Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[BU508A]

So they can stick it. 

Where the sun never shines? 

[mansaxel]

Since my ISP is a cable TV company they keep trying to get me to sign up for free 200 down if I get the 3 way package of TV, phone, internet for $99 plus tax for one year. After the one year watch out and take out a mortgage.

I dumped their TV service a year ago because of their ridiculous prices. I don't want nor need a house phone. So they can stick it. 

We've got some kind of "package" for extra channels over DVB-T, but we're not contaminating the forum posting network with streamed TV. And, I've got a house phone (system; 7 phones, of which 2 are DECT with SIP base, and a VM running Asterisk for switch), but 3rd party SIP, not related to broadband. Mostly because I need it for my children, so they can't claim their mobiles were on silent or out of battery.

[bd139]

And there I was thinking you could all see the surgery scars on the pornstars with your 8k streams 

Right spent some time in the PM3217 this morning. The transformer is nuked. The fuse is fine in the transformer but the winding is open. Not sure how that has happened so it's scrapped. I'll probably recycle the enamel wire though. I reckon there was a transient or something which caused the original RIFA to go nuclear and damaged it somehow.

So after some dicking around I found a Meanwell unit in the cupboard that kicks out 24V at 3.2A. Way too big for this unit but in a trial installation it works absolutely fine and there's no trace of noise on the entire unit anywhere. Thus I'm going to order a slightly smaller unit, a  LRS-35-24RS, at 1.5A which is above the peak 1.1A consumption. This will require the rear of the case to be modified but will fit perfectly where the transformer was. Mains input selector will be blocked off too. Don't need that now! I will lose line trigger but I never use it so meh.

Edit: I did look at toroidal transformers but they are around 3x the cost for a suitable unit, still require the unit to be modded and are going to take 3-5 day to get here. Test rig. Very dodgy:

[Specmaster]

Sounds like a good solution, perhaps other manufacturers should follow suit and go with all their rails being derived from a common supply 

[BU508A]

What are the specs of this transformer?

[bd139]

24V 2.2A (around 50VA). Issue is size and mounting.

[bd139]

Sounds like a good solution, perhaps other manufacturers should follow suit and go with all their rails being derived from a common supply 

Tek do that with the 22xx units. They are all derived from 43V or so either with linear or switched preregulator.

[McBryce]

Most of the repairs / restorations I do are on retro equipment and I prefer not to contaminate them with this new fangle lead-free rubbish. However, my preferred supplier has just discontinued all lead based solders, despite the fact that they are (as far as I know) still being manufactured. Is this going to happen with other distributors, or are they just being over enthusiastic on the green front? Is it time to stock up?

I assume others here also only use lead solder on older equipment, or are there people here that use lead free on a PCB that was manugactured with the good old stuff?

McBryce.

[BU508A]

24V 2.2A (around 50VA). Issue is size and mounting.

I like the transformers from Sedlbauer and Talema:

Without a mounting hole:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230711453146  (Sedlbauer)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/183273898132  (Talema)

With a mounting hole:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273228194297  (Sedlbauer)

[bd139]

Yeah they’re decent transformers  . Also work out about £35 whereas the meanwell was £10

Edit: my HM307 just arrived. Fingers crossed lol

[BU508A]

Most of the repairs / restorations I do are on retro equipment and I prefer not to contaminate them with this new fangle lead-free rubbish. However, my preferred supplier has just discontinued all lead based solders, despite the fact that they are (as far as I know) still being manufactured. Is this going to happen with other distributors, or are they just being over enthusiastic on the green front? Is it time to stock up?

I assume others here also only use lead solder on older equipment, or are there people here that use lead free on a PCB that was manugactured with the good old stuff?

McBryce.

Bürklin has lots of them:
https://www.buerklin.com/de/Produkte/Werkzeuge-und-Hilfsmittel/L%C3%B6ttechnik/Verbrauchsmaterial-zum-L%C3%B6ten/L%C3%B6tdr%C3%A4hte/c/70122219

And they have my favourite solder: Felder Sn62Pb36Ag2 - 0.75mm
https://www.buerklin.com/de/Produkte/Werkzeuge-und-Hilfsmittel/L%C3%B6ttechnik/Verbrauchsmaterial-zum-L%C3%B6ten/L%C3%B6tdr%C3%A4hte/L%C3%B6tdraht-075%C2%A0mm-Sn62Pb36Ag2-250-g/p/11L4372

HTH

[Specmaster]

Most of the repairs / restorations I do are on retro equipment and I prefer not to contaminate them with this new fangle lead-free rubbish. However, my preferred supplier has just discontinued all lead based solders, despite the fact that they are (as far as I know) still being manufactured. Is this going to happen with other distributors, or are they just being over enthusiastic on the green front? Is it time to stock up?

I assume others here also only use lead solder on older equipment, or are there people here that use lead free on a PCB that was manugactured with the good old stuff?

McBryce.

In a nutshell, yes. I think it is a EU directive but I stocked up with plenty of leaded solder while my supplier still had it. My advice is to do likewise before all suppliers run out of it. I think that leaded solder is still available professionally under certain conditions, maybe someone else will be able to confirm that and what those conditions are etc?

[WastelandTek]

And Now for Something Completely...

I am currently polluting my son's mind with Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This is his first Monty; a Rite of Passage.

"The Life of Brian" was deemed so mind-polluting that quite a few local councils banned it from their cinemas. Example: Aberystwyth banned it for 30 years until 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/7514423.stm

I have only identified two truly infallible ways to determine you are doing it right;

>when they start chanting your guitar riff in sports arenas

>when they ban your satire as damaging to public morals

[McBryce]

Most of the repairs / restorations I do are on retro equipment and I prefer not to contaminate them with this new fangle lead-free rubbish. However, my preferred supplier has just discontinued all lead based solders, despite the fact that they are (as far as I know) still being manufactured. Is this going to happen with other distributors, or are they just being over enthusiastic on the green front? Is it time to stock up?

I assume others here also only use lead solder on older equipment, or are there people here that use lead free on a PCB that was manugactured with the good old stuff?

McBryce.

Bürklin has lots of them:
https://www.buerklin.com/de/Produkte/Werkzeuge-und-Hilfsmittel/L%C3%B6ttechnik/Verbrauchsmaterial-zum-L%C3%B6ten/L%C3%B6tdr%C3%A4hte/c/70122219

And they have my favourite solder: Felder Sn62Pb36Ag2 - 0.75mm
https://www.buerklin.com/de/Produkte/Werkzeuge-und-Hilfsmittel/L%C3%B6ttechnik/Verbrauchsmaterial-zum-L%C3%B6ten/L%C3%B6tdr%C3%A4hte/L%C3%B6tdraht-075%C2%A0mm-Sn62Pb36Ag2-250-g/p/11L4372

HTH

I've seen that, however the supplier I was referring to is Reichelt. I suppose it's just one more reason not to use Reichelt any more as they have been steadily going down hill for several years now anyway.

McBryce.

[Specmaster]

Yeah they’re decent transformers  . Also work out about £35 whereas the meanwell was £10

Edit: my HM307 just arrived. Fingers crossed lol

It was shown as working IIRC? Pictures please, even if it's just to torment me as I was debating if I should bid on that myself  Meanwhile in other news, that other PSU, like yours that I offered £70 for and was turned down on, finished the auction this morning and fetched a whooping great £71, and the seller has to parcel it all up now. Should have accepted my offer, dumbass, I told him that I'd collect it. Hope he appreciates the extra work he is having to for his quid   

[bd139]

Fucking hell.... 

Loose in box. Not confident.

[BU508A]

I've seen that, however the supplier I was referring to is Reichelt. I suppose it's just one more reason not to use Reichelt any more as they have been steadily going down hill for several years now anyway.

McBryce.

Ah, I suspected that you've meant Reichelt but wasn't 100% sure. I saw that Reichelt has kicked out all leaded solder and I will stock this year lots of my most-liked solder, that's for sure.
But I'm not sure what you are meaning regarding Reichelt is going more and more down-hill over the past years. Have you any examples or stories you'd like to share with us?

[BU508A]

Fucking hell.... 

Loose in box. Not confident.

 

Every day a fucking idiot is getting up. The main question is: why do they always find you first?     

[bd139]

Ok fears of packaging were unfounded. It's absolutely fine and in very good condition. I insisted that the seller removed the wrecking ball mains plug which he did so have popped a new plug on it and fired it up. Component tester and scope seem to work absolutely fine. The CT button is a bit sticky and it needs a clean but I can work with that. 3dB point appears to be around 10MHz as per spec which is pretty good.

Very very pleased. I'll tear it down later and do an internal inspection.



Compared to its big brother



 

Edit: also note new 3d printed knobs on the PM3217 - printed in grey now. Look pretty good.

[Mr. Scram]

Look at the page number. It's med's year of birth!

[BU508A]

Nice! 

Does it become a Tek one day if you pour it regularly? 

[WastelandTek]

that Hameg is soooo cute

[Specmaster]

Thats a nice little scope, good clear and sharp trace, if the seller had taken better photos of it we might have been fighting over that for sure 

[bd139]

Yeah it's pretty much perfect so far. Glad I jumped on it in the end. It's going on the shelf next to my 5315A as it's not much bigger.

If I want to do some signal tracing or red/green "is it oscillating" and seeing if something has blown up, which facing it is about 90% of what I do with a scope, it's pretty handy to just have there on the shelf.

[mansaxel]

Most of the repairs / restorations I do are on retro equipment and I prefer not to contaminate them with this new fangle lead-free rubbish. However, my preferred supplier has just discontinued all lead based solders, despite the fact that they are (as far as I know) still being manufactured. Is this going to happen with other distributors, or are they just being over enthusiastic on the green front? Is it time to stock up?

I assume others here also only use lead solder on older equipment, or are there people here that use lead free on a PCB that was manugactured with the good old stuff?

McBryce.

I'm using Pb on old stuff, and lead-free on new, and I've got 1kg PbSn or so, so should be set. There's always a flux pen, if necessary.