Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Cerebus]

400 sek or quid or dollars or dollarydoos? 

Euro.

Today, one Euro is 10,14 SEK, and one USD is 8,54 SEK. The pound is slightly above the Euro at 11,83 SEK.

Does that mean that the pound has won? 

[Saskia]

Against Germany ? You betcha ...

[bd139]

Be careful. Your probe is a capacitive load and will potentially stall the oscillator or pull the frequency off. Really need a FET probe for that stuff. Bob Pease describes a cheap DIY one in Troubleshooting Analog Circuits.

Also worth replacing the Crystal. Sometimes they wear out apparently!

Edit: also doing terribly here on the test gear collection again 

I don't know about crystals wearing out, but have certainly come across shattered ones in stuff at work.

David

That’s just extremely rapid wearing out  .I’ve seen some of them get dicky after a few years. I’ve mostly destroyed them past forensic analysis trying to find out why exactly. I had one Racal OCXO Crystal drift so far out of tolerance it was useless.

Found a picture of one I opened up afterwards, I don't know if it failed in service or maybe had a problem with the ultrasonic cleaner.


David

Was Hermes involved anywhere? 

That's a pretty nicely smashed one that is for sure. I haven't seen one like that since dabbling with old surplus crystal holders when I was a kid.

[factory]

No, all units arrived by TNT if I remember correctly, no pun intended. 
 
David

[Robert763]

Be careful. Your probe is a capacitive load and will potentially stall the oscillator or pull the frequency off. Really need a FET probe for that stuff. Bob Pease describes a cheap DIY one in Troubleshooting Analog Circuits.

Also worth replacing the Crystal. Sometimes they wear out apparently!

Edit: also doing terribly here on the test gear collection again 

Yeah, I know... but I was just looking for signs of life there. Considering capacitive loading, I've tried probing with and without a monitor on pin 15. As I know I'm able to get a consistent 30-ish seconds of oscillation with it right now, pretty sure that probing one or two output pins immediately after power cycling the thing, then moving on to the next, etc... the lack or presence of a signal is still valid data. If not, then replacing those 22puff caps should put the point to rest.

Also, I tried the 12MHz cap from the USB-ASP with similar behavior; sadly, still no 💓 output from any other pin.

I've shopped some 16MHz crystals, but all that's readily available is 20pF versions commonly used with Ardu; I might make that attempt after I track down some 22puff 0602 caps.

mnem
 

Is it not possible to provide a 16MHz signal via your signal generator to test it with?

The oscillator input is a differential pair at pin 15 and pin 13 which carries a DC bias. I'm leery of going that route until I've exhausted passive components; from my searches, it appears this CPU/PCB is unobtanium as it has device-specific firmware which requires special service jigs to flash. Also, this receiver has a real value of $100-150 and I still need a remote for it; I cannot really spend a lot of money on parts like that PCB or capacitor kit unless I can justify them for other use after the fact. I may just order a cheap-cheap 0603 cap kit from China (and some crystals) and put the damned thing in the Cupboard o' Doom til they arrive.

Right now I'm just going to step back from this project for a while; it's bugging me and I actually have other priorities right now. We just received notice that our property owner has decided to move to BC, and is selling out. We may or may not have ~60-90 days to find a new place & move.

mnem
 

You should be able to drive pin 14 "XIN" with a 5V squarewave. If you want to be careful put a 10k resistor in series.

[Specmaster]

Be careful. Your probe is a capacitive load and will potentially stall the oscillator or pull the frequency off. Really need a FET probe for that stuff. Bob Pease describes a cheap DIY one in Troubleshooting Analog Circuits.

Also worth replacing the Crystal. Sometimes they wear out apparently!

Edit: also doing terribly here on the test gear collection again 

Yeah, I know... but I was just looking for signs of life there. Considering capacitive loading, I've tried probing with and without a monitor on pin 15. As I know I'm able to get a consistent 30-ish seconds of oscillation with it right now, pretty sure that probing one or two output pins immediately after power cycling the thing, then moving on to the next, etc... the lack or presence of a signal is still valid data. If not, then replacing those 22puff caps should put the point to rest.

Also, I tried the 12MHz cap from the USB-ASP with similar behavior; sadly, still no 💓 output from any other pin.

I've shopped some 16MHz crystals, but all that's readily available is 20pF versions commonly used with Ardu; I might make that attempt after I track down some 22puff 0602 caps.

mnem
 

Is it not possible to provide a 16MHz signal via your signal generator to test it with?

The oscillator input is a differential pair at pin 15 and pin 13 which carries a DC bias. I'm leery of going that route until I've exhausted passive components; from my searches, it appears this CPU/PCB is unobtanium as it has device-specific firmware which requires special service jigs to flash. Also, this receiver has a real value of $100-150 and I still need a remote for it; I cannot really spend a lot of money on parts like that PCB or capacitor kit unless I can justify them for other use after the fact. I may just order a cheap-cheap 0603 cap kit from China (and some crystals) and put the damned thing in the Cupboard o' Doom til they arrive.

Right now I'm just going to step back from this project for a while; it's bugging me and I actually have other priorities right now. We just received notice that our property owner has decided to move to BC, and is selling out. We may or may not have ~60-90 days to find a new place & move.

mnem
 

Oh no, here we go again, hardly seems worth unpacking most of your stuff, in fact I'd be inclined if it was me, just to unpack the real essential items and live like that until you can find somewhere you can really call home.

[mnementh]

   I bought a Beckman Tech 310 around 1980.  Despite years of abuse it refuses to die or even drift.   To this day it reads 2.50V from a 2.5000V reference.

   But is wasn't a bench meter and it is a mere 1999 count.  So I bought a Digimess DM200 from their eBay store.  This solid 4000 count meter is a rebranded Mastech. 

   Then I saw this cute little ZT102 for $10 shipped to the UK and it 6000 count.   Of course the CAT ratings are fake, but I've got the other two meters for that.

   I bought this Aneng AN-888s because it is absurd.  Clock, temperature, and stereo speakers.

Welcome to the fray, Andrew!

The neverending taco truck in the corner is very proud of its new mag wheels, so is having a 2-fer sale on Potato/Egg/Bacon tacos; bean's been 3D Printing some new kitchen widgets, so maybe there will be some coffee soon; Papa Smurf is homeward bound, so expect to see him drooling over something hollow-state soon. bd139 is back from walkaboot in the real world, so expect to see him adjusting the bell curve with extreme prejudice. If you see Saskia pulling something from a gunny sack, look out; it may be a Darwin award for some hapless 1D10T.  The crusty old Aardvark in the corner is mostly harmless, unless you see him with the  Emergency Bottle of Apricot Brandy...

Oh, and the pervy little dragon fancier schtick is my character flaw; get your own! 

I posted that AN-888 in here when it was first released; we all had a good healthy round of ridicule over it. Glad someone wasn't afraid to take the leap; have they released an updated app that doesn't blow up on any version of Android newer than 5.0...?

A lot of MasTech stuff is also rebranded Aneng; that DM200 may well be. The ZT102 definitely is; a rebranded Aneng AN8006. I have one myself, and its brother the AN8008 9999 count model is my third-string for road-trips and keeping in my pocket when I go Thrifting, etc.




mnem

[mnementh]

Is it not possible to provide a 16MHz signal via your signal generator to test it with?

The oscillator input is a differential pair at pin 15 and pin 13 which carries a DC bias. I'm leery of going that route until I've exhausted passive components; from my searches, it appears this CPU/PCB is unobtanium as it has device-specific firmware which requires special service jigs to flash. Also, this receiver has a real value of $100-150 and I still need a remote for it; I cannot really spend a lot of money on parts like that PCB or capacitor kit unless I can justify them for other use after the fact. I may just order a cheap-cheap 0603 cap kit from China (and some crystals) and put the damned thing in the Cupboard o' Doom til they arrive.

Right now I'm just going to step back from this project for a while; it's bugging me and I actually have other priorities right now. We just received notice that our property owner has decided to move to BC, and is selling out. We may or may not have ~60-90 days to find a new place & move.

mnem
 

You should be able to drive pin 14 "XIN" with a 5V squarewave. If you want to be careful put a 10k resistor in series.

Pin 14 is Vss and signal should be 3.3V, but yes, I know I should be able to do so, and I will try that once I've exhausted other approaches. I know that I'm a klutz, and my little UTG962E is notorious for poor voltage accuracy above 10-15MHz.

mnem
 

[Specmaster]

   I bought a Beckman Tech 310 around 1980.  Despite years of abuse it refuses to die or even drift.   To this day it reads 2.50V from a 2.5000V reference.

   But is wasn't a bench meter and it is a mere 1999 count.  So I bought a Digimess DM200 from their eBay store.  This solid 4000 count meter is a rebranded Mastech. 

   Then I saw this cute little ZT102 for $10 shipped to the UK and it 6000 count.   Of course the CAT ratings are fake, but I've got the other two meters for that.

   I bought this Aneng AN-888s because it is absurd.  Clock, temperature, and stereo speakers.

Welcome to the fray, Andrew!

The neverending taco truck in the corner is very proud of its new mag wheels, so is having a 2-fer sale on Potato/Egg/Bacon tacos; bean's been 3D Printing some new kitchen widgets, so maybe there will be some coffee soon; Papa Smurf is homeward bound, so expect to see him drooling over something hollow-state soon. bd139 is back from walkaboot in the real world, so expect to see him adjusting the bell curve with extreme prejudice. If you see Saskia pulling something from a gunny sack, look out; it may be a Darwin award for some hapless 1D10T.  The crusty old Aardvark in the corner is mostly harmless, unless you see him with the  Emergency Bottle of Apricot Brandy...

Oh, and the pervy little dragon fancier schtick is my character flaw; get your own! ! 

I posted that AN-888 in here when it was first released; we all had a good healthy round of ridicule over it. Glad someone wasn't afraid to take the leap; have they released an updated app that doesn't blow up on any version of Android newer than 5.0...?

A lot of MasTech stuff is also rebranded Aneng; that DM200 may well be. The ZT102 definitely is; a rebranded Aneng AN8006. I have one myself, and its brother the AN8008 9999 count model is my third-string for road-trips and keeping in my pocket when I go Thrifting, etc.




mnem

Yes, welcome to Andrew, he will fit right in here perfectly, I can see that already.

I think you will find that the DM200 is actually made by Peak and that MasTech, Digimess and RS (Iso-Tech) badge it, I used to have its smaller brother IDM203.

[mnementh]

Thanks for the correction; I like yours much better... nice professional-looking charcoal grey. That grey-eige and cheap screen-printing really does make the DigiMess version look much less like a "real" instrument.

But as I've always said: "The best meter in the world... is the one you have when you need it." 

mnem
 

[bd139]

Right now I'm just going to step back from this project for a while; it's bugging me and I actually have other priorities right now. We just received notice that our property owner has decided to move to BC, and is selling out. We may or may not have ~60-90 days to find a new place & move.

Ah that's a complete ball ache  . Been there multiple times. Completely sympathise 

[bd139]

Thanks for the correction; I like yours much better... nice professional-looking charcoal grey. That grey-eige and cheap screen-printing really does make the DigiMess version look much less like a "real" instrument.

But as I've always said: "The best meter in the world... is the one you have when you need it." 

mnem
 

Hey this is the TEA thread so it should read:

"The best meters in the world... are the ones you buy when see them on ebay"

[mnementh]

...Right now I'm just going to step back from this project for a while; it's bugging me and I actually have other priorities right now. We just received notice that our property owner has decided to move to BC, and is selling out. We may or may not have ~60-90 days to find a new place & move.

mnem
 

Oh no, here we go again, hardly seems worth unpacking most of your stuff, in fact I'd be inclined if it was me, just to unpack the real essential items and live like that until you can find somewhere you can really call home.

Well... it really depends on a lot of stuff that is all coming together right now; honestly, I went thrifting to find stuff to keep me from chewing the carpets while I wait on word back from our immigration lawyers aboot the Work Visas.

So... aside from going to look at properties... not a damned thing I can do anyways aside from starting to sort out the excess junk I've collected recently and divest myself of it. Which was why I kept working on this one as long as I did.

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Thanks for the correction; I like yours much better... nice professional-looking charcoal grey. That grey-eige and cheap screen-printing really does make the DigiMess version look much less like a "real" instrument.

But as I've always said: "The best meter in the world... is the one you have when you need it." 

mnem
 

Hey this is the TEA thread so it should read:

"The best meters in the world... are the ones you buy when you see them on ebay"

Well yes! Of course you have to buy some meters before you can have one when you need it! 

mnem
 

[mansaxel]

400 sek or quid or dollars or dollarydoos? 

Euro.

Today, one Euro is 10,14 SEK, and one USD is 8,54 SEK. The pound is slightly above the Euro at 11,83 SEK.

Does that mean that the pound has won? 

At the rate that I and people around me are cursing slightly more than half of the voting population of UK while we're looking for gear suppliers where shipping and customs and crazy VAT rules won't double the price of practically anything if sourced from That Island, in short, "no".  Just the other day The Wife uttered several well chosen "not in front of servants and children" words over the fact that her favourite arts supplies house now is outside the Common Market. And went to a german supplier instead.

[mansaxel]

Against Germany ? You betcha ...

I beg to differ. German businesses are getting practically all my used-to-be-UK-sourced purchases now. I'm afraid your prejudices cloud your perception of the economical advantages of free movement of people and goods.

Edit: Also, the habit France and Germany had, which was trying to eradicate each other every 30 years or so has suddenly stopped. For 75 years, and counting. That has not happened since L'Ancien Regime, which is seriously many years ago now.

[med6753]

Well after 3 days of +90F (+32C) heat we got some nasty thunderstorms about to move in. Gonna be interesting here for the next few hours. Oh well, at least it will cool off. 

[25 CPS]

I guess it was going to happen sooner or later but I’m now the owner of a piece of Fluke kit.  I don’t know if it arrived first or second today but I heard the recycling bins getting shifted around on the front porch and this and the second half of the package from Newark were both there.  No knock, no text message or anything.  At least I got there before the porch pirates did:



Testing will take place later tonight.

[cyclin_al]

[snip]...
Right now I'm trying to lay my hands on a proper 0602 cap sample book at a sane price somewhere reasonably quick delivery; I really need it in my stockpiles anyways. Given the lack of any heartbeat 💓 from any pin on the CPU I have little hope of it bringing the thing back to life, but hey; it at least gives me something else to think aboot for a while.

mnem
 

I took a look in my stock and found only 0805 sizes and not even the capacitance you are searching for.
That means that I have not ventured into soldering as small as 0602 yet.
Along the way, there was a rude reminder of all the projects that I have not started on 
It far outnumbers the number of completed projects...

[Cubdriver]

Well after 3 days of +90F (+32C) heat we got some nasty thunderstorms about to move in. Gonna be interesting here for the next few hours. Oh well, at least it will cool off.

Lash yourself to that 547 so you don't blow away!  Looks like the worst of it is tracking north of me, but I'm still under a severe T-storm watch here until 10.00 PM.

-Pat

[Specmaster]

400 sek or quid or dollars or dollarydoos? 

Euro.

Today, one Euro is 10,14 SEK, and one USD is 8,54 SEK. The pound is slightly above the Euro at 11,83 SEK.

Does that mean that the pound has won? 

At the rate that I and people around me are cursing slightly more than half of the voting population of UK while we're looking for gear suppliers where shipping and customs and crazy VAT rules won't double the price of practically anything if sourced from That Island, in short, "no".  Just the other day The Wife uttered several well chosen "not in front of servants and children" words over the fact that her favourite arts supplies house now is outside the Common Market. And went to a german supplier instead.

Well stop cursing slightly more than 50% of us British voters, it was something like 45% of the voters voted for this shower of idiots we have in power. Its because we have so many political parties in this country that split the other votes so many ways that the Conservatives managed to get a majority, we need a electoral reform and we need it fast.

[med6753]

I guess it was going to happen sooner or later but I’m now the owner of a piece of Fluke kit.  I don’t know if it arrived first or second today but I heard the recycling bins getting shifted around on the front porch and this and the second half of the package from Newark were both there.  No knock, no text message or anything.  At least I got there before the porch pirates did:



Testing will take place later tonight.

 

[nixiefreqq]

will we ever find out what is inside that case?

[nixiefreqq]

well it looks like maybe we won't.

[nixiefreqq]

am 97% sure that none of you knuckleheads ladies and gentlemen have a piece of TE that matches this page.

the 3% uncertainty is because of cub. that guy just might have one, if he can find it.