Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Cerebus]

Ah, brilliant, you can help me. I've been looking at one of those exact Ikea desks as a possible replacement for my current desk/workbench. Thing is that, short of hiring a van, I've no way to get it home other than ordering it from Ikea for delivery. So, for too long now, I've been meaning to pop out to Ikea just to check one out - mostly to make sure that it's stable enough and not wobbly with all the rigidity relying on those sideways H shaped legs, particularly with the sort of uneven load that a stack of test gear and a monitor might impose on it. Thing is every time I think "Go to Ikea to check that desk out?" I think of the hell of trudging around Ikea with the usual idiots on the loose in there and convince myself it can wait.

So, in your humble opinion, is it stable, is it reasonably rigid? Mine would be free standing with no adjacent walls for support and it will have a heavy monitor cantilevered on one end of it.

[Brumby]

My HP 3478A has just appeared on the Australia Post radar - the Australia Post Global radar.  The unit is still physically stateside, but we have an Australia Post tracking number that is now active.  This means I can add it to the tracking number list I have set up and get updates whenever I check the list.  Saves stepping through the eBay chain.

No idea how long before it leaves the foreign shore - but I am a patient man.


Well, at least until it hits Aussie soil - then I might be a little more antsy.   

[Brumby]

Oh, I would ask you to stop talking about desks.  I have a height mod to make to the hob to accommodate existing gear - and a depth one to accommodate the 3478A.

The only problem is I have to clear everything (aside from my two 27" monitors) off the desk to get it out ... then put all the crap bits and pieces back, as well as laying out the gear in new locations.  TETRIS, here I come.



I love being organised.  I hate getting organised ... it's too much like hard work.

[Specmaster]

Decided to finish off sorting out the new bench today. It's done finally. Thought I'd share the before and after photographs. Same corner!

Firstly we have circa 2012... working direct conversion receiver in abject poverty thanks to overspending by someone we shall not mention on catalogues  . This is all perched on an Ikea Kallax unit not a bench 



Today finally, just how I want it Only 8 years!

Chalk and cheese. Those bloody catalogues are shit, it all seems so simple when you look at it as "its only x a week", the price to start off with is far higher than it is in the shop. Mr Carlson would say that your bench is too spartan now, need to add in some frills 

[BU508A]

Decided to finish off sorting out the new bench today. It's done finally. Thought I'd share the before and after photographs. Same corner!

I have a question: In the past you've whacked together some diy test gear. Where is that?
Stored in the now known as the cupboard-of-wildflower-meadow? 

[mnementh]

A worse experience is hard to imagine. It would be bad enough to do that with someone who you didn't know, but a buddy

Once you've been under fire together everybody's your buddy apart from the "there's one in every troop/platoon" NCO who's let a little power go to their head, even "there's also one of these in troop/platoon" who can't put their trousers on the right way around without help.

Lad called Graham used to work for me. His previous job was as an Army regular during the whole Bosnia thing and came out as a corporal (one of the good ones). He told me a tale of lad he had in their unit who was a complete and utter pain in the arse. Not just the type who couldn't put their trousers on the right way round without help but also the unit skiver, shirker and whiner. After first contact with the enemy under real live 'fuck they are trying to kill us' fire he changed completely. Suddenly he was the guy who helped everyone else, who listened and did what he was told, etc. etc. Transformed overnight from a nightmare soldier that everyone in the unit hated to everybody's best mate.

Graham is also the bloke who taught me the phrase "Bosnian Motorcycle" to refer to a car with only one headlamp working, a phrase that has stuck with me ever since.

mnem
*thankful for those who served so I didn't have to*

[Brumby]

Decided to finish off sorting out the new bench today. It's done finally. Thought I'd share the before and after photographs. Same corner!

I have a question: In the past you've whacked together some diy test gear. Where is that?
Stored in the now known as the cupboard-of-wildflower-meadow? 

I reckon it's out of shot.  What's behind there...?  Pan right!

[mansaxel]

Today finally, just how I want it Only 8 years!

"Quaint, " I thought, "to have the soldering iron on your right. Kind of hard to grab from over there. "
Then, I remembered that you commoners (90% of population is "common") use your right hand for that.

Today, I spent some time in the workshop/machine room, and practiced my hacksaw skills. Now my 10G switch is not going to hang afoul from its rack ears.



Vehicle inspection coming up thursday. Have to cure a bad connection in the emission control system before that.

An intermittent is not going to be popular with the inspector..

As I wrote in the Discord chat last night I've managed to break my Squeezebox server. So now the spare system is running; SL1000 record player in studio cart playing Dark side of the Moon. A bit annoying to have to go over and flip the record halfway through.

[med6753]

Pictures of the Tek 2430 NVRAM battery change.

Once the case is removed you are greeted with this large board. Sandwiched underneath it is the board with the battery.



So after unplugging several ribbon cables, removing 3 screws, and breaking off the rotten plastic clips the entire assembly tilts up. In the far left corner is the yellow battery.





Unplug all the cabling and then the 2 boards slide off the hinge assembly. Once on the bench separate the 2 boards to gain pin side access to unsolder the battery. I decided to use the HP 6215A Supply set to 3.650V with all connections soldered in place. I didn't get a picture because I was concentrating on getting the process done as rapidly as possible.



Battery changed out and HP supply disconnected. That could possibly be a date code of 30 week, 1985.

 

Put it all back together and the patient survived the surgery. Clean boot, no errors. 



 

[Saskia]

As I wrote in the Discord chat last night I've managed to break my Squeezebox server. So now the spare system is running; SL1000 record player in studio cart playing Dark side of the Moon. A bit annoying to have to go over and flip the record halfway through.

(cannot quote the Great gig in the sky in here, so I have to substitute ...
Relax, I need some information first.
Just the basic facts, can you show me where it hurts ...

[bd139]

Ah, brilliant, you can help me. I've been looking at one of those exact Ikea desks as a possible replacement for my current desk/workbench. Thing is that, short of hiring a van, I've no way to get it home other than ordering it from Ikea for delivery. So, for too long now, I've been meaning to pop out to Ikea just to check one out - mostly to make sure that it's stable enough and not wobbly with all the rigidity relying on those sideways H shaped legs, particularly with the sort of uneven load that a stack of test gear and a monitor might impose on it. Thing is every time I think "Go to Ikea to check that desk out?" I think of the hell of trudging around Ikea with the usual idiots on the loose in there and convince myself it can wait.

So, in your humble opinion, is it stable, is it reasonably rigid? Mine would be free standing with no adjacent walls for support and it will have a heavy monitor cantilevered on one end of it.

IMHO it is actually extremely stable and rigid. It is rated to 100kg of mass on the top so bear that in mind before you stack it heavily. I'll drop a photo of the frame (and my shit tip of a living room) in the middle of the build below. One of the worries was that the adjustable height legs, which use a single retaining grub screw, were going to be ineffective but they are also really good. The feet are cast metal, I assume aluminium and the vertical support is tubing with inserts welded in. This attaches to a metal underframe. It is by far the most stable and rigid desk I have seen for years if I'm honest and well worth the money. Way way way way more stable than the one that it replaced. For monitors I reckon you'll be fine. No sagging (my desk that had the 2x 21" trinitrons on it nearly died)!

Let me know if you need any measurements / clearances / have any questions.

Frame photo.



Surprisingly, and with some relief, I managed to cram it in my pissy little C3 without too much trouble!

[mnementh]

Ah, brilliant, you can help me. I've been looking at one of those exact Ikea desks as a possible replacement for my current desk/workbench. Thing is that, short of hiring a van, I've no way to get it home other than ordering it from Ikea for delivery. So, for too long now, I've been meaning to pop out to Ikea just to check one out - mostly to make sure that it's stable enough and not wobbly with all the rigidity relying on those sideways H shaped legs, particularly with the sort of uneven load that a stack of test gear and a monitor might impose on it. Thing is every time I think "Go to Ikea to check that desk out?" I think of the hell of trudging around Ikea with the usual idiots on the loose in there and convince myself it can wait.

So, in your humble opinion, is it stable, is it reasonably rigid? Mine would be free standing with no adjacent walls for support and it will have a heavy monitor cantilevered on one end of it.

I can recommend these:

   

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07KHSTF5D/

Search on Amazon for "55 inch desk" and you'll find oodles of hits. Look for the ones with the second pic in the description; specifically those plastic feet. Also look for string "AC3-140" in the model name.

Pros: Welded/gusseted steel frame, easy assembly (2 bolts each leg) very solid feel. Decent, reasonably heavy laminate top.

Cons: Steel frame makes it hard to clamp things like a desklamp, monitor swingarm, etc to; combined thickness of top & frame is 48mm/1.9 inches. Plastic adjuster feet are useless; screw them off the square plastic bushing & throw them away.

There is another similar model: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07RSQQ5PX/

It has metal threaded adjuster feet that make the frame seem much better, but the top surface is that horrible vinyl/paper that scratches through to the MDF if you look at it sharply. If you're planning to cover the entire surface with a sheet of Masonite as I used to do, not a problem, and the adjuster feet are nice.

Otherwise I recommend the first one as the hard laminate is pretty durable; I've whacked my stamped-steel  chassis keyboard against the top of mine a few times pretty hard and no permanent marks.  I just took the plastic adjusters feet off and let it lay on the square plastic bushings in the leg tubes.

mnem
"Very helpful; very helpful indeed." Chibila thought to himself.

[bd139]

Decided to finish off sorting out the new bench today. It's done finally. Thought I'd share the before and after photographs. Same corner!

I have a question: In the past you've whacked together some diy test gear. Where is that?
Stored in the now known as the cupboard-of-wildflower-meadow? 

I reckon it's out of shot.  What's behind there...?  Pan right!

The dining table is to the right 

The cupboard of doom which does indeed contain another 20+ storage boxes full of crud contains the DIY test gear. It's all still around and comes out when needed 

Chalk and cheese. Those bloody catalogues are shit, it all seems so simple when you look at it as "its only x a week", the price to start off with is far higher than it is in the shop. Mr Carlson would say that your bench is too spartan now, need to add in some frills 

Those catalogues are indeed shit. She clocked up £16k on three of the fuckers which I paid off, then she promised not to do it again and another £5k one turned up she'd been hiding. She's still paying that one off

Spartan is good for the mind. As for Carlson, I am expecting something to fall on him, or give him radiation burns !

[Cerebus]

Let me know if you need any measurements / clearances / have any questions.

Na, I'm good. It was just the voice of practical experience I wanted.

Surprisingly, and with some relief, I managed to cram it in my pissy little C3 without too much trouble!

MGF, two seats, engine where most of the boot would be. You'd be surprised what I've managed to cram into it but that is NOT going to happen.

[bd139]

I'd pay good money to see you try and get it in an MGF 

[med6753]

Those catalogues are indeed shit. She clocked up £16k on three of the fuckers which I paid off, then she promised not to do it again and another £5k one turned up she'd been hiding. She's still paying that one off

Gee, you sure she's not related to my Puerto Rican ex? She racked up the expenses big time. 

[bd139]

I think they're probably both related to satan 

[xrunner]

Becasue I CARE about my TEA buddies so much -

Simple calculator for how much toilet paper you need to survive the pandemic

 

[mansaxel]

(cannot quote the Great gig in the sky in here, so I have to substitute ...
Relax, I need some information first.
Just the basic facts, can you show me where it hurts ...

That part became much clearer to after I'd seen the film. And to a certain extent, the live transmission from Berlin 1990. A very chaotic event, as far as I can tell.

Still, I hold Animals as the ultimate in controlled anger against the realities of modern society. With the Wall and even more so The Final Cut, it went from well articulated and focused feelings into a personal vendetta for a certain member.

And when you loose control, you'll reap the harvest you have sown.
And as the fear grows, the bad blood slows and turns to stone.
And it's too late to lose the weight you used to need to throw around.
So have a good drown, as you go down, all alone,
Dragged down by the stone.

[bd139]

Becasue I CARE about my TEA buddies so much -

Simple calculator for how much toilet paper you need to survive the pandemic

 

Very helpful. After tweaking the advanced options I'm good for 3 months 

[med6753]

(cannot quote the Great gig in the sky in here, so I have to substitute ...
Relax, I need some information first.
Just the basic facts, can you show me where it hurts ...

That part became much clearer to after I'd seen the film. And to a certain extent, the live transmission from Berlin 1990. A very chaotic event, as far as I can tell.

Still, I hold Animals as the ultimate in controlled anger against the realities of modern society. With the Wall and even more so The Final Cut, it went from well articulated and focused feelings into a personal vendetta for a certain member.

And when you loose control, you'll reap the harvest you have sown.
And as the fear grows, the bad blood slows and turns to stone.
And it's too late to lose the weight you used to need to throw around.
So have a good drown, as you go down, all alone,
Dragged down by the stone.

Every Floyd album speaks to me in one way or another. 

[med6753]

As per my protocol anytime a repair is made the victim gets it's turn on the torture rack. I consider a battery change a "repair".

Let it cook for several hours.


 

[Saskia]

Redneck trap for Millenials ...



ADAPT, IMPROVISE, OVERCOME

[Saskia]

next task finished: finalize PC build for friend.
Upcoming tasks: mix 1l of WHO recommended sanitizer and distribute to anyone in sight (my husband ...)
Fix SLR (Canon EOS 500D) and give it to daughter. Alas, I seem to have left the friggin charger on Oahu. A little late to go back ...

[Specmaster]

Becasue I CARE about my TEA buddies so much -

Simple calculator for how much toilet paper you need to survive the pandemic

 

Very useful, by using it highlighted that we should be good for around 125 days  , I always buy my TP in lots of 2 or 3 packs of 24 rolls a time because I find that Asda own brand TP is far kinder to our ring pieces then other so-called better brands are. Why do I buy them that way? Because I don't normally do my shopping there, I used to but for the last few years of Mums life I used to take her shopping with me, so we could combine both shopping trips at the same time, and she always had to go to Tesco's as well which was the other side of town. Because Mum made so many friends in Tesco's over the years, they sort became my friends as well so now I go straight to Tesco for my shopping.

No doubt many people in Asda would now accuse me of stock piling TP (if I was able to find any that is) when in fact I wouldn't be.

RIP Mum.