Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

Oh I've been where you are over the years but there are distinct advantages to living in an apartment.

Begin. 

Leak? Call the landlord.

No heat? Call the landlord.

Dryer in laundry room squealing like a pig? Call the landlord.

End. 

Provided your landlord isn't a total douche, yeah. If he is, then you have to suck it up and do without for the 2-3 calls and 2-3 days it takes to get his worthless ass out there.

Of course, that's when you vote with your dollars and move... which may take 2 or 3 tries before you find one that's actually a human being who gives half a shit. At least in the US, most in the landlord biz have a finely-honed "just-this-side-of-breach-of-contract" procrastination subroutine operating at all times; actually, it is possible that their OS is functionally derived from that core process.

Of course, that process has evolved specifically in response to the typical fixer-type-person reaction of "Oh fuck it... less trouble to DIY than get him out"; thereby compounding his profit margin at your expense.

mnem
(Attachment Link)

I'm very lucky in this respect. I have a good landlord who is always responsive when issues come up. I've been here 9 years and not once has anything not been properly attended to. He even lets me paint the interior walls with colors of my choosing. He has seen my vast set up and multiple benches and has no issues with it.

When it's time for the annual required fire safety inspection he always asks if they can check my place as the sample. Why? Because he knows that my place will be neat (unlike some slobs that live here), my smoke detector will be functional, and my fire extinguisher immediately accessible.     

[med6753]

The verdict is in. The CA plug-in received today is over and above much more stable and accurate than the original. The DC balance set up perfectly on both channels and the vertical amplitude is spot on.    As I suspected the other CA has tired tubes in the pre-amp so it will be retired as a parts mule.

Left to do is vertical compensation and sweep accuracy. Tomorrow I'll fire up the Heath IG-4244 Scope Calibrator and check it. Once that's done this 535A/CA is a wrap for now. Follow on I want to replace the B+ caps just for insurance. 

[Specmaster]

The verdict is in. The CA plug-in received today is over and above much more stable and accurate than the original. The DC balance set up perfectly on both channels and the vertical amplitude is spot on.    As I suspected the other CA has tired tubes in the pre-amp so it will be retired as a parts mule.

Left to do is vertical compensation and sweep accuracy. Tomorrow I'll fire up the Heath IG-4244 Scope Calibrator and check it. Once that's done this 535A/CA is a wrap for now. Follow on I want to replace the B+ caps just for insurance. 

You certainly struck yellow dust pay dirt there dude.

[SilverSolder]

The intense early stage of a romantic relationship typically lasts anywhere from 6 months to 2 years, give or take, according to the psychologists.  So, whether you put a ring on her finger or not, the intensity will eventually morph into a long term, calmer form of relationship (if you're lucky!).  Hence why infidelity is so popular...  (70% of married men, apparently.  Women are not far behind.) 

People crave the dopamine rush of being in love, but don't necessarily want to give up their long term relationships...

Thats the point, if you're single and don't allow her to move in with and live as a married couple, then when that stage is reached, you can move on to another and as long as you can keep it up, you'll enjoy great sex without the downsides as well.

It's a high price to pay, to give up a good long term relationship for a sequence of short term buzzes.  When I was younger, I'd probably have agreed with you though!  :-)

Yeah, but I'm 70 and on my second marriage and I'm sure that I'd have been enjoying far more sex as a result. As my old Gran used to say, that the way to a man's heart and to keep that man, is to in her words "Top and Tail him" and indeed I have watched documentaries about prostitutes, and they say that they just don't understand the average wife who won't provide for her husband what he wants, after all, they said, it normally doesn't take too long before they can get back to watching soaps or whatever they want to do. 

Many men lose sexual interest in their wives (and vice versa) as the years rack up, whether or not she is willing/able to perform her marital duties (including past menopause). 

It isn't easy being a mammal.

[med6753]

For what it's worth.....

My experience with post menopausal women. If they put themselves out there as wanting to date or have a relationship they make it crystal clear that they want it in the sack....in spades...and they make no bones about it. In fact, they'll even "take the bull by the horns"   

By the 2nd or 3rd date you are in flynn.   

[bd139]

Well it’s either that or they go absolutely batshit insane. I refer to my aunts there, aka the three witches. They murdered two husbands each!

[Specmaster]

For what it's worth.....

My experience with post menopausal women. If they put themselves out there as wanting to date or have a relationship they make it crystal clear that they want it in the sack....in spades...and they make no bones about it. In fact, they'll even "take the bull by the horns"   

By the 2nd or 3rd date you are in flynn.   

Their the best ones if you can find them, no worries in the sack, the freedom is yours 

[supperman]

I'm new here... but I have a problem..

Every time my handheld multimeter does the timeout beep and shuts off I'm reminded that I really really need a Bench DMM.. and then I'm reminded that it really needs to be 5.5,.. I mean 6.5 digits because that clearly is important.. and then I'm reminded that my MDO3054 with all options has a useless DMM AND then that it does not have a time-integrated Spectrum Analyzer (It just has a standalone 3Ghz SA) and that I really need an MDO4k (no haters please, Dave) even though I have not yet actually done real "work" with the SA yet..

So clearly I need to buy that Bench DMM so I'm not longer reminded of the MDO4K issue since them things are expensive?
Make sense?

Lucky for you you are in the land of secondhand TEA a plenty unlike those of us from distant shores  The hard part will be choosing which one but we are here to help ENABLE your budding addiction 

I have been gone for a few days and this thread turned into old guys complaining about women and landlords... how about we get back to what is important     

I pulled the trigger on a Keysight 34460A (2 yo for $600). It looks good on my bench. I should be fine now, right??? Unless someone offers me something nice for my "MDO3054" running "500Mhz" with all options..
And what do you think of my bench? $400 electric sit/stand desk with some custom 80/20.

[BU508A]

Well it’s either that or they go absolutely batshit insane. I refer to my aunts there, aka the three witches. They murdered two husbands each!

Esmeralda Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Margaret Garlic?

[bd139]

Not the Pratchett lot but I appreciate the reference. More Macbeth where they represent evil and chaos 

I suppose that leads to the question of who plays the role of Hecate in the family. Bar the temporal and family tree inconsistency it must be the detached other half. Vile creature.

And we’re back on divorce again. 

[bd139]

I'm new here... but I have a problem..

Every time my handheld multimeter does the timeout beep and shuts off I'm reminded that I really really need a Bench DMM.. and then I'm reminded that it really needs to be 5.5,.. I mean 6.5 digits because that clearly is important.. and then I'm reminded that my MDO3054 with all options has a useless DMM AND then that it does not have a time-integrated Spectrum Analyzer (It just has a standalone 3Ghz SA) and that I really need an MDO4k (no haters please, Dave) even though I have not yet actually done real "work" with the SA yet..

So clearly I need to buy that Bench DMM so I'm not longer reminded of the MDO4K issue since them things are expensive?
Make sense?

Lucky for you you are in the land of secondhand TEA a plenty unlike those of us from distant shores  The hard part will be choosing which one but we are here to help ENABLE your budding addiction 

I have been gone for a few days and this thread turned into old guys complaining about women and landlords... how about we get back to what is important     

I pulled the trigger on a Keysight 34460A (2 yo for $600). It looks good on my bench. I should be fine now, right??? Unless someone offers me something nice for my "MDO3054" running "500Mhz" with all options..
And what do you think of my bench? $400 electric sit/stand desk with some custom 80/20.

Looking pretty good. I don’t like standing desks though because when you have to do precise work you have more body to control which is fatiguing. Also moves centre of gravity up too high if there’s test gear on it! I like to sit on my arse all day and then walk/run a lot (22.5km in last 7 days - gonna get fit again if it kills me!)

Taking of which, did anyone hear back from neo or did a scope fall on his head?

[Cerebus]

Well it’s either that or they go absolutely batshit insane. I refer to my aunts there, aka the three witches. They murdered two husbands each!

Esmeralda Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Margaret Garlic?

I swear that I know the three real people that those three characters are based on. I know that Terry knew them but he has denied (with a twinkle in his eye) to my face that it was them. He was not however beyond dissembling when it suited him and the truth may be that those three were only some of the people that went into that triumvirate.

[supperman]

Ehmm.. the desk is electrically adjustable..  sit or stand.. at the push of a button.. all the gear moves up and down..

[bd139]

Ehmm.. the desk is electrically adjustable..  sit or stand.. at the push of a button.. all the gear moves up and down..

Yeah I’d probably buy that and it’d stay down.

[tggzzz]

Well it’s either that or they go absolutely batshit insane. I refer to my aunts there, aka the three witches. They murdered two husbands each!

I'm not entirely sure I want to meat you IRL, at least without a bodyguard.

[mansaxel]

Yeah I’d probably buy that and it’d stay down.

Mine stays up. At work, that is. I stand all the time, helps with carpal, helps with back and shoulder pains, keeps me awake, etc.

My own workshop, OTOH, has a large ex-military desk in oak veener, with two sets of drawers under. Extremely sturdy, very heavy. Does not adjust height. What aligns my workspace with that of supperman is that while he's got shag carpet, I've got raised flooring (got 20sqm with stands and all for nothing from a datacenter that was going out of business, they had gotten it second-hand as well) and small components disappear pretty much the same way in both: Forever. 

TEA for tonight: I learned from another thread here (there are other threads, actually!) that video distribution amps work for 10MHz reference as well. I've got a S-video matrix by Extron, which also works pretty well. It bloody well should, they claim 150MHz bandwidth...

Probably needs a pad on the input though; the waveform coming out does not look like what went in, every other crest is WAY bigger than the others... The PM6662 happily consumes it, but the Scopemeter proudly claims that it is a 5,00MHz wave... 

[supperman]

Yeah I’d probably buy that and it’d stay down.

Mine stays up. At work, that is. I stand all the time, helps with carpal, helps with back and shoulder pains, keeps me awake, etc.

My own workshop, OTOH, has a large ex-military desk in oak veener, with two sets of drawers under. Extremely sturdy, very heavy. Does not adjust height. What aligns my workspace with that of supperman is that while he's got shag carpet, I've got raised flooring (got 20sqm with stands and all for nothing from a datacenter that was going out of business, they had gotten it second-hand as well) and small components disappear pretty much the same way in both: Forever. 

TEA for tonight: I learned from another thread here (there are other threads, actually!) that video distribution amps work for 10MHz reference as well. I've got a S-video matrix by Extron, which also works pretty well. It bloody well should, they claim 150MHz bandwidth...

Probably needs a pad on the input though; the waveform coming out does not look like what went in, every other crest is WAY bigger than the others... The PM6662 happily consumes it, but the Scopemeter proudly claims that it is a 5,00MHz wave... 

I love when you can use non-test equipment as test equipment. Big $$$ savings. I'm currently using a 5 channel surround sound amp.. to amplify my AWG outputs to +- 40 Volts @ 50W each. Fantastic to test and drive AC power circuits and even motors. As long as you are in the 40Hz - 20,000 Hz range.. and that range covers a lot. $200 vs some ungodly number..

[bitseeker]

Is it hooky if one of the authors posted it?

Win Hill, did put that copy on Dropbox, and publicised a link

Really? Win put the whole 3rd edition out there for free? Gosh.

I've seen hooky copies slushing about in the usual places, some good, some bad. (I freely admit to snaffling one to supplement my paid-for paper copy. I'd have bought an ebook version in the first place if I could have had a guaranteed DRM free copy but at the time no ebook was available and it looked as if the planned ebook was going to be DRM'd.)

It's even on archive.org.

[BU508A]

I swear that I know the three real people that those three characters are based on. I know that Terry knew them but he has denied (with a twinkle in his eye) to my face that it was them. He was not however beyond dissembling when it suited him and the truth may be that those three were only some of the people that went into that triumvirate.

You have known Terry Pratchett in personal? Really? 
Whoa! I'm so envious! Never had an opportunity to meet him. 
I'm really sad, that he left so early this place. I'm missing him, his stories and his humour.

Back to TEA...

This is a funny bodge, no idea if this was done by Fluke or the previous owner.

That's interesting! I'm curious what signal is on that connector. Have you found out yet?

I had only a brief look into the schematics but I'll find out this evening and post the results here.
I'm curious about this bodge as well.

My presumption has been that it's an impromptu test point. I too am curious as to what signal's there

First of all, I have removed this bodge, it is looking much better now:


Then I checked the manual for the meaning of this testpoint X20 and found this:


The signal at X20 is coming from this oscillator around crystal B5.


I have no idea, why the previous owner wanted to grab this signal. *scratching head*

Anyway, I think, URI asked me about the holders for the prescaler add on card.
Mine are made of copper, here is a picture from them:

[bitseeker]

I have been gone for a few days and this thread turned into old guys complaining about women and landlords... how about we get back to what is important     

I pulled the trigger on a Keysight 34460A (2 yo for $600). It looks good on my bench. I should be fine now, right???
...

Only one?

[bitseeker]

Taking of which, did anyone hear back from neo or did a scope fall on his head?

I saw neo lurking in the thread in the past week or so (don't recall which day it was). So, he, or his ghost, is still around.

Neo! Oh, Neo! Come out, come out wherever you are!

[URI]

I'm new here... but I have a problem..

Every time my handheld multimeter does the timeout beep and shuts off I'm reminded that I really really need a Bench DMM.. and then I'm reminded that it really needs to be 5.5,.. I mean 6.5 digits because that clearly is important.. and then I'm reminded that my MDO3054 with all options has a useless DMM AND then that it does not have a time-integrated Spectrum Analyzer (It just has a standalone 3Ghz SA) and that I really need an MDO4k (no haters please, Dave) even though I have not yet actually done real "work" with the SA yet..

So clearly I need to buy that Bench DMM so I'm not longer reminded of the MDO4K issue since them things are expensive?
Make sense?

Lucky for you you are in the land of secondhand TEA a plenty unlike those of us from distant shores  The hard part will be choosing which one but we are here to help ENABLE your budding addiction 

I have been gone for a few days and this thread turned into old guys complaining about women and landlords... how about we get back to what is important     

Sorry, I couldn't imagine what would follow my initial posting on this issue.      

I pulled the trigger on a Keysight 34460A (2 yo for $600). It looks good on my bench. I should be fine now, right??? Unless someone offers me something nice for my "MDO3054" running "500Mhz" with all options..
And what do you think of my bench? $400 electric sit/stand desk with some custom 80/20.

Congrats to you for your new 34460A!
Nice setup!
I like the aluminium profiles, I have rebuilt parts of my bench setup with variants of that, too. Very versatile and handy to plan and built.
Is the electrically adjustable desk capable of moving the rack with all your equipment up without damage?

But there are so many other useful/adorable Test Instruments out there, you've just begun.  Relax and let them get to you. 

Working on cleaning up my bench and surrounding space.
Bought some ESD-SMD-Boxes with spring loaded lid made by Wolfgang Warmbier for that to stop several smd parts laying around and getting lost over time...

*currently listening to my "new" audio CD 'Stairways To Heaven'. Great fun.* 

[Cerebus]

You have known Terry Pratchett in personal? Really? 

We used to be on the same (commercial) bulletin board, CIX, back in the pre-Internet days - it grew out of a shareware distribution scheme with associated FIDO BBS which eventually morphed into CIX. We both joined it at its inception (about '85 or '86) when it was pretty small and everybody knew everybody else. Used to see him face to face about once a year at the annual barbecue which CIX threw for their customers.

[xrunner]

Hello Tea'ers. Need some advice on a hot air system. I need to replace this pre-driver RF MOSFET on a 220 MHz mobile radio, and it's in a leadless carrier -

RD07MVS1B

So, it's finally time to get a hot air system. What's the current recommendation say under $100. Do not want it to have a soldering iron. The 8585D looks scary ...

Thanks.

[tautech]

Whip over to mnem’s place and get him to give a quick puff of dwagons breath !