Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 18839098 times)

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Offline beanflying

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28575 on: April 03, 2019, 06:32:40 am »
I will have to settle for 'another' Counter and a Scope/Cart. The Racal only because it is quirky and max's out at a HUGE 1.2Mhz and the Tek because I didn't own any.


Interesting. Does that counter work like the HP 521C?



Yep it runs incandescent bulbs behind the panel. I suspect there is spare bulbs in the baggy on top. Seems there is potentially some known issues with the driver transistors but I will cross that bridge when it gets here. No idea what if anything I will do with it yet. Was only $25 AU pesos and a bit of freight so cheap fun :-DD

Seller turned up the manual for the 453 too  :-+
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Offline beanflying

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28576 on: April 03, 2019, 06:35:37 am »
Watch the load you are putting on the plastic trestle table  :o I have seen some of those go really wrong at Markets in the past. Interesting on the ADF I will get back to playing more seriously over the next few months. Need to finish a major shack layout change then a Re Cal on all of my gear when I get my Bench DMM's back from Keysight so there goes this month  :palm:

This table is a good one, has a serious metal frame underneath, or I definitely would not stack stuff on it. It's temporary rental house crap anyway. Once I move, I'm getting a proper bench.  :-+

[edit] and the weight is over a leg, not in the middle.

It was the steel frame that failed, as you say your weight is over the leg and if it is braced on the wall will help too. Loaded heavy and a nudge from the side was how it failed (not mine).
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Offline VK5RC

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28577 on: April 03, 2019, 06:36:58 am »
@beanflying - the gdo wasn't me - was tempted but just bought a softail so thought I should be 'good'
I am also a bit of a 3D printer fan - great for repair of 'old stuff' - ability to repair buggered plastic is very helpful.
Whoah! Watch where that landed we might need it later.
 

Offline 0culus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28578 on: April 03, 2019, 06:42:00 am »
Watch the load you are putting on the plastic trestle table  :o I have seen some of those go really wrong at Markets in the past. Interesting on the ADF I will get back to playing more seriously over the next few months. Need to finish a major shack layout change then a Re Cal on all of my gear when I get my Bench DMM's back from Keysight so there goes this month  :palm:

This table is a good one, has a serious metal frame underneath, or I definitely would not stack stuff on it. It's temporary rental house crap anyway. Once I move, I'm getting a proper bench.  :-+

[edit] and the weight is over a leg, not in the middle.

It was the steel frame that failed, as you say your weight is over the leg and if it is braced on the wall will help too. Loaded heavy and a nudge from the side was how it failed (not mine).

Yep, it's braced. Still not ideal, but it won't be used for much longer. :)
 

Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28579 on: April 03, 2019, 06:49:46 am »
Cool old Racal counter, bean!  What do you figure - 60s-ish?   I need to get the HP 523D back on the bench now that I've got an arbor press to get the damned fan apart to clean and lube it.  Of course in the few days it took to get the press, the irresistible vacuum of empty bench space drew in a bunch of other stuff, and once again there's no space to work....
 |O

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If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 

Offline 0culus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28580 on: April 03, 2019, 06:57:46 am »
I pulled the trigger on a relatively cheap 432A power meter to complement my surplus shop 431B. Seems to be in great condition, excellent rep seller, but more importantly, comes with a 478A thermistor mount that's worth far more than the purchase price.  :-+
 

Offline beanflying

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28581 on: April 03, 2019, 07:04:36 am »
Cool old Racal counter, bean!  What do you figure - 60s-ish?   I need to get the HP 523D back on the bench now that I've got an arbor press to get the damned fan apart to clean and lube it.  Of course in the few days it took to get the press, the irresistible vacuum of empty bench space drew in a bunch of other stuff, and once again there's no space to work....
 |O

-Pat

Basing my information on this link. Seems likely this meter is from the same Telco source before our then Telecom was split off from the PMG. http://www.portabletubes.co.uk/testing/sa535.htm Likely makes it older than me ;)
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Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28582 on: April 03, 2019, 07:43:57 am »
Cool old Racal counter, bean!  What do you figure - 60s-ish?   I need to get the HP 523D back on the bench now that I've got an arbor press to get the damned fan apart to clean and lube it.  Of course in the few days it took to get the press, the irresistible vacuum of empty bench space drew in a bunch of other stuff, and once again there's no space to work....
 |O

-Pat

Basing my information on this link. Seems likely this meter is from the same Telco source before our then Telecom was split off from the PMG. http://www.portabletubes.co.uk/testing/sa535.htm Likely makes it older than me ;)

Interesting.  I look forward to seeing nekkid pictures of it when it gets to you.  Based on that article, you'll need more spare transistors than you will lamps.

-Pat
If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 
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Offline PrecisionAnalytic

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28583 on: April 03, 2019, 07:54:02 am »
I will have to settle for 'another' Counter and a Scope/Cart. The Racal only because it is quirky and max's out at a HUGE 1.2Mhz and the Tek because I didn't own any.


Interesting. Does that counter work like the HP 521C?



Yep it runs incandescent bulbs behind the panel. I suspect there is spare bulbs in the baggy on top. Seems there is potentially some known issues with the driver transistors but I will cross that bridge when it gets here. No idea what if anything I will do with it yet. Was only $25 AU pesos and a bit of freight so cheap fun :-DD

Seller turned up the manual for the 453 too  :-+

The Racal_Dana Yahoo group could use some of this porn.   Not much activity there usually.  I've never seen anything like that before. Interesting.

I broke down and bought some Racal Kevlar braid antennas from England since no one would work with me to ship me the Kevlar braid which is a great price from https://www.red2go.com.au/kevlar-and-tinned-copper-braid-25m-dispenser-box  (looks like now only have a 100m min box).

Haven't found a Racal or Dana test equipment piece yet.  Maybe someday.
 

Online tggzzz

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28584 on: April 03, 2019, 08:31:40 am »
you really gotta' sneak that calculator into the shot...…..don't you?

There's a decent HP15C emulator for windows floating around, and it also works under WINE.

Yes, I know it isn't the same, but it is arguably better than nothing.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
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Offline beanflying

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28585 on: April 03, 2019, 08:37:52 am »

The Racal_Dana Yahoo group could use some of this porn.   Not much activity there usually.  I've never seen anything like that before. Interesting.

I broke down and bought some Racal Kevlar braid antennas from England since no one would work with me to ship me the Kevlar braid which is a great price from https://www.red2go.com.au/kevlar-and-tinned-copper-braid-25m-dispenser-box  (looks like now only have a 100m min box).

Haven't found a Racal or Dana test equipment piece yet.  Maybe someday.

I scored a horridly grotty Racal Nixie counter from the USA early last year. Took some loving and some new bits on the Nixie driver circuits but it came up nicely.

https://youtu.be/vBVmMHhh-Dw

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Offline PrecisionAnalytic

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28586 on: April 03, 2019, 09:11:53 am »
Here's the 11048C termination from 0-2.5 GHz...

...of course the problem with all this is that it just makes me want to get a VNA system even more.  :-DD

Wondering if your following Erik's work as I'm wondering what areas of opportunity there are for performance enhancement:  :-//    :-/O     :popcorn:
https://groups.io/g/HBTE/topic/ebay_green_and_black_adf4351/30774256?p=,,,20,0,0,0::recentpostdate%2Fsticky,,,20,2,0,30774256
 
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Offline grizewald

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28587 on: April 03, 2019, 11:53:16 am »
Many thanks to bd139 for posting the tip-off about the HP 6209B power supply. It arrived in Sweden today via DPD for just £15 shipping, which is probably the cheapest shipping I've ever seen from the UK to Sweden for a 6+ kilo package.

The supply works just fine! It reads a little under on the built in meter, but it goes all the way up to 339V without any trouble. It has a few dents and some scrapes to the paintwork on the front panel but is in fairly good condition otherwise.



Before I powered it up, I opened up the case and blasted out all the dust. I was also glad I had downloaded the manual as the strapping on the back of the unit was set for external constant current programming. The inside, after blowing out the dust looks pristine.


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Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28588 on: April 03, 2019, 12:29:33 pm »
That HP 6209B sure looks great and I expect that there maybe an adjustment for that meter somewhere as I cannot believe that HP would have allowed the meter to be out by that much on full blast.
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Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28589 on: April 03, 2019, 12:34:43 pm »
Many thanks to bd139 for posting the tip-off about the HP 6209B power supply. It arrived in Sweden today via DPD for just £15 shipping, which is probably the cheapest shipping I've ever seen from the UK to Sweden for a 6+ kilo package.

The supply works just fine! It reads a little under on the built in meter, but it goes all the way up to 339V without any trouble. It has a few dents and some scrapes to the paintwork on the front panel but is in fairly good condition otherwise.


Before I powered it up, I opened up the case and blasted out all the dust. I was also glad I had downloaded the manual as the strapping on the back of the unit was set for external constant current programming. The inside, after blowing out the dust looks pristine.



It sure does look pristine, nice score.  :-+ But you made me do a double take and check my bench. For a second I thought you broke into my place while I was sleeping and took my Fluke 8021B.  :scared: I have it's EXACT twin sitting right here.  :-+
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Offline grizewald

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28590 on: April 03, 2019, 12:39:00 pm »

It sure does look pristine, nice score.  :-+ But you made me do a double take and check my bench. For a second I thought you broke into my place while I was sleeping and took my Fluke 8021B.  :scared: I have it's EXACT twin sitting right here.  :-+

Is your 8021B just as yellow as mine? :)

It seems to be getting exponentially more yellow by the month these days.
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Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28591 on: April 03, 2019, 12:45:11 pm »

It sure does look pristine, nice score.  :-+ But you made me do a double take and check my bench. For a second I thought you broke into my place while I was sleeping and took my Fluke 8021B.  :scared: I have it's EXACT twin sitting right here.  :-+

Is your 8021B just as yellow as mine? :)

It seems to be getting exponentially more yellow by the month these days.

Yep, and that's why I thought you took mine.  :-DD

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Offline grizewald

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28592 on: April 03, 2019, 12:47:53 pm »
That HP 6209B sure looks great and I expect that there maybe an adjustment for that meter somewhere as I cannot believe that HP would have allowed the meter to be out by that much on full blast.

There sure is! R72 will be duly tweaked.
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Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28593 on: April 03, 2019, 12:52:29 pm »
Quick F87 update ...  As received:    Jacks removed and area cleaned up:    New jacks installed. From TME.eu.    Job done:    Fully working and on the bench now.

Total expenditure was £46.50 for the duff meter, £40.01 for the replacement jacks. Going price is £130 for an original 87 so this is a winner!
Thats nice but are these jacks OEM? I ask because the original had red ring around the V and Resistance terminal, the new is grey? That really is a cracking deal for you meter, well done  :-+
Yes, I can confirm as I've ordered direct from Fluke's parts line. I was told the grey collar indicates an upgrade part; no idea what was "upgraded", as none of the ones I replaced seemed to last any longer than the original.  :-//

mnem
I dinn't do that...
How do you manage to break them? :-//  I still have the original input jacks on my 87 and I've had it 22 years.   :-DMM

When you're standing on a ladder in a hot suspended ceiling, or outside in subfreezing weather with gloves on, or even just distracted at your bench... it's easy to be a little rough swapping the cables to switch modes. Especially using it with unshrouded cables. The part that breaks, allowing the insulator to stick inside the lead shroud, is literally paper-thin. Well... maybe not that thin... but 0.3-0.5mm thick plastic. I had mine for almost 30 years... replaced the socket assembly twice. Did the same repair for literally dozens of people over the years.

mnem
 :=\

Gee...my 87 has been used in similar conditions and I'm pretty clumsy at times. I guess I've been lucky.  :-//
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Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28594 on: April 03, 2019, 01:03:48 pm »
@grizewald: yours looks better than mine inside. Glad to hear it turned up ok  :-+

On the Fluke yellowing, there's two plastics used for these. The first plastic is white/beige and horrid and goes yellow in months. The later ones were a grey and that seems ok. They switched half way through the B series. I actually had an 8021B! Lovely meter. Really fast continuity tester.

Gee...my 87 has been used in similar conditions and I'm pretty clumsy at times. I guess I've been lucky.  :-//

I think it depends on how it has been used. Sometimes things last years and then I fuck them up by accident one day even when being as careful as possible. This is usually phones for me though  :-DD


 

Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28595 on: April 03, 2019, 01:09:03 pm »


On the Fluke yellowing, there's two plastics used for these. The first plastic is white/beige and horrid and goes yellow in months. The later ones were a grey and that seems ok. They switched half way through the B series. I actually had an 8021B! Lovely meter. Really fast continuity tester.


I can certainly testify to that. My 8010A, 8050A, and 8810A look like crap and I've been tempted to spray paint them.  :palm:
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Offline beanflying

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28596 on: April 03, 2019, 01:17:40 pm »


On the Fluke yellowing, there's two plastics used for these. The first plastic is white/beige and horrid and goes yellow in months. The later ones were a grey and that seems ok. They switched half way through the B series. I actually had an 8021B! Lovely meter. Really fast continuity tester.


I can certainly testify to that. My 8010A, 8050A, and 8810A look like crap and I've been tempted to spray paint them.  :palm:

Break out the Peroxide and Toothbrush http://www.mountainouswords.com/mountain-air/retr0bright-restoration-project/
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Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28597 on: April 03, 2019, 01:28:10 pm »


On the Fluke yellowing, there's two plastics used for these. The first plastic is white/beige and horrid and goes yellow in months. The later ones were a grey and that seems ok. They switched half way through the B series. I actually had an 8021B! Lovely meter. Really fast continuity tester.


I can certainly testify to that. My 8010A, 8050A, and 8810A look like crap and I've been tempted to spray paint them.  :palm:

Break out the Peroxide and Toothbrush http://www.mountainouswords.com/mountain-air/retr0bright-restoration-project/
I wonder if that treatment would work on the rubbery type of buttons on my Fluke 8842A or would it attack the buttons or even attack the printing on them?
Who let Murphy in?

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Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28598 on: April 03, 2019, 01:44:35 pm »


On the Fluke yellowing, there's two plastics used for these. The first plastic is white/beige and horrid and goes yellow in months. The later ones were a grey and that seems ok. They switched half way through the B series. I actually had an 8021B! Lovely meter. Really fast continuity tester.


I can certainly testify to that. My 8010A, 8050A, and 8810A look like crap and I've been tempted to spray paint them.  :palm:

Break out the Peroxide and Toothbrush http://www.mountainouswords.com/mountain-air/retr0bright-restoration-project/
I wonder if that treatment would work on the rubbery type of buttons on my Fluke 8842A or would it attack the buttons or even attack the printing on them?

I've heard of those treatments and I also heard that the results are temporary at best.
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Offline beanflying

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #28599 on: April 03, 2019, 02:01:17 pm »
Have a read of the full page in the link. The Goop Cocktail should work better than just the Peroxide alone. Whatever you try will only act on the immediate surface and the Bromides below that will still over time re appear due to UV. So the UV Clear Coat mentioned would be worthwhile when treated to slow down the yellowing.
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