Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

Hell. Bloody.
Muscle cramps like hell in my neck area. Plus a fever. And trouble swallowing because of the muscle cramps.
On pain killers and capsaicin/Campher rubs to relieve the cramps so that I can lift my head again
Fuck, that hurts ...

You may try magnesium..

For the bullet, or as a supplement...?

mnem
no, wait... it's Saskia that specializes in "Supplements Delivered by Airmail", isn't it...?

[GreyWoolfe]

When I drove my first automatic the engine stalled at the first traffic light. It took me too many sweaty minutes to realize that you have to put it in neutral before you can start the engine again 

There must have been a problem with the engine then for it to stall. I have never known an automatic to stall its engine ever, so from that point of view they were safer.

You haven't driven many American cars from the 1970's and early 1980's, have you? Smog controls and carburetors. Stalling was all part of the fun. 

In 1978, my first car was a 1970 Datsun 510 4 door.  Auto trans and manual choke.  T butterfly in the carb would freeze shut overnight in the winter.  First task after unlocking the door was opening the hood to pop the butterfly open.  Some days, I still miss that car. 

Well I found the problem with my internet speed and the issue is me. The old Netgear router isn't up to the task. Doesn't support 200mbps. The most I can jam through it is about 87mbps. If I connect directly to the cable modem and bypass the router I get 230mbps.

I have another older Netgear router and it doesn't support it either. In theory they are both 150mbps routers.

So off to Amazon. The one coming supports 1.2gbps. Ya think that's enough? 

Will be interesting to see how it performs in your real world tests! 

I've always found that even a good router cuts speed by about 20%, just for having to "work" the packets...

Then you have never seen a good router. Mine, a Cisco 7200VXR will happily saturate a 1Gbit link with imix (packet size distribution most often found in Internet traffic) and does not detract from the link speed otherwise; not unless you force it to do funny things.

Of course, as soon as you start doing address translation, and have a shitty DNS proxy in your router, then all bets are off.

I just tried out my connection, which is 100Mbit symmetric Ethernet. (actually, it's 1GE but it's capped to 100Mbit) and from my laptop, over local wifi, I can get 87 Mbit TCP upload to my server, as measured with iperf. And that's through NAT.

I tried from one of my virtual machines which is not NATted and has a 1GE shared connection into the switch and then to the router, and as expected I get slightly better results;

Code: [Select]

[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bitrate         Retr
[  5]   0.00-10.00  sec   113 MBytes  95.1 Mbits/sec  700             sender
[  5]   0.00-10.00  sec   113 MBytes  95.0 Mbits/sec                  receiver


Spectrum here in Flori-DUH just did a free upgrade from 100 Mbps to 200 Mbps.  I have an Asus RT-AC86U router and a Netgear unmanaged gigabit switch connected to it to handle all the hard wire.  All cabling is cat 5E indoor/outdoor-the jacket is a little stiffer than I like but I had a box that I bought for a project that never came to fruition.  I get about 230 Mbps download on my wired personal computer in my office where the networking equipment is.  I get about 150 on my docked and hardwired company laptop with all the crapware the company has installed.  My Android phone does about 108 and the computer in the master bedroom with a Chinesium wireless card does about 35 but it is only used for billpay.  Mrs. GreyWoolfe doesn't notice how slow it is.  She gets no buffering with the new router and higher speed when she is watching the Spectrum app while soaking the day away in the master bath.  She is happy so I am happy.

[Saskia]

Hell. Bloody.
Muscle cramps like hell in my neck area. Plus a fever. And trouble swallowing because of the muscle cramps.
On pain killers and capsaicin/Campher rubs to relieve the cramps so that I can lift my head again
Fuck, that hurts ...

Shit, sounds like you need a test and quick, fingers crossed it isn't.

No cough no trouble breathing,smell and taste intact, so unlikely.

[khs]

Hell. Bloody.
Muscle cramps like hell in my neck area. Plus a fever. And trouble swallowing because of the muscle cramps.
On pain killers and capsaicin/Campher rubs to relieve the cramps so that I can lift my head again
Fuck, that hurts ...

You may try magnesium..

For the bullet, or as a supplement...?

One shot supplement..

[mansaxel]

Are RS brand tants usable or crap?

Am reconsidering my recap'ing strategy on the Studer 169 mixer which started out as "doing the FRAKO lytes only" into "do the tants too".

The parallel nature of analog mixing desks makes for slightly insane component counts even for simple circuits (and this one is deceptively simple!); I'm ways through a 200 large stash of 100µF and 220µF electrolytes and not done. So, any component I select is going to hit some volume discount, but in some cases still expensive.

[tautech]

I seen Defpom unpack some RS electrolytics in a mailbag vid and they were some obscure Asian brand but their tants are probably better. Their listings have links to datasheets so you can check what you will get before you add it to your basket.

[factory]

What goes around, comes around. Several years ago when I got my first 465 I asked bd to open his up and tell me what resistance readings he had on each of the PSU supply voltages. He graciously complied and with that help I discovered that the +110V and +55V supplies were shorted together.

Fast forward. A fellow blogger has a 465 blowing mains fuse. He believes it's the +15V supply but isn't sure. So I opened up my 465B and I'm going to give him the typical resistance readings on all the supplies. Now even though the boards in the 465 and 465B are totally different the PSU is 99% identical. So my readings should be valid for a 465. (I don't have a functional 465).

Good Karma in action. 

This must be the same guy; https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=176484
There is a suggestion of a rating problem with the rectifier for the 465.

David

[bd139]

Are RS brand tants usable or crap?

Am reconsidering my recap'ing strategy on the Studer 169 mixer which started out as "doing the FRAKO lytes only" into "do the tants too".

The parallel nature of analog mixing desks makes for slightly insane component counts even for simple circuits (and this one is deceptively simple!); I'm ways through a 200 large stash of 100µF and 220µF electrolytes and not done. So, any component I select is going to hit some volume discount, but in some cases still expensive.

I usually buy them here: https://www.taydaelectronics.com/capacitors/tantalum-capacitors.html

Take a couple of weeks to turn up.

RS are ridiculously expensive

[Robert763]

I have checked the tants  and they are fine. Think Q30 just died.

Edit; going to throw 24v at the decoupling network off a bench supply with current limit and check that the IC isn’t toast first. That could have gone bad and caused the SOA to be exceeded of the transistor.

Ok fixed it.

1. Removed Q30, the ZTX 550 pass transistor B-E short.
2. Stuffed 24v into the decoupling network and fired up a VHF TX next to it. Bingo readout.
3. Checked current and dropout. Turns out it was blowing 1/3 of a watt off on that pissy little Zetex transistor. Probably why it snuffed it. 
4. Looked in junk box and found a BD140 and bodged that in.
5. Fired it up. Working.

Pictures attached.

I’m not proud of the use of an inline package in a TO18 shaped hole but it works. I would use a 2N2905A or 2N2907A with a hat heatsink if I had one but I don’t.


Edit: this is the first thing I’ve got to fix in TE space for months. Am stoked again 

The ZTX E-Line transistors have fairly high power ratings, 1W @25deg C for the 550. The thin package does not reduce the surface area much but the thermal resistance from die to surface is much lower. I used them a lot when I doing component level design.

[mnementh]

I usually buy them here: https://www.taydaelectronics.com/capacitors/tantalum-capacitors.html

Take a couple of weeks to turn up. RS are ridiculously expensive

mmmhmmm... I keep meaning to price them out to the GWN.  Next project... I like that they take PP.

Oh, and it looks like I owe you a drink too. 

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Hell. Bloody.
Muscle cramps like hell in my neck area. Plus a fever. And trouble swallowing because of the muscle cramps.
On pain killers and capsaicin/Campher rubs to relieve the cramps so that I can lift my head again
Fuck, that hurts ...

Shit, sounds like you need a test and quick, fingers crossed it isn't.

No cough no trouble breathing,smell and taste intact, so unlikely.

that's good.

mnem
*claws, toes, wings & tail crossed for luck*

[med6753]

What goes around, comes around. Several years ago when I got my first 465 I asked bd to open his up and tell me what resistance readings he had on each of the PSU supply voltages. He graciously complied and with that help I discovered that the +110V and +55V supplies were shorted together.

Fast forward. A fellow blogger has a 465 blowing mains fuse. He believes it's the +15V supply but isn't sure. So I opened up my 465B and I'm going to give him the typical resistance readings on all the supplies. Now even though the boards in the 465 and 465B are totally different the PSU is 99% identical. So my readings should be valid for a 465. (I don't have a functional 465).

Good Karma in action. 

This must be the same guy; https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=176484
There is a suggestion of a rating problem with the rectifier for the 465.

David

Yep, same guy. And that's the first I've heard about bridge rectifier problems with the 465. Although both mine are 465B so they might have been upgraded.

[Cerebus]

Now... can we please let it go, or do we need to pummel me some more with quotes out of context...?

mnem
 

No, not when you claim a quote is 'out of context' when it is provided complete with context. 

Except for the context where I did exactly what you claimed I didn't. THAT silly little bit of irrelevant context. 

mnem

Sigh. So in this context "context" means that I have to quote everything you said? Give me a break. Can't you just learn to say "I was wrong" without dissembling and beating around the bush until everybody is exhausted with you trying to evade the fact that you got something wrong. It's got to the point that you're so happy being confidently wrong that I can no longer trust your opinion on things that you ought to be authoritative on and that I'm ignorant about.

I'm leaving it there, this is getting very old.

[med6753]

I usually buy them here: https://www.taydaelectronics.com/capacitors/tantalum-capacitors.html

Take a couple of weeks to turn up. RS are ridiculously expensive

mmmhmmm... I keep meaning to price them out to the GWN.  Next project... I like that they take PP.

Oh, and it looks like I owe you a drink too. 

mnem
 

I may have to check them out too. 47uf/35V for only $1 a piece.  That's a steal. 

[Cerebus]

Are RS brand tants usable or crap?

Once upon a time I wouldn't have hesitated to recommend RS "own brand" for anything, even if it was something that I didn't have direct recent experience of. They had a reputation to protect and chose their products accordingly. Nowadays the "race to the bottom" is so endemic that I'd be hesitant to make a recommendation without recent first-hand experience of the specific product in question. So, no recommendation for or against as I haven't bought a tant from them for years -  a few years ago I've have been saying "You'll be fine with an RS own brand part whatever it is" . My 2 cents.

[tggzzz]

Are RS brand tants usable or crap?

Once upon a time I wouldn't have hesitated to recommend RS "own brand" for anything, even if it was something that I didn't have direct recent experience of. They had a reputation to protect and chose their products accordingly. Nowadays the "race to the bottom" is so endemic that I'd be hesitant to make a recommendation without recent first-hand experience of the specific product in question. So, no recommendation for or against as I haven't bought a tant from them for years -  a few years ago I've have been saying "You'll be fine with an RS own brand part whatever it is" . My 2 cents.

When I started,RS brand components were a known minefield. Infamously their 741s had a bimodal distribution Input offset voltage distribution, rather than a normal distribution. Yes, manufacturers sold their "just in spec" compunents to RS, who then remarked them.

[mnementh]

Now... can we please let it go, or do we need to pummel me some more with quotes out of context...?

mnem
 

No, not when you claim a quote is 'out of context' when it is provided complete with context. 

Except for the context where I did exactly what you claimed I didn't. THAT silly little bit of irrelevant context. 

mnem

Sigh. So in this context "context" means that I have to quote everything you said? Give me a break. Can't you just learn to say "I was wrong" without dissembling and beating around the bush until everybody is exhausted with you trying to evade the fact that you got something wrong. It's got to the point that you're so happy being confidently wrong that I can no longer trust your opinion on things that you ought to be authoritative on and that I'm ignorant about.

I'm leaving it there, this is getting very old.

Fucking seriously...? Are you seriously going to try and paint this as if you didn't leave out the part where I plainly admitted I was wrong?

What you're doing now is bullying, C. No other term for it. I really, really thought you were above that kind of schoolyard BS, but I guess I was wrong.

Do us all a favor. If you and Robert find my statements so offensive, please for the sake of all things TEA, put me on ignore. I obviously don't know anything of value, so hey... No loss to either of you.

mnem
 

[mansaxel]

RS are ridiculously expensive

Not compared to Mouser! Especially tants are neither cheap nor well stocked in Texas, so unless compared to Tayda RS looked like a bargain, especially so since the values and voltage ratings were more complete in through-hole.

[bd139]

Just to note the Tayda ones are supposedly AVX ones. Based on my attempts to blow them up unsuccessfully, I can confirm they are likely AVX ones which don't explode comedically like all the shitty Chinese brands 

[mnementh]

I was going to ask if they were really AVX & ROHM as listed. Prices appear to be Qty 1000 discount or better in a lot of cases.

mnem
 

[BU508A]

@tautech:

I think, I'll order next month an electronic load from Maynuo @Welectron.
This one: https://www.welectron.com/Maynuo-M9812-Electronic-Load

What do you think is a similar device (tech-spec wise) from Siglent?
What would you recommend?

Thank you for your answer.

[Brumby]

Hell. Bloody.
Muscle cramps like hell in my neck area. Plus a fever. And trouble swallowing because of the muscle cramps.
On pain killers and capsaicin/Campher rubs to relieve the cramps so that I can lift my head again
Fuck, that hurts ...

Oh dear, do we start polishing another bullet for you ?
The one for Brumby is getting pretty shiny if you want that one. 

@Saskia - sorry to hear this.  Hope it settles - and quickly.

After 2 weeks and trying 4 treatments, it looks like they found something that might be working.  At this point, I'm willing to step back and pass that bullet up to Saskia.

[Cerebus]

What you're doing now is bullying, C. No other term for it. I really, really thought you were above that kind of schoolyard BS, but I guess I was wrong.

Don't be so silly, or so insulting. If my intent was to bully you, you'd know it, not that I'd do such a thing, but you'd know it. Frankly stooping to emotive accusations like that borders on gaslighting. Perhaps you should listen once in a while to what is actually being said to you about your repeated pattern of talking BS and engaging on a cycle of argumentative dissembling when you're challenged on it, rather than trying to transfer blame to the people who are pointing it out to you.

Open challenge: Does anyone think I'm bullying Mnem?

[Kosmic]

Are RS brand tants usable or crap?

Am reconsidering my recap'ing strategy on the Studer 169 mixer which started out as "doing the FRAKO lytes only" into "do the tants too".

The parallel nature of analog mixing desks makes for slightly insane component counts even for simple circuits (and this one is deceptively simple!); I'm ways through a 200 large stash of 100µF and 220µF electrolytes and not done. So, any component I select is going to hit some volume discount, but in some cases still expensive.

I usually buy them here: https://www.taydaelectronics.com/capacitors/tantalum-capacitors.html

Take a couple of weeks to turn up.

RS are ridiculously expensive

They also apparently sell kids for 560$

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/triacs/g8580-dup-wima-fks2-4-7-nf-0-0047uf-100v-5-polyester-film-box-type-capacitor.html

[mnementh]

I want the cat that knows how to plunger a toilet. I'd totes pay $560 for that. 

mnem