Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Robert763]

60 Years old.... but not recap-ing.. why... its not needed... some fine Dutch quality
<SNIP>
Needed a big cleanup... but it was worth it.

You used pliers on the front panel nuts Andy? Really, Pliers!? Don't you have spanners?
The knurled nuts on the front of the toggle switches should not be tightened with any tool. They should be finger tightened to th correct postion (flush with bushing) and then the hex nut on the back of the panel tightened with a spanner.
I actually keep a set of spanners Just for panel work and connectors. They are not expensive ones but have smooth chrome finish and have never been used for heavy work so ther are no nicks or burrs to mar the finish of the panel or connector. I have some cheap flat stamped sheet spanners too. They are to get in tight spaces and some connector bodies.

Thanks for your worris... but...
its not hex.... and my pliers has paper tape on it.....

The point is you should not loosen the knurled "nut" on the front, you should loosen the hex nut behind the panel with a spanner. 

[mnementh]

mnem
 

[tggzzz]

Back on TE. Decent price here. 34401A. Good condition. 2012 dated £300

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274603239477

Lots in Ramcos Tuesday auction. Plus 34410, which have some advantages

[Cerebus]

Back on TE. Decent price here. 34401A. Good condition. 2012 dated £300

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274603239477

I had that up on my screen from earlier. Went to fiddle with food, came back, it was gone before I had a chance to take a proper look and decide if it was kosher.

[Cerebus]

The point is you should not loosen the knurled "nut" on the front, you should loosen the hex nut behind the panel with a spanner.

I thought that the Golden Rule was not to let the Nut loose with the spanner? 

[Robert763]

Back on TE. Decent price here. 34401A. Good condition. 2012 dated £300

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274603239477

Lots in Ramcos Tuesday auction. Plus 34410, which have some advantages

Well  on last weeks Ramco TE auction 34401As were getting around £340 by the time you add fees and VAT with no protection so the eBay one looked like more of a bargain.

[bd139]

Back on TE. Decent price here. 34401A. Good condition. 2012 dated £300

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274603239477

I had that up on my screen from earlier. Went to fiddle with food, came back, it was gone before I had a chance to take a proper look and decide if it was kosher.

Yeah honestly I nearly bagged it just to sell it for £150 more 

[Saskia]

why does a certain Doctor with a strange love come to mind ...

It's not really humor, but ...

One of the nicer murican comedies is ichi ni san (Billi Wilder). Splendid performance by all actors involved.
Schlemmer !!!

[bd139]

On comedy I forgot one American thing that was good: Malcolm In The Middle

[25 CPS]

The Fluke got on the bench for a quick test and there’s nothing like the warm glow of Nixie tubes to take the chill off a cold evening.



DC volts checked out ok.  However, there are two screws missing out of the lid so someone’s been in there and it’s non responsive to AC volts or Ohms despite the tag on the back panel saying it has those options converters fitted so I’m wondering if it got raided at some point during its life.  That’s going to be an investigation for later though.

Yikes.  October 26th.  Well, I finally got to taking a closer look into the Fluke this afternoon and the Ohms and AC functions that are promised on the back panel label but don't work:



Lid off and internal cover removed and unfortunately it confirms that my initial theory from the two missing screws that I had back on October 26th is correct:





It did get raided. 

That sucks.  At least if they were present but not working, they could be repaired but it isn't possible to fix something that's not there.  I guess I'm going to have to keep an eye out for the converter boards if I want to get it back fully operational the way it was optioned when bought.

[mnementh]

I love the whole look & feel of the PCBs from that era FLUKE & HP gear. Very busy, very tidy, and not ashamed of the traces. They stand out loud & proud & shiny. 

mnem
 

[mnementh]

The point is you should not loosen the knurled "nut" on the front, you should loosen the hex nut behind the panel with a spanner.

I thought that the Golden Rule was not to let the Nut loose with the spanner? 

Better tell that to every garage I ever worked at. 

mnem

Current mood: blep.

[bd139]

I love the whole look & feel of the PCBs from that era FLUKE & HP gear. Very busy, very tidy, and not ashamed of the traces. They stand out loud & proud & shiny. 

mnem
 

Yeah. Honestly I really miss clear solder mask. Need more of that back. Makes it so much easier to debug stuff. Can’t get it anywhere though for a reasonable price.

[med6753]

I've been on the road all afternoon so I'm late to the party. But some quick comments concerning comedies.

As I've mentioned before most American situation comedies suck. But I am a fan of most British/Irish comedies. Recently discovered Mrs. Brown's Boys and I think it's hilarious.   

The late Dave Allen stand up is a hoot. This one especially. Unfortunately you have to be born/raised Catholic to fully get it.



And I know I'm gonna get some "Are you kidding?" but I do enjoy Sarah Millican even though she appears to be obsessed with her nunny. 

[Specmaster]

I've been on the road all afternoon so I'm late to the party. But some quick comments concerning comedies.

As I've mentioned before most American situation comedies suck. But I am a fan of most British/Irish comedies. Recently discovered Mrs. Brown's Boys and I think it's hilarious.   

The late Dave Allen stand up is a hoot. This one especially. Unfortunately you have to be born/raised Catholic to fully get it.



And I know I'm gonna get some "Are you kidding?" but I do enjoy Sarah Millican even though she appears to be obsessed with her nunny. 

You might like to look at some of these as well on YT,
Armstrong & Miller,
Hale & Pace,
The Two Ronnies.
Porridge.

[mnementh]

Fry & Laurie.

mnem
*tongue-in-cheek mic drop*  

[Brumby]

Been missing some enabling ... so much so, I dished out some notes on a 6643A ex Dave's lab.  Unfortunately, is has the Agilent name on it ... but it was there - and I was there - and Dave accepted my offer.......

You mean, it should look like this:   


Nice power supplies, good haul!   

Ah - you are correct, but I cannot be too disappointed as it has the same look and feel and pedigree.  So it's all good.  It certainly outpaces my current daily drive PSU ... an Altronics K3330 kit (the one Dave had on the shelf in the background of his videos - missing one of the blue capped knobs.)  Seeing that was the hook which secured my interest in the EEVblog ... that I actually had a bit of kit an electronics Youtuber had!

My, how my TE has changed since then!  I still find it modest - but it's more than enough to be impressive to the uninitiated.   

[Brumby]

TBBT   

[Brumby]

Get him to listen to the original radio series. For a start, the pictures are better.

I was first introduced to this by listening to The Goon Show.  That was whacky, crazy ... and brilliant stuff.

[Specmaster]

Speaking of radio shows, one that I think is worthy of listening to on YT is "The Navy Lark". A young Ronnie Barker can also be heard in it.

[tggzzz]

Get him to listen to the original radio series. For a start, the pictures are better.

I was first introduced to this by listening to The Goon Show.  That was whacky, crazy ... and brilliant stuff.

Without the Goon show there would have been neither "Do Not Adjust Your Set" nor "Monty Python".

But HHGttG was was far to tightly structured and controlled to have been a direct descendent of the Goons.

[tggzzz]

Speaking of radio shows, one that I think is worthy of listening to on YT is "The Navy Lark". A young Ronnie Barker can also be heard in it.

Similar to that is "Round the Horne".

Better than either is "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again", the radio equivalent of Monty Python

[BU508A]

I could write an extremely long list of good US comedies, both film and TV.

Just because there may not be anything of note being produced at the moment, doesn't mean there never has been.

It's also worth noting that humour is a highly subjective thing, regardless of nationality.

I'm afraid, I cannot contribute anything here, because we Germans are known for our non-existing sense of humour.

[Cerebus]

Get him to listen to the original radio series. For a start, the pictures are better.

I was first introduced to this by listening to The Goon Show.  That was whacky, crazy ... and brilliant stuff.

A Goon Show classic:

Bluebottle   What time is it Eccles?
Eccles   Err, just a minute. I, I've got it written down 'ere on a piece of paper. A nice man wrote the time down for me this morning.
Bluebottle   Ooooh, then why do you carry it around with you Eccles?
Eccles   Well, umm, if a anybody asks me the ti-ime, I ca-can show it to dem.
Bluebottle   Wait a minute Eccles, my good man...
Eccles   What is it fellow?
Bluebottle   It's writted on this bit of paper, what is eight o'clock, is writted.
Eccles   I know that my good fellow. That's right, um, when I asked the fella to write it down, it was eight o'clock.
Bluebottle   Well then. Supposing when somebody asks you the time, it isn't eight o'clock?
Eccles   Ah, den I don't show it to dem.
Bluebottle   Ooohhh...
Eccles   [Smacks lips] Yeah.
Bluebottle   Well how do you know when it's eight o'clock?
Eccles   I've got it written down on a piece of paper!
Bluebottle   Oh, I wish I could afford a piece of paper with the time written on.
Eccles   Oohhhh.
Bluebottle   'Ere Eccles?
Eccles   Yah.
Bluebottle   Let me hold that piece of paper to my ear would you? - 'Ere. This piece of paper ain't goin'.
Eccles   What? I've been sold a forgery!
Bluebottle   No wonder it stopped at eight o'clock.
Eccles   Oh dear.
Bluebottle   You should get one of them tings my grandad's got.
Eccles   Oooohhh?
Bluebottle   His firm give it to him when he retired.
Eccles   Oooohhh.
Bluebottle   It's one of dem tings what it is that wakes you up at eight o'clock, boils the kettil, and pours a cuppa tea.
Eccles   Ohhh yeah! What's it called? Um.
Bluebottle   My granma.
Eccles   Ohh... Ohh, ah wait a minute. How does she know when it's eight o'clock?
Bluebottle   She's got it written down on a piece of paper!

[Cerebus]

Speaking of radio shows, one that I think is worthy of listening to on YT is "The Navy Lark". A young Ronnie Barker can also be heard in it.

Similar to that is "Round the Horne".

A few words from Julian and Sandy, with Terry Wogan.

https://youtu.be/iA8ZcO2_n7o?t=103