Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

Hello Hakko. Arrived in one piece. More pix after I RTFM and put it together.

[worsthorse]

several advantages to buying components from mouser:  stuff is less likely to be counterfeit and they actually try to meet their shipment commit: my capacitor order got stalled in the warehouse and they upgraded it to overnight shipping to get it here on time.

and my trip east has been postponed, so i have a couple of days free of tasks other than my daily chores. going to use it as an opportunity to finish repairing the 184 (or figuring out that i can't) and take care of some parts inventory sorting and stocking.

btw: anyone here interested in high quality RTTY gear? I have a stack of it that I need to clear out of here. I will post a list over on the FS thread sometime this week. none of it is going to be expensive but all of it is relatively big.

[xrunner]

Hello Hakko. Arrived in one piece. More pix after I RTFM and put it together.

Good deal - you will not regret it! 

[med6753]

Here's the Hakko FM-203 powered up. It defaulted to 800 degrees F which I know is way too hot for 60/40 lead/tin. So lowered it to about 600 degrees F (approx 315 degrees C). What's the opinion on this? Too hot? Too cold?

The tip cleaner assembly is missing. Amazon has exact replacement for $10 USD. Ordered. I'll order some T12 tips later.




Some Porn. That is a massive transformer.

[bd139]

It's mostly down to soldering style. If you're board stuffing quickly with low dwell time I'd run around 750 on tin/lead. Used to do that on a Pace unit. Right down to 600 if it's rework and dwell time is high.

Edit: also don't buy shitty T12 tips for that iron. Get some genuine Hakko ones!

[med6753]

But isn't 750 going to burn out the tips quick?

[bd139]

But isn't 750 going to burn out the tips quick?

I've never killed a tip on a non cheap temp controlled iron (Pace / Weller / Metcal) even running them hot so I'm not sure

[med6753]

OK, thanks. I'll try 650 degrees F as a compromise for now and see how it works out.

Yep, genuine Hakko T-12's only. 

[Saskia]

I have. The Weller WMRP and WMRT tips are dying like flies in insecticide.

[bd139]

I think that’s Weller quality now. My WTCP51 was a piece of shit compared to the older PS3D era TCP.

But metcal now. You don’t go back 

Edit: NIXIE ALERT for our German friends: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F362853579394

[Saskia]

Question: I need to modify an active stereo crossover that has the filters on some plug in cards.
The low pass filter is configured to 100 Hz and I need to bring it up to 400 Hz to match the speaker characteristics.
I am wondering which device to use for this measurement. I can certainly generate noise with my function generator and feed it into the input of the crossover, however I would want to check the output for the optimal filter characteristics (dunno if I am expressing this correctly in English, sorry, me bad ...)

Most spectrum analyzers start at 9kHz, which does not give me any results for a low pass.
Which analyzer would you recommend ? It should be in the somewhat affordable price range.

Thanks

[Saskia]

Edit: NIXIE ALERT for our German friends: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F362853579394

Thanks, bidding is open

[PA0PBZ]

Which analyzer would you recommend ? It should be in the somewhat affordable price range.

This sounds (pun intended) like a job for one of those sound card analyzer programs

[bd139]

I would use a PC sound card line input for that and the following software which runs a nice FFT with smoothing. I use this and an RF noise source to do filter alignments in radios:

https://w5big.com/Spectrogram517.zip

You would have to build yourself a tap attenuator. A 100:1 or better divider should be ok as measurements are relative. Also worth using a 600 ohm isolation transformer between the sound card and the attenuator.

Edit: If your function generator has sweep output and sync you can use a scope as well.

[tautech]

Question: I need to modify an active stereo crossover that has the filters on some plug in cards.
The low pass filter is configured to 100 Hz and I need to bring it up to 400 Hz to match the speaker characteristics.
I am wondering which device to use for this measurement. I can certainly generate noise with my function generator and feed it into the input of the crossover, however I would want to check the output for the optimal filter characteristics (dunno if I am expressing this correctly in English, sorry, me bad ...)

Most spectrum analyzers start at 9kHz, which does not give me any results for a low pass.
Which analyzer would you recommend ? It should be in the somewhat affordable price range.

Thanks

You can do FRA/Bode plots with a sweeping sig gen and a DSO.
Dave shows how:

[Neomys Sapiens]

@Saskia: I have used a sweep setup that might be adaptable using a Tek2440 + FG504+DC503 when I had to test a variable frequency constant Q BP filter. Filter was in the 100s of kHz area.
But how? Obviously, I had the counter connected to set start and stop frequencies precisely. Scope was set to ENVELOPE, so that I got a less irritating, solid display of the filter's pass curve. Trigger by the linear sweep output. I hope that I have not forgotten something.

[tautech]

@Saskia: I have used a sweep setup that might be adaptable using a Tek2440 + FG504+DC503 when I had to test a variable frequency constant Q BP filter. Filter was in the 100s of kHz area.
But how? Obviously, I had the counter connected to set start and stop frequencies precisely. Scope was set to ENVELOPE, so that I got a less irritating, solid display of the filter's pass curve. Trigger by the linear sweep output. I hope that I have not forgotten something.

Yes but you can still use DSO measurements and cursors to get all that info.

[Neomys Sapiens]

I have. The Weller WMRP and WMRT tips are dying like flies in insecticide.

How high do you run them in standby? I was short of buying one. I ask because of some co-workers, where I always found the stations set to 400°C and yes, all tips died there rapidly. Add to that tap water instead of VE for the sponge and you are lucky if they survive a week.
But WMRP should be able to set a standby temperature. Do you use that?

[Saskia]

Superb, thanks a lot. It seems the 70€ for that brand spanking new GW Instek AFG-2225 from the bargain bin actually paid off, as it can do sweep.
basically I have a pair of Quadral Vulkan transmission line speakers which are to be driven 2 channel active using a 3 way active crossover with mid and tweeters bridged at the speaker using the speaker's internal crossover network. The power amps are Threshold T200 for the woofers, cutoff at 400 Hz, and E.A.R. 519 mono tube amps picking up at those 400 Hz up to 50 kHz (no, I can't hear those frequencies. I know).

Thanks a bundle. I now have an idea how to set up my measurements and will do some math beforehand.

[Saskia]

I have. The Weller WMRP and WMRT tips are dying like flies in insecticide.

How high do you run them in standby? I was short of buying one. I ask because of some co-workers, where I always found the stations set to 400°C and yes, all tips died there rapidly. Add to that tap water instead of VE for the sponge and you are lucky if they survive a week.
But WMRP should be able to set a standby temperature. Do you use that?

I am running the WMRP at 360, left it on overnite by mistake, had not set a standby temperature and it was dead after 2 days.
Which sucks tremendously for a 35€ tip.

The tip from my WMRT died during the initial power on, and so did a chisel tip for the WMRP. as far as I am concerned getting decent tips for the WMRP is pure luck, and fortunately I also have a Hakko 2032 micro pencil with a knife tip that I can use. To be honest: if I had gotten that Hakko any sooner, I would not have bought that Weller.

[Neomys Sapiens]

@Saskia: I have used a sweep setup that might be adaptable using a Tek2440 + FG504+DC503 when I had to test a variable frequency constant Q BP filter. Filter was in the 100s of kHz area.
But how? Obviously, I had the counter connected to set start and stop frequencies precisely. Scope was set to ENVELOPE, so that I got a less irritating, solid display of the filter's pass curve. Trigger by the linear sweep output. I hope that I have not forgotten something.

Yes but you can still use DSO measurements and cursors to get all that info.

BUT opposed to what? Of course I could do that, but the problem was rather to get the sweep result displayed in a usable way. As I said, some detail could have been lost. I will try if I find the time.
Now that you ask so pointedly, I recall there was something about the repetition rate that made me use this setup.

[Specmaster]

I think that’s Weller quality now. My WTCP51 was a piece of shit compared to the older PS3D era TCP.

But metcal now. You don’t go back 

Edit: NIXIE ALERT for our German friends: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F362853579394

That looks to be in wonderful condition but that is a weird arse power connector on it, are they still available?

[worsthorse]

But isn't 750 going to burn out the tips quick?

I've been running my hakko at 700 degrees for two years (for everyday solder work) and I am still using the first tip I put on it. Keep it clean and tinned, don't leave it turned on when you aren't using it (my station doesn't have a standby setting), and don't clean the tip with a wet sponge (am prepared for the beating one you are about to administer on this point) and it will last plenty long.

[worsthorse]

Hello Hakko. Arrived in one piece. More pix after I RTFM and put it together.

*sigh* now i am suffering from SSE (solder station envy). 

[Neomys Sapiens]

I have noted before that Hakko seems to be much liked round here.
But do you rate it better than JBC?