Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

The most likely place for a break is at the end connection.
If the end isn't socketed, the first thing I would do is resolder any connection - easy and there's a small chance it might help. Is it possible to shorten the cable slightly?
A TDR might indicate where the fault is.

You make a valid point here, it is more likely seeing as med has been working on this scope that in doing whatever, he has accidentally placed strain on the joints or connections at one end or other of the delay line. I think I'd be inclined to re terminate at each end before consigning it to the parts bin.

[bd139]

Does anyone remember what these crappy old connectors were called?



And does anyone want some?

"Amphenol microphone connector"

Horrible things and hell no 

[med6753]

Agreed.....POS. Heath and EICO used them because they were cheeeep. 

[Cerebus]

Just brought a new slow cooker in Tescos - bear with me, there is a TE angle - a mid-size "Crockpot" branded one, for the princely sum of £14. In the usual mass of styrofoam, plastic bags, cardboard and every other packing material know to man that held aforesaid slow cooker was this:


(Shown with a different slightly slimmer plug - the first that came to hand - than the one on the slow cooker because I didn't really want to juggle a slow cooker in one hand and my phone in the other while using the window for natural diffuse light.)

What a thoroughly sensible way to pack the wrecking ball that is otherwise know as  a BS1363 13A mains plug. Didn't have the usual useless, wasteful polythene cover over the pins either. That is going to be saved for anything I need to pack and I might even fabricobble a few extra myself.

[ArthurDent]

Years ago I owned a Triplett 2432 signal generator like the one in the photo and it came with the Amphenol microphone connectors for audio and R.F. output. I replaced those connectors with BNC connectors because the original connectors were always working loose and I'd lose the signal then spend time trying to figure out why the circuit failed only to find a loose connector.   

[WastelandTek]

"Amphenol microphone connector"

Horrible things and hell no 

thank you

and yes, I know right?

[beanflying]

It's back in the TE closet to work another day. Or I may decide screw it and have 2 parts mules to support the good 485.

Tomorrow I plan to further abuse myself by putting (again) the 535A on it's side to perform the compensation adjustments on the 1A2 plug-in. I hope that is the LAST time I have to do that shenanigans. 

Don't you have a road trip to bid on too 

[bd139]

Just brought a new slow cooker in Tescos - bear with me, there is a TE angle - a mid-size "Crockpot" branded one, for the princely sum of £14. In the usual mass of styrofoam, plastic bags, cardboard and every other packing material know to man that held aforesaid slow cooker was this:

(Attachment Link)
(Shown with a different slightly slimmer plug - the first that came to hand - than the one on the slow cooker because I didn't really want to juggle a slow cooker in one hand and my phone in the other while using the window for natural diffuse light.)

What a thoroughly sensible way to pack the wrecking ball that is otherwise know as  a BS1363 13A mains plug. Didn't have the usual useless, wasteful polythene cover over the pins either. That is going to be saved for anything I need to pack and I might even fabricobble a few extra myself.

That’s similar to what I do when I send a captive lead via post. I usually have some high density foam lying around from something I’ve bought so I cut off a cube and ram the plug into it. No disasters so far!

[McBryce]

Well, thanks to McBryce above, we now know who the product designer was:

I thought the picture was quite sweet actually. I'd guess it was a 5 or 6 year old judging from my own sons "artist reditions". But the Rigol device is just wrong. I mean, what part of stackable didn't they understand!??

McBryce.

[URI]

Well, thanks to McBryce above, we now know who the product designer was:

I thought the picture was quite sweet actually. I'd guess it was a 5 or 6 year old judging from my own sons "artist reditions". But the Rigol device is just wrong. I mean, what part of stackable didn't they understand!??

At Rigol they like their stuff to stay on top.   

[Specmaster]

Amazon delivery man has just been and dropped off my headset, so I'm fully prepared now for the next discord session  This is one headset that actually, you know, what lives up to its claim and delivers precisely what it says on the box and in the Amazon blurb. It does have reasonable levels of bass with good clear mid range and treble so it is capable of being used for listening to music. That being said, it is not however a substitute for a true Hi-Fi set of phones, I have heard better and a lot worse than as well. For the money, certainly cannot complain and for intended purpose are well up to the task in question, the inline controls are fine and operate without any noise being generated, the microphone switch has a blue LED to show when it is activated and when muted this changes to red.

 

[Specmaster]

Does anyone remember what these crappy old connectors were called?



And does anyone want some?

Er no thanks 

[mansaxel]

Amazon delivery man has just been and dropped off my headset, so I'm fully prepared now for the next discord session 

I found my Sennheiser VOIP headset this morning. It's got a lump on the USB adapter cable with volume up/down and a mute button that interacts with the mute functions in both Cisco Webex and Teams.  It's already been in 3h of video conferencing today, what with me being more or less confined to home working. Salesperson from ${VENDOR} promised dinner once we're through all of this.

I might manage to get an account until next Saturday. Or not. I sure am used to voice chat now...

[bd139]

One for med 

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/french-coronavirus-smurf-world-record.html

[Cerebus]

Well, thanks to McBryce above, we now know who the product designer was:

I thought the picture was quite sweet actually. I'd guess it was a 5 or 6 year old judging from my own sons "artist reditions". But the Rigol device is just wrong. I mean, what part of stackable didn't they understand!??

McBryce.

Oh, it is quite sweet. I'd be quite happy to see it on some proud parent's fridge door, it's also cutely amusing as a placeholder photo, I just never imagined that some product designer at Rigol would treat it as inspiration. I was wrong, but then I so often am.

[Specmaster]

One for med 

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/french-coronavirus-smurf-world-record.html

Someone told them that it would cure Covid19 virus.

[mnementh]

   Amazon delivery man has just been and dropped off my headset, so I'm fully prepared now for the next discord session  This is one headset that actually, you know, what lives up to its claim and delivers precisely what it says on the box and in the Amazon blurb. It does have reasonable levels of bass with good clear mid range and treble so it is capable of being used for listening to music.

That being said, it is not however a substitute for a true Hi-Fi set of phones, I have heard better and a lot worse than as well. For the money, certainly cannot complain and for intended purpose are well up to the task in question, the inline controls are fine and operate without any noise being generated, the microphone switch has a blue LED to show when it is activated and when muted this changes to red. 

These have always had the same failure mode: You turn your head and the dongle snags on something and comes unplugged, then the dongle end gets crushed under your wheelie chair while you're reaching for it. Or you get up and move far enough that it unplugs and you step on the damn thing while trying to find it. Or, if it survives a few months of this infernal dance, the 1/8" socket gets so weak it falls off the headsets at the slightest provocation, and you get so frustrated with that and the constant crackling in your ears you beat the fucking thing to death with a CISCO alignment hammer.

Good luck my friend.

mnem
It was nice while it lasted...

[Specmaster]

Amazon delivery man has just been and dropped off my headset, so I'm fully prepared now for the next discord session 

I found my Sennheiser VOIP headset this morning. It's got a lump on the USB adapter cable with volume up/down and a mute button that interacts with the mute functions in both Cisco Webex and Teams.  It's already been in 3h of video conferencing today, what with me being more or less confined to home working. Salesperson from ${VENDOR} promised dinner once we're through all of this.

I might manage to get an account until next Saturday. Or not. I sure am used to voice chat now...

Yeah for the last 10 years almost of my working life, I was working from home as a Project Support Engineer and spent many long hours with a BT headset on connected to my mobile so that I could carry designing, quoting and drawing up schematics while still able to talk to clients at the same time. To think that they claim men can't multi-task tsk! 

[mnementh]

One for med     https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/french-coronavirus-smurf-world-record.html

Someone told them that it would cure Covid19 virus.

I think I get it... like cursing at The Reaper, or flipping the executioner the finger. So excitable, the French... 

mnem
"Lets live a little while we're busy dyin'!!!"

[Specmaster]

   Amazon delivery man has just been and dropped off my headset, so I'm fully prepared now for the next discord session  This is one headset that actually, you know, what lives up to its claim and delivers precisely what it says on the box and in the Amazon blurb. It does have reasonable levels of bass with good clear mid range and treble so it is capable of being used for listening to music.

That being said, it is not however a substitute for a true Hi-Fi set of phones, I have heard better and a lot worse than as well. For the money, certainly cannot complain and for intended purpose are well up to the task in question, the inline controls are fine and operate without any noise being generated, the microphone switch has a blue LED to show when it is activated and when muted this changes to red. 

These have always had the same failure mode: You turn your head and the dongle snags on something and comes unplugged, then the dongle end gets crushed under your wheelie chair while you're reaching for it. Or you get up and move far enough that it unplugs and you step on the damn thing while trying to find it. Or, if it survives a few months of this infernal dance, the 1/8" socket gets so weak it falls off the headsets at the slightest provocation, and you get so frustrated with that and the constant crackling in your ears you beat the fucking thing to death with a CISCO alignment hammer.

Good luck my friend.

mnem
It was nice while it lasted...

Good luck my friend... you're

Yes, all of those things are possible, but I doubt it will be the case with this set however, it comes with 9ft of cable and the lead that connects to the headset is hardwired, so thats the weakest link removed. Should the control pad get crushed by the chair wheels, then the headset is capable of being plugged directly into the PC via its 3.5mm jack and a splitter cable (already have that) for the earphone and mic sockets and then I can use the mic mute button within discord to control the mic. So hopefully I'll be able to continue bashing your eardrums with my voice every Saturday when it's not your cinema time with the ankle biters 

[BU508A]

"Lets live a little while we're busy dyin'!!!"

 

[bd139]

"Lets live a little while we're busy dyin'!!!"

 

Agreed. Less concisely, it's worth reading Edward Fitzgerald's translation of the Iranian text: Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.


Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend,
Before we too into the dust descend;
Dust into dust, and under dust, to lie,
Sans wine, sans song, sans singer, and-sans end!
Ah, fill the cup: what boots it to repeat
How time is slipping underneath our feet.
Unborn tomorrow, and dead yesterday
Why fret about them if today be sweet!


Which is why I spaffed all my cash on a scope today 

[Dek]

Got the DG822 and my word it's one ugly motherfucker. It is however refreshingly silent.

Would be a good partner for:-

[mnementh]

   Got the DG822 and my word it's one ugly motherfucker. It is however refreshingly silent.

Would be a good partner for:-   

Ahhh... the Logan's Run Edition Hummer. Comes with a free hummer!   

mnem
...from an A'askvariian princess!!!

[bd139]

One in, one or more out is the rule. HP 1740A departed this evening. The cupboard breathed a sigh of relief when I hauled it out earlier