Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Zucca]

Hey tonyalbus, how did you find this dark web corner?
Pay attention here there are dangerous people, they have the power to drain your bank account and make you happy... with....

...another brick in the wall....

[mnementh]

I have a monumental amount of gear on my doorstep right now, much of it older. A lot of corroded BNCs etc. So, what's your go-to solution for clearing that up?

Depends on the jack. One I did up recently was Silver plated so I polished it up and then gave it a good flush with IPA. The internal pin looked in good condition in this case. Otherwise swap them for less fuss depending on if you can get one as an easy replacement.

For BNC jacks, I have a thin conical well worn dental diamond burr, which, if applied carefully, nicely restores them.

But you loose the plating at the same time and the connector will corrode quicklier without it.

Arguably, it wasn't really still there anyways... but I cringed when I saw that. Aside from a very few that were made of high-nickel steel (almost stainless), any kind of abrasive or cutting tool (especially on a power tool) on a BNC removes too much material, causing inadequate contact pressure. I get that you said "extra-dull" bit... but I still cringe.

I'm leery of touching them up with crocus cloth wrapped around a carved-up popsicle stick, but I'll do it as a last-ditch attempt on a real hard-case (as in hard to get to or hard to find replacement) connector. Lots of cleaning thereafter with a flattened Q-tip dipped in alcohol to remove any grit or flakes too.

mnem
  

[Specmaster]

Badly corroded BNC jacks, I just replace them with nice shiny new ones.

[Kosmic]

Badly corroded BNC jacks, I just replace them with nice shiny new ones.

Yep, the only acceptable solution if you ask me.

[bd139]

Option #2 is sell on ebay as "barn find - untested but lights up $4,500 only!" 

[mnementh]

In Other News...

I've created a new catch-phrase around the house. Ever since I casually said (in reference to a pair of shorts I'd worn two days in a row due to a laundry mishap) "I don't want those; they smell like dragon-butt!" the wife & pups are saying it about everything now. I don't know whether to be offended or pleased that I actually taught my kids something.

mnem

[GreyWoolfe]

I dunno then. Maybe it depends on how you pay for your medical care. If insurance pays for the unit, it’s usually provided “as a service”, at least until paid off at ridiculous markup like my first two. The providers get a lot more money in the long run, while the insurance companies get more money in the bottom line at the end of the quarter.

If you’re HMO or “Healthcare Union”, I’d guess they buy outright. Also, they’re not nearly as expensive now as they used to be, and yours might be a slightly older model but factory refurb or NOS. 

I’ve seen 3 or 4 new-new machines in the last year; they were all cellular data equipped. I guess I assumed that’s how they all were provided; but like everything in the last decade or so, the crazy economy is making a lot of changes in the way anything business is done.

mnem
 

I don't know if it is a current model, not sure if it is NOS.  1800CPAP,com is still selling them but it is a lower price than what I paid last January so maybe it is NOS at this point.  On a HMO this year but was on a PPO last year.  I inquired through the Insurance DME company and the idiots couldn't tell me the out of pocket cost so I could make sure I added sufficient funds to my FSA account.  The insurance rep called the company and couldn't get a straight answer.  The DME company said the unit was $2500 and the rep figured out my out of pocket was around $1200.  I bought it from the above website for $300 less.  Granted, it didn't go toward my deductible but $300 is $300.  It is easier to pay out of pocket for masks and supplies on the website as Mrs GreyWoolfe works for out PCP and she has no issues writing scripts as needed.  The mask I prefer is very inexpensive buying it directly as are the supplies needed and I avoid the hassle with the DME.  Maybe I am wrong doing it this way, but I only replace my mask and hose every 6 months as I use a SoClean 2 to keep things clean.

What is it with everyone needing positive air pressure to sleep all of a sudden?

I don't get it?

I have, like others that use a CPAP machine, moderate to severe sleep Apnea.  I stop breathing momentarily many times during the night that also results in loud snoring.  The CPAP prevents the apneas from happening, no snoring, Mrs GreyWoolfe is happy and I get to wake up in the morning instead of possibly dying in my sleep.

[Ice-Tea]

Badly corroded BNC jacks, I just replace them with nice shiny new ones.

Yep, the only acceptable solution if you ask me.

All depends on the "badly" part. Struggling a bit with finding middle ground between "its 40 years old, what do you expect" and wanting to present it in the nicest way possible. I agree that replacing them is always the best way, but it has to be at least a little economical

[mnementh]

What is it with everyone needing positive air pressure to sleep all of a sudden?

I don't get it?

I have, like others that use a CPAP machine, moderate to severe sleep Apnea.  I stop breathing momentarily many times during the night that also results in loud snoring.  The CPAP prevents the apneas from happening, no snoring, Mrs GreyWoolfe is happy and I get to wake up in the morning instead of possibly dying in my sleep.

Sleep apnea is a lot more common than folks realize. We discovered mine when I was only "moderately overweight"; my wife got used to me sleeping beside her quickly after we got together, and when I'd stop breathing it actually woke her up. All I knew was sometimes I snored and sometimes I woke up exhausted after a full night's "sleep".

That said... the likelihood of sleep apnea is greatly increased if you're overweight; the more so the likelier. As obesity is an epidemic even more widespread in "first world nations" than COVID-19, that means you're just plain going to see more people talking about it in any casual discussion.

It's important to discuss it too, so people know what symptoms to look for; as you've mentioned before, getting a good night's sleep every night literally adds years to your life.

mnem
*suffering from Marlin Mental Overload*

[Specmaster]

Option #2 is sell on ebay as "barn find - untested but lights up $4,500 only!" 

Haha, is that US$ or Aussy Jungle Dingo$ 

[Kosmic]

Badly corroded BNC jacks, I just replace them with nice shiny new ones.

Yep, the only acceptable solution if you ask me.

All depends on the "badly" part. Struggling a bit with finding middle ground between "its 40 years old, what do you expect" and wanting to present it in the nicest way possible. I agree that replacing them is always the best way, but it has to be at least a little economical

This is why sometimes it is beyond economical repair 

[WastelandTek]

I have a monumental amount of gear on my doorstep right now, much of it older. A lot of corroded BNCs etc. So, what's your go-to solution for clearing that up?

vinegar soak

[Saskia]

remove and replace or remove, do some electrolytic replating and put back in.

[duckduck]

real men have wood.

this was the calculator my old man used in college.

so it is circa 1948.

Stupid story. Way back in my high school years (late 80's) my dad went to a parent teacher conference. He met with my pre-calculus teacher and talked about how much things had changed (the TI-99 graphing calculator was popular at the time) and said that when he was taking math in college, he used a slide rule. The teacher, a young woman, said "A what?" My dad says "A slide rule, you know". Turns out the math teacher had no clue and my dad had to explain what a slide rule was.

Of course, this was the same teacher that said that if you cut open a parabolic mike, you would find a parabola inside. I explained that this was microphone sensitivity vs position around the microphone.

[Cubdriver]

real men have wood.

this was the calculator my old man used in college.

so it is circa 1948.

Stupid story. Way back in my high school years (late 80's) my dad went to a parent teacher conference. He met with my pre-calculus teacher and talked about how much things had changed (the TI-99 graphing calculator was popular at the time) and said that when he was taking math in college, he used a slide rule. The teacher, a young woman, said "A what?" My dad says "A slide rule, you know". Turns out the math teacher had no clue and my dad had to explain what a slide rule was.

Of course, this was the same teacher that said that if you cut open a parabolic mike, you would find a parabola inside. I explained that this was microphone sensitivity vs position around the microphone.

I remember giant demo slide rules hanging over the blackboards in several classrooms back when I went to HS (early 80s).  Never saw one used, of course, but they were there.  They've likely long since gone off to the dump, like so many other interesting things that would be cool to have around.

-Pat

[GreyWoolfe]

What is it with everyone needing positive air pressure to sleep all of a sudden?

I don't get it?

I have, like others that use a CPAP machine, moderate to severe sleep Apnea.  I stop breathing momentarily many times during the night that also results in loud snoring.  The CPAP prevents the apneas from happening, no snoring, Mrs GreyWoolfe is happy and I get to wake up in the morning instead of possibly dying in my sleep.

Sleep apnea is a lot more common than folks realize. We discovered mine when I was only "moderately overweight"; my wife got used to me sleeping beside her quickly after we got together, and when I'd stop breathing it actually woke her up. All I knew was sometimes I snored and sometimes I woke up exhausted after a full night's "sleep".

That said... the likelihood of sleep apnea is greatly increased if you're overweight; the more so the likelier. As obesity is an epidemic even more widespread in "first world nations" than COVID-19, that means you're just plain going to see more people talking about it in any casual discussion.

It's important to discuss it too, so people know what symptoms to look for; as you've mentioned before, getting a good night's sleep every night literally adds years to your life.

mnem
*suffering from Marlin Mental Overload*

Add the fact that you don't even have to be overweight to have it.  One of my brothers-in-law is retired Navy and still in good shape.  He has it worse than I do.  It was the combination of bad snoring and always waking up tired/exhausted that motivated Mrs GreyWoolfe to get me an appointment with a neurologist to have a sleep study done.  I would wager there are a lot of people out there that have some level of sleep apnea and don't have a clue.  It really sucks not to get a good night sleep if you are normal.  It sucks a hundred times worse when you don't get that good sleep night after night after night...............  I travel with mine also.  I won't go a single night without using it, it's really not worth it.  The machine is very easy to fly with.  It is an exempted device according to the Americans with Disabilities Act and doesn't count toward your carry on luggage quota.  What it is like in other countries, I couldn't say, YMMV.

[WastelandTek]

Hmmmmm, it's just odd that one never heard about it till a few years ago and now it's everywhere.

How ever did our grandparents survive?

[mansaxel]

I remember giant demo slide rules hanging over the blackboards in several classrooms back when I went to HS (early 80s).  Never saw one used, of course, but they were there.  They've likely long since gone off to the dump, like so many other interesting things that would be cool to have around.

-Pat

We had those too in "senior high" (German: Gymnasium) and we actually had one "This is a slide rule, it does things that otherwise would be very tedious and would require math tables too boot, and this is a few of its cool tricks"  lesson. But I, who insisted on Latin and languages (and 85% girls in my class) had only one year math out of 3, so it was just that, and no more. We also had calculators. No one in my class had a hp -- that I remember. Casio FX-82p was very common and I have the Sharp.  My wife says "Texas" and I don't understand her.

We actually gave my brother-in-law a slide rule when he graduated as a M.Sc in vehicle engineering a few years back. (He now designs parts for airplanes at SAAB.)  He did, after some explanation, understand it.

[mnementh]

Thought I'd post this here for those who missed it. A bit noisy for lab supplies; but lots of juice AND RF Wireless Control Panel for $70/$140 if you can recycle some old server PSUs or have Solar Battery to feed them.

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/group/Digital-Power-Supply/3672134_512813285.html

[Dave's affiliate link]

mnem
*juicy*

[bd139]

How ever did our grandparents survive?

A lot of them didn't!

[mnementh]

*CRINGE...* But true.

mnem
 

[Neomys Sapiens]

I have a monumental amount of gear on my doorstep right now, much of it older. A lot of corroded BNCs etc. So, what's your go-to solution for clearing that up?

Depends on the jack. One I did up recently was Silver plated so I polished it up and then gave it a good flush with IPA. The internal pin looked in good condition in this case. Otherwise swap them for less fuss depending on if you can get one as an easy replacement.

For BNC jacks, I have a thin conical well worn dental diamond burr, which, if applied carefully, nicely restores them.

But you loose the plating at the same time and the connector will corrode quicklier without it.

Arguably, it wasn't really still there anyways... but I cringed when I saw that. Aside from a very few that were made of high-nickel steel (almost stainless), any kind of abrasive or cutting tool (especially on a power tool) on a BNC removes too much material, causing inadequate contact pressure. I get that you said "extra-dull" bit... but I still cringe.

I'm leery of touching them up with crocus cloth wrapped around a carved-up popsicle stick, but I'll do it as a last-ditch attempt on a real hard-case (as in hard to get to or hard to find replacement) connector. Lots of cleaning thereafter with a flattened Q-tip dipped in alcohol to remove any grit or flakes too.

mnem
 

Of course NOT on a power tool and applied with feeling. Also I said a well worn one.
And it is not so that I would recommend to leave it in that state. But having one that fits comes handy.
But for anyone who thinks that this is too abrasive, I could offer an alternative: use Kontakt Gold 200 and a small interdental brush.

[mnementh]

Hmmmmm, it's just odd that one never heard about it till a few years ago and now it's everywhere.   How ever did our grandparents survive?

It may be more a matter of the old conservative attitudes towards "medical conditions" dying off in the connected age. As the benefits of CPAP therapy become more well-known, so does its acceptance factor. Then people find they have one more thing in common with other people.

mnem
 

[mansaxel]

Hmmmmm, it's just odd that one never heard about it till a few years ago and now it's everywhere.

How ever did our grandparents survive?

They weren't obese. As mnem wrote, obesity complicates the condition significantly.

Of course, they had other things that killed them, too, things we are getting better at delaying, like workplace accidents and long-time exposure to toxins, leaded fuel, oil-fired furnaces, coal-burning railways, smoking related issues, drinking. This means that natural attrition has to keep up with medicine, and invent new things to kill us with, lest we become too many. What of course happens is that all those things that kill people nowadays (like effects of apneas) didn't stand a chance before, because they were too slow. Or weren't so frequent, because they're overconsumption (related) diseases.

In the end, entropy and DNA corruption (cancer) will kill us all, if nothing else comes first.

[mnementh]

I have a monumental amount of gear on my doorstep right now, much of it older. A lot of corroded BNCs etc. So, what's your go-to solution for clearing that up?

Depends on the jack. One I did up recently was Silver plated so I polished it up and then gave it a good flush with IPA. The internal pin looked in good condition in this case. Otherwise swap them for less fuss depending on if you can get one as an easy replacement.

For BNC jacks, I have a thin conical well worn dental diamond burr, which, if applied carefully, nicely restores them.

But you loose the plating at the same time and the connector will corrode quicklier without it.

Arguably, it wasn't really still there anyways... but I cringed when I saw that. Aside from a very few that were made of high-nickel steel (almost stainless), any kind of abrasive or cutting tool (especially on a power tool) on a BNC removes too much material, causing inadequate contact pressure. I get that you said "extra-dull" bit... but I still cringe.

I'm leery of touching them up with crocus cloth wrapped around a carved-up popsicle stick, but I'll do it as a last-ditch attempt on a real hard-case (as in hard to get to or hard to find replacement) connector. Lots of cleaning thereafter with a flattened Q-tip dipped in alcohol to remove any grit or flakes too.

mnem
 

Of course NOT on a power tool and applied with feeling. Also I said a well worn one. And it is not so that I would recommend to leave it in that state. But having one that fits comes handy.

I LOLed IRL at the "with feeling" part. Still snickering over it. Oklay... it wasn't clear you meant by hand; I guess that's probably not much more aggressive than my "crocus cloth wrapped around a carved-up popsicle stick" solution, so I'll try and stop cringing over here. 

mnem
"okay... once more WITH FEELING!!!"