Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bitseeker]

It looks a lot like the connector in pictures 5&6 would fit, on this useful site for old electrical fittings;
https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/NorthAm2.html

#13 on that page is an interesting and scary enhancement to the "standard" socket.

   Yeah; I remember when those suicide sticks were all over the place.  There's a very similar variant still used for track lighting.

Yup... looks like they STILL run on mains voltage too, even in this LED age. Fucking imbeciles. 

Ugh! The only similar looking track lighting I've seen recently installed was 24V.

I like the three different axes used for the coils.  Nice attention to detail.

Yeah; that thing is gorgeous.

@bitseeker: How high frequency you think it'll be good to? Looks like some of those bobbins are wound open-ended, while some appear to be wired as stacked-pair. 

Not sure about max frequency, but I also appreciate that they put all three coils in different orientations when even tube amp builders can't get that right with transformers.

Just an FYI that I sent out the greeting card to Inverted18650 this afternoon. I'll let you know what I hear back.

Thanks to those who PMed me with individual well wishes for him. I transcribed them onto the card.

Thanks for doing that, I had meant to PM you but forgotten to do it [emoji53], let's hope he responds to it and that he's OK.

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

I sent him an eMail on the 4th; no response as of this morning. I know I meant to PM bitseeker with a personal message for him, but I was drawn away to family stuff IRL and evidently misplaced the neuron that "to-do" was written on. 

Thanks bitseeker, for taking point on that mission!

Bummer! I guess I should've sent out more reminders. At least we got something out. Hopefully there will be a returning signal of some sort.

[bitseeker]

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. 

That sounds like a pretty good haul to me, wch. How's the 6115A looking? I see many that have had a hard life with missing rear cover, bent fins, and scarred front panels made by gorillas chiseling off calibration stickers.

[bitseeker]

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.

Speaking of power cables, what's a reasonable way to check the quality of unknown ones without cutting them open? I'm suspicious of most cables included with consumer equipment made in the last decade or so.

[0culus]

I also got Analog Circuit Design, in hardcover, edited by Jim Williams with my mains line cord order. Really neat reading so far. Lots of cool little nuggets of information not only about the applications they were writing about, but also hints for improvement your measurements with test equipment. 

[BravoV]

.... I am expecting a 100 percent failure rate on the 8116As, the 6115 ...

Fyi, just in case you need to trouble shoot that 6115A, I created a fully stitched, and colored by sections the HP 6114/6115A schematic at other thread -> HERE

[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.

Speaking of power cables, what's a reasonable way to check the quality of unknown ones without cutting them open? I'm suspicious of most cables included with consumer equipment made in the last decade or so.

Megger of some sort for insulation 1-5kV or my recent Test and Tag box albiet it tests at 500V.

Conductor rating of anything evilbay treat it like PMPO for Audiophools divide by two divide by the square of two then halve it again as a safety margin  Or you could set up a low voltage DC load test I guess as it is easier and safety than a mains AC test. 

[beanflying]

So Cambridge Cell has given it's life for the cause of knowledge. The lower pins are hollow but I couldn't get sufficient heat into them to melt the solder and release the cell. So I chose the Dremel over the Big Clive Vice of knowledge and here is what is inside the can. Was still under 100mV at the glass and DOA.

Leftovers will be heading for our local transfer station which still has a Mercury recovery bin for Fluorescents and the Baggy of dead Nicads removed from recent acquisitions for the battery bin.

Random extra all of these were ex RMIT Melbourne Physics department withdrawn from use in 1975 and unused since.

[BravoV]

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.

Speaking of power cables, what's a reasonable way to check the quality of unknown ones without cutting them open? I'm suspicious of most cables included with consumer equipment made in the last decade or so.

I measure them, using 4 wires LCR. 


Speaking of power IEC cables schuko head, bought bunch of them few years ago, all right angle ones, dirt cheap as the seller was complaining about the right angle.   

One of them plugged perfectly in my 2465B, and they're made by Brits. 

[Specmaster]

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? 

That's an easy one, sub divide again by length and or colour [emoji16]

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

[Ero-Shan]

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!

Scary and, sorry to say that, ugly. The proportions just aren't right.

However, a beautiful 545 is also available, with a few missing tubes. This one I'd love to have. Alas, it's (understandably) pick-up only, and for a guy without a means to transport ...
https://www.ebay.de/itm/123759351437

[Ero-Shan]

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. 

You must be kidding!
At least the IEC variety is so ubiquiteos that I have a dozen or two spare. At the company we threw 150+ of them out.

[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. 

You must be kidding!
At least the IEC variety is so ubiquiteos that I have a dozen or two spare. At the company we threw 150+ of them out.

Nope, I ended up with more equipment than line cords. Almost everything I have uses IEC, except a 431B power meter that's on the repair queue. I have exactly one example of that style of cord.

[med6753]

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. 

You must be kidding!
At least the IEC variety is so ubiquiteos that I have a dozen or two spare. At the company we threw 150+ of them out.

Nope, I ended up with more equipment than line cords. Almost everything I have uses IEC, except a 431B power meter that's on the repair queue. I have exactly one example of that style of cord.

My supply of IEC cords seems to alternately wax and wane over time and I generally have plenty laying around but last time I checked my stock I was down to 2 left. I may have to break down and buy some.

[VK5RC]

I am in with you med67, I either can't find an iec for love nor money - or I have 20 in a pile, some have usa plugs on them. For me it seems to cycle between these states on about an annual basis!

[VK5RC]

PS mnementh - my heart goes out to you for the move - such a physical pita but also I find a bit emotionally stressful. But if Texas hasn't been good I could understand. Needless to say I have only moved 5 times in my 56yrs. 2 of those were as a result of a bushfire - no decluttering needed for those moves! Hehe. Marie kondo eat your heart out!
My next move will need a few years of TEA clearance before.
Rob

[Brumby]

My supply of IEC cords seems to alternately wax and wane over time and I generally have plenty laying around but last time I checked my stock I was down to 2 left. I may have to break down and buy some.

[grizewald]

So Cambridge Cell has given it's life for the cause of knowledge. The lower pins are hollow but I couldn't get sufficient heat into them to melt the solder and release the cell. So I chose the Dremel over the Big Clive Vice of knowledge and here is what is inside the can. Was still under 100mV at the glass and DOA.

What a strange cell. Where's the other arm?

I managed to pick up a Muirhead cell from eBay a while back.



It's a shame it wasn't the dual cell version.



It's a bit younger than yours. Last time I checked it was against my brand new Brymen 867s. The temperature adjusted voltage should have been 1.01840V and the Brymen measured it at 1.018420V which is close enough in my book!

[Ero-Shan]

So Cambridge Cell has given it's life for the cause of knowledge. The lower pins are hollow but I couldn't get sufficient heat into them to melt the solder and release the cell. So I chose the Dremel over the Big Clive Vice of knowledge and here is what is inside the can. Was still under 100mV at the glass and DOA.

What a strange cell. Where's the other arm?

I managed to pick up a Muirhead cell from eBay a while back.



It's a shame it wasn't the dual cell version.



It's a bit younger than yours. Last time I checked it was against my brand new Brymen 867s. The temperature adjusted voltage should have been 1.01840V and the Brymen measured it at 1.018420V which is close enough in my book!

And it lives in a drop dead beautiful house!
You're a lucky guy indeed!

[beanflying]

Fancy Muirhead my pair of D-845's are smaller format https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/1000-my-(hi)story-of-the-weston-cell-of-the-volt-and-of-being-a-volt-nuts/msg1437815/#msg1437815

It is a bit hard to tell but there is some sort of barrier above the Mercury and so long as you keep it and the other Electrode point with a barrier between the Cell will function so there is no need for the seconds chamber. The downside is that if that likely sintered barrier allows chemical contact over time with the Mercury it will eventually fail or block the Capillaries in the barrier. 

[VK5RC]

It fits! - no panel bashing required - I think I will make a small diamond shaped backing plate to cover the side holes.
Rob

[beanflying]

 

[mnementh]

 

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Cheap probe question...

Hey guys... based on advice from some forum members, several years ago I bought some 100MHz TP6100 probes from ebayer scopewa as daily driver probes for my 2465. I've had good luck with them; they seem to compensate pretty well in 10x, though the 1X capacitance is a bit high, IMO. Def much better quality than the price indicates.

I know those and the P2200s supposedly sold out some while back, but there's a whole new boatload of cheap-cheap ones being sold under the same names now, and I don't know anything about those.

Checking again because bitseeker mentioned probes, looks like scopewa has got some more of the older ones in stock now. At least by the pics, these look like the same as the ones I bought years ago: https://www.ebay.com/itm/182595327054

Looks like he's also got some 200MHz P2200s in again... but the rise time seems a little high, IIRC. https://www.ebay.com/itm/182547468622

Anybody here got any intel on these?

mnem
 

[tautech]

Cheap probe question...

Hey guys... based on advice from some forum members, several years ago I bought some 100mhzMHz TP6100 probes from ebayer scopewa as daily driver probes for my 2465. I've had good luck with them; they seem to compensate pretty well in 10x, though the 1X capacitance is a bit high, IMO. Def much better quality than the price indicates.

I know those and the P2200s supposedly sold out some while back, but there's a whole new boatload of cheap-cheap ones being sold under the same names now, and I don't know anything about those.

Checking again because bitseeker mentioned probes, looks like scopewa has got some more of the older ones in stock now. At least by the pics, these look like the same as the ones I bought years ago: https://www.ebay.com/itm/182595327054

Looks like he's also got some 200MHz P2200s in again... but the rise time seems a little high, IIRC. https://www.ebay.com/itm/182547468622

Anybody here got any intel on these?

mnem
 

I reckon he's whipping out the probe to BNC adapter and flogging them separate as they should be part of the package. 
1x and 10x input capacitance in the eBay listing is wrong compared to the manufacturers website; 1x 85pF-120pF, 10x 18pF-22.5pF. Rise time is listed as 1.75 ns.

Other than that they are from the same source as P6100 probes and these guys must make millions of them.
If you can live with that tip capacitance they'll be fine.

Edit to add
If you can find some P2200B they have sense pin and better tip capacitance specs.

Further edit.
Tip capacitance listed on eBay are for the P2200B probe !

[mnementh]

Hmmm... the BNC ferrule isn't in any of his listings. And my 6100s didn't come with them. 

Okay... I could've sworn I remembered rise time on the P2200 being rated at 1.5ns last time I looked into them.

Yeah, these all have pretty heavy capacitive loading. But that's the price of pretty much any cheap probe.  

Still beats breaking my last intact P6136 when the "penis fingers" lightning strikes close to home. 

Oh, crap, I remember now... it was the Wittig P201/P202 that "used to be" the decent cheap probes but are now unobtanium.   

I bought the 6100s as a "consolation prize" to be expendable daily drivers.

mnem
*glares angrily at the brain cell that bit of info was written on*