Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[tautech]

Hard to imagine a 4 stroke weed whacker or chain saw would be much fun to use.  Even a backpack 4 stroke leafblower is easily "blown away" by a hand held 2 stroke!

If the tool is on wheels, it's a different thing - e.g. lawn mowers, big leaf blowers, snow blowers, etc., seem to be more pleasant overall as 4 strokes.

When you think about it there are a lot of challenges for the engine designer least of all the climate it has to operate in. Where the motor can be carried as part of the implement/tool it makes sense to use a 4 stroke especially when the task it's required to do is at constant and comparably low revs compared to a 2 stroke.
3600 rpm is easy to do and 4 stokes can last for decades when religiously serviced.
One only needs look at how long a plain silicon alloy bore with a chromed alloy piston that Briggs have used for 50+ years can last. I've seen some survive 30+ years for careful owners. 

2 strokes can last a phenomenal amount of work too if you care to analyze their real statistics of use. I well remember when Nikasil cylinders first emerged and a local top pro crosscutter had previously only obtained just 3 months from saws but got 9 months from his first Jonsered 80.
Conservably calculated that was some 300+ million revolutions without mechanical failure ! 

Power/compactness vs size/weight a 2 stroke wins hands down.

As a former enthusiastic rider of 2 stroke motorbikes, loved the lightness, hated the horrible torque curve. Noisy too, unless you go water cooled and that kind of kills the raw simplicity that is part of the 2 stroke aesthetic.

Only had 2 strokes also and last before going ag on the farm with pop was a Suzuki GT250 X7 I bought new ~'81.
Was courting at that time and always took the long and windy way to see she whom was the wife to be.
Like this but in Gloss Black: (images of black ones seem rare, maybe I should've kept it )


However today what high performance engine today is not water cooled ?
Even the little 80cc scramblers are.

I think the bike I had the most fun on was a KTM 650 supermoto that my son had when away for 3 months at a time doing overseas contracts and pop just had to keep its battery charged.   
That thing had real balls and was scary quick from a standing start but man it was fun.
Sad day when he settled overseas after finding the love of his life when working in Perth and told me to sell it. 

[AVGresponding]

It would make a great deal of sense for HP to limit costs by using common parts between units.
The full width rack HP supplies have been on my want list for some time, but they only seem to show up in the States, at least for reasonable prices anyway. This was quite a lucky find over here really.

A few years ago I had a talk to a German seller (not Rosenkranz) of used TE. He said, there's a lot of the 6632B and similar in some TE sellers stock, but they keep them deliberately back because the prices were too low.

So you might ask e.g. Rosenkranz (https://www.rosenkranz-elektronik.com/) for a quote, this is where I've got mine from, for a lower price than they were offered back then on ebay. Assuming it's correct what I was told later by this other seller, there should be more available.

One wonders in these days of just in time delivery and the "efficiencies" sought by not having space allocated to stock, whether this still happens.

@bd139, I have "the stuff", thanks   [/color][/size][/b]

Enjoy. Hope Hermes didn’t customise it 

Nope. The local driver is an ok bloke, I got chatting with him some time back.

It was one of those situations that could have gone either way, he'd knocked, but I'd not been able to get to the door fast enough, and he was on his way back down the path.
I obviously said hi, sorry, was as fast as I could be etc, he said sorry, I already entered it in the tablet, will have to come back tomorrow.
Obviously I was disappointed, but I didn't get snarky, and I think that was what he was waiting for; after a few moments tapping his tablet, he said, it's ok, I got it to accept a change, here's your parcel.
I expect they get quite a lot of abuse, and his reaction was a defensive one. By not attacking, I defused the situation, and got my parcel.

I've never forgotten a post made by a member who was a multi-drop driver (can't remember the carrier) on the Celica UK Owners Club forum a few years back.
He painted a grim picture in many ways, and while I know there are some jerks working at these places, there are jerks in all walks of life, and I always prefer to think the best of people first. Worked for me with this, for sure, and the recent buying experience with the Keithley 2000 reinforced it. People may be stupid, and/or do stupid things sometimes, but it doesn't mean they're malicious.

Uploaded the HP 66311B teardown peek inside/testing pics at last. Not a full teardown as this thing is complex to disassemble and I had limited time and wanted to get to the testing bit.

Are those loose wayward washers  ? 

Nope lol, they are part of the front panel moulding. There must be some model or option for front panel binding posts, and that is what I was looking for.
I have the posts, from Rapid, and will add them "at some point in the future"^TM.

[Specmaster]

Case opened. I've never done this before, so thumbs held.

So, seller replied with an offer of 50% unit price reduction.  I can't say I'm impressed. The lions' share of the total price was GSP handlingmutilation, and it's the shippers who fuckerized it. (from a sorry initial state of "badly packaged", of course.)

Am going to try for a total refund. How do I best go about that?

Side note: Popped the top off. It is extremely dirty inside (and out). Must have been on a shop floor; there is a Dymo label saying "GRINDER MACHINE" on it. I can very easily imagine contamination-caused shorts on the PCB leading to its decommission.


Edit: Refund received. I went to escalate and found case closed, all green. 

All day long, if an item is shipped by GSP than any dispute should always be opened with them. I'm speaking as a seller who seems to do more than my fair share of global sales and when you sell something that is going overseas via the GSP method, you are told as the seller that all you have to do is to get the item safely to their GSP depot in your country and that is the end of your responsibility as a seller. They then take over and the rest of the journey is in their hands, repacking (if required), customs paperwork, final destination carrier etc.

As other here on the forum have already found out on many occasions, should something go wrong and the items arrives damaged etc that eBay will, once notified, sort it all in double quick time for you. The buyer normally gets a full refund included the shipping cost, gets to keep the item and the seller is not involved in any way and also gets your payment for the item. GSP as far as I'm concerned is winner winner, chicken  dinner.

[Robert763]

Used to have one of these with a 3 cyl two stroke (one coil per cyl, thermosyphon cooling) many years ago.
Also had a Saab 95 but it was the V4.

[Specmaster]

@bd139, I have "the stuff", thanks   [/color][/size][/b]

Enjoy. Hope Hermes didn’t customise it 

Nope. The local driver is an ok bloke, I got chatting with him some time back.

It was one of those situations that could have gone either way, he'd knocked, but I'd not been able to get to the door fast enough, and he was on his way back down the path.
I obviously said hi, sorry, was as fast as I could be etc, he said sorry, I already entered it in the tablet, will have to come back tomorrow.
Obviously I was disappointed, but I didn't get snarky, and I think that was what he was waiting for; after a few moments tapping his tablet, he said, it's ok, I got it to accept a change, here's your parcel.
I expect they get quite a lot of abuse, and his reaction was a defensive one. By not attacking, I defused the situation, and got my parcel.

I've never forgotten a post made by a member who was a multi-drop driver (can't remember the carrier) on the Celica UK Owners Club forum a few years back.
He painted a grim picture in many ways, and while I know there are some jerks working at these places, there are jerks in all walks of life, and I always prefer to think the best of people first. Worked for me with this, for sure, and the recent buying experience with the Keithley 2000 reinforced it. People may be stupid, and/or do stupid things sometimes, but it doesn't mean they're malicious.

100% agree with this, my own Hermes driver is very good, YMMV but you can find jerks everywhere if you look for them, no one has the monopoly on employing them 

[Robert763]

   Also, think I'm going to jump off a bridge now. The E4402B doesn't look better. And that's putting it mildly.

Before you do anything rash... have you tried a different patch cable? Something known 50-ohm with N-connector one end and BNC the other, no adapters? Preferably known sweep-tested to 10-12GHz...?

When you get up into these frequencies... a hinky cable or adapter can hose you big time.

Good luck my friend!

mnem
 

Yup. First thing I tried. Note, by the way, that the "noise floor" (hah!) Sits at 50dBm. Plus, not minus. That would be some trick for a knackered patch cable 

I assume that was from the recent Skegness auction?
I decided the SAs were too big a risk and the other items I was interested in went for more than I could buy them from a dealer

[Specmaster]

Uploaded the HP 66311B teardown peek inside/testing pics at last. Not a full teardown as this thing is complex to disassemble and I had limited time and wanted to get to the testing bit.

Are those loose wayward washers  ? 

Nope lol, they are part of the front panel moulding. There must be some model or option for front panel binding posts, and that is what I was looking for.
I have the posts, from Rapid, and will add them "at some point in the future"^TM.

Personally I think that if you look at some other HP items in the range that they seem to wherever possible use the same fascia panel in order to share a family appearance and any unused holes etc are blanked of by the stick on front legend plastic label.

[bd139]

Well this looks genuine!



Linky if anyone wants one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353200685540

[Ice-Tea]

I assume that was from the recent Skegness auction?
I decided the SAs were too big a risk and the other items I was interested in went for more than I could buy them from a dealer

Yeah. What drives me nuts is that it worked more or less before before it borked out (see a few posts ago). Eh, well, I have other items from the auction, it's part of the 'job' that there will be a few duds along the way but 2/2 on the first stuff I turn on is a bit much.

[bd139]

Ok question for people. I have two counters. I need one. Which one do I keep?

1. Racal 9916 -> 520MHz basic frequency counter. But it has a Racal 9942 OCXO in it, better resolution and is rather nice to use.
2. HP 5316A -> 1GHz with channel C + other measurement functions in it. But it's hugely long which is an issue and has a shitty crystal oscillator in it.

 

[Robert763]

Ok question for people. I have two counters. I need one. Which one do I keep?

1. Racal 9916 -> 520MHz basic frequency counter. But it has a Racal 9942 OCXO in it, better resolution and is rather nice to use.
2. HP 5316A -> 1GHz with channel C + other measurement functions in it. But it's hugely long which is an issue and has a shitty crystal oscillator in it.

 

What are you using it for?
I'd keep the 5316 as it has univeral cunter functions and reciprocal counting for low frequencies. A better osilator is not hard to retrofit.

Edit: I could do a deal for  5335A 

[AVGresponding]

Ok question for people. I have two counters. I need one. Which one do I keep?

1. Racal 9916 -> 520MHz basic frequency counter. But it has a Racal 9942 OCXO in it, better resolution and is rather nice to use.
2. HP 5316A -> 1GHz with channel C + other measurement functions in it. But it's hugely long which is an issue and has a shitty crystal oscillator in it.

 

Can't the Racal OCXO be fitted in the 5316?

As for the length, if it's cinder block wall, it's quite easy to remove a section to accommodate the counter... 

[capt bullshot]

Yeah. What drives me nuts is that it worked more or less before before it borked out (see a few posts ago). Eh, well, I have other items from the auction, it's part of the 'job' that there will be a few duds along the way but 2/2 on the first stuff I turn on is a bit much.

At some point it breaks. Happened to me once upon a time: At work I borrowed an instrument from another department. Was working fine but broke just in the middle of the work I was doing. Of course they wanted it back in working state though it wasn't my fault (as I discovered when I finally got it repaired) and I had to finish my job, doubled the trouble. Luckily I was able to repair it by myself, so no annoying paperwork and time delay involved.

In your case, it can also be some kind of intermittent failure, that's the real fun Always better to have a solid failure.

[bd139]

What are you using it for?
I'd keep the 5316 as it has univeral cunter functions and reciprocal counting for low frequencies. A better osilator is not hard to retrofit.

Edit: I could do a deal for  5335A 

Not a lot really, that's the the thing. you're right with the 5316A. I will investigate building an OCXO for it. There are plenty of Bliley units floating around still.

As for a 5334A, if it was a B I might consider it. I had a VERY nice 5334B which I didn't need. I retrofitted an HP OCXO and channel C into it:

Can't the Racal OCXO be fitted in the 5316?

As for the length, if it's cinder block wall, it's quite easy to remove a section to accommodate the counter... 

Unfortunately it can't be fitted to the 5316. The reference clock in the Racal unit is 5MHz where as it's 10MHz in the 5316A. Actually the Racal unit is 10MHz as well but there's a shonky as hell doubler just after the OCXO.

I did retrofit an OCXO into a Racal 9915 a while ago: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/repairing-off-frequency-racal-9442-ocxo/

Ah fuck it, bye bye racal 

Also I have a box the Racal will fit in 

[BU508A]

For the motorcyclist enthusiasts here: have you ever spotted a Wankel motorbike?

For example this one:



Wikipedia about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_W-2000

[Robert763]

I really must check my spelling Universal counter
It's a 5335A with OCXO and channel C in mint condition that I have, not a 5334x

[med6753]

OK, UK guys. She signed up "Britbox" this morning and is binge watching "East Enders". For those who don't know it's a British Soap Opera.

Any chance I'm gonna see any of you guys in this? 

[mnementh]

Oh gawrd... not ded-Enderzz...! My mother usedta watch it on PBS; even got me sucked into it for a winter.

You'll be lucky if you see her again before spring; be ready to buy a new couch cuz that one's have permanent butt-indentions. 

mnem
Say hi to the old "Radiation King" for me...

[mnementh]

What are you using it for?
I'd keep the 5316 as it has univeral cunter functions and reciprocal counting for low frequencies. A better oscillator is not hard to retrofit. Edit: I could do a deal for  5335A 

Not a lot really, that's the the thing. you're right with the 5316A. I will investigate building an OCXO for it. There are plenty of Bliley units floating around still. As for a 5334A, if it was a B I might consider it. I had a VERY nice 5334B which I didn't need.
I retrofitted an HP OCXO and channel C into it:   

Can't the Racal OCXO be fitted in the 5316?   As for the length, if it's cinder block wall, it's quite easy to remove a section to accommodate the counter... 

Unfortunately it can't be fitted to the 5316. The reference clock in the Racal unit is 5MHz where as it's 10MHz in the 5316A. Actually the Racal unit is 10MHz as well but there's a shonky as hell doubler just after the OCXO.  I did retrofit an OCXO into a Racal 9915 a while ago: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/repairing-off-frequency-racal-9442-ocxo/   

Ah fuck it, bye bye racal     Also I have a box the Racal will fit in 

And why again does the Racal have to go...? Just put it on the back bench. Along with its brother when you find it. 

mnem

[Robert763]

Well I've been on TV a few times but not east enders or any other soap. Or any crime program before you suggest that.

[bd139]

I really must check my spelling Universal counter
It's a 5335A with OCXO and channel C in mint condition that I have, not a 5334x

Ahh too large and loud for my poke hole of a house.

And why again does the Racal have to go...? Just put it on the back bench. Along with its brother when you find it. 

I have too much stuff at the moment. Need to shoot some stuff ASAP.

I'm running work and play out of the corner of the living room of my house at the moment and it's quite a burden having piles of stuff stacked up around you when you want to focus on a specific problem thus I am downsizing kit to essential and nice items (hello Siglent) at the moment. That is after the whole shit show that happened earlier this year that some of you are aware of.

[mnementh]

It's like he's trying to speak to me, but I just can't understand the words coming out of his keyboard.

Is it even possible to use those words together in a sentence that way...? 

mnem
 

[SilverSolder]

For the motorcyclist enthusiasts here: have you ever spotted a Wankel motorbike?

For example this one:



Wikipedia about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_W-2000

I would have designed it with the rotors 90 degrees from this concept, it just seems more logical and could probably have made a more compact design!

[SilverSolder]

I once drove a Saab 3 cyl two stroke car - The sound was awesome, but it was a smoky experience overall!

Was that the one with the petrol cabin/pre-heater  that could be used with the engine off?

No, that was found in VW products of that era,  the air cooled VW engine had problems keeping the cabin warm in really cold climates - hence, the petrol cabin heater.

[mnementh]

Case opened. I've never done this before, so thumbs held.

So, seller replied with an offer of 50% unit price reduction.  I can't say I'm impressed. The lions' share of the total price was GSP handlingmutilation, and it's the shippers who fuckerized it. (from a sorry initial state of "badly packaged", of course.)

Am going to try for a total refund. How do I best go about that?

Side note: Popped the top off. It is extremely dirty inside (and out). Must have been on a shop floor; there is a Dymo label saying "GRINDER MACHINE" on it. I can very easily imagine contamination-caused shorts on the PCB leading to its decommission.


Edit: Refund received. I went to escalate and found case closed, all green. 

Just out of curiosity, please look in your dashboard and see if you can still leave feedback.

Also, seriously consider running that poor PCB through the dishwasher for the sake of your own sanity. 

mnem