Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Saskia]

I am currently eyeing a Conitec Galep-5 on ebay.

What are your opinions and what would you consider a fair price ?

[BU508A]

 

I don't know the Conitec Galep-5 but this one looks very reasonable to me:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/1-St-Programmiergerat-16-IV-Promac-/402243459242

[kleiner Rainer]

Saskia,

I have the predecessor, GALEP-4 in use, an inheritance from my employer after printer ports on PCs went out of fashion. I can recommend the company and its products. Never had any problems, updates available for a long time, lots of definition files. 

Rainer

[mansaxel]

My Rubidium reference vs my GPSDO.



I probably need to find a cesium reference to know who's right and who's not.

Isn't GPS controlled by NIST & space rubidium oscillators?

don't think so.  the master clock for gps used to come from the us naval observatory.

maybe it changed?

It's still USNO but, of course, since UTC and GPS time are sort of related, (it's complicated) there's some steering and interaction with both NIST and BIPM. They do not exist in a void. Professional time-nuts have conferences and stuff.

IIRC the satellites fly Cs clocks, which are steered from USNO.

Since we have no domestic GNSS system in Sweden, we've decided to build a terrestrial system instead, with NTP and PTP being the prime methods of distribution. In 4, soon to be 5, locations around the country, time servers are located in bunkers, and connected to the Internet where they serve UTC(SP) to anyone who wants it via NTP and PTP to those who need that, albeit for a fee.

I'm no proper time-nut, but I know people who are professional time keepers.

[mnementh]

I think i have started a 2 stroke post! I felt like such a 'legend' when it went back together AND started!
Fortunately we don't get ethanol in our petrol (gas) and it is too warm here even in winter for the petrol companies to worry about cold additives.
I have to link a comedy sketch that actually initiated a product that was released by one of the Aus hardware /engine additive companies, named after the incantation that I always say when attempting to start a 2 stroke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY1YndLmbXQ&feature=youtu.be

Oh, I know THAT feeling.  Addictive, it is.    Now imagine how it must feel when you've just done a complete re-ring & heads AND a 4bbl carb overhaul on a V-8. 

There's a reason for the saying...."Old motorheads never die; they just run on... and on... and on..."

mnem

[Ice-Tea]

Pretty sure it has RIFAs inside.

[Kosmic]

But what about something easier to accomplish first?
Looking at that BG7TBL FA-2 counter I see lots of resolution when taking samples with a gate time of 10s.
Seems to be very much maths involved, so what's the precision of that unit?

Supposed to be something like 11digits. I double checked with the HP 53310a and they agree to around +- 0.1 mHz

Perhaps you should first check with a decent counter with high resolution and high precision, for example some nice gear from HP/Agilent/Keysight (53132A, 5370A or newer ones), Fluke/Pendulum (PM91,CNT-91), Stanford Research (SR 620).
I surely missed some. Any further suggestions?   

I was partially joking with the Cesium reference. Honestly, I only really need an accuracy of 1hz at 10Mhz. So I got plenty of resolution with the FA-2 and HP 53310a.

Secondly, can you improve your GPS antenna setup?
With a good view of the sky and a good antenna you could explore how different GPSDOs compare (even better with step one accomplished -better counter..)   

This is a good point. My setup is really ghetto right now (the antenna standing on the side of my pool). I'm planning to put an antenna on the roof but none of my GPS antenna are working with my Rohde & Schwarz ED170MP. The ED170MP is supplying 15V but my antenna only goes to 5V max. So I tried supplying 5V externally with a biastee but look like the ED170MP doesn't like that. I need to contact Meinberg (the producer of the ED170MP) to see if they can recommend an antenna.

[Kosmic]

Isn't GPS controlled by NIST & space rubidium oscillators?

Satellites are equipped with cesium atomic clock. Not sure if they are synch back with something on hearth after launch.

Edit: Blah, look like I was late to the party, I should read the posts in reverse order. Mansaxel answered the question and yes they are steered from ground.

[Zucca]

Pretty sure it has RIFAs inside.
(Attachment Link)

Can you please stop smoking in your lab or buy a Variable Trafo for Mains 

[McBryce]

Pretty sure it has RIFAs inside.
(Attachment Link)

Are those bricks slanted or is your desk seriously tilted??

McBryce.

[BU508A]

Secondly, can you improve your GPS antenna setup?
With a good view of the sky and a good antenna you could explore how different GPSDOs compare (even better with step one accomplished -better counter..)   

This is a good point. My setup is really ghetto right now (the antenna standing on the side of my pool). I'm planning to put an antenna on the roof but none of my GPS antenna are working with my Rohde & Schwarz ED170MP. The ED170MP is supplying 15V but my antenna only goes to 5V max. So I tried supplying 5V externally with a biastee but look like the ED170MP doesn't like that. I need to contact Meinberg (the producer of the ED170MP) to see if they can recommend an antenna.

My little lab is located directly under the roof. The roof-light is looking in a southward direction. The GPS antenna of my GPSDO is sticked in the middle of the roof-light and receives a very decent signal of various GPS satellites. The accuracy is absolutely sufficient for me.  See also my postings with the Fluke PM6681.

[Ice-Tea]

Pretty sure it has RIFAs inside.
(Attachment Link)

Can you please stop smoking in your lab or buy a Variable Trafo for Mains 

Lol. 10mA diff there, shouldn't be too bad

Pretty sure it has RIFAs inside.
(Attachment Link)

Are those bricks slanted or is your desk seriously tilted??

McBryce.

Mostly perspective and a bit of boat anchor induced tilt on the table.

[BU508A]

Pretty sure it has RIFAs inside.
(Attachment Link)

Are those bricks slanted or is your desk seriously tilted??

My guess is: it is a round room.

[BU508A]

Pretty sure it has RIFAs inside.
(Attachment Link)

  

[Ice-Tea]

Pretty sure it has RIFAs inside.
(Attachment Link)

Are those bricks slanted or is your desk seriously tilted??

My guess is: it is a round room.

And a round table, yes

[mnementh]

30 Years ago as I was mainly using Unix I might have gone to Linux but most of the world has moved on 

Today's thing you can't easily create on a Linux Box Fusion 360 3D model of a Laser path because I was bored. Feel free to play zoom and explode here https://a360.co/2KBmHIy

'Kay. 

mnem

[FransW]

I was thinking about the IQB (IQRB1 ±0.05ppb) and Suntsu (SRO10S ± 0.05 ppb) mini-rubidium oscillators with  a mtbf figure of 100000 hrs (11 years).
Both on the market since 2019.
Specs attached.

[FransW]

Next one

[mnementh]

https://www.ea.com/games/command-and-conquer/command-and-conquer-remastered

Ain't I a stinker...? 

mnem
*out, standing in my field*

No you're not a stinker  Hmm, I might just get that download, probably worth it just for the enhanced graphics  But its the WSC09 that the real pig, because neither Steam or Origin have that available for PC updated for Win10. As an ex team snooker player, I really enjoyed potting a few virtue balls and clocking up a few 147 breaks. Helps to refresh your mind and clarify your thinking, so hopefully one day it too will get remastered. 

You're welcome. 

Hmmm... since so many of the MAME emulators & launchers really only work right on XP because they need direct access to the hardware... might be worth building a XP box for both. Not like it needs to ever be connected to the intardnet, so no reason in the world not to... uhhh... build a ancient PC just to run emulators for even more ancient ASICs running even more ancient ROMs...



mnem
I don't know if I can find small enough RAM for that anymore...

[Kosmic]

I was thinking about the IQB (IQRB1 ±0.05ppb) and Suntsu (SRO10S ± 0.05 ppb) mini-rubidium oscillators with  a mtbf figure of 100000 hrs (11 years).
Both on the market since 2019.
Specs attached.

I bought a refactored and calibrated Datum LPRO 101 from user Testpoint1 last year. Has been working fine since then. I'm planning to put it in a box with a linear power supply and distribution amplifier.

[0culus]

Isn't GPS controlled by NIST & space rubidium oscillators?

Satellites are equipped with cesium atomic clock. Not sure if they are synch back with something on hearth after launch.

Edit: Blah, look like I was late to the party, I should read the posts in reverse order. Mansaxel answered the question and yes they are steered from ground.

The GPS constellation is actually controlled from Schriever AFB east of Colorado Springs, CO.

https://www.schriever.af.mil/gps/

[BU508A]

Next one

EEVBlog thread to this nice device:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/new-mini-rubidium-10mhz-oscillator/

[Specmaster]

https://www.ea.com/games/command-and-conquer/command-and-conquer-remastered

Ain't I a stinker...? 

mnem
*out, standing in my field*

No you're not a stinker  Hmm, I might just get that download, probably worth it just for the enhanced graphics  But its the WSC09 that the real pig, because neither Steam or Origin have that available for PC updated for Win10. As an ex team snooker player, I really enjoyed potting a few virtue balls and clocking up a few 147 breaks. Helps to refresh your mind and clarify your thinking, so hopefully one day it too will get remastered. 

You're welcome. 

Hmmm... since so many of the MAME emulators & launchers really only work right on XP because they need direct access to the hardware... might be worth building a XP box for both. Not like it needs to ever be connected to the intardnet, so no reason in the world not to... uhhh... build a ancient PC just to run emulators for even more ancient ASICs running even more ancient ROMs...



mnem
I don't know if I can find small enough RAM for that anymore...

I could repurpose the Dell 5200 into a XP machine, I have a licensed copy of XP, not that matters if its not being connected to the internet anyway 

[mnementh]

     ADALM-PLUTO Software-Defined Radio Active Learning Module

Hey, bd... I stumbled across this whilst researching the above ADALM2000:

    Portable self-contained RF learning module
    Cost-effective experimentation platform
    Based on Analog Devices AD9363--Highly Integrated RF Agile Transceiver and Xilinx® Zynq Z-7010 FPGA
    RF coverage from 325 MHz to 3.8 GHz
    Up to 20 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth
    Flexible rate, 12-bit ADC and DAC
    One transmitter and one receiver, half or full duplex
    MATLAB®, Simulink® support
    GNU Radio sink and source blocks
    libiio, a C, C++, C#, and Python API
    USB 2.0 Powered Interface with Micro-USB 2.0 connector
    High quality plastic enclosure

I stuck one in my cart when I was checking out the ADALM2000; it too can be had for $99 with promo code STUDENT. In all honesty, I'm not enough of a HAM to know if this is something that'd be useful to you or not; but like the ADALM2000, on paper it sure sounds like a lot of features for little money.

mnem
*Back to vegetating*

   https://greatscottgadgets.com/hackrf/one/

HackRF One from Great Scott Gadgets is a Software Defined Radio peripheral capable of transmission or reception of radio signals from 1 MHz to 6 GHz. Designed to enable test and development of modern and next generation radio technologies, HackRF One is an open source hardware platform that can be used as a USB peripheral or programmed for stand-alone operation.

    1 MHz to 6 GHz operating frequency
    half-duplex transceiver
    up to 20 million samples per second
    8-bit quadrature samples (8-bit I and 8-bit Q)
    compatible with GNU Radio, SDR#, and more
    software-configurable RX and TX gain and baseband filter
    software-controlled antenna port power (50 mA at 3.3 V)
    SMA female antenna connector
    SMA female clock input and output for synchronization
    convenient buttons for programming
    internal pin headers for expansion
    Hi-Speed USB 2.0
    USB-powered
    open source hardware

Just stumbled across this while looking for other stuff. Not sure what, if anything, it has over the ADALM-Pluto. Just thought I'd bring it up for those interested.

github is here: https://github.com/mossmann/hackrf

mnem
*toddles off to pick up a guitar*

[Saskia]

https://www.ea.com/games/command-and-conquer/command-and-conquer-remastered

Ain't I a stinker...? 

mnem
*out, standing in my field*

No you're not a stinker  Hmm, I might just get that download, probably worth it just for the enhanced graphics  But its the WSC09 that the real pig, because neither Steam or Origin have that available for PC updated for Win10. As an ex team snooker player, I really enjoyed potting a few virtue balls and clocking up a few 147 breaks. Helps to refresh your mind and clarify your thinking, so hopefully one day it too will get remastered. 

You're welcome. 

Hmmm... since so many of the MAME emulators & launchers really only work right on XP because they need direct access to the hardware... might be worth building a XP box for both. Not like it needs to ever be connected to the intardnet, so no reason in the world not to... uhhh... build a ancient PC just to run emulators for even more ancient ASICs running even more ancient ROMs...



mnem
I don't know if I can find small enough RAM for that anymore...

I could repurpose the Dell 5200 into a XP machine, I have a licensed copy of XP, not that matters if its not being connected to the internet anyway 

actually you have to activate it, and they have shutdown the activation servers. Which means you have to activate it over the phone.