Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

   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

Every time I read a post like this, the context makes it feel like Skegness is some 3rd-world disease... 

[bd139]

It is.

[mansaxel]

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

Both. Think about where you're asking. Like asking the characters in "La Grande Bouffe" whether you should take red or white wine with the main course.

[bd139]

That's a good point (and an excellent film reference) but alas the Racal is now sacrificed to the ebay gods.

Junk is selling pretty fast on ebay at the moment. Hope it carries on 

[Specmaster]

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!

Thats exactly whats I said to myself when I saw the first photograph of it.

[Robert763]

On Junk selling on ebay - Radio Rally withdrawal

On the rotary bike, turning through 90 degrees would make it too wide and need an extra 90 degree turn in the transmission.

[bd139]

On Junk selling on ebay - Radio Rally withdrawal

Not even radio / electronics related stuff. Just bounced a Kindle Fire and that Lenovo keyboard that gave me RSI in under 30 minutes from listing it.

[Specmaster]

Heads up for the UK lads here, I just got back from some last minute shopping and Tesco's have introduced queueing again and are limiting the number of customers in their stores at any one time FFS! Apparently it's because of panic buyers and Covid-19. The meat section was almost bare and I'm talking about a large store here. No chicken breasts, a few chickens and drumsticks or thighs was all the chicken they had as well, shit paper was also stripped bare 

[bd139]

Thanks for the heads up. My eldest went and did the shopping earlier and found out the same. Went to Tesco then Asda then Waitrose. She managed to get more toilet paper. No meat though. So we’re having pasta bake tonight with left over bacon. 

As mentioned last time this disease doesn’t worry me. The planet will quite happily off us if it wants and there’s pretty much nothing I can do about it. However my fellow citizens are 100x more likely to cause trouble and I can work around them, or if worst comes to worst, outlive them 

[tonyalbus]

Had so much fun drilling holes in my brand new Electronic Load last week, i decided to do the same with my 2 mount old rework station 

Lets open a new rework station and add a switch, i just don't like it where it is right now in the back.

[mnementh]

Well this looks genuine!      Linky if anyone wants one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353200685540

Hmmm... looks like you got lucky to get it at all. Seller ryanacassini has horrible feedback and only on fleaBay a couple months, so probably a shill account;  were you thinking...?

mnem
 

[bd139]

Well this looks genuine!      Linky if anyone wants one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353200685540

Hmmm... looks like you got lucky to get it at all. Seller ryanacassini has horrible feedback and only on fleaBay a couple months, so probably a shill account;  were you thinking...?

mnem
 

Yeah it’s a proxy account. Don’t care. Have PayPal protection so was low risk.

[mnementh]

Ferengi bastard. 

mnem
I know, I know...

[mnementh]

Mmmmokayyy... I'm off to get mugged at ESI; pray for me. 

I will be taking the boi for immoral support. 

mnem
 

[Cerebus]

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.

(Back to Nadsat) That'll be the old in-out then, the reciprocal cunter? 

[Cerebus]

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? 

"Get ahht ov my pub!"

[Cerebus]

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.

Well so have I, but my only televised "acting" appearance was in one of the Comic Strip Presents series ("Summer School"). I'll think of a prize to offer to anyone who can figure out which one was me. Note, two of my other motor-biking friends were in it, so was a mate who's now a professional comics book artist and another friend who I used to play cards and drink into the small hours with whose father used to do the animations for Sky at Night.

[bd139]

My right arm featured in comic relief 1987. 

[tggzzz]

Every time I read a post like this, the context makes it feel like Skegness is some 3rd-world disease... 

• flat
• windswept
• end of the (railway) line
• the town only exists because previous generations of holidaymakers came there by train for one/two weeks away from the grindstone
• population only existed to fleece the above
• surrounding population is bred from the shallow end of the genepool, with size, strength and a gentle disposition being good factors
• surrounding area is aggie, with topics of conversation ranging from the price of sugar beet to the price of oilseed rape

So, from what I have heard, much like the Canadian praries and presumably parts of Texas.

[mansaxel]

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
 

Yeah, I could give feedback, and did.

I'll see what I can do on the cleaning front, but that Serious Measures are required, is plainly obvious.

The transformer is soldered to the PCB, so I don't think I can dunk all of it in cleaner.

[bd139]

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

Just noticed this. Don't do that with those supplies. The transformer and some of the components have paper parts. Also the can caps are plastic wrapped and the water gets under the plastic. They were designed for hand assembly and no washing. Get the isopropyl, kimwipes and a large stiff brush out.

Just a stiff brush is probably enough:

Before:



After:



Incidentally the 6205B is probably my favourite power supply ever now.

Despite the 1975 build date there are NO BAD CAPS AT ALL in that supply!

[Saskia]

cool, congrats

[SilverSolder]

[...]  Incidentally the 6205B is probably my favourite power supply ever now.  [...]

This family of power supplies have to rank among the best stuff ever made.   Good noise levels, accurate, stable, reliable...  everything you'd expect, until you see how a lot of modern stuff doesn't deliver on the basics.

[Wolfgang]

Mmmmokayyy... I'm off to get mugged at ESI; pray for me. 

I will be taking the boi for immoral support. 

mnem
 

... and here is your moral support (repeating myself):
This is a pile of UWTERSG (unworthy test equipment repair syndrome gear) or VPEHAGANI (Vintage premium equipment half as good as new instruments).
I feel with you very much - sigh 
Go to the pub and have a Corona. Its much less contageous than TEA If not, you're lost, like all the others hopeless cases here.

[bd139]

[...]  Incidentally the 6205B is probably my favourite power supply ever now.  [...]

This family of power supplies have to rank among the best stuff ever made.   Good noise levels, accurate, stable, reliable...  everything you'd expect, until you see how a lot of modern stuff doesn't deliver on the basics.

Exactly that. They are the pinnacle of power supply engineering. Perfectly balanced in all aspects. And unlike later HP models, no fan and no annoying as shit humming transformer!

The later TTi PL series (PL3xx) are very close and have some of the more modern metering and setting convenience but the form factor is a pain in the ass on the bench. I like my stackables too 

Another old picture. HP power supplies debugging an HP power supply



Added Pomona and Fluke for perfect bliss.

Incidentally I found out that Simon Spiers owns the Fluke 87 now. Celebrity