Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[BU508A]

Some solder from Felder:
2x 500g 1.0mm Sn60Pb39Cu1
1x 500g 0.5mm Sn60Pb39Cu1
1x 250g 0.75mm Sn62Pb36Ag2
1x 250g 0.5mm Sn62Pb36Ag2

Can you tell me for what you use all of them?
I only one solder with Pb don't even remember the number, now I feel like I need to spend more money again.

The 1,0mm Sn60Pb39Cu1 I'm using most for average stuff, like soldering cables and
soldering on my prototype boards like this one:


The other ones I'm using for SMD stuff, repairs etc.
I do have also some Pb-free solder from Felder: 0,75mm Sn96Ag04 which is also very nice.

[Specmaster]

So, bd139, are you off to Stonehouse this weekend to pick up the Solartron DVMs?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solartron-Digital-Voltmeters-A203-A202/153999947342

I would have gone to £5 because I don't need them, but fortunately somebody was prepared to pay >£50.

As for Stonehouse, I've only driven along the main road so all I can say it is looks a reasonable place. The only reason I did that was because a local "shared space guru" was pitching to introduce one in my village. He was touting that his introduction of a shared space in Stonehouse had significantly reduced the speed along the main road. Knowing he was a charming bullshitter, I went and had a look. The shared space was only 50m long and was preceded by 9(!) speed ramps.

The nearby Stroud centre isn't bad, has an excellent farmers' market, and lots of Artistes including Damian Hurst's factory. It has a reputation that the aggies from the surrounding 5 valleys descend there on Saturday night.

Unfortunately not me. I had to cancel as my car is going in for service today and the air con is bust so I’m probably going to lose it over the weekend

Oh god a town planning cult. Don’t put me off the place  . It’s pretty nice particularly the north side. I was looking at this which is sufficient for my needs https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-93276722.html .

Best bit is all the hills 

(Attachment Link)

Edit: a point I’m sure will be made about lab space but I’ll rent a local office for that and work. By the time I’ve finished working the kids will have buggered off so I’ll move the TE back into the house

Hmm, all those nice hills and views may seem very attractive right now but trust me on this, give it another few years and I'll bet they will become a curse too and you'll wish it was a little more flat and less isolated 

[tggzzz]

But you're lucky in Sweden. If you can see your neighbours house you think it is getting crowded. (Not so lucky w.r.t. the contours, though!)

At places, yes, that's how it is. We've got some 8m to our neighbours, but it does not feel crowded, because the nice people who designed the houses and their placement into nature thought about this, and made sure to only put windows in the right places. As I sit in my preferred work sofa, I can look out both NNW and SSE of the house, through windows that are near continuous for the entire façade length, and only if I stretch my neck do I see anything except trees.

Sounds as if it was designed for people, rather than "autonomous work resource units".

I had the same feeling on the Norwegian long distance trains, 40 years ago. The seats could be rotated so the passengers chose whether to face forward or be in a group of four, and there were glass carafes of water at each end of the carriage. Travelling from Narvik to Stockholm gave me a visceral feel for the meaning of the geographic term "taiga".

[tggzzz]

So, bd139, are you off to Stonehouse this weekend to pick up the Solartron DVMs?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solartron-Digital-Voltmeters-A203-A202/153999947342

I would have gone to £5 because I don't need them, but fortunately somebody was prepared to pay >£50.

As for Stonehouse, I've only driven along the main road so all I can say it is looks a reasonable place. The only reason I did that was because a local "shared space guru" was pitching to introduce one in my village. He was touting that his introduction of a shared space in Stonehouse had significantly reduced the speed along the main road. Knowing he was a charming bullshitter, I went and had a look. The shared space was only 50m long and was preceded by 9(!) speed ramps.

The nearby Stroud centre isn't bad, has an excellent farmers' market, and lots of Artistes including Damian Hurst's factory. It has a reputation that the aggies from the surrounding 5 valleys descend there on Saturday night.

Unfortunately not me. I had to cancel as my car is going in for service today and the air con is bust so I’m probably going to lose it over the weekend

Oh god a town planning cult. Don’t put me off the place  . It’s pretty nice particularly the north side. I was looking at this which is sufficient for my needs https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-93276722.html .

Best bit is all the hills 

(Attachment Link)

Edit: a point I’m sure will be made about lab space but I’ll rent a local office for that and work. By the time I’ve finished working the kids will have buggered off so I’ll move the TE back into the house

Hmm, all those nice hills and views may seem very attractive right now but trust me on this, give it another few years and I'll bet they will become a curse too and you'll wish it was a little more flat and less isolated 

Possibly, but...

I've been in my house for 30 years. I didn't plan it that way, but wanting stability for my daughter necessitated it.  That's passed, but I'm addicted to the view and am struggling to think of somewhere better to live (I have considered Nailsworth, near Stroud!). I'm on a 1:7 hill, but the road more nearly follows the contours. As for isolated, I'm 4 miles from the nearest city centre and 200m from a post office and coop.

[tonyalbus]

mailbag 

[nixiefreqq]

almost gave this one to med but decided against it.

would probably be better suited for the dragon since it fits with his "my little pony" hobby.

[tonyalbus]

Making space for TE
all these little drawer-racks go... little drawers i keep.



the little drawers go in here..



More space for TE where those drawer-racks were 

[med6753]

So, bd139, are you off to Stonehouse this weekend to pick up the Solartron DVMs?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solartron-Digital-Voltmeters-A203-A202/153999947342

I would have gone to £5 because I don't need them, but fortunately somebody was prepared to pay >£50.

As for Stonehouse, I've only driven along the main road so all I can say it is looks a reasonable place. The only reason I did that was because a local "shared space guru" was pitching to introduce one in my village. He was touting that his introduction of a shared space in Stonehouse had significantly reduced the speed along the main road. Knowing he was a charming bullshitter, I went and had a look. The shared space was only 50m long and was preceded by 9(!) speed ramps.

The nearby Stroud centre isn't bad, has an excellent farmers' market, and lots of Artistes including Damian Hurst's factory. It has a reputation that the aggies from the surrounding 5 valleys descend there on Saturday night.

Unfortunately not me. I had to cancel as my car is going in for service today and the air con is bust so I’m probably going to lose it over the weekend

Oh god a town planning cult. Don’t put me off the place  . It’s pretty nice particularly the north side. I was looking at this which is sufficient for my needs https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-93276722.html .

Best bit is all the hills 

(Attachment Link)

Edit: a point I’m sure will be made about lab space but I’ll rent a local office for that and work. By the time I’ve finished working the kids will have buggered off so I’ll move the TE back into the house

Looks old and musty. Cloudy and rainy. Quaint. With sheep roaming the hills and perverted shepherds. 

So typical English. 

[bd139]

Yup.

Well screw today. Had the day off.  Dropped the car off for service. Decided to run back as it’s a nice route along the river. Fell on my arse after slipping on some gravel and have completely fucked up my elbow  . Joy to the fact I live 5 min walk from the local hospital so I’m going to sit down there and get called an idiot for the rest of the afternoon. Waiting for codiene to kick in first 

On a positive note the car passed MOT with no issues and they even cleaned it and will drive it back to me as I injured myself for free 

[Brumby]

.... as I injured myself for free 

What would you do to yourself if you were paid...?   

[bd139]

 . Sure there was a missing comma there.

I hate it when you put an offer on something and the seller ignores you 

[tggzzz]

So, bd139, are you off to Stonehouse this weekend to pick up the Solartron DVMs?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solartron-Digital-Voltmeters-A203-A202/153999947342

I would have gone to £5 because I don't need them, but fortunately somebody was prepared to pay >£50.

As for Stonehouse, I've only driven along the main road so all I can say it is looks a reasonable place. The only reason I did that was because a local "shared space guru" was pitching to introduce one in my village. He was touting that his introduction of a shared space in Stonehouse had significantly reduced the speed along the main road. Knowing he was a charming bullshitter, I went and had a look. The shared space was only 50m long and was preceded by 9(!) speed ramps.

The nearby Stroud centre isn't bad, has an excellent farmers' market, and lots of Artistes including Damian Hurst's factory. It has a reputation that the aggies from the surrounding 5 valleys descend there on Saturday night.

Unfortunately not me. I had to cancel as my car is going in for service today and the air con is bust so I’m probably going to lose it over the weekend

Oh god a town planning cult. Don’t put me off the place  . It’s pretty nice particularly the north side. I was looking at this which is sufficient for my needs https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-93276722.html .

Best bit is all the hills 

(Attachment Link)

Edit: a point I’m sure will be made about lab space but I’ll rent a local office for that and work. By the time I’ve finished working the kids will have buggered off so I’ll move the TE back into the house

Looks old and musty. Cloudy and rainy. Quaint. With sheep roaming the hills and perverted shepherds. 

So typical English. 

Actually there are alpacas in them thar hills, less than a kilometer away. Seriously. (Or at least there were a decade ago.)

The wild wallabies are in the Derbyshire hills.

Peverted shepards are normally associated with Wales - where men are men and sheep are afraid.

[Robert763]

Thanks! At least it is obtainable new which is a lot better than the crap connector =hp= used; you know the one that's gone except it's available from some crazy guy who bought a giant stockpile NOS and now tries to make them his pension fund..

You mean this one (it is the type PH-163)?



Some time ago I stumbled over an offer in ebay: 10 Euro / piece. I bought two of them, one of them was so brittle, that I had to shorten the cable to a length of ca. 30cm (this one in the picture above).

Edit:
Here is a current offer in the bay (offered in the US for nearly 30 USD per piece plus shipping):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184355185764

I replace those HP inlets with the IEC 60320 C6 "mickey mouse" inlets This style
cpc.farnell.com/schurter/4300-0100/c6-iec-inlet-0724-screw-solder/dp/CN19989
can be fitted with minimal metal work change or none if you make an adaptor plate.

[tonyalbus]

Thanks! At least it is obtainable new which is a lot better than the crap connector =hp= used; you know the one that's gone except it's available from some crazy guy who bought a giant stockpile NOS and now tries to make them his pension fund..

You mean this one (it is the type PH-163)?

Some time ago I stumbled over an offer in ebay: 10 Euro / piece. I bought two of them, one of them was so brittle, that I had to shorten the cable to a length of ca. 30cm (this one in the picture above).

Edit:
Here is a current offer in the bay (offered in the US for nearly 30 USD per piece plus shipping):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184355185764

I replace those HP inlets with the IEC 60320 C6 "mickey mouse" inlets This style
cpc.farnell.com/schurter/4300-0100/c6-iec-inlet-0724-screw-solder/dp/CN19989
can be fitted with minimal metal work change or none if you make an adaptor plate.

Guess 'mickey mouse' is the propper proffesional term for it... i knew inmediate what you ment, clicking on the link confirmed it... funny kind of international..

[Robert763]

Yes that is quite true, I didn't like to stick my neck out about the USA ones in case I was wrong about them. The other thing to note about UK mercy flights is that they fly the direct route and ATC give them the green light and priority if their route takes them through any controlled airspace. I use airband scanner when I'm out photographing aircraft at my local airfield, or major airports and airshows and they can be frequently heard on the radio informing the ATC of their intention minutes before appearing on scene. The ATC then instantly tell all aircraft to give way and even planes doing air displays are told to halt their display with immediate effect to stand down and vacate the area until further notice. Whats is even more amazing is that these air ambulances are all run by charities, UK Government will not fund them   
[/quote]Interesting. US ATC has instructions/job orders to prioritize air ambulance flights above all flights other than aircraft in distress. Flights using call sign "Medevac" (civilian) or "Lifeguard" (now deprecated in favor of Medevac, but old habits die hard with some) are prioritized above all non-emergency (think "non-Mayday") traffic, including over Presidential traffic. Flights using "AirEvac" or "Hosp" which request priority are prioritized the same as "Medevac" above. It's intended to be used when responding to medical emergencies (first call to an accident scene,
carrying patients, organ donors, organs, or other urgently needed lifesaving medical material). We've got an air ambulance station on the field I'm based at and those crews, without being jerks, get whatever what they need. They will sometimes specifically indicate to ATC that they're on a positioning or training flight (to clarify when they don't need any priority).

The other type of medically-related transport are our networks of charitable transport (Angel Flight, Air Care Alliance, and similar organizations). Those flights use a Compassion call sign on mission and will generally receive no special priority over other civilian flights. (However, special priority for airspace access seems to be much less frequently needed in the US as I am rarely denied airspace access even as a normal civilian flight.)
[/quote]

In the UK they use a different callsign only when on an emergency, this gives them priority when needed but not when they just want to get home for tea. We had  Prince William flying one for a while here.

[nixiefreqq]

Yup.

Well screw today. Had the day off.  Dropped the car off for service. Decided to run back as it’s a nice route along the river. Fell on my arse after slipping on some gravel and have completely fucked up my elbow  . Joy to the fact I live 5 min walk from the local hospital so I’m going to sit down there and get called an idiot for the rest of the afternoon. Waiting for codiene to kick in first 

On a positive note the car passed MOT with no issues and they even cleaned it and will drive it back to me as I injured myself for free 

consider this.

[bd139]

I’d probably break my ankles 

Just got to the hospital and there’s a queue outside so that can go to hell. Will dose up and tubigrip it and see what happens.

[med6753]

This 5248L is a monster. It won't fit on any of my benches unless I clear them off. So it sits on the kitchen counter. And I have no idea where I'm going to put it later. 

After running and stabilizing for a few hours there's 1Hz discrepancy with my reference. I can live with that. But there's something I can't live with. Normally cooling fans don't bother me. I thought the fan in the Type 535A was kinda loud but not annoying. Holy jumping shitballs the fan in this counter is over the top. It drives me nuts. Is there a mod for a quieter fan? 

The construction of this beast is a work of art. And easy access with the cover design. Loving all the discrete components. 

I'm sure the questions are being asked. Will he commit heresy and paint the covers blue? No, I won't. If the covers require paint it will be a suitable shade of gray. Will he re-cap it? That's definitely a possibility. All those aluminum cans are readily accessible both top and bottom. 





   

[nixiefreqq]

the thing about old direct counters like the 524x series is that they take a direct count.  gate opens, events are counted, gate closes.  so there is no reciprocal math, no interpolation, no averaging, no nothin'.   this means there is always a plus or minus one uncertainty in the least significant digit.  but you can say your 5248 agrees with your ocxo standard to better than 1 part in 10^7.  how much better?  best not to ask or you will be down the rabbit hole of time nuttery.

have had lots of 524x counters pass thru my hands and have very rarely needed to replace a cap.  maybe cub has advice on recapping?  (if your obsessive compulsive tendency gets to you ok.....but probably not necessary).

never heard of a fan quieting fix for them either.  only suggestion from me is to purchase a snubbie .357 mag and put a couple of ammo bricks downrange without ear protection.  afterward the fan noise will be moot.

edit  my recollection is .....that particular counter is ex air force.  does that tmde tag on top say usaf?  don't remember.  you should be able to tell by the contract # on the tag stuck on the front.  zoomies are all deaf from hanging around the flight line and can't hear fans either.


 

[bd139]

That’s a beast isn’t it.

On the subject of beasts guess who just bought a semi boat anchor. Now need to work out how to get it with a fucked arm 

Edit: tek 454 (yeah I know) and just won a PL320 as well. Back on the wagon

[nixiefreqq]

That’s a beast isn’t it.

On the subject of beasts guess who just bought a semi boat anchor. Now need to work out how to get it with a fucked arm 

Edit: tek 454 (yeah I know) and just won a PL320 as well. Back on the wagon

you might as well go ahead and buy the cottage........you will just flip it in 6 months anyhow. (ya' damn flip flopper you!)

[bd139]

The consistency is inconsistency 

[med6753]

the thing about old direct counters like the 524x series is that they take a direct count.  gate opens, events are counted, gate closes.  so there is no reciprocal math, no interpolation, no averaging, no nothin'.   this means there is always a plus or minus one uncertainty in the least significant digit.  but you can say your 5248 agrees with your ocxo standard to better than 1 part in 10^7.  how much better?  best not to ask or you will be down the rabbit hole of time nuttery.

have had lots of 524x counters pass thru my hands and have very rarely needed to replace a cap.  maybe cub has advice on recapping?  (if your obsessive compulsive tendency gets to you ok.....but probably not necessary).

never heard of a fan quieting fix for them either.  only suggestion from me is to purchase a snubbie .357 mag and put a couple of ammo bricks downrange without ear protection.  afterward the fan noise will be moot.

edit  my recollection is .....that particular counter is ex air force.  does that tmde tag on top say usaf?  don't remember.  you should be able to tell by the contract # on the tag stuck on the front.  zoomies are all deaf from hanging around the flight line and can't hear fans either.

I kinda figured the +/- 1 digit was nothing to fuss about.

I'll try to resist the temptation to re-cap but my compulsive disorder may get the best of me.

I'm already half deaf. Going to the shooting range without hearing protection isn't going to be very smart.    Didn't see any USAF contract stickers. Only sticker was on top indicating the last calibration date of 1995. That sticker has since been removed thanks to Goo-gone. And the covers look great. No painting required.

[med6753]

The consistency is inconsistency 

You are impossible. 

[bd139]

How could you not though? 



Even has three entire feet!