Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[factory]

Probably reading high because it's leaky, a Megger test would reveal if it is now a nice resistor. 

David

Indeed. Went and tried; crank Megger^(TM) says about 2MΩ for the old one, and one of the new ones from the batch I bought goes more or less to infinity. IIRC old Cranky puts out 500V DC. Bakelite power!  (A defining characteristic of the crank Megger is that it only shows a proper reading when one's cranking it, which is why it looks like it's almost 30MΩ as I'd let go of the crank to take the picture. )

Apparently they do a model with a motor attached for those occasions and it's 500V to 2500V. 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/373456226431


As well as the little battery powered Megger I have an older 500V version in the wood case with the crank handle somewhere.
And the more modern plastic crank version was very useful at work, hardly anyone would want to borrow it, plus no batteries leak tubes to destroy it. 

David

[McBryce]

My brand new Keithley 6500 just arrived. As soon as it has got up to room temperature, I'll turn it on and let it further warm

and and and ?

Review summary: It's sex on a stick! I'd write more, but I'm busy measuring "Things".

Negative: I would have preferred a bigger power button and a real one at that.

McBryce.

If you don't post a picture in the next 10 seconds we are going to come to your house and burn it down. 

I'm feeling the pressure here!

McBryce.

[beanflying]

My brand new Keithley 6500 just arrived. As soon as it has got up to room temperature, I'll turn it on and let it further warm

and and and ?

Review summary: It's sex on a stick! I'd write more, but I'm busy measuring "Things".

Negative: I would have preferred a bigger power button and a real one at that.

McBryce.

If you don't post a picture in the next 10 seconds we are going to come to your house and burn it down. 

I'm feeling the pressure here!

McBryce.

Seems they made the screen printed buttons blurry - send it back clearly a Friday build 

[Cerebus]

I failed again



I'm not even know where to store it

Ah, somebody bought it then. I was tempted, but then I realised that it's too cold at the moment to have to sleep in the garden for the next fortnight and relented.

[bd139]

Uppedididdelidate:

The OTT graphics card is a DOA. Probably was returned earlier, the fucktards in the service dept did not test the return and sent it out as new.

I am not a happy camper.

Who is the seller so I can avoid using them? 

[mnementh]

I failed again       I'm not even know where to store it

Ah, somebody bought it then. I was tempted, but then I realised that it's too cold at the moment to have to sleep in the garden for the next fortnight and relented.

A belated welcome to the nuthouse, psykok.  Just for future reference, we measure success and failure differently in here. The only failure I see here is a failure to provide enough pictures. Of the insides. And the outside. And the back...

That is easily a fortnight's worth of multi-stage enheavyment ^* right there... good score!   

mnem
* enheavyment so great that moving it must be done in stages, with rest in between.

[mnementh]

Uppedididdelidate:   The OTT graphics card is a DOA. Probably was returned earlier, the fucktards in the service dept did not test the return and sent it out as new.

I am not a happy camper.

My brand new Keithley 6500 just arrived. As soon as it has got up to room temperature, I'll turn it on and let it further warm

and and and ?   

Review summary: It's sex on a stick! I'd write more, but I'm busy measuring "Things".    Negative: I would have preferred a bigger power button and a real one at that.

McBryce.

If you don't post a picture in the next 10 seconds we are going to come to your house and burn it down. 

I love the energy, med... you're really workin' it.  But I think it, and the accelerant, would be better spent on Saskia's asshole vendor. 

mnem

[mnementh]

The only cure for an inkjet is to kick the shit out of it and buy a laser.

Got one of these which is actually quite nice. Duplex with document feeder scanner that actually works properly: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07HB4V132/

We bought a networked (cable and wifi) Brother colour laser, a HL-3170CDW. Every computer in the house and all phones/tablets will print to it, the web interface is usable from other browsers than M$IE, and it's got a working IPv6 stack. Wholly likable.  Only problem is that as usual, the full-capacity toner pack is an arm and a leg. We've swapped out the black, because that's most important, but the others have to wait.

Recently, wife bought an used Epson inkjet MFP; USB/WiFi, with refill bottles (so low operating costs, allegedly). A royal pain and then some to set up wifi on, only simple if you've got WPS. Hint: Boat anchor wifi like Cisco enterprise kit won't do WPS. After a lot of very confusing mumbo-jumbo with the config program from a Windows host via USB, it suddenly started working. It even scans.

Historically, we've had a series of Laserjet 4M+ and a cheap Tektronix. The Tek was horrible to get to work; the last Laserjet developed a broken JetDirect card (or I'd have it still) and I've got a CompuPrint 925N dot-matrix printer in storage. Less ribbon. It seems impossible to get hold of or I'd set it up on the print port on one of my serial terminals, to print logins and Kerberos ticket purchases to hardcopy. I've got an Axis print server for parallel port printers somewhere, so I could put it on the net too.

But, in general, printers are the work of every Dark Force in universum. I hate them. Currently looking for a sheet-fed networked scanner.

Those of us old enough to remember the use of DIP switches (always tucked away in some dark crevice) to control the printer settings will agree. I remember a colleague claiming that one circle of Hell was made entirely of printer DIP switches, an idea I find eminently plausible.

"of printer DIP switches" and RS-232 breakout boxes with half the jumper leads missing.

And don't forget what else is usually at the other end of that cable... 14.4K MODEMS that would work at 56K if you could just figure out the right combination of DIP switch settings. And flash the BIOS. With soldered PROMs. 

And this is your soldering iron:      

mnem
Maybe worse: Brand-new DIP-Switches of all shapes and sizes, scattered like LEGOs across a hard-surface floor as far as the eye can see... and you have to walk everywhere barefoot. 

[psykok]

I failed again       I'm not even know where to store it

Ah, somebody bought it then. I was tempted, but then I realised that it's too cold at the moment to have to sleep in the garden for the next fortnight and relented.

A belated welcome to the nuthouse, psykok.  Just for future reference, we measure success and failure differently in here. The only failure I see here is a failure to provide enough pictures. Of the insides. And the outside. And the back...

That is easily a fortnight's worth of multi-stage enheavyment ^* right there... good score!   

mnem
* enheavyment so great that moving it must be done in stages, with rest in between.

yes I made  a stupide offer and the vender accepted  it.

We will see how much is damage and if it could be saved.

Anyway it will probably not replace my mit 335d but the 760a has some additional functionalities

[mnementh]

      Fukkin' seriously...? Not only not soldered... the plug end is all fuxxored up so I can't even get it apart to fix it.

I'd just cut the fukkin' thing off and rewire as I knew it didn't have the correct GX12-5 as I need, but the silicone wire is wrong too... only 3 conductors. Already started the return.  Gonna get the right one off Bang-em-good for 10 bux and wait the 20 days for it to get to me. 

Somebody needs a good swift      for even putting this unmitigated POS up for sale. Just imagine if I'd actually plugged that into a HAKKO station... probably have another one go up in flames.

mnem
 

Speaking of that booty-fab soldering iron and the POS FX-9501 handle I bought off slAmazon for $22 a while back...

   https://www.banggood.com/Electric-Solder-Iron-for-SUNKKO-709-Series-Spot-Welder-Standard-936-Soldering-Station-Handle-T12-Heater-Iron-p-1720644.html

I just received my $10 handle off Bang-em-good; I was shopping the usual haunts when this one caught my eye. I knew I was taking a gamble when I bought it, but I figured worst case I'd get a tip out of the deal for half the price even if I had to completely rewire the thing.

When it got here I found... well... pretty much exactly that. Aside from the body being bright yellow, everything else is pretty much exactly the same quality (but heavier ga wire and soldered correctly) for half the price, plus included T12-B2 (0.5mm med-depth conical) cartridge. If I'd been paying attention I'd have noticed it has a GX16-5 plug, not the GX12-5 I need for my station...    ...but even as-is, it will be more than enough to prevent me ever being caught in that same bootstrapping predicament again.

mneh.

[Saskia]

Update: They will not replace the card, they offered to send it to EVGA for repair, they will not exchange it for a working one, they will reimburse the money.

I told them that this will conclude, umm, terminate any business relationship and that I will not buy from them again.

Seller is Alternate.

[Hydron]

bd139 - can't buy from Alternate anyway due to brexit. 

[BU508A]

Alternate? I've bought from them occasionly. Will erase them from my list of good sellers. 

[Hydron]

They were actually reasonable (though VERY slow) to deal with when I needed to return items. Offered free shipping on my next purchase, which I then couldn't use due to fucking brexit bullshit. Were a good source of knipex tools at a reasonable price.

[Saskia]

ah yes, their service line: you are #14 in the queue, the approximate waiting time is 118 minutes.

Fuck them.

[Saskia]

Working on return via air mail ...

[mnementh]

ah yes, their service line: you are #14 in the queue, the approximate waiting time is 118 minutes.

Fuck them.

mnem
 

[Zucca]

Unfortunately I will leave Germany, if not I would buy computer stuff only from Saskia.
I think I will regret that in USA, they say in USA the prices are lower than in EU.... but I am not sure if Saskia will be still the best business case at the end.

[mnementh]

You will be Bezos' bitch in a week if you live anywhere with Prime same-day/1-day service. 

mnem
*so over amazon.ca*

[cyclin_al]

So the "Radiation source" arrived from ebay seller Scotttrade12 today. The packing was c*%p in the bottom of  thin box with amothe old box crushed on top  Good job it's not a delicate optical instrument -not.
Anyway preditions were correct, it is an IR source with the output from the pointy end. First photo is with rubber armour removed. With the metal output tube removed you can see the output "window", photo 2. It looks like a random fibre opic bundle. Applying an external light source confirms this, photo 3. The electronics pull out of the back. Nothing special at all, Photo 4. The electro-optics are at the front a ring of 12 small emitters with filters wired as two lots of 6 plus an unfiltered photodiode in the middle, presumably feedback. The two sets of emitters might be different wavelengths. Photo 5. Trouble is the emitters are potted with hard compound into the black block of Delrin like plastic. Going to be hard to dig one out. The emitters and photodiode are coupled to 13 small fibre bundles. The fibre coupler mixes the 12 outputs in a random manner. Photo 6 with external illumination at the "output".
Interesting but not a lot of use.

Oh, I don't know. Could be quite a bit of fun, depending where you live.

Just wait for the next flight of whatevers to take off for exercises, and give them some unexpected excitement...

Please just don't.  If you were to do that, you should EXPECT some undesirable excitement.
The local authorities helping out EASA, FAA or TCCA do not take kindly to such activities.
In the GWN, it is up to $25k and some time in the clinker.

I think you're mixing this up with those turds that point powerful lasers at civilian aircraft. It's very much not the same thing, though if they located you, you'd definitely get a visit from some people with little or no sense of humour...

Correct, It is not the same thing as pointing lasers, but just as bad based on my understanding.  It won't be affecting the pilots physical eyes, but their "electronic eyes".  The IR spectrum I suspect would interfere with FLIR, which is used for wake vortex turbulence detection, micro-weather detection and ILS.  I would consider these as critical inputs to the flying and navigating functions.  Remember the pilot's (top-3) priorities in order:  Fly, Navigate then Communicate!

[cyclin_al]

Probably reading high because it's leaky, a Megger test would reveal if it is now a nice resistor. 

David

Indeed. Went and tried; crank Megger^(TM) says about 2MΩ for the old one, and one of the new ones from the batch I bought goes more or less to infinity. IIRC old Cranky puts out 500V DC. Bakelite power!  (A defining characteristic of the crank Megger is that it only shows a proper reading when one's cranking it, which is why it looks like it's almost 30MΩ as I'd let go of the crank to take the picture. )

Apparently they do a model with a motor attached for those occasions and it's 500V to 2500V. 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/373456226431


As well as the little battery powered Megger I have an older 500V version in the wood case with the crank handle somewhere.
And the more modern plastic crank version was very useful at work, hardly anyone would want to borrow it, plus no batteries leak tubes to destroy it. 

David

My highschool science teacher had one of the old hand-cranked Meggers.  I expect the case was made of bakelite.  It was already an old instrument back when I was a student.  He was always sure to do an experiments on the first-year (grade 9) students; something involving the whole class holding hands.  Older students knew to not say anything, but to try and take a peek in the window on days when it was used.  I am sure the teacher would have like to have one with the motor, and would have used it with a certain level of glee 

[Kosmic]

I found some Vishay SMD precision resistor on ebay. 0.01% 2ppm tempco max. They sell between 15$ and 35$ new on mouser.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Calibration-Resistor-Standards-Vishay-01-2ppm-SMD-Laser-Trimmed-Kit/124549960880

Seller is asking 15$ for 14 pieces (around 1$ each) but he accepted my offer at 10$.


 

[bd139]

Update: They will not replace the card, they offered to send it to EVGA for repair, they will not exchange it for a working one, they will reimburse the money.

I told them that this will conclude, umm, terminate any business relationship and that I will not buy from them again.

Seller is Alternate.

Ahh never heard of them before.

Usually use CCL, Novatech or Amazon here. Super reliable and no arguments on returns (usually)

[cyclin_al]

I found some Vishay SMD precision resistor on ebay. 0.01% 2ppm tempco max. They sell between 15$ and 35$ new on mouser.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Calibration-Resistor-Standards-Vishay-01-2ppm-SMD-Laser-Trimmed-Kit/124549960880

Seller is asking 15$ for 14 pieces (around 1$ each) but he accepted my offer at 10$.

Good find!  Do you think you could add another set to your order?  I assume local shipping would be less than the $23CAD that they are asking for...?

[bd139]

You will be Bezos' bitch in a week if you live anywhere with Prime same-day/1-day service. 

mnem
*so over amazon.ca*

Can confirm. 253 orders last year. 34 this year so far. Think Amazon bagged about £13k out of me in a year