Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[BravoV]

Dear brethren of TEA disciples  , need help here -> .. make this valueable thread sticky ... , TIA. 

Edit : Already stuck ... 

[Wolfgang]

Cool stuff.

I miss datacentres! Clouds are much less fun

Yeah. I want my data to be processed inside a watercooled ECL chip 3090/600E mainframe. It has so much more style ...
And all the experts around it wearing ties and white lab coats ...
Not the overweight nerds of today with their shrunk t-shirts, baseball caps and mail order pizza pieces everywhere.
And the women of the time! Just think of the amazing Grace (hopper)! Sniff, I am getting old I'm afraid 

[mnementh]

I give up. After multiple attempts to convert the translated QRV-HB100 article to .pdf without copying it to a fucking Word document first, I cut my losses and just zipped the .html.

EDIT:   And now I see that the problem was Gurrgle all along; they have some DRM crap in the document so it will only open in a new window at Google Translate. The .html below is useless.

mnem
Google, man.

Sorted that for you: https://cb.wunderkis.de/wk-pub/HB100_QRV.pdf

Edit: That's the article mentioned on the first page, the link from within the PDF doesn't work: http://www.ham-radio.com/sbms/presentations/Walt_Clark/DROplexer.pdf

Awrrrrresome! This is the kind of Macgyver-fyin' that makes me think "Maybe, someday, I'll actually get into this shit instead of just for my FPV..." 

Thanks for fixing it... after several rounds of different browsers and print-to-pdf plugins repeatedly , I actually braved the raw .html to try and find the source document, but my . Then, feeling utterly defeated, I just went found a nice quiet corner to lick my.... wounds. 

mnem
ow.

[mnementh]

Cool stuff.

I miss datacentres! Clouds are much less fun

Yes. They're so...   ...virtual.   

Unreal, even. 

mnem
*hides under table from volley of soggy ol' boots hurled from all over eevBlog*

[mnementh]

Cool stuff.

I miss datacentres! Clouds are much less fun

While I agree on principle, I spent all of yesterday in one of ours, verifying operation of a MADI-to-Ethernet interface via CWDM. I wear custom molded ear plugs and I still am feeling completely wrung out after a day in there.  My own at home is small enough and quiet enough that I can stand it. Especially if I ever get my cooling system done, so I can close the rack door.

Yeah that sucks. If swap for my days though. 3.5 hours elapsed and 3 of them have been on conference calls

Discussing about dead horses and how to motivate them?

No these ones are about digging all the crap out from under the rugs and fixing them at the last minute.

Comedy really as I’ve got over 4 weeks of holiday to burn before the end of the year 

Fuck, Simon... don't you have a PFY to dump this all in his lap at the last moment...? 

mnem
 

[mnementh]

ditto. Several hours of conf calls a day, and all of them annoying. And they expect me to get some stuff done ...

Hmmmmm....



 

mnem

[SilverSolder]

Cool stuff.

I miss datacentres! Clouds are much less fun

Cloud is less fun, but you sleep a lot better.....if done with the right partner.... a DC is sometimes a big weight on your shoulders too.
my phone is almost never on silence ... for when..if.. etc.. but its also fun...driving around with a lot of iron when needed :-)

Yes, I'm sure many of us have spent entire nights sorting out various "fires" in a datacenter - it is a heavy responsibility.   The cloud makes some sense in that you can have a lot of standby capacity, the best and most expensive machines, a large staff to support it so they don't get stressed out, all economically feasible due to being shared by many users.

[mnementh]

Yeah, and all of it managed at the whim of the vilest sub-human troglodytes on the face of the planet: suits with MBAs. 

mnem
Doomed from inception; no path to redemption.

[Cerebus]

Nah, pop had to swat the lines with the back of his hand to show it weren't hot.
Main OFF, Submain OFF and 25A MCB OFF…..3 stages of isolation from bites. 

Working on 'small' mains, with insulated cable, I obviously always isolate (and lock off with a real padlock) everything that I'm working on. But out of habit I tend not to touch conductors anyway, and on a small job it's quite possible to do the whole thing in a way that would have been non-eventful if you had worked on it live.

Whoever, when you get to bigger stuff there's always a point where it just becomes a metalwork job and you have to touch what would normally be live uninsulated conductors. No matter how many times I've checked lockouts, how many times I've stuck a meter between the conductor and earth, and even when I've deliberately earthed the normally live conductors, I still get a slight tingle of apprehension just before actually touching the conductors for the first time.

Totally agree, that tingle feeling is self-preservation kicking in, just in case someone has done something stupid.

Like some numpty (usually a bloody builder) connecting two radial circuits, both served by different isolators/fusing, together at some remote point. It's never happened to me, but I know someone who nearly became a cropper because of it who was saved by his own paranoia (Tony, the same guy who taught me electrical installation and to keep several of my own padlocks in my toolbox for use on lockouts).

[med6753]

The Type 310A ran late yesterday for 3.5 hours with no additional issues observed.

Started the check out/calibration today and ran head first into an issue.

PSU checkout. -150V reference was sitting at -123.3V. The adjust pot brought it into spec. Now -150.9V
+100V measured +99.7V, +300V measured +296.9V.

HV. Measures -1461V. Should be -1675V. Can't adjust it. The HV control pot is completely ineffective through out it's range. This explains the trace blooming. See schematic. Most likely have one of those high value resistors increased in value or gone open. Will discharge the HV and check them out.



Anyone in need of a deep probing? 

[mnementh]

Nah, pop had to swat the lines with the back of his hand to show it weren't hot.
Main OFF, Submain OFF and 25A MCB OFF…..3 stages of isolation from bites. 

Working on 'small' mains, with insulated cable, I obviously always isolate (and lock off with a real padlock) everything that I'm working on. But out of habit I tend not to touch conductors anyway, and on a small job it's quite possible to do the whole thing in a way that would have been non-eventful if you had worked on it live.

Whoever, when you get to bigger stuff there's always a point where it just becomes a metalwork job and you have to touch what would normally be live uninsulated conductors. No matter how many times I've checked lockouts, how many times I've stuck a meter between the conductor and earth, and even when I've deliberately earthed the normally live conductors, I still get a slight tingle of apprehension just before actually touching the conductors for the first time.

Totally agree, that tingle feeling is self-preservation kicking in, just in case someone has done something stupid.

Like some numpty (usually a bloody builder) connecting two radial circuits, both served by different isolators/fusing, together at some remote point. It's never happened to me, but I know someone who nearly became a cropper because of it who was saved by his own paranoia (Tony, the same guy who taught me electrical installation and to keep several of my own padlocks in my toolbox for use on lockouts).

There is no such thing as unreasonable paranoia where electricity is concerned; the most paranoia a human can muster is merely reasonable paranoia.

It is the power of the Gods harnessed poorly by mere mortals. 

mnem
"Always be a one-handed electrician. He's the one who lives to father more one-handed electricians." ~Mr. Kirsch, my high-school Metal Shop & Electronics instructor

[tautech]

320m long 3ph service submain line to the pump shed emergency maintenance.
.................

Looks fine to me, but I would have used insulated cables from choice to improve safety aspects from anyone with a ladder etc accidentally coming into contact with power.

Cable used is called Squirrel, commonly used in NZ for 11KV mains distribution and always bare uncovered.
Specs:
https://www.nexans.co.nz/eservice/NewZealand-en/navigateproduct_540247469/Squirrel.html#characteristics

Some 1300m of it was required and had to wait a few months to get it from local upgrades to our powerco network.
A few of the 320m runs were in 1 length but a couple needed the special joiners, ~200mm long grease filled tubes that required a hydraulic crimper with the correct dies for it.

As any part of the installation was 4+m above ground it well meets reg and in fact is some 6m is its lowest point.
9 & 10m concrete poles were used.
Design was for 5A loads when in fact Squirrel cable will allow 16A and still meet min voltage drop spec for a 320m run.
The whole installation meets regs and when I look around at some old local installations of bare copper overheads I cringe as they are nowhere near as high as these running over our fields where at times heavy machinery operates.
Max legal height for heavy traffic here is 4.3m and we have nearly 2m above that which is plenty of clearance for a LV mains installation.

At the end of the day, the whole line was installed for basically nicks as some favours were called and the real cost was just my time and planning over a couple of years. Since then it's saved us the 3-5 liters petrol/week the petrol engine drank for water pumping.

[tautech]

The Type 310A ran late yesterday for 3.5 hours with no additional issues observed.

Started the check out/calibration today and ran head first into an issue.

PSU checkout. -150V reference was sitting at -123.3V. The adjust pot brought it into spec. Now -150.9V
+100V measured +99.7V, +300V measured +296.9V.

HV. Measures -1461V. Should be -1675V. Can't adjust it. The HV control pot is completely ineffective through out it's range. This explains the trace blooming. See schematic. Most likely have one of those high value resistors increased in value or gone open. Will discharge the HV and check them out.

Yep, increased but not open. Then the EHT would be too high. 
Don't overlook the HV caps might be leaky too.

[Cerebus]

Cable used is called Squirrel, commonly used in NZ for 11KV mains distribution and always bare uncovered.

High voltage Squirrel cable? [FX: snickers] Bzzzttt. Crispy squirrels!

[mnementh]

Eric Raymond: "...Linux finally wins the desktop wars; not by displacing Windows but by co-opting it."

https://www.zdnet.com/article/open-sources-eric-raymond-windows-10-will-soon-be-just-an-emulation-layer-on-linux-kernel

 

mnem

[bd139]

Eric Raymond: "...Linux finally wins the desktop wars; not by displacing Windows but by co-opting it."

https://www.zdnet.com/article/open-sources-eric-raymond-windows-10-will-soon-be-just-an-emulation-layer-on-linux-kernel

So we're going to end up with a hybrid shit show beyond all comprehension. I can believe that. WSL2 is one of those steamers.

Watch Office for Linux appear in a few months.

[med6753]

Well that didn't take long. All the high value resistors in the divider checked out OK. I turned my attention to the primary side of the HV and low and behold quickly found the issue.

See schematic. V701, a highly coveted Amperex Bugle Boy 12AU7 has blown it's last horn. NFG.  Replaced it with a civilian RCA 12AU7 and HV is now -1675V. 

[tautech]

Cable used is called Squirrel, commonly used in NZ for 11KV mains distribution and always bare uncovered.

High voltage Squirrel cable? [FX: snickers] Bzzzttt. Crispy squirrels!

No squirrels here only pesky Aussie possums and they make that Bzzzttt noise too. 
All poles on HV installations now have stainless bands to stop the buggers getting near the wires and blacking out whole communities.

Check out the names of the other bare overhead cables:
https://www.nexans.co.nz/eservice/NewZealand-en_NZ/navigate_314171/ACSR_Aerial_Conductors_Bare_.html

And don't get me started on the dozens of names of the insulated ones ! 
https://www.nexans.co.nz/eservice/NewZealand-en_NZ/navigate_314086/Aerial.html

Edit
Just for Spec, Kutu is the most widely used insulated LV distribution cable used here:
https://www.nexans.co.nz/eservice/NewZealand-en_NZ/navigateproduct_540247000/Kutu_CVD_7_3_00.html

As it doesn't have a steel core it's more valuable as scrap and certainly not as common used like Squirrel is.

[bd139]

Well that didn't take long. All the high value resistors in the divider checked out OK. I turned my attention to the primary side of the HV and low and behold quickly found the issue.

See schematic. V701, a highly coveted Amperex Bugle Boy 12AU7 has blown it's last horn. NFG.  Replaced it with a civilian RCA 12AU7 and HV is now -1675V. 

You can still sell that bugle boy as untested to balance some karma in the universe 

[mansaxel]

Today's arrival in the TE department: A 3-phase rotation indicator. With two proper, fused, clamps and one test pin for measuring in places you don't want your hand too close.  23 € plus shipping, which was some 7 €. (translated from SEK.) Condition as new. Not tested yet.  And, the clamps are connected with protected bananas, so are useful in themselves. Actually, if I'd gotten only the clamps, it'd still be a good deal. They're seriously expensive.

[tautech]

Today's arrival in the TE department: A 3-phase rotation indicator. With two proper, fused, clamps and one test pin for measuring in places you don't want your hand too close.  23 € plus shipping, which was some 7 €. (translated from SEK.) Condition as new. Not tested yet.  And, the clamps are connected with protected bananas, so are useful in themselves. Actually, if I'd gotten only the clamps, it'd still be a good deal. They're seriously expensive.

Can't you do that with just a set of Duspol's ? 

[med6753]

So with the HV issue fixed the trace now is much sharper. There's no CRT bias adjustment and the CRT itself is made by a third party, not Tek. The trace is an acceptable "Heathkit" sharp, but certainly not a typical Tek pinpoint sharp. I'm not complaining. Just making an observation. The trace quality is more than adequate.

More adjustments have been completed but still much more to do. The DC balance checked and it's surprisingly dead nuts. The funky triggering action has been dealt with. The preset in Auto mode was way off. OK now.

Still have to troubleshoot the 50mV range on the Vertical attenuator. Cannot do any compensation adjustments until that's fixed.

   

[tautech]

So with the HV issue fixed the trace now is much sharper. There's no CRT bias adjustment and the CRT itself is made by a third party, not Tek. The trace is an acceptable "Heathkit" sharp, but certainly not a typical Tek pinpoint sharp. I'm not complaining. Just making an observation. The trace quality is more than adequate.

More adjustments have been completed but still much more to do. The DC balance checked and it's surprisingly dead nuts. The funky triggering action has been dealt with. The preset in Auto mode was way off. OK now.

Still have to troubleshoot the 50mV range on the Vertical attenuator. Cannot do any compensation adjustments until that's fixed.

Looking sharp Med. 
Got the incoming package yet ?

[mansaxel]

A 3-phase rotation indicator.

Can't you do that with just a set of Duspol's ? 

Probably. But this is the safe 200lb gorilla way, and that suits me!

[tautech]

A 3-phase rotation indicator.

Can't you do that with just a set of Duspol's ? 

Probably. But this is the safe 200lb gorilla way, and that suits me!

What's safer than Duspols to use on mains ? 
And yes my Duspol Master has a phase rotation indicator.