Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

Does anyone here know (or better yet, has bought from) this ebay vendor:

eBay auction: #https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tektronix-Oscilloscope-2465B-4-channels-400-Mhz-RECAPPED-w-GPIB-option/312801946954

I have been looking at one of his 2465Bs (which has been recapped and had the NVRAM replaced) rather than buy one that has to have this work done. But the price - even if I make a lower offer - combined with "parts only" gives me pause.

Rationale for purchase: my repair queue is long, the chances of me doing a recap in the short term, small, and having a reliable 400MHz analog scope would be very helpful.^*

______
^*Author's note:  Yes, I realize that having rational reasons for buying TE is frowned upon. The author is merely testing out post-purchase excuses for plausibility. 

Your Ebay link doesn't work.

Edit....I futz'ed with your link to get to it. The price is kinda steep but if he did what he claims he did and it ISN'T the clown who takes 2445's and makes counterfeit 2465's I suppose it could be a good deal. But it does give me pause.   

2nd edit.....saying that it "works" and then selling it as "for parts or not working" makes me suspicious.

[worsthorse]

Does anyone here know (or better yet, has bought from) this ebay vendor:

eBay auction: #https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tektronix-Oscilloscope-2465B-4-channels-400-Mhz-RECAPPED-w-GPIB-option/312801946954

I have been looking at one of his 2465Bs (which has been recapped and had the NVRAM replaced) rather than buy one that has to have this work done. But the price - even if I make a lower offer - combined with "parts only" gives me pause.

Rationale for purchase: my repair queue is long, the chances of me doing a recap in the short term, small, and having a reliable 400MHz analog scope would be very helpful.^*

______
^*Author's note:  Yes, I realize that having rational reasons for buying TE is frowned upon. The author is merely testing out post-purchase excuses for plausibility. 

Your Ebay link doesn't work.

sorry!      put the whole link in between the ebay delimiters rather than just the item number. here's a working link

eBay auction: #312801946954

[med6753]

Does anyone here know (or better yet, has bought from) this ebay vendor:

eBay auction: #https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tektronix-Oscilloscope-2465B-4-channels-400-Mhz-RECAPPED-w-GPIB-option/312801946954

I have been looking at one of his 2465Bs (which has been recapped and had the NVRAM replaced) rather than buy one that has to have this work done. But the price - even if I make a lower offer - combined with "parts only" gives me pause.

Rationale for purchase: my repair queue is long, the chances of me doing a recap in the short term, small, and having a reliable 400MHz analog scope would be very helpful.^*

______
^*Author's note:  Yes, I realize that having rational reasons for buying TE is frowned upon. The author is merely testing out post-purchase excuses for plausibility. 

Your Ebay link doesn't work.

sorry!      put the whole link in between the ebay delimiters rather than just the item number. here's a working link

eBay auction: #312801946954

See my post just before this one.

[worsthorse]

Edit....I futz'ed with your link to get to it. The price is kinda steep but if he did what he claims he did and it ISN'T the clown who takes 2445's and makes counterfeit 2465's I suppose it could be a good deal. But it does give me pause. 

The price is a little steep for my taste too (I am a cheap bastard so my judgement on this sort of thing is suspect) but I am willing to spend a bit more because I need a good working scope that I don't have to futz with; too many other projects in the queue, including a stack of scopes. 

I have an email in to him with a couple of questions, including whether these are rebadged 2445s or not. From the photos, they don't appear to be, as the name badge has the proper look.

Thanks for futzing with the link.   

[Kosmic]

Kind of expensive for it's age. Then again I prefer DSO.

[med6753]

Edit....I futz'ed with your link to get to it. The price is kinda steep but if he did what he claims he did and it ISN'T the clown who takes 2445's and makes counterfeit 2465's I suppose it could be a good deal. But it does give me pause. 

The price is a little steep for my taste too (I am a cheap bastard so my judgement on this sort of thing is suspect) but I am willing to spend a bit more because I need a good working scope that I don't have to futz with; too many other projects in the queue, including a stack of scopes. 

I have an email in to him with a couple of questions, including whether these are rebadged 2445s or not. From the photos, they don't appear to be, as the name badge has the proper look.

Thanks for futzing with the link.   

Sometimes luck plays a big part too. I got the 2465 DMS for nada but it needed some work. Then on CL I found what was a "non working" 2465 for $75. Turns out the only thing preventing it from working was a missing fuse and fuse cap.  After that fix it booted up with no errors.

[tggzzz]

Edit....I futz'ed with your link to get to it. The price is kinda steep but if he did what he claims he did and it ISN'T the clown who takes 2445's and makes counterfeit 2465's I suppose it could be a good deal. But it does give me pause.   

2nd edit.....saying that it "works" and then selling it as "for parts or not working" makes me suspicious.

Don't think it is that miscreant, unless two different monikers are being used.

The fleabay description is a difficult one, based on fleabays definitions of the terms. "Used" gives a buyer too much power, "spares/parts" undersells many items capabilities. It would be a damn sight better if there was a halfway house, something along the lines of "usefully functional, but may not meet all aspects of manufacturer's specs e.g. may need a recal".

The only workaround is to look at the seller's reputation.

[worsthorse]

Sometimes luck plays a big part too. I got the 2465 DMS for nada but it needed some work. Then on CL I found what was a "non working" 2465 for $75. Turns out the only thing preventing it from working was a missing fuse and fuse cap.  After that fix it booted up with no errors.

It certainly does. I have a couple of pieces of TE that I got for next to free that work fine after some minor fix like changing a fuse and then taking them through the standard, check/clean/calibrate cycle. This would be a no-time-for-futzing kind of purchase.  The truth is that having the caps and nvram already done is worth something to me, even if I do have to calibrate it myself.

Don't think it is that miscreant, unless two different monikers are being used.

The fleabay description is a difficult one, based on fleabays definitions of the terms. "Used" gives a buyer too much power, "spares/parts" undersells many items capabilities. It would be a damn sight better if there was a halfway house, something along the lines of "usefully functional, but may not meet all aspects of manufacturer's specs e.g. may need a recal".

The only workaround is to look at the seller's reputation.

You are right on the ebay terms; they don't work well for this sort of thing.  His rep is good. He doesn't appear to be the re-badger but I have asked him directly if these are "upgraded and rebadged" equipment.

He puts himself in a bind, I think, by saying "it works" in the description and selling it as-is.  I am guessing that ebay would err on the buyer's side if it showed up DOA. 

[tggzzz]

Don't think it is that miscreant, unless two different monikers are being used.

The fleabay description is a difficult one, based on fleabays definitions of the terms. "Used" gives a buyer too much power, "spares/parts" undersells many items capabilities. It would be a damn sight better if there was a halfway house, something along the lines of "usefully functional, but may not meet all aspects of manufacturer's specs e.g. may need a recal".

The only workaround is to look at the seller's reputation.

You are right on the ebay terms; they don't work well for this sort of thing.  His rep is good. He doesn't appear to be the re-badger but I have asked him directly if these are "upgraded and rebadged" equipment.

He puts himself in a bind, I think, by saying "it works" in the description and selling it as-is.  I am guessing that ebay would err on the buyer's side if it showed up DOA.

That's the danger, and CRT+shipper => disappointment

[mnementh]

Does anyone here know (or better yet, has bought from) this ebay vendor:

eBay auction: #https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tektronix-Oscilloscope-2465B-4-channels-400-Mhz-RECAPPED-w-GPIB-option/312801946954

I have been looking at one of his 2465Bs (which has been recapped and had the NVRAM replaced) rather than buy one that has to have this work done. But the price - even if I make a lower offer - combined with "parts only" gives me pause.

Rationale for purchase: my repair queue is long, the chances of me doing a recap in the short term, small, and having a reliable 400MHz analog scope would be very helpful.^*

______
^*Author's note:  Yes, I realize that having rational reasons for buying TE is frowned upon. The author is merely testing out post-purchase excuses for plausibility. 

Good luck widdat.

I bought the replacement 2465B back cover for my “I’m gonna finish this someday” fan replacement experiment from him; delivery was quick, it came ridiculously overpacked so condition was excellent and he seemed knowledgeable about what he was selling.

Of course, he IS a parts-monger, so there is a certain contingent who’d rather not support that aspect of his trade; which perspective I can respect.

mnem
*coffee & bagel time*

[mnementh]

Sometimes luck plays a big part too. I got the 2465 DMS for nada but it needed some work. Then on CL I found what was a "non working" 2465 for $75. Turns out the only thing preventing it from working was a missing fuse and fuse cap.  After that fix it booted up with no errors.

It certainly does. I have a couple of pieces of TE that I got for next to free that work fine after some minor fix like changing a fuse and then taking them through the standard, check/clean/calibrate cycle. This would be a no-time-for-futzing kind of purchase.  The truth is that having the caps and nvram already done is worth something to me, even if I do have to calibrate it myself.

Don't think it is that miscreant, unless two different monikers are being used.

The fleabay description is a difficult one, based on fleabays definitions of the terms. "Used" gives a buyer too much power, "spares/parts" undersells many items capabilities. It would be a damn sight better if there was a halfway house, something along the lines of "usefully functional, but may not meet all aspects of manufacturer's specs e.g. may need a recal".

The only workaround is to look at the seller's reputation.

You are right on the ebay terms; they don't work well for this sort of thing.  His rep is good. He doesn't appear to be the re-badger but I have asked him directly if these are "upgraded and rebadged" equipment.

He puts himself in a bind, I think, by saying "it works" in the description and selling it as-is.  I am guessing that ebay would err on the buyer's side if it showed up DOA.

The “miscreant” in question is user 2465b, whom I’ve also bought from. He knows his shit when it comes to Tek scopes, and everything he sells is sold with warranty and cal available as option. User microgiant is from San Damntonio, TX so def is not 2465b; he’s located in California.

The only thing I can say against 2465b is that specific practice of his... he sold me several boards I needed to save my 2nd 2465, and in the course of our correspondence he warned me in great detail about the common pitfalls with servicing those boards and recapping the SMPS. He was a lot more helpful than he needed to be for the customary eBay seller/buyer transaction. 

It really kind of hurt to have to scratch him off my “good guys” list...

mnem
 

[mnementh]

FWIW, a 2465B “working as-is” (lights up, picture shows a waveform & OSD and overall doesn’t look like it was raped by a rhinoceros) typically sells for ~$300; adding GPIB & already re-capped at $500-600 doesn’t seem unreasonable. 

2465b’s “refurbished/cal’d” units sell for $850-1200 depending on options & hours.

mnem
 

[Martin.M]

recapping ..

[factory]

Bugger, so the GPIB option card for the 24x5 scopes I have needs the extra LED's above the CRT as well as all the cables I haven't got, don't think I'll bother putting that one in mine.
Does the one on ebay have any other more useful options, the control panel seems to have the same markings as two of mine have for the TV option?

I thought I read something in the 2465B thread that the hours & power cycles displayed could be easily altered.

David

[mnementh]

@wch: All that said... the one thing I WOULD ask about is the condition of the NVRAM: Did seller replace it, if so was original cal data flashed over, if not what is the date code... This (and some leaky caps on the A5 board) is the OTHER common big headache with a b.

Worst case, you can buy a new Dallas NVRAM preloaded with default cal data for ~$50 that will get you up & running 100%, but unit-specific cal will be a few % off from optimal. Others have argued that this is meaningless on a CRT which inherent accuracy is 1-5%.

mnem
 

[factory]

Over the weekend I had a look at the pair of HP distortion analyzers I got recently, both have been treated badly (ex-mil).


The older 331A has been dropped & got a bit distorted inside, the only damage I can see apart from bent metal is a broken coupler for the variable capacitor, sorry forgot to take a picture of this one.

The newer 333A has faired worse, the meter has been smashed in (amazingly the glass is still intact) and the frequency vernier is also broken. 


Yesterday I stripped it down to remove the damaged meter, to see if any of it can be salvaged.


Meter remains removed, I didn't find any of the missing parts of the case, also not seen a HP meter movement with three connections before (the third connection is to ground), this maybe repairable if I can replace the case.


I reassembled the rest of the unit while I decide what to do about the meter, I now have three of these analysers in total but no spares. 


David

P.S. Bonus picture of fly neutralizing device found in the meter scale. 

[bd139]

I'll keep an eye out for you. I occasionally see some eviscerated HP kit with those meter movements at hamfests going for pittance. Case on them is at least recyclable. The meter scale is always the first thing to disappear. I assume it's gelatin based or something.

[factory]

Thanks BD, the case is a bit different to the most I've seen, the three terminals and the front mounting with two nuts inside the meter front.
I'm sure someone on the radio forum said the coating on the scale can be carefully cleaned up or if that fails scanned and a replacement printed.

David

P.S. I may have another HP meter somewhere, but it would need modifying.

[bd139]

Interesting stuff.

I've avoided quite a bit of HP stuff with peeling scales because I don't want to have to deal with it to be honest 

[worsthorse]

@kosmic, tgzzz, men med, (and anyone i missed)... thanks for the feedback on the 2465B and the seller. i appreciate the help. i am waiting to hear the seller's answers to a couple of questions before i decide.

trigger warning: the following statement may cause smoke to issue from your ears. management apologizes in advance.

i don't, for the record, have anything against people that part out test equipment. How could i given that sometimes they is the only ones with the parts i need to make something work again?  i also don't believe taking a 2445 and expanding its' capabilities before selling it is a depraved evil action, as long as you tell your buyers that's what you've done and you warrant your work.

[GreyWoolfe]

And in the end all I get is a shaking of the head and a muttering "You ain't right" 

Wish I had a dollar for every time Mrs GreyWoolfe has said that or similar.   In my case, it is mostly related to ham radio.  She doesn't pay attention to what is on the workbench outside of the what a mess comments.

[tggzzz]

trigger warning: the following statement may cause smoke to issue from your ears. management apologizes in advance.

i don't, for the record, have anything against people that part out test equipment. How could i given that sometimes they is the only ones with the parts i need to make something work again?  i also don't believe taking a 2445 and expanding its' capabilities before selling it is a depraved evil action, as long as you tell your buyers that's what you've done and you warrant your work.

No smoke here; that's sane.

However, see
https://groups.io/g/TekScopes/message/144157
in thread
https://groups.io/g/TekScopes/message/55654
for a longer story

[med6753]

@kosmic, tgzzz, men med, (and anyone i missed)... thanks for the feedback on the 2465B and the seller. i appreciate the help. i am waiting to hear the seller's answers to a couple of questions before i decide.

trigger warning: the following statement may cause smoke to issue from your ears. management apologizes in advance.

i don't, for the record, have anything against people that part out test equipment. How could i given that sometimes they is the only ones with the parts i need to make something work again?  i also don't believe taking a 2445 and expanding its' capabilities before selling it is a depraved evil action, as long as you tell your buyers that's what you've done and you warrant your work.

No smoke here. I agree 100%. I have 4 parts mules in the TEA closet and I've sold parts to those who need them as well as my own use.  And as far as "upgrading" a 2445? As long as you are up front about it and the buyer is aware and agrees.   

[Neomys Sapiens]

'Unique' TEA  eBay auction: #303266714236 

It is incomplete. It needs the upper half of a pig-shaped mechanical kitchen timer sticking out of it's side.

[Neomys Sapiens]

1.) The Philips LCR-meter is here, but still unpacked.

2.) My pictures should get better by the help of a Lumix DMC-LX100.

3.) Congratulate if you want, I'll celebrate anyway: My first two devices are certified under the RED.
(Now come the hard ones, but not today.)