Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

Over on the Old Tek scope Facebook page someone is asking for advice on restoring this beauty.        I've seen basket cases before but that one is beyond help. And I told him that. If it were mine it would just go on the parts pile.

Maybe... in the back shed... stuffed in a garbage bag to keep whatever's living in it contained... don't think I want that thing getting its filth on my lawn mower.

mnem
"Can you say "vector", boys and girls...?"

[0culus]

That looks like that stuff that fleabay seller from Israel used to sell, that looked like it had journeyed to the bottom of the ocean and then used as a road surface at an IDF training facility. 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Over on the Old Tek scope Facebook page someone is asking for advice on restoring this beauty.        I've seen basket cases before but that one is beyond help. And I told him that. If it were mine it would just go on the parts pile.

Maybe... in the back shed... stuffed in a garbage bag to keep whatever's living in it contained... don't think I want that thing getting its filth on my lawn mower.

mnem
"Can you say "vector", boys and girls...?"

Oh, so THAT is a vectorscope?

[Cerebus]

That looks like that stuff that fleabay seller from Israel used to sell, that looked like it had journeyed to the bottom of the ocean and then used as a road surface at an IDF training facility. 

Or worse still, to prop up a bed in a Kibbutz. 

[med6753]

Yep, that 465 is a real stinking pile. And good thought about the mold. Hadn't thought of that. Yea......bin it. 

In other news....starting re-configurating my stereo system. First time listening test on that Sansui amp. All I can say is "WOW".    That amp hits HARD. Excellent bass and clean top end. $50 USD well spent.   

[Cubdriver]

That poor scope!      That one needs to be euthanized, and I don't say that too often.  Definitely a parts mule, but the recovered parts will need an IPA dip and some polishing.

-Pat

[Specmaster]

Off-topic but so funny and bang on the money, although it was made in 2016, the assumptions made in it have since been proven to have been pretty damn on the money, so I thought I'd leave this here in case anyone hasn't come across it before 

[capt bullshot]

Over on the Old Tek scope Facebook page someone is asking for advice on restoring this beauty. 

I've seen basket cases before but that one is beyond help. And I told him that. If it were mine it would just go on the parts pile. 

What could possibly go wrong with that?
Just plug it in, turn it on and see if there's a trace on the screen 

[factory]

Over on the Old Tek scope Facebook page someone is asking for advice on restoring this beauty. 

I've seen basket cases before but that one is beyond help. And I told him that. If it were mine it would just go on the parts pile.

Did they post any pictures showing how knackered the insides are? Given the frame is turning into alloy dust on one side I can't imagine it being much good inside either.

David

[mnementh]

Discretion is the better part of Valory. The other parts aren't half-bad, either. 

mnem
"There's enough misery to go around without looking for more." ~grandmomma Kate

[Cerebus]

Over on the Old Tek scope Facebook page someone is asking for advice on restoring this beauty. 

I've seen basket cases before but that one is beyond help. And I told him that. If it were mine it would just go on the parts pile. 

What could possibly go wrong with that?
Just plug it in, turn it on and see if there's a trace on the screen 

While taking precautions to make sure that in switching it on to see if there's a trace that you don't become a trace smeared on the wall.

[Brumby]

O.....M.....G.....  The stuff of nightmares.

Need a diversion ..... quick!




Now where's that cart .... ?

[Zucca]

Xmas brake is over, now quarantene because I was in USA.
And of course, internet in my apt is down.
thank you fuckdafone.

After 35min on the phone listening to stupid music t whopping 3KHz bandwidth, they opened a ticket.
I already know it will take 3 days to repair it....

orrr..... plot twist, my modem is somehow toasted and do not detect the DSL carriere anymore....

[factory]

Here is what I've been working on recently, the HP 5325A was pulled out of storage to help with the repair of the broken HP 5325B I acquired locally last year, however I noticed something wasn't right with the 5325A either, the overflow lamp was on all the time. 


This was traced to transistor Q1 that is supposed to ground the supply from R2 going to the neon & extinguish the lamp when not required. The transistor still measured as two diode junctions with the DMM but wasn't working in circuit, it was part no. 1854-0232 which is apparently a 2N3440, one of those was fitted & the overflow lamp problem was fixed.


Onto the 5325B, I had previously cleaned the switches (as recommended on here), but it had made no difference as I mentioned before and it still refused to count anything, not even the self check.

The first problem was traced to the A4 function selector board, it has a few minor differences to the earlier counter (for the 20MHz spec rather than 12.5MHz, plus some resistors in series with the output BNC's), I verified it was the cause using the older counter. And using the 548A logic clip I traced the fault to IC6 1820-0380 (marked SN74H53 on the underside) which had no output, this was temporarily permanently replaced with a standard 7453 as I haven't got any of the 'H' version. 


That fixed the lack of any count appearing on the display, but also revealed a second problem, it would only count using the first five display tubes and one of those would only display a few numbers, mainly 4,5,6 & 7 then blanked again before repeating. 


This took quite a bit longer to diagnose the failed IC's with the 548A & 546A, I removed the board & powered the 5V rail from the 6237B while fault finding, due to the amount of wires that would have needed disconnecting/reconnecting in the counter.


Two of the decade counter IC's & one of the buffer/storage IC's were faulty, with either missing outputs or were overloading the outputs of the preceding IC. The buffer/storage IC had been attacked by a previous owner, a pin cut off & random diode attached & also cut through (it still didn't work when reconnected). 
All the IC's for the counting & display section are custom parts, thankfully I had a parts board that donated some replacements.



Here are the two counters after repair measuring the 1MHz output from the Racal 9839 and the faulty parts. I still have one problem with the 5325B, that is the crystal oven not getting warm.



David

[med6753]

Over on the Old Tek scope Facebook page someone is asking for advice on restoring this beauty. 

I've seen basket cases before but that one is beyond help. And I told him that. If it were mine it would just go on the parts pile.

Did they post any pictures showing how knackered the insides are? Given the frame is turning into alloy dust on one side I can't imagine it being much good inside either.

David

Here's some additional pictures.

[med6753]

More...

[beanflying]

Hey it has 4 good feet why all the complaints about the rest

[Specmaster]

Inside that is really spotless on the boards although a couple of the looms are beginning to show signs of deterioration but nothing to bad really. The main area of concern is the front panel, anything directly in contact with it is suffering from corrosion. It is possible that if another parts mule with a reasonable front panel, that a decent scope could be made from the two?

[med6753]

Inside that is really spotless on the boards although a couple of the looms are beginning to show signs of deterioration but nothing to bad really. The main area of concern is the front panel, anything directly in contact with it is suffering from corrosion. It is possible that if another parts mule with a reasonable front panel, that a decent scope could be made from the two?

Maybe, with A LOT of work. But I guarantee that the vertical channel attenuator switch decks will be trash and on a 465 are an absolute bitch to remove/replace.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Xmas brake is over, now quarantene because I was in USA.
And of course, internet in my apt is down.
thank you fuckdafone.

After 35min on the phone listening to stupid music t whopping 3KHz bandwidth, they opened a ticket.
I already know it will take 3 days to repair it....

orrr..... plot twist, my modem is somehow toasted and do not detect the DSL carriere anymore....

ONE thing is totally obvious: it is neither recommended nor acceptable for a member of this community not to be able to support his main communication technology by robust test-and-measurement capabilities.
1.) you need a DSL tester
2.) you need a DSL simulator/device tester
3.) you need a backup in the form of a DSL signal presence indicator plug
 

P.S.: my tip would be to throw in some special tools and adaptors for good measure.

[mnementh]

David

Well done... some excellent electron-tracking detective work there. Nice to see all that ionized gas ionizing as intended, instead of however-the-eff it felt like.

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Xmas brake is over, now quarantene because I was in USA.
And of course, internet in my apt is down.
thank you fuckdafone.

After 35min on the phone listening to stupid music t whopping 3KHz bandwidth, they opened a ticket.
I already know it will take 3 days to repair it....

orrr..... plot twist, my modem is somehow toasted and do not detect the DSL carriere anymore....

ONE thing is totally obvious: it is neither recommended nor acceptable for a member of this community not to be able to support his main communication technology by robust test-and-measurement capabilities.
1.) you need a DSL tester
2.) you need a DSL simulator/device tester
3.) you need a backup in the form of a DSL signal presence indicator plug
 

P.S.: my tip would be to throw in some special tools and adaptors for good measure.

My solution is a lot simpler: a known-good DOCSIS 3.1 gateway router I can drop on the line and log into.  Fuck DSL with a shovel. (If you don't have a choice, my condolences. )

mnem
*toddles off to ded*

[beanflying]

Roadtrip @Med @Nixiefreq others? eBay auction: #293945475353 Only a few miles and some snow likely to be in the way  Some other goodies from the same seller too....





Also a stash of HP feet  eBay auction: #363037725383

[TheDefpom]

I think I belong here.

[tautech]

I think I belong here.

Wondered when you'd turn up.