Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Ero-Shan]

I am tempted. But looking at the prices in (i think it was) your photos last year it'd be an expensive trip 

I'll add one of my self-baked very special apple pie, baked extra for you. 

Now that might tempt me as well! 

[tggzzz]

My 2465, which I have avoided opening up because, well, it was working and recapping is a big project, is starting to make fan noise on a regular basis. So I shut it down and took it off my bench, replacing it with the 485 that was there before, is in excellent condition¹ and which, is a fine scope for the stuff I do. 

Given a choice between recapping a 24x5 PSU and repairing a noisy fan, I'd prefer to recap the PSU. I've recapped 2.5 times; the 0.5 is replacing only the delayed action smoke generators which had reached their delay time .

There are many guides to recapping here and at tekscopes and other places. The gotcha with the electrolytics is that two are incorrectly shown, so the best tactic is to remove/replace only one at a time.

The standard gotchas with the fan is that the collet holding the fan onto the shaft is brittle and prone to self destructing. I've had them off many times without problem; the key technique is to turn the nut not the screw (the screw head is used to stop the collet's shaft rotating when you turn the nut). Having said that, the last time I tried it, the blasted collet came out in 5 pieces. I'm awaiting a 3D printed collet. No, PLA homebrew isn't good enough - that self-destructs before insertion!

There are guides to renovating the Siemens motor on tekscopes; I'll wait until it is really necessary before doing it.

[BU508A]

I'm probably the luckiest person in the world! Found those original, brand new, Solartron test leads on ebay for 9$ each 

Those are indeed equipped with the infamous Fischer connector that is now almost impossible to find.

You mean these connectors?
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/group-buy-fischer-connector-plug-s104-a053-130/msg1538426/#msg1538426

[BU508A]

I am tempted. But looking at the prices in (i think it was) your photos last year it'd be an expensive trip 

I'll add one of my self-baked very special apple pie, baked extra for you. 

Now that might tempt me as well! 

You will be very welcome.

Promised! I'll bring one of my "Bratapfelkuchen" to the HAM Radio in Friedrichshafen.

[tggzzz]

I'm probably the luckiest person in the world! Found those original, brand new, Solartron test leads on ebay for 9$ each 

Those are indeed equipped with the infamous Fischer connector that is now almost impossible to find.

The connectors are easy to find. The problem is the cost and especially the minimum order quantity FFI see https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/group-buy-fischer-connector-plug-s104-a053-130/msg1538426/#msg1538426

Fleabay does have a 4-wire cable, but for purists the cable insulation is not defined in the advert.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cable-for-multimeter-Solartron-Schlumberger-7061-7071-7081-Fischer-connector/113899702962
That price seems reasonable, given the connector is EUR45

[Specmaster]

Off Topic.

Someone mentioned that they had just purchased a new vacuum cleaner, the same one that they saw a lot hotel cleaners dragging around, which one was it please? Our Dyson has just gone for posh shit again, 2nd power unit in a short time and its not worth buying another?

[BU508A]

Off Topic.

Someone mentioned that they had just purchased a new vacuum cleaner, the same one that they saw a lot hotel cleaners dragging around, which one was it please? Our Dyson has just gone for posh shit again, 2nd power unit in a short time and its not worth buying another?

It was Cerebus in this message:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/msg2794910/#msg2794910

[bd139]

Get a Henry and just run it without a bag. Much better than my old DC-07 

[Cerebus]

I am tempted. But looking at the prices in (i think it was) your photos last year it'd be an expensive trip 

I'll add one of my self-baked very special apple pie, baked extra for you. 

Now that might tempt me as well! 

You will be very welcome.

Promised! I'll bring one of my "Bratapfelkuchen" to the HAM Radio in Friedrichshafen.

This is beginning to sound like the start of proper little Bavarian/Austrian kaffeeklatsch. 

Just occurred to me. Has anyone ever done a German language version of the Monty Python "Cheeseshop Sketch" re-set in an Austrian cake shop? "Guten morgen. Bitte, sechs Berliner, und haben sie Sachertorte?", "Es tut mir leid...."

[tggzzz]

Off Topic.

Someone mentioned that they had just purchased a new vacuum cleaner, the same one that they saw a lot hotel cleaners dragging around, which one was it please? Our Dyson has just gone for posh shit again, 2nd power unit in a short time and its not worth buying another?

My daughter got a Nilfisk industrial vacuum cleaner cheaply, and likes it.

It has bags, I prefer bagless.

[Specmaster]

I like Dyson corded cleaners, bag less and really powerful provided you clean out the cyclones now and then, but it was a cordless model we have that we used to pick the odd bit of cat litter or other spills without having to get the corded one out all the time, which failed.

SWMBO is looking a corded Shark cleaner which I had seen in a few hotels hence the question I asked to confirm it, but Cerebus says it was Miele that he was referring and now that I'm thing about it a bit more, that surprises me because the brand that I've seen the most in hotels has been Oreck and also Nilfisk 

[Cerebus]

... but Cerebus says it was Miele that he was referring and now that I'm thing about it a bit more, that surprises me because the brand that I've seen the most in hotels has been Oreck and also Nilfisk 

Might be biased by me spending perhaps 50% of my time in hotels in Germany and 50% "other countries". It wasn't, by any stretch of the imagination, a scientific survey, just an impression.

[Tepe]

My daughter got a Nilfisk industrial vacuum cleaner cheaply, and likes it.

It has bags, I prefer bagless.

Back in the day, there were bagless Nilfisks:

[Specmaster]

Wow, UPS can deliver to me anytime they like, they just delivered my eBay purchase of a laser printer (not working) as a donor for the other one I have that prints horizontal bands and smudges etc. Anyway back to UPS and now to make you guys really jelly (mnem terminology), of me. The driver was an absolutely stunning young lady about 25 years old, and she certainly filled that uniform brilliantly and had the nicest smile I've seen for a long time and a lovely sexy soft voice that you'd love to hear whispering sweet nothings in your ear, brunet she was as well 

[McBryce]

My daughter got a Nilfisk industrial vacuum cleaner cheaply, and likes it.

It has bags, I prefer bagless.

Back in the day, there were bagless Nilfisks:
(Attachment Link)

Ah, the good old days, when it was perfectly acceptable to have a women with the words "fantastic suction" above her head in an advert and nobody blinked an eyelid.

McBryce.

[0culus]

Wow, UPS can deliver to me anytime they like, they just delivered my eBay purchase of a laser printer (not working) as a donor for the other one I have that prints horizontal bands and smudges etc. Anyway back to UPS and now to make you guys really jelly (mnem terminology), of me. The driver was an absolutely stunning young lady about 25 years old, and she certainly filled that uniform brilliantly and had the nicest smile I've seen for a long time and a lovely sexy soft voice that you'd love to hear whispering sweet nothings in your ear, brunet she was as well 

I feel like this is the start of a porno. 

[mnementh]

My 2465, which I have avoided opening up because, well, it was working and recapping is a big project, is starting to make fan noise on a regular

When you finally get brave enough  I've done the PSU on two 2465's successfully. I documented the entire process here:


I have not had to service the fan in the 485 so I don't know how easy or difficult it is to remove.

Brave enough is the right phrase. A few months ago, I looked at your recap thread and decided to wait. I think I am going to tackle the 485 first even though it is as packed together as the 2465. Somehow I feel more at home there   and I have a second 485 with definite power supply issues and a couple of damaged front controls that I can use for parts.

I had the 2465 thread bookmarked. I've added the 485 thread. Thanks for both.  I haven't found much info on the 485 fan but I haven't really dug into the tekscope archive. I wonder if it just needs to be cleaned and lubricated. In any case, if I have to pull it apart to get the fan out, I might as well do the recap, too.

edit: just started searching the tekscope thread... it looks like the 485 and the 2465 have the same fan motor, though they may have different blades. 

My fan service procedure is here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/tektronix-2465b-oscilloscope-teardown/msg1863828/#msg1863828

It really isn't that bad, provided your motor hasn't been run into the dirt; hardest part is getting the brushless driver/temp control PCB off the back of the motor can. It takes a long time of "putting up with the screech until it warms up" to get to the point where med's fan was. Pretty sure in his case that was previous management's fault tho.


   https://niagara.craigslist.org/ele/d/niagara-regional-municipality-tube/7015327161.html

Here's one for you die-hard moldy oldie fanatics... this one came across my radar while trawling for a salvageable scope on CL. Pickup only in the BuffaloNY / Niagara Falls-Rainbow Bridge area of Canada. *cringe*

IIRC, my first scope "of my very own" was an EICO very similar to that 425 on the right. That one was where I learned a healthy respect for the potentials around any anode caps and the very important lesson of waiting for hollow-state gear to self-discharge before sticking my little penis-fingers in there. 

mnem
*tzzzzzt!*

[GreyWoolfe]

I like Dyson corded cleaners, bag less and really powerful provided you clean out the cyclones now and then, but it was a cordless model we have that we used to pick the odd bit of cat litter or other spills without having to get the corded one out all the time, which failed.

SWMBO is looking a corded Shark cleaner which I had seen in a few hotels hence the question I asked to confirm it, but Cerebus says it was Miele that he was referring and now that I'm thing about it a bit more, that surprises me because the brand that I've seen the most in hotels has been Oreck and also Nilfisk 

We have both a Dyson DC17 and a Shark.  We keep the Dyson for cleaning jobs for Mrs GreyWoolfe's side business as long as they have no pets.  I have cleaned the cyclones out and it is a bit of a pain.  Don't know what model Shark but it works well, not as good as the Dyson in my opinion but it does the job and we have 2 dogs and 2 cats.

[tggzzz]

My fan service procedure is here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/tektronix-2465b-oscilloscope-teardown/msg1863828/#msg1863828

Useful, easy to miss or not find, bookmarked.

[mnementh]

Back in the day, there were bagless Nilfisks:   

Ah, the good old days, when it was perfectly acceptable to have a women with the words "fantastic suction" above her head in an advert and nobody blinked an eyelid.

McBryce.

Now I'm having feelings of dirt-sucker inadequacy... the new house has central vacuum with the unit in the corner of the garage.  Just dump the bucket into the garbage can once a month whether it needs it or not. This damned thing will suck the freckles off that adorable little ginger girl you knew in grade school (yeah, the one who gave you your first woodie with just a smile ) from 20 paces... but no big manly stainless steel beer keg to drag around or giant D splattered across the side to show off to your cohorts...

mnem

[SilverSolder]

Been very happy with a relatively unknown brand:  Sebo (a German make).  Ours is >15Y  old and works as good as new. 

It won't win any styling prizes, but the big deal with the Sebo Airbelt models is that they spew very little dust out with the exhaust air - these are loved by allergy sufferers and people who generally prefer vacuum cleaners that do not just recirculate dust, but actually removes it.   They are very quiet and have variable speed.

[BU508A]

Vacuum cleaner are now a part of TEA? 

[mnementh]

@BU508A: See below.

@SilverSolder: Yeah, I think they rebrand those in the US as RICCAR. I had one as my "under-workbench" unit for years as it would suck up 16mm ball-bearings but it ran so quiet the only sound you could hear was the air rushing at the nozzle. It had both a cyclonic chamber and a large bag-style HEPA filter, which meant you didn't want to suck up anything bigger than a blob of solder tho; a handfull of screws would rattle around in there like a swarm of angry pixies for several minutes before the last one exited into the bag.

That one got lost in the last move; this move I Goodwill-ed the hose for it. 

mnem
 

[Kosmic]

I'm probably the luckiest person in the world! Found those original, brand new, Solartron test leads on ebay for 9$ each 

Those are indeed equipped with the infamous Fischer connector that is now almost impossible to find.

You mean these connectors?
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/group-buy-fischer-connector-plug-s104-a053-130/msg1538426/#msg1538426

Yes I saw your post at the time. Considering the price I paid the 7061, the connector would have been more expensive than the meter itself 

[Kosmic]

I'm probably the luckiest person in the world! Found those original, brand new, Solartron test leads on ebay for 9$ each 

Those are indeed equipped with the infamous Fischer connector that is now almost impossible to find.

The connectors are easy to find. The problem is the cost and especially the minimum order quantity FFI see https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/group-buy-fischer-connector-plug-s104-a053-130/msg1538426/#msg1538426

Fleabay does have a 4-wire cable, but for purists the cable insulation is not defined in the advert.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cable-for-multimeter-Solartron-Schlumberger-7061-7071-7081-Fischer-connector/113899702962
That price seems reasonable, given the connector is EUR45

Having to call someone in Germany (from Canada) to order some connectors is not necessarily my definition of easy. On top of that my German is pretty rusty 

"Easy" would be readily available at digikey, mouser or arrow. Unfortunatly it's not the case