Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Peter_O]

Looking for a Keysight N6700 mainframe now after getting a new N6736b 100v module in its original packaging free of charge " on the house"

Getting a module worth 500 for free but having to buy a frame for 3k to get it running looks like a bargain.   

[Saskia]

Absolutely, as I already got the module's sister.
I would not pay 3k for the mainframe. If I see another one for 470 or so I would most likely bite ...

[mansaxel]

If you are making up panels for your own use why not use 37 way D types rather than the expensive mil-spec round connectors?
You might even get lower crosstalk if wired high top row. low bottom row, screen top row, next screen bottom row next high top low bottom etc.

If I'm going for something more compact than Harting D series or milspec, it'll be EDAC's at the most. D-sub does not survive. BTDTGTTS.

[mansaxel]

...37 conductors in total to get to length and if you make a mess you can't easily cut the one you messed up back an inch and try again without making it the wrong length versus the other 11 it is inextricably connected to. Then when you're done you have to do the whole thing over at the other end.

Then you discover that the connector backshell still is in its bag.

[mnementh]

Yeah, one of these days I'm going to have a similar joy myself... making the DB25 interconnect to whatever decoder I hook up to this thing once I resurrect it. I've yet to actually see whatever external decoder is meant to go with one of these, so not sure if that is a balanced input or IN/OUT loop; but 6 all-discrete THX-certified channels... yummeh.
mnem
 

Not sure about what model of decoder should be used, but by now it sure would be obsolete...
Got the schematic from the usual place: https://elektrotanya.com/onkyo_tx-sv919thx_sch.pdf
...and attached the spicy bit as a picture for "the ones playing at home".
Might help with the resurrect as well 

I have that one already... just hadn't bothered to look into the decoder input other than a cursory glance while I had it on the bench last. That and a number of other questions I planned to answer for myself the next time I had it on the bench and the SM up on the screen.

My reference to the external decoder was also considering what kind of control interlink it might have in that DB25; but evidently none at all, and clearly not supporting balanced input.  They could've done that interlink with a common DB15 or even a DB9, if they had a mind to. 

mnem
 

[ch_scr]

[...]
They could've done that interlink with a common DB15 or even a DB9, if they had a mind to. 

mnem
 

But a DB25 looks professional 

[Cerebus]

...37 conductors in total to get to length and if you make a mess you can't easily cut the one you messed up back an inch and try again without making it the wrong length versus the other 11 it is inextricably connected to. Then when you're done you have to do the whole thing over at the other end.

Then you discover that the connector backshell still is in its bag.

Naturellement. That goes without saying ...

[Robert763]

...37 conductors in total to get to length and if you make a mess you can't easily cut the one you messed up back an inch and try again without making it the wrong length versus the other 11 it is inextricably connected to. Then when you're done you have to do the whole thing over at the other end.

Then you discover that the connector backshell still is in its bag.

I'd like to say I'd never got the the last wire in a 55 or 68 pin circular connector and found that I was 1 pin out or part of the backshell hardware was missing or back to front but I'd be lying......

On the 37 D suggestion I did qualify it as for your own use, presuming you would not abuse it 

[Saskia]

Reichelt Shop reopened.
They gave me a cart to haul the stuff to my car ...

[mnementh]

[...]
They could've done that interlink with a common DB15 or even a DB9, if they had a mind to. 

mnem
 

But a DB25 looks professional 

mnem
 

[BU508A]

Reichelt Shop reopened.
They gave me a cart to haul the stuff to my car ...

Sorgen machen würde ich mir erst, wenn sie dir eine Ameise geben, um dein Zeug zum Auto zu bringen. 

Translation:
"I wouldn't worry until they give you an ant to take your stuff to the car."

[Neomys Sapiens]

Reichelt Shop reopened.
They gave me a cart to haul the stuff to my car ...

Sorgen machen würde ich mir erst, wenn sie dir eine Ameise geben, um dein Zeug zum Auto zu bringen. 

Translation:
"I wouldn't worry until they give you an ant to take your stuff to the car."

..Oder den Staplerfahrer ausrufen lassen, wenn du zur Tür reinkommst..
(call the forklift driver over the PA system, when you come in)

When the local toolmongers (Pfeiffer or Schneider) were still really stacked and worth going there in person, I was greeted with name and a wide grin when entering - that made me a wee bit concerned.

[Saskia]

for those jogging along at home, here's the list ...

BeQuiet System Power 9 400W
Asrock H310-CM DVS mainboard
Asus Prime H310T Mainboard
Asus Prime B365M-K Mainboard
Fujitsu D3543 embedded board
2GB SD card
WD Blue 1TB 2.5"
Stemlab 125-10 Starter Kit (Red Pitaya)
UT61D DMM
Intel i3-9100F
Uni-T UTD 2025CL scope
Korad 3005D Lab PSU
GW Instek GPP-4343 PSU

My boss has already voiced interest in the Red Pitaya.

I intend to keep the GPP-4343 even though the test leads, manual, etc were missing (it was more than reasonably discounted though)

I'll probably part with some of my other PSUs (such as some Korads, maybe even the EAPS that I have).
The scope and DMM can go (immediately), I took them because they wanted them gone.

[Saskia]

Oh, the Reichelt shop staff knows me by name, and their team leader comes out to greet me.

[ch_scr]

Oh, the Reichelt shop staff knows me by name, and their team leader comes out to greet me.

I just imagined the staff there putting stuff on a pile to the side for the last half a year:
"When you-know-who comes by, she might want this" 

[cyclin_al]

Definition of 'Scorching' so hot your Beer will get warmer faster in the UK. 

A scorching 25.7C (78.3F) was recorded at Heathrow Airport at 2pm on Tuesday, surpassing the 25.1C (77.2F) - the previous hottest day of the year temperature - set in Kinlochewe, Scotland, on Bank Holiday Monday

https://news.sky.com/story/uk-weather-country-records-hottest-day-of-the-year-and-it-could-get-sunnier-despite-thunderstorm-threat-12322510

That's no news here. Now that it's June temperatures at that level, and much higher, will be the norm.

They fuss about a little bit of heat yet Brits won't buy residential A/C units to cool down. "Too little warm days to justify purchasing one" seems to be their mantra. OK, then let the sweat drip off your stiff upper lip. 

Not an excuse for heat pumps. Cooling in summer and cheap heat in winter 
Have them hear and in my last place (over 15 years ago so I did that installation myself as they hadn't restricted doing t work to trained monkeys. I even had dry nitrogen for flushing and pressure testing and a decent dual stage vacuum pump (still have)  for pumping the pipework down.  Compressor was pre-charged so didn't need weighing equipment etc.

Heat pumps are an excellent choice for your climate and are common here in southern states. But my climate is too cold in the Winter for them to work well unless they have additional electric heaters which throw their efficiency right out the window.

Heat pumps that use ground water in their heat exchange do work well here but are super expensive and require extensive underground piping.

You might want to reconsider that.  We replaced our air conditioner with a heat pump last year.  I imagine we get similar temperatures to you here in the great white north.

The newer units work down to -20 C, but with less efficiency as it gets colder.  It is still better efficiency than those electric heaters than you mentioned.
Our experience was that the electric heaters would supplement a little bit in the far reaches of the house during the day, and more around the house during the night.
Most of the heating this winter was supplied by the heat pump.
Otherwise, all of the heating would have been from the electric heaters.  It might be different for you, depending on what energy sources are reasonably available.
For us in the boonies, there is no gas pipeline and the electricity is cheap from hydro-generation.

[SilverSolder]

Definition of 'Scorching' so hot your Beer will get warmer faster in the UK. 

A scorching 25.7C (78.3F) was recorded at Heathrow Airport at 2pm on Tuesday, surpassing the 25.1C (77.2F) - the previous hottest day of the year temperature - set in Kinlochewe, Scotland, on Bank Holiday Monday

https://news.sky.com/story/uk-weather-country-records-hottest-day-of-the-year-and-it-could-get-sunnier-despite-thunderstorm-threat-12322510

That's no news here. Now that it's June temperatures at that level, and much higher, will be the norm.

They fuss about a little bit of heat yet Brits won't buy residential A/C units to cool down. "Too little warm days to justify purchasing one" seems to be their mantra. OK, then let the sweat drip off your stiff upper lip. 

Not an excuse for heat pumps. Cooling in summer and cheap heat in winter 
Have them hear and in my last place (over 15 years ago so I did that installation myself as they hadn't restricted doing t work to trained monkeys. I even had dry nitrogen for flushing and pressure testing and a decent dual stage vacuum pump (still have)  for pumping the pipework down.  Compressor was pre-charged so didn't need weighing equipment etc.

Heat pumps are an excellent choice for your climate and are common here in southern states. But my climate is too cold in the Winter for them to work well unless they have additional electric heaters which throw their efficiency right out the window.

Heat pumps that use ground water in their heat exchange do work well here but are super expensive and require extensive underground piping.

You might want to reconsider that.  We replaced our air conditioner with a heat pump last year.  I imagine we get similar temperatures to you here in the great white north.

The newer units work down to -20 C, but with less efficiency as it gets colder.  It is still better efficiency than those electric heaters than you mentioned.
Our experience was that the electric heaters would supplement a little bit in the far reaches of the house during the day, and more around the house during the night.
Most of the heating this winter was supplied by the heat pump.
Otherwise, all of the heating would have been from the electric heaters.  It might be different for you, depending on what energy sources are reasonably available.
For us in the boonies, there is no gas pipeline and the electricity is cheap from hydro-generation.

What level of efficiency do you see in your climate - do you get to 2x, for example?

[cyclin_al]

Grandmomma used to tell me "One day you're going to have a kid who's just like you." Little did I know that was a curse, not an admonition.

   You got off easy.  Here, the kid took the worst of me and the worst of SWMBO.  Now, he's better than both of us, in his own mind...

[mnementh]

Sitting in the 15-minute waiting area with my son after our first Pfizer jab.

Valerie was awesome; very much old-school nurse of similar disposition as my mum was. Didn't even feel the poke, now just a little feeling of pressure in my right shoulder as recommended.

Woops! Time to go already!

mnem
 

[med6753]

A package arrived from the Great White North today. I was expecting just new feet for the Type 454 but got a surprise. Another set of calipers. Seems dragon was out shopping and saw them and grabbed them before he knew that I already ordered one. So now I have 2. That HAS to advance me beyond Junior grade now. 

Anyway...thanks so much...especially for the blue Papa Smurf feet. Hopefully later I'll get a chance to install them. The PSU re-cap is done but I'm still putting the 454 back together. Been side tracked by a bunch of other things.

 

[Specmaster]

A package arrived from the Great White North today. I was expecting just new feet for the Type 454 but got a surprise. Another set of calipers. Seems dragon was out shopping and saw them and grabbed them before he knew that I already ordered one. So now I have 2. That HAS to advance me beyond Junior grade now. 

Anyway...thanks so much...especially for the blue Papa Smurf feet. Hopefully later I'll get a chance to install them. The PSU re-cap is done but I'm still putting the 454 back together. Been side tracked by a bunch of other things.

 

You have joined the rest of us now as a fully subscribed member of the 2 caliper club, a unique thing among the senior engineers rankings, welcome to the club at last med. 

[med6753]

It's a miracle.  After a total rebuild/recap of the PSU plus removal/reinstall of the A Sweep/Trigger board with it's at least 3 dozen interconnects the Type 454 powered up with no issues.  Doing a PSU recap of a Tek portable scope has to be a labor of love or stupidity. Or both. 



Looking like tombstones in a cemetery here are replacement capacitors. Doesn't look like much and in fact looks perhaps a little dodgy but it does reflect many hours of getting the old cans out and the rewiring that was needed to install the replacements. This 454 was one of the worst and most time consuming. I would never want to do another one.



The feet from the Dragon. Unfortunately the one piece blue Papa Smurf feet are too short. They would need to be drilled slightly but that may expose the retaining screw which would scratch surfaces. The black 2 piece feet fit perfectly as shown. I still have to install them on the bottom.



Left to do......final calibration and this project is done. But won't have time until next week. Lady Cop paying a visit tomorrow for the weekend.       

[mnementh]

I'm glad everything got tooya, buddy. Enjoy. Those are the same ones I have, but I had to try & return two others before I found a make/model up here that was half-decent. I figured you could benefit from the "no headaches" of not having to suffer the "steep learning curve" of what to look for in these cheap Chinese calipers to make sure you got a good one. 

Really surprised on the blue feet not fitting, tho; they are 2 pieces (they just fit each other a bit closer) printed from the same STL file as the black ones, and I test-fitted them on the same 3D printed "standoff" model (it's that little weird post-thing that was in with the feet) that I used to make sure the black ones would fit.    Do me a favor, if you would... put them up against one of the black ones if you would. The only thing I can think of is maybe I got one of the ones from the reject bag in with the "good" ones by accident. 

Welcome to Calipers Club!!! 

mnem
*dwagon-wingnut*

[Brumby]

It's a miracle.  After a total rebuild/recap of the PSU plus removal/reinstall of the A Sweep/Trigger board with it's at least 3 dozen interconnects the Type 454 powered up with no issues. 

What miracle?   You've had enough practice!!

[xrunner]

It's a miracle.  After a total rebuild/recap of the PSU plus removal/reinstall of the A Sweep/Trigger board with it's at least 3 dozen interconnects the Type 454 powered up with no issues. 

What miracle?   You've had enough practice!!

Very good work, but no miracle.

Now, if you get to the point where a simple laying-on of hands does the trick, we'll re-evaluate the claim.