Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Addicted2AnalogTek]

Well I bought a 7A26 for the absurdly cheap price of $1 ($32 w/shipping but still) and it shows up and this  happens!



 Fucker! Scheisser! 

Can I swap an inductor from a parts mule or are they matched? After I trace the cause that is.

I highly doubt that they're matched, but you can confirm it by looking at the Tek manual for the 7A26. It will have an "*" next to it and/or state "matched".  As long as the value is the same, I'd be comfortable swapping it with one from a parts mule.

[BU508A]

* BU508A is stealing inconspicuous this little "r" from "Scheisser"   

You're welcome.   

I may just be dense, but I don't get the joke. My knowledge of german is limited but from what I know scheisse= shit scheisser = calling something a shit.

I didn't want to teach you, but I couldn't resist because I saw what you meant. I think. 

This little "r" makes a big difference.
Scheisser - someone, who is shitting (noun)
Scheisse - the stuff, err, well, you guessd it.

Das Ding ist Scheisse - that thing is shit
Er ist ein Scheisser - he is a bugger

But:

Er ist ein Schisser - he is a sissy

HTH   

[xrunner]

Just something I needed arrived today - a better PCB holder.

That is all. 

[med6753]

Well I bought a 7A26 for the absurdly cheap price of $1 ($32 w/shipping but still) and it shows up and this  happens!



 Fucker! Scheisser! 

Can I swap an inductor from a parts mule or are they matched? After I trace the cause that is.

One of your supply voltages is shorted. Either +5V, +/-15V, or even the +50V.  I had same inductor burn out due to a short and yes, they are all the same. Use your parts mule.

[med6753]

That POS firestarter needs to be Widlarized before it destroys the PCB in a piece of electronics that actually has some intrinsic value. 

*hands bd his favorite Thumb-detecting-nutfucker*

You do the honors, please; I'm busy loading a trailer...

   homebrew power LED experiment, special 10W chip for flowers, of coarse from China. I have build Aluminium Schield for cooling. The light output from 2pcs of 10W is higher then from one pcs. 20W

it looks PINK     45°C on the 10x15cm shield, this size is useful. Powered by 12V in series with 3.3 Ohms

Nice metal-fab work there.  I like to attach those form-factor LEDs to recycled stock Intel heatsinks after polishing the face with a Dremel.  Power the fan and the CC driver from the same source.

mnem
*nucking futs*

If it self destructs I'll be the first to admit I'm a jackass but in the mean time it's working fine. And as Tautech pointed out you'll be happy to know that I can't wrap the cord around it. 

[Brumby]

Just something I needed arrived today - a better PCB holder.

That is all. 

Very nice - but if someone told you to "get a grip" ... that's not what they meant.   

[xrunner]

Very nice - but if someone told you to "get a grip" ... that's not what they meant.   

People tell me that all the time, I know the difference by now. 

[Brumby]

... and yet you are still in this thread!


Wait ... errrr ... so am I   

Forget I said anything.   

[mnementh]

That POS firestarter needs to be Widlarized before it destroys the PCB in a piece of electronics that actually has some intrinsic value. 

*hands bd his favorite Thumb-detecting-nutfucker*

You do the honors, please; I'm busy loading a trailer...

mnem
*nucking futs*

If it self destructs I'll be the first to admit I'm a jackass but in the mean time it's working fine. And as Tautech pointed out you'll be happy to know that I can't wrap the cord around it. 

If it were to self-destruct, it would be doing you a favor. Those things are not "variable-temp", they are "variable wattage" controlled purely by duty cycle. They have no "closed-loop" temperature control and will operate at anywhere from 150°C to cherry red based solely on how angry the pixies are this morning, with NO temperature limit. They burn up PCBs, plain & simple, and they are a blight on everything electronic.

No amount of you saying "it works fine" will change the fact it is literally the worst possible choice for any electronics work. Even when you get lucky and they don't burn the PCB, they still operate at the wrong temperature most of the time; either making a joint that crystallizes because it is too cold or burning the solder because it is too hot. There's a reason proper soldering station have tips that come set to 650° or 800°; those are the correct temps for soldering 60/40 and lead-free respectively.
mnem

[mnementh]

   Just something I needed arrived today - a better PCB holder. That is all. 

That is the same as the one I bought a year or so ago. Pretty damn good, in general; you'd think it would be pretty horrible being all the mission-critical bits are plastic, but so far mine is holding up well. The metal legs give it enough weight that it stays pretty much right where you put it. 

mnem
*toddling off to ded*

[neo]

* BU508A is stealing inconspicuous this little "r" from "Scheisser"   

You're welcome.   

I may just be dense, but I don't get the joke. My knowledge of german is limited but from what I know scheisse= shit scheisser = calling something a shit.

I didn't want to teach you, but I couldn't resist because I saw what you meant. I think. 

This little "r" makes a big difference.
Scheisser - someone, who is shitting (noun)
Scheisse - the stuff, err, well, you guessd it.

Das Ding ist Scheisse - that thing is shit
Er ist ein Scheisser - he is a bugger

But:

Er ist ein Schisser - he is a sissy

HTH   

Well... I'm not wrong. This thing is definitely taking a shit. Thanks for the lesson in how to swear properly.

[neo]

One of your supply voltages is shorted. Either +5V, +/-15V, or even the +50V.  I had same inductor burn out due to a short and yes, they are all the same. Use your parts mule.

Thanks, I came to that same conclusion after sleeping on it and immediately tested all the tants once able. Could you clarify what the color code is supposed to mean? I think brown black and blue with a green stripe is +-5% 1u 20V, correct? Every single capacitor marked like that is short. And try as I might I can't even guess as to the ones with a fourth stripe, orange on the legs.

[med6753]

If it were to self-destruct, it would be doing you a favor. Those things are not "variable-temp", they are "variable wattage" controlled purely by duty cycle. They have no "closed-loop" temperature control and will operate at anywhere from 150°C to cherry red based solely on how angry the pixies are this morning, with NO temperature limit. They burn up PCBs, plain & simple, and they are a blight on everything electronic.

No amount of you saying "it works fine" will change the fact it is literally the worst possible choice for any electronics work. Even when you get lucky and they don't burn the PCB, they still operate at the wrong temperature most of the time; either making a joint that crystallizes because it is too cold or burning the solder because it is too hot. There's a reason proper soldering station have tips that come set to 650° or 800°; those are the correct temps for soldering 60/40 and lead-free respectively.
mnem
(Attachment Link)

Sorry, but I'm not buying your gloom and doom. One of the first things I did was determine the MINIMUM set point required to achieve a good solder joint. And since I've been soldering for damn near 50 years I THINK I know what a good solder joint should look like. And so far with there have been no explosions, no fire, no destroyed boards. I expect that 99% of the time the control will remain at that minimum set point, life will go on, the flowers bloom, and the birds sing. Now on the rare instance where I need additional heat I'll crank up the control to achieve what is necessary for that instance and then immediately return it to it's minimum set point. Part of use of any tool is intelligent use by the operator but if that operator is a dummy then expect dummy results. I ain't no dummy.

[med6753]

One of your supply voltages is shorted. Either +5V, +/-15V, or even the +50V.  I had same inductor burn out due to a short and yes, they are all the same. Use your parts mule.

Thanks, I came to that same conclusion after sleeping on it and immediately tested all the tants once able. Could you clarify what the color code is supposed to mean? I think brown black and blue with a green stripe is +-5% 1u 20V, correct? Every single capacitor marked like that is short. And try as I might I can't even guess as to the ones with a fourth stripe, orange on the legs.

Do you have the manual? Which supply is shorted? Determine that first to make your job easier. Then use the schematic and the parts placement diagrams to determine which tant is the bad guy. You'll have to pull one side to isolate which one is shorted. They'll all read short on the bus unless you isolate them. 

Those capacitor color codes always confuse me so I don't bother with it and use the schematic and parts list to determine the proper value.     

[neo]

Do you have the manual? Which supply is shorted? Determine that first to make your job easier. Then use the schematic and the parts placement diagrams to determine which tant is the bad guy. You'll have to pull one side to isolate which one is shorted. They'll all read short on the bus unless you isolate them. 

Those capacitor color codes always confuse me so I don't bother with it and use the schematic and parts list to determine the proper value.     

I have a PDF of the manual, and the parts list confuses me as much as the color code. As for the schematic the capacitors # isn't labelled on the board

[bd139]

....And on that note I'm going to turn it all off and go and watch Disenchantment in bed.

*Now hears everything bd says in Luci's voice*

mnem
 

Do it do it do it do it 

Decided I can’t be arsed to go to Newark hamfest tomorrow. Too far and need a day off this week 

[McBryce]

A box of IN-9 Nixie Bargraphs (20) are on their way to me. So many possible projects being lined up

McBryce.

[tautech]

Do you have the manual? Which supply is shorted? Determine that first to make your job easier. Then use the schematic and the parts placement diagrams to determine which tant is the bad guy. You'll have to pull one side to isolate which one is shorted. They'll all read short on the bus unless you isolate them. 

Those capacitor color codes always confuse me so I don't bother with it and use the schematic and parts list to determine the proper value.     

I have a PDF of the manual, and the parts list confuses me as much as the color code. As for the schematic the capacitors # isn't labelled on the board

Sure but a little detective work can work out which part it actually is.
Tant's are usually on a power net so what else connects to it that you can identify, an IC, a bipolar or even some obscure value resistor.
It ain't that hard unless your noggin is full of other stuff dragging you down.

Get to it Sherlock !

[bd139]

My technique is:

1. Disconnect what I can to isolate which board it's on.
2. Isolate everything on the schematic on that power rail (I usually print and red ring suspicious points).
3. Stuff around 50mA down the rail that is short with a current limited supply. That's not enough to blow up a tant and not enough to blow through diodes in an IC (30mW max PD).
4. Measure voltage drop between the input voltage and the suspect bits (5.5 digits+ recommended!)
5. Highest voltage drop is likely to be the part.

Used that on the 3466A yesterday. Took literally 5 minutes to find the short then 10 minutes swearing and facepalming 

[mansaxel]

My technique is:

1. Disconnect what I can to isolate which board it's on.
2. Isolate everything on the schematic on that power rail (I usually print and red ring suspicious points).
3. Stuff around 50mA down the rail that is short with a current limited supply. That's not enough to blow up a tant and not enough to blow through diodes in an IC (30mW max PD).
4. Measure voltage drop between the input voltage and the suspect bits (5.5 digits+ recommended!)
5. Highest voltage drop is likely to be the part.

Used that on the 3466A yesterday. Took literally 5 minutes to find the short then 10 minutes swearing and facepalming 

Ah, excellent tip! Thanks. *stuffs it in memory*

[neo]

Sure but a little detective work can work out which part it actually is.
Tant's are usually on a power net so what else connects to it that you can identify, an IC, a bipolar or even some obscure value resistor.
It ain't that hard unless your noggin is full of other stuff dragging you down.

Get to it Sherlock !

That's actually a good idea, but I think it's best saved for when I have more than one night off from work. Give myself enough time to actually get into it. But I will at least try to figure it out, while cursing the SOB who thought color coding was a good idea, when I have the time and if it gets any more complex than this I'll open a repair thread.

EDIT; Genius idea, suck them out until I find one that isn't short and just test it.

[med6753]

Do you have the manual? Which supply is shorted? Determine that first to make your job easier. Then use the schematic and the parts placement diagrams to determine which tant is the bad guy. You'll have to pull one side to isolate which one is shorted. They'll all read short on the bus unless you isolate them. 

Those capacitor color codes always confuse me so I don't bother with it and use the schematic and parts list to determine the proper value.     

I have a PDF of the manual, and the parts list confuses me as much as the color code. As for the schematic the capacitors # isn't labelled on the board

Sure but a little detective work can work out which part it actually is.
Tant's are usually on a power net so what else connects to it that you can identify, an IC, a bipolar or even some obscure value resistor.
It ain't that hard unless your noggin is full of other stuff dragging you down.

Get to it Sherlock !

I just took a look at my PDF copy. Yea, the capacitors aren't labelled on the board itself but they are labelled on the schematic as well as on the pictures of the board.....example attached. Shouldn't be all that difficult to sort it out.   

[med6753]

Oh goodie......the Tek Type 114 is out for delivery. But typical of FedEx it probably won't get here until afternoon. But I promise pron as soon as I get it. 

[nixiefreqq]

this thread is inhabited by miscreants, scallywags, and fiends.

the only exception is the true voice of reason......tautech.  (he tried his best to talk me off the ledge).

will post pics of the back breaking hp8569b when i collect it.




Madness is something rare in individuals -- but in groups, parties, peoples, and ages, it is the rule.
                                                                          FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE, Beyond Good and Evil

[AVGresponding]

this thread is inhabited by miscreants, scallywags, and fiends.

the only exception is the true voice of reason......tautech.  (he tried his best to talk me off the ledge).

will post pics of the back breaking hp8569b when i collect it.




Madness is something rare in individuals -- but in groups, parties, peoples, and ages, it is the rule.
                                                                          FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE, Beyond Good and Evil

This seems to be a definitions and consequences problem...

I freely admit to being a scallywag (though I'm neither miscreant nor fiend), and fail to see a problem with this.

If the bird never jumps off the ledge, it never learns to fly.

I suspect even tautech is looking forward to pics of the highly inertially stable HP8569B, I know I am.

Nietzsche would have fitted into the category of fiend, maybe even miscreant, imo.