Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

After reading you guys fuss and whine I am sooo glad there is no Estrogen unit in residence here to give me grief.  As shown before both benches are occupied with 465B guts all over. And since the benches are in the living room it looks like someone tossed a hand grenade. I can just imagine the tongue lashing I'd be getting right now as to when it's going to be cleaned up. 

When I'm good and ready. 

Maybe not at the minute, but when your good policewoman retires soon if I understand it correctly, who knows what might happen, could be installed, if not permanently, but for extended periods at a time, certainly long enough for you to experience what us other poor blokes have to put up with 

She WAS going to retire this year but I think I mentioned before that her retirement medical would NOT cover the cost of her insulin so she has to stay on the force 3 more years. So I have 3 more years of peace and quiet. 

[med6753]

Yeah, and the worst part is... being a LEO, she ALWAYS has "The moral high ground" in ANY discussion. 

Being a LEO AND a sassy and sharp tongued black woman I have no hope of "winning" ANY discussion so I don't even try. 

mnem
Speaking of which...  is she doing consorting with a recidivist old reprobate like you?

Hey, good girls always seek out the bad boys. 

[Specmaster]

Yeah, and the worst part is... being a LEO, she ALWAYS has "The moral high ground" in ANY discussion. 

Being a LEO AND a sassy and sharp tongued black woman I have no hope of "winning" ANY discussion so I don't even try. 

mnem
Speaking of which...  is she doing consorting with a recidivist old reprobate like you?

Hey, good girls always seek out the bad boys. 

Hey thats so true, she just loves to practise her handcuffings skills on you leaving you handcuffed to the bed or whatever while the LEO in her goes to town on your bench, scooping everything into a black bin liner and dumping the whole lot in the trash can 

[med6753]

This 465B channel 2 attenuator is turning into a real marathon. There are 2 positions of the switch which have unstable resistance readings. I finally found the source of one of them but it has taken at least a dozen attempts at carefully and precisely bending and adjusting the leaf switch so it would make consistent contact. Finally after a few hours got that one sorted. There's one more and I'm still in the process of getting that one fixed. It's probably going to take numerous attempts also.

This deck assembly is indeed somewhat worn out so even if repaired I'm not sure how long it will last. And the gorilla who was in here prior to me certainly didn't help matters. So I'm going to keep plugging away at it. Worst case is I'm going to have to get a 465B parts mule. 

[PA0PBZ]

Another TEA Commandment?

12) There is no such thing as "Too many signals."

I would propose to change it a little bit: 12) There is no such thing as "Too many" says it all 

[worsthorse]

@begin(rant);

The gear I listed here yesterday came from a workshop full of stuff literally abandoned during a family move. It was going into a dumpster when the next door neighbor, who is not a ham, builder, restorer, or test equipment freak noticed and asked them if he could take it instead. He literally kept more than a ton of electronics from going to the dump. And for this, I am grateful.

How do I know this? Well, he found my "looking for parts" ad and contacted me. When I saw what he had I offered to help him sort and, when i could, sell it in return for getting first picks.  (I know, I am an idiot.  Whatever.)

After a day of going through stuff, something was nagging at me but I didn't know what. Today I figured it out... where were all the manuals?  Turns out he threw three six foot tall cabinets of tektronix and other test gear manuals, including microfiche, into the trash between our first and second contacts. I get it, he was completely overwhelmed and his wife was, understandably, giving him hell about filling the two car garage with crap.

I can't tell you how upset I am right now (I know, FWP). We lost another treasure trove of probably irreplaceable engineering and design information.  And I am pretty sure that the rest of the stuff will still go to the dump if I can't figure out how to move it out of there quickly; he has a full time job, and a family, already sounds exhausted by what he has taken on.  So I am trying to figure out if I can just buy the whole lot, rent storage, and then figure what do with it.

Oh, did I mention the sixty foot guyed Rohn tower with a six element HF yagi and 20M dipole on rotators that the realtor is going to have cut down if it isn't out in a week? 

@end(rant);

edit: removed non-family friendly cussing and recognized overwrought nature of post. 

[Specmaster]

I think that you'd be doing him a favour if you were to offer to just take it off his hands for fuck all really as he is clearly a heathen and his wife no better. If you have to put into storage at a cost, them anything you make from selling the gear is yours to offset the cost of moving and storing it a safe locker somewhere. 

[bd139]

Damn I’d be opening a self storage unit super quick if I saw that going past.

Just spent three hours here sorting components out. Trying to cut down and simplify a bit as I’m swamped with stuff. I don’t want to become that guy 

[med6753]

Wch, that SUCKS!  All that valuable info into the dump. What is wrong with people? But see.....it's that Estrogen unit again.  They make us do stupid stuff because they have the power of the you know what. 

Speaking of stupid stuff. I finally found the root cause of the remaining issue with this 465B Channel 2. After fixing the first issue with 20mV/Div been fighting with .2V/Div all afternoon. The freaking 4X attenuator has intermittent high resistance.  Take the 4X from Channel 1 and it's perfect. Unfortunately the 465 parts mule doesn't use a 4X attenuator. So I'll have to order one. Tomorrow I'm putting it all back together wait for the new part.



Edit....ordered. 2 of them for $5 USD plus $7 USD shipping. From QService in Greece. Bought from them before and surprisingly fast shipment from Greece.

[Neomys Sapiens]

I am so f*****. And I'm really short of packing anything HPAK together and put it into a crusher.

It is about my HP5334A.
After obtaining a working 10811-60111 (and the necessary screws - thanks, Oculus) I put the thing on my desk and wanted to fit that oscillator into it. Except, there is no connector J204 on the left side of the main board (when viewed from the rear). There is a outline labeled with OCXO at the RIGHT of the mainboard (viewed from the rear). And it is a totally different connector.

So I found out that I had been working from a mis-labeled service manual for a HP5334B (which came on a CD with the counter). And that a service manual for the 5334A is NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. I can't even say which OCXO would fit into it. I found an old discussion where someone tries to work around that.
I was already sending a PM to DC1MC in my mind, to tell him that we can finally calibrate that thing.
As it stands now, it is a useless piece of crap. Who needs a reciprocal universal counter with a totally crappy timebase? I don't. I do not have the space to collect useless stuff - I can and must have ONE fully capable counter that can do what my DC503s can't.
HPAK sucks. Severely. Someone wants to come by now and pick it up? Bring something that is guaranteed to make me forget this episode and be gone with it.

[med6753]

Sounds like a bunch of us have had a shitty day. 

There's always tomorrow. 

[kj7e]

Use an external reference?

[Neomys Sapiens]

Edit....ordered. 2 of them for $5 USD plus $7 USD shipping. From QService in Greece. Bought from them before and surprisingly fast shipment from Greece.

Oooh yes, QService in Greece. How did those (now now, must not bring the Artiodactyls into this) manage to concentrate all of Europe's Tektronix spares, specially those sought after probe accessories, down there?

[DC1MC]

@Neomys Sapiens - well what can I say, my targeted calibrator was snatched few hours ago as well, and the Crucial BX500 SSD that is widely considered a POS, it has been proved that it's indeed a POS  .
So I would say do some therapy shopping and get one of these Rubidium Frequenznormal from here:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/fs-datum-efratom-lpro-101-rubidium-frequency-standard-calibrated-with-pcb-kit/

or PM member oPossum, that seem to have the manual and maybe it can do a couple of pictures for you:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/hp-5334a-service-manual/

In any case, smile and relax, tomorrow we have to wake up an hour early 


 Cheers,
 DC1MC

[Neomys Sapiens]

Use an external reference?

I had given thought to that and discarded the idea. I'm not exactly into volt- or timenuttery enough AND I don't like to have something running all the time AND I have no reliable GPS reception here. Also, I like to have my principal test gear to be operable standalone without taking half of my lab with me. I might consider it when metrology-grade 10MHz come out of the wall in my flat.

If someone sees a 5334B with all Options SANS OCXO, drop me a note. Can't afford the Pendulum, 5335 is too pbig and I need precise and repeatable setting of the thresholds. And the OCXO is already here, it's even the second one, as the first was DOA.

[Neomys Sapiens]

@Neomys Sapiens - well what can I say, my targeted calibrator was snatched few hours ago as well, and the Crucial BX500 SSD that is widely considered a POS, it has been proved that it's indeed a POS  .
So I would say do some therapy shopping and get one of these Rubidium Frequenznormal from here:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/fs-datum-efratom-lpro-101-rubidium-frequency-standard-calibrated-with-pcb-kit/

or PM member oPossum, that seem to have the manual and maybe it can do a couple of pictures for you:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/hp-5334a-service-manual/

In any case, smile and relax, tomorrow we have to wake up an hour early 


 Cheers,
 DC1MC

Hi, you were after the Rotek 710? I tried to get one of the HP4275As from that guy. (The LCR slot is still unfilled).
Right now, I'm glad that I did not get it - it's HPAK after all.

And the time is changed already - or so I thought.

[DC1MC]

Use an external reference?

I had given thought to that and discarded the idea. I'm not exactly into volt- or timenuttery enough AND I don't like to have something running all the time AND I have no reliable GPS reception here. Also, I like to have my principal test gear to be operable standalone without taking half of my lab with me. I might consider it when metrology-grade 10MHz come out of the wall in my flat.

If someone sees a 5334B with all Options SANS OCXO, drop me a note. Can't afford the Pendulum, 5335 is too pbig and I need precise and repeatable setting of the thresholds. And the OCXO is already here, it's even the second one, as the first was DOA.

Well, depending on what actually died on your original OCXO board, I could offer a nice 10MHz (+/- 5Hz) CTI OCXO from the series of 4 bought for my 5385A.

Also look here:
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/-hp-5334b-frequenzzaehler-multifunktionszaehler-universalzaehler-/1050179862-168-9598

 Cheers,
 DC1MC

[DC1MC]

...
And the time is changed already - or so I thought.

Well, it changed, of course but in the WE I didn't have to wake up at a specific time  .

[Neomys Sapiens]

Use an external reference?

I had given thought to that and discarded the idea. I'm not exactly into volt- or timenuttery enough AND I don't like to have something running all the time AND I have no reliable GPS reception here. Also, I like to have my principal test gear to be operable standalone without taking half of my lab with me. I might consider it when metrology-grade 10MHz come out of the wall in my flat.

If someone sees a 5334B with all Options SANS OCXO, drop me a note. Can't afford the Pendulum, 5335 is too pbig and I need precise and repeatable setting of the thresholds. And the OCXO is already here, it's even the second one, as the first was DOA.

Well, depending on what actually died on your original OCXO board, I could offer a nice 10MHz (+/- 5Hz) CTI OCXO from the series of 4 bought for my 5385A.

Also look here:
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/-hp-5334b-frequenzzaehler-multifunktionszaehler-universalzaehler-/1050179862-168-9598

 Cheers,
 DC1MC

249€ without channel C? Maybe an A*****e needs to live too, but not off my purse!
Also I just found out that the C input on the 5334B does not have the sensitivity adjustment and that you can't save setups on the B model AND that it doesn't have the gate output. What did they design there?

[DC1MC]

But, but is "Geprüft, kalibriert, funktioniert und läuft super", it's very rare to find such a device  , it's also VB so the good man will probably accept 100.

 Cheers,
 DC1MC

P.S> The OCXO offer is not 1st of April special, it stands. An FZ that has all that you want is way over 500 in DE, IF you could find it.
 
 

[0culus]

I am so f*****. And I'm really short of packing anything HPAK together and put it into a crusher.

It is about my HP5334A.
After obtaining a working 10811-60111 (and the necessary screws - thanks, Oculus) I put the thing on my desk and wanted to fit that oscillator into it. Except, there is no connector J204 on the left side of the main board (when viewed from the rear). There is a outline labeled with OCXO at the RIGHT of the mainboard (viewed from the rear). And it is a totally different connector.

So I found out that I had been working from a mis-labeled service manual for a HP5334B (which came on a CD with the counter). And that a service manual for the 5334A is NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. I can't even say which OCXO would fit into it. I found an old discussion where someone tries to work around that.
I was already sending a PM to DC1MC in my mind, to tell him that we can finally calibrate that thing.
As it stands now, it is a useless piece of crap. Who needs a reciprocal universal counter with a totally crappy timebase? I don't. I do not have the space to collect useless stuff - I can and must have ONE fully capable counter that can do what my DC503s can't.
HPAK sucks. Severely. Someone wants to come by now and pick it up? Bring something that is guaranteed to make me forget this episode and be gone with it.

Well, that's annoying. All hope is not lost, however: https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-5334A-Universal-Counter-Service-Manual-OEM-6F-B4/264196567950

[Neomys Sapiens]

@DC1MC:
Ok, better it is not - as it is not yet 1st of April! Or which time zone did you apply?

But seriously: I do not understand the OCXO option. Is the OCXO which you have compatible to the *UNKNOWN* HP OCXO that fits into the 5334A? The datasheet for the 5334A and B lists Option 10 = OCXO for both, but as I have demonstrated, it can#t be the same one. Also, I have a 10811-60111 with warranty. So what should I do with another OCXO?

[DC1MC]

@Neomys Sapiens The OCXO offer is if you wanted to produce quickly a replacement OCXO board using the cadaver of the original one, WITHOUT destroying or modifying the B version that you already have.
If in the original OCXO board, just the oscillator have died (broken oven, whatever) it would have a quick but still precise replacement until you get an original board.
That was my intention to help you.

 Cheers,
 DC1MC

[Neomys Sapiens]

@Neomys Sapiens The OCXO offer is if you wanted to produce quickly a replacement OCXO board using the cadaver of the original one, WITHOUT destroying or modifying the B version that you already have.
If in the original OCXO board, just the oscillator have died (broken oven, whatever) it would have a quick but still precise replacement until you get an original board.
That was my intention to help you.

 Cheers,
 DC1MC

I did not have the slightest doubt that you want to help me! I have thrown the blasted thing already away. And it was of the same type than the working one I have now, because it was ordered against the same information from the mislabeled manual. So it would have not produced an adaptor for 'anyOCXO' to plug into the board, and then there is the power problem, as the 5334A's PS is a bit on the weak side.
Also, I think that into the internal interface goes ONLY the original part, else, I would have to use ext.Ref.

But stop - that thing could be used externally? It would be faster run up than a Rb oscillator and be about the same that an internal OCXO - considering! And no need to lug the counter around, because you would have set it already. PM me with a number!

[mnementh]

Another TEA Commandment?

12) There is no such thing as "Too many signals."

I would propose to change it a little bit: 12) There is no such thing as "Too many" says it all 

I get it... and I like the "simplify" sentiment. But I think then it just becomes a variant on:

1) Test equipment (TE) will expand to fill all space available. And then some. 

mnem
*VR-ily*