Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

@med, well done you jammy git, now you know why Jim Williams always said that when it comes to Tektronix scopes, the problems are nearly always down to Tants. 

Go-o-o Tants! Go Tants! It's yer birthday! Go Tants!!!

mnem
I blame alcohol-derpivation.

[bd139]

EDIT: I think we just had a time slip. Some posts have disappeared. Database restore?


I think I'd chuck that mouldy Tek in the bin. Not sure I'd even want to try and recover anything from it 


More progress. We have a crystal filter that works.



Output, now just the IF...



On to BFO...


Going to see if I can get this receiving stuff off the airwaves today or tomorrow.

[mnementh]

Old stuff is good stuff  May or may not be any good 'last used in 1975' but will be added to my good working pair I already have.

Crusty and slightly dangerous if consumed.   

Very nice. I wouldn't even know where to look for them ...

I blundered into my four at a school for 16-18 year olds that was closing down.

Even the ones from 1949 are well within spec: https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/2016/12/28/a-weston-standard-cell-an-introduction-to-voltnuttery/

Selling them via ebay would raise two questions about shipping:

• functionality: not only the glass envelopes but also the crystal electrodes are fragile, e.g. keep upright, don't shake
• legality: mercury and cadmium aren't healthy when they escape, and mercury vapour makes aeronautical go white when they know how it changes the properties of aluminium in airframes

https://youtu.be/IrdYueB9pY4

mnem
At least its not gallium. 

[worsthorse]

Quote from: mnementh on Today at 11:54:49

>Quote from: 0culus on Today at 11:38:44

@bd I must have missed the original post, what are you building this radio for?

A while now. *Bah-dump-bump!*

HAM-age. Seriously.

mnem
*back to the salt mines*

That made me laugh way more than it should have. 

[med6753]

@med, well done you jammy git, now you know why Jim Williams always said that when it comes to Tektronix scopes, the problems are nearly always down to Tants. 

Yea, thanks. The 7904 has been on for a few hours now and there's been no smoke or other excitement. As I suspected...the manual I was using that was downloaded from Tekwiki is downlevel to my S/N. I checked Artek Manuals and sure enough there are 2 manuals for the 7904. Mine falls into the S/N range for the newer one so I ordered it. What's left to do.....

Final adjustment of the supply voltages.
Looks like the CRT circuit could use some fine tweaking.
Need to dexoit a bunch of switches/controls.
The 7A26 200MHz vertical plug-in is in good shape. Compensation looks decent but the attenuator deck switches could use some cleaning with IPA. Controls with dexoit. The 2- 7B80 time base plug-ins are in real good shape and work well except one has a non-functional X10 switch.
The 7A24 400MHz/50 ohm vertical plug-in is a hot mess.  Compensation is WAY off. Enormous over shoots on square waves. I fear that some of the precision 50 ohm attenuators may be damaged. Very easy to burn them out. I won't know until I open it up and take a look.     

[worsthorse]

EDIT: I think we just had a time slip. Some posts have disappeared. Database restore?

I think I'd chuck that mouldy Tek in the bin. Not sure I'd even want to try and recover anything from it 

* wch sighs...

You are probably right.

No, actually, you are definitely right.

But now it is a quest... Can I get the rest of the boards out without using a sawzall?  Stay tuned! 

[med6753]

@med, well done you jammy git, now you know why Jim Williams always said that when it comes to Tektronix scopes, the problems are nearly always down to Tants. 

Go-o-o Tants! Go Tants! It's yer birthday! Go Tants!!!

mnem
I blame alcohol-derpivation.

[worsthorse]

   After being stymied by the setscrews, I moved to the back of the scope. No joy.               At least six rotted screws rusted in place. I will have to drill them out, too. With half a day invested already and no end in sight, well yessir I am starting to question my sanity.  In case you all weren't already doing so...[/quote]

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07Q7ZJXFL/

These little guys are your friend. Best $10 you'll ever spend. Make sure you get a set that goes down to at least #0, though. IRWIN makes a better set just for screw heads that doesn't require drilling, but cost ~$25: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0002NYBHI



Of course, IRWIN also makes a similar set of stud/bolt-head extractors. Yes, they're more expensive at ~$35. And yes, damn those monsters at IRWIN, they WORK.   

It all depends on how much you value your time and assache over money.

mnem
*assache-motivated*
[/quote]

I don't mind assache (which should be evident if you've looked at any of the photos I have posted over the last couple of days) but I do hate wasting time...

I was actually on my way to the hardware store to get a decent set o these. ez-outs, as we used to call them.  If I need to order them online, I am going to put the 466 aside and try to put a couple more hours into the furnace room/inventory/crating/organization project...

[Kosmic]

EDIT: I think we just had a time slip. Some posts have disappeared. Database restore?


I think I'd chuck that mouldy Tek in the bin. Not sure I'd even want to try and recover anything from it 


More progress. We have a crystal filter that works.



Output, now just the IF...



On to BFO...


Going to see if I can get this receiving stuff off the airwaves today or tomorrow.

Really nice construction. I like it.

[mnementh]

   After being stymied by the setscrews, I moved to the back of the scope. No joy.               At least six rotted screws rusted in place. I will have to drill them out, too. With half a day invested already and no end in sight, well yessir I am starting to question my sanity.  In case you all weren't already doing so...

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07Q7ZJXFL/

These little guys are your friend. Best $10 you'll ever spend. Make sure you get a set that goes down to at least #0, though. IRWIN makes a better set just for screw heads that doesn't require drilling, but cost ~$25: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0002NYBHI



Of course, IRWIN also makes a similar set of stud/bolt-head extractors. Yes, they're more expensive at ~$35. And yes, damn those monsters at IRWIN, they WORK.   

It all depends on how much you value your time and assache over money.

mnem
*assache-motivated*

I don't mind assache (which should be evident if you've looked at any of the photos I have posted over the last couple of days) but I do hate wasting time...

I was actually on my way to the hardware store to get a decent set o these. ez-outs, as we used to call them.  If I need to order them online, I am going to put the 466 aside and try to put a couple more hours into the furnace room/inventory/crating/organization project...

Yeah, I have EZ-outs too. And pipe extractors. And Zip-outs. Noticing a pattern here?    I've collected a small army of this kind of tool; they're pretty much indispensable for mechanicking. 

These are better, at least with small fasteners; this breed of tools have undergone quite a transformation in the last decade or so, with the ready availability of inexpensive specialty alloys. 

mnem
*extract-ily*

[worsthorse]

Yeah, I have EZ-outs too. And pipe extractors. And Zip-outs. Noticing a pattern here?    I've collected a small army of this kind of tool; they're pretty much indispensable for mechanicking. 

These are better, at least with small fasteners; this breed of tools have undergone quite a transformation in the last decade or so, with the ready availability of inexpensive specialty alloys. 

mnem
*extract-ily*

Damn, down the tool rabbit hole I go. My local hardware store, which is only called that because there's a sign that says Hardware Store out front, has to order whatever I want anyway and it will take a week. So, off to Amazon, and soon I have a cart containing several species of extraction device and one or two other things I have been meaning to order.

 

I step away from the buy-it-now button and decide it is time to walk the dog. None of it will get here before Tuesday or Wednesday anyway, so the 466 is going to get put away for a couple of days no matter what.

[bitseeker]

your solution for wiring the old oval hp power sockets surely qualifies you for the "crown of bodge".

I'll wear it with all the dignity I can muster. 

Could've been worse!

[0culus]

Whoever unplugged that without looking got a "sizzling" experience....   

[bd139]

LMAO looks like undergraduate EE lab 1 

Done for the night. BFO and product detector working plus some voltage regulation in place. I can derive a tone from a CW input!



Tomorrow audio preamplifier if I can find an amplifier that doesn't speak parseltongue in the junk box 

Going to bed 

[0culus]

Jim Williams build prototypes in a similar way. Standing on the shoulders of giants, I say. 

[Kosmic]

your solution for wiring the old oval hp power sockets surely qualifies you for the "crown of bodge".

I'll wear it with all the dignity I can muster. 

Could've been worse!

That make me remember my trip in India some years ago. Was a bit cold and asked for a space heater. When I tried to use it I noticed the connector was just missing at the end of the power cord. I realized I had to plug each wire directly in the wall socket.

Ah and i'm almost forgetting about the water heater (with exposed wires) fixed to the wall of the shower like 1/2 meter away from the shower nozzle.

Was just beautiful.

[nixiefreqq]

your solution for wiring the old oval hp power sockets surely qualifies you for the "crown of bodge".

I'll wear it with all the dignity I can muster. 

Could've been worse!

words fail me. 

(ok....you can stop now.....I could lose my PE registration just for looking at something like that.)

[bitseeker]

 

[med6753]

Even I wouldn't do a bodge like that. I do have some standards.   

[Housedad]

The HP 53816B Universal Counter that I ordered came in today.  It is in extremely fine condition and came with the original printed manual stil in the original plastic shrink wrap.  The manual and instrument are pristine.   They packed it about as good as it is possible to pack it for shipping.  I don't even think a train wreck would have fazed it.

I fired up the GPSDO this afternoon and hooked up the counter tonight.  It works beautifully.   It might need a slight calibration adjustment for a few Hz, but all in all, I'm tickled pink.

Here it is under my HP 5385a after running for about 3 hours.  The 5385 had only been hooked up a couple of minutes, though.

[xrunner]

Does it have tin foil?

Yes it does!

A Redneck Repair - "Here - hold my beer and watch this ..." 

[bitseeker]

The HP 53816B Universal Counter that I ordered came in today.  It is in extremely fine condition and came with the original printed manual stil in the original plastic shrink wrap.  The manual and instrument are pristine.   They packed it about as good as it is possible to pack it for shipping.  I don't even think a train wreck would have fazed it.

Looks brand new. Good to hear it was packed well.

[bitseeker]

Last Call!

Just a reminder that I'm preparing a greeting card to snail mail out to Inverted18650 on Monday. If you'd like your name (forum or real, just specify) and any message included, PM me. I will include a catch-all "from your fellow TEA compatriots" kind of phrase as well.

[beanflying]

Very nice. I wouldn't even know where to look for them ...

One in France if the seller will take an offer eBay auction: #352652284969

Thanks. A bit expensive with shipping (which also seems dangerous to them, according to Kosmic), and no payment option that fits.

I will specifically search for them from now on, every once in a while.

Some of them are fine with being upturned it is the older more open ones are not. There is an internal seal inside some of them to prevent transfer from side to side. In 'more recent' (60-70's) the cells were fitted to portable test gear as a voltage reference so this was a must. The smaller Cambridge one I am sure is one of these types and so are my two existing Muirheads. The older open/crusty one is likely not but see what arrives.

The are only coming from 300km away by post so no air will be involved. 

Same seller actually has this item for sale. Shown in the upper Left is where it gets an input from a Weston Cell. eBay auction: #264300212982 Not intending to bid on it in spite of the cool factor.  I suspect under that steel plate is where the Weston Cell actually is.

[mnementh]

Yeah, I have EZ-outs too. And pipe extractors. And Zip-outs. Noticing a pattern here?    I've collected a small army of this kind of tool; they're pretty much indispensable for mechanicking. 

These are better, at least with small fasteners; this breed of tools have undergone quite a transformation in the last decade or so, with the ready availability of inexpensive specialty alloys. 

mnem
*extract-ily*

Damn, down the tool rabbit hole I go. My local hardware store, which is only called that because there's a sign that says Hardware Store out front, has to order whatever I want anyway and it will take a week. So, off to Amazon, and soon I have a cart containing several species of extraction device and one or two other things I have been meaning to order.

 

I step away from the buy-it-now button and decide it is time to walk the dog. None of it will get here before Tuesday or Wednesday anyway, so the 466 is going to get put away for a couple of days no matter what.

A wise choice. Best to review your choices after a decent night's sleep and whittle the list down. I try to make a habit of this myself. 

   Could've been worse!

Even I wouldn't do a bodge like that. I do have some standards. 

I know. The gum wrapper was entirely unnecessary; obviously Cousin It here had more than one key, or he wouldn't have two keyrings. 

2 keys + 2 Keyrings = 2 bare minimum conductors for that MUST-HAVE charge. YES. I HAVE spent too much time thinking about things like this. I can neither confirm nor deny actually having DONE things like this. 

mnem
"Discretion is the better part of Valory... and the other parts aren't too bad either."  ~mom