Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

We're still in the "getting everything lined up" stage. We're moving this summer, come hell or high water we'll be out of Texas.

mnem
I can't wait to live where Mexican food is "foreign" again.

[Ero-Shan]

Just stumbled upon this; might interest one or the other:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/202667296045

[worsthorse]

I got another hit from my CL WTB ad, a local ham saying he had a couple of TM plugins and frames he wanted to sell. 

When I met him today, he told me he decided to bring some other stuff, too. After going through the pile, I bought a TM502A, TM503A, three plugins, (a couple of power supplies and a DMM), two 8116As, a 6115A, and a P6046 probe, power supply, and amplifier in the original case.  The previous owner claims the P6046, 6115A and TM stuff all work, and said the 8116As "mostly worked", a position he retreated from when I mentioned error codes and custom HP ASICs. 

The whole lot cost me 110USD. So, am I an idjit, easily parted from my money? Probably, yes, even though I am expecting a 100 percent failure rate on the 8116As, the 6115, and the plugins and there's a fifty-fifty chance that the probe is junk.

But I look at it this way... I bought two 8116A lottery tickets and got four or five of the scratch off kind for free. 

[bd139]

That's a pretty awesome haul for the money. Nice job 

I've seen a single slot TM501 chassis with no plugin go for nearly that on its own here 

[med6753]

At least you'll be closer to med to keep his Tek mods under observation. 

 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Just stumbled upon this; might interest one or the other:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/202667296045

There is also a Tek 549:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Tektronix-549-type-1A4-Oszilloskope/382829741633
Really scary behemoth!

As well as a 7854.
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Tektronix-7854-Speicher-Oszilloskop-4-Slot-400MHZ-Top-Zustand/123751896613

[worsthorse]

That's a pretty awesome haul for the money. Nice job 

I've seen a single slot TM501 chassis with no plugin go for nearly that on its own here 

This time out I let the seller set the price. I admit to being a little surprised by the number and in other circumstances might have considered it suspect.  I guess when some folks decide to be done with something, they just want to rid themselves of whatever it is they are done with. 

[bd139]

I find it's always good to let the seller offer if they have no idea what it is. Then make "pfft" faces and take 20% off 

[mnementh]

Yes? Why are my ears burning?

mnem
*Just had my annual dose of abuse on the RCG*

[0culus]

Anyone else end up with the situation where you have more test equipment than line cords? I did. So I fixed that by buying a bunch of line cords. 

[bd139]

I am there now. I sold something earlier and had to steal a line cord from something I’m using 

[Specmaster]

I've been there before, so I listed the items as no power cords supplied, problem solved  That said however I'm certain that somewhere among all of my gear is a plastic storage box with loads of line cords in, but I couldn't be arsed to dig it out   

[0culus]

I was right at parity till I bought the Tek 7904A and the HP 1727A. Neither came with line cords.



But now I have a good stash of new, non fucked up line cords.   

[mnementh]

MUAHAHAHAHA!!! I HAVE ALL YOUR CORDS, AND THERE'S NOT A THING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!!!  };=)~~~~<

No, seriously... I have probably a 50lb surplus of IEC power cords I'm in the process of triaging right now.  And I haven't even started on the big tub in the garage. I collect AC cords, power strips and power packs like some people collect stamps.

And I have easily 2 decades worth I'm trying to trim down to one tub. Total.

mnem
Hello, my name is mnem, and I have a juice problem.

[worsthorse]

MUAHAHAHAHA!!! I HAVE ALL YOUR CORDS, AND THERE'S NOT A THING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!!!  };=)~~~~<

No, seriously... I have probably a 50lb surplus of IEC power cords I'm in the process of triaging right now.  And I haven't even started on the big tub in the garage. I collect AC cords, power strips and power packs like some people collect stamps.

And I have easily 2 decades worth I'm trying to trim down to one tub. Total.

mnem
Hello, my name is mnem, and I have a juice problem.

I have a one tub rule: one of AC power cords, one of DC power supplies, one of air variable caps, one of USB/DIN/data cables, and so on.  It forces me give something away before adding something when the tub is full. Or, of course, subdivide a tub so that the USB/DIN/data tub becomes three without breaking my one tub rule.

 

So when you ummm, triage them, what actually happens? Like, where do they go next? 

[mnementh]

Usually I send the "ugly but usable" ones to Goodwill. Unusable does actually find its way to the trash. Problem is all the "Ooooh... 14ga..." and "Ooohhh... right angle socket 10 feet long..." and "Oooh... double-ended y-cable with remote switch!!! Definite KEEPER!!!" 

mnem
*juicy*

[Kosmic]

Had that problem recently. I ended up buying use one from the local electronic surplus store. Pretty sure all the missing power cords from eBay end up over there. They have tons of them.

[Carl_Smith]

Anyone else end up with the situation where you have more test equipment than line cords? I did. So I fixed that by buying a bunch of line cords. 

This reminds me of my recent realization that I have way more HDMI cables than I have HDMI inputs on my TVs and monitors.
(Local home improvement store was nearly giving them away on rebate every couple months for a few years.)

[Neomys Sapiens]

Anyone else end up with the situation where you have more test equipment than line cords? I did. So I fixed that by buying a bunch of line cords. 

This reminds me of my recent realization that I have way more HDMI cables than I have HDMI inputs on my TVs and monitors.
(Local home improvement store was nearly giving them away on rebate every couple months for a few years.)

You should have gone back to them to complain that you lost three pieces of cattle and a fine pig, because the ties they were handing out were not worth a ****. What? What is that 'Kompjuter' you are talking about? My composter is working well, believe me!

[Brumby]

I picked up a few things recently from a guy who was clearing out his old office and one lot he offered as a free throw-in was a couple of dozen IEC mains leads.  I did not take them all.  I looked for any right-angled ones, but there were none.    I then limited my self to two white ones, two grey ones and the longest two black ones there - not that I actually needed them for anything 

There were a few other cables he gave me as well.  Still wondering what I will do with four rather decent looking 10m VGA cables.


There were a couple of other things I collected ... but need to do photos.   

[beanflying]

I have an 'adequate' over supply of IEC and two core leads One Milk crates worth.

These are a good thing for walls of low power TEA items too saves having to hide long leads eBay auction: #321960389520 The ones I got tested fine for insulation, current maybe not so much.

[Brumby]

I have a one tub rule: one of AC power cords, one of DC power supplies, one of air variable caps, one of USB/DIN/data cables, and so on.  It forces me give something away before adding something when the tub is full. Or, of course, subdivide a tub so that the USB/DIN/data tub becomes three without breaking my one tub rule.

 

I have exactly the same rule - with one additional control: The allocated shelving space is constant.  This results in a choice of what to discard in order to make room in any given container -OR- to identify which other n containers can be reorganised into n-1 to allow for the meiosis.


The alternative of adding extra shelf space comes under the heading of "major project" - and is treated appropriately.

[beanflying]

Today's 5 minute teardown and test my three new/ancient Weston Cells

The bigger two are 1943 vintage making them 76 years old and still working close to what they should be  The little Cambridge (undated) appears dead at below 100mV but I suspect it may have been the one the students got to play with and or the two bared wires from it were un-terminated and had shorted at some stage over the years.

The Advantest is a little out but it is the best GOhm impedance meter I have available at present. I will make a 3DP case for the uncased one for a little better protection much with maybe a second laser cut side in clear Acrylic to see the blingy bits.

** Notice in the Tinsley one in particular the sintered barrier above the main electrodes/Mercury to keep it in place.

[mnementh]

I have a one tub rule: one of AC power cords, one of DC power supplies, one of air variable caps, one of USB/DIN/data cables, and so on.  It forces me give something away before adding something when the tub is full. Or, of course, subdivide a tub so that the USB/DIN/data tub becomes three without breaking my one tub rule.

 

I have exactly the same rule - with one additional control: The allocated shelving space is constant.  This results in a choice of what to discard in order to make room in any given container -OR- to identify which other n containers can be reorganised into n-1 to allow for the meiosis.


The alternative of adding extra shelf space comes under the heading of "major project" - and is treated appropriately.

I GENERALLY try to keep to a similar constraint. Except this move hosed me, when several of my tubs were inextricably JENGA'd; I just gave up and started new tubs. And you know how it is with LVDS, AC Power, Analog & Networking cables and power packs... as soon as you let the universe know you have such a vacuum (by buying tubs for them) it rushes to fill that vacuum. 

mnem
*hears the siren call of Hypnos and obeys*

[bitseeker]

Danbridge Inductance Decade Box.

5 minute tear down today and a quick test. Inside was not what I expected  As much a close tolerance Woodwork item as and Electrical one.

Wow, nice find, bean. Dovetail joints! I really didn't expect the woodworking to continue with internal components. That's some inductance box.

As mentioned in some post(s) some time ago, well-crafted, nicely finished, wooden enclosures are a welcome addition to an otherwise overly metallic and plastic lab.