Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Addicted2AnalogTek]

Vintage high-end TE is like many mid 90's and earlier vehicles - They were solid designs and builds. So solid that people ran them for decades with minimal maintenance, but now the neglect is showing and overhauls are necessary. You get what you put in, though, and if you take the extra time to inspect and clean everything during the course of your repairs, they'll be set to last for another couple decades.

[med6753]

And that concludes amother episode of "Living With Prehistoric Tektronix"...

mnem
Keep at least three; that way you SHOULD have one working unit to fix the others with."

Don't you have some driving to do? 

[med6753]

This shit is why I am done with old Teks 

Yea, yea....how many times have we heard this? 

[med6753]

Vintage high-end TE is like many mid 90's and earlier vehicles - They were solid designs and builds. So solid that people ran them for decades with minimal maintenance, but now the neglect is showing and overhauls are necessary. You get what you put in, though, and if you take the extra time to inspect and clean everything during the course of your repairs, they'll be set to last for another couple decades.

Can I get an amen? 

[mnementh]

Until the phosphor starts flaking off the inside of the unobtanium CRT... or it just plain goes dim or fuzzy.

Denial: Not just a river, etc...

mnem
"If a man made it, a man can fix it."
"Everything ever made is living on borrowed time." ~ Grand-dad

[bd139]

We thought about doing that with my kids but decided that they’re too “gravity challenged” to risk it. We’ve had more hospital trips than the average family I reckon 

Weren't yours teenage girls? Living with you? And you just called them fat? You're a brave man.

Two teenagers and one younger girl and no I didn't suggest that, merely that they are clumsy

[Addicted2AnalogTek]

Until the phosphor starts flaking off the inside of the unobtanium CRT... or it just plain goes dim or fuzzy.

'Tis the reason for collecting spares - especially when they're found for cheap - and for having a community of enthusiasts who also collect spares.   

[Addicted2AnalogTek]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tektronix-AM503-Current-Probe-Amplifier-Plug-In-for-TM500-PARTS-REPAIR/143414901342?epid=1100256219&hash=item216431ba5e:g:70EAAOSwq15dqbvn

look at the last picture for the item...    Did something once call this "home"?!?

[mnementh]

Until the phosphor starts flaking off the inside of the unobtanium CRT... or it just plain goes dim or fuzzy.

'Tis the reason for collecting spares - especially when they're found for cheap - and for having a community of enthusiasts who also collect spares.   

Y’all are so adorable when you get your dander up. 

mnem
*agitating-ily*

[med6753]

Until the phosphor starts flaking off the inside of the unobtanium CRT... or it just plain goes dim or fuzzy.

Denial: Not just a river, etc...

mnem
"If a man made it, a man can fix it."
"Everything ever made is living on borrowed time." ~ Grand-dad

Hopefully I'll be dust before that happens. 

Again.....don't you have some looooooong driving to do? 

[tggzzz]

We thought about doing that with my kids but decided that they’re too “gravity challenged” to risk it. We’ve had more hospital trips than the average family I reckon 

Very unlikely fewer serious trips than my daughter. She's been helicoptered off a mountain, and worse.

I've got a 6ft hole in my kitchen floor, down to the workroom and washing machine. Trapdoor, vertical ladder screwed to wall, noisemaker screaming at you when the trapdoor is open etc.

As a 75yo gliding instructor that flew pointy jets in the 50s once remarked, "you expect to lose a few". Quite right too, but unfortunately she still complained about being wrapped in cotton wool - until she met other people at university and realised what they hadn't done

[Martin.M]

http://www.wellenkino.de/e108/skala.mp4

click clack.  All bulbs OK 

[mnementh]

Until the phosphor starts flaking off the inside of the unobtanium CRT... or it just plain goes dim or fuzzy.

Denial: Not just a river, etc...

mnem
"If a man made it, a man can fix it."
"Everything ever made is living on borrowed time." ~ Grand-dad

Hopefully I'll be dust before that happens. 

Again.....don't you have some looooooong driving to do? 

Wasn’t it you who just a few dozen pages back had to replace a fuzzy CRT...? 

Looooong driving is done. Everything that remains is nice short 3-4 hour chunks. 

mnem
 

[bsudbrink]

Sorry.  If I was to have my own aeroplane, I doubt it would be a C130.

Of course not.  Clearly insufficient for the task.  Any TEA'r would need a C5A.

[mnementh]

What I hoped y’all might notice is the dichotomy of those two grand-dad quotes above... seems to me it sums up all of TEAS quite tidily. 

mnem
“If at first you don’t succeed; try, try again. Then try something else; there’s no sense being a damned fool about it.” ~ grand-dad

[mnementh]

Did you know: The C-5 can carry 25,844,746 ping pong balls. theaviationzone.com

mnem

[bsudbrink]

Quick!  Convert that to TEK 547s.

[med6753]

http://www.wellenkino.de/e108/skala.mp4

click clack.  All bulbs OK 

And static on all bands.....a real good start! 

[med6753]

Until the phosphor starts flaking off the inside of the unobtanium CRT... or it just plain goes dim or fuzzy.

Denial: Not just a river, etc...

mnem
"If a man made it, a man can fix it."
"Everything ever made is living on borrowed time." ~ Grand-dad

Hopefully I'll be dust before that happens. 

Again.....don't you have some looooooong driving to do? 

Wasn’t it you who just a few dozen pages back had to replace a fuzzy CRT...? 

Looooong driving is done. Everything that remains is nice short 3-4 hour chunks. 

mnem
 

It was an "outlier" or "early life" failure. 

[med6753]

Did you know: The C-5 can carry 25,844,746 ping pong balls. theaviationzone.com

mnem

And 1 PITA dragon. 

[mnementh]

I cannae deny it; may as well own it.   

Quick!  Convert that to TEK 547s.

Twelve.

mnem
IF you fill the remaining space with helium balloons.

[bsudbrink]

I cannae deny it; may as well own it.   

Quick!  Convert that to TEK 547s.

Twelve.

mnem
IF you fill the remaining space with helium balloons.

 

I ROM it to 17500...

looking across my lab, I'd guess a 547 is 10x10x15 ping pong balls...
so go about 260000 div by 15

[mnementh]

Look at the “fine print” in my PS for the “why” behind my “conservative” estimate.

mnem
Why do I smell smoke...?

[mansaxel]

I cannae deny it; may as well own it.   

Quick!  Convert that to TEK 547s.

Twelve.

mnem
IF you fill the remaining space with helium balloons.

 

I ROM it to 17500...

looking across my lab, I'd guess a 547 is 10x10x15 ping pong balls...
so go about 260000 div by 15

Most air freight is by weight rather than volume.

[worsthorse]

Or stick arouind and let us assist you with a mental shoehorn so you can fit your collection into an Apartment like @med has 

Yeah...  I mean, you can always raise your bed a bit for a little extra storage space underneath - or put one in the lounge room with a cushion on top and call it a pouffe.  Two of the same height with a plank of wood across the top makes for a sturdy coffee table.

Channel your inner MacGyver.

(Attachment Link)    Yeah... bedframes with metal or wooden slats like these are cheap ($100-ish), and they do away with the useless box-spring or "foundation" to give you oodles... just oodles of storage space underneath. I kept 6 55L storage tubs under each of the kids' double-size mattress beds with these frames. 

mnem
"Very helpful... very helpful indeed..." Chibila thought to himself...

Good Lord Man... you've just spent the last six months digging out of your current predicament and trying to fit what was left into a convey of trailer trucks and you're encouraging this innocent young soul to start buying 55L containers?

HAVE YOU NO SHAME?