Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Yeah incredibly busy and distracted. I had the reminder pop up on my phone "auction ends in 14m" but between then and it finishing I put out about three child related fires  . I'm basically a full time single parent for three as well as a full time IT contractor at the moment 

[Martin.M]

my bids come from the PC, the software is "Bietomat".
It give it in the last second of auction, also when I am at work or sleeping.

My current source ist last calibratet many years ago, it have to go by a voltnut to become again trustful.
A Keithley 263

[med6753]

Another ugly Fluke beige case painted. This time the 7260A Counter. This was a complex job involving complete tear down, removal of shields, and lots of masking tape. But it's done and looking good. Left to do are 8010A and 8050A.





Since I had it apart I permanently removed the battery power supply which was already disconnected and no batteries were installed. It will go into parts bin. It has a lot of interesting stuff on it.

[Martin.M]

great work.

So you can explain me what is wrong with the headbumping little printer 2030A ? 

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/fluke-2030a-little-printer-problem/   

[bd139]

That looks rather good actually.

Makes me think of this



 

[med6753]

great work.

So you can explain me what is wrong with the headbumping little printer 2030A ? 

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/fluke-2030a-little-printer-problem/   

Sorry Martin, can't help. I've never even seen one of those printers.

[Mortymore]

Another ugly Fluke beige case painted. ...

With that blue cover, now it's a "FlukeTronix" 

[factory]

Another ugly Fluke beige case painted. This time the 7260A Counter.

That looks very nice, how good is the paint at staying on?

David

[med6753]

That looks rather good actually.

Makes me think of this


 

Oh hell no. This is much better. 

[med6753]

Another ugly Fluke beige case painted. This time the 7260A Counter.

That looks very nice, how good is the paint at staying on?

David

So far there have been no issues with peeling, etc on any of the equipment I painted. Now obviously if you bang them around it will damage the paint. But my stuff tends to stay in place.

[nfmax]

I have the upmost respect for him and he is sorely missed but if my bench looked like that I'd be rolling on the floor with seizures and foaming at the mouth. 

I met Jim Williams on a Linear Technology application seminar tour in the UK* some time in 1993 & we got to talk briefly. He also signed my copy of 'Analog Circuit Design' which I had taken along just in case . At the start of 1995, his famous 'home lab' article appeared in EDN. The accompanying pictures show a scene of anything but chaos, so maybe the famous messy bench was more a work thing!

At the time, I had just moved into the house I am still currently living in, and was setting up my very first permanent home lab in a dedicated room of its own. I wrote to Jim describing my adventures setting up my lab & mending broken test gear, and how instructive it was to figure out how the guys at HP & Tek solved their design problems. I also asked for help tracking down some the special cable used in the Tektronix P6042 current probe, as mine had become flakey. Within a week or two I had a handwritten reply, providing the contact address of an ex-Tek technician who had a squirrel hoard of cable, and also enclosing a copy of a marked-up typescript of what became Chapter 1 'The Importance of Fixing' in 'The Art and Science of Analog Circuit Design', published later that year. So I go a sneak preview - as well as being able to fix my probe.**

*Memorably, Jim started off the second half of the session with the phrase 'During the coffee break, I learned what chopper means in British English slang...'

**Broken again now - at least it was last time I tried using it. I must get round to fixing it sometime!

[Martin.M]

[factory]

I wasn't looking for another scope but this appeared yesterday, it looked complete, nice condition and in working order. I put in an offer then got a counteroffer of £60, I resisted for about half an hour but failed and ending up buying it.


David

[nixiefreqq]

have never been to med's home town.

but others must be thinkin' this too?

[0culus]

Got the lab cart all set up, med style. 



It's super handy to finally only have one of my two 7000 mainframes on the bench.

[med6753]

I met Jim Williams on a Linear Technology application seminar tour in the UK* some time in 1993 & we got to talk briefly. He also signed my copy of 'Analog Circuit Design' which I had taken along just in case . At the start of 1995, his famous 'home lab' article appeared in EDN. The accompanying pictures show a scene of anything but chaos, so maybe the famous messy bench was more a work thing!

At the time, I had just moved into the house I am still currently living in, and was setting up my very first permanent home lab in a dedicated room of its own. I wrote to Jim describing my adventures setting up my lab & mending broken test gear, and how instructive it was to figure out how the guys at HP & Tek solved their design problems. I also asked for help tracking down some the special cable used in the Tektronix P6042 current probe, as mine had become flakey. Within a week or two I had a handwritten reply, providing the contact address of an ex-Tek technician who had a squirrel hoard of cable, and also enclosing a copy of a marked-up typescript of what became Chapter 1 'The Importance of Fixing' in 'The Art and Science of Analog Circuit Design', published later that year. So I go a sneak preview - as well as being able to fix my probe.**

*Memorably, Jim started off the second half of the session with the phrase 'During the coffee break, I learned what chopper means in British English slang...'

**Broken again now - at least it was last time I tried using it. I must get round to fixing it sometime!

Would that ex-Tek technician be Dean Kidd by any chance?

[med6753]

Got the lab cart all set up, med style. 



It's super handy to finally only have one of my two 7000 mainframes on the bench.

Good boy! 

[med6753]

have never been to med's home town.

but others must be thinkin' this too?

Oh shit......LMAO. 

[nfmax]

I met Jim Williams on a Linear Technology application seminar tour in the UK* some time in 1993 & we got to talk briefly. He also signed my copy of 'Analog Circuit Design' which I had taken along just in case . At the start of 1995, his famous 'home lab' article appeared in EDN. The accompanying pictures show a scene of anything but chaos, so maybe the famous messy bench was more a work thing!

At the time, I had just moved into the house I am still currently living in, and was setting up my very first permanent home lab in a dedicated room of its own. I wrote to Jim describing my adventures setting up my lab & mending broken test gear, and how instructive it was to figure out how the guys at HP & Tek solved their design problems. I also asked for help tracking down some the special cable used in the Tektronix P6042 current probe, as mine had become flakey. Within a week or two I had a handwritten reply, providing the contact address of an ex-Tek technician who had a squirrel hoard of cable, and also enclosing a copy of a marked-up typescript of what became Chapter 1 'The Importance of Fixing' in 'The Art and Science of Analog Circuit Design', published later that year. So I go a sneak preview - as well as being able to fix my probe.**

*Memorably, Jim started off the second half of the session with the phrase 'During the coffee break, I learned what chopper means in British English slang...'

**Broken again now - at least it was last time I tried using it. I must get round to fixing it sometime!

Would that ex-Tek technician be Dean Kidd by any chance?

Deane Kidd? - Yes!

[Wolfgang]

Got the lab cart all set up, med style. 



It's super handy to finally only have one of my two 7000 mainframes on the bench.

Good boy! 

Impressive ! I had to sell my 7104 after the need for an MSO came up.
I still miss the roaring sound of its fan and the free heating of my lab

Sniff. The good die young, I'm old. 

[Kosmic]

Got the lab cart all set up, med style. 



It's super handy to finally only have one of my two 7000 mainframes on the bench.

Woo look really good. Think I want a cart now 

[med6753]

I met Jim Williams on a Linear Technology application seminar tour in the UK* some time in 1993 & we got to talk briefly. He also signed my copy of 'Analog Circuit Design' which I had taken along just in case . At the start of 1995, his famous 'home lab' article appeared in EDN. The accompanying pictures show a scene of anything but chaos, so maybe the famous messy bench was more a work thing!

At the time, I had just moved into the house I am still currently living in, and was setting up my very first permanent home lab in a dedicated room of its own. I wrote to Jim describing my adventures setting up my lab & mending broken test gear, and how instructive it was to figure out how the guys at HP & Tek solved their design problems. I also asked for help tracking down some the special cable used in the Tektronix P6042 current probe, as mine had become flakey. Within a week or two I had a handwritten reply, providing the contact address of an ex-Tek technician who had a squirrel hoard of cable, and also enclosing a copy of a marked-up typescript of what became Chapter 1 'The Importance of Fixing' in 'The Art and Science of Analog Circuit Design', published later that year. So I go a sneak preview - as well as being able to fix my probe.**

*Memorably, Jim started off the second half of the session with the phrase 'During the coffee break, I learned what chopper means in British English slang...'

**Broken again now - at least it was last time I tried using it. I must get round to fixing it sometime!

Would that ex-Tek technician be Dean Kidd by any chance?

Deane Kidd? - Yes!

I kinda figured. He was known as "Mr Tektronix" and worked for them for about 40 years. He had an enormous stash of parts and manuals in his home. I had the pleasure of corresponding with him via snail mail sometime around 1992 long after he had retired. He was most gracious and helped me by giving me an original manual for a Tek 561S at no charge. Unfortunately he passed away in 2015.

[Kosmic]

Look like a thermometer mating with a printer 

[Kosmic]

I met Jim Williams on a Linear Technology application seminar tour in the UK* some time in 1993 & we got to talk briefly. He also signed my copy of 'Analog Circuit Design' which I had taken along just in case . At the start of 1995, his famous 'home lab' article appeared in EDN. The accompanying pictures show a scene of anything but chaos, so maybe the famous messy bench was more a work thing!

At the time, I had just moved into the house I am still currently living in, and was setting up my very first permanent home lab in a dedicated room of its own. I wrote to Jim describing my adventures setting up my lab & mending broken test gear, and how instructive it was to figure out how the guys at HP & Tek solved their design problems. I also asked for help tracking down some the special cable used in the Tektronix P6042 current probe, as mine had become flakey. Within a week or two I had a handwritten reply, providing the contact address of an ex-Tek technician who had a squirrel hoard of cable, and also enclosing a copy of a marked-up typescript of what became Chapter 1 'The Importance of Fixing' in 'The Art and Science of Analog Circuit Design', published later that year. So I go a sneak preview - as well as being able to fix my probe.**

*Memorably, Jim started off the second half of the session with the phrase 'During the coffee break, I learned what chopper means in British English slang...'

**Broken again now - at least it was last time I tried using it. I must get round to fixing it sometime!

Would that ex-Tek technician be Dean Kidd by any chance?

Deane Kidd? - Yes!

I kinda figured. He was known as "Mr Tektronix" and worked for them for about 40 years. He had an enormous stash of parts and manuals in his home. I had the pleasure of corresponding with him via snail mail sometime around 1992 long after he had retired. He was most gracious and helped me by giving me an original manual for a Tek 561S at no charge. Unfortunately he passed away in 2015.

I wonder what they did with all the parts ? I was fixing a Tek SA sometimes ago, the attenuator was toasted. Was hoping to get some replacement parts from Deane (apparently he had some) and found out he passed away

[xrunner]

My take on rebuilding the El Crappo 4-wire test leads is in the pics.

I'm not a certified ohms-nut, but I did a test using the clips with the hp 34401A. I cut a length of 14g solid copper wire so I could clamp on at a two foot length. The charts out there say this wire should have a resistance of 2.525 ohms/1000 feet @ 20C, giving 0.002525 ohms/ft. So for 2.0 ft. we have 0.00505 ohms. My room temp is 27 C so a little error.

After nulling the clips, I get 0.0061 ohms (the calc was 0.00505 ohms). According to my calculations for the % error for this reading and range ¹ it's within the error tolerance.

Of course I could be wrong - I thought I was wrong once, but that turned out to be a mistake. 


1. From the manual ± (% of reading + % of range) +/- (0.0030% of reading + 0.0030% of range)