Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[VK5RC]

My main soldering station is a JBC, very light but does get a bit warm after long use - huge array of tips. I bought a Metcal mx5000 and in the first week the power rf amps died, it took the local guys about 3 months to sort out, but it can really throw down heat if needed- so much so that I am a bit cautious using it on fine stuff even though I know that it doesn't over heat.
My old weller wd1000 has had one tip - 7years use including 48hrs of being left on! The jbc pushed it out due to its shorter start up time. Never used more than 350C.
-  Rob

[med6753]

@med6753: may the closest-living Blarina bite you in the finger most needed AND where it hurz most!

I had to google "Blarina". If it's this "shrew" I may not mind too much. 

[GreyWoolfe]

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

In order: MetCal, Thermaltronics/JBC tie, Weller, HAKKO, everybody else. HAKKO's cartridge irons are better than Weller's plain-slug irons, but Weller has cartridge tip irons now as well that are every bit as good, and better in the specialized tips.


mnem
*solder-ily*

mnem has it right.  Metcal first.  The FX-951 is the secondary iron.  Not trying to turn the screws any, but we do love to show off our pride and joy.

[0culus]

I have a Weller station...in fact I believe it's the same one Dave had blow up on him because it has no mains fuse. I always unplug it when not in use. A Metcal is what I want to get eventually. 

[mnementh]

You were taken for a ride. It's not original. Mustangs never had a three on the tree column shift. All of them, regardless of automatic or manual (3 or 4 speed), had a floor console shift. Demand your money back. 

All EXCEPT the 64 1/2 & early '65 production run, which were based on the Falcon rolling gear/drivetrain.  There once WAS a lot of argument over this; it was confirmed over 20 years ago against vehicles in the personal collections of the Ford family themselves. You need to take what you read on the internet with a pinch of salt, old friend.

Cheers,

mnem
*pwny-car dwagon*

I fully realize that the first generation Mustang was basically a modified Ford Falcon chassis and running gear. We had a '62 Ford Falcon. 170 motor, 3 on the tree. My knowledge of early Mustangs is not based upon the Internet. If there WERE column shift Mustangs as you claim they were most likely prototypes or engineering models that were never (legitimately) sold to the public. It wouldn't surprise me if a Ford family member has one squirreled away somewhere. Many vehicles went through development phases before the final design was released for manufacturing.

And as I side light...for what it's worth...I built a model of a 1964.5 Mustang Coupe and guess where the shifter was?

Uhhh-huh. Now I had a more than passing amount of time invested in this car; I actually had to replace the front half of the original floorpans due to rot in the footwells, and I did the "top-hat" under the intake cowl which leak caused that footwell rot. My god, what a dicksore those seat risers were...  But the rot only went right to the front edge of the risers, and the pans from JC Whiplash were just about 4" longer than I needed.

You know what I DID NOT fuck with? The original driveshaft tunnel, which did NOT have any holes in it for a shifter of any sort. Yes, I know the difference, and yes I know that nobody was in there before me. I've been working metal since I was 12 and I know where to look, and the difference between factory welds and yer cousin Jimbone's birdshit in the corners. I was the first sumbitch to lay grinder or cutoff to the inside of that car.

So stick that in your "Mustang Monthly" and "correct down to the paint marks on the springs" gospel according to Hemmings and smoke it, old friend. 

mnem
Been dere, dunnat, burned da shirt. While I was wearing it.

[mnementh]

...Does yours do that stupid "Select ones, adjust; select 10s, adjust; select 100s, adjust; then *#* to lock setting" thing like my old one did?

mnem
IMO, YMMV, DQMOT, DILLIGAF?!?

Yes, it does have that same method for setting the temperature but I don't find it be an annoyance but rather straight forward. 

Ewwwww... yuckyputz. 

mnem
 

[mnementh]

...In order: MetCal, Thermaltronics/JBC tie, Weller, HAKKO, everybody else. HAKKO's cartridge irons are better than Weller's plain-slug irons, but Weller has cartridge tips now as well that are every bit as good, and better in the specialized tips. WTCP/WTCPN with the MagnaStat were very nearly the perfect station back in the day, much better than HAKKO's slug-tips; but no "sleep" mode meant they ate tips. And MagnaStats. But you could mod them with a SCR/MOSFET to make the 'Stat last virtually forever.

mnem
*solder-ily*

You have restored my world view at least below Metcal. My EC2002 with LR21 has served me 35years! And I think that the display/measurement glitch can be repaired.

But I beg to differ on the matter of special tips. JBC got the best selection there - including some which make de-soldering RF connectors from a teflon PCB almost easy. But then I told about my own Weller-stable before. (Weller WMD1S, WSD151, EC2002, WECP20 Antistatic with LR21, LR21ESD, MLR-21, DSX-80. DS-22, HAP-1, WSP80, WSP150, and WTA-50 + WST-82) So, if I go for a JCB, I could use tips from my ´company and Weller would be continuity. I'll  mull it around some...

I was talking about Weller cartridges and the quality thereof vs Hakko, not JBC. 

JBC having strange specialty tips for that kind of stuff does not surprise me in the least; they "grew up" serving the aerospace industry and I'm sure they just LOVE getting paid megabucks to design and produce small-run high-cost-per-unit specialty tips for them, which already-paid-for technology they then can turn around and sell to the general electronics industry on the back end.

But yeah... if you can get JBC on someone else's dime, why wouldn't you? Who cares if it's not SmartHeat/HF-Curie Point heating...? They're damned good, and as good as you're going to get for a resistive-element station.

I'm using my T12 OLED station right now... because it was what I could fit in the bottom of my single "Hobbyist" toolkit along with my 189 & DE-5000. I DO miss my MetCal... but so far, the T12 has kept up with all my projects, and nary a whimper.

mnem
 

[bd139]

My T12 made a bang  . Honestly 10% more quality is required there.  They seem to be designed for production use in China where they have one dude on the line who’s job is to fix shit.

Weller tips are crap now. I actually used one TCP tip for ten entire years once (!)

[Zucca]

In order: MetCal, Thermaltronics/JBC tie, Weller, HAKKO, everybody else. HAKKO's cartridge irons are better than Weller's plain-slug irons, but Weller has cartridge tip irons now as well that are every bit as good, and better in the specialized tips.


mnem
*solder-ily*

mnem has it right.  Metcal first.  The FX-951 is the secondary iron.  Not trying to turn the screws any, but we do love to show off our pride and joy. (Attachment Link)

"It's more than a religion, it's the only way to live"
Manowar

[Zucca]

Good decision to move this one on. Either that or strip it for parts. *** Take ALL 3D printer reviews from all sources with a huge grain of salt as MOST reviewers are getting freebies or percentage of sales. The Ender 3 as a first up fairly idiot proof printer takes some beating.

I almost sold that 3D printer yesterday for 230€... at the end the buyer did not pulled the trigger. 

@Germans: Bitte nicht im Ebay Kleineanzeige diese Drucker kaufen...

[Specmaster]

Likewise, my T12 OLED has been up to all the jobs I have thrown at it so far. I love the fact that it has a low standby temperature and as soon you pick the handle it ramps up to working temp within a couple of seconds or so and if you require a boost because you hit ground plane or some lead free solder, give the setting knob a quick press and boom you have the heat you need.

I also have a clone 936 station and that has a big arse old transformer in it as well.

[BU508A]

I added a new section to the OP, "TEA Around the Web," and an entry to the Amp Hour episode mention.

Hehe, I guess Dave hadn't seen the page count recently: "something like 500 pages."

You mean, Dave needs a little time to catch up the thread? 

[drussell]

Oh no...  I have rented another garage a couple blocks from my house for... ahem.. "storage".

This is probably a bad thing...   

[bd139]

Ah fucks sake. Having a bad week. The Heathkit IB-1100 arrived. First thing I noticed is it was rattling. Much bad juju that is. Cracked it open and sure enough the entire board was floating around inside the case. I'm not sure what it is with Heathkit stuff but it is always missing screws ffs. Thus it was bashed around in transit and popped a tube 



Other four tubes are good but the thing isn't healthy. That I don't mind as debugging the rest of the digital logic is fun  . Drivers are however all good. 

Sooo now to find a ZM1000 tube without getting heavily mugged.

[med6753]

Bend over and grab your knees.  That Nixie is going to cost you 3 times (at minimum) what you paid for the entire unit. 

[bd139]

Nah it's not that bad yet. Worst case I'll lurk as I know a few things that have them in that go for scrap value (and also have drivers in them!). Might take a few weeks to source a tube though. On to the "round tuit" pile 

Edit: Either that or I flog the remaining tubes, drivers, transformer and buy something else cool 

[drussell]

Bend over and grab your knees.  That Nixie is going to cost you 3 times (at minimum) what you paid for the entire unit. 

TheTubeStore.com supposedly has them in stock for $24.95...

Both the clear and red glass versions are listed as in-stock.

[med6753]

Bend over and grab your knees.  That Nixie is going to cost you 3 times (at minimum) what you paid for the entire unit. 

TheTubeStore.com supposedly has them in stock for $24.95...

Both the clear and red glass versions are listed as in-stock.

There's also 2 on Ebay for about $23 USD plus shipping. One in Germany and another in Lithuania.

Edit, surprised they are that cheap.

[bd139]

Hardly worth it. I paid $19 including delivery for the counter. I can shift the remaining tubes for $25 each here so $100, sell the 74141's for $10 a pop ($50).

Then change the display front end to 7 segment encoded LEDs 

[med6753]

Good luck, you risk the wrath of the nixie fans.  Just like I got the great unwashed that goes ape every time I get out the blue spray paint. 

[Cerebus]

Went to the Bay of Ebil to see quite how painful bd139's life was about to become hunting down that ZM1000 and tripped across this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METRIX-OX803B-2-x-40-MHz-0956-analog-oscilloscope-/184087117880

For those who can't be bothered to follow the link it's a "METRIX OX803B 2 x 40 MHz / 0956 analog oscilloscope" with a "Buy it now" price of £1,181.23. I've seen some dumb asking prices for 'scopes before, but I think that's a record new level of fuckwitery.

[bd139]

Good luck, you risk the wrath of the nixie fans.  Just like I got the great unwashed that goes ape every time I get out the blue spray paint. 

I might paint this blue yet! I actually painted the last one I had of these blue 

Went to the Bay of Ebil to see quite how painful bd139's life was about to become hunting down that ZM1000 and tripped across this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METRIX-OX803B-2-x-40-MHz-0956-analog-oscilloscope-/184087117880

For those who can't be bothered to follow the link it's a "METRIX OX803B 2 x 40 MHz / 0956 analog oscilloscope" with a "Buy it now" price of £1,181.23. I've seen some dumb asking prices for 'scopes before, but I think that's a record new level of fuckwitery.

That's pretty terrible. It will actually piss people off to the point they will just walk away. I don't get why people do it.

[med6753]

Went to the Bay of Ebil to see quite how painful bd139's life was about to become hunting down that ZM1000 and tripped across this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METRIX-OX803B-2-x-40-MHz-0956-analog-oscilloscope-/184087117880

For those who can't be bothered to follow the link it's a "METRIX OX803B 2 x 40 MHz / 0956 analog oscilloscope" with a "Buy it now" price of £1,181.23. I've seen some dumb asking prices for 'scopes before, but I think that's a record new level of fuckwitery.

Holy shit, what are they smoking? 

[xrunner]

Went to the Bay of Ebil to see quite how painful bd139's life was about to become hunting down that ZM1000 and tripped across this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METRIX-OX803B-2-x-40-MHz-0956-analog-oscilloscope-/184087117880

For those who can't be bothered to follow the link it's a "METRIX OX803B 2 x 40 MHz / 0956 analog oscilloscope" with a "Buy it now" price of £1,181.23. I've seen some dumb asking prices for 'scopes before, but I think that's a record new level of fuckwitery.

Holy shit, what are they smoking? 

Whew! Thank goodness they don't ship to US or I would have bought it! 

Postage: Doesn't post to United States

[bd139]

Ok decided to turn this counter into an absolutely pointless project just for the hell of it. Plan is as follows:

1. Rip out the transformer and entire power supply and sell.
2. Rip out the nixie tubes, drivers and sell.
3. Build a simple buck-boost 12v -> 5v -> 15.5v supply for the internal rails (have some TI simple switchers and some inductors somewhere I can use for this and supply filtering).
4. Attach a powerpole connector to the back of it instead of a horrible integrated lead.
5. Build a new front panel board with LED displays on one side and SMD 74LS47 devices on the other side that just plugs into the latch bus.
6. Clean up front panel, paint and relabel as IB-1100A
7. Paint it blue