Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[tautech]

There's your problem lady. Bottom wire from the delay line to the vertical output board is broken. I have to loosen that stud mount and slide the delay line slightly to the right to give enough slack to tack the wire down. More later.

Good spotting Med. 
So much stuff is a relatively easy fix if you go in with your eyes wide open. 

[factory]

The Type 454 that I featured yesterday has a BOM prepared and ready to be sent in for a re-cap of the PSU.

And just for fun I tossed the other one with no trace on the bench and gave it a once over. Look what I found on the PSU Regulator board. A fuzzy electrolytic. Tomorrow I'll pull the board and see if I have something in stock to replace it and give it power again.

Wow, is that crusty capacitor there a wet tant?

Nope. The 454 has no tants at all.

Looking at the picture this morning I thought it must be a tant capacitor too, the manual doesn't give much details for C1195 other than 290-0305-00, 3uF, 150V, "Elect.". Searching for that part number suggests it's a Sprague 109D, which is indeed a wet tant, can you confirm the part no on the expired cap?

David

[med6753]

The Type 454 that I featured yesterday has a BOM prepared and ready to be sent in for a re-cap of the PSU.

And just for fun I tossed the other one with no trace on the bench and gave it a once over. Look what I found on the PSU Regulator board. A fuzzy electrolytic. Tomorrow I'll pull the board and see if I have something in stock to replace it and give it power again.

Wow, is that crusty capacitor there a wet tant?

Nope. The 454 has no tants at all.

Looking at the picture this morning I thought it must be a tant capacitor too, the manual doesn't give much details for C1195 other than 290-0305-00, 3uF, 150V, "Elect.". Searching for that part number suggests it's a Sprague 109D, which is indeed a wet tant, can you confirm the part no on the expired cap?

David

Interesting. I guess in order to have the same effective ESR it would be better to replace it with a 10uf aluminum. I'll keep that in mind when I do the re-cap on the other one (and change the BOM, it hasn't been ordered yet)

Sorry, but the old cap has been binned.

[factory]

Oh well, maybe the other one still has the original part. Can't read the number on the side of C1195 in the pictures of either 454.

David

[med6753]

Oh well, maybe the other one still has the original part. Can't read the number on the side of C1195 in the pictures of either 454.

David

I think the other 454 has the original part. I will check when I do the re-cap.

Just for fun I checked on availability of a 3uf/150V axial tant. What a joke. Nearest modern is 3.3uf and only at 125V and prices from not available to about $30 each. I will re-cap both with a 10uf/150V aluminum. 

[Specmaster]

Oh well, maybe the other one still has the original part. Can't read the number on the side of C1195 in the pictures of either 454.

David

I have seen wet tants when they leak, look exactly like that one, hence my question, but I know nothing about Teks, Med is the tame expert on those, so I just took his word on it.

[Specmaster]

Oh well, maybe the other one still has the original part. Can't read the number on the side of C1195 in the pictures of either 454.

David

I think the other 454 has the original part. I will check when I do the re-cap.

Just for fun I checked on availability of a 3uf/150V axial tant. What a joke. Nearest modern is 3.3uf and only at 125V and prices from not available to about $30 each. I will re-cap both with a 10uf/150V aluminum. 

Yep, tants can be stupidly expensive, not sure why though. 

[Cerebus]

Oh well, maybe the other one still has the original part. Can't read the number on the side of C1195 in the pictures of either 454.

David

I think the other 454 has the original part. I will check when I do the re-cap.

Just for fun I checked on availability of a 3uf/150V axial tant. What a joke. Nearest modern is 3.3uf and only at 125V and prices from not available to about $30 each. I will re-cap both with a 10uf/150V aluminum. 

Yep, tants can be stupidly expensive, not sure why though. 

In general, tantalum as a mineral is hard to extract, is getting rarer, more expensive (>$150,000/tonne, compare iron $163, copper $7470), and is found in few and, in some cases, inconvenient places. In the specific case of high value, low leakage, wet tant capacitors there is very little call for them, which always pushes prices up.

[med6753]

Oh well, maybe the other one still has the original part. Can't read the number on the side of C1195 in the pictures of either 454.

David

I have seen wet tants when they leak, look exactly like that one, hence my question, but I know nothing about Teks, Med is the tame expert on those, so I just took his word on it.

But you were right on this one.  I would have never suspected it was a wet tant and as David mentioned the parts list is totally mum on the subject.

Cleaned up the covers on this one and unlike it's brother these covers are going to need paint. The dirt is literally ground into the old paint and won't clean off. So tomorrow off to the paint booth (garage). 

[Specmaster]

Oh well, maybe the other one still has the original part. Can't read the number on the side of C1195 in the pictures of either 454.

David

I have seen wet tants when they leak, look exactly like that one, hence my question, but I know nothing about Teks, Med is the tame expert on those, so I just took his word on it.

But you were right on this one.  I would have never suspected it was a wet tant and as David mentioned the parts list is totally mum on the subject.

Cleaned up the covers on this one and unlike it's brother these covers are going to need paint. The dirt is literally ground into the old paint and won't clean off. So tomorrow off to the paint booth (garage). 

I've come across leaky ones on some Russian radios before, but they got replaced by standard electrolytic caps and worked just fine.

[25 CPS]

Perfect low tech Car meter just turned up in Oz definitely no batteries needed  eBay auction: #154447371447

That would be perfect.  If I come across something like that here, I'm jumping on it.

While we're talking about voltmeters, I ordered several of these plugin wall socket units back on February 18 so I could take one apart, destructively if necessary, to make sure they're safe and then have several others left to have as an at-a-glance check of the voltage present on my workbench and one or two other strategic locations:





These should've been here by now.  Even with the Suez Canal getting blocked up.  Even on a two person rowboat with one person paddling forward and the other backward.  These should've arrived by now.  May 25 is 15 days away.  If they aren't here by then, I'll be filing a claim with eBay on May 26 and then ordering from somewhere else.  This is ridiculous.

9:00 PM local time on May 25 and nothing's shown up.  Worse, eBay's timed out on leaving negative feedback or opening up the complaint process from what I can see.  Is there any way to get that re-opened?  I'm only out $28 and change but I'm unhappy with the principle of it for one and the other is, I'd like to leave a negative feedback rating on the seller as a warning to other people not to buy from them.

This past 12 months has been a real bust with eBay for me.  The HP mugs got smashed in shipment last summer, a calendar I ordered eventually got cancelled because the seller was a business that was in a shambles and it took them a while to realize they were actually out of stock, and these plug in voltmeters vanished into the ether.  I've been on eBay since 1998 and never had a problem until the HP mugs got destroyed in transit last summer and it's been headaches since then.

[Kosmic]

9:00 PM local time on May 25 and nothing's shown up.  Worse, eBay's timed out on leaving negative feedback or opening up the complaint process from what I can see.  Is there any way to get that re-opened?  I'm only out $28 and change but I'm unhappy with the principle of it for one and the other is, I'd like to leave a negative feedback rating on the seller as a warning to other people not to buy from them.

This past 12 months has been a real bust with eBay for me.  The HP mugs got smashed in shipment last summer, a calendar I ordered eventually got cancelled because the seller was a business that was in a shambles and it took them a while to realize they were actually out of stock, and these plug in voltmeters vanished into the ether.  I've been on eBay since 1998 and never had a problem until the HP mugs got destroyed in transit last summer and it's been headaches since then.

You should be able to find it back and open a case over here: https://resolutioncentre.ebay.ca/

[Brumby]

9:00 PM local time on May 25 and nothing's shown up.  Worse, eBay's timed out on leaving negative feedback or opening up the complaint process from what I can see.  Is there any way to get that re-opened?

Not that I am aware of.

You should be able to find it back and open a case over here: https://resolutioncentre.ebay.ca/

Even if your time has run out?

If you can get a dispute open or leave feedback, I would like to know!


Of course, if your payment came via a credit card, you could seek redress via the card issuer.  You won't be able to leave feedback or have it noted in your eBay profile, but you will probably get your money back.  I don't know what happens behind the scenes with a seller who causes this, but I would expect they will not get away untarnished.


My approach on the time limits involved is very firm.  I work out when the last day is supposed to be and then subtract two days from that.  On that day, if there are any outstanding issues, a dispute is raised REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE SELLER SAYS.  If you don't, you're stuffed ... and there are sellers out there that will deliberately play this game to keep your money.

Should the item turn up later, you can always contact the seller and sort out a means to make good - but you are in the drivers seat.  In all the years on eBay, I've had several no-shows and three occasions where I've had very late delivery (ie after dispute and refund) and I've contacted the seller to sort out payment.

[Kosmic]

You should be able to find it back and open a case over here: https://resolutioncentre.ebay.ca/

Even if your time has run out?

If you can get a dispute open or leave feedback, I would like to know!

If Ebay has a time out, it's very long. from the resolution center I can open a case for something I bought in January. if the item is not on the list, search with the item number or name.

For the feedback you can try to find it back over here if the option has disappeared from your summary: https://www.ebay.ca/fdbk/leave_feedback

[0culus]

There's your problem lady. Bottom wire from the delay line to the vertical output board is broken. I have to loosen that stud mount and slide the delay line slightly to the right to give enough slack to tack the wire down. More later.

What's the serial number of this scope? The way that delay line termination is handled looks totally different than the 454 I'm working on (aka Ol Sparkey).

[med6753]

What's the serial number of this scope? The way that delay line termination is handled looks totally different than the 454 I'm working on (aka Ol Sparkey).

This scope: B132966. It's brother: B298577.

[0culus]

What's the serial number of this scope? The way that delay line termination is handled looks totally different than the 454 I'm working on (aka Ol Sparkey).

This scope: B132966. It's brother: B298577.

B266304 here. I'm definitely fighting a temperature-dependent gain issue on this one. The horizontal gain is fine when the scope is cold, but after a few minutes, it becomes low.

[med6753]

What's the serial number of this scope? The way that delay line termination is handled looks totally different than the 454 I'm working on (aka Ol Sparkey).

This scope: B132966. It's brother: B298577.

B266304 here. I'm definitely fighting a temperature-dependent gain issue on this one. The horizontal gain is fine when the scope is cold, but after a few minutes, it becomes low.

The next time I open up B298577 I'll see if the delay line attachment to the vertical output board is different.

If you are losing horizontal gain the first thing I would do is monitor the DC voltage at the horizontal deflection plates and see if that is sagging. Then go back stage by stage DC voltages first. Go all the way back to the sweep generator. If all OK then you are losing AC signal somewhere. Also, if gain is normal when "cold" then freeze spray might be your friend. 

Didn't realize until now you texted me but it's sleepy time.   

[Specmaster]

To all of our colleagues down under in Oz, how are you coping with the plaque of mice you guys are alleged to be having over there?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-57225103

[beanflying]

It happens twice a year every year but our News Media is boreding.  If you leave good food out in a convenient condensed location and have mild conditions Mice are going to thrive.

A bit closer to the truth here

CSIRO's most recent mouse report in March documented mice numbers as "moderate to high" in many regions of southern Queensland, northern, central and southern NSW, north-western Victoria, parts of South Australia and around Ravensthorpe, WA.
The report said mice have continued to breed through summer and autumn and would reach "a peak at sowing of winter crops".
CSIRO forecast mice would appear in houses and sheds as temperatures drop.
Footage and photos of the mouse plague have created headlines around the world, with recordings of mice "raining" down from inside hay barns and swarms of rodents scuttling through homes and farms.

[Specmaster]

I did wonder if it was being sensationalised, hyped up for other purposes,

[nfmax]

I did wonder if it was being sensationalised, hyped up for other purposes,

It's part of a plot, by the cats. Siamese, probably

[med6753]

 

[Brumby]

To all of our colleagues down under in Oz, how are you coping with the plaque of mice you guys are alleged to be having over there?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-57225103

I'm in suburbia.  I've been down to my local Bunnings a few times over the last months and the bay with mice traps and baits has been very thin.  On one occasion, I could have carried everything that was on the shelves in my arms.

Out in the country regions, it cannot be overstated.  Plague is the correct word.

[VK5RC]

To all of our colleagues down under in Oz, how are you coping with the plaque of mice you guys are alleged to be having over there?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-57225103

No major mice issue in central South Australia to date, we occasionally get an issue mainly in the wheat / cereal crop growing areas in spring, where the little buggers are eating the remains of the crops. I drive to those areas roughly once a fortnight and roughly a decade ago the mice were so bad that as you drove along a highway, you were running over swarms of them.
For the locals, mice in those numbers can be a real issue as they have a reputation for eating anything - electrical insulation/critical bits of cars/tractors adds some real challenges.