Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[BravoV]

YALBOA : Yet Another Low Balled Offer Accepted

Another Simpson 260 on its way.

[0culus]

This is an HP Free zone except for one dinky power supply that somehow got past security 

You need this to calibrate your 5.5 digit DMM's;
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-3455A-Digital-Voltmeter-Vintage-Hewlett-Packard-Digital-Voltmeter-3455A/113998874609?epid=1603927670&hash=item1a8adcc7f1:g:p5IAAOSwXVdd5dRI

Do I need this? No, I have many DMMs.  Do I want this? Yes, because it looks very cool.  So I made a low ball offer on it, since "it worked last time he looked" but apparently he couldn't find a power cord to see if it still lights up. 

Go for it. I won't out bid you. 

Damn if the seller didn't accept my offer.       I didn't expect that to happen. Going to cost me more for shipping than buying.

If you do get it and need parts I have one that I’ve already robbed one unobtainium ic from to help out another forum member. No worries robbing more from it. No guarantee though because this particular unit has always been a bit flaky on the digital side.

[med6753]

This is an HP Free zone except for one dinky power supply that somehow got past security 

You need this to calibrate your 5.5 digit DMM's;
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-3455A-Digital-Voltmeter-Vintage-Hewlett-Packard-Digital-Voltmeter-3455A/113998874609?epid=1603927670&hash=item1a8adcc7f1:g:p5IAAOSwXVdd5dRI

Do I need this? No, I have many DMMs.  Do I want this? Yes, because it looks very cool.  So I made a low ball offer on it, since "it worked last time he looked" but apparently he couldn't find a power cord to see if it still lights up. 

Go for it. I won't out bid you. 

Damn if the seller didn't accept my offer.       I didn't expect that to happen. Going to cost me more for shipping than buying.

Good deal! You MUST post pix when you get it. And if it works you can go na-na at me for not bidding on it.  Although I have stated all along that I will NOT venture into 6.5 digit and above territory. 

[Brumby]

Although I have stated all along that I will NOT venture into 6.5 digit and above territory. 

I  don't know if I've stated a similar attitude, but it is the fear of the voltnut rabbit hole that steers me in that same direction.

BUT - for ten bucks I could easily be swayed!  (I feel pretty safe, though.  There's absolutely negligible chance of such an opportunity in Oz.)

[med6753]

Although I have stated all along that I will NOT venture into 6.5 digit and above territory. 

I  don't know if I've stated a similar attitude, but it is the fear of the voltnut rabbit hole that steers me in that same direction.

BUT - for ten bucks I could easily be swayed!

It was definitely tugging at me so I'm (sorta) glad that someone scooped it up. 

[0culus]

I got an e-mail this morning from the Bay of Evil.  Apparently someone offered them $40 for it, because it was to inform me that it sold for that amount.

-Pat

That may or may not have been me. 

LOL - cool - at least one of us snagged it!

-Pat

but......but......but.........i saw it first!

you had better post pictures! 

(my feelings are still hurt that they never sent me a counter offer.  but that's ok, 'nuff hp junk round here anyway)

Should be here on the 12th if the shipping notice is accurate. 

[beanflying]

Although I have stated all along that I will NOT venture into 6.5 digit and above territory. 

I  don't know if I've stated a similar attitude, but it is the fear of the voltnut rabbit hole that steers me in that same direction.

BUT - for ten bucks I could easily be swayed!  (I feel pretty safe, though.  There's absolutely negligible chance of such an opportunity in Oz.)

Maybe not for $10 but I will accept the mission to assist you with your goal 

Mmmm thinking some more my Advantest 6871E is not getting any use since I got the 34461A 

[Brumby]

 

[Brumby]

I've only just picked up a 12RU box and one device will take up a quarter of it.  Will be a challenge to fit the gear that will be displaced to make room for this - and the other things I want to have at the ready...

... and you want to aid and abet in a campaign of tetris?!!


But, then, I suppose I could do an expansion of the hob over my screens.  Another cm or two in height would allow several pieces of kit to fit.  Hmmm......





 

[mnementh]

...and do those floor joists above your head REALLY need to be 2" x 12"...? 

mnem

[worsthorse]

This is an HP Free zone except for one dinky power supply that somehow got past security 

You need this to calibrate your 5.5 digit DMM's;
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-3455A-Digital-Voltmeter-Vintage-Hewlett-Packard-Digital-Voltmeter-3455A/113998874609?epid=1603927670&hash=item1a8adcc7f1:g:p5IAAOSwXVdd5dRI

Do I need this? No, I have many DMMs.  Do I want this? Yes, because it looks very cool.  So I made a low ball offer on it, since "it worked last time he looked" but apparently he couldn't find a power cord to see if it still lights up. 

Go for it. I won't out bid you. 

Damn if the seller didn't accept my offer.       I didn't expect that to happen. Going to cost me more for shipping than buying.

Good deal! You MUST post pix when you get it. And if it works you can go na-na at me for not bidding on it.  Although I have stated all along that I will NOT venture into 6.5 digit and above territory. 

I will post pix. I don't consider it 6.5 digit territory as I will just ignore any digits past the first four or so. And if they bug me by flickering, well, there's always the blue tape solution.   

[worsthorse]

If you do get it and need parts I have one that I’ve already robbed one unobtainium ic from to help out another forum member. No worries robbing more from it. No guarantee though because this particular unit has always been a bit flaky on the digital side.

Thanks! I took a gander at the service manual this afternoon. It's cheap enough that if its unfixable (at least by me) I won't feel too awful about it.

[Cubdriver]

All this talk of fire stick soldering irons makes me wonder:

How many of us learned to not catch a falling soldering iron by catching a falling soldering iron.  Once...

_{(Raises Hand)}

I learned not to catch marbles that broke off of punties that way...

-Pat

what???

When making glass marbles, you do what's called a 'cold fuse' to a glass rod that's called a 'punty'.  The idea is to make a purposely weak joint so that the rod used to hold the marble may easily be broken free without making too much of a mess of the surface where it was located.  It usually must be transferred at least twice to get the whole surface formed.  Sometimes, the joint is a bit TOO weak, and the marble breaks off while you're working it.  Being spherical, they tend to land on the bench and then try to roll off.  Natural instinct is to try to catch the marble you've been diligently working on as it falls.  This is NOT a prudent thing to do, as a piece of glass that moments before was bathed in an oxy-propane flame is, oh, what's the term I'm looking for...  ...FUCKING HOT!!  Unless you are especially slow witted, you will usually only do this once.  Subsequently, instinct will still make you try to grab, but a split second later reason will assert itself and you will instead jump out of the way.

In the following video, if you skip to 8:50, 10:50 and 12:35 you can see him transferring the marble and just how easy the joint is to break:



(And this reminds me that I need to get my burner set up some one of these years and get back to doing this stuff!  It's been far too long.)

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

...and do those floor joists above your head REALLY need to be 2" x 12"...? 

mnem

Nah, they can be 2x10s if you put 'em on 8" centers...

-Pat

[mnementh]

Now whom did I miss...?

Look again, buddy.

mnem
*~urrrrrp...~*

[mnementh]

I learned not to catch marbles that broke off of punties that way...

-Pat

what???

When making glass marbles, you do what's called a 'cold fuse' to a glass rod that's called a 'punty'.  The idea is to make a purposely weak joint so that the rod used to hold the marble may easily be broken free without making too much of a mess of the surface where it was located.  It usually must be transferred at least twice to get the whole surface formed.  Sometimes, the joint is a bit TOO weak, and the marble breaks off while you're working it.  Being spherical, they tend to land on the bench and then try to roll off.  Natural instinct is to try to catch the marble you've been diligently working on as it falls.  This is NOT a prudent thing to do, as a piece of glass that moments before was bathed in an oxy-propane flame is, oh, what's the term I'm looking for...  ...FUCKING HOT!!  Unless you are especially slow witted, you will usually only do this once.  Subsequently, instinct will still make you try to grab, but a split second later reason will assert itself and you will instead jump out of the way.

In the following video, if you skip to 8:50, 10:50 and 12:35 you can see him transferring the marble and just how easy the joint is to break:

(And this reminds me that I need to get my burner set up some one of these years and get back to doing this stuff!  It's been far too long.)

-Pat

Yeah... when I was sorting my mother's stuff for the move, I found several handmade glass "ornament beads" from approx 25-75mm that she had bought from another artisan met at one of her shows. They were essentially large marbles of various artistic content with a little flat loop of glass at the top; you could see where the fellow had heated the punty and formed the loop with pliers. She did several orders by mail over the years with him.

I did some slumped glass bits for her using a rosebud torch and working on a piece of 1" thick plate steel; had to heat the steel before I started and keep it heated as I worked so I could lay the softened sheet & bits together on the plate so it would cool slowly enough to not shatter. Real "primitive work", but it gave me a real appreciation for the artisans I remembered seeing at work at Corning Glass as a kid. And for the value of a proper electric kiln. 

mnem
*primitive*

[mnementh]

...and do those floor joists above your head REALLY need to be 2" x 12"...? 

mnem

Nah, they can be 2x10s if you put 'em on 8" centers...

-Pat

Oooooh! That's room for another layer of manuals on top of the stack!!! *steals chainsaw from the dog*

mnem
Okay... maybe I've gone a little too far off the "meta" deep end this time... 

[kj7e]

This is an HP Free zone except for one dinky power supply that somehow got past security 

You need this to calibrate your 5.5 digit DMM's;
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-3455A-Digital-Voltmeter-Vintage-Hewlett-Packard-Digital-Voltmeter-3455A/113998874609?epid=1603927670&hash=item1a8adcc7f1:g:p5IAAOSwXVdd5dRI

Do I need this? No, I have many DMMs.  Do I want this? Yes, because it looks very cool.  So I made a low ball offer on it, since "it worked last time he looked" but apparently he couldn't find a power cord to see if it still lights up. 

Go for it. I won't out bid you. 

Damn if the seller didn't accept my offer.       I didn't expect that to happen. Going to cost me more for shipping than buying.

Good deal! You MUST post pix when you get it. And if it works you can go na-na at me for not bidding on it.  Although I have stated all along that I will NOT venture into 6.5 digit and above territory. 

I will post pix. I don't consider it 6.5 digit territory as I will just ignore any digits past the first four or so. And if they bug me by flickering, well, there's always the blue tape solution.   

The 3455A is indeed 6.5 digit realm, the service manual with it is worth the price of admission alone.  It was built during an age when price was no expense, its built to the limit of the state of art of the time, not a price point dictated by bean counters.  It will be stable to the last digit if in good working order. Hope its in good condition and working order when you get it.

[capt bullshot]

How many of us learned to not catch a falling soldering iron by catching a falling soldering iron.  Once...
_{(Raises Hand)}

Even worse, my foot was caught by the power cord and then the iron was "caught" by my face just across the mouth. Nice burn mark on my lips was the result ...
Same kind of experience as connecting your shiny new first scope to a mains powered circuit (scope and me survived, circuit didn't).

[capt bullshot]

How many of us learned to not catch a falling soldering iron by catching a falling soldering iron.  Once...
_{(Raises Hand)}

Even worse, my foot was caught by the power cord and then the iron was "caught" by my face just across the mouth. Nice burn mark on my lips was the result ...
Same kind of experience as connecting your shiny new first scope to a mains powered circuit (scope and me survived, circuit didn't).

Or entering "sudo shutdown -h now" into the wrong terminal. Went home and shortly after got a phone call ...

[bd139]

LMAO have done that before. Cost me a round trip from Nottingham to Manchester because I was too cheap to put an ILO card in the machine 

[beanflying]

To soon for savings @Brumby ? eBay auction: #163960440176 might suit another local in the market.

[Zucca]

Some interesting stuff on german (local) ebay

eBay auction: #303240520271

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/labornetzgeraet-aim-tti-el-183-r-neu/1254725632-168-7435

[beanflying]

Happy 2,000,000 + views TEA. 

[Brumby]

To soon for savings @Brumby ? eBay auction: #163960440176 might suit another local in the market.

A little outside the budget at the moment - and the 2,200km round trip for "local pickup" isn't tickling my fancy to say the least.



But it does look nice.