Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

I've got a smaller 1921 here to clean out today. May contain RIFAs 

[AVGresponding]

Nope, it is recognised standard way of adding a socket onto a lighting circuit, yes in theory you could use a 13A version, but then there is nothing to prevent someone plugging in an appliance that exceeded the 6A rating of the light circuit and popping the breaker and plunging the house into darkness, hence the use of a 2amp socket being used.

I'll take your word for it; in case I haven't mentioned it before, I don't do house-bashing   


Most of the sparkies have been sent home from the temporary morgue job today, as it's all but done and we're not needed, and also the site manager is grumbling about having us being paid for standing around doing nothing. So instead we'll be getting paid for sitting at home...
He's also miffed because we cracked on at the weekend and broke the back of the job, while his joiners tossed it off and are now behind (he's technically a joiner, though only NVQ level 2, internal politics again...).   

The brickies made a big assed hole in a wall for the big assed cold air blower (well they made two actually), only to be told the one on the right is in the wrong place, so they have to brick it back up and knock out another 4m x 3m of high density breeze block.
And who was responsible for marking out this big assed hole in the wrong place? The Head of the Projects Section.


My AD584L references arrived from Shenzen today, the one at the bottom coming with a "calibration certificate".
As soon as I have some meters and a psu warmed up, I'll give them some V and see what happens.


The manual for the VFD I repurposed claims you can't feed it with single phase AC, but I'm betting that's only partially true. I bet with a bigger bridge and some tomfoolery with the input sense circuitry, it can be persuaded to work.


EDIT: @bd139, I asked a lad at another site to repurpose me a rack cabinet, when he gets a spare moment (it's a decommissioned site, scheduled for demo when they cleaned out all the asbestos, so I'm saving it from landfill. Sadly I think postage would be ludicrous to send you one too...).

[bd139]

Yeah I'm looking for someone to pay me to take the rack away. Only need a 20U open frame job 

Good luck with the "calibration certificate". Did you get two exactly the same?   

Edit: currently printing out 200 sheets of colour powerpoint shit for the kids from school. Almost as bad as the ThoughtWorks presentations which used a black background and they wanted us to print out 50 sheets per person and 30 people for a presentation. Told them to fuck off 

Edit 2: got buggered for a customs charge on that cheap PLC.  £11 

Annoying thing is the ratio of charge to RM buggering.

[AVGresponding]

Nope, only 1 came with.

By sheer coincidence, on the 10V output, it's actually pretty close, 100uV or so out.

[bd139]

I figured they might only ship one 

Saving money. Totally identical devices 

[AVGresponding]

Ah, but two different suppliers.

I did that because I was hedging my bets, in case one turned up with a 584J on it or something.

Now I just need to decide how to case them up. I've got quite a few expired devices that could donate their housing, but finding one that's just right might take me a while.
I see no need to put them in a metal case, but I do want to automate the switching of the reference outputs, using some of the hundreds of old telecoms relays I have.
I also don't want to use a mains power supply, so it's batteries. Might have a look on Hobby King to see what they've got in the bargain bin atm.

[Specmaster]

Nope, it is recognised standard way of adding a socket onto a lighting circuit, yes in theory you could use a 13A version, but then there is nothing to prevent someone plugging in an appliance that exceeded the 6A rating of the light circuit and popping the breaker and plunging the house into darkness, hence the use of a 2amp socket being used.

I'll take your word for it; in case I haven't mentioned it before, I don't do house-bashing   


Most of the sparkies have been sent home from the temporary morgue job today, as it's all but done and we're not needed, and also the site manager is grumbling about having us being paid for standing around doing nothing. So instead we'll be getting paid for sitting at home...
He's also miffed because we cracked on at the weekend and broke the back of the job, while his joiners tossed it off and are now behind (he's technically a joiner, though only NVQ level 2, internal politics again...).   

The brickies made a big assed hole in a wall for the big assed cold air blower (well they made two actually), only to be told the one on the right is in the wrong place, so they have to brick it back up and knock out another 4m x 3m of high density breeze block.
And who was responsible for marking out this big assed hole in the wrong place? The Head of the Projects Section.


My AD584L references arrived from Shenzen today, the one at the bottom coming with a "calibration certificate".
As soon as I have some meters and a psu warmed up, I'll give them some V and see what happens.


The manual for the VFD I repurposed claims you can't feed it with single phase AC, but I'm betting that's only partially true. I bet with a bigger bridge and some tomfoolery with the input sense circuitry, it can be persuaded to work.


EDIT: @bd139, I asked a lad at another site to repurpose me a rack cabinet, when he gets a spare moment (it's a decommissioned site, scheduled for demo when they cleaned out all the asbestos, so I'm saving it from landfill. Sadly I think postage would be ludicrous to send you one too...).

Same thing here, I didn't do house bashing, only private jobs for pin money or for family. Spent most of my working life as a technical sales engineer calling on and working alongside consulting electrical engineers on large projects, like schools and hospitals etc.. Ugh bloody NVQ's just another abomination to try to bridge the skill gap quickly and cheaply, absolute rubbish that scheme.

On another note, the BC182 transistors have arrived so now I can get on and hopefully button up the 4503 so it can take up a useful spot on my bench lineup.

[bd139]

NVQ = Never Very Qualified 

To be fair our sparky has an NVQ but he only got it to jump through the hoops at the JC while he was training.

[Specmaster]

NVQ = Never Very Qualified 

To be fair our sparky has an NVQ but he only got it to jump through the hoops at the JC while he was training.

LMAO, NVQ  how very true, I've never found anyone with that level of certification that I'd even remotely consider employing. WTF is JC?

[bd139]

JC = Job Centre. The only place you go when you don't want a job here or really want to work in the Job Centre

I take people on individual merit not qualifications. Had to tell a couple of grads from fairly respectable universities to piss off recently.

[AVGresponding]

Yeah, the sparkies we have through apprenticeship train up to NVQ level 4.

Even my PAT qualification is NVQ level 3... level 2 for a joiner is what? He knows which end of a chisel to hold?

My paternal grandfather was a munitions engineer in the war, then was a carpenter later in life. He had skills, in NVQ terms, probably level 10... he passed some of his skills on to his sons, one of them made it into 7 figures of net worth in the joinery business (not my dad sadly, he's too much of a hippy    (he's a bloody good graphic artist though)), and it made its way down to me in due course.
My dovetail joints might not be up to his level, but I do love the feel of working with wood.


EDIT: Just noticed my post count!   

[tggzzz]

Now I just need to decide how to case them up. I've got quite a few expired devices that could donate their housing, but finding one that's just right might take me a while.
I see no need to put them in a metal case, but I do want to automate the switching of the reference outputs, using some of the hundreds of old telecoms relays I have.

... another source of thermal EMF

[Specmaster]

JC = Job Centre. The only place you go when you don't want a job here or really want to work in the Job Centre

I take people on individual merit not qualifications. Had to tell a couple of grads from fairly respectable universities to piss off recently.

Oh hell yes, I keep clear of grads, experience has taught me that they are great at theory but utter shit at doing anything with their hands. I really don't think you can beat the type of training I got, hands on the job training and also day release to college, doing the theory and practical side by side, enhancing each other. My mentor and on the job trainer got promoted while I was in my 2nd year of apprenticship and I was doing so well that they decided to leave me on my own and actually got me 2 other apprentices to take under my wing and train them up and oversee their development.

[Kosmic]

Now I just need to decide how to case them up. I've got quite a few expired devices that could donate their housing, but finding one that's just right might take me a while.
I see no need to put them in a metal case, but I do want to automate the switching of the reference outputs, using some of the hundreds of old telecoms relays I have.

... another source of thermal EMF

I don't think thermal EMF matter much for the AD584.

[AVGresponding]

And these are very low coil current relays (NEC MR62-24SB).


Been doing some light googling of that ratio transformer I scored, seems it's a very nice piece of kit indeed, with 8 decade versions able to embarrass a 3458A   

Even my 7 decade unit seems to be valued by some:
https://www.torontosurplus.com/gertsch-singer-model-1011-ac-ratio-standard-in-stock-z1.html

[med6753]

Now I just need to decide how to case them up. I've got quite a few expired devices that could donate their housing, but finding one that's just right might take me a while.
I see no need to put them in a metal case, but I do want to automate the switching of the reference outputs, using some of the hundreds of old telecoms relays I have.

... another source of thermal EMF

I don't think thermal EMF matter much for the AD584.

No, but ambient temperature does. As I recently demonstrated with an AD584 on a hot plate.

[AVGresponding]

med, if my relays get that hot, I've got other problems!   

[med6753]

And these are very low coil current relays (NEC MR62-24SB).


Been doing some light googling of that ratio transformer I scored, seems it's a very nice piece of kit indeed, with 8 decade versions able to embarrass a 3458A   

Even my 7 decade unit seems to be valued by some:
https://www.torontosurplus.com/gertsch-singer-model-1011-ac-ratio-standard-in-stock-z1.html

Hey, Royal Mail tried to deliver the probe tips but no one was home. I want to see that (expensive) box in your hot little hands. 

[bd139]

Oh this has to be the shittest packaging in the universe award contender here.

Another ebay job I needed for my network project (have 5 ciscos now and all the WICs I need)...

So huuuuuuge box arrives. Oooh look there's two boxes just slung inside it.



Ugh this is not looking good. Inner box containing my toy...



Well the inner inner box appears to have basically just got the item stuffed in it and a tape roll for padding. No bubble wrap, nothing 



Looks ok fortunately. The rack brackets are quite frankly mega-overkill and gave it some smsashing around room. Hopefully it's not too wrecked. All I needed was the VDSL card out of it but you know it would have been nice not to have to chuck the rest in the trash.

[med6753]

Your 2nd toe is longer than your big toe. 


(So is mine)

[bd139]

Ahh fellow mutant 

Edit: router boots fine! 

Edit 2: smells of curry. Now I want curry for dinner 

[Kosmic]

Now I just need to decide how to case them up. I've got quite a few expired devices that could donate their housing, but finding one that's just right might take me a while.
I see no need to put them in a metal case, but I do want to automate the switching of the reference outputs, using some of the hundreds of old telecoms relays I have.

... another source of thermal EMF

I don't think thermal EMF matter much for the AD584.

No, but ambient temperature does. As I recently demonstrated with an AD584 on a hot plate.

Yeah well, I can show you a graph of my AD584 following the ambient temperature 

[AVGresponding]

Hey, Royal Mail tried to deliver the probe tips but no one was home. I want to see that (expensive) box in your hot little hands. 

Ah, so it is the one waiting for me at the parcel office.

I tried to pick it up this morning, but they are closed Wednesdays due to covid   

Yeah well, I can show you a graph of my AD584 following the ambient temperature 

Whether they end up in a metal or plastic case, I do intend to try to thermally isolate them as well as I can. Not sure whether to go to the length of a heater, especially as that ultimately implies mains power which I want to avoid.

Now that the 7150 has warmed up, the reading has dropped to what the "calibration certificate" gives for the 10V, with the difference being down in the noise. What are the odds?   

[med6753]

Now I just need to decide how to case them up. I've got quite a few expired devices that could donate their housing, but finding one that's just right might take me a while.
I see no need to put them in a metal case, but I do want to automate the switching of the reference outputs, using some of the hundreds of old telecoms relays I have.

... another source of thermal EMF

I don't think thermal EMF matter much for the AD584.

No, but ambient temperature does. As I recently demonstrated with an AD584 on a hot plate.

Yeah well, I can show you a graph of my AD584 following the ambient temperature 

You did, remember? Then I demonstrated more acutely by putting it on a hot plate.  Search back....

[Kosmic]

Now I just need to decide how to case them up. I've got quite a few expired devices that could donate their housing, but finding one that's just right might take me a while.
I see no need to put them in a metal case, but I do want to automate the switching of the reference outputs, using some of the hundreds of old telecoms relays I have.

... another source of thermal EMF

I don't think thermal EMF matter much for the AD584.

No, but ambient temperature does. As I recently demonstrated with an AD584 on a hot plate.

Yeah well, I can show you a graph of my AD584 following the ambient temperature 

You did, remember? Then I demonstrated more acutely by putting it on a hot plate.  Search back....

Yes I remember, we are both saying the same thing. Sorry if it looks like I was arguing. I was not.

Still trying to wake up drinking my coffee