Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bitseeker]

Wife says i need to play first with the toys i have now, before more is bought....
my excuse i also sell does not work anymore coz she has been in my cave 



And why is that UltrasonicCleaner you gave me so big, i don't have that much juwelry 

That looks and sounds just about right. Congrats, Tony. You fit right in!

[bitseeker]

See ya'll on Discord in the morning. 

I'm so bummed! I was so looking forward to being able to join Discord today since I wasn't able to join the past few nor the next one, but then I got distracted until it was too late. Now I know what it's like when others have fallen victim to the same snafu.

[bitseeker]

Not doing a Dave .... it is a Tony... does it work for you guys... just trying some stuff...

Those were some very diligent answers to viewer questions.

(And I liked the TEA sign trying to photo-bomb a closeup in your vid.)

[bitseeker]

This is a cool looking mini scope: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264005789638

It's a bit "Star Trek, during the movies but before TNG" looking. Not sure if I like it or loathe it.

As to whether it looks useful or not, I've got to give that a big thumbs up. If it was in the UK at that price I'd be seriously considering dropping the money on it.

That is a neat scope. I contemplated it for a while. Debated it a little more. How often have I used a scope away from my lab? Once in the past five years. I just schlepped my 1054Z. It's reasonably sized for transport.

Now, if I was often taking a scope places, I just might go for this one.

Adding more pics from the listing here, for archival purposes, since the seller included a micro-teardown.

[bitseeker]

Today my Rohde & Schwarz NGT 20 power supply arrived.
What a nice and cute PSU. It has no fan and is completely silent. 

I did some checkings and all is working well.
I did not see the jumpings Ero-Shan mentioned,  but the output voltage changes for about 20 - 30mV when the knob for the voltage setting is slightly touched or pushed.

Here are the pictures of this quick teardown...

Lots of great pics, BU! Added to POI.

[tautech]

See ya'll on Discord in the morning. 

I'm so bummed! I was so looking forward to being able to join Discord today since I wasn't able to join the past few nor the next one, but then I got distracted until it was too late. Now I know what it's like when others have fallen victim to the same snafu.

Don't worry I didn't make it either despite best intentions as visitors arrived just when Discord was about to kick off.   
Next week maybe.

[VK5RC]

Now that the card reader is working, there's a world of useful programs for the HP-65. However, since I currently lack a manual for EE Pac 1, I am having to RE the programs. First victim, is the volts-to-dBm program which I thought would be simple but it isn't. It's actually quite clever, as it takes account your system's Z.

(Attachment Link)

Apologies if I am telling you to suck eggs but are you aware of the hp calculator museum? If they don't have a copy of some of the pack manuals they might be able to track someone who has one. https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp65.htm
Regards Rob
Edit, add photo of some of the calculators
(all working now - quite a few needed the gummy wheel repair - quite a bit of electrolyte battery terminal damage as well repaired) Have quite a few spare 41, with the near terminal electrolyte rot on its flexible cable/pcb. There is a source of spares but the price is big.

[bd139]

I think I found dangerous SMPS guy’s cousin: https://youtu.be/BkyTip49g0g

That is pure gore. NSFW (if you have multimeters around you)

[med6753]

A fail on so many levels. But the biggest fail is that he didn't get the actual magic smoke release on video. 

I want my 3 minutes back. 

[bd139]

I get the feeling there wasn’t much to see other than blackness with a sound track of “oh shit oh shit oh shit” 

[med6753]

Too bad it's all in I assume Hindi or some other Indian dialect where I guess he explains what happens.

[Robert763]

Come on C... this is ME you're talking to. The fucking TOOL-DWAGON.   Making stuff with my hands is literally my LIFE.

I'm just saying that this isn't a job for for which 3DP is the best choice. I think made my case succinctly and I think convincingly - I certainly didn't think I'd be required to provide a full time and motion study, complete with cost of acquisition of materials study. What's next the fucking Spanish inquisition? You can choose to disagree or agree.

And I'm saying that since I have the printer... and I have the filament... I would literally rather print it than be arsed to gather the materials to build it from stock. This is is very low-stress tool; the original is made of plastic, and I know from experience that a 3DP version will exceed the need. If I had some suitable rod handy, would I use it? Of course. I'd STILL probably print the handle tho.

Maybe that is the difference here... experience.    I don't have a lot of experience with 3DP; but I do have enough to be confident in its ability to make this tool. Will it make a heirloom tool I'd hand down to my grandkids? No. Will it make a tool I could... say... print up and mail to a friend who wanted to trim out one of those little voodoo 500MHz nuvistor oscillators and know it will do the job, and probably be around for the next one too, but not care if I never see it again?

You betcha.

mnem

So how much did this printer cost? How long did it take you before you learnt how to to use it and the CAD software you need to input data? How much space does it take up? These are just as relevant as the time taken to find, store and use stock and file handles.
3DP may be easier for odd shaped tools but these will have longer design inputs and the strength of the prt may be questionable. We have have professional very expensive 3D prnters at work and while I am not directly involved in them I've been in contact with their output. To be usable for anything at all structural they need expensive filament and to get a good finish, post processing, both these need extended print times. We tend to use 3DP for prototypes and shapes that cannot be fabricated using stock materials and machining.
They have their place but I don't think printing rod is the besy way.

How about some pictures of the finished tool ?

[Robert763]

A fail on so many levels. But the biggest fail is that he didn't get the actual magic smoke release on video. 

I want my 3 minutes back. 

Looks like a Lithium battery failure from the directional "jet" towards rear of bench. Normal fire goes up.

[xrunner]

How about some pictures of the finished tool ?

Well, there is a 3D printer thread elsewhere, but since I didn't start it here ... 

Here's what a lot of mine produces - small N scale models for my n scale model railroad.

All of the items in the pic were 3d printed by me (I didn't make all the models though). Oil tank, wooden boxes, barrels, shipping containers, concrete barriers, and custom stencils for airbrushing logos - even the tiny ladder was 3D printed. It works very well for this application and saves a ton of money because the small models are sold at highway robbery prices.

I also like to improve the printer as a hobby in it's own right, because I enjoy tinkering with things like that.

[bd139]

Yeah that’s an amazing use for sure. I’d probably be burning my printer up if I got back into that.

[xrunner]

Yeah that’s an amazing use for sure. I’d probably be burning my printer up if I got back into that.

Hobbies - so many hobbies. 

Actually, the surface quality of the 3D printing process, in many circumstances, actually is an asset. Why? Because in the real world many things are dirty and have worn and broken parts and surfaces that are not perfect. It actually helps the process of "weathering" the models because it has a worn look.

[bd139]

yeah, although when they are unnatural surfaces, think sides of locomotives, that might not be a winner

I did consider working on a 3DP OO gauge class 37 a while back but the resolution issues on the bogie sideframes had too many compromises for my brain and eyes to resolve. I did some calculations and the resolution wasn't there even at 0.2mm layer size.

[sokoloff]

0.2mm is the layer height I use when I’m in a hurry and I don’t care much what the print looks like. 0.12mm is “normal” and 0.08mm is what I think of as “fine”.

Some modern slicers also offer adaptive layer heights that change with the geometry automatically.

[bd139]

Yes that requires more fettling and diminishing returns however.

[mnementh]

Come on C... this is ME you're talking to. The fucking TOOL-DWAGON.   Making stuff with my hands is literally my LIFE.

I'm just saying that this isn't a job for for which 3DP is the best choice. I think made my case succinctly and I think convincingly - I certainly didn't think I'd be required to provide a full time and motion study, complete with cost of acquisition of materials study. What's next the fucking Spanish inquisition? You can choose to disagree or agree.

And I'm saying that since I have the printer... and I have the filament... I would literally rather print it than be arsed to gather the materials to build it from stock. This is is very low-stress tool; the original is made of plastic, and I know from experience that a 3DP version will exceed the need. If I had some suitable rod handy, would I use it? Of course. I'd STILL probably print the handle tho.

Maybe that is the difference here... experience.    I don't have a lot of experience with 3DP; but I do have enough to be confident in its ability to make this tool. Will it make a heirloom tool I'd hand down to my grandkids? No. Will it make a tool I could... say... print up and mail to a friend who wanted to trim out one of those little voodoo 500MHz nuvistor oscillators and know it will do the job, and probably be around for the next one too, but not care if I never see it again?

You betcha.

mnem

So how much did this printer cost? How long did it take you before you learnt how to to use it and the CAD software you need to input data? How much space does it take up? These are just as relevant as the time taken to find, store and use stock and file handles.
3DP may be easier for odd shaped tools but these will have longer design inputs and the strength of the prt may be questionable. We have have professional very expensive 3D prnters at work and while I am not directly involved in them I've been in contact with their output. To be usable for anything at all structural they need expensive filament and to get a good finish, post processing, both these need extended print times. We tend to use 3DP for prototypes and shapes that cannot be fabricated using stock materials and machining.
They have their place but I don't think printing rod is the besy way.

How about some pictures of the finished tool ?

Oh sweet cheese and crackers...

I LITERALLY answered every point you just made in the post you just quoted. The equivalent to my 3DP is the shop full of tools to form the rod and the store to go buy a file handle from. Apples-apples man.

This is a low-stress tool; "the best way" is not needed here. All that's needed here is "the good enough way". If I didn't have any appropriate plastic tube, I'd print that too, because it would be good enough.

If one of my friends needs this tool (preferably after I finish moving) I'll happily print one when I have time.

Jeezus... some of you guys make trying to be nice a fucking ordeal. 

mnem
"No good deed goes unpunished."

[tggzzz]

I did consider working on a 3DP OO gauge class 37 a while back but the resolution issues on the bogie sideframes had too many compromises for my brain and eyes to resolve. I did some calculations and the resolution wasn't there even at 0.2mm layer size.

What about SLA? Much smoother; the camera doesn't like to try to focus on it.

2mm pitch thread. The facets in the barrel are in the model, and aren't a printing artefact; the facets are 2mm wide.

[bd139]

SLA is an option. But cost vs benefit suggest it's easier to just buy the thing you're trying to print at the moment or pay someone else to do it. Give it a few years then I might consider it.

[mnementh]

SLA is gorgeous. But what I HAVE is FDM.     Defeats the whole "I have these tools, I want to make this, this is the easiest way" pro of 3DP.

Also... making a 300mm rod would be much more expensive; both in resin and in terms of a machine with adequate build volume. That is a really big con to SLA.

mnem
 

[tggzzz]

SLA is gorgeous. But what I HAVE is FDM.     Defeats the whole "I have these tools, I want to make this, this is the easiest way" pro of 3DP.

Also... making a 300mm rod would be much more expensive; both in resin and in terms of a machine with adequate build volume. That is a really big con to SLA.

mnem
 

Sure, but you will note I was replying to bd's comments on resolution for bogie sideframes.

Personally, if I had needed to make a spacer for the connector, I would probably have found some metal washers or just drilled a hole in a piece of wood. But then I don't have a "hammer".

[med6753]

If one of my friends needs this tool (preferably after I finish moving) I'll happily print one when I have time.

Jeezus... some of you guys make trying to be nice a fucking ordeal. 

mnem
"No good deed goes unpunished."

Here, you guys can go duke it out.