Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[0culus]

Yep, those are GR connectors which I am beginning to hate and the last time it was calibrated was 1985. 

I'll take them over UHF connectors. 

[tautech]

Heads up, someone grab this bargain before I do:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TEKTRONIX-P6021-AC-CURRENT-PROBE-010-0237-03-w-011-0105-00-TERMINATION-1/124208154316?epid=1500403642&hash=item1ceb6206cc:g:zSMAAOSwZ1Ze1MEC

[med6753]

Yep, those are GR connectors which I am beginning to hate and the last time it was calibrated was 1985. 

I'll take them over UHF connectors. 

You and bd seem have an issue with UHF connectors. I don't mind them.

The GR connector on the -Output on the Type 106 Square Wave Generator has one hell of an impedance bump and is sometimes intermittent. Dunno if you've ever taken a good look at the inside bulkhead of those connectors but it is a complicated mess. I have to pull it apart and find out what the issue is. I wish there was an easy way to rip them out and convert to BNC.

[Specmaster]

Heads up, someone grab this bargain before I do:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TEKTRONIX-P6021-AC-CURRENT-PROBE-010-0237-03-w-011-0105-00-TERMINATION-1/124208154316?epid=1500403642&hash=item1ceb6206cc:g:zSMAAOSwZ1Ze1MEC

Too late, its gone already, and no it wasn't me 

[med6753]

Heads up, someone grab this bargain before I do:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TEKTRONIX-P6021-AC-CURRENT-PROBE-010-0237-03-w-011-0105-00-TERMINATION-1/124208154316?epid=1500403642&hash=item1ceb6206cc:g:zSMAAOSwZ1Ze1MEC

Too late, its gone already, and no it wasn't me 

Wasn't me either. 

[bd139]

Yep, those are GR connectors which I am beginning to hate and the last time it was calibrated was 1985. 

I'll take them over UHF connectors. 

You and bd seem have an issue with UHF connectors. I don't mind them.

The GR connector on the -Output on the Type 106 Square Wave Generator has one hell of an impedance bump and is sometimes intermittent. Dunno if you've ever taken a good look at the inside bulkhead of those connectors but it is a complicated mess. I have to pull it apart and find out what the issue is. I wish there was an easy way to rip them out and convert to BNC.

UHF connectors:

1. Even the amphenol made ones are shit.
2. Bulky.
3. Genuinely pointless above about 40MHz
4. The insulator ring falls out.
5. the pin in the middle gets stuck in the device you plugged it into.
6. Cable strain relief doesn't exist.
7. If you're soldering solid core coax the amount of heat required to get the solder to flow usually melts the insulator and then (4) happens.
8. Impossible to waterproof reliably.
9. Impossible to solder the pin properly and if you get solder on the outside, throw the whole connector in the bin or risk fucking up your device.

Things are cancer.

[0culus]

Yep, those are GR connectors which I am beginning to hate and the last time it was calibrated was 1985. 

I'll take them over UHF connectors. 

You and bd seem have an issue with UHF connectors. I don't mind them.

The GR connector on the -Output on the Type 106 Square Wave Generator has one hell of an impedance bump and is sometimes intermittent. Dunno if you've ever taken a good look at the inside bulkhead of those connectors but it is a complicated mess. I have to pull it apart and find out what the issue is. I wish there was an easy way to rip them out and convert to BNC.

I have, they are something. Maybe that one is worn out?

I just like sexless connectors...it simplifies life.  I like APC-7 for the same reason, but don't have much of that connector around. I should change that. 

[med6753]

Yep, those are GR connectors which I am beginning to hate and the last time it was calibrated was 1985. 

I'll take them over UHF connectors. 

You and bd seem have an issue with UHF connectors. I don't mind them.

The GR connector on the -Output on the Type 106 Square Wave Generator has one hell of an impedance bump and is sometimes intermittent. Dunno if you've ever taken a good look at the inside bulkhead of those connectors but it is a complicated mess. I have to pull it apart and find out what the issue is. I wish there was an easy way to rip them out and convert to BNC.

I have, they are something. Maybe that one is worn out?

I just like sexless connectors...it simplifies life.  I like APC-7 for the same reason, but don't have much of that connector around. I should change that. 

I'm hopeful it's just dirt and corrosion.

[med6753]

Yep, those are GR connectors which I am beginning to hate and the last time it was calibrated was 1985. 

I'll take them over UHF connectors. 

You and bd seem have an issue with UHF connectors. I don't mind them.

The GR connector on the -Output on the Type 106 Square Wave Generator has one hell of an impedance bump and is sometimes intermittent. Dunno if you've ever taken a good look at the inside bulkhead of those connectors but it is a complicated mess. I have to pull it apart and find out what the issue is. I wish there was an easy way to rip them out and convert to BNC.

UHF connectors:

1. Even the amphenol made ones are shit.
2. Bulky.
3. Genuinely pointless above about 40MHz
4. The insulator ring falls out.
5. the pin in the middle gets stuck in the device you plugged it into.
6. Cable strain relief doesn't exist.
7. If you're soldering solid core coax the amount of heat required to get the solder to flow usually melts the insulator and then (4) happens.
8. Impossible to waterproof reliably.
9. Impossible to solder the pin properly and if you get solder on the outside, throw the whole connector in the bin or risk fucking up your device.

Things are cancer.

Agree on all points if you are trying to make up your own. Quality pre-made cable assemblies aren't bad and neither are the old Tek probes that have them.

[0culus]

Yep, those are GR connectors which I am beginning to hate and the last time it was calibrated was 1985. 

I'll take them over UHF connectors. 

You and bd seem have an issue with UHF connectors. I don't mind them.

The GR connector on the -Output on the Type 106 Square Wave Generator has one hell of an impedance bump and is sometimes intermittent. Dunno if you've ever taken a good look at the inside bulkhead of those connectors but it is a complicated mess. I have to pull it apart and find out what the issue is. I wish there was an easy way to rip them out and convert to BNC.

UHF connectors:

1. Even the amphenol made ones are shit.
2. Bulky.
3. Genuinely pointless above about 40MHz
4. The insulator ring falls out.
5. the pin in the middle gets stuck in the device you plugged it into.
6. Cable strain relief doesn't exist.
7. If you're soldering solid core coax the amount of heat required to get the solder to flow usually melts the insulator and then (4) happens.
8. Impossible to waterproof reliably.
9. Impossible to solder the pin properly and if you get solder on the outside, throw the whole connector in the bin or risk fucking up your device.

Things are cancer.

And yet, so much amateur radio equipment comes with it. I guess because it's cheap? I put adapters on my IC7000 to change it to type N. Much better. 

[Cubdriver]

50 ohm input. Possible GR-874 by the looks.

Yeah, those are GR-874s.

-Pat

[Cerebus]

Well, every TV set sold in the UK in my entire life has come with a different 'UHF' connector and it is one of the nastiest, cheapest chunks of crap to have even thrown its hat into the connector arena. These:



They make the canonical UHF connector look like a pinnacle of engineering achievement by comparison. Their continued existence is only explicable by the "eat shit" theory - "Eat shit! 500 billions flies can't be wrong!".

[Cubdriver]

Yep, those are GR connectors which I am beginning to hate and the last time it was calibrated was 1985. 

I'll take them over UHF connectors. 

For sure!  UHF connectors don't make a positive shield connection - there's no nested sliding contact there - it's the face of the outer part of the connector and the coupling sleeve.  If it's loose, well, who knows how well it will connect...   

-Pat

[med6753]

Well, every TV set sold in the UK in my entire life has come with a different 'UHF' connector and it is one of the nastiest, cheapest chunks of crap to have even thrown its hat into the connector arena. These:



They make the canonical UHF connector look like a pinnacle of engineering achievement by comparison. Their continued existence is only explicable by the "eat shit" theory - "Eat shit! 500 billions flies can't be wrong!".

it certainly looks better than the "F" connectors used on 75 ohm video equipment here. Talk about cheeeep. 

[Cubdriver]

Well, every TV set sold in the UK in my entire life has come with a different 'UHF' connector and it is one of the nastiest, cheapest chunks of crap to have even thrown its hat into the connector arena. These:



They make the canonical UHF connector look like a pinnacle of engineering achievement by comparison. Their continued existence is only explicable by the "eat shit" theory - "Eat shit! 500 billions flies can't be wrong!".

Don't think I've ever seen one of those.  What does the receptacle look like?

-Pat

[Neomys Sapiens]

Yep, those are GR connectors which I am beginning to hate and the last time it was calibrated was 1985. 

I'll take them over UHF connectors. 

You and bd seem have an issue with UHF connectors. I don't mind them.

The GR connector on the -Output on the Type 106 Square Wave Generator has one hell of an impedance bump and is sometimes intermittent. Dunno if you've ever taken a good look at the inside bulkhead of those connectors but it is a complicated mess. I have to pull it apart and find out what the issue is. I wish there was an easy way to rip them out and convert to BNC.

I have, they are something. Maybe that one is worn out?

I just like sexless connectors...it simplifies life.  I like APC-7 for the same reason, but don't have much of that connector around. I should change that. 

You are not done yet. You will have to cover GR900 too. 

[Cubdriver]

Well, every TV set sold in the UK in my entire life has come with a different 'UHF' connector and it is one of the nastiest, cheapest chunks of crap to have even thrown its hat into the connector arena. These:



They make the canonical UHF connector look like a pinnacle of engineering achievement by comparison. Their continued existence is only explicable by the "eat shit" theory - "Eat shit! 500 billions flies can't be wrong!".

it certainly looks better than the "F" connectors used on 75 ohm video equipment here. Talk about cheeeep. 

I actually rather like the newer axial compression-type F connectors, but wholeheartedly agree that the old crimp on or twist on ones were utter caca.



-Pat

[Neomys Sapiens]

Well, every TV set sold in the UK in my entire life has come with a different 'UHF' connector and it is one of the nastiest, cheapest chunks of crap to have even thrown its hat into the connector arena. These:



They make the canonical UHF connector look like a pinnacle of engineering achievement by comparison. Their continued existence is only explicable by the "eat shit" theory - "Eat shit! 500 billions flies can't be wrong!".

Be aware that he selected the picture of the finest one that he could find . Most of the real ones look faaar crappier. They are totally yuck - like UHF. They are not impedance controlled, F is gold in comparison to them.
The regular ones look loke this:

[edavid]

Heads up, someone grab this bargain before I do:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TEKTRONIX-P6021-AC-CURRENT-PROBE-010-0237-03-w-011-0105-00-TERMINATION-1/124208154316

Whoa, $200 for a P6021 is hardly a bargain.   I've paid less for an A6302.   (And what's up with $48 postage for a 1 pound package?  Surely that's a red flag for a shady seller.)

[bd139]

Well, every TV set sold in the UK in my entire life has come with a different 'UHF' connector and it is one of the nastiest, cheapest chunks of crap to have even thrown its hat into the connector arena. These:



They make the canonical UHF connector look like a pinnacle of engineering achievement by comparison. Their continued existence is only explicable by the "eat shit" theory - "Eat shit! 500 billions flies can't be wrong!".

Ah those are much nicer than the PL259’s dare I say it. Connector for the folk in the home brew amateur radio community who are too cheap to buy even PL259’s.

Coolest thing? Well surprisingly they can take 100W down them without melting!

Least cool thing: drunk chavs coming home, shouting “telly tubby bye bye” and then grabbing your aerial cable and yanking it through the wall causing your nice 4K TV to crash to the floor the moment it pings out. If it was PL259 it’d probably stop at the wall. This happened to my neighbour. My TV cable has three fat cable ties around it to stop such mischief.

Bounced the iMac already. Didn’t even make it home. Site to site transfer. Rather nice machine. Which is sad because Apple has abandoned that one with the latest OSX drop. Grr.

[0culus]

Yep, those are GR connectors which I am beginning to hate and the last time it was calibrated was 1985. 

I'll take them over UHF connectors. 

You and bd seem have an issue with UHF connectors. I don't mind them.

The GR connector on the -Output on the Type 106 Square Wave Generator has one hell of an impedance bump and is sometimes intermittent. Dunno if you've ever taken a good look at the inside bulkhead of those connectors but it is a complicated mess. I have to pull it apart and find out what the issue is. I wish there was an easy way to rip them out and convert to BNC.

I have, they are something. Maybe that one is worn out?

I just like sexless connectors...it simplifies life.  I like APC-7 for the same reason, but don't have much of that connector around. I should change that. 

You are not done yet. You will have to cover GR900 too. 

Did someone say rabbit hole? 

[mansaxel]

What I've never understood: in such high priced stuff, why don't they use toroidal transformers? Always wondered about that.

The C-Audio power amplifiers I encountered in the early 90s essentially were two cooling tunnels chock full with Hitachi MosFETs, surrounding a massive toroidal, with supporting PCB's squeezed in where they would fit. 600watts per channel, infinitely. No "peak power" shit, just grunt. Then, they were pro stuff, not Audiophool bait. The toroid probably saved one rack unit in height, which is important.

Sadly, they suffered from soft-start relay failures, so had to be repaired, which meant getting the PCB's out. Not funny. Lucas Electric in sports car designed by Italians level not funny.

Some Ferraris need the engine lifted out to swap some drive belts, required at insanely small intervals, netting a 5k€ work fee.

[Cubdriver]

Be aware that he selected the picture of the finest one that he could find . Most of the real ones look faaar crappier. They are totally yuck - like UHF. They are not impedance controlled, F is gold in comparison to them.
The regular ones look loke this:

Damn!! Those regular ones look like low quality RCA plugs!  Yeek!  That poor RF!

-Pat

[syau]

The only real, non-audiophool reason for having a donut instead of house brick is size and weight.

And stray field. The difference in stray magnetic field between a toroid and other topologies is quite remarkable. The ratio is about 8:1, more if you slap a flux band around the outside of the toroid. If you've low level signals inside your box (e.g. signals from pickups for pressed media made from the secretions of the Lac Beatle) a toroid makes your life much easier in a bit of integrated audio gear.

Where I've been surprised to not see toroidal transformers in use is in instrumentation. I'd have thought that the gains from low field emissions would have more than offset the additional cost of toroids for instrumentation that has sensitive, high impedance inputs. True, it's easier to add an electrostatic screen for suppressing common mode interference to a classic transformer but it's not impossible on a toroidal, just a bit more awkward.

Datron used it in their gears ...

[tautech]

Heads up, someone grab this bargain before I do:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TEKTRONIX-P6021-AC-CURRENT-PROBE-010-0237-03-w-011-0105-00-TERMINATION-1/124208154316

Whoa, $200 for a P6021 is hardly a bargain.   I've paid less for an A6302.   (And what's up with $48 postage for a 1 pound package?  Surely that's a red flag for a shady seller.)

I've sniffed P6021's out for a couple of decades and sure it's a bit dearer than some I've nabbed in the past but this was the best condition one I've seen for a long time for that price.
$200 buy now is a good deal for these today as these are a very capable 15A 60 MHz current probe.