Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[beanflying]

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/?action=dlattach;attach=907086;image

every time I see that counter dial on your HP735, I wince. I got so sick of mine with the numbers peeling off, I replaced it.

  For a bench everyday reference they are nice and stable providing you don't load the output. More like an electronic Standard Cell to use but more temperature stable 

[BravoV]

Since you just brought up the holes topic, made me wonder, isn't that making square holes is much more expensive in metal manufacturing process, than just rounded holes ? 

The holes in the chassis are almost certainly punched; perhaps all at once using a custom punch and die set.  It may be somewhat more costly to make the punch/die for square vs round initially, but once the tooling is fabricated then making the holes from that point on (until the tool wears to the point it must be replaced) would essentially be the same cost.   Considering that the square holes give better airflow by permitting more open space than round ones would, from a manufacturing standpoint the square makes sense.

Nice power supply.

-Pat

You're absolutely right  , just realized it, infact making the punch/die in square is much more easier and less costly, compared to rounded, as these are negative side.

Square holes punch in negative just need to be CNC-ed 2 straight X and Y axis simple cut, while rounded pins (negative for punching rounded holes) are much more difficult and add tooling cost.

[bitseeker]

New member of family ... Kikusui PMC350-0.2A , 0-350 VDC , 200mA

Attached few tear down photos below.

Nice! Added to POI.

[bitseeker]

Reminder: "TEA Time" live stream Saturday, 2020-01-11 @ 21:00 UTC on our Discord server.

No software installation required to join in on the mayhem.

If you don't want to talk on a mic, there is a text channel, #teatime, for posting questions, comments, suggestions, links, etc. during the live stream.

No scripts, no budgets, all TEA.

See you there!

[med6753]

Reminder: "TEA Time" live stream Saturday, 2020-01-11 @ 21:00 UTC on our Discord server.

No software installation required to join in on the mayhem.

If you don't want to talk on a mic, there is a text channel, #teatime, for posting questions, comments, suggestions, links, etc. during the live stream.

No scripts, no budgets, all TEA.

See you there!

That's 1600 hours my time. I will be there. 

[beanflying]

My major issue will be recline in Bed or stagger out to the shack for Coffee and listen to the mayhem 

Winner Winner Chookin dinner for tonight's free to air TV. Not all the programmers are asleep 

[tautech]

Reminder: "TEA Time" live stream Saturday, 2020-01-11 @ 21:00 UTC on our Discord server.

No software installation required to join in on the mayhem.

If you don't want to talk on a mic, there is a text channel, #teatime, for posting questions, comments, suggestions, links, etc. during the live stream.

No scripts, no budgets, all TEA.

See you there!

Civilized 10am Sunday morning here  and certainly won't interfere with church goings of this practising heathen ! 

[URI]

BU508A, you made a good deal!

TEA time:

I've purchased a Fluke PM6681 with the UCXO and no 3GHz prescaler for around 325.- Euro:



The Signal Path did a repair video on a PM6680B and a follow-up video about a OCXO module for the PM66xx series,
which he got from one of his viewers.
This is the website:
https://syncchannel.blogspot.com/2016/04/flukephilips-pm66xx-frequency-counter.html

I think, I'll assemble this module.

I have two of them and they are really universal in their function set and are spec'ed like the HP 53132A and better in some regards.
The user interface is much more handy with more dedicated buttons and less sub-sub-menu magic.
That's why they are my go-to's on everyday use.   

Ok, the display is "only" 10bits but you can use the math function to subtract the expected value to get only the difference as a trick to extend the 10 bits.   
The PM6681 has an internal 100MHz clock to improve the resolution over the PM6680 and PM668B by a factor of 10.

I've also seen shahriar's video.
-But I'm wondering why somebody with a lab would be going for OXCO's and not for a GPSDO and a lab-wide reference distribution?

There a very nice but low priced GPSDOs out there, the best one I currently own is a UCCM-LPK-module from samsung with ublox gps receiver; It works better with my poor sight of the southern hemisphere than my Trimble Thunderbird.

One question left: What's that grey plasticky looking part covering the bay for the channel C option?

[bd139]

Reminder: "TEA Time" live stream Saturday, 2020-01-11 @ 21:00 UTC on our Discord server.

No software installation required to join in on the mayhem.

If you don't want to talk on a mic, there is a text channel, #teatime, for posting questions, comments, suggestions, links, etc. during the live stream.

No scripts, no budgets, all TEA.

See you there!

I will join if I’m home by then. For today is seeing relatives day. Boo hiss.

[med6753]

Reminder: "TEA Time" live stream Saturday, 2020-01-11 @ 21:00 UTC on our Discord server.

No software installation required to join in on the mayhem.

If you don't want to talk on a mic, there is a text channel, #teatime, for posting questions, comments, suggestions, links, etc. during the live stream.

No scripts, no budgets, all TEA.

See you there!

I will join if I’m home by then. For today is seeing relatives day. Boo hiss.

Tell them to piss off. 

[BU508A]

BU508A, you made a good deal!

Thanks. 

I have two of them and they are really universal in their function set and are spec'ed like the HP 53132A and better in some regards.
The user interface is much more handy with more dedicated buttons and less sub-sub-menu magic.
That's why they are my go-to's on everyday use.   

Ok, the display is "only" 10bits but you can use the math function to subtract the expected value to get only the difference as a trick to extend the 10 bits.   
The PM6681 has an internal 100MHz clock to improve the resolution over the PM6680 and PM668B by a factor of 10.

Do you know this: do they generate this 100MHz clock by a PLL frequency multiplier or something?

I've also seen shahriar's video.
-But I'm wondering why somebody with a lab would be going for OXCO's and not for a GPSDO and a lab-wide reference distribution?

He has a PM6685R which comes with a Rubidium standard:
http://thesignalpath.com/blogs/2017/09/20/teardown-repair-of-a-fluke-pm6685r-4-5ghz-rubidium-frequency-counter/
He states, that he will use this as his 10MHz lab standard.

And here just as an addendum, the links to the PM6680B and the follow-up:
http://thesignalpath.com/blogs/2016/01/24/teardown-repair-calibration-of-a-fluke-pm6680b-225mhz-high-resolution-frequency-counter/
http://thesignalpath.com/blogs/2016/09/03/fluke-pm6680b-frequency-counter-10mhz-ocxo-reference-upgrade-module/

There a very nice but low priced GPSDOs out there, the best one I currently own is a UCCM-LPK-module from samsung with ublox gps receiver; It works better with my poor sight of the southern hemisphere than my Trimble Thunderbird.

One question left: What's that grey plasticky looking part covering the bay for the channel C option?

I have no idea. I'll get the counter next week , then I will have a look and take some pictures.
I'll post here a teardown of the counter, then.

Cheers

[bd139]

Reminder: "TEA Time" live stream Saturday, 2020-01-11 @ 21:00 UTC on our Discord server.

No software installation required to join in on the mayhem.

If you don't want to talk on a mic, there is a text channel, #teatime, for posting questions, comments, suggestions, links, etc. during the live stream.

No scripts, no budgets, all TEA.

See you there!

I will join if I’m home by then. For today is seeing relatives day. Boo hiss.

Tell them to piss off. 

I managed to get rid of them for the entire of Christmas. This is the compromise 

[AVGresponding]

Test Equipment Anonymous could realistically be renamed to Test Equipment Enablers... as you/we seem to spend a great deal of time tee-ing people up to buy more stuff...

In my semi-serious quest to acquire a piece of gear with nixies, and in conjunction with the recent posts on calculators, my fleabay search proceeded thusly:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-WANG-362E-Scientific-Calculator-with-Nixie-Tube-Keyboard/193287129216


And also:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-Sharp-Compet-21-Series-Calculator-with-Nixie-Tube/153786232860

Which seems to have a display partway between discrete nixie and integrated VFD.

Both of them are way above my budget though   

Quite a lot of VFD stuff seems to be listed as nixie.

[BU508A]

Congrats on your acquisition! They're awesome counters.

I'm the one making those prescalers, and I wanted to say that as of Monday, the 8 GHz variant will be back in stock too: https://cojotech.com/pmo-080

Cheers!

That's cool!   
And since you've outed yourself as the maker of these things: which cable length do you recommend for the 3GHz prescaler for the PM6681?   

[BU508A]

Not sure if you have seen this thread in the General section about pocket / standalone calculators:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/do-you-still-use-stand-alone-(pocket)-calculators/

And this is for bd139, you have asked a while back for some pure sine generators. Interesting thread this is:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/question-cheap-pure-sine-wave-genertor-1khz/

Have fun (not making fun of  ) with your relatives.

Cheers!

[VK5RC]

Reminder: "TEA Time" live stream Saturday, 2020-01-11 @ 21:00 UTC on our Discord server.

No software installation required to join in on the mayhem.

If you don't want to talk on a mic, there is a text channel, #teatime, for posting questions, comments, suggestions, links, etc. during the live stream.

No scripts, no budgets, all TEA.

See you there!

I might be 15mins late but am keen!
Thanks bitseeker.
Rob

[beanflying]

Reminder: "TEA Time" live stream Saturday, 2020-01-11 @ 21:00 UTC on our Discord server.

No software installation required to join in on the mayhem.

If you don't want to talk on a mic, there is a text channel, #teatime, for posting questions, comments, suggestions, links, etc. during the live stream.

No scripts, no budgets, all TEA.

See you there!

I will join if I’m home by then. For today is seeing relatives day. Boo hiss.

Tell them to piss off. 

I managed to get rid of them for the entire of Christmas. This is the compromise 

Don't you have an important overseas 'work related' teleconference you 'need' to be in on in private

[bd139]

Not sure if you have seen this thread in the General section about pocket / standalone calculators:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/do-you-still-use-stand-alone-(pocket)-calculators/

And this is for bd139, you have asked a while back for some pure sine generators. Interesting thread this is:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/question-cheap-pure-sine-wave-genertor-1khz/

Have fun (not making fun of  ) with your relatives.

Cheers!

Oooh much cool stuff. Thanks for links

Don't you have an important overseas 'work related' teleconference you 'need' to be in on in private

That would work but I'll probably be driving then

[med6753]

Not sure if you have seen this thread in the General section about pocket / standalone calculators:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/do-you-still-use-stand-alone-(pocket)-calculators/

And this is for bd139, you have asked a while back for some pure sine generators. Interesting thread this is:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/question-cheap-pure-sine-wave-genertor-1khz/

Have fun (not making fun of  ) with your relatives.

Cheers!

Oooh much cool stuff. Thanks for links

Don't you have an important overseas 'work related' teleconference you 'need' to be in on in private

That would work but I'll probably be driving then

But aren't you Lord bd139 of Sealand? Too busy for mere mortal relatives. 

[bd139]

Obligations of nobility 

TBH I’m spending most of the day upgrading a PC from windows 7 to 10 

[med6753]

TBH I’m spending most of the day upgrading a PC from windows 7 to 10 

Have fun. I have to do that too....in the work cue. But mine will be a complete wipe and fresh install.

[BU508A]

Reminder: "TEA Time" live stream Saturday, 2020-01-11 @ 21:00 UTC on our Discord server.

No software installation required to join in on the mayhem.

If you don't want to talk on a mic, there is a text channel, #teatime, for posting questions, comments, suggestions, links, etc. during the live stream.

No scripts, no budgets, all TEA.

See you there!

I have tested my new Sennheiser headset (PC 8 USB) successfully under Linux Kubuntu 18.04 so I will join.
Testing the headset with the Discord app was successfull as well so I'm pretty optimistic to annoy you with my squeaky voice. 

[jadew]

That's cool!   
And since you've outed yourself as the maker of these things: which cable length do you recommend for the 3GHz prescaler for the PM6681?   

You'll need the 30 cm cable for that one.

There seem to be two layouts for the motherboard, in regards to the prescaler position, and all the PM6681 counters that I've seen had it in the center of the board. I'll probably drop the 20 cm option, because it doesn't add much, but I'll update this message with a picture later today to show the layout it works with.


Edit: I attached the promised picture.

[Martin.M]

In my semi-serious quest to acquire a piece of gear with nixies

look for a cute frequeny counter, they are always in the dangerous situation to be buyed from any tubes vulture who want only the display tubes for resale, or to build one of this stupid clocks from it

Martin

[beanflying]

Not sure if you have seen this thread in the General section about pocket / standalone calculators:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/do-you-still-use-stand-alone-(pocket)-calculators/

And this is for bd139, you have asked a while back for some pure sine generators. Interesting thread this is:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/question-cheap-pure-sine-wave-genertor-1khz/

Have fun (not making fun of  ) with your relatives.

Cheers!

Oooh much cool stuff. Thanks for links

Don't you have an important overseas 'work related' teleconference you 'need' to be in on in private

That would work but I'll probably be driving then

Time the kids had their first driving lesson. One on the peddles and one on the wheel