Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

FA-2 arrived intact. I let it warm up for an hour and checked it's internal ref. against GPSDO. No adjustments to it yet. Want to connect ext. ref. and do some statistics measuring a couple of OCXOs I have - 10 MHz and 100 MHz. So far so good. 

(Attachment Link)

Please can people stop costing me money 

Kosmic did it to me so I'm passing the favor along. 

I am severely tempted too. 

[Kosmic]

We're all getting better I'm telling ya.

[BU508A]

FA-2 arrived intact. I let it warm up for an hour and checked it's internal ref. against GPSDO. No adjustments to it yet. Want to connect ext. ref. and do some statistics measuring a couple of OCXOs I have - 10 MHz and 100 MHz. So far so good. 

(Attachment Link)

Please can people stop costing me money 

Kosmic did it to me so I'm passing the favor along. 

I am severely tempted too. 

Your new FA-2 is just one click away ... 

[mnementh]

I'm just sitting on the sidelines, watching the carnage.

mnem
"Mama Pajama rolled outta bed and she ran to the Police Station..."

[med6753]

FA-2 arrived intact. I let it warm up for an hour and checked it's internal ref. against GPSDO. No adjustments to it yet. Want to connect ext. ref. and do some statistics measuring a couple of OCXOs I have - 10 MHz and 100 MHz. So far so good. 

(Attachment Link)

Please can people stop costing me money 

Kosmic did it to me so I'm passing the favor along. 

I am severely tempted too. 

Your new FA-2 is just one click away ... 

I've got my eye on something else right now but I'm not going to say what it is in case it doesn't pan out.

[BU508A]

FA-2 arrived intact. I let it warm up for an hour and checked it's internal ref. against GPSDO. No adjustments to it yet. Want to connect ext. ref. and do some statistics measuring a couple of OCXOs I have - 10 MHz and 100 MHz. So far so good. 

(Attachment Link)

Please can people stop costing me money 

Kosmic did it to me so I'm passing the favor along. 

I am severely tempted too. 

Your new FA-2 is just one click away ... 

I've got my eye on something else right now but I'm not going to say what it is in case it doesn't pan out.

And the other eye is watching that nice yummy FA-2? woah .....

[Kosmic]

Got some Christmas TEA from the government auction. Again, it look like I'm the only one bidding. Offered barely over the starting price. Got myself a new signal generator (IFR2025) and nice GPSDO (R&S ED170MP).



The IFR2025 goes to 2.5GHz, can output 25dBm and has the stable OCXO option. One unique feature of the signal generator, is that you can select the modulation waveform (sine, square, and triangle). Modulating with a squarewave give you a lot more harmonics. The only nuisance is the main rf port is located at the back. I will need to fix that.



The GPSDO is really nice. Got 4 x 1pps and 4 x 10Mhz out. Not sure if I need a 10Mhz distribution amplifier anymore. I definitely need to install a permanent GPS antenna on the roof though 

[xrunner]

Nice! 

[Saskia]

gotta rearrange my bench and need to put the Agilent 16702B somewhere I can actually use it ...

[tggzzz]

FA-2 arrived intact. I let it warm up for an hour and checked it's internal ref. against GPSDO. No adjustments to it yet. Want to connect ext. ref. and do some statistics measuring a couple of OCXOs I have - 10 MHz and 100 MHz. So far so good. 

(Attachment Link)

Please can people stop costing me money 

You can build your own 12digit counter very cheaply and easily.

Frequency counters are a bit more problematic.

[0culus]

Speaking of counters...is there any particular distinction between a frequency counter and a universal counter? I have a 5335A universal counter and a 5385 frequency counter for instance. As far as I can tell, the 5385 accomplishes basically the same task modulo some of the math features of the 5335A.

[tggzzz]

That’s my 7 year old’s job. She got hold of three small blue packing peanuts the other day and cut them into a thousand little pieces. They’re stuck to everything now. I am going to have to hoover the bloody ceiling 

oh my gawd, that's awesome! only a seven year old could do so much damage with just three packing peanuts. i mean, that takes talent! 

Icorrectly trusted my 7yo to pick up and handle a Gromit without damaging it

[tautech]

And a RF Demo Kit for the NanoVNA:

I was looking hard at those too over the Black Friday specials but then discovered there was an updated version about to be released for some 30 something bucks and over twice the cost of the earlier version. 

Didn't get either one in the end. 

[BU508A]

And a RF Demo Kit for the NanoVNA:

I was looking hard at those too over the Black Friday specials but then discovered there was an updated version about to be released for some 30 something bucks and over twice the cost of the earlier version. 

Didn't get either one in the end. 

What updated version? Do you have a link or an example?

[tautech]

What updated version? Do you have a link or an example?

Sorry browser tabs long closed now but you might be able to find the later version here:
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?trafficChannel=main&d=y&CatId=0&SearchText=nanovna+RF-Demo-board&ltype=wholesale&SortType=default&page=1

Apparently there's a V3 nano coming and they've had to update the demo board.
I only considered getting one for a learning and demo tool for SVA1032X.

[kj7e]

Speaking of counters...is there any particular distinction between a frequency counter and a universal counter? I have a 5335A universal counter and a 5385 frequency counter for instance. As far as I can tell, the 5385 accomplishes basically the same task modulo some of the math features of the 5335A.

Universal counters also include period measurements, ratio and external stop and starts.  They just give you the ability to count more than just the frequency of a signal.

[0culus]

The 5385 measures period too. That distinction makes sense though.

[bd139]

My 5334B is now on eBay. Moment it goes I'll get an FA-2 I think. While I know it's not perfect, it's small and decent enough for the money

Plus I can pretend I've downsized then while I'm sweeping the 10-odd items that are coming from China under the magic make it go away rug

[mnementh]

Chestnuts roasting on an open Tek scope; … snip ...

happy holidays mnem 

Right back atcha, neighbor! 

mnem
Merry Christmas med!!! 

[mansaxel]

The GPSDO is really nice. Got 4 x 1pps and 4 x 10Mhz out. Not sure if I need a 10Mhz distribution amplifier anymore. I definitely need to install a permanent GPS antenna on the roof though 

Oh, a badge-engineered Meinberg. Good stuff.  They (the company) are nice people, representative here in Sweden really helps out when you have a problem, and the access to engineering in Germany is not hard to get. Next year, we're embarking on a serious time-nut voyage at the day-job, which involves lots of PTP clocks and similar nuttery, so I believe I'm getting some TEA at work too..

[mnementh]

Please can people stop costing me money 

You can build your own 12digit counter very cheaply and easily. Frequency counters are a bit more problematic.

mnem
*agitating-ily*

[xrunner]

My 5334B is now on eBay. Moment it goes I'll get an FA-2 I think. While I know it's not perfect, it's small and decent enough for the money

Plus I can pretend I've downsized then while I'm sweeping the 10-odd items that are coming from China under the magic make it go away rug

You don't need any more "help" but -

Here's some stats from the still unadjusted FA-2. Over 1199 10s periods (3.33 hours) it had the stats shown using it's own reference. Reading an average of 0.053 762 7 Hz high from my GPSDO. No doubt the most accurate frequency counter I've ever received which was untweaked, used or new.

[Kosmic]

The GPSDO is really nice. Got 4 x 1pps and 4 x 10Mhz out. Not sure if I need a 10Mhz distribution amplifier anymore. I definitely need to install a permanent GPS antenna on the roof though 

Oh, a badge-engineered Meinberg. Good stuff.  They (the company) are nice people, representative here in Sweden really helps out when you have a problem, and the access to engineering in Germany is not hard to get. Next year, we're embarking on a serious time-nut voyage at the day-job, which involves lots of PTP clocks and similar nuttery, so I believe I'm getting some TEA at work too..

I was looking for some info on the ED170MP and found some post in the time-nuts mailing list from an Meinberg employee. He was offering help and pointing the person to contact at Meinberg to get more information

Will probably send them an email to get the manual and software for the ED170MP. Funny that I can't find anything on R&S website.

[nixiefreqq]

FA-2 arrived intact. I let it warm up for an hour and checked it's internal ref. against GPSDO. No adjustments to it yet. Want to connect ext. ref. and do some statistics measuring a couple of OCXOs I have - 10 MHz and 100 MHz. So far so good. 

(Attachment Link)

Please can people stop costing me money 

Kosmic did it to me so I'm passing the favor along. 

I am severely tempted too. 

Your new FA-2 is just one click away ... 

I've got my eye on something else right now but I'm not going to say what it is in case it doesn't pan out.

hey med

wow!  a freq counter with 12 digits of resolution.   it would be wrong to dive into that swamp without an upgrade to your house standard.

had a spare lpro-101 rubidium with plenty of life left in the physics package lamp......but have not seen it since we moved 4 years ago.

will have a look in some unopened boxes down the basement.

oh....you would have to make a power supply (seems like 24 V at a couple of amps?  and you can't just whack it in next to a transformer because they can be sensitive to stray magnetic fields).  oh.....and it has a base plate on one side that you gotta heat sink.  (maybe mine is running at about 20V because someone said the lamp would last longer that way?) 

aaaaand next you will need a gps freq standard to make sure the rubidium standard is doing its job.  hope you have a spot for an outdoor antenna. 

do you really want to go down the 12 digit rabbit hole?  lady heather can be a real bitch. (not making that up....some comedian named the gps discipline software "lady heather")

[mnementh]

I was looking for some info on the ED170MP and found some post in the time-nuts mailing list from an Meinberg employee. He was offering help and pointing the person to contact at Meinberg to get more information

Will probably send them an email to get the manual and software for the ED170MP. Funny that I can't find anything on R&S website.

Given the construction, probably manufactured under contract for a specific project. Wouldn't be surprised if the only documentation (aside from that for certain modular components) is in the possession of the contractee. That may not even be R&S, but rather the people who contracted THEM.

mnem
"That information is provided on a need-to-know basis, and you don't."