Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[DaJMasta]

I think there's something up with their system at the moment... I've had a couple things arrive as schedule, but I had a small parcel from WV to MD shipped last Tuesday, expected Thursday, and just fell off the face of the planet Wednesday, still yet to show anything.




I think the workbenches were ok prices (on sale, but they seem to be perpetually at Home Depot), something like $275 for the 8 foot a few years back and $250ish for the 6 foot last month... but they are a pain to move.  The assembled 8 foot bench is something like 200lbs, so I can only barely maneuver it around on my own and even with the lower legs off it's still a lot for two people.  That said, it's nice and stable/sturdy, and it's rated to a couple thousand pounds worth of support, I think.

[mnementh]

Yeah, I know them intimately; I've outfitted 4 shop spaces with them.  All 3 of the steel-frame table/desks I bought which I recommended to Cerebus a few pages back cost less than one of those benches.

While very sturdy for a desk, and very serviceable for even a medium-duty electronics bench, certainly not even in the same ballpark as those Husky benches. 

mnem
*toddles off to ded*

[beanflying]

TEA Jenga and power lifting day. Due to the recent Fluke inclusions and my floor filling up with stacked gear. I needed a rearrangement and maybe in spite of my self denial maybe it is time for a Server Rack 

Shelves are 200kg rated  and rough guess 150kg with 135kg (just checked for 'fun') on it so I added a load spreading ply to avoid breaking the spot welds Coffee Bean ballast below to stop top loading issues is about another 120kg.

Still have two smaller lots to find homes for 

[mnementh]

I think there's something up with their system at the moment... I've had a couple things arrive as schedule, but I had a small parcel from WV to MD shipped last Tuesday, expected Thursday, and just fell off the face of the planet Wednesday, still yet to show anything.

I think the workbenches were ok prices (on sale, but they seem to be perpetually at Home Depot), something like $275 for the 8 foot a few years back and $250ish for the 6 foot last month... but they are a pain to move.  The assembled 8 foot bench is something like 200lbs, so I can only barely maneuver it around on my own and even with the lower legs off it's still a lot for two people.  That said, it's nice and stable/sturdy, and it's rated to a couple thousand pounds worth of support, I think.

USPS tracking is quite frankly, complete & utter BS. Literally, computer routines pulling numbers out of their asses. I've called the next day on numerous obvious LIES (like status showing DELIVERED ON TIME, yet my whole street has had NOTHING delivered that day after checking several times right up to 8PM, and this has happened more than once) and been told as if it were of no consequence that those tracking results are entirely based on ANTICIPATED PROGRESS through the postal system; not on scanning at sorting hubs. The NEXT day my package shows up in my mailbox, along with 2 or 3 days worth of letters. 

It is not unusual for a tracked package to never once actually be scanned into the system UNTIL it is delivered by the carrier; many shippers inject their packages directly into the system and the package is not actually scanned at reception. 

Bottom line: this is the result of trying to make a Postal System work like commercial venture and cutting costs everywhere. It's NOT reasonable; throughout the history of the modern world, the post has been a public service, not a business; and it is one that needs lots of manpower to run. But paying people to do work is anathema to modern business thinking.   

mnem
 

[med6753]

There's been a subtle, but significant, change to the protocol on my County's 911 system with respect to EMT calls. And it's very obvious it's corona related. If the EMT call involves someone with "difficulty breathing" the responding agency must landline the 911 Center before they actually respond. This is new. Prior to this the call went out over the radio from 911, the responsible EMT agency indicated over the radio they were responding, 911 acknowledged, and that was it. This new extra step is inserted between 911 broadcasting the call and the EMT's acknowledging their response. So far I have noticed this only if the call involves "difficulty breathing"

   

[tautech]

Now the mad panic before the NZ shutdown is over......time to play with recent acquisitions. 
And get back on topic ! 

Nabbed an early B'day pressie for yours truly.
Couldn't resist......current probes are a sickness weakness. 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/362914149137

And it arrived today. 
Thanks Bill in NC for forwarding it on.

Does it anywhere meet the Tek risetime spec of ≤5.8 ns ?
1 MHz square wave 10Vp-p into 50 Ohms current test....nutthing too challenging....


And some ripple heaven 


So while everything is set up just 2 more current probes to check as providing somewhat similar results.

[med6753]

So where is the Fluke 8505A I purchased over a week ago? You'll have to ask USPS. Because it's taken nearly 6 days for it to travel approx. 120 miles. It shipped then disappeared into a black hole for nearly 4 days before showing up in Jersey City. Then it whizzed right by my location to spend a day in Springfield. Now it's left Springfield and should be at my local post office today (Tuesday). But hold on...the roads around here suck right now. North of me got blasted with snow. Upwards of a foot of the white stuff. And that's where Springfield is located. 

I want to play on get back on topic too but the USPS is in my way. Update to this. The 8505A went from Springfield to the Newburgh distribution center which is about 15 miles away. So it made it thru the snow. Luckily it left there at 0304 hours and my post office is the next stop. So with any luck I'll get it today.

And I agree with the dragon. Their tracking is utter bullshit. 

[BU508A]

Springfield? That Springfield with this nuclear power plant of Mr. Burns? 

 

[med6753]

Springfield? That Springfield with this nuclear power plant of Mr. Burns? 

 

Springfield, Massachusetts.....or more better Springfield, Masshole. So yea, could be. 

[tggzzz]

Oh, and yes, we are now in a 3 week lockdown.

I wouldn't bet on it being 3 weeks. It will be assessed after 3 weeks.

Meanwhile, I hope UPS do pick up a package from my house this morning.

[bd139]

UPS are picking up still. We've been using them to ship out kit from the office to people.

[beanflying]

Forgot to take a picture but I had a Random smoke generation this afternoon but it headed straight for the bin. The Sonoff POW that has been looking after my 13A coffee machine for the last few years failed into a smelly blob for reasons unknown. Likely culprit was the relay but the ECLB and separate circuit breakers weren't tripped so 

I have a spare Sonoff POW but maybe some hot wiring to a better relay will be in order before dropping it into a new enclosure. Meanwhile I will have to stagger out to the switch 40-50 minutes prior to getting the morning heart starter instead of doing it from the comfort of my Bed. Clearly this is a first world priority problem to sort out but for tonight a plug change for manual.

[Specmaster]

@DajMasta That is home lab to die for man, I very jelly of that, being able to leave a project open in one part of the bench instead of keep packing it away when progress is delayed so other projects etc can continue in the meantime. 

[bd139]

Indeed. First thing I'm doing when I move is buying some of those shelves so I've got space to obtain things to put on them 

[Specmaster]

I dream of winning the Lottery, so I could buy something larger, or extend this place and then have a nice space like that to work in 

[bd139]

I avoid games of chance where possible

Just seen my next car on ebay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313016881099

[nixiefreqq]

FFS!

was away for a short time and return to find all the brits have turned into "statler and waldorf" from the muppet show!

and the dragon is now "the voice of reason".

screw this..........am going back down into my "fortress of solitude" and work some more on reducing noise in my 10 Ghz yig oscillator.  (actually managed to fry an lm317 yesterday.  did not expect it to fail short!)

ps  fortunately med is a never changing rock of stability.  (a blue assed NY bastard bitchin' about snow and the postal system).

[tggzzz]

UPS are picking up still. We've been using them to ship out kit from the office to people.

Two couriers in 10 minutes.

UPS wouldn't come near me, but did pick up the package. Good.

ParcelForce handed me my latest toy (a Cropico voltage reference), which will now stew in the garage for three days before I open it.
https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/03/19/how-long-can-the-novel-coronavirus-survive-on-surfaces-and-in-the-air

[tggzzz]

I avoid games of chance where possible

Just seen my next car on ebay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313016881099

Ah, yes, driving that is a game of chance like the 1995 Darwin Award
https://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-04.html
(yes i know that and that, but I'm not going to let that get in the way of a fond memory )

But it would be useful if you ever do emigrate to fenland; the long straight roads would simply fly by.

[bd139]

FFS!

was away for a short time and return to find all the brits have turned into "statler and waldorf" from the muppet show!

and the dragon is now "the voice of reason".

screw this..........am going back down into my "fortress of solitude" and work some more on reducing noise in my 10 Ghz yig oscillator.  (actually managed to fry an lm317 yesterday.  did not expect it to fail short!)

ps  fortunately med is a never changing rock of stability.  (a blue assed NY bastard bitchin' about snow and the postal system).

LM317 is one of those devices with a lot of lore around it. Some of my favourites which I find terribly funny:

1. I can make a 1.2-30V regulator that will kick out an amp with one. Proceeds to then run it with a 40V input and 3.3V output with an inch across heatsink on it trying to absorb 25 watts or so. BOOM!
2. They automatically current limit if they get hot. BOOM!
3. They make a good charger IC for SLA batteries. Line power goes down, missing protection diodes. BOOM!
4. They are universally stable. Runs it with 30 foot of inductors between the regulator and load. BOOM!
5. They are short circuit proo.....BOOM!
6. You can strap a CC circuit behind a CV circuit and make a bench power supply. Oh it's oscillating like fuck. BOOM!
7. It fails open (a thing you found out isn't true). Nope the pass transistor goes C-E short almost always and dumps the entire input voltage across the load.

If you value anything that any linear regulator is connected to regardless of type or vendor or even if it's a commercial power supply from a big brand, you stick a crowbar in circuit.

[AVGresponding]

Blah, enforced staying-at-home and seeing other people's workbenches has finally shamed/motivated me to clearing my own a bit.
Currently down to an approximate 2" (50mm) layer...  soon I'll be able to see the actual bench surface!

[med6753]

I want to play on get back on topic too but the USPS is in my way. Update to this. The 8505A went from Springfield to the Newburgh distribution center which is about 15 miles away. So it made it thru the snow. Luckily it left there at 0304 hours and my post office is the next stop. So with any luck I'll get it today.

And I agree with the dragon. Their tracking is utter bullshit. 

I'll be damned.....out for delivery. Photos and smoke test when it arrives. I'll do a tear down later.

[nixiefreqq]

LM317 is one of those devices with a lot of lore around it. Some of my favourites which I find terribly funny:


It fails open (a thing you found out isn't true). Nope the pass transistor goes C-E short almost always and dumps the entire input voltage across the load.


from the man who shot liberty valence:

"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact...print the legend."

looks like i fell for the legend.

[bd139]

We all have at one point. For me it was the “oh the LM317 is on fire. That’s unexpected”   

[med6753]

I've used a LM317 in multiple circuits and never had a problem. Same with it's negative brother, LM337.

Gotta know it's limits.