Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

Okay, can you open a business tony? I mean if we need schematics we just email you.

Haha....

usualy it is just asking the company with afriendly email if i can not find on google.
only sometimes like anritsu... it is the politcy not to help the clients with the schematics.. but still they reply friendly and sent a manual..
Just ask... that suprizingly works very well

Totally agree with you Tony, it does however seem to me that it is the smaller less internationally well known companies that seem to respond the best. The bigger well known ones don't seem to want to assist with the repair of equipment, instead they would prefer to sell you a new device.

[BU508A]

Okay, can you open a business tony? I mean if we need schematics we just email you.

Haha....

usualy it is just asking the company with afriendly email if i can not find on google.
only sometimes like anritsu... it is the politcy not to help the clients with the schematics.. but still they reply friendly and sent a manual..
Just ask... that suprizingly works very well

Besides that: who can resist a charming person like you?   

[tonyalbus]

Okay, can you open a business tony? I mean if we need schematics we just email you.

Haha....

usualy it is just asking the company with afriendly email if i can not find on google.
only sometimes like anritsu... it is the politcy not to help the clients with the schematics.. but still they reply friendly and sent a manual..
Just ask... that suprizingly works very well

Totally agree with you Tony, it does however seem to me that it is the smaller less internationally well known companies that seem to respond the best. The bigger well known ones don't seem to want to assist with the repair of equipment, instead they would prefer to sell you a new device.

Yes that could be, some how the 'big' ones are like that, but they forget or think its unimportant...... but in buying there is this 'like' factor..
after after they gave me this amazing service i would indeed consider my next buy with them... it does work.
also it is nice to know, even the product is old, out of support, they don't leave you in the cold..
and don't forget the mouth to mouth on forums like this...
so if you look for a PSU with long support, you can get one here... the seem to sell well in US too if i check ebay.

http://www.delta-elektronika.nl/
https://www.deltapowersupplies.com/

[med6753]

Okay, can you open a business tony? I mean if we need schematics we just email you.

Haha....

usualy it is just asking the company with afriendly email if i can not find on google.
only sometimes like anritsu... it is the politcy not to help the clients with the schematics.. but still they reply friendly and sent a manual..
Just ask... that suprizingly works very well

Totally agree with you Tony, it does however seem to me that it is the smaller less internationally well known companies that seem to respond the best. The bigger well known ones don't seem to want to assist with the repair of equipment, instead they would prefer to sell you a new device.

Don't waste your time or words trying to contact a Chinese company even if they do have a "Contact Us" pull down. Been there. 

[tonyalbus]

Okay, can you open a business tony? I mean if we need schematics we just email you.

Haha....

usualy it is just asking the company with afriendly email if i can not find on google.
only sometimes like anritsu... it is the politcy not to help the clients with the schematics.. but still they reply friendly and sent a manual..
Just ask... that suprizingly works very well

Totally agree with you Tony, it does however seem to me that it is the smaller less internationally well known companies that seem to respond the best. The bigger well known ones don't seem to want to assist with the repair of equipment, instead they would prefer to sell you a new device.

Don't waste your time or words trying to contact a Chinese company even if they do have a "Contact Us" pull down. Been there. 

Agreed... like warrenties ...haha... like if you are going to sent it back the china for a fortune in shipping costst..
What i have done a few times... is look on ebay for same item and contact that seller... they do respont better.
thats i got some of my software for same of teh stuff i bought on Ali, when that seller did not respond.

[BU508A]

Okay, can you open a business tony? I mean if we need schematics we just email you.

Haha....

usualy it is just asking the company with afriendly email if i can not find on google.
only sometimes like anritsu... it is the politcy not to help the clients with the schematics.. but still they reply friendly and sent a manual..
Just ask... that suprizingly works very well

Totally agree with you Tony, it does however seem to me that it is the smaller less internationally well known companies that seem to respond the best. The bigger well known ones don't seem to want to assist with the repair of equipment, instead they would prefer to sell you a new device.

Don't waste your time or words trying to contact a Chinese company even if they do have a "Contact Us" pull down. Been there. 

Have you tried the "big round eyes"?



 

[med6753]

Have you tried the "big round eyes"?



 

I didn't want to scare them off.   

Gee, I thought Germans weren't known for their sense of humor. That's two scores for you today. The sad eyes and the Lambo. 

[factory]

An update on the Beckman 6145 counter with EL display.
Once I had managed to get the top cover off, which had got jammed on (from drop testing by the courier & poor packaging  ), I found this counter was a bit earlier in design to the 6148 version here: http://crasno.ca/articles/Beckman6148A.htm, it mostly uses discrete components for all the circuity on lots of boards (like the HP 5245 series), apart from one board that has five IC's. As usual someone has robbed it of it's feet, I'll have to add something as the vent holes on the bottom will be blocked if the tilt stand isn't used.




The EL display uses 900Vpp & 90Vdc, there is a small separate transformer which must be used for this as the main transformer doesn't have a HV winding. All should be revealed when a manual for a higher spec'd version arrives.


The first problem was the seized fan, it wasn't obvious as to why it seemed to have no bearing, but looking up the patent number; https://www.freepatentsonline.com/2904709.pdf revealed it had a bearing inside the rotor, these were supposed to be sealed & no maintenance required. 


Once I had taken the fan rotor apart I soon found it was completely dry, all the oil must have escaped from the long since expired shaft seal. once filled with oil & reassembled it was free to turn again. Two of the rivnuts for the fan guard required pressing back in, not sure how or if this had a filter fitted due to the fan guard design (it's probably missing bits).


More later.....

David

[bd139]

Okay, can you open a business tony? I mean if we need schematics we just email you.

Haha....

usualy it is just asking the company with afriendly email if i can not find on google.
only sometimes like anritsu... it is the politcy not to help the clients with the schematics.. but still they reply friendly and sent a manual..
Just ask... that suprizingly works very well

Totally agree with you Tony, it does however seem to me that it is the smaller less internationally well known companies that seem to respond the best. The bigger well known ones don't seem to want to assist with the repair of equipment, instead they would prefer to sell you a new device.

Don't waste your time or words trying to contact a Chinese company even if they do have a "Contact Us" pull down. Been there. 

Yep.

Remember that Fluke LCD replacement conversation I had via email, abbreviated:

Me: looking to get 500x units of custom designed 3.5 digit LCD.

Them: ok we do you 500x units of standard LCD 28 days?

Me: no I want you to do a custom design and edge connector layout. It says you do custom LCDs on your web site.

Them: ok show me drawing of it.

Me: sends dxf of connector layout, size, digit layout

Them: ok we get back to you 2 days

me (after waiting 5 days): did you look at my design

Them: yes. we get back to you 2 days

me (after waiting another 5 days): do you want this business or not?

Them: yes. we get back to you 2 days.

me: gives up and finds another vendor.

THREE fucking vendors later i get one quote for the whole amount and a lead time of 9 months 

[med6753]

At least you got an answer. My inquiries have fallen into black holes. 

[bd139]

It’s not an actual black hole. They pay a Uighur to delete the email while chained to a desk somewhere.

[Cerebus]

..last one for now:
threw 12 Euros at a crimping tool that looks much like a much more expensive tool.
Have tried it and what can I say? It's working absolutely fine. 

what piss me off is that they are using the Knipex color scheme. Cowards!

As for me I buy only Knipex, I am in love with the company and I want to support them.
Soon I will post a pic of all my Knipex guns....

I don't believe that, I think you just tell tools that you're in love with them to get them into bed. 

(With apologies to the late Terry Pratchett, who I nicked that one from wholesale).

[Robert763]

Many years ago, pre WWW  I had need, personally,  of support for 'scopes from two major OEMs. Specfically service manuals. Both scope's were out of official support. I contacted the UK offices. One quoted me £200 (more than the I could by a working 'scope for) for a set of schematics. The other sent me a full set of manuals (4 volumes) plus a set of firmware upgrade ROMS with all options, shipped from the USA free of charge.
What neither of them knew was that at work I had final decision on a 6 figure order for test equipment that was going to be deployed in a system with a long service life (turned out to be over 15 years) so support was an issue. The final choice was between the same two OEMs. Quess which one I chose? Not because of any advantage I had, but because I knew which one supported their equipment long term.

[tonyalbus]

My dutch seller just comfirmed he still has some, realy one or two.. displays for PM2534/2535 ..
he is looking in his stuff for PM6662

[bd139]

Many years ago, pre WWW  I had need, personally,  of support for 'scopes from two major OEMs. Specfically service manuals. Both scope's were out of official support. I contacted the UK offices. One quoted me £200 (more than the I could by a working 'scope for) for a set of schematics. The other sent me a full set of manuals (4 volumes) plus a set of firmware upgrade ROMS with all options, shipped from the USA free of charge.
What neither of them knew was that at work I had final decision on a 6 figure order for test equipment that was going to be deployed in a system with a long service life (turned out to be over 15 years) so support was an issue. The final choice was between the same two OEMs. Quess which one I chose? Not because of any advantage I had, but because I knew which one supported their equipment long term.

I bet that was HP that worked out. I dealt with them under both the HP and Agilent moniker and they were always forthcoming with service information.

[Specmaster]

Many years ago, pre WWW  I had need, personally,  of support for 'scopes from two major OEMs. Specfically service manuals. Both scope's were out of official support. I contacted the UK offices. One quoted me £200 (more than the I could by a working 'scope for) for a set of schematics. The other sent me a full set of manuals (4 volumes) plus a set of firmware upgrade ROMS with all options, shipped from the USA free of charge.
What neither of them knew was that at work I had final decision on a 6 figure order for test equipment that was going to be deployed in a system with a long service life (turned out to be over 15 years) so support was an issue. The final choice was between the same two OEMs. Quess which one I chose? Not because of any advantage I had, but because I knew which one supported their equipment long term.

Exactly this, they just don't know who you are or what you can do such as placing orders on behalf of a company etc, you could be in charge of a huge budget for a multinational company, about to place massive orders. Good customer service, in my view is the key to a company growing.

I used to work for a company who had a managing director and owner whose standard response when a customer a raised a complaint with me, even when it was raised with me in very friendly manner, with no hint of wanting compensation, just wanting the QA dept to be made aware that they might have an issue to be aware of, no more than that. But the management response when I informed them of the compliant / suggestion was, and I quote, "How do we know the customer didn't do that himself" and they refused to even go back to the customer with a courteous "Thank you for drawing our attention to this, and we are taking steps to prevent any reoccurrence in the future."

That happened on many occasions, they were wiring issues made by the use of agency workers not being fully supervised correctly. In some instances, the customers required a lab report back and were looking for some form of compensation for their time taken to track down the problem before calling me on site to report it. Needless to say those customers then voted with their feet on their next projects. That attitude has cost them dearly over the years, and I would always be accused of taking the customers side, many of these problems could have been life-threatening if they weren't picked up during testing. Very blinkered vision some people, to save few £ by way of a few freebies, cost them £1,000s in lost future sales, so sad to that happen on what is a good product, ruined by penny-pinching attitudes

[bd139]

Ah that’s the entire software industry!

Except the wiring is made of goat excrement and straw.

[tggzzz]

Many years ago, pre WWW  I had need, personally,  of support for 'scopes from two major OEMs. Specfically service manuals. Both scope's were out of official support. I contacted the UK offices. One quoted me £200 (more than the I could by a working 'scope for) for a set of schematics. The other sent me a full set of manuals (4 volumes) plus a set of firmware upgrade ROMS with all options, shipped from the USA free of charge.
What neither of them knew was that at work I had final decision on a 6 figure order for test equipment that was going to be deployed in a system with a long service life (turned out to be over 15 years) so support was an issue. The final choice was between the same two OEMs. Quess which one I chose? Not because of any advantage I had, but because I knew which one supported their equipment long term.

I bet that was HP that worked out. I dealt with them under both the HP and Agilent moniker and they were always forthcoming with service information.

In the early 80s HP twice lent my company an xy plotter to replace one that had failed just before exhibitions. No cost, delivered, happy to do it.

That confirmed that I wouldn't mind working for them, which duly happened 8 years later for 13 years.

In the Agilent schism I would have preferred to go to Agilent but the wasn't possible. The saying under princess Fiorina was that the real HP was alive and well, but was now called Agilent.

[tggzzz]

Ah that’s the entire software industry!

Except the wiring is made of goat excrement and straw.

"Made" implies conscious design, rather than 10⁶ monkeys.

[Cerebus]

Ah that’s the entire software industry!

Except the wiring is made of goat excrement and straw.

Yeah, but we use SuperAgile^tm mountain goats^* and organic straw, so our product is superior.

^*All goats are tested for agility using our proprietary SliperySlope^tm methodology.

[Cerebus]

Ah that’s the entire software industry!

Except the wiring is made of goat excrement and straw.

"Made" implies conscious design, rather than 10⁶ monkeys.

I beg to differ. I can make a mess, I can make a fool of myself and I can make a complete pig's ear of a job. None of those carry an implication of either intent or, indeed, fully functioning cognition. That's why I am so wary of Makers<sup>TM*

*</sup>Twat Mark

[med6753]

Pre internet? Recall a few.

In the 1980's sent a letter to Sony regarding service info for my 1970's ICF-5500W radio. Got a letter back stating no longer supported and basically go away. But at least they did respond. But really, it must exist somewhere in your archives. How difficult would it be to pull it out? To this day I have never found any service info for that radio.

Never dealt with Tek directly but did deal with famous retiree Dean Kidd in the mid 1990's. He sent me a hardcopy Type 561S service manual free of charge and also a letter explaining that it was a unique scope built specifically for IBM. I still have that manual but unfortunately the scope itself is long gone. 

[med6753]

Many years ago, pre WWW  I had need, personally,  of support for 'scopes from two major OEMs. Specfically service manuals. Both scope's were out of official support. I contacted the UK offices. One quoted me £200 (more than the I could by a working 'scope for) for a set of schematics. The other sent me a full set of manuals (4 volumes) plus a set of firmware upgrade ROMS with all options, shipped from the USA free of charge.
What neither of them knew was that at work I had final decision on a 6 figure order for test equipment that was going to be deployed in a system with a long service life (turned out to be over 15 years) so support was an issue. The final choice was between the same two OEMs. Quess which one I chose? Not because of any advantage I had, but because I knew which one supported their equipment long term.

I bet that was HP that worked out. I dealt with them under both the HP and Agilent moniker and they were always forthcoming with service information.

In the early 80s HP twice lent my company an xy plotter to replace one that had failed just before exhibitions. No cost, delivered, happy to do it.

That confirmed that I wouldn't mind working for them, which duly happened 8 years later for 13 years.

In the Agilent schism I would have preferred to go to Agilent but the wasn't possible. The saying under princess Fiorina was that the real HP was alive and well, but was now called Agilent.

I'm sure the other guy was Tektronix. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.  But it depends on who the customer is. Tektronix used to have a large support/customer service center on Haight Ave in Poughkeepsie. Why? To support 3 large IBM sites in Poughkeepsie, Kingston, and East Fishkill. You can bet any phone call got an instant response.   

[mnementh]

Okay, can you open a business tony? I mean if we need schematics we just email you.

Haha....

usualy it is just asking the company with afriendly email if i can not find on google.
only sometimes like anritsu... it is the politcy not to help the clients with the schematics.. but still they reply friendly and sent a manual..
Just ask... that suprizingly works very well

Totally agree with you Tony, it does however seem to me that it is the smaller less internationally well known companies that seem to respond the best. The bigger well known ones don't seem to want to assist with the repair of equipment, instead they would prefer to sell you a new device.

Yes that could be, some how the 'big' ones are like that, but they forget or think its unimportant...... but in buying there is this 'like' factor..
after after they gave me this amazing service i would indeed consider my next buy with them... it does work.
also it is nice to know, even the product is old, out of support, they don't leave you in the cold..
and don't forget the mouth to mouth on forums like this...
so if you look for a PSU with long support, you can get one here... the seem to sell well in US too if i check ebay.

http://www.delta-elektronika.nl/
https://www.deltapowersupplies.com/

I know it's just language barrier, my friend... but please, in the future: "Word of mouth."

"mouth to mouth on forums like this..." is just ewwwww.    Makes it sound like we're one of those pervert sex clubs or summat.

mnem

[Cerebus]

I'm sure the other guy was Tektronix. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.  But it depends on who the customer is.

I think that was the whole original point. It shouldn't matter who the customer is, just as it shouldn't matter whom an individual is when we decide a priori to be either polite or rude to them.

We judge people who are consistent in their dealing with others very differently from how we judge people who are fawning with someone who they think may do them some good, and vicious with someone who can do them no harm. At the extreme the latter are psychopaths, and the former either 'nice' people or "a grumpy old git, but at least he's grumpy with everybody". I see no reason to use a different standard for corporations, and I will preferentially do business with the 'nice' corporation rather than the selfish one.