Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[jxjbsd]

And a word of experience.....do NOT ever attempt to remove the Vertical Board. Trust me on this. 

In fact, I almost have to remove the vertical plate. So I searched for previous posts related to 485 in EEV, hoping to have examples that I can refer to, just to see your advice to someone: do not remove the vertical board. Ok, I had to obey, because I know who you are. The vertical part is just that the 1M/50 indicator of channel 2 is off, INVERT cannot be switched, and everything else is normal.

[med6753]

I hated physics too. 

This would explain a lot.   

He also obviously didn't pay attention in art classes either. Well, not unless his teacher was a big fan of Yves Klein and Paul Gauguin. 

Gee, not sure if I should be patting myself on the back or feel insulted.  First off. I'm not an "engineer". Never was, never will be. My college education is 2 years technical with an Associates Degree. I'm not a "cultured" university type. "Holes" in my overall knowledge base? Gee, has to do with level of interest. Frankly I don't much give a crap about chemistry or physics. I guess that makes me unfit to join in "advanced" conversations. Oh well, in the times I've seen some of that activity it was a bunch of blow hards trying to show off their "superior" knowledge.

We all have different levels of interest on sometimes vastly different subjects. For example. How much do you know about Herpetology and the life cycles and metamorphosis of amphibians? Chances are your level of interest and knowledge is less than mine. It happens to be a field of study that I almost made a career of but to this day still holds my interest. 

[jxjbsd]

Repairing Tek 4 series scopes is a clear case of severe masochism. Tons of RIFAs, dried out electrolytics, overheated unobtainium ICs, ... and look at all the tants !!  . These boxes were never made to last nor to repair . Just stay away and waste your time on something funnier (except you are a hardcore masochist).

I feel like you are talking about the 2400 series.
The 400 series is usually just a tantalum capacitor short circuit. Others are beautiful, simple and beautiful appearance, reliable mechanical switch.

[med6753]

And a word of experience.....do NOT ever attempt to remove the Vertical Board. Trust me on this. 

In fact, I almost have to remove the vertical plate. So I searched for previous posts related to 485 in EEV, hoping to have examples that I can refer to, just to see your advice to someone: do not remove the vertical board. Ok, I had to obey, because I know who you are. The vertical part is just that the 1M/50 indicator of channel 2 is off, INVERT cannot be switched, and everything else is normal.

The Vertical Board that I am referring to is this one. It has the delay lines soldered to it. Don't remove that board.



You are referring to the Vertical pre-amp which is OK.

[med6753]

Repairing Tek 4 series scopes is a clear case of severe masochism. Tons of RIFAs, dried out electrolytics, overheated unobtainium ICs, ... and look at all the tants !!  . These boxes were never made to last nor to repair . Just stay away and waste your time on something funnier (except you are a hardcore masochist).

Everything you say is absolutely true but you get the satisfaction of conquering all the gremlins and in the end you have a reliable instrument.

[jxjbsd]

Thank you, I got it, I got it wrong at first . Okay, continue to repair the 1M/50 indicator

[Cerebus]

Gee, not sure if I should be patting myself on the back or feel insulted.  First off. I'm not an "engineer". Never was, never will be. My college education is 2 years technical with an Associates Degree. I'm not a "cultured" university type. "Holes" in my overall knowledge base? Gee, has to do with level of interest. Frankly I don't much give a crap about chemistry or physics. I guess that makes me unfit to join in "advanced" conversations. Oh well, in the times I've seen some of that activity it was a bunch of blow hards trying to show off their "superior" knowledge.

We all have different levels of interest on sometimes vastly different subjects. For example. How much do you know about Herpetology and the life cycles and metamorphosis of amphibians? Chances are your level of interest and knowledge is less than mine. It happens to be a field of study that I almost made a career of but to this day still holds my interest.

Med, it's not a criticism of you. It's not a criticism or judgement of anybody, it's just a general observation about a fair number of folks into electronics that I merely find a curious phenomenon. It requires a certain minimum level of intelligence to do any sort of electronics and it's odd to me that more than a few folks who can tell the functional difference between a diode and a transistor, or a resistor and a capacitor, can compensate amplifiers, and do all sorts of other "sciencey" type stuff with electrons can't dredge up basic facts from their memories of more basic school chemistry, physics or biology classes that we were all taught.

All that huffing paint fumes has made you a bit oversensitive. Nobody's having a go. Well, OK, we might be taking the piss out of your soft New York ass about your spray paint fixation, but nobody but you is making any noise about your education.

Best keep off the Tahitian Blue for while.  (The fact that I chanced making a very rarefied joke about art is surely an indication that I think my audience is smart enough to get it, or at least work it out.)

[nixiefreqq]

ok med......which is it.....turtles or snakes?


ps  have rescued many of both.  yesterday we were coming up a county road on the way back from hagerstown and stopped for a box turtle crossing the road.  ran back and found he was in bad shape.  cracked shell and dragging his rear legs.  turned and walked back up the road as the next passing vehicle finished the job.  poor little bastard.  (it made a really loud crack when the tire hit him).

pps  have also shooed rattle snakes, copperheads, and black snakes off the road when walking the dog.   (but more often ribbons, northern water snakes, and an occasional corn snake)

[Wolfgang]

Repairing Tek 4 series scopes is a clear case of severe masochism. Tons of RIFAs, dried out electrolytics, overheated unobtainium ICs, ... and look at all the tants !!  . These boxes were never made to last nor to repair . Just stay away and waste your time on something funnier (except you are a hardcore masochist).

Everything you say is absolutely true but you get the satisfaction of conquering all the gremlins and in the end you have a reliable instrument.

Who am I to stand between a piece of stubborn failed electronics and the master conqueror of all failures. Have fun ! 

[med6753]

Gee, not sure if I should be patting myself on the back or feel insulted.  First off. I'm not an "engineer". Never was, never will be. My college education is 2 years technical with an Associates Degree. I'm not a "cultured" university type. "Holes" in my overall knowledge base? Gee, has to do with level of interest. Frankly I don't much give a crap about chemistry or physics. I guess that makes me unfit to join in "advanced" conversations. Oh well, in the times I've seen some of that activity it was a bunch of blow hards trying to show off their "superior" knowledge.

We all have different levels of interest on sometimes vastly different subjects. For example. How much do you know about Herpetology and the life cycles and metamorphosis of amphibians? Chances are your level of interest and knowledge is less than mine. It happens to be a field of study that I almost made a career of but to this day still holds my interest.

Med, it's not a criticism of you. It's not a criticism or judgement of anybody, it's just a general observation about a fair number of folks into electronics that I merely find a curious phenomenon. It requires a certain minimum level of intelligence to do any sort of electronics and it's odd to me that more than a few folks who can tell the functional difference between a diode and a transistor, or a resistor and a capacitor, can compensate amplifiers, and do all sorts of other "sciencey" type stuff with electrons can't dredge up basic facts from their memories of more basic school chemistry, physics or biology classes that we were all taught.

All that huffing paint fumes has made you a bit oversensitive. Nobody's having a go. Well, OK, we might be taking the piss out of your soft New York ass about your spray paint fixation, but nobody but you is making any noise about your education.

Best keep off the Tahitian Blue for while.  (The fact that I chanced making a very rarefied joke about art is surely an indication that I think my audience is smart enough to get it, or at least work it out.)

My soft NY ass? Gee, been known in these circles forever as a hard ass. But you may have a point. The lady cop used to say that my ass was so pale that it glowed in the dark. 

[med6753]

ok med......which is it.....turtles or snakes?


ps  have rescued many of both.  yesterday we were coming up a county road on the way back from hagerstown and stopped for a box turtle crossing the road.  ran back and found he was in bad shape.  cracked shell and dragging his rear legs.  turned and walked back up the road as the next passing vehicle finished the job.  poor little bastard.  (it made a really loud crack when the tire hit him).

pps  have also shooed rattle snakes, copperheads, and black snakes off the road when walking the dog.   (but more often ribbons, northern water snakes, and an occasional corn snake)

Frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, turtles, lizards. All the above. The only 2 things I WON'T handle is poisonous copperheads and timber rattlesnakes. I've never been properly trained on how to handle them and actually I'd rather not.

Yea, box turtles and female snapping turtles are quite often victims in road crossings. Although it is hard to not see a female snapping turtle looking for a nesting area as they are damn near the size of an armored vehicle. 

[Specmaster]

My soft NY ass? Gee, been known in these circles forever as a hard ass. But you may have a point. The lady cop used to say that my ass was so pale that it glowed in the dark. 

Well that depends on what your using as a reference I guess 

[nixiefreqq]

ok med......which is it.....turtles or snakes?


ps  have rescued many of both.  yesterday we were coming up a county road on the way back from hagerstown and stopped for a box turtle crossing the road.  ran back and found he was in bad shape.  cracked shell and dragging his rear legs.  turned and walked back up the road as the next passing vehicle finished the job.  poor little bastard.  (it made a really loud crack when the tire hit him).

pps  have also shooed rattle snakes, copperheads, and black snakes off the road when walking the dog.   (but more often ribbons, northern water snakes, and an occasional corn snake)

Frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, turtles, lizards. All the above. The only 2 things I WON'T handle is poisonous copperheads and timber rattlesnakes. I've never been properly trained on how to handle them and actually I'd rather not.

Yea, box turtles and female snapping turtles are quite often victims in road crossings. Although it is hard to not see a female snapping turtle looking for a nesting area as they are damn near the size of an armored vehicle. 

my only training with snakes was watching that crazy Australian guy who used to be on tv.  but then again i have never actually handled them.  usually if you talk to them nice and nudge them off the road with a walking stick they behave.  (have never had one get ornery)  sometimes you find them in the road just after eating with jaws unhinged and eyes rolled back.  then you just slip the stick under a their center of gravity and  slide them off the road.  hate to see them get squished.

ooooops!  said "center of gravity".  hope that was not too much physics for you. 

[nixiefreqq]

Gee, not sure if I should be patting myself on the back or feel insulted.  First off. I'm not an "engineer". Never was, never will be. My college education is 2 years technical with an Associates Degree. I'm not a "cultured" university type. "Holes" in my overall knowledge base? Gee, has to do with level of interest. Frankly I don't much give a crap about chemistry or physics. I guess that makes me unfit to join in "advanced" conversations. Oh well, in the times I've seen some of that activity it was a bunch of blow hards trying to show off their "superior" knowledge.

We all have different levels of interest on sometimes vastly different subjects. For example. How much do you know about Herpetology and the life cycles and metamorphosis of amphibians? Chances are your level of interest and knowledge is less than mine. It happens to be a field of study that I almost made a career of but to this day still holds my interest.

Med, it's not a criticism of you. It's not a criticism or judgement of anybody, it's just a general observation about a fair number of folks into electronics that I merely find a curious phenomenon. It requires a certain minimum level of intelligence to do any sort of electronics and it's odd to me that more than a few folks who can tell the functional difference between a diode and a transistor, or a resistor and a capacitor, can compensate amplifiers, and do all sorts of other "sciencey" type stuff with electrons can't dredge up basic facts from their memories of more basic school chemistry, physics or biology classes that we were all taught.

All that huffing paint fumes has made you a bit oversensitive. Nobody's having a go. Well, OK, we might be taking the piss out of your soft New York ass about your spray paint fixation, but nobody but you is making any noise about your education.

Best keep off the Tahitian Blue for while.  (The fact that I chanced making a very rarefied joke about art is surely an indication that I think my audience is smart enough to get it, or at least work it out.)

My soft NY ass? Gee, been known in these circles forever as a hard ass. But you may have a point. The lady cop used to say that my ass was so pale that it glowed in the dark. 

how many times have we heard you say it?.........."this thread is nothing without pictures"


edit - started regretting that as soon as it was posted.

[beanflying]

Here is a picture and a few words. @med you want to buy another Probe? This one comes attached with TWO Tek scopes eBay auction: #264745329529

[med6753]

Here is a picture and a few words. @med you want to buy another Probe? This one comes attached with TWO Tek scopes eBay auction: #264745329529

Nope, not interested. I already have two 465B's and the older 465 is a pain in the nuts if there's issues with the vertical pre-amp (and usually is). The 434 storage scope can go in the dumpster as far as I'm concerned.

Middletown, CT is about an hour away but still doesn't convince me it's worth it. 

[Specmaster]

Here is a picture and a few words. @med you want to buy another Probe? This one comes attached with TWO Tek scopes eBay auction: #264745329529

I expect that these are already on his radar at that price 

[jxjbsd]

Here is a picture and a few words. @med you want to buy another Probe? This one comes attached with TWO Tek scopes eBay auction: #264745329529

He already has too many 465.

However, this new and cheap. . .

[Specmaster]

I was wrong then 

[med6753]

TOAST! 

This is the HV Oscillator transistor out of the Type 561B. I done good. It's shorted at ALL points. 

[Cerebus]

While we're on the subject of spray paint and equipment colours (When aren't we?), I've been doing a bit of playing with a RAL colour guide and trying to match HP paint colours to standard RAL colours.



For those unfamiliar with it, RAL is a colour system that originated in Germany and is quite commonly used throughout Europe to specify paint and other colours for industrial equipment. RAL K7 is the commonest set of colours, and they're specified with a number like "RAL7035" and have associated names like "Lichtgrau" that are not definitive. I believe that it's in fairly common use worldwide and although in the USA things that would be elsewhere specified with RAL tend to get specified with Federal Standard 595C/AMS Standard 595A, I believe it's not too difficult to order paint domestically by RAL number.

Anyway, the results of my afternoon's labours:



There isn't an exact RAL match for the blue-grey buttons on the 34461A. The older Agilent case may be a slightly yellowed RAL7040 or it may be RAL7038. Given the case of the newer Agilent 34461A is a good match for RAL7040 I tend to believe that the older case is either slightly yellowed or just missed the mark and is probably meant to be RAL7040 and not RAL7038.

Anyway, I hope someone finds this helpful. There are literally dozens of suppliers on eBay who will sell you rattle cans of spray paint specified to RAL colours - just try to avoid RAL5015 "Schmurfarseblau"

[AVGresponding]

Well, finally...

I bagged the 8300A, for £28 + £10 p&p, let's hope the seller does a decent job with that tenner, and that I end up with a nice nixie meter and not a ten million piece glass jigsaw puzzle.

Also won the bidding on a Megger AVO M801 DMM for £11.50 + £4 p&p from the same seller. Says in the description no leads or battery so I have high hopes for a schmoo-free battery compartment...

Looking forward to discord tonight!

[0culus]

TOAST! 

This is the HV Oscillator transistor out of the Type 561B. I done good. It's shorted at ALL points. 

You cooked 'er good!

[bitseeker]

I couldn't help myself, but somehow Billy Paul crossed my mind:

Med and Mrs. Scope
They got a thing goin'on
They both know that it's wrong
But it's much too strong
To let it go now
They meet every day at the same workbench
Six-thirty and only TEA knows they'll be there
Soldering things, looking at all kinds of plans
While the TEA thread states some helpful comments

Med and Mrs. Scope
They got a thing goin'on
They both know that it's wrong
But it's much too strong
To let it go now
Med’s gotta be extra careful
That do he don't assemble caps the wrong way
Because she'll be not very amused
And so, and so, won't Med

Med and Mrs. Scope
They got a thing goin'on
They both know that it's wrong
But it's much too strong
To let it go now

Original by Billy Paul - Me and Mrs. Jones

Well done! Added to the Potpourri section of the POI.

[McBryce]

TOAST! 

This is the HV Oscillator transistor out of the Type 561B. I done good. It's shorted at ALL points. 

You've created a super conductor, at room temperature!!

McBryce.