Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Ice-Tea]

Hmmm.. This on the bench. Nice bit of kit but complex. In addition, not sure if it's worth much. So I'm considering either tossing it on the Bay untested or have one you folks have a go at it.

So, how about it? Anyone interested in spending some quality time with it? For fun, for review, whatever. No strings attached, no obligations. I'm paying for shipping (inside the EU that is...)

[med6753]

I have neighbors who generate enough noise thank you very much. I don't need a kit of TE that does the same. 

[capt bullshot]

We only worked on low frequency stuff (no RF), at least one job did require accurate setting at 50Hz (with some variance during the test). The Farnell LFM4 were always used with a counter and often used for slow sweeping, we only had two programmable function gens originally, they did buy another two eventually.
All history now as they EOL'd the lab years ago.

David

This just went past me and while likely unrelated, it does describe operation of a large coöperative 50Hz generator 

Luckily, this one was caught. Such events can trigger wide area blackouts, as happened maybe 20 years ago in Germany.

[factory]

Hmmm.. This on the bench. Nice bit of kit but complex. In addition, not sure if it's worth much. So I'm considering either tossing it on the Bay untested or have one you folks have a go at it.

So, how about it? Anyone interested in spending some quality time with it? For fun, for review, whatever. No strings attached, no obligations. I'm paying for shipping (inside the EU that is...)

Should be a few of those HP 3708 about, according to the one of the designers that worked on them.
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1288789&postcount=148

David

[Specmaster]

PowerGlide & TH400 both responded well to a few simple performance building tricks; aftermarket parts were very well-developed for both when I was just a kid. The PowerGlide was actually pretty grenade-proof, and properly modded with high-stall TC and HD clutch-paks/bands, was a favorite at the drag-strip for over a decade.

The TH400 was designed from the ground up for Olds, Pontiac & Cadillac's "too-fukkin' big big-blocks" that all delivered stump-pulling torque at low RPMs; bone-stock they were tougher than leather and with the addition of higher pressure regulator and accumulator springs, would deliver shifts so solid they'd snap your neck.

I loved the one I had in my grand-dad's F-150 shoehorned in behind a '70 Cadd-500; even with 3.00 rearend gears from the original OD trans, that thing just jumped forward when it shifted gears. Also, I had a micro-pushbutton embedded in the shifter T-handle to engage the kickdown solenoid when I wanted it. 

mnem
*sigh*

Any idea why the old Powerglides had that distinctive whine or howl when you put them in Park?

Sounds to me like it was just the oil in the torque convertor swirling around under pressure.

[factory]

We only worked on low frequency stuff (no RF), at least one job did require accurate setting at 50Hz (with some variance during the test). The Farnell LFM4 were always used with a counter and often used for slow sweeping, we only had two programmable function gens originally, they did buy another two eventually.
All history now as they EOL'd the lab years ago.

David

This just went past me and while likely unrelated, it does describe operation of a large coöperative 50Hz generator 

Yes a slight bit unrelated as the units I used to repair were isolated from the grid and on the move all the time once back in service. But two separate units we repaired were responsible for frequency & voltage regulation of a motor alternator.

David

[Specmaster]

Wow that was real quick, I listed a Solartron 7150 Plus yesterday on the bay and it has already been snapped up, perhaps I undersold it, listed it at £110 BIN and there are 3 others (but the Plus model) up for sale at £70 each BIN for parts/repair. Something tells me that I undersold it, oh well, its done now. 

[Ice-Tea]

Hmmm.. This on the bench. Nice bit of kit but complex. In addition, not sure if it's worth much. So I'm considering either tossing it on the Bay untested or have one you folks have a go at it.

So, how about it? Anyone interested in spending some quality time with it? For fun, for review, whatever. No strings attached, no obligations. I'm paying for shipping (inside the EU that is...)

Should be a few of those HP 3708 about, according to the one of the designers that worked on them.
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1288789&postcount=148

David

Heh! Nice find!

[med6753]

PowerGlide & TH400 both responded well to a few simple performance building tricks; aftermarket parts were very well-developed for both when I was just a kid. The PowerGlide was actually pretty grenade-proof, and properly modded with high-stall TC and HD clutch-paks/bands, was a favorite at the drag-strip for over a decade.

The TH400 was designed from the ground up for Olds, Pontiac & Cadillac's "too-fukkin' big big-blocks" that all delivered stump-pulling torque at low RPMs; bone-stock they were tougher than leather and with the addition of higher pressure regulator and accumulator springs, would deliver shifts so solid they'd snap your neck.

I loved the one I had in my grand-dad's F-150 shoehorned in behind a '70 Cadd-500; even with 3.00 rearend gears from the original OD trans, that thing just jumped forward when it shifted gears. Also, I had a micro-pushbutton embedded in the shifter T-handle to engage the kickdown solenoid when I wanted it. 

mnem
*sigh*

Any idea why the old Powerglides had that distinctive whine or howl when you put them in Park?

Sounds to me like it was just the oil in the torque convertor swirling around under pressure.

If that's the case then I would have expected it to make the same noise when in gear. It doesn't. The whine stops are soon as put in gear.

[Ice-Tea]

Wow that was real quick, I listed a Solartron 7150 Plus yesterday on the bay and it has already been snapped up, perhaps I undersold it, listed it at £110 BIN and there are 3 others (but the Plus model) up for sale at £70 each BIN for parts/repair. Something tells me that I undersold it, oh well, its done now. 

Sold one a little while ago. Same story, priced roughly the same (bit higher); sold pretty much instantly. But according to eBay history, the price is "right" 

[mnementh]

PowerGlide & TH400 both responded well to a few simple performance building tricks; aftermarket parts were very well-developed for both when I was just a kid. The PowerGlide was actually pretty grenade-proof, and properly modded with high-stall TC and HD clutch-paks/bands, was a favorite at the drag-strip for over a decade.

The TH400 was designed from the ground up for Olds, Pontiac & Cadillac's "too-fukkin' big big-blocks" that all delivered stump-pulling torque at low RPMs; bone-stock they were tougher than leather and with the addition of higher pressure regulator and accumulator springs, would deliver shifts so solid they'd snap your neck.

I loved the one I had in my grand-dad's F-150 shoehorned in behind a '70 Cadd-500; even with 3.00 rearend gears from the original OD trans, that thing just jumped forward when it shifted gears. Also, I had a micro-pushbutton embedded in the shifter T-handle to engage the kickdown solenoid when I wanted it. 

mnem
*sigh*

Any idea why the old Powerglides had that distinctive whine or howl when you put them in Park?

Sounds to me like it was just the oil in the torque convertor swirling around under pressure.

If that's the case then I would have expected it to make the same noise when in gear. It doesn't. The whine stops are soon as put in gear.

The difference is backpressure. In PARK the pump is running in bypass mode; this makes the noise from a worn pump and air bubbles much more noticeable. As soon as you put it in gear, it is running under load with considerable backpressure.

Switching to Type F, DexronII or Trick Shift in most cases made this whine go away completely or almost completely.

mnem
 

[Cubdriver]

I actually have a Pontiac history, too. I think. Albeit through no fault of my own. This one (which, as I indicated, remember as being a Pontiac) was issued to me in 2001 at the EWR Alamo representative, for a drive down to Gaithersburg and NIST.

It worked. Slightly more comfortable than the Chevrolets Alamo normally throw at you.

Based on what I can see of the grill, that looks more like an Odsmobubble than a Pontiac (though I'd consider Olds a closer 'cousin' to a Pontiac than I would to a Chevy) - by that point they all had become pretty much interchangeable looks-wise between the GM divisions with largely similar basic appearance between equivalent models of the different brands.  They certainly had lost the distinction cars used to have in the 60s and 70s where you could tell them apart at a glance.

-Pat

[mnementh]

Yeah; if it had been a few years older, it would've been the same platform as the first-gen Saturn under shedloads of glued-on plastic body panels.

mnem
Dark days at GM; back before they went all-out Zombie-Corporation mode...

[Specmaster]

Wow that was real quick, I listed a Solartron 7150 Plus yesterday on the bay and it has already been snapped up, perhaps I undersold it, listed it at £110 BIN and there are 3 others (but the Plus model) up for sale at £70 each BIN for parts/repair. Something tells me that I undersold it, oh well, its done now. 

Sold one a little while ago. Same story, priced roughly the same (bit higher); sold pretty much instantly. But according to eBay history, the price is "right" 

Hmm, if it wasn't for the fact that the mains filters cost the best part of £50, I'd have a sniff at the others but at the asking price its not viable 

[Specmaster]

PowerGlide & TH400 both responded well to a few simple performance building tricks; aftermarket parts were very well-developed for both when I was just a kid. The PowerGlide was actually pretty grenade-proof, and properly modded with high-stall TC and HD clutch-paks/bands, was a favorite at the drag-strip for over a decade.

The TH400 was designed from the ground up for Olds, Pontiac & Cadillac's "too-fukkin' big big-blocks" that all delivered stump-pulling torque at low RPMs; bone-stock they were tougher than leather and with the addition of higher pressure regulator and accumulator springs, would deliver shifts so solid they'd snap your neck.

I loved the one I had in my grand-dad's F-150 shoehorned in behind a '70 Cadd-500; even with 3.00 rearend gears from the original OD trans, that thing just jumped forward when it shifted gears. Also, I had a micro-pushbutton embedded in the shifter T-handle to engage the kickdown solenoid when I wanted it. 

mnem
*sigh*

Any idea why the old Powerglides had that distinctive whine or howl when you put them in Park?

Sounds to me like it was just the oil in the torque convertor swirling around under pressure.

If that's the case then I would have expected it to make the same noise when in gear. It doesn't. The whine stops are soon as put in gear.

The difference is backpressure. In PARK the pump is running in bypass mode; this makes the noise from a worn pump and air bubbles much more noticeable. As soon as you put it in gear, it is running under load with considerable backpressure.

Switching to Type F, DexronII or Trick Shift in most cases made this whine go away completely or almost completely.

mnem
 

Yep, that was my thinking as my Vanden Plas 3 Litre had a fluid flywheel / torque convertor and that also exhibited similar noises in PARK position. Like the photo only mine was all black and had been chauffeur driven all its life till I brought it.

[mnementh]

   Smeeesh...

I picked this stuff up at the local Dollar Tree a few weeks ago packaged as "electrical hook-up wire"; I figured it would be good for low-voltage/low-current stuff like the LED COB lighting I'm putting on my new 3D printer. As you can see, there's a slight problem with using it for that... 

It won't go to waste; I'll just use it for twist-wrap to tidy cables in storage, as it is pretty much exactly the same thing as bread-bag ties.




But annoyingly, that now means I'll need to go out in this to find some other wire in the shed; I know you can't see it from my pic, but that snow is blowing sideways. 

Maybe I'll just sacrifice a USB cable to the project...

mnem

[bd139]

Back home. Got given an ungodly amount of laxatives. Kill me 

Edit: urf is that steel wire? Nasty stuff.

[med6753]

Back home. Got given an ungodly amount of laxatives. Kill me 

Edit: urf is that steel wire? Nasty stuff.

Good deal, glad you are back home. 

[Specmaster]

Back home. Got given an ungodly amount of laxatives. Kill me 

Edit: urf is that steel wire? Nasty stuff.

Well it nice to know that you're home, less chance of catching C19 there I think. Just keep the path from where you are to the toilet clear, ready for the 5-second dash when you need it 

[med6753]

Meet Moe, Larry, and Curly. My next project.

Moe (Center) is just here for the photo. He works fine. But if you recall last year I had those frustrating weeks of tracking down an elusive trigger issue. But after the fix and calibration Moe has been an excellent performer.

Larry (Left) just arrived a few minutes ago. Cabinet all banged up and multiple knobs broken or missing. Larry powers up, kinda. The intensity is fixed at max. The fan is rubbing against something. And the PSU intermittently drops out but comes back. Larry is not feeling too well. Unfortunately he wasn't my first choice. 2 weeks ago there was a better condition 485 on auction but I got sniped at the last minute for 7 freakin dollars. Then last week this one showed up on auction but with a buy now price. I wasn't taking any chances. I bought it outright. Spent a little more than I wanted but still much cheaper than many of the other 485's on Ebay.     


Curly (Right). Curly is the problem child. He worked fine except had a high frequency roll off issue that I tried to fix. 2 precious and unobtainium blown vertical outputs later I gave up and put him quietly into the TEA closet. If only Tek had given good instructions (actually ANY instructions) on how that output IC was to be mounted this would have been a fully functional scope. I spent over $60 re-capping the PSU plus other repairs. So now that Larry is on the scene Curly's fate is sealed. Parts mule. Hate to do it but sometimes you gotta make those hard choices.     

[bd139]

Now that is going to be interesting. 

I have a personal bet going on about when med’s floor is going to give out though 

Back home. Got given an ungodly amount of laxatives. Kill me 

Edit: urf is that steel wire? Nasty stuff.

Well it nice to know that you're home, less chance of catching C19 there I think. Just keep the path from where you are to the toilet clear, ready for the 5-second dash when you need it 

I dunno about that. Got teenagers here.

Already on the dunny  . Surprisingly large amount of my EEVblog contributions have been made on there anyway so that’s not unusual 

[mnementh]

Have fun med. At least we know you won't be out on the streets raising holy Hell for a day or two. 

mnem
  Resistance is funtime.

[mnementh]

Back home. Got given an ungodly amount of laxatives. Kill me 

Edit: urf is that steel wire? Nasty stuff.

Good to hear you're back home. 

Yeah; selling that for electrical use is downright criminally negligent... but now I can make my own low-current hand-wound resistors. 

mnem
raisin bran. 1/2 a can of corn. shredded wheat. green beans. celery. Repeat as needed.

[Cerebus]

Back home. Got given an ungodly amount of laxatives. Kill me 

Edit: urf is that steel wire? Nasty stuff.

While I was reading that I had a brainfart and my brain interpreted that 'steel wire' as 'wire wool' and worse still it did it in the context of 'laxatives'. Ouch!

[med6753]

Holy shit, this mofo is BIG and HEAVY. It came from the Physics Dept at Union College in Schenectady, NY. A very highly regarded university.



Inside, I don't see any evidence of magic smoke. Gonna do some testing and will report.