Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Housedad]

By the way,  I think I'll go nuts trying to find where to register my scope on the Keysight website.  I must be blind or sometin'.

[mnementh]

My TEA confession for the day...

I am feeling guilty because I sold one of the nonworking Tek lab bench supplies for twice what I paid for it. A local responded to my CL ad (the one that says I want to *buy* test gear) and asked if I had a bench supply I'd sell. I told him I only had non-working gear. Long story short, I disclosed the probable problems on a CPS250 I had in the queue and priced it where I figured it wouldn't sell because I didn't really want to let it go. He bought it anyway.

To make up for it, I bought an HP54501A from the local university surplus department and paid twenty bucks too much for it. After I replace the NVRAM, the AC filter, and a couple of caps I will be lucky if I break even selling it.   

"When Ifni smiles upon you, don't frown back." ~ Old spacer's proverb

mnem
Next time, say 'Thank you' and smile instead. 

[tautech]

Yes, that's me on the top 20m 6ele Telrex, had to climb out to the driven ele and replace a burnt N due to lightning;

FYI FmyI what's the optimum distance between climbing spikes ?

Found it !
Was using the wrong search words .........pole steps.

12-18 inches so my idea of 16"/400mm was near enough to midrange. 



https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.24

[mnementh]

I think I will just stick to Bands where the Antennas won't overhang the 50' wide block of dirt my Shack sits on 

Todays TEA arrival came with added mineral oil splooge dribbling from it's wells. Also a smashed Fuse holder and it may or may not work as per the listing and it is also a 110V device so not a lot going for it so far at least.

Edit: And two missing feet lucky I know a guy.

Ditto. Duck that noise; I just took a tumble in the garage yesterday and smashed the everlivin' HELL outta my knee and wrenched my back. Took a pain pill cocktail and slept 14 hours straight. 

I'm still not tired, and my back is just a constant 30dB ~ 20hz dull ache. No way in hell I'm ever getting any higher than the lights in the ceiling fan before I lose some appreciable weight.

mnem
effing ow.

[bitseeker]

My TEA confession for the day...

I am feeling guilty because I sold one of the nonworking Tek lab bench supplies for twice what I paid for it. A local responded to my CL ad (the one that says I want to *buy* test gear) and asked if I had a bench supply I'd sell. I told him I only had non-working gear. Long story short, I disclosed the probable problems on a CPS250 I had in the queue and priced it where I figured it wouldn't sell because I didn't really want to let it go. He bought it anyway.

Tek and HP stuff tend to fetch a premium on eBay, too. Maybe that was his cost basis.

To make up for it, I bought an HP54501A from the local university surplus department and paid twenty bucks too much for it. After I replace the NVRAM, the AC filter, and a couple of caps I will be lucky if I break even selling it.   

Sell it to the guy who bought the CPS250.

[bitseeker]

Got a Tek CDC250 175 MHz freq. counter coming out of the stack shown. Nothing really special about it, but I have a small collection of the units that Tek made using the same case style such as the DMM, Function Gen., and 1.3 GHz freq. counter. For $55 might as well add this one to the family. Only missing the fuse and power cord says the seller.

CDC250

Cool. Always nice to have a full set of matching gear. It's TEA. You have to (see EMI).

[bitseeker]

The HP 427A I picked up needs a bit of TLC, overall its in good condition, but I found one shorted AE cap, so going to replace them all, only 8 caps total.  Someone built a replica AC power supply for it that matches the option 01 schematic, but the secondary of the transformer they used is a bit on the low side.  I'm going to build a small regulated 20v linear internal supply.  Sorry I don't have photos right now, Ill post some of it all torn apart later.

Been waiting for a good HP 4329a high resistance meter to show up.  Found one today and snatched it.  This is a cool piece of kit, becuse you never know when you need to measure up to 20 Peta Ohms 

Woah! 20 PΩ So much cool gear, so little {time|space|money|attention span}. Looking forward to the teardown.

(No feet!!!)

[bitseeker]

This is a cool piece of kit, becuse you never know when you need to measure up to 20 Peta Ohms 

Yes very cool. Reminds of the old joke -

That needs an upgrade...to 20PΩ!

[bitseeker]

Yes, that's me on the top 20m 6ele Telrex, had to climb out to the driven ele and replace a burnt N due to lightning;

*faint*

[bitseeker]

The DSOX1204G scope from Keysight arrived today.  I've been glued to it every extra minute I could get. 

I've been doing a side by side of the DSOX1204G with my DS1054z.   Yep, the Keysight is faster on almost everything except boot up.  The Rigol is about 4 seconds faster.  I know these are not in the same league with each other, but this is letting me see the differences. 

I do seem to like the UI on the Keysight a lot more.

Well, Back to playing.

Awesome! Congrats again, Housedad. Yeah, no point comparing response speed of the UI. Quite a difference under the hood. Be sure to enjoy it for a good long time or I'll come over there and take it away.

[med6753]

Yes, that's me on the top 20m 6ele Telrex, had to climb out to the driven ele and replace a burnt N due to lightning;

*faint*

Agree. Nope. Nope. NOPE. 

[bd139]

I’d rather go up a tower than get on a bicycle in London again. Much safer!

I will note that the average person I meet at a handset should not be trusted to put a long wire up in a tree let alone a tower. You have to know your shit.  I see too many pictures going past of idiots on their roof on top of a step ladder.

Going to get a small tower when I move. It’s going to be trailer mounted though and fold down therefore avoiding planning permission headaches.

[beanflying]

The next few days will see me up a ladder slipping the entire shack roof adding some weather seals to the corrugated bits and replacing the nails with screws. If I am not heard from by say Sunday assume the worst that I have fallen off the 8-9' roof. This will be my first post 50 major Ladder exercise 

[jlw]

Got a Tek CDC250 175 MHz freq. counter coming out of the stack shown. Nothing really special about it, but I have a small collection of the units that Tek made using the same case style such as the DMM, Function Gen., and 1.3 GHz freq. counter. For $55 might as well add this one to the family. Only missing the fuse and power cord says the seller.

CDC250

Cool. Always nice to have a full set of matching gear. It's TEA. You have to (see EMI).

The CDC250 has a TCXO (at least mine does) and switchable external reference, making it two steps up from your basic non-reciprocal universal counter.  I also got the matching CFG280 and later the CDM250.  The CDC250 was my first counter, and it was able to count 212MHz at 0dBm, 213MHz at 3dBm.

I paid well over twice what that ebay listing had them at, five years ago.

[tggzzz]

My TEA confession for the day...

I am feeling guilty because I sold one of the nonworking Tek lab bench supplies for twice what I paid for it. A local responded to my CL ad (the one that says I want to *buy* test gear) and asked if I had a bench supply I'd sell. I told him I only had non-working gear. Long story short, I disclosed the probable problems on a CPS250 I had in the queue and priced it where I figured it wouldn't sell because I didn't really want to let it go. He bought it anyway.

To make up for it, I bought an HP54501A from the local university surplus department and paid twenty bucks too much for it. After I replace the NVRAM, the AC filter, and a couple of caps I will be lucky if I break even selling it.   

Don't feel guity about that. I once sold an accessory for 50* what I paid for it, even though I explicitly stated I had no idea whether it worked.

As for the other example, been there done that (and doing it again!).

[tggzzz]

I’d rather go up a tower than get on a bicycle in London again. Much safer!

I enjoy cycling in central London: there are plenty of bus lane and back streets where traffic moves slowly. Even Hyde Park Corner doesn't worry me. Of course if you cycle on arterial roads then you need a little more luck.

To put London in perspective, try a country A road, or a city like Bristol. The latter has faster moving cars that are pushy because of the congestion, and contours dissuade you from using backstreets.

[bd139]

I think I spent more time in the Barts minor injuries when I was cycling around the city 

[med6753]

Those cyclists....yea....you know the ones. The ones in the full spandex outfits with their $1K rigs. Arrogant pricks. In groups they refuse to go in single file on secondary roads (like mine) which have no shoulder and many blind curves. Can't safely get around them. And if you honk at them they get all indignant and pissy. Sorry, but I don't feel like cruising at 15 MPH. One of these days I just might road rage and put a fender up their arse. 

[tautech]

Those cyclists....yea....you know the ones. The ones in the full spandex outfits with their $1K rigs. Arrogant pricks. In groups they refuse to go in single file on secondary roads (like mine) which have no shoulder and many blind curves. Can't safely get around them. And if you honk at them they get all indignant and pissy. Sorry, but I don't feel like cruising at 15 MPH. One of these days I just might road rage and put a fender up their arse. 

We have the same idjits here.
Every other road user needs license plates and a rear vision mirror so why are they exempt ? 

Ha, but they all pull into line for a big rig !
Ya need some wopping big bull bars Med. 

[beanflying]

Depending on your local road rules Bike riders have road rules like any other user. In my State it is Legal to ride two abreast but out of courtesy if we hear another vehicle coming up from behind will drop back to single file and certainly do when a vehicle is being slowed by us. What we WONT DO is get off the pavement with our road bikes as slicks on gravel and dirt are a recipe for being thrown under that vehicle or into the scrub.

Maybe not in your case depending on your rules but motorists are unaware of rules for bikes and assume they are in charge in their metal cans. The same lack of knowledge is partly why Motorbike riders along with Bikes are at increased risk.

[beanflying]

New York State

Q. May bicyclists ride side-by-side on the roadway?

A.Yes.  They may ride two abreast on roadways, but they must ride single file when being overtaken by other vehicles.   Bicyclists may not travel more than two abreast on a shoulder, bicycle lane or shared-use pathway intended for bicycle use even if there is sufficient space.  However, they must be in single files when passing vehicles, pedestrians or other bicyclists (Sec 1234(b)).

New Zealand

Two cyclists can ride next to each other but should take into account the keep left rule and not hold back traffic. Three or more people cycling next to each other is illegal, except in the case of a road race that has been given traffic management approval from a road controlling authority.

[tautech]

Depending on your local road rules Bike riders have road rules like any other user. In my State it is Legal to ride two abreast but out of courtesy if we hear another vehicle coming up from behind will drop back to single file and certainly do when a vehicle is being slowed by us. What we WONT DO is get off the pavement with our road bikes as slicks on gravel and dirt are a recipe for being thrown under that vehicle or into the scrub.

Maybe not in your case depending on your rules but motorists are unaware of rules for bikes and assume they are in charge in their metal cans. The same lack of knowledge is partly why Motorbike riders along with Bikes are at increased risk.

Bean in Lycra 
Where's that puke emoji ? .................. 

[med6753]

The mantra here is "Share the road". I have no problem with that. And I don't expect them to go off pavement so I can safely get around them. There's plenty of room to do so if they go in SINGLE FILE. For some reason that concept eludes them so you either honk...which pisses them off....or you take a chance and nail the gas to get around them as quick as possible and hope there's not a vehicle coming in the other direction. And the sound of a vehicle going full throttle also pisses them off because they think you are gonna ram them (tempting!  )

[Mr. Scram]

A large part of the problem seems to be that some in both groups seem to see the other group as the enemy. People forget that traffic isn't about ego, winning or claiming your perceived rights.

[tautech]

A large part of the problem seems to be that some in both groups seem to see the other group as the enemy. People forget that traffic isn't about ego, winning or claiming your perceived rights.

Might is right !

Get outta my way I's a coming through.