Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[nixiefreqq]

hey dragon......a question for you.  (since you are the go to guy for stuff that has been stressed beyond the norm).

how would you deal with this?

please don't offer a solution that requires a 3d printer.  don't have one.....am not gonna' get one.

am thinking bondo or some other automotive patch or maybe something involving pop rivets.

don't expect it to look like new, or even close. (just something that will keep dust out and prevent people from sticking their fingers in).

(others on this thread will no doubt offer that it is a perfect opportunity to install a fan)

[Saskia]

you could make a form out of silicone or similar, put in some fibreglass mats plus the proper amount of epoxy to model the missing piece and glue it in using a single layer of glass mat on the inside plus the proper amount of filler and jb-weld.

[Cerebus]

Do that and you'll end up in BD's cellar along with the street mime artistes and human statues. 

And the crusty jugglers!

Nah, they're easy to deal with. Just wait until they do a trick with passing involved, and swap a painted, live hand grenade for the apple/orange/ball that they toss to you. If you ever see a person running away full tilt from a group of people watching a juggler...

[tggzzz]

Here's a few TDR pictures of a homemade 5m RG174 cable:
- Full length at default scale
- Full length at 5x vert. zoom
- zoomed into the reflections caused by the connector (this is a better one in terms of cables I've readily available).

Looks like you got a decent LCD there!

Also looks like you could tweak the propagation velocity.

[mnementh]

But hey... lets talk aboot how dangerous my little flashlight is, when it literally encases already steel-armored cylindrical cells in another 10-13mm of billet aluminum armor.

mnem
 

That just turns it into a pipe bomb instead of an incendary because it's sealed. That was a major issue with the Boeing 787 Lithium battery, they didn't vent the case.
Of course you will now say it's not sealed in your usual circular argument way.
I give up 

And what, pray tell, is going to make it explode...? These are modern cylindrical cells, not LiPos or high-density prismatic cells. Maybe you need to learn a little more aboot the differences in cell types, and how the technology, particularly cylindrical cells, has changed in the last couple decades before you make such sweeping statements. Seriously. 

I was the guy everybody in my model aviation groups said was being too alarmist over the dangers of LiPo technology... particularly aboot parallel charging at high currents. I am not careless with this technology; I am rabidly overcautious. And I am still not the least bit afraid to carry these devices on my person.

I still maintain that Li-xx cylindrical cells are a mature technology, and erg for erg, no more hazardous than a low-iR sub-C NiCd. You can take that any way you like it; tho I'm sure you will take it in the worst way possible.

mnem

[Robert763]

787 battery was Li-ion not LiPo
Lots of E-cig issues and they arn't LiPo either

[Cerebus]

hey dragon......a question for you.  (since you are the go to guy for stuff that has been stressed beyond the norm).

how would you deal with this?

please don't offer a solution that requires a 3d printer.  don't have one.....am not gonna' get one.

am thinking bondo or some other automotive patch or maybe something involving pop rivets.

don't expect it to look like new, or even close. (just something that will keep dust out and prevent people from sticking their fingers in).

(others on this thread will no doubt offer that it is a perfect opportunity to install a fan)

One for me. Get a hot air gun a pack of dental wax sheets. Like these:



Warm one side of a sheet of wax, until it's just shy of melting and press it firmly on a flat part of the case that has the same textured finish as the area you want to fill in. Let it cool, lift off carefully.

Cut out a wedge that will let you close the sheet into a basic corner shape, Then warm the whole sheet so that it is pliable. Mould the sheet around the corner matching the existing shape as closely as possible. Melt the edges to the case, let cool, and then cover and firmly attach it to the case with parcel tape, masking tape, or Gaffer tape to taste. You should then have a mould that you can fill from the inside with Bondo and some reinforcing fibre sheet material (glassfibre, carbon fibre, whatever).

You might need a few practice runs first until you get a mould that you're happy with.

[mnementh]

787 battery was Li-ion not LiPo Lots of E-cig issues and they arn't LiPo either

787 battery was high-density prismatic cells. The e-cig "issues" are primarily from modders deliberately exceeding the safe discharge rates of the cells, and not explosions, but rather wires melting and/or burning. No different from similar meltdowns that happen just as easily with low-iR NiCds. Now you're blaming the technology for the stupidity of ElectroBoomers.

mnem
 

[med6753]

787 battery was Li-ion not LiPo
Lots of E-cig issues and they arn't LiPo either

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/canada/hyatt-regency-toronto/torrt/maps-parking-transportation


 

[nixiefreqq]

787 battery was Li-ion not LiPo Lots of E-cig issues and they arn't LiPo either

787 battery was high-density prismatic cells. The e-cig "issues" are primarily from modders deliberately exceeding the safe discharge rates of the cells, and not explosions, but rather wires melting and/or burning. No different from similar meltdowns that happen just as easily with low-iR NiCds. Now you're blaming the technology for the stupidity of ElectroBoomers.

mnem
 

is that really a thing?  what advantage is there in modding an e-cig? 

[mnementh]

   hey dragon......a question for you.  (since you are the go to guy for stuff that has been stressed beyond the norm).

how would you deal with this? please don't offer a solution that requires a 3d printer.  don't have one.....am not gonna' get one.  am thinking bondo or some other automotive patch or maybe something involving pop rivets.  don't expect it to look like new, or even close. (just something that will keep dust out and prevent people from sticking their fingers in).

(others on this thread will no doubt offer that it is a perfect opportunity to install a fan)

Thanks for the compliment... I think. I'm going to take a moment to get this over with: Uncle Bumblebutt!

Now that we can move forward... hmmm. This one is not as simple as it may appear. It looks like the build and proximity to internal chassis does NOT allow much room for matting inside.

Not knowing what kind of plastic this is, I'd be leery of Bondo or Gorilla-hair type polyester body fillers. Some plastics will not bond at all, and some melt horribly. Also, I'm not a chemistry wonk (C could probably tell you with a fair measure of certainty, if you can tell him what kind of plastic); my recent failure with solvent-welding my 54645A proves that. 

Let me think on this for a moment... a few more pics of what is inside would help me devise a battle plan.

Also... this is on a molding seam, not an actual joint in the case, right?

mnem

[cyclin_al]

And stolen from the Facebook Tek Group....

Who thought this was a good idea? Talk about having your head up your ass. And how did it make it through the corporate structure? Some executive must have liked it and everyone brown nosed him. 

Can you imagine today's roving Snap-On dealer talking about and trying to sell this with a straight face?

Asscilloscope and bargain basement colonoscopies.     

That made me laugh out loud 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Here's a few TDR pictures of a homemade 5m RG174 cable:
- Full length at default scale
- Full length at 5x vert. zoom
- zoomed into the reflections caused by the connector (this is a better one in terms of cables I've readily available).

Thanks a lot! That was helpful.

P.S.: You made me want one. My S.O. might be inclined to exact physical harm onto you.

[mnementh]

787 battery was Li-ion not LiPo Lots of E-cig issues and they arn't LiPo either

787 battery was high-density prismatic cells. The e-cig "issues" are primarily from modders deliberately exceeding the safe discharge rates of the cells, and not explosions, but rather wires melting and/or burning. No different from similar meltdowns that happen just as easily with low-iR NiCds. Now you're blaming the technology for the stupidity of ElectroBoomers.

mnem
 

is that really a thing?  what advantage is there in modding an e-cig?

   Yes, it is a thing... a big thing. See that gold 14500 cell there? It is a low-iR/high C-Rate, high-capacity cell made for modding e-Cigs.

There's a whole "hacker" culture around the things; custom chambers, hand-wound heater coils, high-discharge batteries... all to maximize the vape "hit" so you can inhale as much of the ichor as possible as deeply into your lungs as possible.  These are used both for "custom-blended" (read: highly concentrated dosages-in many cases 100x as much as you can get from a cigarette) nicotine vape elixirs and THC-bearing (cannabis) syrups as well.

Yeah, RJR is laughing all the way to the bank. 

mnem
nice pants.

[bd139]

Also used for burning the dicks off Darwin award candidates

[nixiefreqq]

   hey dragon......a question for you.  (since you are the go to guy for stuff that has been stressed beyond the norm).

how would you deal with this? please don't offer a solution that requires a 3d printer.  don't have one.....am not gonna' get one.  am thinking bondo or some other automotive patch or maybe something involving pop rivets.  don't expect it to look like new, or even close. (just something that will keep dust out and prevent people from sticking their fingers in).

(others on this thread will no doubt offer that it is a perfect opportunity to install a fan)

Thanks for the compliment... I think. I'm going to take a moment to get this over with: Uncle Bumblebutt!

Now that we can move forward... hmmm. This one is not as simple as it may appear. It looks like the build and proximity to internal chassis does NOT allow much room for matting inside.

Not knowing what kind of plastic this is, I'd be leery of Bondo or Gorilla-hair type polyester body fillers. Some plastics will not bond at all, and some melt horribly. Also, I'm not a chemistry wonk (C could probably tell you with a fair measure of certainty, if you can tell him what kind of plastic); my recent failure with solvent-welding my 54645A proves that. 

Let me think on this for a moment... a few more pics of what is inside would help me devise a battle plan.

Also... this is on a molding seam, not an actual joint in the case, right?

mnem

have not pulled the trigger on it......yet.  was not scared off by what might be inside the enclosure.....but that big missing chunk gave me pause.  (you might be able to guess where it is listed from this picture)

edit...  on the subject of modding vapes.  WTF is wrong with people?

[cyclin_al]

should I take the strat instead ?

Strativarius or Stratocaster ?

(mis-spelling for comic effect, or maybe not...)

[Saskia]

Stratocaster ...

Got a Fender and and ESP. But I'm better with the didgeridoo.

[capt bullshot]

Here's a few TDR pictures of a homemade 5m RG174 cable:
- Full length at default scale
- Full length at 5x vert. zoom
- zoomed into the reflections caused by the connector (this is a better one in terms of cables I've readily available).

Looks like you got a decent LCD there!

Also looks like you could tweak the propagation velocity.

The LCD isn't the original one. It's a modern TFT colour display (part of a STM32 discovery kit). I fitted this as a replacement for the borked original LCD.

Yes, it's got a setting for vp, there's a table of common vp in the help menu available.

[capt bullshot]

Here's a few TDR pictures of a homemade 5m RG174 cable:
- Full length at default scale
- Full length at 5x vert. zoom
- zoomed into the reflections caused by the connector (this is a better one in terms of cables I've readily available).

Thanks a lot! That was helpful.

P.S.: You made me want one. My S.O. might be inclined to exact physical harm onto you.

This one is even more fun. Alas, I don't have the correct sampling head (S-6 instead of S-4).

[cyclin_al]

Any thoughts on $500 CAD for a pair of supposedly working Tek 422 & 454a scopes?
The pictures showing a trace look more like noise than an actual signal.
My thought is this price is much too high, but would half that be too much Ferengi.
I also have to consider travel distance; they are closer to Dwagon-land than to here.
Also, SWMBO would certainly object to the space taken up by two of the same thing.

I could be just looking for anything to break the drought on TE up here; a nixxie frequency counter would be a better acquisition but I still have never seen one...

[Specmaster]

Whinge mode on:
How hard could it be?
Some battery powered LED lights (actually 14 in total) used to mood light a veranda area just outside the living room, they are chewing through 40 AA batteries every month at 5hrs/day run time.
Two current limited supplies, two series wiring harnesses, removal of the battery case, two stainless steel 'balustrade' wire supports later and I have blown 16hrs.
Whinge mode off;

I am happy with the results - so is SWMBO.
😎

PS Isn't the lm317 a great jelly bean part!

Nice 

Here's the hack job I did with my Christmas tree lights so I didn't get a massive bill. Old nokia USB charger + dropper resistors to knock off half a volt so it didn't run them so bright!

So technically I have USB Christmas tree lights 

Yep, exactly the same thing I did last year with a few of my battery sets of lights and lanterns. I also purchased a few of the multi USB outlet chargers, so I can plug 5 sets into the same charger. The intention was to continue that theme this year but SWMBO doesn't like the wires and wants batteries instead 

I suggested that maybe she would like to spend the £60 a year on the batteries then, which she of course declined, course she did. Oh well at least I only had to buy half the amount of batteries this year. I'll convert a few more over on the QT in locations close to a power outlet and the wires can be easily hidden so next year even fewer batteries to buy 

[Saskia]

reading up on getting state recognition for my religion.

https://youtu.be/8UPUPDo20nM

[dl6lr]

Asscilloscope and bargain basement colonoscopies.     

Strap-On Anal-O-Scope? WTF!?... Does it have a NSF sticker at the back? 

[Robert763]

787 battery was Li-ion not LiPo Lots of E-cig issues and they arn't LiPo either

787 battery was high-density prismatic cells. The e-cig "issues" are primarily from modders deliberately exceeding the safe discharge rates of the cells, and not explosions, but rather wires melting and/or burning. No different from similar meltdowns that happen just as easily with low-iR NiCds. Now you're blaming the technology for the stupidity of ElectroBoomers.

mnem