Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Saskia]

a friend will stop by and help me heave the boat anchor into my appartment.

This thing must weigh about 100 lbs ... Odin, give me strength (physical) ...

[McBryce]

You seem to have nailed the method for receiving multiples of whatever you order! Teach us!

McBryce.

Step 1 is to select quantity 2. Step 2 is to pay two items.

Yes, except Tony didn't order or pay for 2 Spectrum analysers, nor two HP3478A's yet he now has 2 SA's and a second 3478A on its way to him.

McBryce.

[tonyalbus]

You seem to have nailed the method for receiving multiples of whatever you order! Teach us!

McBryce.

Step 1 is to select quantity 2. Step 2 is to pay two items.

Yes, except Tony didn't order or pay for 2 Spectrum analysers, nor two HP3478A's yet he now has 2 SA's and a second 3478A on its way to him.

McBryce.

ehh.. Tony is such a dumb ass he tell the seller it just arrived....
this seller was very sesponsive keeping in touch and stuff... i felt bad about it..
like to do honest business...
the SA..other story... they tried to scre.. me, then i dont mind.

[mnementh]

*kix eevBlog squarely in the 'nads*

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Everything. Is. AWESOME...!

mnem
when you're living in a dream...

Everything Is AWESEOME...!

When You're Part of a Team ...

(Attachment Link)

Unfortunately in my living room, that team was not able to stand up against 7 Ninjago figurines. 

Yes, Emmett lost his hair, and Yes, that is a dragon on the right side of the back row!

   Since your pic evidently got sucked into the black hole that is SMF's photo database (eevBlog runs on SMF) never to return, I will have to use my imagination. Fortunately, that won't be hard... my son also was/is a huge Ninjago fan, and we spent countless hours watching the show and engaging in pitched battles with Lord Garmadon. There were Serpentine heads all over the place, and dragon bits scattered from Hell to breakfast. 

   He likes Lloyd (was a big Lord Garmadon fan for a while due to similarities with Lord Vader) Garmadon; I personally tended to favor Pythor P Chumsworth for his dark, Doctor-Smith-esque self interest and can't-ever-quite-win Murphy-infested existence. That sort ALWAYS gets the best lines. 

mnem
"Think scaly."

[bd139]

And I slept through a fluke 8800a. If anyone got it, well done.

Was that the one went for £70 shipped? I lowballed it and got knocked back, went for silly money imo.

That's the one. I was going to put 50 on it as it's 5.5 digits but was unconscious at the time it finished 

  okey now i am even more confused i usualy already am..

on my doorstep just now...

Nice, tell us how it goes the initial testing and I would like how these meters are easy to calibrate.

Oh you're into a world of fun with the 3478A. If you have penis fingers like me, then run away. Some gotchas:

1. The switch shaft plastic is brittle at this age. I managed to break it off one removing the switch to replace the RIFAs.
2. It has RIFAs. Grr.
3. It has a soldered in memory backup battery which needs to be replaced almost certainly immediately at the moment. Doing this is a bastard without losing the cal data. I lost the cal data when I did mine 
4. The cal can be re-entered via the front panel but it's boring. There is a way of pulling it off the HPIB interface but it means you need to build or steal an adapter and find some software to do it.

The good bit is it only needs cal on 3V on the AC range if I remember correctly which means it's pretty easy to cal comparatively with another DMM that is calibrated and an AWG or something.

[mnementh]

@bd: My cal procedure was pretty simple: Clean the switches, USE THE FUKKIN' THING.    But that DID require opening the case. 

Parcel from DE to NL got lost...

HP 3478A Labormultimeter 5-stellig

Seller offers to send an other..

Curious, how much you paid this, I bought mine for $140 CAD from a local seller. And it needs recapping and installing a DIY adapter thanks to some EEVBlog people at https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/project-extending-hp3478a-functionality/ and that is what I am getting from : https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/project-extending-hp3478a-functionality/

160 incl shipping... the shipping killed the good deal...but now i want it.. ;-)

but he also offert a full refund... if the meter is crap i better take that option...

The hp 3478A is a perfectly good meter, if you compare it with a more modern one, it does lack the diode test function but otherwise it is a great if you don't need to measure more than 300V. Very accurate and is easy to calibrate yourself without having to open it, all done via the front keypad.

Yup; great meter. Even the cheap-ass dwagon bought one. 

mnem
"But wait... there's more! Now how much would you pay...?"

[worsthorse]

And I slept through a fluke 8800a. If anyone got it, well done.

Sorry you missed it. I like the 8800A enough to have two of them on my bench. I think the first one cost me $70 and I built the second from twenty dollars worth of two as-is units bought at a hamfest.  Well worth the investment as everyday meters.

[bd139]

Indeed.

There's an 8810A left up there as well but that's only got the AC averaging converter in it which isn't as interesting as the RMS converter

[BU508A]

Second plea to the precision resistor, ah, aficionados...

Trying to repair the bad sections of a mil-spec step attenuator.  I need what turn out to be odd values: 5.76, 17.6, 291, and 866 ohms, with the first and second being 1% and the latter two 0.1% tolerance (though I am pretty sure I should be able to get the 17.6 ohm in 0.1%). Vishay makes two series that should work, CMF50 and CMF55, but I haven't been able to find these values anywhere (they are E192). 

So... am I looking the wrong way? are these unobtainium values? any other precision resistor product lines I might also check out?

I am starting to think that I am   

Dr. Frank in the metrology section recommends these resistors. He is using them for his projects:
The econistors from Rhopoint components, the 8G16 series.

Another possibility is to contact Edwin G. Pettis from Ultrohm in the USA. He can do custom made WW resistors for a reasonable price. He is a member in the eevblog forum community as well.
I've ordered some resistors from him and he was very helpful.

HTH

[mnementh]

Yeah, those wirewound resistors are NOT gonna be a good idea in a RF attenuator block for reasons which should be obvious. 

IN OTHER NEWS...

https://www.zdnet.com/article/backdoor-accounts-discovered-in-29-ftth-devices-from-chinese-vendor-c-data/

mnem
 

[bd139]

Who the fuck is C-Data? Never heard of them!

Oh yes that's because we use stuff with American backdoors isntead like Cisco and Juniper! 

[Mr. Scram]

Who the fuck is C-Data? Never heard of them!

Oh yes that's because we use stuff with American backdoors isntead like Cisco and Juniper! 

Good thing they don't need those backdoors any more. When the infrastructure is hosted by Google, Amazon or Microsoft the front door will suffice. 

[bd139]

They even provide APIs now!

I still use pencil and paper when planning world domination. Take that suckers.

[Brumby]

Some more pics....
No unboxing of this one - but I think you'll be able to work out what's here....


The lock in amplifier:


Rechargeable power pack - and the grundge


... and a couple of other nice bits.....

[Neomys Sapiens]

Second plea to the precision resistor, ah, aficionados...

Trying to repair the bad sections of a mil-spec step attenuator.  I need what turn out to be odd values: 5.76, 17.6, 291, and 866 ohms, with the first and second being 1% and the latter two 0.1% tolerance (though I am pretty sure I should be able to get the 17.6 ohm in 0.1%). Vishay makes two series that should work, CMF50 and CMF55, but I haven't been able to find these values anywhere (they are E192). 

So... am I looking the wrong way? are these unobtainium values? any other precision resistor product lines I might also check out?

I am starting to think that I am   

Dr. Frank in the metrology section recommends these resistors. He is using them for his projects:
The econistors from Rhopoint components, the 8G16 series.

Another possibility is to contact Edwin G. Pettis from Ultrohm in the USA. He can do custom made WW resistors for a reasonable price. He is a member in the eevblog forum community as well.
I've ordered some resistors from him and he was very helpful.

HTH

Nope. Not exactly the best application for wirewound resistors.

[Neomys Sapiens]

I can't describe how angry I am. The fucking lazy criminal arab Hermes ogre did yesterday enter a parcel as 'refused delivery' when I was not here. I looked at the tracking data since today at noon and nothing changed. When I called their hotline, this answer came to light.What a disgusting piece of scum.

[BU508A]

Yeah, those wirewound resistors are NOT gonna be a good idea in a RF attenuator block for reasons which should be obvious. 

Yes, WW resistors aren't a good idea for RF stuff. Was a bit overmotivated in trying being helpful. 
As a plan B for RF resistors: perhaps you can get the needed values by combining them.
https://www.mouser.de/Passive-Components/Resistors/High-Frequency-RF-Resistors/_/N-7jdaj

[mnementh]

Who the fuck is C-Data? Never heard of them!

Oh yes that's because we use stuff with American backdoors isntead like Cisco and Juniper! 

No, these latest problem children are FTTH (Fiber To The Home) gateways. What your ISP will be putting in for small commercial and home users.

      

I have one I just picked up at the Thrift a couple weeks ago cuz it was $9.99 and I wanted to see what was inside it.    I was planning to do a teardown, but IRL got in the way.     For all I know, this could be one of the devices in question.   

mnem
 

[worsthorse]

Second plea to the precision resistor, ah, aficionados...

Trying to repair the bad sections of a mil-spec step attenuator.  I need what turn out to be odd values: 5.76, 17.6, 291, and 866 ohms, with the first and second being 1% and the latter two 0.1% tolerance (though I am pretty sure I should be able to get the 17.6 ohm in 0.1%). Vishay makes two series that should work, CMF50 and CMF55, but I haven't been able to find these values anywhere (they are E192). 

So... am I looking the wrong way? are these unobtainium values? any other precision resistor product lines I might also check out?

I am starting to think that I am   

Dr. Frank in the metrology section recommends these resistors. He is using them for his projects:
The econistors from Rhopoint components, the 8G16 series.

Another possibility is to contact Edwin G. Pettis from Ultrohm in the USA. He can do custom made WW resistors for a reasonable price. He is a member in the eevblog forum community as well.
I've ordered some resistors from him and he was very helpful.

HTH

Thanks! I will look at the 8G16 series.  This repair probably isn't worth custom made resistors as I can sort through a stack of "pretty close" 1% tolerance resistors and find something that works.  Also...  wirewound isn't a great idea for an RF application like this.

Yeah, those wirewound resistors are NOT gonna be a good idea in a RF attenuator block for reasons which should be obvious. 

Yes, WW resistors aren't a good idea for RF stuff. Was a bit overmotivated in trying being helpful. 
As a plan B for RF resistors: perhaps you can get the needed values by combining them.
https://www.mouser.de/Passive-Components/Resistors/High-Frequency-RF-Resistors/_/N-7jdaj

Unfortunately, between my penis fingers and the available mounting space, combinations aren't an option.

And wirewound being a good idea or not, thanks for the assist! 
 

[mnementh]

The 8G16 series are precision wirewound resistors as well.    "Low reactance" does not mean "suitable for RF". BU508A's later suggestion might be more suitable:

Yes, WW resistors aren't a good idea for RF stuff. Was a bit overmotivated in trying being helpful.     As a plan B for RF resistors: perhaps you can get the needed values by combining them.   

https://www.mouser.de/Passive-Components/Resistors/High-Frequency-RF-Resistors/_/N-7jdaj

mnem
 

[med6753]

The Type 561B plug-in extension showed up today...a full day early. But there's a problem. I ordered 1. This looks like 2 to me.  I was charged quantity of 1.  What do I do?



Keep them both. 

[worsthorse]

Who the fuck is C-Data? Never heard of them!

Oh yes that's because we use stuff with American backdoors isntead like Cisco and Juniper! 

No, these latest problem children are FTTH (Fiber To The Home) gateways. What your ISP will be putting in for small commercial and home users.

      

I have one I just picked up at the Thrift a couple weeks ago cuz it was $9.99 and I wanted to see what was inside it.    I was planning to do a teardown, but IRL got in the way.     For all I know, this could be one of the devices in question.   

mnem
 

dude that is a helluava thrift shop you have there! around here the only "electronics" i see in the local thrift shops are obsolete gps receivers, dead power tool batteries, and CD players. 

[worsthorse]

The Type 561B plug-in extension showed up today...a full day early. But there's a problem. I ordered 1. This looks like 2 to me.  I was charged quantity of 1.  What do I do?



Keep them both. 

Do what you would want a buyer to do if you shipped him two of something and he paid for one.

[mnementh]

No, these latest problem children are FTTH (Fiber To The Home) gateways. What your ISP will be putting in for small commercial and home users.

      I have one I just picked up at the Thrift a couple weeks ago cuz it was $9.99 and I wanted to see what was inside it.   

I was planning to do a teardown, but IRL got in the way.     For all I know, this could be one of the devices in question.   

mnem
 

dude that is a helluava thrift shop you have there! around here the only "electronics" i see in the local thrift shops are obsolete gps receivers, dead power tool batteries, and CD players. 

Oh, man... that still is what 99% of it is. I have a "habit"; I go Thrifting far more often than most would consider healthy, especially in theses COVID times.      I have been mistaken for one of the "professionals" more than once. 

mnem