Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Interesting! Same price as a 1054Z too.

Edit: wonder if you can frig it to a 3 channel 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Someone around here (at least I think so) posted a link to a rather exotic (British?) metrology-grade DMM and calibrator manufacturer. Unfortunately, I did not store (or not sufficiently comment) the link.
Who can help?

Transmille ? https://www.transmille.com/

Time Electronics ? https://www.timeelectronics.com/

It was Transmille. Thanks.

[Neomys Sapiens]

More pr0n. Decided to make a quick bandpass filter to play with. Peak frequency indicated

Yes, it can do sweep. But I prefer to do it with the FG504, because you can get precise reading on start and stop frequencies by deselecting respectively stopping the sweep. Or did I miss the equivalent trick?

It does that too.

1. Plug counter into sync.
2. Sweep off, set end frequency on main dial.
3. Sweep on, set range Hz to zero.
4. Set F start to desired start frequency
5. Switch range Hz to something other than zero to control range
6. Use sym to control rate.

Job done.

The 3312A is actually two independent FG’s in one box really. Also does burst and triggered stuff.

Just to be sure: you get the start frequency in Step 4 on the counter? The manual does not say that.

[Specmaster]

Speaking of bench meters, I've fallen of the perch again  just won myself a lovely Thurlby 1905A bench meter in what looks like almost mint condition. This box of tricks has a switched mode between 4.5 and 5.5 digits, but it also has a party trick mode, undocumented 6.5 digit mode as well  Has an accuracy of just 0.02% as well as 100 steps of data logging etc. be about 4 days before I see it so expect to see some nice tear down photos of this when it arrives.

  Is there an echo in here?   

I got mine last Friday, did you get yours from ComputerDisposals? I'm sure they had a few... (page 1669 to see my excuses for not fixing it as quickly as I should have)

The 6.5 digits only works on the 2000mV range, and pressing the two 'A' buttons only causes an error message, as they are the two ranges for the highest current measurement. The high current ranges are protected by an internal M205 ceramic fuse.

Seems pretty well bang on, though I confess I've not done the maths to prove it 

EDIT: The internal fuse is 5A

No, I got mine from a seller called tea-green and I had been watching it from day 1 when it was listed and had expected it to go for a lot more then what i got it for. Been after something from this maker for some time but they always seem to go for well over a £100 so I amazed when I got this for a third of that, especially given the overall condition and it appears to be in specification. I give a few more photos of it.

[tautech]

What does it offer the SDS1202X-E doesn't ?

[Kosmic]

What does it offer the SDS1202X-E doesn't ?

Not sure who is copying who, but man this is confusing, DS1202Z-E vs SDS1202X-E.

[bd139]

@tautech: Laggy UI and drifting like a Datsun after it hit a speed bump?

[med6753]

So we have a pix dropped with no explanation. Looks like a DSO. Smells like a DSO. By golly, it IS a DSO.  So, what's so special about it? Does it have a feature we should be aware of? Does it have special mystical powers? Can it make bacon? That's it! It can make bacon! Damn, I'm gonna order one right now! 

Seriously, what's the purpose here? To me just dropping something with no explanation seems a little troll-ish. But then you'll have to excuse me. See, I'm somewhat ignorant and uneducated when it comes to all things DSO. I do own one, but it's mainly to keep up appearances. I'm 99.9% stone age analog so if this caveman is just a little confused I think you can understand why.   

[bd139]

It’s a DS1054Z but with half as many channels and 2x the bandwidth basically. So for the original price of a 50MHz Rigol scope you can get a 200MHz unit for at the cost of losing half the channels. This is because Siglent are burning them

I’d probably buy it if it had dedicated channel controls and a software update to remove all the lag

[tautech]

Not sure who is copying who, but man this is confusing, DS1202Z-E vs SDS1202X-E.

Dave did a teardown of SDS1202X-E in April 2017, some 2.5 yrs ago and you can't work out who's doing the copying ? 

FYI EEVblog #985

[med6753]

OK, so it's basically another salvo fired in the ongoing DSO wars between Siglent and Rigol.

Got it! 

[tautech]

OK, so it's basically just another salvo fired in the ongoing DSO wars between Siglent and Rigol.

Got it! 

Added 'just' ^ 

[bd139]

Next “fuck you” battle bet: Siglent will drop price of 4 chan 100MHz unit  . This will be closely followed by Rigol shipping a buggy POS downsized MSO5000 style entry level unit to replace the DS1054Z

[med6753]

Next “fuck you” battle bet: Siglent will drop price of 4 chan 100MHz unit  . This will be closely followed by Rigol shipping a buggy POS downsized MSO5000 style entry level unit to replace the DS1054Z

But no bacon. Shit....why bother. 

[bd139]

If telonic gave me free bacon with it I’d buy it 

You’re a marketing genius 

[ExodusEffects]

Nope sorry I just got in and wanted to post a picture quick!

I'm just trying it out right now and wanted to share it quickly before I got too involved in playing around with it.

It's a 200MHz two-channel 1GSa/s scope. Memory depth of up to 24Mpts

I think it's better looking then the Siglent but it's playing in the same ballpark for sure

[tautech]

Next “fuck you” battle bet: Siglent will drop price of 4 chan 100MHz unit  .

Nope, not likely. The 4ch X-E's already have a substantial technical edge and better feature set for those that look hard enough to see it.

[med6753]

Nope sorry I just got in and wanted to post a picture quick!

I'm just trying it out right now and wanted to share it quickly before I got too involved in playing around with it.

It's a 200MHz two-channel 1GSa/s scope. Memory depth of up to 24Mpts

I think it's better looking then the Siglent but it's playing in the same ballpark for sure

You are forgiven. Now this caveman can happily return to his cave and paint on the walls. 

Edit....but I still want BACON. 

[Kosmic]

Not sure who is copying who, but man this is confusing, DS1202Z-E vs SDS1202X-E.

Dave did a teardown of SDS1202X-E in April 2017, some 2.5 yrs ago and you can't work out who's doing the copying ? 

FYI EEVblog #985

No offense, but I did not watch every videos made by Dave nor closely follow product releases from Rigol and Siglent.

[tautech]

Not sure who is copying who, but man this is confusing, DS1202Z-E vs SDS1202X-E.

Dave did a teardown of SDS1202X-E in April 2017, some 2.5 yrs ago and you can't work out who's doing the copying ? 

FYI EEVblog #985

No offense, but I did not watch every videos made by Dave nor closely follow product releases from Rigol and Siglent.

None taken. 

[URI]

...in other news:

I have skipped looking for a decent HP 5370B Time Interval Counter.  I don't have any space left for new TE goodies. 

What made it easier for me was the fact that my two Fluke PM6681 are spec'ed to 50ps resolution single shot for mode "Time Interval A to B"..   

To solve the problem I mentioned in the opening I designed a rack for my TE and ordered the necessary parts.
I will be building it from item-compatible aluminium extruded system profiles.
Here's my parts list for a 1650mm wide, 600mm deep and 720mm high rack frame with two three 435mm wide 15HE racks and one 220mm wide 15HE rack:


Delivery will take some time (8-9 working days) but I'll post pics then.
I'll also gain a little more space for more TE, I hope.. 

[worsthorse]

Set aside the 8840A until the option 09 board arrives (Monday or Tuesday?).  Spent my breakfast pondering time trying to convince myself that I should have one of my 5.5 digit meters "paid for" calibrated so I can use it as a reference for the other meters that I need to do (there are two Fluke 8840As, two HP 3478As, and a Keithley 199 and another four handheld DMMs of various stripes).   

But I am not there yet, so I spent the morning playing around with the small pile of voltage and resistance references I have bought or built and wandering into ebay to see how much a "real" voltage calibrator would cost. 

Doesn't seem like a purchase I am likely to make any time soon.

Finally decided to do something fruitful, so I repaired the type 106 that I tried to blow up last week. Spent a pleasant afternoon running it through the performance check and it works again.  Going to recalibrate it this evening.  When this one is finished, I will have worked through the entire pile of Tektronix big box signal generators.

Oh come on, what do you want with a voltage-only calibrator?

Well, what I actually want is a full blow calibration system but that's not in the cards. 

[worsthorse]

The option 09 card for the 8840A showed up today (did a WTB on one of the TE lists). Plugged it in, turned the DMM on, ran the self test, and joy! it passed. Then I tried to measure some AC volts. sadness, it failed. Wandered off to have a coffee. Halfway through the cup, I realized though I properly cabled the board, I forgot to connect a small jumper on the main PCB. 

Wandered back downstairs, added the jumper, turned it on and double joy!... it passed the self test and properly measured AC voltage up to 50KHz and 10V. 

My fifteen dollar 8840A is now a forty dollar 8840A with AC volts and current measurement.   

[mnementh]

Nope sorry I just got in and wanted to post a picture quick! I'm just trying it out right now and wanted to share it quickly before I got too involved in playing around with it.

It's a 200MHz two-channel 1GSa/s scope. Memory depth of up to 24Mpts

I think it's better looking then the Siglent but it's playing in the same ballpark for sure

You are forgiven. Now this caveman can happily return to his cave and paint on the walls. 

Edit....but I still want BACON. 

You’ll have to forgive ExodusEffects... he’s Canadian. 

mnem
I blame the Poutine. All of it. Everywhere.

[mnementh]

Mmmmmmmm... bagels toasting and a right proper pot of right proper coffee brewing. If only I could be arsed to grind it fresh...

mnem
"Oh yeah... that's the stuff... put it *thwap-thwap-thwap* RIGHT THERE..." *slightly pornographic sigh out loud*

I didn't know you could buy Tim Horton's coffee for home brewing.  Next time I'm in Staten Island I'll have to check that out. Unfortunately that's the closest one to me at nearly 100 miles. Next one is at least 150 miles away.

Looks like Amazon is your friend for that as well; seems they have grinds for every maker out there. 

mnem
*thrifting for a computer desk*

LOOK OUT!!!!   HE HAS A KNIFE!!!! did they let you cross the border with that pig sticker? don't tell me you use THAT to spread butter on your bagel?  (i thought people were civilized in the great white north)

does it lock back?

Yes, they let me cross the border with it.  It’s a steak knife from The Mansion on York Ave, a souvenir of a recent dinner with my dad and his brother in NYC.

Yes, I use it to butter my bagels... the serrated blade is perfect for cutting them open, but still broad enough to serve well at spreading the butter and cream cheese. I have a full set (and then some) of steak knives collected from memorable meals with friends & family over the decades; its “a thing” for me.

Yes, it locks back. It does NOT unlock, however. 

mnem