Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

Somebody please post some TEA content.

Even spaghetti schematics are looking good right now.

Ok. Here's the inside of the Sinclair DM350 that I working on at the moment.

McBryce.

Got to love the cheapskate current shunt 5% WW resistor with excess lead length and kelvin connection tap for "calibration"

Don’t forget the 2000ppm tempco as well 

They also made a 4.5 digit version called the DM450. The DM350 was supposed to have an accuracy of .1% while the DM450 claimed .05%.

[med6753]

Also I’m not going to any hamfests as one cough at one of them will triple the body count.

Speaking of hamfests there is one local to me on September 12th. That was the decent one that had lots of stuff for sale and where I picked up the hp 6215A power supply. Depending on the covid climate then I might attend.

The other local guys....the Mt Beacon Repeater Club....haven't scheduled one which no great loss. That was the hamfest that had one vendor selling equipment and the ARRL. And all the hobo's sitting at a table drinking coffee and eating donuts. Is it bad of me to think that covid might have done them in?  I'm terrible. 

[bd139]

No better here. Most of the hamfest attendees I see are progressively looking like the US.

I know this sounds horrible as well but I’ve considered attending due to the potential of a massive supply and low demand from the SK body count. I shall wait though and see what happens.

[med6753]

No better here. Most of the hamfest attendees I see are progressively looking like the US.

I know this sounds horrible as well but I’ve considered attending due to the potential of a massive supply and low demand from the SK body count. I shall wait though and see what happens.

Yes, it does sound horrible......but at the same time. Have mask, gloves, disinfectant handy and shop till you drop. 

[BU508A]

Will probably attend to this one:

[McBryce]

Somebody please post some TEA content.

Even spaghetti schematics are looking good right now.

Ok. Here's the inside of the Sinclair DM350 that I working on at the moment.

McBryce.

Looks likely it has been worked on before, I doubt Sinclair would have populated it with IC sockets. It was their normal game to reduce costs and cut corners wherever possible.

I'm well aware of how much a pile of cost cutting shite this meter is, however, the sockets are original. I've compared the PCB to other online pictures and they all have the exact same sockets. I'll be deliberately putting this meter directly above my Keithley 6500 just to highlight the contrast.

McBryce.

[nixiefreqq]

been to one hamfest already.  planning to attend another this weekend.

[mansaxel]

No better here. Most of the hamfest attendees I see are progressively looking like the US.

I know this sounds horrible as well but I’ve considered attending due to the potential of a massive supply and low demand from the SK body count. I shall wait though and see what happens.

Last ham I met "new" (i.e. not by former association) filled in all those prejudices pretty well. Rusty Suburban, 2/70 antenna on roof, crash bar in front "adjusted so the toll stations can't see the registration plate" and there might have been a Confederate flag somewhere too. It was at a motoring event for old US cars, so no surprises.

There have been no hamfests around here since last February.  Nevertheless, I was gifted a IC-735 with a separate tuner from my neighbor, whose mothers husband (a ham) had died from Covid. Still in deliberations on suitable antenna for it. I probably need a whip antenna due to space constraints.

[BU508A]

been to one hamfest already.  planning to attend another this weekend.

I don't like those quotes, because to me they are looking very selfish.

[TheBay]

I've been on a bit of a bidding/spending spree on eBay recently (I blame being stuck in during lockdowns)

One item I bid on arrived today, it was advertised as a "Basic Oscilloscope" - I had a look through the pictures and noticed it was a X/Y Vector Monitor.
I was quite curious about it and thought it was a bit different. I put a bid on it thinking if I win I can build a curve tracer or octopus type tester for it.
Maybe even have it playing "Oscilloscope Music" visuals.

I won the auction and it arrived today, it looks like it has never been used.
I powered it up and had a bit of a surprise, I could see the CRT has long persistence so slid out the orange filter.
It has a P7 (GM) phosphor CRT which I wasn't expecting to see. I'm not really sure what this would have been used for originally.

It is badged Visual Electronics which didn't bring much up on Google, but it seems later on they changed their name to Electronic Visuals and I found a few displays manufactured by them for the broadcast industry, but nothing like this.

I find the P7 phosphor fascinating, so not really sure what to use it for now. It might make a good visual prop for the workshop/house with some graphics or a clock on it?
I could even try some old SSTV with it!

I haven't fully checked the V/div on the X/Y axis, I did put 200mV on the inputs with a calibration device I had at hand and it didn't move by much. So I think it may be 1V/div or more (I should be able to adjust this if needed)

Pictures below and a quick YouTube Video:

[Robert763]

Scope Clock 

[Robert763]

My £5 Digiplan counter turned up today. Pretty impressive service. It's tatty but works. I was mostly right about the circuit it has two ICM7211 4 digit LCD drivers and a bunch of 4000 series logic but also a pair of ICM7217 4 digit LED counter drivers. Presumably they are using th BCD output to feed the ICM7211s. Bit of an expensive option at firt sight but they are UP/DOWN  counters which i a bit harder to do with discrete logic.
The LCD bezel display distortion is interesting, I have 3 completly different units with the same 6 digit bezel doing the same thing. The cut-out on those is too narrow. I thought it was their design but as this is the same maybe the bezel datasheet has too tight a dimension.
 

[bd139]

been to one hamfest already.  planning to attend another this weekend.

I don't like those quotes, because to me they are looking very selfish.

They’re both dead, one from being shot and one from the plague so the quotes are ironic no less 

[bd139]

No better here. Most of the hamfest attendees I see are progressively looking like the US.

I know this sounds horrible as well but I’ve considered attending due to the potential of a massive supply and low demand from the SK body count. I shall wait though and see what happens.

Yes, it does sound horrible......but at the same time. Have mask, gloves, disinfectant handy and shop till you drop. 

To be fair that’s be a good idea to keep the nicotine smell off you anyway 

[beanflying]

Sometimes Covid issues are just fun  https://au.news.yahoo.com/naked-men-who-got-lost-being-chased-deer-fined-1000-034130687.html

Naked 'idiots' handed $1k Covid fine after bizarre sunbathing incident

[nixiefreqq]

Sometimes Covid issues are just fun  https://au.news.yahoo.com/naked-men-who-got-lost-being-chased-deer-fined-1000-034130687.html

Naked 'idiots' handed $1k Covid fine after bizarre sunbathing incident

"startled by a deer"??

bambi's mom or dad never scared anyone around here.  what kind of deer are we talking about?

[bd139]

I got fucked up by a deer once. I’d be startled. Got headbutted then kicked. Don’t fuck with nature.

[beanflying]

Sometimes Covid issues are just fun  https://au.news.yahoo.com/naked-men-who-got-lost-being-chased-deer-fined-1000-034130687.html

Naked 'idiots' handed $1k Covid fine after bizarre sunbathing incident

"startled by a deer"??

bambi's mom or dad never scared anyone around here.  what kind of deer are we talking about?

A few hundred kg of Sambar with antlers is best avoided. Not sure what Southern NSW has as ferals but I have come across several hiking a bit West of there and make a bit of noise providing you have tree to get behind if needed.

[tggzzz]

I got fucked up by a deer once. I’d be startled. Got headbutted then kicked. Don’t fuck with nature.

Father got a scratch on his back when a deer in Bushy Park decided to use its antlers.

[mnementh]

been to one hamfest already.  planning to attend another this weekend.

I don't like those quotes, because to me they are looking very selfish.

They’re both dead, one from being shot and one from the plague so the quotes are ironic no less 

"Ehhh... you've got ta die of sumthin'."   ~me

mnem
 

[med6753]

Fenton will take care of those nasty deer for you.

Yes bd, I know you posted this once before. 

[nixiefreqq]

uncle bob lives in one of the wild counties west of blue mountain.

once as a joke (or maybe on a bet) he actually grabbed and manhandled a deer into the trunk of his car.  (not a tame deer....an actual running around in his cornfield deer).

he drove up to the barn and peeked inside the trunk.  deer kicked him in the head, knocked him out cold, and ran off.

would say he is not afraid of bambi.  also.....he is not afraid of women but probably should be  (you should have seen some of the mountain women he went out with.  talking about the kind who braid the hair in their armpits)

[Cerebus]

Sometimes Covid issues are just fun  https://au.news.yahoo.com/naked-men-who-got-lost-being-chased-deer-fined-1000-034130687.html

Naked 'idiots' handed $1k Covid fine after bizarre sunbathing incident

"startled by a deer"??

bambi's mom or dad never scared anyone around here.  what kind of deer are we talking about?

Male red deer weigh between 160 and 240kg (that's 1/4 ton for those of you in bushel/furlong/fortnight country) and come armed:



They're a bit chunkier that what you 'merkins think of as deer, more the size of an elk or small moose. Not something to get on the wrong side of.

[nixiefreqq]

ok.  nuff said.  uncle bob would not have gotten that bastard in the trunk.

[Robert763]

Sometimes Covid issues are just fun  https://au.news.yahoo.com/naked-men-who-got-lost-being-chased-deer-fined-1000-034130687.html

Naked 'idiots' handed $1k Covid fine after bizarre sunbathing incident

"startled by a deer"??

bambi's mom or dad never scared anyone around here.  what kind of deer are we talking about?

Male red deer weigh between 160 and 240kg (that's 1/4 ton for those of you in bushel/furlong/fortnight country) and come armed:



They're a bit chunkier that what you 'merkins think of as deer, more the size of an elk or small moose. Not something to get on the wrong side of.

Muntjac? that an't no deer, this is a deer....