Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

Hornsby - Yep, I could drive there.

$300 - Not in the budget.

And then double it at least for an Antenna would see you in the Dog House for an extended period 

Riddle me this Tek heads. Refooting of the 453 is done and I went looking for the lost Graticules and found there was a fine mesh screen in front of the CRT (now cleaned). In the bits box was the Glass version as pictured with the mesh beside it. Is the mesh 'normal' and can the scale be better illuminated or do I just go with the glass?

Time to break out the IPA for the Tek and a nice Stout for me 

I don't know what that mesh is for.  Perhaps it's part of a camera mount?

The Mesh filter provided with the 453 provides sheilding against radiated RFI and also serves as a light filter making the trace more visible in high ambient light ....

Smacks of marketing wank to me as it makes the trace more dull and the gradicules near invisible 

Interesting. I've never seen it before and I was around a bunch of 453's and 454's back in the 1970's.

[bd139]

Can someone please persuade me I need an HP 3310A and an 5316A 

You need an HP 3310A and a 5316A.


(Was that too much?)

Made a low ish offer on the 5316A but was countered too high.  If it had C channel I might pounce but going to skip it.

3310A looked at schematic and will hold out for a 3312A. Slightly better!

Oh well.

[Brumby]

There's always next time... 

[bd139]

And there will be a next time. There have been a hundred or so next times so far 

(I have a cupboard full of next times as well)

[beanflying]

The Mesh filter provided with the 453 provides sheilding against radiated RFI and also serves as a light filter making the trace more visible in high ambient light ....

Smacks of marketing wank to me as it makes the trace more dull and the gradicules near invisible 

Interesting. I've never seen it before and I was around a bunch of 453's and 454's back in the 1970's.

Seems strange to me. Here is a scan of the manual about it. 

[med6753]

The Mesh filter provided with the 453 provides sheilding against radiated RFI and also serves as a light filter making the trace more visible in high ambient light ....

Smacks of marketing wank to me as it makes the trace more dull and the gradicules near invisible 

Interesting. I've never seen it before and I was around a bunch of 453's and 454's back in the 1970's.

Seems strange to me. Here is a scan of the manual about it. 

Well IBM must have thought they were useless because none of them had that filter.

[bd139]

If it’s used in a radio lab environment this is necessary. Same reason you see mesh fitted to the military issue tek 2235 etc. A fair amount of noise comes out. You can hear it if you put a radio up to the screen in AM or SSB mode. If you’re doing receiver sensitivity tests or alignment a decent receiver can hear a gnat fart on the other side of the building.

[Specmaster]

Can someone please persuade me I need an HP 3310A and an 5316A 

Ok then, you really do need both of these, you know you do, why are you questioning yourself, this is the TEA thread, acquisition is mandatory 

[med6753]

If it’s used in a radio lab environment this is necessary. Same reason you see mesh fitted to the military issue tek 2235 etc. A fair amount of noise comes out. You can hear it if you put a radio up to the screen in AM or SSB mode. If you’re doing receiver sensitivity tests or alignment a decent receiver can hear a gnat fart on the other side of the building.

Makes sense. But my military OS-245(P)/U [7603N] doesn't have one. 

Edit....no mention in the manual either.

[bd139]

If it’s used in a radio lab environment this is necessary. Same reason you see mesh fitted to the military issue tek 2235 etc. A fair amount of noise comes out. You can hear it if you put a radio up to the screen in AM or SSB mode. If you’re doing receiver sensitivity tests or alignment a decent receiver can hear a gnat fart on the other side of the building.

Makes sense. But my military OS-245(P)/U [7603N] doesn't have one. 

It probably met the test specs without it.

Can someone please persuade me I need an HP 3310A and an 5316A 

Ok then, you really do need both of these, you know you do, why are you questioning yourself, this is the TEA thread, acquisition is mandatory 

Haha. I have actually skipped them. They are compromises and I don’t want any more of those

[med6753]

If it’s used in a radio lab environment this is necessary. Same reason you see mesh fitted to the military issue tek 2235 etc. A fair amount of noise comes out. You can hear it if you put a radio up to the screen in AM or SSB mode. If you’re doing receiver sensitivity tests or alignment a decent receiver can hear a gnat fart on the other side of the building.

Makes sense. But my military OS-245(P)/U [7603N] doesn't have one. 

It probably met the test specs without it.

Can someone please persuade me I need an HP 3310A and an 5316A 

Ok then, you really do need both of these, you know you do, why are you questioning yourself, this is the TEA thread, acquisition is mandatory 

Haha. I have actually skipped them. They are compromises and I don’t want any more of those

You know, you forget things if you haven't been exposed to it for a long time and then you remember and it all makes sense. Analog TV's with a CRT and AM radios. Remember how it used to make the AM radio whistle and go nuts if it was within 10 feet of it? Bingo. 

[bd139]

I still do that. Got a cheap Bush one. You can tune the harmonics of some shitty circuits on it

[tggzzz]

Thats a kiddies one, a basic 4 banger, here's a proper calculator, 54 years old, its the very one I brought when I was at college and its still going strong, uses a 9v battery and has never even had as much as a battery leak in that time and is still my personal favorite goto calculator out of all the ones in my collection.

54yo? 1965? Even 45 (=>1974) may be a couple of years too old. (I too had one at uni.)

I'm not quiet sure what you mean to "old" [emoji848]. When you say you had one at uni kind of implies that no longer have one, correct? Why?

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

I'd have said 43 years old at most.

It broke, I got a TI, HP became sufficiently cheap that I finally bought one, I wasn't so stupidly acquisitive as I am now and threw out the uninteresting old calculators.

Sent from my keyboard using FondleARodent (having killed two in the past 12 hours).

No, not at all, I went to Dovedale College in Chelmsford in 1965 and was the calculator I brought from W H Smiths for that purpose. A few years later I remember going to the UK offices of CBM to purchase its newer and more powerful brother the programmable PR100, looks completely different, even colourwise as well, it's brown. I also still have that one, rechargeable and needs a new battery pack one day when I have nothing more interesting to do. [emoji41]

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

Sorry, but no way were ICs and LEDs that advanced in 1965!

The earliest Commodore handheld calculators were released in ~1971. The groundbreaking HP35 was from 1972.

The PR100 was introduced in 1976; I doubt anyone in college would think of 11 years ('65-'76) as "a few years"!

What's the exact calculator model? What's the datestamp on the ICs?

[tggzzz]

Hornsby - Yep, I could drive there.

$300 - Not in the budget.

And then double it at least for an Antenna would see you in the Dog House for an extended period 

Riddle me this Tek heads. Refooting of the 453 is done and I went looking for the lost Graticules and found there was a fine mesh screen in front of the CRT (now cleaned). In the bits box was the Glass version as pictured with the mesh beside it. Is the mesh 'normal' and can the scale be better illuminated or do I just go with the glass?

Time to break out the IPA for the Tek and a nice Stout for me 

I don't know what that mesh is for.  Perhaps it's part of a camera mount?

The Mesh filter provided with the 453 provides sheilding against radiated RFI and also serves as a light filter making the trace more visible in high ambient light ....

Smacks of marketing wank to me as it makes the trace more dull and the gradicules near invisible 

Interesting. I've never seen it before and I was around a bunch of 453's and 454's back in the 1970's.

Mesh filters weren't uncommon, and their main use was to reduce specular reflections. That came at the cost of making the trace a little fuzzier.

Here's an example on my Tek 1502, along with the other accessory, the hood.

[malagas_on_fire]

Another calculator has been brought to light Just cleaning the solar panel and she is good to go. no batteries required

[Specmaster]

Sorry, but no way were ICs and LEDs that advanced in 1965!

The earliest Commodore handheld calculators were released in ~1971. The groundbreaking HP35 was from 1972.

The PR100 was introduced in 1976; I doubt anyone in college would think of 11 years ('65-'76) as "a few years"!

What's the exact calculator model? What's the datestamp on the ICs?

Oops, seems my dates were a bit of kilter here, I must have purchased the SR4912 towards the end of my college days and had the Sinclair scientific in the early days of college. I spent a total of 8 years in college with a gap of a couple of years in between various carry on courses in the progression of the next rung up the ladder to the HND qualification, which also included in that time management courses and training courses as the company was looking to open its own internal college. As regard to the PR100, I never said that I purchased that whilst at college, it was sometime later. The reason why I had to go to CBM offices was because it was not available any longer in the shops and I think I must have got one of the very last ones they made before dropping calculators as I have never seen another one in the same style of case. The ones I had seen were in the same case as the SR4912 and as you see in the accompanying photos, mine was more like a cheese wedge shape all over (chip date on it is 1977).

I attach photos of just some of my collection of calculators and early hand held computers etc, others are in boxes in the garage, cupboards etc.

The PR100 is the last in the sequence and the TI Data Plotter shown for the TI58 I last saw in the garage before it became full up with items from my Mums house clearance so I hope it is still there along with the HP calculators and many others. I'm just as anal with mobile phones, I think I have just about every phone I ever had apart from my very first one which was a brick that my wife got me as a present many years ago from Peoples Phone shop.

[med6753]

Got enough calculators there chief?? 

I know, I know......one can NEVER have enough DMM's, scopes, and calculators. 

[Specmaster]

Got enough calculators there chief?? 

I know, I know......one can NEVER have enough DMM's, scopes, and calculators.  [emoji14] [emoji14]

I think that's partly the reason for us all being here on TEA it's addictive [emoji28]

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

[tecman]

"Mesh filters weren't uncommon, and their main use was to reduce specular reflections. That came at the cost of making the trace a little fuzzier."

Actually mesh filters were supplied as an EMI filter

paul

[bd139]

We have a chancer seller out there today. The 5316A “untested”  listed at 75 earlier I offered 60 on. Go and look at the watch list and it’s up at £100 now.

Still thinking about the 3310A but need to owe some readies around for Dunstable 

[malagas_on_fire]

A lot of calculators indeed ohh tthe fx 850P beep beep


These are the ones kept, all working except the ti89 which was offered for repair and the only problem does not accept backup battery , works fine with the AAA

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-1093-casio-fx260-solar-ii-calculator-review/msg1593964/#msg1593964

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-1093-casio-fx260-solar-ii-calculator-review/msg1594783/#msg1594783

And the newest  :

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-1093-casio-fx260-solar-ii-calculator-review/msg1799408/#msg1799408

[Cubdriver]

Can someone please persuade me I need an HP 3310A and an 5316A 

You need an HP 3310A.



<edit to add - you should get an HP 3310 B, too -
collect the whole set!>

-Pat

[bd139]

LMAO. I made an offer. Thanks for the encouragement 

Reading HP service manuals helps too. The application notes include how to use it as a network analyser

[mnementh]

Very impressive mnem, take a bow.

And now I've finally got a minute to post some pics... I went and did it just to prove I wasn't just blowing smoke up your arse. 

As always... the fabricobbling comes easy; its documenting shit that makes it take 3 times as long. 

Yup.

But that is sufficiently interesting and valuable to other people that it is worth giving it a proper title in a thread of its own. As it is, buried in message 29k of (probably) >50k, nobody will find it again.

Nah, bitseeker will add it to the POI's.

Not very likely to be found by google and the TekScopes mob.

Or add it to 2465B Teardown thread.

*Takes a bow and put on best Elvis grin and southern drawl* "Spank you! Spank you vurry mu-u-uch!!!"   

Yeah, I know it'll make a good article... but right now it's just a collection of pictures. I want to get a chance to finish the project and show it installed, but I've been a bit busy this week with the 454 project, fixing musical instruments and being overrun with the little dragonlings. 

I'll add it to the big 2465 thread when and if I get a chance to add some narrative.   

mnem
My house looks like I'm losing at Jumanji.

[mnementh]

"Mesh filters weren't uncommon, and their main use was to reduce specular reflections. That came at the cost of making the trace a little fuzzier."

Actually mesh filters were supplied as an EMI filter

paul

Ummm.... yeah... most of the ones I've seen are made of plastic mesh. So how's that work?   

mnem