Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

 

[Saskia]

Thanks for reminding me why I shouldn't come to Oz...

[McBryce]

Thanks for reminding me why I shouldn't come to Oz...

Oh Germany has it's fair share of oversized arthropods too you know. Even if they don't have the ability to kill you. This thing has been hanging around the walls of my workroom for several days. I estimate it at about 7cm foot-to-foot.

McBryce.

[beanflying]

Thanks for reminding me why I shouldn't come to Oz...

Oh Germany has it's fair share of oversized arthropods too you know. Even if they don't have the ability to kill you. This thing has been hanging around the walls of my workroom for several days. I estimate it at about 7cm foot-to-foot.

McBryce.

Likely a cousin of mine looking at it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsman_spider

[capt bullshot]

Now let's go for some fun with TEA: Testing the Voltech 3300 power meter.

It's working, thermal / warm up drift is better than before my last modification, but there's still an issue that I'm hunting after.

Bingo. Found the issue. It's all about the same story - don't let yourself be distracted when doing serious work - I've replaced the wrong components at the last board mod. 
Interestingly, it just worked with the wrong components replaced - until the unit got warm enough. Now one knows what the bodged small ceramic cap across the 13k3 resistor is good for: To keep the amplifier from ringing / oscillating at elevated temperatures.



BTW. I've replaced the components just above the 7k32 and 13k3 resistors (4k7 and 8k2) - similar enough, the channel still worked and passed cal.

[Brumby]

Karma for that last comment was swift when this medium sized one nearly dropped in my Gin. I detect a change in the weather is coming 

+1 for Karma!!


.... and don't hurt the Harry!

[tggzzz]

I am eyeing a Keithley 2015. Are handle and display readily available ?

Don't know. Anyway, as an owner of K2015 and HPAK34401A, I'd recommend to wait for a reasonably priced 34401A (about 400EUR if the display is OK), except when you want the THD function.
I'm using the 34401A way more often than the 2015, mostly because of its smaller display and different UI behaviour. Technically and spec wise they're quite similar, with the exception of the THD function of the 2015.

I find the secondary "statistics" display on my 34410A very useful. Having min/max/mean/standard-deviation/count readily available saves me post-processing on a computer.

[McBryce]

Thanks for reminding me why I shouldn't come to Oz...

Oh Germany has it's fair share of oversized arthropods too you know. Even if they don't have the ability to kill you. This thing has been hanging around the walls of my workroom for several days. I estimate it at about 7cm foot-to-foot.

McBryce.

Likely a cousin of mine looking at it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsman_spider

It's a Tegenaria, which is a type of funnel spider. They get up to about 10cm and can bite you, but they're not poisonous.

McBryce.

[factory]

Joy another ebay buyer pain in the arse to deal with.

At this point I think I'm done with selling anything on ebay. Anyone want about 10kg of lego? 

Hmmmmm, how much for shipping across the pond?  In all seriousness, the shipping is probably too much to be practical.
I still play with the stuff.  I have an excuse as father-son time with a kid who loves his lego. 

It’s usually crazy money for that. Think last time sent something heavy US side it cost a hell of a lot above 2kg. I assume Canada is the same.

About two years ago I found a large box full of Playmobil in the loft/attic, it all ended up on ePay and five lots went to the US, no idea what they paid as it was GSP, but had to explain I couldn't do much about the price when combining shipping, I gave them a small refund for the UK leg of shipping. And never heard from them again once sent.

A quick check on Transglobalexpress for a random 10kg 30x20x10cm parcel would be about £62/£66 by the cheapest method, they charge based on volume followed by weight so you need to know the parcel size.

Edit: TEA related, I've used TGE a few times the other way to move a hp 150A from Nevada, some other TEA including a hp 521E from the same place and about 12kg of manuals when ManualsPlus got EOL'd

David

[mnementh]

Absolutely.  The only way to learn is to get experience and the only way to get experience is to get experience, and that means using real live patients.  It's the medical equivalent of a "live fire exercise" in the military.

There's an old saying among surgeons here about learning to do any particular operation: "Watch one, do one, teach one.".

And "Read the Haynes manual"?

Haynes manuals were books of photos/drawings/descriptions that enabled amateurs to mend their own car. They were most useful when the drawings and texts were actually related to the car stated on the cover. Analogy: a Tek 465 service manual where some of the pictures and descriptions showed a 475.

I learned aboot doing mechanicking the right way... and the value of bothering to get the right tools... building motorcycles from the ground up with Haynes & Clymer's manuals from the age of 12. When I started building cars, it was Chilton's and then Chilton's & Motors Shop manuals. Those led me directly to my first work doing motor swaps with a friend who was starting up a boneyard, and later to my certs and a dealership gig where I learned the horrors of the flag-hour system.

Along the way, I also learned that "setting a price you think is fair" is not the way to do business in auto repair... if you don't overestimate, you won't be able to feed all the vampires that come with the auto repair trade. You'll run yourself out of business before you even understand why you have to have 3 kinds of insurance, supplies contracts, tool wagon and advertising. Just to start. 

But it sure was fun learning all those awful lessons.

*mnemories*

[mansaxel]

Ok, it's listed as for parts, and in need of adjustment (the ad said calibration, but, I'm firmly on the separate activities track!) but mostly working. Swapped  out display so no decimal point.

Price? My snipe ended at 7 SEK plus shipping. (that's less than one Biden, say 55 UK pence or 65€-cent. )

[Brumby]

Thanks for reminding me why I shouldn't come to Oz...

Oh Germany has it's fair share of oversized arthropods too you know. Even if they don't have the ability to kill you. This thing has been hanging around the walls of my workroom for several days. I estimate it at about 7cm foot-to-foot.

McBryce.

Likely a cousin of mine looking at it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsman_spider

It's a Tegenaria, which is a type of funnel spider. They get up to about 10cm and can bite you, but they're not poisonous.

McBryce.

If you ever come to Sydney - watch out for this blighter....


Those fangs are at least a quarter inch long - and will swing out forward to give an excellent angle of attack..... and, yes, they will stand up to you like that if you piss them off.  I know - I caught a pair of them many years ago.  They were not afraid of me.

[bd139]

Joy another ebay buyer pain in the arse to deal with.

At this point I think I'm done with selling anything on ebay. Anyone want about 10kg of lego? 

Hmmmmm, how much for shipping across the pond?  In all seriousness, the shipping is probably too much to be practical.
I still play with the stuff.  I have an excuse as father-son time with a kid who loves his lego. 

It’s usually crazy money for that. Think last time sent something heavy US side it cost a hell of a lot above 2kg. I assume Canada is the same.

About two years ago I found a large box full of Playmobil in the loft/attic, it all ended up on ePay and five lots went to the US, no idea what they paid as it was GSP, but had to explain I couldn't do much about the price when combining shipping, I gave them a small refund for the UK leg of shipping. And never heard from them again once sent.

A quick check on Transglobalexpress for a random 10kg 30x20x10cm parcel would be about £62/£66 by the cheapest method, they charge based on volume followed by weight so you need to know the parcel size.

David

Yep that's about right. It's just as bad in the other direction. I remember paying £125 to Elecraft for insured UPS on a radio  . Then had to pay £179 for tax as well  .


This morning's mission was a success. Managed to get an STM32 talking to an Si5351 and output 10MHz. This was followed by a visit to homebase to buy more plastic storage boxes for the parts I am organising at the moment as it's better than "chucked in random amazon boxes and shoved in the cupboard".  Got some gigantic sunflower seeds as well.  Will see if they make 10 feet this year...

[mnementh]

Boats are bottomless money pits and coop ownership with the 'right' people or even short term leasing is potentially cheaper.

Two old sayings...

Boats are holes in the water that you pour money into.

If it floats, flies or f??ks, it is cheaper to rent than buy.

Yes, I can be unreconstructed at times.

And planes are a hole in the air you pour money into... and model aircraft are just smaller holes in the air... and race cars are just a big hole in the wall at turn 3.

mnem
redheads are cheap by comparison... aside from the medical bills. 

[beanflying]

Thanks for reminding me why I shouldn't come to Oz...

Oh Germany has it's fair share of oversized arthropods too you know. Even if they don't have the ability to kill you. This thing has been hanging around the walls of my workroom for several days. I estimate it at about 7cm foot-to-foot.

McBryce.

Likely a cousin of mine looking at it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsman_spider

It's a Tegenaria, which is a type of funnel spider. They get up to about 10cm and can bite you, but they're not poisonous.

McBryce.

If you ever come to Sydney - watch out for this blighter....

Nah left him on the light and moved the Gin  If he is still around tomorrow and it isn't raining then relocation down the garden.

For you other mob we also do cute, useful and harmless too. This one is feeding on the miscellaneous bugs attracted by the shack lighting on the outside. Must de cobweb outside and clean the window too 

[mnementh]

I stole these pix from the Facebook Tek Scopes site. Rogers Organ Company founded by ex-Tek employees. Doesn't the construction technique look very familiar? 

   

mnem
 

[mnementh]

I hate boats. They’re wet, usually mouldy somewhere, peppered with bird shit and if we were supposed to float we wouldn’t have invented bridges 

Spending the morning working out an action plan for Easter Sunday. The kids don’t give a crap about such things as it’s all about chocolate so I’m going for a very long walk now our travel restrictions are reduced.

Tripped over this the other day... 

mnem
 

[factory]

https://www.gofundme.com/f/lets-get-right-to-repair-passed

“We shall soon be in a world in which a man may be howled down for saying that two and two make four, in which furious party cries will be raised against anybody who says that cows have horns, in which people will persecute the heresy of calling a triangle a three-sided figure, and hang a man for maddening mob with the news that grass is green.”

― G.K. Chesterton

Can't help thinking we will be inundated by family/friends/work colleagues who say things like "your good at fixing electronics/computers/other items, here have a look at this for me", they wouldn't want to pay a shop to fix it of course.  Think we are going to need to retrain a lot of people if they want to fix their own stuff.

David

[mnementh]

Gratuitous cross TEA Dinner posting https://www.eevblog.com/forum/cooking/salt-and-pepper-calamari-(squid-tubes)/new/#newBurp.....

Spew and a half.

mnem
I am having nice, boring, & always delicious fried eggs and bacon right now. That there is what I call proper husband/wife cooperative activity right there.

[BU508A]

[...]
BTW. I've replaced the components just above the 7k32 and 13k3 resistors (4k7 and 8k2) - similar enough, the channel still worked and passed cal.

That 7.32kOhm resistor sounds familiar ...
[search mode=ON]

Could it be, that you have built a 10V reference from Mr. Geller (Geller Labs, the SVR and SVR-T references)? 

[search mode=OFF]

[mnementh]

Thanks for reminding me why I shouldn't come to Oz...

Oh Germany has it's fair share of oversized arthropods too you know. Even if they don't have the ability to kill you. This thing has been hanging around the walls of my workroom for several days. I estimate it at about 7cm foot-to-foot.   

McBryce.

Likely a cousin of mine looking at it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsman_spider

It's a Tegenaria, which is a type of funnel spider. They get up to about 10cm and can bite you, but they're not poisonous.

McBryce.

Amost all spiders are poisonous; it's a question of whether they're lethal or not.     And that, for the most part, is just a matter of body mass vs the hand of Ifni... 

mnem
But I still like them better than most people... 

[Specmaster]

https://www.gofundme.com/f/lets-get-right-to-repair-passed

“We shall soon be in a world in which a man may be howled down for saying that two and two make four, in which furious party cries will be raised against anybody who says that cows have horns, in which people will persecute the heresy of calling a triangle a three-sided figure, and hang a man for maddening mob with the news that grass is green.”

― G.K. Chesterton

Repair is a sure way to reduce the ever-growing mountains of e-waste with all of its toxins polluting the environment. A few years ago I recall that there was a movement to send out to 3rd world countries the old out of date mobile phones that fashion and innovation made their owners go out and buy newer models, so that they may enjoy another lease of life before they became more e-waste, what became of that?

Instead of these large corporations building ever larger cash mountains as their greed grows ever larger, they should be forced to actually pay their correct amount of taxes instead of dodging it by whatever means they can contrive to avoid doing so and also forced to do something constructive about cutting the amount e-waste their business models generate.

After all is said and done, isn't this essentially what we are striving to do with our love of old vintage test gear, keeping it from becoming land fill?

[mnementh]

If you ever come to Sydney - watch out for this blighter....

Those fangs are at least a quarter inch long - and will swing out forward to give an excellent angle of attack..... and, yes, they will stand up to you like that if you piss them off.  I know - I caught a pair of them many years ago.  They were not afraid of me.

I'll rear up, bare my fangs, and hiss at you too if you interrupt me while doing what they were doing... 

mnem
yesssssss...

[factory]

Joy another ebay buyer pain in the arse to deal with.

At this point I think I'm done with selling anything on ebay. Anyone want about 10kg of lego? 

Hmmmmm, how much for shipping across the pond?  In all seriousness, the shipping is probably too much to be practical.
I still play with the stuff.  I have an excuse as father-son time with a kid who loves his lego. 

It’s usually crazy money for that. Think last time sent something heavy US side it cost a hell of a lot above 2kg. I assume Canada is the same.

About two years ago I found a large box full of Playmobil in the loft/attic, it all ended up on ePay and five lots went to the US, no idea what they paid as it was GSP, but had to explain I couldn't do much about the price when combining shipping, I gave them a small refund for the UK leg of shipping. And never heard from them again once sent.

A quick check on Transglobalexpress for a random 10kg 30x20x10cm parcel would be about £62/£66 by the cheapest method, they charge based on volume followed by weight so you need to know the parcel size.

David

Yep that's about right. It's just as bad in the other direction. I remember paying £125 to Elecraft for insured UPS on a radio  . Then had to pay £179 for tax as well  .


This morning's mission was a success. Managed to get an STM32 talking to an Si5351 and output 10MHz. This was followed by a visit to homebase to buy more plastic storage boxes for the parts I am organising at the moment as it's better than "chucked in random amazon boxes and shoved in the cupboard".  Got some gigantic sunflower seeds as well.  Will see if they make 10 feet this year...

UPS don't want international business, their shipping prices are a joke.

When I used TGE in 2015 to move a hp 150A (38kg) from Nevada to here the price was £138, no tax as the scope only cost $10.  The hp 521E and some plug-ins cost £54 to ship from the same place.
I've used them few more times since when ePay sellers couldn't be bothered to use anything other then Fedex/UPS.

David

[bd139]

https://www.gofundme.com/f/lets-get-right-to-repair-passed

“We shall soon be in a world in which a man may be howled down for saying that two and two make four, in which furious party cries will be raised against anybody who says that cows have horns, in which people will persecute the heresy of calling a triangle a three-sided figure, and hang a man for maddening mob with the news that grass is green.”

― G.K. Chesterton

Can't help thinking we will be inundated by family/friends/work colleagues who say things like "your good at fixing electronics/computers/other items, here have a look at this for me", they wouldn't want to pay a shop to fix it of course.  Think we are going to need to retrain a lot of people if they want to fix their own stuff.

David

This is one of the many objections I have to the concept of the “right to repair” which are roughly summed up as:

1. Most people don’t have the skills to repair anything thus will damage it.
2. Manufacturers will wash their hands of anything instantly that the right has been exercised against something because it’s tainted.
3. Manufacturers can use this as a marketing point while reducing their service and support to minimal.
4. Most of the stuff manufactured today is near impossible to repair without specialist equipment.

In the vastness of human experience this will only result in a negative outcome for consumers and put them at the mercy of the cheapest and least competent commercial repairers (the dude down the local market). The whole concept hangs the owner of whatever was bought.

Really we should have:

1. Minimum life guarantee of 6 years for all things manufactured for both business and consumer use.
2. A mandatory refund or replace scheme of the original purchase amount minus utilisation if there is a failure. You should be able to choose to return it after two years and get 2/3 of the price back if it fucks up. That includes due to software problems and it being abandoned and insecure
3. A mandatory 15% recycling buy back whatever the age of the device.

The issue is everything is a race to the bottom. It is designed for cheap manufacturing and a cost adjusted failure rate. And the manufacturer never has to deal with the tonnes of trash it produces.

Right to service is a far better concept than right to repair.