Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

*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.

I'm glad I inspired you to right a booty fab wrong but when you do the write up keep my name out of it. 

No.     And I've already saved the picture of that booty fab, so you cannae deny it. 

mnem
You will figure prominently in my memoirs.

I hate you and Paul Simon too. 

[0culus]

A little preview...as I learn how to set it up from the manual. It's a wee bit more complicated than the portable 'scopes I'm used to. 

[med6753]

Nah, it will be 2nd nature in no time.  Think of it as 2 scopes and 1 screen.

[0culus]

I'll figger it out eventually 

I'm not entirely sure yet how the delaying timebase and the main timebase interact...

[tautech]

I'll figger it out eventually 

I'm not entirely sure yet how the delaying timebase and the main timebase interact...

You haven't lived ! Have fun.

[Tomorokoshi]

Accepted counter offer. I now own a 3310A 

Excellent!  It's a nice little unit.

...

Now you need a 'B' model, too.   

(And more counters, obviously.  Two is nowhere near enough for a proper quorum.

-Pat

I also have one of each. For work I am doing they have some very useful features:

1. Excellent range on the VCO with the 0 to 10V input.

2. Multiple output ranges that drive deep into periods on the order of a day.

3. Nice power. Watch out for the 50 ohm output resistor. I had to replace the one in mine.

4. DC offset control.

Altogether this allows for a 3310A/B to act as a simulator for some kind of voltage or current controlled transducer, making simulation of control systems convenient.

I had to replace one of the power supply capacitors also.

[0culus]

I'll figger it out eventually 

I'm not entirely sure yet how the delaying timebase and the main timebase interact...

You haven't lived ! Have fun.

I figured it out by inspection. Didn't even need the manual.  I think the 7B92A timebase may need a bit of work, but other than that this thing works very well. I've got another 7A26 vertical amplifier on the way, so I'll have the option of 4 real channels, something the 2465B can't do since channels 3 and 4 on that 'scope only have two attenuator settings and are really only suitable for throwing up something like a clock signal.

The 7B15 timebase is the 1 GHz delaying timebase designed for the 7104. Since the guy had one available, I figured why not get started since I do want a 7104.   

[Neomys Sapiens]

I'll figger it out eventually 

I'm not entirely sure yet how the delaying timebase and the main timebase interact...

You haven't lived ! Have fun.

I figured it out by inspection. Didn't even need the manual.  I think the 7B92A timebase may need a bit of work, but other than that this thing works very well. I've got another 7A26 vertical amplifier on the way, so I'll have the option of 4 real channels, something the 2465B can't do since channels 3 and 4 on that 'scope only have two attenuator settings and are really only suitable for throwing up something like a clock signal.

The 7B15 timebase is the 1 GHz delaying timebase designed for the 7104. Since the guy had one available, I figured why not get started since I do want a 7104.   

Come on, you can't leave the 7904 without it's own proper timebase. Sad, empty hulks of 7xxx standing around, waiting to receive the only timebase in house?

[0culus]

The 7B92A is the correct timebase. Now that I have a mainframe, it will be a lot easier to acquire plugins.

[0culus]

Gotta have a little POS in there for @bitseeker's benefit.

[mnementh]

*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.

I'm glad I inspired you to right a booty fab wrong but when you do the write up keep my name out of it. 

No.     And I've already saved the picture of that booty fab, so you cannae deny it. 

mnem
You will figure prominently in my memoirs.

I hate you and Paul Simon too. 

Then we're both doing something right. 

mnem

[worsthorse]

Before I ask I know this is a  RPN vs =  question but here goes...

In the stack of equipment I tested this week are a TDS420A and 2246. I know I have enough, actually, more than enough, scopes. But, hey, I can probably buy either one for roughly 100USD, I know they both work, and, well, TEAS.

The TDS420A is pretty cool but the service manual doesn't appear to have schematics, so repair is of the swapping-boards sort. The 2246 is the low bandwidth sibling to the 2465 I have on my bench now. It does appear to be repairable, at least compared to the TDS420A. 

*sigh*  Typing that paragraph, I realize this is apple to bricks.  And that I am leaning toward the TDS420A mostly because I don't have anything quite like it. After all, I don't need another oscilloscope, so I should buy the most interesting one.  Nevermind.   

Now, a 53310A?  I definitely need one of those. That I could use.   

I would not recommend going for the TDS420. You don't get much for it except the TekProbe-interface. And Tek had a learning phase there: from the TDS-3xx (rotten) on to the mediocre 4xx's and then coming to grips with it.
I have never worked with a 5xx, but as some SW solution seem to apply both to the 5xx and 6xx series they should be ok. I have a TDS-644 and that is where they make sense and fun.
It is not a CRO but a raster display, as you can see from the VGA output. So there is no reason to be content with a monochrome one. Ok, it has 4 channels, but the aquisition performance is the same as the 2430. And when you follow the links on Tek-Wiki, you will read that the early 4xx FW versions were lacking some functions.
And I would not go for the models which 'share' aquisition rate. Except the x8xs maybe, where overall performance is sufficient again when in 4 channel mode.

All true. Plus I very rarely buy test equipment for which schematics aren't available.

I wasn't interested but then I spent a couple of hours looking at the documentation and got to hmmm... I am kinda curious, it's cheap, I wonder what I can do with it? 

The 2246 is easier to pass on because I have a 2465 on my bench. 

The final rationalization is, of course I can get my money back out of it as long as I don't let the smoke out and I never do that!   

[bitseeker]

https://youtu.be/Gn_-z-noVGs

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. 

For now I'm just going to leave this here with the descriptions on the photos... it's late & I'm tired, and I have the kids all over me like ferrets on crack until Monday. Oh, and a road trip to Louisiana in there somewhere I need to rest up for... 

That's some fab fabbing, mnem. Added to POI.

[bitseeker]

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. 

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.

Yep, did it. The work is worthy of its own thread, though, to benefit a broader audience. No harm in cross posting.

[bitseeker]

Much as having a Calculator on the desk is 'nice' I have a phone with a nice app/scientific Calc and so does my PC  Bench Real Estate is hard to find why add more clutter? My original Uni used Sharp might have to be found and sold seems some idiot might want one  eBay auction: #282979974302

I have one of those. I think it got a bit bent out of shape during a move many moons ago. Not sure where it is now.

[worsthorse]

https://youtu.be/Gn_-z-noVGs

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. 

For now I'm just going to leave this here with the descriptions on the photos... it's late & I'm tired, and I have the kids all over me like ferrets on crack until Monday. Oh, and a road trip to Louisiana in there somewhere I need to rest up for... 

That's some fab fabbing, mnem. Added to POI.

That is a nice piece of work, mnem! Going back and looking at the photo series now.  Good luck with the ferrets, er, kids. 

[bitseeker]

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?)

bd, I have one of each, so you're behind. Hurry up, man!

(Was that too much?)

Are you sure you want a 3310A and not a 3310B? Actually, just get both.

[bitseeker]

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

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.

Yeah, mine doesn't have the C channel. But I got it at a good price, so...

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

3312A is better, but the 10 goes better with my other HP gear of that era.

[bitseeker]

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!>

Yep, see bd!

I've been keeping an eye out for a 3310B, but they've been selling for too much $$$ lately.

[bitseeker]

Accepted counter offer. I now own a 3310A 

Well, now that was fast. You mean now I have to read 5 pages before I can even reply, lest I end up out of date like this? Sheesh!

[bitseeker]

Gotta have a little POS in there for @bitseeker's benefit.

Mine? Maybe you meant med, who worked at IBM?

[bitseeker]

Accepted counter offer. I now own a 3310A 

Excellent!  It's a nice little unit.

Also added to POI.

Oof! I'm racking up a monologue, again.

[0culus]

Gotta have a little POS in there for @bitseeker's benefit.

Mine? Maybe you meant med, who worked at IBM?

I was unaware of that. I was more joking at the acronym in the original post.

[Cubdriver]

Accepted counter offer. I now own a 3310A 

Excellent!  It's a nice little unit.

Also added to POI.

Oof! I'm racking up a monologue, again.

I need to get both the A and the B onto the bench for proper photo shoots.  Trouble is, the bench is buried, as the clutter tide is currently high.

-Pat

[kj7e]

That's a lot of damn caps... a few were leaking, most check okay, a few a bit week.  This is the Boeschert power supply out of my second 53310a, caps on order.







You can see where the caps were leaking, but the board cleaned up nicely (not in this pic).