful fan.

The 8640B is well worth it. IIRC it has a cavity oscillator (part of the reason it weighs so much) and makes *very* clean cw.

that SA is a beauty.  almost got one back when the weight room was a daily part of my routine (a loooooong time ago).  even then it seemed heavy.


yep, my 8640b is pretty clean.  UNTIL you hit the "lock" button. in a couple of seconds the loop finally settles down and the output is locked to the xtal for the counter display (iirc there is a varactor built into the cavity).   cool!   but if you listen to the output at say 450 Mhz.    it sounds like dirt bike going up and down hills.   maybe that's why the mil version did not come with the lock feature?

I owe an apology to my hp8640b and 8640b's everywhere.

went down the basement and attempted to characterize that annoying buzz it produced when in lock mode.

both locked and unlocked it now outputs a tone as clear as the waters of lake minnetonka (when monitored with an sdrplay).

not sure why it was noisy the last time it was checked (years ago).  maybe the bonehead operating it had some modulation turned on?  maybe there was something wrong with the radio used to monitor it? (long since gone)  or maybe it healed itself in the back of the pickup when we moved 3 years ago (like on tv when a clunk on the head gives someone amnesia and the second clunk restores his memory)

perhaps the best explaination is that the noise was generated by the gears grinding inside my brainbox.  a little lubrication would probably not hurt. 

[mnementh]

   Picture as promised. Bulbs look like they have fluffy rave boots on

Is that normal or is a sign of high humidity in where its been used? I've only seen corrosion like that in areas of dampness, like bathrooms etc.

As old as that thing is, it's certain to have had some time stored or operated in a non-climate-controlled environment. It only takes a few months stored in a Stock & Lock for that green funk to start on unplated copper; then electrolysis takes over and continues even if it is moved to a nice cozy lab.

mnem
*Trying to find TFM for my new video card so I can R it*

[factory]

Yes like this one I forgot to bid on the other day  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/183646136802

Wow, someone got a good deal there. I actually feel sorry for the seller. How on Earth are there no more bids on that?

I had it on my watch list, the seller withdrew it from sale, I'm sure that eBay said it had an error in the listing. If that's the case it might be back on sale soon.

I saw that one too, then noticed it gone the next morning, the completed listings (& goofbid) show it sold with an offer of £210 not 99p, not sure what they normally go for.

David

[Inverted18650]

anyone else notice, we've crossed the 1 million mark!

[factory]

There is a a potentially fairly nasty Mercury button cell in there too somewhere so be a little careful if you find it and it has leaked. My 740B had two I have done some modern trickery to replace with floating references as they are unobtainium these days.

Got two of those 419A's here, one with very rotten Ni-Cruds & the other they had already been removed, also the hidden mercury cell in the bottom of the meter rots pretty well too. Can't remember if these pictures are of the early one (sn 143).

David

[Specmaster]

Yes like this one I forgot to bid on the other day  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/183646136802

Wow, someone got a good deal there. I actually feel sorry for the seller. How on Earth are there no more bids on that?

I had it on my watch list, the seller withdrew it from sale, I'm sure that eBay said it had an error in the listing. If that's the case it might be back on sale soon.

I saw that one too, then noticed it gone the next morning, the completed listings (& goofbid) show it sold with an offer of £210 not 99p, not sure what they normally go for.

David

Oh, I got that wrong then, could have sworn it said error in listing.

[beanflying]

Got two of those 419A's here, one with very rotten Ni-Cruds & the other they had already been removed, also the hidden mercury cell in the bottom of the meter rots pretty well too. Can't remember if these pictures are of the early one (sn 143).

David

Looks similar to some others photos I have seen of the 419's. The Mercury replacement I have done with a MAX4341 vref and three matched low tempco resistors as a divider to 1.35V btw.

[factory]

Oh, I got that wrong then, could have sworn it said error in listing.

Maybe that was the other listing where it didn't sell at £380.

David

[mnementh]

anyone else notice, we've crossed the 1 million mark!

That is a LOT of TEA!   

mnem
No wonder I need to pee every 5 minutes... 

[factory]

Got two of those 419A's here, one with very rotten Ni-Cruds & the other they had already been removed, also the hidden mercury cell in the bottom of the meter rots pretty well too. Can't remember if these pictures are of the early one (sn 143).

David

Looks similar to some others photos I have seen of the 419's. The Mercury replacement I have done with a MAX4341 vref and three matched low tempco resistors as a divider to 1.35V btw.

Sounds good thanks, I've been wondering what to replace the Mercury cell with.

The only differences I noticed with the later one was the Ni-Cad batteries are vertical instead of horizontal and the mercury cell holder is different (but that could have been replaced of course) & broken too.
The labelling for the range switch is printed rather than engraved as well.

David

[mnementh]

Looks good!  If you got the monster to boot and load the OS that's 95% of the battle. The rest is cake. 

Oh, it's not a new build; just a body transplant to accommodate a full-size video card. I AM considering getting a second Samsung 860 SSD (I have one on the shelf I was going to put in my laptop) and going RAID 0; its the only way to get HDD bandwidth anything even close to what a modern PC can do. They're pretty cheap.

Very pretty and cool mnem. 

Yeah; I have to admit I like the retro look. Of course, I've always been a fan of big-block sleeper builds. 460-Ford powered 70 Super Beetle, 455-Olds '66 Tempest, Cologne 2.8V6 '80 powered Triumph Spitfire, Cadd 500 powered '78 F150... the list goes on. Every one looked bone stock until you opened up the hood... or opened 'er up on a long stretch of highway. 

Nice system mnem, never realised it was a midi though, I prefer full size towers, hence why mine lives under the bench and it has loads of cable management options so for the large part my cables are neatly tucked out of the way behind a partition so they don't obstruct the airflow anymore than is absolutely necessary.
https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811139060

Yeah, this is my daily driver, so concessions had to be made heightwise. Just keeping it a foot off the floor cuts dustbunny and grime accumulation tenfold, and I'm NEVER going to willingly put up with that shit again. 


Thermaltake V200 Case $64.99 at Amazon

I'm liking the current generation of gamer cases with smoked glass sides and PSU tunnel design; they're what I've designed a thousand times in my mind ever since I built my first PC in a reclaimed mil-spec triple-walled EMP-shielded NASTEC  Server case. That V200 is a damn nice case for only $65. The problem is I'm a total throwback when it comes to work environment; I swap back & forth between Win7 & Win10 OS drives CONSTANTLY. I NEED my hot-swap HDD bays.  But modern cases have done away with the front 5.25" slots to make room for fans & radiator, and the full-height hideaway front doors that were all the rage a few years ago are now all but extinct.

mnem
"Stuff costs more. Kids are loud. Everybody's a assh'o. Stuff is ugly. Music isn't music anymore, it's noise." *Sigh* I'm turning into my own grandpa.

[bd139]

Got two of those 419A's here, one with very rotten Ni-Cruds & the other they had already been removed, also the hidden mercury cell in the bottom of the meter rots pretty well too. Can't remember if these pictures are of the early one (sn 143).

David

Looks similar to some others photos I have seen of the 419's. The Mercury replacement I have done with a MAX4341 vref and three matched low tempco resistors as a divider to 1.35V btw.

Sounds good thanks, I've been wondering what to replace the Mercury cell with.

The only differences I noticed with the later one was the Ni-Cad batteries are vertical instead of horizontal and the mercury cell holder is different (but that could have been replaced of course) & broken too.
The labelling for the range switch is printed rather than engraved as well.

David

These any good? Have used one in a camera for someone: http://www.weincell.com

[beanflying]

Their discharge curve is 'similar' but still not as flat as the Mercury cell it replaces so I opted for a non battery fix. The Weincells are Zinc Air

[factory]

Should the IC for the Mercury cell replacement voltage reference be the MAX 6341? I can't find the 4341 but just had a look at the 740B thread and saw you had used the MAX 6341.

David

[Inverted18650]

my project today, open, clean, test, and calibrate this beauty.

[Specmaster]

Oh, I got that wrong then, could have sworn it said error in listing.

Maybe that was the other listing where it didn't sell at £380.

David

No, it most certainly was not that listing as at that price it would not have been in my watch list 

[Specmaster]

anyone else notice, we've crossed the 1 million mark!

That is a LOT of TEA!   

mnem
No wonder I need to pee every 5 minutes... 

Certainly is, although to be fair it would seem to be true for our Kiwi and Aussie members, a lot of the old amber nectar as well 

[factory]

No, it most certainly was not that listing as at that price it would not have been in my watch list 

The other listing had best offer too, but maybe it was ended and relisted to claim the £1 selling fee offer last weekend.

David

[Inverted18650]

Should the IC for the Mercury cell replacement voltage reference be the MAX 6341? I can't find the 4341 but just had a look at the 740B thread and saw you had used the MAX 6341.

David

Also curious if the LM4140 makes the cut as I already have a few of them on hand.

[0culus]

Yeah, the 8568B had double the noise since both halves have a powerful fan.

The 8640B is well worth it. IIRC it has a cavity oscillator (part of the reason it weighs so much) and makes *very* clean cw.

that SA is a beauty.  almost got one back when the weight room was a daily part of my routine (a loooooong time ago).  even then it seemed heavy.


yep, my 8640b is pretty clean.  UNTIL you hit the "lock" button. in a couple of seconds the loop finally settles down and the output is locked to the xtal for the counter display (iirc there is a varactor built into the cavity).   cool!   but if you listen to the output at say 450 Mhz.    it sounds like dirt bike going up and down hills.   maybe that's why the mil version did not come with the lock feature?

I owe an apology to my hp8640b and 8640b's everywhere.

went down the basement and attempted to characterize that annoying buzz it produced when in lock mode.

both locked and unlocked it now outputs a tone as clear as the waters of lake minnetonka (when monitored with an sdrplay).

not sure why it was noisy the last time it was checked (years ago).  maybe the bonehead operating it had some modulation turned on?  maybe there was something wrong with the radio used to monitor it? (long since gone)  or maybe it healed itself in the back of the pickup when we moved 3 years ago (like on tv when a clunk on the head gives someone amnesia and the second clunk restores his memory)

perhaps the best explaination is that the noise was generated by the gears grinding inside my brainbox.  a little lubrication would probably not hurt.

Could have been dirt or something that you knocked loose initially.  These sig gens don't make super high frequencies (500 MHz?) but they are reputed to be the cleanest you can get for the bands it does support. Ideal for a lot of ham radio testing stuff if you want to cleanest signal. The only weakness is the mechanical front panel with all the gears and stuff.

[beanflying]

Should the IC for the Mercury cell replacement voltage reference be the MAX 6341? I can't find the 4341 but just had a look at the 740B thread and saw you had used the MAX 6341.

David

Yep not awake properly. 5am Possum screeching on the roof is not helpful

[Specmaster]

No, it most certainly was not that listing as at that price it would not have been in my watch list 

The other listing had best offer too, but maybe it was ended and relisted to claim the £1 selling fee offer last weekend.

David

Yeh, that makes sense, make an extra £20 on the sale.

[Specmaster]

anyone else notice, we've crossed the 1 million mark!

Million what?

[beanflying]

Also curious if the LM4140 makes the cut as I already have a few of them on hand.

The 1ppm/C of the MAX series is a lot better than most others in that low/mid price range of Vref. The LM4140 off the datasheet is 3ppm/C which in the case of Mercury replacement would be fine providing it doesn't get to much variation.

[Inverted18650]

Damn, I am following the thread like I am keeping the 419A...man-o-man...what am i thinking