Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

I'm off doing TEA stuff and this thread is moving at the speed of light. Don't you guys have anything to do today? 

Nope, because there're all managers in some way or other  They would do well to remember this, the true definition of a manager:-

A manager is a person who achieves results through the efforts of others, 

Take away the others, and they are about as useful as a sack full of shit, as they say, those who can DO and those who can't become managers 

That certainly was the trouble with my last company I worked for, management increased all the time, workforce shrank but the workforce was tasked with an ever-increasing workload for in effect a decreasing reward and zero respect for their efforts.

I work on the following principle of management.

1. Manager tells me what to do and the period in which to do it in.
2. I agree entirely and say yes etc.
3. Then I go and do exactly what the fuck I think is right which is completely the opposite to 2.
4. Manager is now faced with the dilemma of admitting that I didn't do anything he asked and looking like a bad manager or taking credit for it.
5. Inevitably the type it attracts tend to go to the second option at which point I now own them.
6. After Nth attempt the manager is tea boy and just does what I ask so I can keep giving him things that are good to report back.

I'm kinder than that.

In the decent organisations in which I have worked, the prime responsibilities of a manager are to

• set objectives, usual in conjunction with all parties
• do whatever is necessary to ensure their minions can succeed

Yup, Theory Y companies rule

Yep, your second point is the key one, here.

[mnementh]

Yes, those managers who actually DO something are usually the ones who proceed to round 2.    They are by far the minority and therefore one cannot expect, or even reasonably hope for, any chance of coming into contact with such except in stories told around the water cooler. 

mnem


(The NirvanaCo Episode)

[beanflying]

So it seems the Wee Fluke 5101B Calibrator is a Sick Unit  So what I currently have is a Switchable Resistance Calibrator weighing 35kg (seven relay options 1 - 10M) that works perfectly 

The Front interface works fine so that is a potentially tricky/unobtainium issue I don't have to deal with but the Voltage and Current outputs collapse to near zero in AC or DC regardless of set point. So seems to have an Amplifier issue of some sort. So call this a two minute teardown and I will look for or start an appropriate thread when I get some clear time and a butt load of bench clear.

Yes I did lift and reseat all the cards that are not bolted down too.

Meanwhile I think getting a riser card to suit is the first order of business.

A bit of the back story owned initially by the Aussie Dept of Defence until looking at the stickers 2001/2'ish then owned as one of two identical units by a Former Instrument maker turned sparkie and considerably addicted Ham. The Ham in question passed away far to young at 55 due to Cancer leaving his delightful slightly older cradle snatching wife to sort out what to do with his toys.

The Local Ham club helped where they could and found homes for all the bits and helped cleanup the masts (plural) 3m deep foundations.

So enjoy your toys like you stole them but think about how who or where they need to go after. 

[tautech]

Bean, post the details of the riser card required as Defpom had to make an obscure looking one for an HP unit he fixed and still might have some spare PCB's that he had professionally etched. I'll hook the two of you up if it looks like what you need matches what he's got.
IIRC it had a DB-9 fitting on it too. 

[Cubdriver]

So it seems the Wee Fluke 5101B Calibrator is a Sick Unit  So what I currently have is a Switchable Resistance Calibrator weighing 35kg (seven relay options 1 - 10M) that works perfectly 

The Front interface works fine so that is a potentially tricky/unobtainium issue I don't have to deal with but the Voltage and Current outputs collapse to near zero in AC or DC regardless of set point. So seems to have an Amplifier issue of some sort. So call this a two minute teardown and I will look for or start an appropriate thread when I get some clear time and a butt load of bench clear.

Yes I did lift and reseat all the cards that are not bolted down too.

Meanwhile I think getting a riser card to suit is the first order of business.

A bit of the back story owned initially by the Aussie Dept of Defence until looking at the stickers 2001/2'ish then owned as one of two identical units by a Former Instrument maker turned sparkie and considerably addicted Ham. The Ham in question passed away far to young at 55 due to Cancer leaving his delightful slightly older cradle snatching wife to sort out what to do with his toys.

The Local Ham club helped where they could and found homes for all the bits and helped cleanup the masts (plural) 3m deep foundations.

So enjoy your toys like you stole them but think about how who or where they need to go after. 

Does that one use these damned 'interlocking finger' contacts that Fluke used in the older stuff like the 335A, or did the eventually wise up and start using edge connectors?  I'd like to find some extender cards for my old Fluke stuff, too,but can't recall ever seeing any (granted I have not exactly been beating the bushes, but it is a subject that seems to come up every now and again, typically without really concrete resolution).



-Pat

[beanflying]

In my case they are available from this evilbay seller in the US eBay auction: #323882072193 he also does a heap of others too and we did link it sometime ago?

[mnementh]

Very nice, bean. A lot of that "Apollo Space Age" feel like the early solid-state Tek stuff. Thanks for sharing! 

mnem
Now let's see what eevblog thinks of my new VPN...

[bitseeker]

Any one have anything to say about Tektronix 2754 ? 

Wiki -> http://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/2754

As I rarely see discussion about it, even in this forum.

I found this a couple years back, explains the range. On was on a Tek forum, sorry don't remember where exactly. The 494 appeared pretty good, and the 2784 very good.

...

Lots of great info in there. Thanks, Ken. Link added to the POI.

[bitseeker]

  I just "accidentally" bought a Solartron 7150 (I was expecting to get overbid).

Please excuse me while I go and build more shelves...   

Haha, I experienced a similar "accident" that added to my collection of high-voltage differential probes. Ah, well. Just as you can't have too many oscilloscopes, you can have too many differential probes for them.

[bitseeker]

Feeling the need for an HP 6235A for cute factor  .

Indeed.

Unfortunately only Israeli vendors and as usual they’ve seen some Hamas action by the looks 

Or at least as wheel chocks.

[Brumby]

I wanna shine that thing up to a mirror finish with Mother's... then hang it on a wall connected to one 25mm LED that blinks on randomly.

mnem

    True class.

[tautech]

Reminder for the always absent limeys, Dischord in 12 hours ! 

[factory]

HP 6284A power supply US side for $20: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163934823644

Also has OVP crowbar option which is rare!

Edit: also fully "programmable". Meter mount needs repair.

argh... 68USD shipping. minimizes the bargain-ness, it does.

That's strange, how can the local shipping be more than international shipping? (ignoring the import fees) 



David
 

[Specmaster]

Has anyone here ever obtained manuals from Ben Duncan Research at all? If so, what was your experience and thoughts of their service?

[bd139]

HP 6284A power supply US side for $20: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163934823644

Also has OVP crowbar option which is rare!

Edit: also fully "programmable". Meter mount needs repair.

argh... 68USD shipping. minimizes the bargain-ness, it does.

That's strange, how can the local shipping be more than international shipping? (ignoring the import fees) 

(Attachment Link)

David

Yeah might be GSP weirdness that one. Worth asking for another quote if you are in US.

[nixiefreqq]

pretty sure that is the guy over in mt joy that sold me an hp 8569b.  did a local pick up since he is just across the river.

do i need another power supply?

[Specmaster]

pretty sure that is the guy over in mt joy that sold me an hp 8569b.  did a local pick up since he is just across the river.

do i need another power supply?

That looks better, the GSP part picks up which site or country you are viewing the sale on and will automatically calculate the shipping cost and also the approx import duty for you.

[nfmax]

Feeling the need for an HP 6235A for cute factor  . Unfortunately only Israeli vendors and as usual they’ve seen some Hamas action by the looks 

Cute they are! Got mine from  dealer in Italy when we were in the EU

[bd139]

do i need another power supply?

When is the answer to that ever no? 

[Brumby]

do i need another power supply?

When is the answer to that ever no? 

Yeah ... I did a double-take on that as well.

[AVGresponding]

pretty sure that is the guy over in mt joy that sold me an hp 8569b.  did a local pick up since he is just across the river.

do i need I need to make the space for another power supply?

Fixed that for you...

[Specmaster]

Feeling the need for an HP 6235A for cute factor  . Unfortunately only Israeli vendors and as usual they’ve seen some Hamas action by the looks 

Cute they are! Got mine from  dealer in Italy when we were in the EU

Technically we are still in the EU, at least until Dec this year, unless Johnson provokes the EU sufficient that we get expelled early for bad behaviour 

[GreyWoolfe]

Looks like we might have to lay off Andre

I saw plenty of this outside of the subdivision.  We have, now had, a 2 lane road that lead to another perpendicular 2 lane road that lead to a main road.  Suddenly there was a sign of a 1.5 million dollar road improvement project for that ~3 mile long 2 lane road.  Lots of big tonka toys, irregular traffic pattern changes and what not, let's not forget Andre and his multiple twin brothers.  Mrs GreyWoolfe and I speculated that they were widening it to 4 lanes as part of a much larger future project.  Nope.  In this 3 mile stretch, they added a 3rd middle turning lane.  Sounds reasonable?  In this 3 mile stretch, there is 1 cross street, the city water plant and a car salvage yard/recycling center.  WTeverlovingF. There is little traffic on this road to begin with as it is not a main thoroughfare in a city of 20K.  The only traffic issues were when the numpties had the road down to 1 lane.  Thankfully we don't pay a lot of property taxes or I would have been properly vexed.  I would like to get a job working for the city\county government but with my luck I would be Andre.  Thankfully, I am a remote technician and my boss is in another part of the state.  I can always let his phone calls go to voicemail.

[nixiefreqq]

pretty sure that is the guy over in mt joy that sold me an hp 8569b.  did a local pick up since he is just across the river.

do i need I need to make the space for another power supply?

Fixed that for you...

you and swmbo think alike.

only difference is that her idea of making space is a company called "1-800-got junk". 

her usual threat is "was gonna call them after you are dead, but other arrangements can be made".

english women are scary. (AND don't ever call them "hyacinth" or "mrs bucket".  learned that the hard way.)

[mnementh]

   pretty sure that is the guy over in mt joy that sold me an hp 8569b.  did a local pick up since he is just across the river.   do i need another power supply?

Too small. Throw it back; keep fishing for a bigger one.

mnem