Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

Speak fer yerself! I'll never admit to giving a damn aboot a fellow Noo Yah-kah!!!

Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam!!!  ya blue-arsed bastahd.

mnem
Q' Aplah!!!

 

[nixiefreqq]

Speak fer yerself! I'll never admit to giving a damn aboot a fellow Noo Yah-kah!!!

Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam!!!  ya blue-arsed bastahd.

mnem
Q' Aplah!!!

 

just a guess.......but is that klingon?

[nixiefreqq]

was curious about the culture of the great white north.

so naturally i made the mistake of googling tim hortons.  most of what came up revolved around an unspeakable incident of which i will not speak.

am now worried about the havoc a dragon could cause to our friends up  north.

[nixiefreqq]

it is klingon!

and there are online translators that will convert it to english!


Ohhhhh... What a world, what a world!

[Specmaster]

Ok, heating engineer has been and gone, 2 year old gas boiler at fault and now the manufacturer is coming tomorrow to have a look while we all shiver again. What time are they coming, anytime between 7.00am and 6.00pm, just glad that we aren't yet in the depths of winter 

FWIW I had a gas hot air furnace go out recently. Before I made a 3 hr trip to pick up a $320 board I decided to take a 2nd look.  A 47 uF, 63 V cap  was obviously blown.  So I pulled the board and took it home.  After a lot of rummaging through parts bins, I found some 22 uF, 100 V units, so I wired them in  parallel pairs and it was fixed  at less than 1/2 the drive time and none of the cost.

After looking at the previous furnace board I had replaced (at another commercial property) which had 1x 22 uF and 2x 47 uF caps, I ordered 100 each of higher reliability Nichicon 22, 47 & 100 uF at 63 V.  Aside from 2-3 $0.25 caps, everything is semiconductors, resistors and relays.   So it is quite unlikely that anything other than bad caps and ESD will kill a board.

Amazingly, the OEM caps are just regular SMPS caps, not one of the "high reliability" parts.

Reg

Yeah, I'd do that apart from the fact that the boiler ain't mine, it belongs to the landlord.

[Specmaster]

Ok, heating engineer has been and gone, 2 year old gas boiler at fault and now the manufacturer is coming tomorrow to have a look while we all shiver again. What time are they coming, anytime between 7.00am and 6.00pm, just glad that we aren't yet in the depths of winter 

FYI the most reliable boiler brands are Worcester and Vaillant. The heating technicians I've talked to prefer the maintainability of Vaillant.

Yep, I can understand that because Worcester is part of Bosch, and we know German engineering is good, now the strange thing here is the boiler in question is in fact a Worcester and according to the landlord, they are frequently failing of late. The thermostat and receiver that failed yesterday were also only 2 years old and made by Honeywell 

[bd139]

Ugh don't get me started on those fucking Honeywell thermostats. On my third set.  The buttons on the remote also pack in once every 3 months as well so I have to take it to bits and IPA the membrane contacts!

Is it one of these evil shits?



(please excuse my lazily painted over wallpaper  )

[BU508A]

I bet this place has Fischer connectors...

I bet one bag of Haribo Gummibears against it. 

[Specmaster]

Oh, and if anyone is interested in setting up a group buy for some of those Fischer connectors, let me know, I'll be in for a couple.

You might like to add that request to this thread: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/group-buy-fischer-connector-plug-s104-a053-130/msg1538426/#msg1538426

Yeah I just didn't want to necro that thread unless I had to.

I bet this place has Fischer connectors...

Well bugger me!, I have just a few minutes ago watched this video myself and a few others by this young lady, and I was going to post a link to this very one here but you beat me to it, well done.

[Zucca]

Guys I need a DC Load at least like a TTi LD400P, any suggestions? It would be cool if <1500€.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Guys I need a DC Load at least like a TTi LD400P, any suggestions? It would be cool if <1500€.

If you really want this one and you are content with <1500.- then have your Telemeter representative come by and annoy him a bit. They have some discretion in pricing and they use it not only for orders of tens.
Generally a very helpful and recommendable company.
Although the beast is only 1341.- at Voelkner, so that is already <1500.-, and you probably did see that too so you want omething much cheaper?

[Specmaster]

Ugh don't get me started on those fucking Honeywell thermostats. On my third set.  The buttons on the remote also pack in once every 3 months as well so I have to take it to bits and IPA the membrane contacts!

Is it one of these evil shits?



(please excuse my lazily painted over wallpaper  )

It was this shit pair that failed to communicate with each other


Been replaced by this pair



Today the bloody boiler, also 2 years old gave up the ghost, engineer said it has a gas problem and Bosch are coming tomorrow to inspect / repair it under warranty.  Every fecking year roundabout this time of the year we have days with no bloody heat or hot water due to the system falling over 

[GreyWoolfe]

Attempting to stay on topic:  -  is it actually a good idea to use a vacuum cleaner to clean out electronic equipment, or do they generate too much static voltage to be safe?

At a very previous job, (middle 90s) we had a copier service guy do a service call during which he forgot to take his very specialized and expensive ESD-safe vacuum cleaner with him as he left. We waited several weeks but he did not reappear, so we started to use it. Quite useful, especially as we were a sound and lights shop, with lots of fan-cooled devices to clean out.

Yes, it is a good idea to use a vac to clean electronics, but better have one that is ESD safe. Or, be very mindful of ESD procedure.

This one absolutely blows my mind.  Unless, of course, it was company supplied and he said screw it, I will request another.  I have left the odd hand tool at a site myself, in fact, I recently lost one of my favorite flashlights.  P*sses me off when I do that and I go buy another.  Once, I even left my entire tool bag!  It was the end of the day and I was in a hurry to get home.  I asked the customer to overnight it at my expense because of the distance to go back and get it, which he did.  I don't ask for reimbursement from my company, I prefer to own my own tools.  If that vacuum was mine personally, I would guard it with my life.

[BU508A]

Guys I need a DC Load at least like a TTi LD400P, any suggestions? It would be cool if <1500€.

TME has 5 units for ca. 1335.- Euro incl. VAT excluding shipping

https://www.tme.eu/de/en/details/ld400p/electronic-loads/aim-tti/

Perhaps one of these could be considered as an alternative:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184048025134

It's a Maynuo M9713



From the Maynuo EU homepage, there is this M9712C but this unit can only bear 60A (842 EUR plus VAT, free shipping)

https://maynuo.eu/m9712c-electronic-load-300w.html

[Neomys Sapiens]

@Zucca: And yes, I also start to like the TTI stuff more and more. They have grown to the task and don't swindle too much. The CPX power supply I have at work from them gets me to think that the load might be a good choice.

[Zucca]

Thanks BU508A and Neomys...

I just don't want to bank out ~1.3K€ if with 1.5-2K€ or so I can get something (used why not) much better.
Anyway it looks like the next level start from >2K€ with high end DC Load multiframe jazz...

Some other options:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/TTi-LD300-DC-Electronic-Load-80A-80V-300W/233141249519 --> run Forrest run.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Keysight-Used-N3301A-DC-Electronic-Load-Mainframe-600-W-max-2-slots-/193076543236

1.5KUSD ... mehhh I will go for the TTi LD400P...

ahhh maybe a miracle will happen in the Buy/sell jungle:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/wtb-(eu)-nice-dc-load-gt-tti-ld400p-open-to-trade-in/

maybe some guy will trade his DC load for a nice scope... who knows...

PS: I am losing my mind for TTi at the moment, they make awesome stuff!
I got a used QPX1200SP for 750€, an old AIM TTI QL-355T for 210€, a new Aim-TTi EL 183 R 100€ and now a DC load is a must, I think.

CPX PSU? soo tasty... drool

[med6753]

it is klingon!

and there are online translators that will convert it to english!


Ohhhhh... What a world, what a world!

"It is a good day to die". 

[bd139]

Ugh don't get me started on those fucking Honeywell thermostats. On my third set.  The buttons on the remote also pack in once every 3 months as well so I have to take it to bits and IPA the membrane contacts!

Is it one of these evil shits?



(please excuse my lazily painted over wallpaper  )

It was this shit pair that failed to communicate with each other


Been replaced by this pair



Today the bloody boiler, also 2 years old gave up the ghost, engineer said it has a gas problem and Bosch are coming tomorrow to inspect / repair it under warranty.  Every fecking year roundabout this time of the year we have days with no bloody heat or hot water due to the system falling over 

ugh  . The same problem here with the pairing twice. You can reset and re-pair them - there's a whole thing in the installation guide online. If you call the dudes out to fix it they just put a new unit in because they can't RTFM usually 

Had the same problem in the past with boilers. I dread winter. Have you considered getting a tube tek scope and leaving it on instead? 

[Specmaster]

Yeah, thought a Tek Tube scope but the estimate for the reinforcement of my floors was way more than the cost a few boilers worked out to, so discounted the idea 

The re set and re pairing has been done a couple of times by me without a successful result. 

[Cubdriver]

For those who care  made into Denver safely yesterday. We were one of the few flights to make it in. Nearly 75% of the flights out and a good percentage of flights in were cancelled. On our first attempt at landing the pilots suddenly had to firewall the throttles and go around. Something about an obstruction on the runway. I thought the lady next to me was gonna shit herself.  Second attempt at landing as soon as the 737 touched down we skidded left, then right. Holy shit.  But the pilots were good...got it straighten out and then full reverse thrust and we stopped...after a LONG roll. Good times. 

My brother was waiting for me and then the 70 mile drive. Roads were mostly snow covered and luckily, empty of traffic. The Jeep had no issues getting here. Supposed to have more snow tomorrow. So far over a foot on the ground. 

Glad you arrived safely. I lived in Boulder for ten years and I fly in and out of DIA regularly. The crew there is used to dealing with snow and does an excellent job at keeping the airport safely open and the pilots who fly in and out of there regularly know the drill.  That said, when there is that much snow coming down that quickly, shit goes wrong fast.  Over the years, I had my share of, um, exciting DIA landings.

Did you ever experience the old Denver airport (Stapleton)? Now that was fun, even in good weather. Runways barely adequate for the altitude (nearly 6000 feet) and the approach was over the Rockies. Constant severe turbulence all the way to ground. So bad you'd think the plane would come apart. 

Back in the mid 90s at my old job I got to fly into Stapleton during its last week of operation (it was a rather sad sight, as they apparently weren't doing much maintenance and a lot of the monitors were in the process of failing).  After a service call in Boulder, we then flew out of the brand spanking new DIA, which seemed to be about halfway back to CT drive-wise relative to Stapleton.  It was certainly out in the middle of nowhere at that time; have no idea what's sprouted up around it since.  (Knowing people, a bunch of condos or apartments, the residents of which now bitch about airplanes flying over them.  )

Glad to hear that you made it in in one piece!

-Pat

[VK5RC]

You guys need to move to Adelaide, apart from being on the other side of the world so TEA postage kills you and summer temps commonly hit high 30s C, the airport might close once every few years with a morning fog for a few hours!

[worsthorse]

For those who care  made into Denver safely yesterday. We were one of the few flights to make it in. Nearly 75% of the flights out and a good percentage of flights in were cancelled. On our first attempt at landing the pilots suddenly had to firewall the throttles and go around. Something about an obstruction on the runway. I thought the lady next to me was gonna shit herself.  Second attempt at landing as soon as the 737 touched down we skidded left, then right. Holy shit.  But the pilots were good...got it straighten out and then full reverse thrust and we stopped...after a LONG roll. Good times. 

My brother was waiting for me and then the 70 mile drive. Roads were mostly snow covered and luckily, empty of traffic. The Jeep had no issues getting here. Supposed to have more snow tomorrow. So far over a foot on the ground. 

Glad you arrived safely. I lived in Boulder for ten years and I fly in and out of DIA regularly. The crew there is used to dealing with snow and does an excellent job at keeping the airport safely open and the pilots who fly in and out of there regularly know the drill.  That said, when there is that much snow coming down that quickly, shit goes wrong fast.  Over the years, I had my share of, um, exciting DIA landings.

Did you ever experience the old Denver airport (Stapleton)? Now that was fun, even in good weather. Runways barely adequate for the altitude (nearly 6000 feet) and the approach was over the Rockies. Constant severe turbulence all the way to ground. So bad you'd think the plane would come apart. 

Yup. Flying into Stapleton sort of reminded me of some of the airport approaches in Asia, especially Nepal. 

[Neomys Sapiens]

@Zucca: is it urgent and do you have 115V? I still have the Transistor Devices DLP 50-80-1000 not converted to 230V. But I procured an adaptor for the strange power input.
(Picture fits, but mine was 'Load1'.)
And of course the EL300N, which I do not want to keep, but you have to hotwire it for dynamic loading somehow.

[mnementh]

...That sounds like 5 mercury cells (1.35V) in series so most definitely not just obsolete, but banned in all civilized places.

I assume this means you have a "small" stockpile in your basement, "Just for emergencies"...? 

mnem
*agitating-ily*

I don't acquire things just because they are banned. Not always anyway.

Oh, me neither. *Nudge-nudge, wink-wink* Say no more...

was curious about the culture of the great white north. so naturally i made the mistake of googling tim hortons. most of what came up revolved around an unspeakable incident of which i will not speak.

am now worried about the havoc a dragon could cause to our friends up  north.

You kidding...? As long as I have fire in my belly, I'll NEVER run out of friends up here... So far my stress level has decreased at least 20dB across the board; I've cut my Sudafed intake in half and stopped taking Claritin altogether and I can still breathe better most of the time than back in South Dumbfuckistan.
I do feel your fears are mostly unfounded... unless I happen to sneeze.

Tim Horton's is... a strange anachronism. Or maybe more a strange alloy of old and new; they do seem to make a straightforward decent cup of coffee without all the 9 Bucks Coffee bundahoo, but their frontend is positively McD's complete with disaffected idiot teenagers running the floor.  Right now we're actually taste-testing a bag of their Hazelnut-flavored coffee; it came at a reasonable price from the local grocery and claims all-natural flavoring. 

From up here, there have been several "incidents" in recent memory that happened to happen at a Tim Horton's; much like down in Tejas, where it seems like every other day you're hearing about a incident at some Wally World. But UNLIKE there, those incidents do NOT involve guns.

Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam!!!  ya blue-arsed bastahd.

mnem
Q' Aplah!!!

just a guess.......but is that Klingon?

it is Klingon! and there are online translators that will convert it to English! Ohhhhh... What a world, what a world!

Q'aplah!!!   

mnem
Star Trek Trivia:"Q'apla!", the popular Klingon expression, actually most closely approximates "Fuck off and die!" exchanged as a friendly curse between soldiers. They told the Federation it meant "Success!!!" as a joke, and they never caught on.

[mnementh]

it is Klingon! and there are online translators that will convert it to English! Ohhhhh... What a world, what a world!

"It is a good day to die". 

 

mnem
ps: Thanks @nf for not spoiling the surprise so he had to go translate it for himself!