Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

mnem
"...Take a ride... ride... ride... on Heavy Metal..."

[Mr. Scram]

That's quite nicely made that. I am impressed 

First TE related print finally. One of Beanflying's 1740A feet. The scope itself is dug away in the cupboard so it may take a couple of days before it gets to try the new shoes on.



I will feed back on the replacement parts thread as well when it's on.

That's a fair looking print. I'm honestly impressed by what that printer puts out. I don't think you had much printing experience before either?

[bd139]

Yeah I have absolutely bugger all experience with 3d printing. Contrary to popular opinion, this is all default settings in Cura. It "just works". I was not expecting that to be honest.

I had two failed prints so far and that turned out to be adhesion related. That was cured by preheating the bed for 2-3 minutes before kicking the print. That was the only fettling so far.

Edit: also everything I have posted so far is 100% unfinished other than removing the adhesion and possibly a minor bit of stringing ( printed a pineapple this was pretty evident on). No fancy sprays, chemicals or religious techniques. This is just the machine out of the box.

[mnementh]

Main advantage of URL shorteners here are the bbcode url parser is shit and sometimes it won’t correctly link a URL that you dump in line even if it’s to another forum topic on the same forum. Typical PHP developers 

But the button modded to [url =x] as mansaxel outlines at the bottom of his post here works EVERY TIME, even with links the parser would normally fuck up. Plus, you can wrap it around an image to make the image a link.

If you don't like such "obfuscated links", don't click 'em. It's unreasonable to expect everybody else to put up with ugly links cluttering actual content because you can't be arsed to use a civilized browser that will show you the destination URL with a hover or right-click.

mnem

[Mr. Scram]

Yeah I have absolutely bugger all experience with 3d printing. Contrary to popular opinion, this is all default settings in Cura. It "just works". I was not expecting that to be honest.

I had two failed prints so far and that turned out to be adhesion related. That was cured by preheating the bed for 2-3 minutes before kicking the print. That was the only fettling so far.

Edit: also everything I have posted so far is 100% unfinished other than removing the adhesion and possibly a minor bit of stringing ( printed a pineapple this was pretty evident on). No fancy sprays, chemicals or religious techniques. This is just the machine out of the box.

It used to be very different. Not rocket science but some dedication to get to grips with the technology and your printer were definitely required. Now even penisfingers can get a grip.

[bd139]

Indeed 

It does however require some technical aptitude and instinct. If you have to learn how to use a computer or a screwdriver at the same time then you’re up shit creek.

Also due to some interest by proxy everyone I know thinks I’ve had a horrible experience with it and I’ve put them off. That is so (a) they don’t ask me to print stuff for them and (b) they don’t buy one having zero technical aptitude and then end up in the situation where mine works and theirs doesn’t yet unable to understand that it’s them and not the machines fault and no they didn’t need a hammer when they assembled it. And no I’m not coming over under the guise of dinner to “have a look at it” because they can’t cook either 

Bitch mode off now.

[worsthorse]

wch,

I have sorted them by the Tek numbers here. Do you have the 151-xx-00 ?

numbering is this:

151 = single transistor
153 is a factory matched pair

Martin, I just ordered the 151-0251-00 from a stateside vendor. Not terribly expensive.  Thanks!

[worsthorse]

I posted a thread on the 106 in the repair section:

http://tinyurl.com/y58kuasw
[..]

[..]
Question: why use a URL shortener for in-forum links?

[..]
ummm, habit? and the url was just so damn long and i haven't figured out is there's a short url for in-forum links

You may use just a little bit of HTML-magic:

Code: [Select]

<a href="link-address">Link name</a>

In your case this might look like this (I took the thread name as link name):

Code: [Select]

<a href="https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/tektronix-type-106-square-wave-generator-repair-and-calibration/msg2734568/#msg2734568">tektronix type 106 square wave generator repair and calibration thread</a>
This is indeed interpreted by the forum software as HTML and looks like this:
tektronix type 106 square wave generator repair and calibration thread

Taadaaa!   

mahalo. using html magic directly never dawned on me.   

[worsthorse]

Main advantage of URL shorteners here are the bbcode url parser is shit and sometimes it won’t correctly link a URL that you dump in line even if it’s to another forum topic on the same forum. Typical PHP developers 

Yeah, I've encountered that problem, though here I did it because I am lazy and didn't want to figure out how to do it with BBCode and didn't think of just doing it html. 

[Kosmic]

Not much TEA for me these days. Work and the kids are sucking the life out of me. I don't mind about the kids but work is starting to be a problem. Way too much useless internal politics.

Still, I was able to find the time to do something. I was tired to always unplug the leads on the mutimeters to plug a new one with a different connector. So I ordered some 2mm probe tip adaptor.



https://www.ebay.com/itm/2mm-Gold-Plated-Sockets-for-Test-Probe-Tips-with-Heat-Shrink-Tubing-Pair/171084548642




Made some adaptors for every type of connector I could think off.



No need to switch the leads anymore 

[BravoV]

Those tip adapter, I made my self, use piano/guitar wire, wind it on a stiff steel, such as a nail, but abit smaller in diameter compared to the tip, as it will un-wind a bit by itself, it will be nice fit & snug to the tip, suggesting to do trial and error 1st.

Reheat with hot air if needed during the winding at certain wire.

Actually copper wire works too, but not as robust as the steel wire, once the winding is done, wrapped it with heat shrink tubing to maintain the tight winding.

[Kosmic]

I tried to improvise my own first but was not satisfied with the result. Fitting was not perfect and they had the tendency of getting loose.

I'm happy with the commercial one. Well made and fitting with the probe tip is perfect.

[Specmaster]

@bd139 very impressive looking 1740A feet. I expect that 3D printing is like anything else, it all depends on the quality of the input, someone puts the attention to detail into the input file then with the right settings dialled in, you can get good prints out in return? Well done you anyway. 

[bd139]

A tribute to beanflying’s STL and Chinese ingenuity. I am just the dumb operator here

Decided to chicken out on my TE purchase of the day. There’s an 8640b about 25 miles from here. Counter bust and other unknown problems. I’ve decided to skip it. It’s pissing it down and it scares me with the sheer amount of problems that are possible.

[bitseeker]

it scares me with the sheer amount of problems that are possible.

Likewise for me on getting an 8640B. But, now that you have a 3d printer, at least you can make some of the parts that tend to break.

[bd139]

Indeed. Unfortunately as a noob I’m not in a position to design new parts yet (working on it) and there are no STLs off the shelf. Printing nylon gears is a project for me in the future for ref though 

[Martin.M]

IF2, done.

[mnementh]

Not much TEA for me these days. Work and the kids are sucking the life out of me. I don't mind about the kids but work is starting to be a problem. Way too much useless internal politics.

Still, I was able to find the time to do something. I was tired to always unplug the leads on the mutimeters to plug a new one with a different connector. So I ordered some 2mm probe tip adaptor.



No need to switch the leads anymore 

Interesting... So the adapter has an internal lantern spring...?

I like. 

mnem
*makes mental note to add to shopping list once we touch down*

[0culus]

it scares me with the sheer amount of problems that are possible.

Likewise for me on getting an 8640B. But, now that you have a 3d printer, at least you can make some of the parts that tend to break.

Someone told me once that there was a project to build a set of gearing for the 8640B out of brass...wonder whatever became of that.

I was fortunate to score mine in truly superior condition. It's practically brand new...obviously babied it's whole life.

[bd139]

There's a dude who sells kits on the HPAK list but they are expensive. As in as much as the damn generator usually costs.

Incidentally the one here went for £67 broken and buyer collects which was more than I was going to bid anyway by £7

[worsthorse]

There's a dude who sells kits on the HPAK list but they are expensive. As in as much as the damn generator usually costs.

Incidentally the one here went for £67 broken and buyer collects which was more than I was going to bid anyway by £7

I have two 8640Bs and two 8640As in the stack. I am hoping to build one good one from all of them. 

[worsthorse]

Anyone have a stash of 2W Resistors, preferably stateside? I need a 27 Ohm 2W resistor to finish fixing the 106 and I am (unsurprisingly, I think) reluctant to pay between 8 and 18 USD in shipping fees for a 0.35 USD part. 

My alternative is to construct a 2W resistor or wait until I build up $50 worth of other parts to order from Arrow. I can't believe I don't have something in my junk box but I don't.  Not even close.  Ugh. Just Ugh. 

PM me please!

[0culus]

There's a dude who sells kits on the HPAK list but they are expensive. As in as much as the damn generator usually costs.

Incidentally the one here went for £67 broken and buyer collects which was more than I was going to bid anyway by £7

I have two 8640Bs and two 8640As in the stack. I am hoping to build one good one from all of them. 

Nice! Mine also has every single option possible I believe, which is cool. 

[0culus]

Anyone have a stash of 2W Resistors, preferably stateside? I need a 27 Ohm 2W resistor to finish fixing the 106 and I am (unsurprisingly, I think) reluctant to pay between 8 and 18 USD in shipping fees for a 0.35 USD part. 

My alternative is to construct a 2W resistor or wait until I build up $50 worth of other parts to order from Arrow. I can't believe I don't have something in my junk box but I don't.  Not even close.  Ugh. Just Ugh. 

PM me please!

I have a good surplus store that has tons of that sort of stuff near me. Want me to go see if they have anything like that?

[worsthorse]

There's a dude who sells kits on the HPAK list but they are expensive. As in as much as the damn generator usually costs.

Incidentally the one here went for £67 broken and buyer collects which was more than I was going to bid anyway by £7

I have two 8640Bs and two 8640As in the stack. I am hoping to build one good one from all of them. 

Nice! Mine also has every single option possible I believe, which is cool. 

That's awesome! These are from three different sources and I don't think any of them are heavily optioned. I paid $250 in total for them so if I get one really good one out of the bunch, it will work out okay. All work but are in various states of mechanical distress.