Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

Thanks for that encouraging news, I'm just about to pop and get a bit of shopping but nothing like that, just some coke, milk, grapes some steak to make a casserole with but lets see what those morons are up to in my neck of the woods then, let battle commence 

In Essex? Half the population's probably started taking a shotgun with them when they go shopping. [Fx: banjo] Da da ding da ding da ding da ding [/Fx]

Well I'm back in one piece and managed to dodge the buckshot 

Actually very surprised, it was all very civilized, busy but civilized, most shops had reasonable stocks of toilet rolls, pain killers and cold remedies seemed to be bearing the brunt of the shoppers today. City centre was jammed, unusual for a Sunday and I expect that some shops suffered far worse fates than the ones I visited. I had to sit in the car on a number of occasions and wait for the bleeding rain to ease off, it was coming down so hard that it hit the road bounced back up again about 12inches. Then in typical English fashion, out came the sunshine and we had rainbows, how nice.

[nixiefreqq]

offered 20 bucks for this YTO hoping the guy would turn me down.

it produces 18-20 dBm across its rated range.  (8-12 Ghz). 

it jitters about plus and minus 150 Khz from its tuning point.  but that could be partly due to noise from jumpers just thrown across the bench.

need to package and feed it better and then will try to characterize its real stability and noise.

what else ya' gonna' do while hiding in the basement waiting for the looting to commence?

[Specmaster]

offered 20 bucks for this YTO hoping the guy would turn me down.

it produces 18-20 dBm across its rated range.  (8-12 Ghz). 

it jitters about plus and minus 150 Khz from its tuning point.  but that could be partly due to noise from jumpers just thrown across the bench.

need to package and feed it better and then will try to characterize its real stability and noise.

what else ya' gonna' do while hiding in the basement waiting for the looting to commence?

WTF, where's the nixie glow then?

Good score for 20 clams though.

[nixiefreqq]

ok.

will be sure to employ either a nixie 5340a or a 5245/5257a when the frequency measurements begin.

would not want to rile up any nixie fanboys.

[tggzzz]

Yesterday's coronavirus wry observation, courtesy of a GP over the nearest big hill, Dr Phil Hammond (Private Eye MD, half of "Struck off and Die", HIGNIFY)...

"People in A&E are now stealing hand sanitizer rather than drinking it. And there been a surge in people sewing up their anus in case they run out of toilet paper."
https://twitter.com/drphilhammond/status/1236329280600256514

[xrunner]

"People in A&E are now stealing hand sanitizer rather than drinking it. And there been a surge in people sewing up their anus in case they run out of toilet paper."
https://twitter.com/drphilhammond/status/1236329280600256514

We're going nuts also - 

Tito's tells customers to not use their vodka for hand sanitizer

 (CNN)Some people are attempting to counter the spread of coronavirus by making their own hand sanitizer out of rubbing alcohol and aloe.
But vodka? Don't do that.
"Per the CDC, hand sanitizer needs to contain at least 60% alcohol," Tito's Handmade Vodka tweeted on Thursday.
"Tito's Handmade Vodka is 40% alcohol, and therefore does not meet the current recommendation of the CDC."

The company was replying to a user who bragged about using the vodka to make a DIY hand sanitizer. In an attached statement, Tito's cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by saying that washing hands is still the best way to fight the virus.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/05/us/titos-vodka-coronavirus-trnd/index.html

[Wolfgang]

offered 20 bucks for this YTO hoping the guy would turn me down.

it produces 18-20 dBm across its rated range.  (8-12 Ghz). 

it jitters about plus and minus 150 Khz from its tuning point.  but that could be partly due to noise from jumpers just thrown across the bench.

need to package and feed it better and then will try to characterize its real stability and noise.

what else ya' gonna' do while hiding in the basement waiting for the looting to commence?

IIRC, YTOs are *extremely* pedantic about PSU noise. This rather asks for an SMU or a really good regulator.
You probably know that in practical instruments they are dithered to get rid of their hysteresis.

[Zucca]

Today I will be in the call, yes

[Zucca]

I would just like to say "fuck today". went outside to reterminate my antenna so I can put an inline disconnect in and disaster:

1. Firstly it's too damn cold to install Solder BNC connectors today so my hands stopped working
2. It started raining right in the middle of it. I'm perching on a chair outside with a metcal. Not good.
3. I ran out of insulation tape to seal off the open end of the feed literally right now (whyyyy) so I'm probably going to have rain dielectric now 

So fail, fail and fail.

Edit: now going to buy a decent crimp tool, a coax stripper and some crimp on BNCs.

Edit 2: does anyone know any BNC crimps that aren't a piece of shit? Don't mind spending 50-60 quid on these at the moment as it's a fucking pain in the arse doing clamp ons.

The Thermaltronics at the Munich electronica told me to use this for soldering BNC antenna monsters:



It takes two RF soldering output in one single big bamboo...

[nixiefreqq]

offered 20 bucks for this YTO hoping the guy would turn me down.

it produces 18-20 dBm across its rated range.  (8-12 Ghz). 

it jitters about plus and minus 150 Khz from its tuning point.  but that could be partly due to noise from jumpers just thrown across the bench.

need to package and feed it better and then will try to characterize its real stability and noise.

what else ya' gonna' do while hiding in the basement waiting for the looting to commence?

IIRC, YTOs are *extremely* pedantic about PSU noise. This rather asks for an SMU or a really good regulator.
You probably know that in practical instruments they are dithered to get rid of their hysteresis.

this is my first actual experience with the mysterious yig tuned oscillator.  (had a vague understanding that they were in some of my instruments, but never had to yank one out to diddle with it).

had also read that they suffer from hysteresis.  will go looking for more information about the dithering technique.

thanks!

[factory]

My surname refers to an industrial town near the German/Dutch border...

Just missed out on a Philips 6 digit nixie frequency counter, it went for stupid money (more than 90 quid shipped).

I'll just have to stay patiently waiting for a cute little glow-tube TE.   

That's nothing, I wasn't even close to winning this one, wish I'd bought one years ago when they made between 30 to 100 euros. 


David

[Zucca]

Today I will be in the call, yes

Fuuuu  today it's sunday 

[factory]

So as I did it I wonder if it has a pulse  it is still however 'cute' if not  eBay auction: #313014244377 From the late 60's before I was born sub 30pS spec Tunnel Diode based https://testequipment.center/Product_Documents/Agilent-1105A-Operations-Manual-C7EB6.pdf

First time I've seen one. Did you get it?

There seems to be more of these than the matching tunnel diode mounts for them, used for sampling plug-ins for 140 & 180 series oscilloscopes, I have a complete set for my 180 series scope but the scope is currently dead and a working 140 scope but missing the sampler head so can't test the plug-in.  .

David

[factory]

Well here's my entry into the "smallest piece of HP test gear" discussion   

Picked it up from the Post Office yesterday on my way to work. The leads were icky, and required vigorous cleaning with IPA, and I was feeling a little punchy by the end   
Here's the pics:

Sadly no accessories or psu was included, so that leaves me needing to build a +15V, -12.6V DC supply for it.
A nice touch by HP is the case screws being made from stainless steel.

No need to build a power supply, you need a suitable HP scope to go with it, something like this one if it was working & lower priced.    eBay auction: #174064854093

They also made a separate power supply for them.

David

[factory]

Never heard of Nord Instruments before, but there is a mislabelled digital voltmeter on ePay US, comes with special extra crusty power cord  :
eBay auction: #202892229956

David

[Specmaster]

Hello fellow Discorders, good news, following a Windoze 10 update, my mic has now decided to work so we can now talk properly on our next session (fingers crossed it continues to work) quick question for you all, do you listen via your speakers or do you all use headphones / headsets?

[beanflying]

I have used both. That is something discord does fairly well is chop between the mic being triggered and speakers/headset.

[Wolfgang]

Quote from: Wolfgang on Today at 08:00:10 pm

    Quote from: nixiefreqq on Today at 06:27:12 pm

        offered 20 bucks for this YTO hoping the guy would turn me down.

        it produces 18-20 dBm across its rated range.  (8-12 Ghz).

        it jitters about plus and minus 150 Khz from its tuning point.  but that could be partly due to noise from jumpers just thrown across the bench.

        need to package and feed it better and then will try to characterize its real stability and noise.

        what else ya' gonna' do while hiding in the basement waiting for the looting to commence?


    IIRC, YTOs are *extremely* pedantic about PSU noise. This rather asks for an SMU or a really good regulator.
    You probably know that in practical instruments they are dithered to get rid of their hysteresis.



this is my first actual experience with the mysterious yig tuned oscillator.  (had a vague understanding that they were in some of my instruments, but never had to yank one out to diddle with it).

had also read that they suffer from hysteresis.  will go looking for more information about the dithering technique.

thanks!

Another tip: Most have a Mu-Metal shield around them. This means:
- All magnetics far away, please (transformers, fans, ...)
- Dont drop, make dents or treat them rude otherwise, Mumetal is very delicate.
Also dont run then without loading (especially the higher power parts)

Have fun !
  Wolfgang

[mnementh]

Hello fellow Discorders, good news, following a Windoze 10 update, my mic has now decided to work so we can now talk properly on our next session (fingers crossed it continues to work) quick question for you all, do you listen via your speakers or do you all use headphones / headsets?

Yes.

https://www.amazon.ca/Greenlee-540-24-Bullet-Threaded-24-Feet/dp/B001HWB3DI/

Greenlee Fish Stix FTW.

Just don't try frying them up with some potatoes in canola oil!

You'll laugh... but I HAVE used them to cook hot dogs and marshmallows over a campfire more than once; by fashioning a "hot end" fork extension out of coathanger from the trunk. Worked a treat; just had to be mindful of the label on the end and adjust plunge depth if it started peeling.

mnem
ummmm... fire...?

[Specmaster]

I have used both. That is something discord does fairly well is chop between the mic being triggered and speakers/headset.

So, it will disconnect the speakers if the mic is triggered and reconnect if the mic is not in use? So I suspect that would require a push to talk button, otherwise the mic is going to pick anyone else speaking and cutting of the speaker? If so then a headset would be best.

[Specmaster]

Hello fellow Discorders, good news, following a Windoze 10 update, my mic has now decided to work so we can now talk properly on our next session (fingers crossed it continues to work) quick question for you all, do you listen via your speakers or do you all use headphones / headsets?

Yes.

Your trying to confuse me aren't you  which? 

[tautech]

I have used both. That is something discord does fairly well is chop between the mic being triggered and speakers/headset.

So, it will disconnect the speakers if the mic is triggered and reconnect if the mic is not in use? So I suspect that would require a push to talk button, otherwise the mic is going to pick anyone else speaking and cutting of the speaker? If so then a headset would be best.

In Discord you can set a talk button to unmute the mic when you have something to say.
Med usually has his scanner running but it constantly triggers his Discord mic so he has to turn the bugger OFF.

[bitseeker]

Today I will be in the call, yes

Fuuuu  today it's sunday 

I was wondering what you were going on about.

Hope to catch you sometime, though.

[Zucca]

I was wondering what you were going on about.

Hope to catch you sometime, though.

It's funny how this corona quarantine and home office is messing up my life, I forget what day is.

[bitseeker]

Hello fellow Discorders, good news, following a Windoze 10 update, my mic has now decided to work so we can now talk properly on our next session (fingers crossed it continues to work) quick question for you all, do you listen via your speakers or do you all use headphones / headsets?

I've been using a headset.

Remember to go to the Voice & Video settings and adjust the mic trigger level to minimize background noise (and heavy breathing )