Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[SilverSolder]

[...]
And, with snow comes bad driving experience.
[...]

Bad driving experience??   Driving in snow is (almost) the most fun you can have on four wheels!   

I actually go out for drives during snowstorms just for the fun of it, and help people (pulling them out of ditches etc.). 

[Specmaster]

Oh shite, I was watching a new Hantek DSO5202P on eBay that was finishing tonight, and while waiting for the last 30 mins to tick by I was catching on the thread here, just flicked to eBay and it 1 second to go  It ended up at £180 plus £4.80 P&P, currently £310 on Amazon. Reviews on it are pretty good, so I thought it'd make a nice addition to my bench  Never mind, its not like I'm without a decent scope. 

[Cubdriver]

We've just been hit with snow, so I emptied the pool while getting snowflakes inside my collar, and also emptied the computer room cooler. I've fitted a Rittal Schaltschrankkühler (switching cabinet water cooler) coupled to a heat exchanger interfacing it to the pool water circulation, which is why I ran the pool so long this year season. A bonus is that we kept the pool free of debris until no leaves are left on the trees, which we hope will be good for next years start-up effort.

And, with snow comes bad driving experience. I drove to work today, because I had some hands-on time nuttery to attend. We've got only one car, a 2001 Volvo V70. (We average 0,83 litres per 10km, which is OK). I fully agree that the driver is the most important part in determining if you're getting home or into the terrain.  Especially 4WD is mostly useful to make the towing truck pay out more wire; you'll be stuck anyway! But farther out in the field...

Ah, yes, time-nuttery! I've spoken before on getting to buy TE on company money. This is the box, an Anritsu MT1000A, not with all but endowed with many options. It's shown here in an unnatural habitat, the E-bike charging stand outside, which was set up to stop people from dragging Chinesium batteries and their suboptimal chargers indoors. It now also doubles as pit stop for locking to GNSS, which must be done to discipline the Rb oscillator. Machine rooms for TV not always are the best GNSS receiving locations.

The key with snow driving is to not do anything too quickly - speed up, slow down or change direction.  Gently is the word of the day.  Back in the mid-late 80s, I commuted ~30 miles each way from my home to National Semiconductor in Danbury, CT through all kinds of weather (third shift, 2300-0730), driving a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am with a limited slip rear axle and big fat summer tires on it.  I got stuck in the snow once, in my driveway, when I got home and foolishly decided to blast through rather than shoveling.  From the T/A I moved on to a '96 Mazda Miata (MX-5) that I put 352,000 miles on through all sorts of weather to and from work and everywhere else.  With four snow tires, as long as its belly wasn't dragging too badly in the snow it just went.  The really funny thing is that I now work from home and no longer have a commute.  So what did I buy?  A 4WD Jeep Wrangler.     Yeah, I'm bass-ackwards.

Your comment on 4WD reminds me of an old joke I heard back in the 90s when about the only cars with 4WD/AWD were Audi Quattros - "Why don't you see any Quattros in the ditch during snow storms?"  "Because they're going so fast they fly over the ditch and wind up in the woods!"  I used to chuckle to myself when I was in the Miata and a jacked up pickup or SUV would fly past in the snow, thinking "I have just as many brakes as you do, and a whole lot less mass to stop!"

-Pat

[med6753]

That's the biggest mistake 4WD/AWD owners make in snow. They think since they have good forward traction they can go faster than the lowly 2WD.....until they try to stop and then it's "ooooooh shit" 

I've had several 4WD vehicles in the past and you learn that lesson real quick. 

[Saskia]

See, that's where the Expedition has huge advantages. It does not go that fast. 

[Neomys Sapiens]

I do not get why he keeps going on about the BMW 3-series.  My neighbour drives one even when the snow is so deep that the car is surfing the snow and the wheels do not even reach the road surface.  He has never been stuck; but I think his driving style is much as SpecMaster (edited) describes.

It is just starting to get fun when you have snow like that and the road is empty of other vehicles. 

While I don't have experienced snow depths as described, my former 325iX was exactly the car of choice if you needed to keep going fast under averse conditions. All the good  things in a package that you could still park in a European city and jiust enough space for the usual loadout of tools and instruments.

[Neomys Sapiens]

I just opened a package that came in today. Besides some mechanical small parts (mostly Mil), it contained those 4 items. Two different empty boxes for building/improvising some probe or other circuit, a small hook spanner and a quite robust looking BNC-to-Crocodiles cable.
Each of them for 2.50€ is ok, I think. Meh, have nothing large to unpack..

[BU508A]

Oh shite, I was watching a new Hantek DSO5202P on eBay that was finishing tonight, and while waiting for the last 30 mins to tick by I was catching on the thread here, just flicked to eBay and it 1 second to go  It ended up at £180 plus £4.80 P&P, currently £310 on Amazon. Reviews on it are pretty good, so I thought it'd make a nice addition to my bench  Never mind, its not like I'm without a decent scope. 

TEA rule number ... where are we? 
This rule is about priorities:
"Do not get distracted  by the TEA thread while watching TE on ebay for sniping.¹"

¹A sniper service may be helpful, though. 

[tautech]

Nah, you need a big pneumatic impact wrench for that. The PTO guard gives some sense of scale. Ae we going to get teardown photos? 

Oh, I did not pick up that that was on PTO.  540 or 1000 rpm?
In that case, I am guessing an impact wrench with 1" drive is likely the appropriate tool...

EDIT:  from the later post, I could confirm the PTO runs at 540 rpm.
Also, It takes 69 hp at the PTO.  Therefore, tractor probably needs to be about 100 hp or more.

For those that watched the snow in North Yorkshire video, that big blue tractor is likely able to meet the minimum spec to be able to power that pump!
That is a real pump tool toy!

Update
1/2" air rattle gun did the business after a Hitachi cordless failed to but not before some judicious peening of the nut with a hammer and dolly. 
Getting the 260mm cast iron open impeller off was another thing as it's not a particularly robust thing however a couple of big screwdrivers jammed into its boss and against the backplate was enough pretension that smacking the shaft with a punch and hammer broke the flat keyed taper and released the impeller....still in one piece !
Getting the backplate housing removed was another exercise in flying blind however with the seal retainer released and left on the pump shaft it too all came off without much difficulty. Again 

Now at a point where the sloppy bearings are almost within inspection things start getting really interesting as there are tiny fins on the rear of the impeller to force liquid through the hollow backplate portals into a cavity in the top of the gearbox where it cools the gearbox oil. Nice touch 
The pump shaft bearings on both ends are held in place by a shaft seal carrier and an end cap which are retained with man sized circlips and once all removed the bearings are visible but  we didn't expect taper roller bearings !
Turns out on the blind/capped end of the shaft is a hidden grubscrew that pushes that end bearing retainer toward the other to set the taper roller bearing preload.
Anyways bearings are shagged and as they're not your normal taper but a much flatter taper like used on differential pinions we need get the correct ones for the high RPM this thing runs at.
Replacement parts list in the making. 

About the HP this pump can draw.....it's entirely relative to the RPM it's run at and the volume of liquids shifted like any centrifugal pump and although this thing is capable of 2000L/min (min head) and 120m max head we don't intend to ever push it anywhere near its capability. Currently it's mounted on a 3pt linkage frame for driving and carrying of by a tractor and although we have up to 85 HP tractors the pump will likely work just fine on a old 64 HP Ford 4000 we have......that's the plan anyway.

Some pics for your study and more to come as we work through the repair/refurbishment.

[BU508A]

Your comment on 4WD reminds me of an old joke I heard back in the 90s when about the only cars with 4WD/AWD were Audi Quattros - "Why don't you see any Quattros in the ditch during snow storms?"  "Because they're going so fast they fly over the ditch and wind up in the woods!"  I used to chuckle to myself when I was in the Miata and a jacked up pickup or SUV would fly past in the snow, thinking "I have just as many brakes as you do, and a whole lot less mass to stop!"

This is the legendary Audi Quattro advertising spot from 1986

Edit:
Better quality clip:

[Specmaster]

Oh shite, I was watching a new Hantek DSO5202P on eBay that was finishing tonight, and while waiting for the last 30 mins to tick by I was catching on the thread here, just flicked to eBay and it 1 second to go  It ended up at £180 plus £4.80 P&P, currently £310 on Amazon. Reviews on it are pretty good, so I thought it'd make a nice addition to my bench  Never mind, its not like I'm without a decent scope. 

TEA rule number ... where are we? 
This rule is about priorities:
"Do not get distracted  by the TEA thread while watching TE on ebay for sniping.¹"

¹A sniper service may be helpful, though. 

I quite agree, I do normally use a snipping program but for some reason I wanted to watch the last few minutes of the auction to gauge wether to bid or not. Plus I was undecided about the seller, only had 1 feedback and that was as a buyer, so I was wondering if it was con or not. By the time I decided to go for it as PayPal would cover me if it was, it was too late. It might have lead to disappointment if it was a con after all. There is always bucket loads of such scams just Christmas. And this year has the potential for even more as people try to put food on the table in the middle of lockdown.

[Zucca]

New EEV DMM BM786 arrived today 😁

I miss the LowZ function. My next multimeter will have one, but I am still looking for the right one.....
Oh shit it is almost 2AM bloody forum...

[Cubdriver]

I do not get why he keeps going on about the BMW 3-series.  My neighbour drives one even when the snow is so deep that the car is surfing the snow and the wheels do not even reach the road surface.  He has never been stuck; but I think his driving style is much as SpecMaster (edited) describes.

It is just starting to get fun when you have snow like that and the road is empty of other vehicles. 

While I don't have experienced snow depths as described, my former 325iX was exactly the car of choice if you needed to keep going fast under averse conditions. All the good  things in a package that you could still park in a European city and jiust enough space for the usual loadout of tools and instruments.

Tires make a HUGE difference.  About the first time I drove the Miata in any significant snow it was still on the OEM tires (can't recall the exact type, but they were not good in snow).  After barely making it up the long hill before my street, with the final mile or so of it simply with the rears spinning away in third gear as I steered sideways and looked out the passenger window to watch the road because I'd simply gotten tired of feathering the throttle to try to keep it just under the verge of wheelspin, I got to the level stretch where my road tees off and proceeded to slide right past it, unable to stop despite only moving at perhaps a running pace.  Got turned around and home, then drove the old Firebird until the snows for the Miata arrived.  Once they were on it, it was nearly unstoppable in anything less than 6".  They were miserable to drive on in good weather, though - with those tall, squirmy tread blocks they felt like mushy Nerf tires.

-Pat

[Cerebus]

The key with snow driving is to not do anything too quickly - speed up, slow down or change direction.  Gently is the word of the day. 

One of the advantages of being a motorcyclist before you start driving 4 wheel (or greater) vehicles is that motorcycles inculcate in you two lessons: (1) always brake in a straight line, (2) constant power while driving through a curve. Failure to adhere to those rules on a motorbike will quickly demonstrate the adhesion limits of your tyres and introduce you to the fascinating world of gravel rash. Motorbikes also teach you the stability limits of acceleration and deceleration in highly graphic ways - either the bike shooting out from under you or you shooting forward over the bike. They also teach you to look ahead and plan; sudden unplanned changes of direction on a motorbike are highly likely to have you and the bike down on the tarmac, sliding sideways.

It all adds up to gaining a seat-of-the-pants understanding of keeping your longitudinal and lateral forces on the tyres within their adhesion limits (with due regard for rain, snow, ice, slippery road markings and ^&%$&*£% spilled diesel), and the value of making your steering, power and braking inputs to the whole system as smooth as possible.

The motorbike apprenticeship works, I've never unintentionally skidded a car in my whole driving career, and I've triggered my ABS perhaps half a dozen times, usually on unexpectedly loose road surfaces (ironically, in context, dry summer roads cracked up by the previous winter and left unrepaired).

[beanflying]

All this talk of snow was getting to me  30 minutes wandering the shore 24C light breeze fixed that 

[vk6zgo]

I've had very little experience with snow driving, apart from a few days with the "pretend snow falls" they had in Southampton UK back in '71, a similar period in Ireland, & one occasion in Victoria.

1971/72 weather was a bit strange in the UK----I drove all over the place in Scotland over the Christmas/New Year period, but although it was "cold as a "witch's tit", it didn't snow.

The Scots had their act together, though -------driving along one night, I was confronted by what looked like a "small block of flats" all lit up on the side of the road.

Getting close, I realised that it was just a bit smaller than that, & was, in fact, the biggest snowplough I had ever seen.
The operator had cooking facilities & I could see him comfortably making his evening meal.
If there was a blockage of the highway from snow, he was there, ready to roll.

There was a bit of snow in Ireland, but nothing spectacular.
What they did have was "black ice" !
Interesting performing several unintended "doughnuts" in a Mini hire car!

My very first introduction to snow was a few years earlier, in Victoria.
1968 was another strange year ----- we had an earthquake about 160 km away from Perth, & a bout of cold weather, just before I headed off to the "Eastern States", towing a caravan (house trailer).

All went well, & I was driving through Victoria, when I saw a sign saying "To Mount Buller".
"Great" thought I, thinking it would end up with a wide observation area at the base of the mountain, where I could turn my rig around.
My mistake became obvious, as the road narrowed, & started to wind up Mt Buller.
OK so far, but I started to notice cars coming the other way, with snow on their bonnets (hoods).
In Australia? In November?, but sure enough, as we continued the snow started to appear on the side of the road.

My Mum was in the car, & she was thrilled, never having seen snow before, so implored me to get her some.
"OK Mum", so pulling over in a rare straight stretch, I slipped  "thongs" (flip flops) onto my bare feet & went  to get her a sample.

That's when I realised mushy, slushy, semi-melted snow was very, very, cold on unprotected feet!

We kept on, onwards & upwards, with the snow layer other than on the road becoming thicker, & getting incredulous stares from approaching "snow savvy" drivers, when they spotted a car & caravan where no such thing should be.

By this time, I was a bit worried, as the road was getting narrower still, but eventually, we reached a
"Chain fitting station", where I was finally able to turn the unwieldy rig around, still the cinosure of incredulous stares.

[Kosmic]

All this talk of snow was getting to me  30 minutes wandering the shore 24C light breeze fixed that 

Look really nice, exactly what I would need right now. With a beer 

[tautech]

Bean and I are chatting privately on pumps again. 

Got one of these that needs new impeller bearings and seals:


Getting it apart is proving to be fun. 

So now with this all in bits and replacement parts ordered let's have a look at the cause of pump shaft play and noisy rotation. As reported earlier today shagged bearings....but only one !
Take a look at this sick puppy: 



I've done a fair bit of mechanical repair in 40+ years but never have I seen a broken roller in a taper roller bearing ! Of course before we got this pump it had been run a few years ago in this state which resulted in some good amount of gold in the bottom of the gearcase.....engineers call it gold as it costs gold to make it all good again. 

All this is only the end result of a chain of events started by something so simple as the rain cap on the filler/dipstick/vent cap was missing and allowed rainwater into the gearcase in a piece of machinery that would normally live outside. <sigh>
It goes like this....water enters the gearcase via the uncapped vented dipstick to settle under the oil where it lies unnoticed as the dipstick only measures the very top level of oil however when the input shaft is rotated water is emulsified into the oil where it coats everything inside the gearcase so that when idle again rusting starts but only on the precision polished surfaces like bearing rollers, caps and cones......and it's all downhill from there !

Yet the good thing about most machinery....throw some money at it and it's up and running again before long. Helps a lot with cost if you can fix this sort of stuff in house. 

[beanflying]

Mmm Crunchy  Problem with PTO pumps was the noise of the Tractor and you couldn't hear anything. Bit of Moly Grease on the Impeller and nut when you put it together again too for the next human gorilla

[tautech]

Mmm Crunchy  Problem with PTO pumps was the noise of the Tractor and you couldn't hear anything. Bit of Moly Grease on the Impeller and nut when you put it together again too for the next human gorilla

Agreed however just turning the input shaft by hand screamed there was something that needed looking at and indeed crunchy it was. 
I like to spin things up at an idle where without the tractor motor on full song you can often hear such misdemeanors and investigate.

Nickel anti-seize is our current 'get apart much later' remedy. 
Parts coming: Gaskets, Bearings (4) and seal (2) kit, Impeller nut, Pump seal kit (expensive  ) and of course a new Filler/dipstick/vent cap.

Some fine and clever engineering in this pump and when together again with all the new bits it should be pretty robust although we don't intend to use it for slurry as it's designed for but only for pasture irrigation.

Thanks again for help and guidance to the Bean !

[AVGresponding]

This thing came in a carying shouldere bag that was locked and did not come with a key. So I jimmied it open. By the looks of the device, I'd be willing to place a bet that the keys have been lost for about 25 years. I don't think it was ever used. Which is good.

But also bad.

Especially the "check battery" button has me worried. 25 year old battery? From 95? That's gonna be nasty...

One of the MOD stickers shows it was last checked in 2014, so perhaps not quite as bad as all that.

[Ice-Tea]

This thing came in a carying shouldere bag that was locked and did not come with a key. So I jimmied it open. By the looks of the device, I'd be willing to place a bet that the keys have been lost for about 25 years. I don't think it was ever used. Which is good.

But also bad.

Especially the "check battery" button has me worried. 25 year old battery? From 95? That's gonna be nasty...

One of the MOD stickers shows it was last checked in 2014, so perhaps not quite as bad as all that.

Totally missed that!

Guess I'll know tomorrow if it was just "yep, still there" or maybe more

[Robert763]

Just had a sonic boom over cambrige UK. That's unusual here.

Yep, you're correct, it was two Typhoons on QRA being scrambled and cleared to fly at 1.6Mach to intercept a private jet on route from Germany to Birmingham that was taking a strange flight path over London and was not responding to radio messages, the plane and the flight path are shown below, and it was escorted as normal in these incidents into Stanstead Airport.

Hmm Bombrdier Global Express, very nice. Did some work flying on one last year before last.

Very nice indeed. Especially the Sentinel variant.

https://www.arabianaerospace.aero/a-game-of-high-spy---with-project-dolphin.html

[Robert763]

Holy crap....you Brits can't handle a dusting of snow. 

Looks like a regular winter day here.  That does not count as a snow storms here; you can actually see the vehicle ahead.
I do not get why he keeps going on about the BMW 3-series.  My neighbour drives one even when the snow is so deep that the car is surfing the snow and the wheels do not even reach the road surface.  He has never been stuck; but I think his driving style is much as SpecMaster (edited) describes.

It is just starting to get fun when you have snow like that and the road is empty of other vehicles.  That is what the Subaru is for, but a car like that is not necessary to get through, just for the fun factor 

Well I'm no so sure about the Canuk ability to drive anywhere. One difference is we do not have mandatory snow tires in the UK so loose that advantage. we also tend to get wetter snow or partial thaw and re-freezing which is very different fron crisp dry snow. Without snow tires things are very diffeerent. I was in Montreal a few years ago and there was an early snowfall overnight. Only about an inch or two but it was before the snow tire date and the city was complete chaos in the morning. It took my taxi over 3 hours to get to the airport.

[nfmax]

Pfft. Amateurs. I have made it to the Beaufort Sea starting out in a measly Cherokee.

Oh, you mean a Jeep Cherokee! For a moment I thought you meant a Piper Cherokee