Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

You mean: Like asking a bunch of TEA members, if they are interested in buying this palette full of test gear for USD 50.-   

I'd be saved by the shipping costs, in that circumstance...

I see so much nice gear from Fluke and Keithley etc at nice prices, then I look at the shipping costs from the US and I go away and cry inside a little...

You just take a van across the Channel to pick it up!  (assuming this is permissible in the new free Britain of course)

In 2021 there will be extra car insurance, customs duty, and a lot more red tape paperwork. Didn't see that on the side of a bus.

Hah, didn't notice at first that pallet of gear was in Germany. It already costs extra to insure your car to drive outside the UK if your starting point is the cheapest policy you can find on (insert comparison site of choice here). In any case, if I was driving in any country where they drive on the wrong side of the road, I wouldn't take my own car, I'd hire a LHD one locally.
Vehicles with the steering wheel on the wrong side are a serious safety issue.
Customs duty isn't something that worries me; it's a tax, and taxes are what pay for national infrastructure and public services. It'll be interesting to see if we keep VAT, as that applies to shipping costs as well as the purchase cost of the item, unlike customs duty (as far as I'm aware), though if that means lost revenue I've no doubt they'll claw it back somehow.
I could care less about having to do a little extra paperwork.

99% of the cheap gear I see that I would buy is in the US and has crazy shipping prices (or hidden ones), so Brexit isn't likely to have any effect on that unless Bojo the Clown sells the UK to The Fart King...

I can't see them dropping or lowering the VAT rate even, quite the reverse, they love money, our money in particular, and they are constantly scheming to separate us from our hard-earned. 

[Specmaster]

Final compensation adjustments on the 485. There's some peaking on the 50 ohm input @ 10MHz that I adjusted out as much as possible. Not perfect but good enough

I'd be more worried by that oscillation on the negative edge. Why aren't you using the 485's cal out - that is very good with a 50ohm input, and entertaining with a 1Mohm input.

This 485 by far has been the longest, and most frustrating, troubleshooting project so far. It even exceeds the 465B with the fubar'ed attenuator switch deck. The initial trigger issue really had me going around in circles. Did I learn anything from it? In a word, no. I still don't understand how the tunnel diode trigger circuit works with it's “negative resistance” and other assorted voodoo functions. And I really hated to resort to the “shotgun” approach and swap out the entire trigger board rather than fix at component level but there was really no other choice. And then to have the replacement board starting going weird after a few days and I thought for sure I was going to wind up with 2 parts mules. But those trouble symptoms were rather obvious and a replacement U780 fixed it.

Oh, but don't you feel good now that you've stopped banging your forhead agains a wall?!

In one of my 485s, a resistor inside one of the vertical amplifier ICs had gone open circuit. Fortunately I was able to replace it with a modern SMD resistor mounted externally, and the risetime only modestly increased to 1.25ns.

The oscillation on the trailing edge is a normal characteristic of the Heath IG-4244 Scope Calibrator. No issues. 

Oh, thanks for this info, I don't recall seeing that whenever I used my Heathkit IG-4505 cailbrator.

[Specmaster]

As someone that has (when forced and there was no alternative) moved stuff across frontiers professionally, that little paperwork can be a major pain in the arse.

See grizewald's opinions about what will happen with stuff sent to Sweden.

The clown has already started down that path. Today's papers report "The PM shrugged off 'hysteria' over issues like chlorinated chicken, joking that he thought Americans looked 'pretty well nourished'." He (and we) are about to find out how little bargaining power the UK has.

Yeah I guess if you have to do it as part of your job on a daily basis it's going to be a pain; for someone that might have to do it once a blue moon, it's less of an issue.

I have seen and puzzled at the reasons for the situation is Sweden. Bearing in mind they are part of the EU, I suspect the problem is some local peculiarity, and could be solved if there was a political will to do so.

Chlorinated chicken and farming standards are quite emotive issues, and like the NHS, if he is seen to be bowing down to the US, he might find his majority evaporating like dew on a sunny day.

Equally annoyingly, the rhetoric between the UK and EU seems to be continuing around things like standards and whether they'll have to be followed/met. Given the nature of the global market meaning that certain standards have to be met if you want to export to anywhere, it seems to be a pointless and stupid argument, at least to me anyway.   

Yes, he made me laugh out loud today with him thinking that we are all bloody idiots, by stating that in many cases our rules are already set to a higher standard than those of the EU's. Of course, they are, the EU only ever sets the minimum standards that nobody can go below and any self-respecting country is going to exceed the entry levels anyway 

[tggzzz]

Of course I realised it; I'm pointing out that it isn't going to impact me personally, aside from the likelihood of some price changes.

Ah. The "I'm all right, Jack" mentality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_alright,_Jack

[WastelandTek]

Consider selling a Julie Research VDR107 7 decade kelvin  varley divider. There's no category for that, so what do you put? If you think of it a potentiometer, it might be 85 33 39, or 85 33 40 90, etc. Or using a different search path, it might be a 90 30 33 20 90, or 90303900 or 90308900. But the latter may provoke immune responses!

Remember the penalties for getting it wrong...

sounds to me like y'all have entirely too much government

[tggzzz]

Consider selling a Julie Research VDR107 7 decade kelvin  varley divider. There's no category for that, so what do you put? If you think of it a potentiometer, it might be 85 33 39, or 85 33 40 90, etc. Or using a different search path, it might be a 90 30 33 20 90, or 90303900 or 90308900. But the latter may provoke immune responses!

Remember the penalties for getting it wrong...

sounds to me like y'all have entirely too much government

I don't know what "y'all" means.

If you are from the US, have a look at https://hts.usitc.gov/

[Specmaster]

Consider selling a Julie Research VDR107 7 decade kelvin  varley divider. There's no category for that, so what do you put? If you think of it a potentiometer, it might be 85 33 39, or 85 33 40 90, etc. Or using a different search path, it might be a 90 30 33 20 90, or 90303900 or 90308900. But the latter may provoke immune responses!

Remember the penalties for getting it wrong...

sounds to me like y'all have entirely too much government

I don't know what "y'all" means.

If you are from the US, have a look at https://hts.usitc.gov/

That just gives a blank screen.

[WastelandTek]

not claiming that we-all do not also have entirely too much government

[nixiefreqq]

hmmmm

in new jersey "y'all" would be "youse guys".

at least that is what my cousin guido says.

edit  big guido......not little guido (who we now call "shinebox")

[tggzzz]

Consider selling a Julie Research VDR107 7 decade kelvin  varley divider. There's no category for that, so what do you put? If you think of it a potentiometer, it might be 85 33 39, or 85 33 40 90, etc. Or using a different search path, it might be a 90 30 33 20 90, or 90303900 or 90308900. But the latter may provoke immune responses!

Remember the penalties for getting it wrong...

sounds to me like y'all have entirely too much government

I don't know what "y'all" means.

If you are from the US, have a look at https://hts.usitc.gov/

That just gives a blank screen.

Works for me with Firefox/chrome on Linux/android.

[0culus]

Purchased from a forum member in Germany (though not one of the usual suspects this time ), finally received today. Complete with manuals. Now to find the logic comparator and I'll have a complete set for troubleshooting TTL and DTL in old equipment without an o-scope or a logic analyzer.

[Kosmic]

I was looking for binding post on Taobao (Chinese site). The title of this listing got my attention. Not sure if it's a problem with google translate or Taobao search engine. A mix of both ?

[0culus]

50 plus fat....good way to get slapped. 

[bitseeker]

New toy just arrived (despite the best endeavours of UPS) - Power Designs 2005A. It's not that the other 8 1/2 power supplies I have here are in some way inadequate, it's just being able to dial in a voltage and get to within a millivolt or so is cool TEA!

Don't forget the pot has a resolution of 10µV! But there will be some drift with load/temperature since it (well a 2020 anyway) "only" has an LM399 reference

The ergonomics are delightful, almost as good as some of my KVDs.

The 2005A has a discrete component ovened Zener, it well pre-dates the LM199. It's been sat in various UPS warehouses and trucks for the last 6 days. Plug in, switch on, and within about 45 minutes it was within 1.5mV of an arbitrarily-chosen setpoint, as measured on my 34401A (last calibrated January 2019).

I blame the TEA thread - I'd never heard of these little gems before I was lured in. This is the sort of technology that put a man on the Monn...

Yep, Power Designs is definitely a TEA enabler.

And since they were used primarily by industry and government labs, you can find some interesting inventory/asset tags on them (as if you needed another excuse to collect more).

[WastelandTek]

"explosion promotion" indeed

[bitseeker]

sounds to me like y'all have entirely too much government

I don't know what "y'all" means.

The pronouns "I" and "we" are singular and plural forms, respectively. However, "you" can refer to either singular or plural. In some regions of the US, an explicit plural form of "you" is used for clarity (or style). "Y'all," a contraction of "you" and "all" is one such plural form of "you" that is used more in the South than other regions.

Example: When you met up with them, what did y'all decide to do for fun?

"Y'all" makes it clearer that the decision was made by the group, not the individual who met with them.

[bitseeker]

I love the PD precision power supplies.  I have a 4010 and it is my go to supply, just because it's so fun to use.  I saw one at a hamfest and just fell in love with it (never even knew they existed), luckily I got a good deal on it because it was "broken" and I was buying a tek 214 from the seller.  Once I fixed it ( a resistor replacement, internal fuse replacement and some de-oxit) I went to try and calibrate it, but I realized it's as precise as the best meters I have, so I decided to leave it as it was .
It was literally beyond my capability to measure its accuracy 

Well, now, there's an easy way to fix that problem.

[AVGresponding]

Of course I realised it; I'm pointing out that it isn't going to impact me personally, aside from the likelihood of some price changes.

Ah. The "I'm all right, Jack" mentality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_alright,_Jack

I guess you could say that. We all have it, just focused on different things.

For me, the biggest issue was the free movement of labour policy allowing wages to be kept artificially low at the lower end of the job market.

[Martin.M]

Verdammt Deutsch Mammutwörter!

lesson2: shifting.

Wenn Fliegen hinter Fliegen fliegen fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach.

[Martin.M]

the first Chili-heater is done.
3 resistors of 10k 5W parallel , 230v~ = around 15W.
works perfekt  I will make 3 pcs. again
today the Fluke 2190A have to check the weather in the chili seedbox, required is 26 to 28°C

[tggzzz]

Of course I realised it; I'm pointing out that it isn't going to impact me personally, aside from the likelihood of some price changes.

Ah. The "I'm all right, Jack" mentality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_alright,_Jack

I guess you could say that. We all have it, just focused on different things.

Some of us have it much more than others. Despite Thatcher's infamous quote, there is such a thing as society - and it used to be worth preserving.

For me, the biggest issue was the free movement of labour policy allowing wages to be kept artificially low at the lower end of the job market.

Good luck with that. As an example the brexiteers have stated that they want and will get a trade agreement with India. India has stated, repeatedly, that a precondition is no visas and open travel. India will, of course, be focussed on the 97% of the world economy rather than the 3% that is the UK. Who do you think has more bargaining leverage?

Besides, as someone that has retired, wage inflation (and currency depreciation) will make my life very uncomfortable.

The import/export classification discussion was directly related to TEA activity, but that has drifted into politics. I won't comment further.

[Specmaster]

Verdammt Deutsch Mammutwörter!

lesson2: shifting.

Wenn Fliegen hinter Fliegen fliegen fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach.

Means "When flies fly behind flies flies flies flies after." is that correct?

[McBryce]

Verdammt Deutsch Mammutwörter!

lesson2: shifting.

Wenn Fliegen hinter Fliegen fliegen fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach.

Means "When flies fly behind flies flies flies flies after." is that correct?

Not quite, but 90% there: "When flies fly behind flies, flies fly after flies."

McBryce.

[Specmaster]

For me, the biggest issue was the free movement of labour policy allowing wages to be kept artificially low at the lower end of the job market.

Good luck with that. As an example the brexiteers have stated that they want and will get a trade agreement with India. India has stated, repeatedly, that a precondition is no visas and open travel. India will, of course, be focussed on the 97% of the world economy rather than the 3% that is the UK. Who do you think has more bargaining leverage?

Very briefly, I also think that any country already trading with EU, cannot enter into a trade arrangement with the UK without getting approval from EU. That automatically means that we will not get a free trade agreement with Australia, USA or Japan for instance as they will be focused on the other 97% and the UK, the 3% can go play in the sand.

[bd139]

Woke up with a headache this morning. Not improved by the direction of this thread now