Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

I can see the family resemblance. 

mnem
Well hell...

[drussell]

Yes, these things I know. It's just ISO VG 10 non-detergent spindle oil; which was, once upon a time, one of the most common industrial lubricants on the planet.

Juki used a blend of SPINESSO 5 and SPINESSO 10 to come up with something approximating ISO VG 7 spindle oil. Their materials charts state that SPINESSO 10 or MOBIL VELOCITE No 6 can be used alone if their proprietary blend is not available. These are nothing more than low-parrafin-solids mineral oil with trace amount emulsifier/antioxidant additives.  This is commonly known in sewing supply houses as Lily White sewing machine oil; problem for me is the fact that up here, they really are taking the COVID lockdown seriously, so not as easy as it used to be to just walk in and pick it up.

From industrial suppliers online, the only folks who will sell you anything other than a 4oz dropper bottle or a 55 gallon drum of the stuff are... you guessed it... sewing supply houses. Which all that are actually OPEN are located in the US, and getting the stuff HERE is prohibitively expensive.

You CAN buy heavier hydraulic oils in quart and gallon sizes; but because we're in North America where EVERYTHING has to have SOME fucking additives to make it "NOW WITH EXTRA THIS OR EXTREME THAT!", all you can get are severe duty and AW rated fluids... all full of unnecessary additives that make the oil reek and ruin the non-staining aspect of mineral oil; making them inappropriate for this application, which is what I found shopping locally yesterday.

Bottom line is NOT that I don't know what I'm looking for or its alternatives; I have pages of alternatives at my fingertips. The problem is that pretty much the only source for the right stuff in the right quantity anywhere near me is a sewing supply house... of which there are only a few this side of the border close enough to drive to. Otherwise, I have to buy mail order and wait a fucking month for Canada Post, even shopping locally.   

McMaster-Carr has 1 gallon jugs of Mobil Velocite No. 6 for $29.66

See their selection at:  https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/126/2325

I get some of our weird compressors oils and such from there.

They just charge the actual carrier shipping rate, it's usually actually pretty reasonable.

[BILLPOD]

Mnem, MARVEL Fuel Additives #MM12R/50094, this stuff works great in my air tools, (it's 'mostly' mineral oil).   If it seems a bit too viscous, thin it with some mineral spirits.

[drussell]

As a comparative aside, I'm not sure how Digikey manages their insane speed and reliability.  I can order something from them at 7pm my time, it will get pulled, packed, leave their warehouse, go through the FedEx hub in Memphis, clear customs, make it to Calgary and out onto a truck, typically delivered between 10-11am the next morning!  I don't think one has ever been past noon.  And that's $8 flat rate shipping, or free over $100.  That is insane.  They must have some crazy-awesome deal with FedEx, and I suppose most of their stuff tends to be smallish and light so FedEx can probably give them a ridiculously good rate deal.

Digikey is often not the low price winner but I am inclined to pay the small difference because their shipping system is reliable and predictable, in addition to being really freakin' fast. The average time from completing an order to having parts in hand is three days over the last fifteen or sixteen orders.

Interesting.  Are you located well away from all major centers?

Its seems strange that mine are consistently, always next-day delivery the next morning, whether to the office or my house, when that means exporting to another country, etc. while yours take three days....   

[mnementh]

Okies... Things have gone a bit pear-shaped in the dwagon's household right now; priorities are shifting drastically.
Short version is: We just got notification that the property owners are moving back in; our lease will not be renewed & we have 2 months to move.   

This does tend to polarize one's priorities; I've ordered the oil from my local sewing supply house and I'm going to take the gamble that Canada Post actually WILL get it to me before I have to move.

As you may suspect, time for puttering is going to go away quickly. But... the pics are done, so I'm gonna roll the 2KVA Teardown here in a few.

Cheers,

mnem
 

[mnementh]

ON THE BENCH: 2KVA CURB SCORE!

      

Picked this up off the curb this afternoon, on my way home from the above-recounted abject failure at Princess Auto. As I haven't actually had a proper TEA post in at least a couple moltings, I figured I'd do the Dave thing:

"Oy! Don't turn it on, take it apart!!!"     

First off, a quick wipedown with alcohol; then a trip to the washroom to wash me paws... then right back 'ere.

See Y'all in a few!

mnem
 

"Don't turn it on, take it apart!!!"   




Ooooh.... yummy toroidal XFMR. Wound as an Autotransformer, like all its ilk. Still... I can get into a lot of trouble with this thing. 




Getting into it; I see the switch tests bad. Not surprising, considering the crispy power cord that came with.  Visual inspection of the IN/OUT sockets indicates no damage, though. 




Now that I have the switch out, let's take it apart too. Hmmm... it's really fighting me. Feels like they CA-ed it together to keep people like me from doing exactly what I'm doing. 

Fuck 'em... * Makes Mental Note: 16A/250VAC SPST W/Indicator Light *




Owww! Fuck ME! Surprisingly, it wasn't a slip of the knife that drew blood, but rather the sharp corner of a molding. It's MINE now! BUAHAHAHA!!! 




Shockingly, the switch is all melty inside; I pretty much expected this after seeing that power cord. But the contacts & bars are in good shape; nearly zero charring. Hmmmm...


   

*Channels The Violator for just a moment* "BAD CRISPY!!!"  ZERO tolerance, murrrfurrr...




Just to facilitate testing, I think I'll booty-fab this switch back together just long enough for testing. What could possibly go wrong...?  *melt... melt... melty-melt...*




Let's get it all mostly back together... better safe than zorchy. *Takes a few quick tests confirming infinite resistance vs case and GND before juicing things up*




CORN-TACT!!!   I have the powahhh!!!

Looks like all I need now is a 1" x 1" form-factor panel switch and it'll be good to go. *Placed at the back of the repair queue until parts can be ordered* 

Well... guess now that's done, I can get on with my life... we'll see how THAT works out. 

mnem
*wibble*

[worsthorse]

As a comparative aside, I'm not sure how Digikey manages their insane speed and reliability.  I can order something from them at 7pm my time, it will get pulled, packed, leave their warehouse, go through the FedEx hub in Memphis, clear customs, make it to Calgary and out onto a truck, typically delivered between 10-11am the next morning!  I don't think one has ever been past noon.  And that's $8 flat rate shipping, or free over $100.  That is insane.  They must have some crazy-awesome deal with FedEx, and I suppose most of their stuff tends to be smallish and light so FedEx can probably give them a ridiculously good rate deal.

Digikey is often not the low price winner but I am inclined to pay the small difference because their shipping system is reliable and predictable, in addition to being really freakin' fast. The average time from completing an order to having parts in hand is three days over the last fifteen or sixteen orders.

Interesting.  Are you located well away from all major centers?

Its seems strange that mine are consistently, always next-day delivery the next morning, whether to the office or my house, when that means exporting to another country, etc. while yours take three days....   

well I do live in the Northwest, an area that many of my urban NE friends consider to be a distant wilderness, free of refinement and culture but...  I think it just has to do with distance. Digikey's distribution centers are, IIRC, on the east coast of the United States, they typically ship two day, and I typically order late in the evening because that's when I am at my bench or looking at my project notebook. 

and, honestly, three days is plenty fast for me. nothing i do has to be done quickly these days, which is one of the joys of electronics/hacking for fun vs doing so for profit.   

[drussell]

Okies... Things have gone a bit pear-shaped in the dwagon's household right now; priorities are shifting drastically.
Short version is: We just got notification that the property owners are moving back in; our lease will not be renewed & we have 2 months to move. 

EEP!   

I feel 'ya...  I just had to break down and buy a "sea can" to put a bunch of my stuff that was still at my parents' place (after my mom died suddenly a couple months ago) in....

My brother and his wife came down from Edmonton the past two weekends to help move stuff around between there, my house, the storage garage / shop, or into the sea can, etc...  Moving things quickly is never fun!

[mnementh]

I'LL TAKE IT!!! When can we move in...?   

mnem
No, seriously...

[bd139]

Ugh fuck that shit. Been there. Good luck to you 

[mnementh]

Yes... Already looked at EVERY ONE OF THOSE. All those little bottles are like $16 EACH to get them to me.      Even if they combined shipping, it would be 4 or 5 of them at $7-8 EACH... plus shipping AND Import Duty of ~10-12%.

mnem

A just reward for your treasonous behavior.  Have you been practicing your eh's? Going to celebrate Canada Day on Wednesday to avoid suspicion?   Or wait until Saturday and light off fireworks to the puzzlement and annoyance of your neighbors?

Eh? 

Give it a break, ya hoser... and lay offa muh bee-yer, eh...?!?

I think I'll be too busy packing boxes to give a flying fuck either way, TBH.



Hmmm... Tracking says both these packages have been delivered, IN my community mailbox. And I just got a eMail from the Sewing Supply; my oil has been packed and will go out via Purolator Express Ground Service tomorrow morning. 

Well, FUCK. Now I have nothing to bitch about anymore; what the hell am I gonna do with m'seff...?

mnem
*starts looking at real estate listings*

[bd139]

Well there’s realtors to bitch about now. Gotta look at the bright side 

[mnementh]

LOL... sure; except the last one got us THIS awesome home. 

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Pfffft. SO New York...

mnem
*toddles off to do walkies widda baby grrl*

[tggzzz]

Okies... Things have gone a bit pear-shaped in the dwagon's household right now; priorities are shifting drastically.
Short version is: We just got notification that the property owners are moving back in; our lease will not be renewed & we have 2 months to move.

Bummer.

That might happen to my daughter in a couple of months. She's very independent, and moving back here is one of her worst fears.

[med6753]

Yes... Already looked at EVERY ONE OF THOSE. All those little bottles are like $16 EACH to get them to me.      Even if they combined shipping, it would be 4 or 5 of them at $7-8 EACH... plus shipping AND Import Duty of ~10-12%.

mnem

A just reward for your treasonous behavior.  Have you been practicing your eh's? Going to celebrate Canada Day on Wednesday to avoid suspicion?   Or wait until Saturday and light off fireworks to the puzzlement and annoyance of your neighbors?

Eh? 

Give it a break, ya hoser... and lay offa muh bee-yer, eh...?!?

I think I'll be too busy packing boxes to give a flying fuck either way, TBH.



Hmmm... Tracking says both these packages have been delivered, IN my community mailbox. And I just got a eMail from the Sewing Supply; my oil has been packed and will go out via Purolator Express Ground Service tomorrow morning. 

Well, FUCK. Now I have nothing to bitch about anymore; what the hell am I gonna do with m'seff...?

mnem
*starts looking at real estate listings*

Man, sorry to hear that. Moving sucks, as you are well aware. And the rest of your stuff is still in limbo, right? Double sucks. 

[Neomys Sapiens]

That is both ugly as hell and glorious at the same time  . Nice job 

Indeed. Talk about putting lipstick on a pig.  But I love spending time and money on rehabilitating unloved, obscure electronic equipment and this certainly fits in that category.

The good news... I probably only invested twice what the radio is worth in new part costs.  Usually it is closer to a three or four multiple. 

Ahem...

[Specmaster]

Okies... Things have gone a bit pear-shaped in the dwagon's household right now; priorities are shifting drastically.
Short version is: We just got notification that the property owners are moving back in; our lease will not be renewed & we have 2 months to move.   

This does tend to polarize one's priorities; I've ordered the oil from my local sewing supply house and I'm going to take the gamble that Canada Post actually WILL get it to me before I have to move.

As you may suspect, time for puttering is going to go away quickly. But... the pics are done, so I'm gonna roll the 2KVA Teardown here in a few.

Cheers,

mnem
 

Oh shit man, I feel for you, so soon after moving in as well. Thank fuck you hadn't got all the stuff in the trailers sent up yet. Hope that you can get something sorted in time, 2 months is all that long either.

[0culus]

Awwwww yeah. Got my 1N4007s today and replaced D702A and B...and...it's alive! There may be some issues still to work out, but I'm going to let it get warmed up well and learn how to use it from the manual before I go down any troubleshooting rabbit holes... 

[mnementh]

   Welp, my 2 packages done did arrived, and all I can say is...

SQUEEEEEEE!!!

mnem
 

[worsthorse]

Anyone here want to get their hands on a couple of Fluke 5100As, that is two of 'em?  I don't have room for them or the means to repair them, as I assume they are parts and repair, though I don't know for sure. Not mine, but I know the seller and will get more details and photos if anyone is interested.

Of course, they weigh a MST, so it is probably better if you are in the Northwest because packing and shipping will cost a fortune. PM me if you want me to pursue.

[Cerebus]

Standard domestic sewing machine oil is meant to be thin and clear nonstaining when traces end up on the fabric. Little oil squirt bottles nearly anywhere that sewers go - Supermarket, walmart, sewing shop, etc. heavy duty industrial machines have sumps and need larger quantities. More likely from industrial sewing machine retailers. (Really keen people can get synthetic sewing machine oil from Japan. AZ oil has a great range.)

The other major option for a thin oil is “spindle oil” as used in high speed machining spindles or air tools. Air tool oil is available from air tool retailers. Spindle oil msy not be non-staining.

Yes, these things I know. It's just ISO VG 10 non-detergent spindle oil; which was, once upon a time, one of the most common industrial lubricants on the planet.

Juki used a blend of SPINESSO 5 and SPINESSO 10 to come up with something approximating ISO VG 7 spindle oil. Their materials charts state that SPINESSO 10 or MOBIL VELOCITE No 6 can be used alone if their proprietary blend is not available. These are nothing more than low-parrafin-solids mineral oil with trace amount emulsifier/antioxidant additives.  This is commonly known in sewing supply houses as Lily White sewing machine oil; problem for me is the fact that up here, they really are taking the COVID lockdown seriously, so not as easy as it used to be to just walk in and pick it up.

From industrial suppliers online, the only folks who will sell you anything other than a 4oz dropper bottle or a 55 gallon drum of the stuff are... you guessed it... sewing supply houses. Which all that are actually OPEN are located in the US, and getting the stuff HERE is prohibitively expensive.

You CAN buy heavier hydraulic oils in quart and gallon sizes; but because we're in North America where EVERYTHING has to have SOME fucking additives to make it "NOW WITH EXTRA THIS OR EXTREME THAT!", all you can get are severe duty and AW rated fluids... all full of unnecessary additives that make the oil reek and ruin the non-staining aspect of mineral oil; making them inappropriate for this application, which is what I found shopping locally yesterday.

Bottom line is NOT that I don't know what I'm looking for or its alternatives; I have pages of alternatives at my fingertips. The problem is that pretty much the only source for the right stuff in the right quantity anywhere near me is a sewing supply house... of which there are only a few this side of the border close enough to drive to. Otherwise, I have to buy mail order and wait a fucking month for Canada Post, even shopping locally.   

If it wasn't going to cost a fortune to post I'd order some here and post it to you. (5L for £19, delivered Thursday).

[0culus]

Awwwww yeah. Got my 1N4007s today and replaced D702A and B...and...it's alive! There may be some issues still to work out, but I'm going to let it get warmed up well and learn how to use it from the manual before I go down any troubleshooting rabbit holes... 

Definitely going to have to do some time base calibration...but hey that's why I got the 184 and fixed it! 

[drussell]

Aw, geez... I probably should have just used FedEX...   



so, I've updated my notification communicado-itis-listus-es to include all the checkboxes direct to the cell...



Well, here's hoping they still actually come through on Friday...   

[med6753]

Awwwww yeah. Got my 1N4007s today and replaced D702A and B...and...it's alive! There may be some issues still to work out, but I'm going to let it get warmed up well and learn how to use it from the manual before I go down any troubleshooting rabbit holes... 

Definitely going to have to do some time base calibration...but hey that's why I got the 184 and fixed it! 

Good deal....looks good. The front panel is almost identical to my 535A. Some differences with the "A Trigger" controls but function the same.

I do notice that the graticule on your CRT is approx 2/3 the size of mine. Does the beam cut off just above and below it? On mine it does. In order to gain the writing speed in those early CRT's there was a sacrifice in vertical deflection. Since yours is 85MHz vs mine 15MHz I assume that's the reason for the smaller calibrated viewing area.