Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[capt bullshot]

That's just cool:

Stuff made here - Unpickable locks


Picked in seconds ...

[0culus]

The Type 454 PSU re-cap saga....

The A Sweep/Trigger board is moved out of way. Lots of pictures regarding the perimeter connections plus the excellent wiring pictorial. There are 4 cans to be removed with new caps on terminal strips. But it's going to be very tight and precise work.



In the meantime pulling out the other Type 454 and going to start pulling parts for Oculus and packing them for shipment. Not sure if I have a big enough box. 

J/K.   
 

LOL

Interesting pic of that area...I had wondered where the rectifiers got stuffed. I gotta say the 500 series lab scopes, despite their size and weight, are a helluva lot easier to work on. 

[capt bullshot]

Some results from testing radio clocks, OCXO and software based control loops ...

One of these has one of the CTI OCXOs ingested, the others run on the original design TXCO, slightly improved by a more stable control voltage. The flat box on top of the rightmost unit is a simple GPS module providing a PPS to one of the radio clocks.



This is the frequency counter and the data logger pushing the data to TimescaleDB (some Postgresql based DB server intended for time series data).



This one (a GPSDO assembled by forum member roadrunner) provides the reference clock



The result:



Green trace: Phase deviation of the received DCF77 signal over time. Note the unstable signal during the night time, cause by direct / ionosphere reflected signal fading. At about 15:00, one can notice large phase errors, this is caused by temporary transmitter shutdown (no signal at all, causing random phase values).

Yellow trace: Absolute time deviation of the GPS PPS controlled OCXO PPS output vs. the original GPS PPS output

Red trace: OCXO frequency over time

Looking at the frequency alone, it looks quite good (0.001Hz equals 1E-10 or 0.1ppb), but +/- 500ns over the day still has some room for improvement. Looks like it's caused by the integral part of the control loop.

[factory]

Seriously why the hell is this hp 410 making over $1000? 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224475186137



David

[tautech]

Hmmm... IME, at least over here, those usually have a hemispherical bronze seat ring and the opposing surface is  tapered/conical.

This one's steel all through. I have a few more tricks up my sleeve, though. I think I did miss a few degrees
on the straightness, and that will punish, harshly.  Also, is fixable.

For unions with a spherical mating face some misalignment is not an issue whereas for washer sealing Mac unions it is. If an Oring can be used you may be able to suffer some misalignment as your pressures are hardly challenging.

I have a 2" Mac union under ~7 atm with ~10^o misalignment and it needs be quite tight (2' Stilson tight) for it not to weep.

[kj7e]

Seriously why the hell is this hp 410 making over $1000? 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224475186137



David

Missing the leather carry strap, rebuild fail.

[mnementh]

      https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XTCBD5Y/

I don't think these will fit my RC cars... 

In all honesty, I didn't think they would... but when I tripped over the assortment on amazon for $6, my first thought was: "Now you know about them; if you don't get them, you'll need one like your life depended on it in a month and they'll be long gone."

Now I'll probably need like one of 'em before I die... but I'll have it. Probably won't be able to lay paws on it, just like the red kit... but I'll have it.

mnem

[mindcrime]

To offset this (minor) disappointment, an order from Aliexpress found its way to me .... finally.  A bulk order of 50 of these (in a mix of colours) that should see me out for the foreseeable future (and then some):

I'd love to order a batch of these. Any chance you'd still have the link to the specific item handy? Unfortunately searching for "banana plug socket" on aliexpress turns up about 1,947,324,000 items... 

[VK5RC]

Ooooooooooh, I need one of those small o ring kits, joins the other kits of parts, cotter pins, screws etc 😁

[Cerebus]

To offset this (minor) disappointment, an order from Aliexpress found its way to me .... finally.  A bulk order of 50 of these (in a mix of colours) that should see me out for the foreseeable future (and then some):

I'd love to order a batch of these. Any chance you'd still have the link to the specific item handy? Unfortunately searching for "banana plug socket" on aliexpress turns up about 1,947,324,000 items... 

Search for "M5 type binding posts".

[beanflying]

To offset this (minor) disappointment, an order from Aliexpress found its way to me .... finally.  A bulk order of 50 of these (in a mix of colours) that should see me out for the foreseeable future (and then some):

I'd love to order a batch of these. Any chance you'd still have the link to the specific item handy? Unfortunately searching for "banana plug socket" on aliexpress turns up about 1,947,324,000 items... 

Last time I ordered these was from evilbay. Aliexpress's search SUCKS more than SMF's native one does here 

add 10pcs into your search so like this listing eBay auction: #153431509958

[mnementh]

vroom-vroom. 

We've had them what... 4 days? And I've already spent $150 on extra batteries & upgrades. 

mnem

[vk6zgo]

Ehhhh... it's just another fuckkin' ugly scope from the caveman days. Who fucking cares...?   

mnem
Yes, I would dump a jar of scorpions out in a lifeboat just to see who could swim...

Wash yo mouf out Dwagon!

[cyclin_al]

vroom-vroom. 

We've had them what... 4 days? And I've already spent $150 on extra batteries & upgrades. 

mnem

That is my fear .... 

[mnementh]

Well, half of that was batteries (which I did fully expect to have to buy; one set of batteries is not reasonable) at Amazon prices, just so I could get them before the summer is over. The other half was because while I was shopping TomTop in hopes of batteries (they evidently don't ship Li-xx batteries to Canada) I found my favorite surface pistol-grip TX on sale for $25, so of course had to get upgrade parts to go with for to make shipping more palatable.

https://neotilsblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/30/flysky-gt3b-hack/

FS-GT3B Modded Firmware Manual

mnem
That grassy hill isn't the only slippery slope in the picture... 

[Brumby]

To offset this (minor) disappointment, an order from Aliexpress found its way to me .... finally.  A bulk order of 50 of these (in a mix of colours) that should see me out for the foreseeable future (and then some):

I'd love to order a batch of these. Any chance you'd still have the link to the specific item handy? Unfortunately searching for "banana plug socket" on aliexpress turns up about 1,947,324,000 items... 

There are numerous sellers offering these (or ones that look like these) and the pricing per unit can vary - but the shipping costs can also vary.  I went through a couple of dozen stores checking out the price + postage for the 50 I had in mind.  For this many, the variations of item price and shipping were usually complementary, with the total cost being fairly similar.  There were some where the automatically calculated shipping cost was stupidly high, but I found one that was a little better than most - and that's who I went with:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002376851939.html
 
It cost me AUD$44.77 (including GST) for 50 of them delivered.
FYI - this is what I ordered:

14x	Red
14x	Black
10x	Green
6x	Yellow
6x	Blue

[Robert763]

Seriously why the hell is this hp 410 making over $1000? 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224475186137



David

Missing the leather carry strap, rebuild fail.

  it looks pretty but not original (different tubes) and the calibration? "Calibrated on a 117VAC mains voltage and functions great on all ranges."   
Only 3 bidders but the current winning bidder has already increased on his winning bid!

Madness.

[BU508A]

To offset this (minor) disappointment, an order from Aliexpress found its way to me .... finally.  A bulk order of 50 of these (in a mix of colours) that should see me out for the foreseeable future (and then some):

I'd love to order a batch of these. Any chance you'd still have the link to the specific item handy? Unfortunately searching for "banana plug socket" on aliexpress turns up about 1,947,324,000 items... 

I'm using google to search within AliExpress, like this:

Code: [Select]

banana socket binding post site:aliexpress.com
Example:

[beanflying]

Seriously why the hell is this hp 410 making over $1000? 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224475186137



David

Time for a new term of endearment 'Vomophool' 

[Robert763]

More TEA
I put a low bid on a Rockland /Wavetek Model 442 dual high/low pass filter last night. Ended up winning it for £4.30 and £7 postage 
It looks a bit grubby, is only 2 digit frequency selection (452 is 3 digit), I don't need it but when did that stop me us 

Also bid on and won this:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electrical-Tester-Equipment-/224473233293?
which seems to be a homebrew switched resistor load bank. What most people don't seem to have noticed is the "bonus" box with a Fluke 8022B, 500/1000V insulation (+AC volts) tester and a coupl of electrical instaltion testers. I'll flip the metrotest kit and maybe even get my £23.45 back.

Oh and the 31st of May has passed, I haven't registered a bank account with ebay but it still let me list an item this morning.

[mansaxel]

it looks pretty but not original (different tubes) and the calibration? "Calibrated on a 117VAC mains voltage and functions great on all ranges."   
Only 3 bidders but the current winning bidder has already increased on his winning bid!

Madness.

The calibration and adjustment    part of the manual does talk about the mains voltage feeding the VTVM being somewhat important, which is why they say one should try to calibrate in typical conditions. It's not like there's a linear regulator in-line for the anode voltage 

Other than that, yes, that's a mad price. And I say that as owner of three VTVM, a 410b being one of them.

[Robert763]

it looks pretty but not original (different tubes) and the calibration? "Calibrated on a 117VAC mains voltage and functions great on all ranges."   
Only 3 bidders but the current winning bidder has already increased on his winning bid!

Madness.

The calibration and adjustment    part of the manual does talk about the mains voltage feeding the VTVM being somewhat important, which is why they say one should try to calibrate in typical conditions. It's not like there's a linear regulator in-line for the anode voltage 

Other than that, yes, that's a mad price. And I say that as owner of three VTVM, a 410b being one of them.

While the manual does say to calibrate at typical line voltage The specification is goood for +_ 10% variation of line voltage.

There IS a linear regulator for the anode voltage, V4, an OB2 provides regulated 105V DC for the critical circuits including the differential amplifier. 

[FransW]

"Ehhhh... it's just another fuckkin' ugly scope from the caveman days. Who fucking cares...?   

mnem
Yes, I would dump a jar of scorpions out in a lifeboat just to see who could swim...
« Last Edit: Yesterday at 03:46:26 pm by mnementh »
"

I do,

Frans

[Specmaster]

I cant believe someone threw this in the metal waste bin, from where I rescued it. Thankfully the VFD isnt damaged, quick wipedown and then a rough test > seems to be working.

PS: Except current, fails 600.1 and 600.2

Nice bit of dumpster diving, well done 

[Brumby]

I don't have dumpsters of that caliber anywhere around me - that I know of.