Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Ok 6205B partial repair complete. Decided it was best that I isolated the switch entirely as when it drops out, the power supply inverts to -2.5 volts which as you can imagine is a big problem for fragile little semiconductors. So I removed the switch from the circuit by desoldering all the switch contacts, jumping the 40v mode entirely (remove 27/28/38 then short 27/38) and disabling the 600mA current range (remove B8/B11)



I moved all the trailing wires up outside of the switch body and taped them up and tied to the chassis cross bar so it can be reinstated at some point in the future if a switch or a parts mule turns up.



And the inevitable label on the front to explain the situation:



I will keep an eye out for a wreck / parts mule.

This is one year younger than me this supply and it's had its first operation. Not bad 

It's older brother seems to have screws holding the switch together, but yours looks riveted together, I have seen that type of switch fail, with the plastic rotor that holds the moving contacts falling apart.


David

Yea that’s what’s happened. I took the switch to pieces as far as I could and it was gummed up and the contacts bent. This isn’t very well riveted as I got it apart. Screwed together is definitely better.

[Specmaster]

Hmmmmmmm.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164423512290

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363137619061

I also noticed that the meter was the same serial number, has the smell of a con to me.

Either it's a con, or were back to lazy sellers that can't be bothered to take their own pictures. 

David

Well either way it breaks eBay rules as the photos are supposed to be of the item for sale, so assuming you are right, someone is NOT going to getting a meter with a serial number of MY45023060 which would be grounds for a claim in its own right.

Also. if you are right, both sellers in the same town.... seems a coincidence too many for me, what's that fishy stench in the air 

[bd139]

Yeah I've removed both from the watch list. Too risky.

[Saskia]

Also. if you are right, both sellers in the same town.... seems a coincidence too many for me, what's that fishy stench in the air 

I did not play with Surströmming, I swear.

[Mr. Scram]

I did not play with Surströmming, I swear.

Perhaps taking a shower would help. 

[Specmaster]

Looking into it a bit more, I would proffer this one as the scam as it is a new account at eBay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363137619061

[factory]

Hmmmmmmm.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164423512290

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363137619061

I also noticed that the meter was the same serial number, has the smell of a con to me.

Either it's a con, or were back to lazy sellers that can't be bothered to take their own pictures. 

David

Well either way it breaks eBay rules as the photos are supposed to be of the item for sale, so assuming you are right, someone is NOT going to getting a meter with a serial number of MY45023060 which would be grounds for a claim in its own right.

Also. if you are right, both sellers in the same town.... seems a coincidence too many for me, what's that fishy stench in the air 

I hadn't spotted that, one has been on ePay for 8 years with good feedback and the other since August with no selling feedback, both same location very strange.  I wasn't interested anyway.

David

[BU508A]

Yes, the leads are thicker, but sometimes one has some luck and they fit.   
And the 1500mA  of the B380C1500 are continuous current, too. Therefore a 1N4007 is not a suitable replacement imho.   

Again... you're talking replacement vs temporary bodge. I say use what fits; don't molest the DUT just for testing.

mnem
 

Yes, I think we are having here a different approach. Even for testing I'd use 1N5408 and not 1N4007 in this case,
even though if I'm having 1N4007 and they would fit into the holes. I saw nasty things because the rectifier diodes were overloaded and just to be 100% on the safe side, I'm pulling here a German and use the ones which can do the job for sure. 

What? No intermediary diodes on hand between those two?

Like BY299 (800V) or RL207 (1000V) (both 2A)?
I think, I'm having some BY299, the RL207 is now on my wishlist. 

[Robert763]

damm beat me to it on the 34401As
one seller has feedback of 2 the others feedback is over a yeaar old.

[bd139]

Random finding of the day. Just found out the tinySA has a half decent signal generator too (!)

0-350MHz.
-6dBm to -50dBm
AM 1KHz and 10KHz, FM narrow, FM wide modulation.

I've just used it with some attenuators to check the MDS of the QRP Labs QCX+. Also quick FM and AM radio test with a bit of wire. Works perfectly!

[BU508A]

This one is around 60.- Euros but you can make an offer.
It claims as "for parts not working"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HAMEG-HM-605-Oszilloskop/283555696791

But what confuses me: it comes with a yellow screen. Never saw a Hameg before with a yellow screen. 

I think they're optimised for slow scan stuff. I've seen a few around like that. Same with Telequipment. It was a phosphor option. Edit: P12 I think.

Sorry, just a year late joining in...
Found a HM605 with a yellow CRT filter and "slow decay" phosphor.

Better late than never. :-)

And for your convenience, here is a Hameg with a red screen:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/hameg-hm-203-6-20-mhz-2-kanal-oszilloskop/1525047488-168-1773

[factory]

Ok 6205B partial repair complete. Decided it was best that I isolated the switch entirely as when it drops out, the power supply inverts to -2.5 volts which as you can imagine is a big problem for fragile little semiconductors. So I removed the switch from the circuit by desoldering all the switch contacts, jumping the 40v mode entirely (remove 27/28/38 then short 27/38) and disabling the 600mA current range (remove B8/B11)



I moved all the trailing wires up outside of the switch body and taped them up and tied to the chassis cross bar so it can be reinstated at some point in the future if a switch or a parts mule turns up.



I will keep an eye out for a wreck / parts mule.

This is one year younger than me this supply and it's had its first operation. Not bad 

It's older brother seems to have screws holding the switch together, but yours looks riveted together, I have seen that type of switch fail, with the plastic rotor that holds the moving contacts falling apart.


David

Yea that’s what’s happened. I took the switch to pieces as far as I could and it was gummed up and the contacts bent. This isn’t very well riveted as I got it apart. Screwed together is definitely better.

In the box of parts I found the failed one with the plastic rotor disintegrating.



David

[bd139]

Ok 6205B partial repair complete. Decided it was best that I isolated the switch entirely as when it drops out, the power supply inverts to -2.5 volts which as you can imagine is a big problem for fragile little semiconductors. So I removed the switch from the circuit by desoldering all the switch contacts, jumping the 40v mode entirely (remove 27/28/38 then short 27/38) and disabling the 600mA current range (remove B8/B11)



I moved all the trailing wires up outside of the switch body and taped them up and tied to the chassis cross bar so it can be reinstated at some point in the future if a switch or a parts mule turns up.



I will keep an eye out for a wreck / parts mule.

This is one year younger than me this supply and it's had its first operation. Not bad 

It's older brother seems to have screws holding the switch together, but yours looks riveted together, I have seen that type of switch fail, with the plastic rotor that holds the moving contacts falling apart.


David

Yea that’s what’s happened. I took the switch to pieces as far as I could and it was gummed up and the contacts bent. This isn’t very well riveted as I got it apart. Screwed together is definitely better.

In the box of parts I found the failed one with the plastic rotor disintegrating.

David

Ugh nasty.

I reckon Blore Edwards PXR switches would work in situ for these things but about £35 a switch is pushing it. Although that's probably about what they cost new! (these HP supplies were NOT cheap)

Edit: inflation adjusted and VAT added, a 6205C would set you back £1592 today (!)

[factory]

Is that the price for a complete switch or can you get new wafers that would fit from Blore Edwards?

David

[tautech]

Plus as always inconvenient handle on the top and too shallow to support other kit.

They stack just fine. Are you saying the 5mm high retractable handle won't allow for other equipment to be placed on top ?

2. noisy active cooling. Look at the fan grille. That's going to produce noise under load.

Not the issue you think it is with a smart fan. Period.

3. 100% duty. Yeah I mean 24/7/365 for at least 5 years. Not going to happen.

Oh yeah and who really does that ? 

4. Encoder -> step in, step out. Doesn't matter about the resolution. I'm not wanting a step function here

Unless you've actually used one you couldn't know. 

[bd139]

Whole switch. Not sure if the wafers are compatible or not - full data here: https://www.blore-ed.com/rotaryswitches

You can buy individual parts. They have some on their shop page but will ship anything in 1-off quantities and even make up new pots for you!! Also super helpful on the phone!

[Specmaster]

This one is around 60.- Euros but you can make an offer.
It claims as "for parts not working"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HAMEG-HM-605-Oszilloskop/283555696791

But what confuses me: it comes with a yellow screen. Never saw a Hameg before with a yellow screen. 

I think they're optimised for slow scan stuff. I've seen a few around like that. Same with Telequipment. It was a phosphor option. Edit: P12 I think.

Sorry, just a year late joining in...
Found a HM605 with a yellow CRT filter and "slow decay" phosphor.

Better late than never. :-)

And for your convenience, here is a Hameg with a red screen:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/hameg-hm-203-6-20-mhz-2-kanal-oszilloskop/1525047488-168-1773

Not liking that screen much TBH. It reminds of the god awful red / orange screens that some early Toshiba laptops had, and they were bastards to work with, especially using graphics and things bold text etc were just terrible.

[bd139]

Plus as always inconvenient handle on the top and too shallow to support other kit.

They stack just fine. Are you saying the 5mm high retractable handle won't allow for other equipment to be placed on top ?

2. noisy active cooling. Look at the fan grille. That's going to produce noise under load.

Not the issue you think it is with a smart fan. Period.

3. 100% duty. Yeah I mean 24/7/365 for at least 5 years. Not going to happen.

Oh yeah and who really does that ? 

4. Encoder -> step in, step out. Doesn't matter about the resolution. I'm not wanting a step function here

Unless you've actually used one you couldn't know. 

1. I'm saying that it's the same problem as the PL single series. Top isn't completely flat which makes stacking things troublesome.
2. smart fan means nothing. If it's a linear supply it's got to dump off power and that gets turned to heat. If it's running at a high dissipation then it's going to get noisy unless it has a fucking massive heatsink, which it doesn't.
3. Err that's what perhaps 90% of power supplies end up doing in the field.
4. Oh I do know. 100% definitely. Go stick one on an SDS1202X-E in roll mode and give me a 0-10v sweep at 1v/second

I notice the point about the idiotic proportioning was missed.

[mnementh]

mnem

[BU508A]

@bd139

Have you checked out the power supplies from Elektroautomatik?

For example this one:  EA-PSI 5080-05 A

General data: 0 ... 80V; 0 ... 5A, P_tot 160W; size: 200 x 92 x 370mm (ca.)



I didn't find anything mentioned a fan but it is rack mountable.

[bd139]

Interesting supplies. But switching preregulator and digital fuckery again.

I'll take a recording when I get some time of what a shitty power supply sounds like

[mnementh]

https://www.banggood.com/search/gophert.html?from=nav

mnem
 

[Cerebus]

Just finished. Already eaten some - well, you have to don't you.



The dough for that batch was started 24 hours ago. Phew, I'd forgotten how much work there are, haven't made any for ages.

[GreyWoolfe]

There is nothing in the world I hate more than painting.  I would rather shave the hair off my derriere with a rusty butter knife using alcohol as a soothing agent than painting.  The last room in the house we need to deal with for now is the master bedroom/bath.  The bathroom is only 5 X 8 but the master is 13 X 22 with lots of crap, ahem furniture in it.  Every time Mrs GreyWoolfe brings up that we need to paint, I try to collapse in on my self, no mean feat as I am a bigger bastard than Mnem.

I have a 14 cuft/min compressor. Last time I had to do it, the actual painting bit of painting the living room took 30 minutes per coat. Started with an empty room at late morning on Christmas Eve and was finished with the bookshelves back up, everything screwed to the walls that should be, cleaned up and the furniture back in by 6 pm in time to go out for a celebratory pizza.

I have a nice airless sprayer.  Like Med said, it's the prep work that sucks.  All the walls have to be washed with TSP thanks to when my in-laws lived in the house, FIL, RIP, was a heavy smoker and was a d!ck about smoking in the house when we didn't want him to and we never really cleaned the walls.  Then all the nail holes need to be filled and sanded.  The windows, outlets and trim need taped off. Finally, way too much furniture that we have to do the work in stages, just like Med.  Probably going to end up the better part of a week's vacation to get it done when I simply want to relax on my vacations.

[mnementh]

mnem