Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Airline BNCs are good to 18GHz. BNC-HD to about 12GHz.

HP/Agilent kit usually has custom connector lands and hardware so they might have managed to push it out that far.

[med6753]

To change all old capacitors or not???

I watch many of his videos and he's good and knows his stuff. And I don't disagree with his take that you HAVE to change all the capacitors. But the question remains. How much longer will that 35 - 40 year old capacitor last before it starts going high ESR? That's the unknown and the reason why I go conservative and choose to change them all while I've got the unit apart. Especially in a high heat and high voltage environment of vacuum tube equipment.

And he's only talking aluminum electrolytics. That does not apply to wax tubular bypass capacitors. They WILL be leaky after 40+ years and must be changed.   

[Ice-Tea]

Just noticed gnif was watching this topic. He must be wondering where 91,7% of his resources are going...

[med6753]

Just noticed gnif was watching this topic. He must be wondering where 91,7% of his resources are going...

I noticed that too since his name shows up red. Sort of stands out. 

Edit...oops, we scared him off. 

[BU508A]

Just noticed gnif was watching this topic. He must be wondering where 91,7% of his resources are going...

I noticed that too since his name shows up red. Sort of stands out. 

Edit...oops, we scared him off. 

Or, simply he was in need of some entertainment. 

[med6753]

Or just checking to make sure the animals were still in their cages. 

[AVGresponding]

I have a question for bd139 or Saskia, anyone else with expertise also.

What is your opinion on Open Banking APIs?

I'm asking as I've been asked by my Credit Union to use one to provide them with bank statements for a load application.
I am highly sceptical and reluctant, as is my browser guard...

Ah lots of experience with this one. For the end user it’s fine, well designed and secure. For us developers there is a hell of a lot of pain involved to the point there is deep vetting, external certification of code, a million legal hoops to go through etc. It’s perfectly secure.

If it’s Clydesdale, Nationwide, L&G, Monzo then run a mile as they’re a shit show.

Anyway the thing you need to consider is what is consuming it, whether it’s in EU safe harbour, who published it and what their terms are precisely.

Ok thanks for your advice.

[bd139]

Oh the skanks are out in force at the moment. Just got this on an SSD I'm selling for 45 imperial bucks:



Err how about fuck off? 

[Saskia]

no way in hell I am using a banking api.

I prefer the suitcase / rare metal method.

[AVGresponding]

If I had a suitcase full of rare metals, I wouldn't need a car loan...

[med6753]

Oh the skanks are out in force at the moment. Just got this on an SSD I'm selling for 45 imperial bucks:



Err how about fuck off? 

Even in good times most musicians struggle. How about getting a backup career plan? 

[Ice-Tea]

I have a question for bd139 or Saskia, anyone else with expertise also.

What is your opinion on Open Banking APIs?

I'm asking as I've been asked by my Credit Union to use one to provide them with bank statements for a load application.
I am highly sceptical and reluctant, as is my browser guard...

Ah lots of experience with this one. For the end user it’s fine, well designed and secure. For us developers there is a hell of a lot of pain involved to the point there is deep vetting, external certification of code, a million legal hoops to go through etc. It’s perfectly secure.

If it’s Clydesdale, Nationwide, L&G, Monzo then run a mile as they’re a shit show.

Anyway the thing you need to consider is what is consuming it, whether it’s in EU safe harbour, who published it and what their terms are precisely.

Ok thanks for your advice.

A belgian startup is using open banking api's to make their own app. They obviously sell the harvested data, but they make it their selling point: they share their revenue.

https://cake.app/nl/

I'm still not sharing my bank data anymore then I have to, but still: interesting idea.

Also: yay! This thing actually works:



Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to dig up my RIFA replacement kit and ventilate the lab.

[bd139]

Oh the skanks are out in force at the moment. Just got this on an SSD I'm selling for 45 imperial bucks:



Err how about fuck off? 

Even in good times most musicians struggle. How about getting a backup career plan? 

Yeah exactly that. I was a musician as well. We had a band and everything. And you know what? Not once did I consider it as a primary income source. That would be quite frankly batshit insane. Which was just as well because we got absolutely nowhere 

If I had a suitcase full of rare metals, I wouldn't need a car loan...

You're using the loan to buy a lump of not so rare metals that does something more useful than any rare metal so you're onto a winner either way 

Edit: Actually I need to get my car serviced as it's whining at me for regular service interval. At least two tyres and the air con is borked as well which is going to be a mugging 

[Brumby]

Oh the skanks are out in force at the moment. Just got this on an SSD I'm selling for 45 imperial bucks:



Err how about fuck off? 

Even in good times most musicians struggle. How about getting a backup career plan? 

Hmmm.... Hasn't casual wait staff been an option?  Not the best for a fallback at this time.

[med6753]

Yeah exactly that. I was a musician as well. We had a band and everything. And you know what? Not once did I consider it as a primary income source. That would be quite frankly batshit insane. Which was just as well because we got absolutely nowhere 

What was the name of your band? The Arsonists? 

[bd139]

Yeah exactly that. I was a musician as well. We had a band and everything. And you know what? Not once did I consider it as a primary income source. That would be quite frankly batshit insane. Which was just as well because we got absolutely nowhere 

What was the name of your band? The Arsonists? 

Hahaha.

Actually it was called Cyberchrist, which was probably worse 

Edit: it was mostly a ploy to pick up floozies and groupies which rather surprisingly worked but left us with much regrets. Particularly one night where I got punched in the face by one and her best friend then bottled her face 

[AVGresponding]

Classy crowd

[bd139]

Indeed. Classy as a pavement pizza.

Super busy day today sitting in meetings being bored out of my skull. Am expending some time on mentally setting up some projects. Think I'm going to build a half decent audio PA first. Something analogue, something 100% home designed from scratch and with reasonable performance. Am considering basically low noise opamps with a couple of discrete output stages using modern BJTs. But rather than using passive crossovers I'm going to build one amplifier chain per speaker range with suitable low/high/bandpass analogue filters in line. Each speaker enclosure will contain an amplifier and there will be differential inputs from a preamplifier with bluetooth receiver and analogue inputs in it in the middle. Sitting here throwing ideas out in LTspice.

[BU508A]

This is the Big Mandingo of the Z-series; DTS 5.1, 10" sub and 505 THX-certified watts of power. Favorite Lindström flush-cutters shown for scale and to keep it somewhat TEA.  

Nice score! I have a pair of those Lindström cutters and they are indeed excellent. Hide em so no one else used them on too big a gauge wire   

Here is my little bunch of Lindström pliers. Together with the Belzer tweezers  it was a gift for my birthday from some very kind friends.      I'm using them rarely but when I do, they are a dream to work with.   

For more mundane jobs I have here this Schmitz sidecutter with sintered carbides as inserts for the cutting edges.

Lindström:
RX 8233 - sidecutter
RX 7490 - flat nose plier
RX 7890 - jaw snipe nose plier

Belzer tweezers:
5463 AMT  3-TA  (made of Titanium, really really nice!)

Schmitz:
3417 HS 22 - sidecutter

[AVGresponding]

Ooooh, Belzer, very nice.

I still have some Belzer Polynova Whitworth/BSF ring spanners from the 1980s. Good tools.

[tonyalbus]

you guys were right about this ebay seller. tdm_electronics   a seller in poland
i am totaly scruwed with this Anritsu... bottons missing, tube all pushed back in de back.... no arm, feet missing completely defferent from what they sell..
 

[xrunner]

you guys were right about this ebay seller. tdm_electronics   a seller in poland
i am totaly scruwed with this Anritsu... bottons missing, tube all pushed back in de back.... no arm, feet missing completely defferent from what they sell..
 

[McBryce]

If you paid with Paypal ebay will sort you out. That's not even close to the condition that the seller posted.

McBryce.

[SilverSolder]

you guys were right about this ebay seller. tdm_electronics   a seller in poland
i am totaly scruwed with this Anritsu... bottons missing, tube all pushed back in de back.... no arm, feet missing completely defferent from what they sell..
 

If it is not as described in the eBay listing -  seller has to take it back, and they have to pay for the return shipping.  Those are the rules.

Maybe it will be cheaper for seller to give you a partial refund, if you want to fix the unit - but you definitely need to open a case in eBay. Don't bother contacting seller first - open the eBay case immediately and do all communication with seller via that case history only, so it can be reviewed by eBay later if that becomes necessary.

[med6753]

you guys were right about this ebay seller. tdm_electronics   a seller in poland
i am totaly scruwed with this Anritsu... bottons missing, tube all pushed back in de back.... no arm, feet missing completely defferent from what they sell..
 

Send him a nice email with the pictures and ask (nicely) what he's going to do to fix the issue. Give him a chance first. If he turns asshole then go for the throat and file a claim.

Edit, or you can do what Silversolder suggested. Your choice.