Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[McBryce]

This page's 'numbersake' arrived in rather rough shape, but is in the queue for a makeover one of these years.


(It's gonna take some doin' to clean this one up.)

-Pat

I really hope for you that the blurred digits are due to dirt on the glass or bad photography, otherwise you'll need to source new nixies.

McBryce.

[Cubdriver]

This page's 'numbersake' arrived in rather rough shape, but is in the queue for a makeover one of these years.


(It's gonna take some doin' to clean this one up.)

-Pat

I really hope for you that the blurred digits are due to dirt on the glass or bad photography, otherwise you'll need to source new nixies.

McBryce.

The exposure in the photo isn't great as it's a quick snap with an iPhone (as are the ones below), but the filter is in pretty rough shape.  That said, there looks to be some cathode poisoning on several of the digits (especially the 5 in the MSD position).  It needs a thorough going-over, as the unit definitely doesn't work - that MSD will sometimes switch to display a 3, but then quickly goes back to the 5, so I suspect there are some issues with that decade's circuitry.  I'll try rejuvenating the bad ones with a slightly higher drive current to see if it helps.







Article on cathode poisoning: http://www.tube-tester.com/sites/nixie/different/cathode%20poisoning/cathode-poisoning.htm

-Pat

[factory]

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.

And is that a 241A push button oss-q-lator there next to it?  There's one of those here, too - one of the binding posts got snapped off in transit due to poor packing by an incompetent evilbayer.

-Pat

Somehow I picked the same oscillator on Sunday when I took the pictures of them. 
Never noticed before, but the 3734A made in Bedford have two plain knobs and the later ones from South Queensferry have the skirted knobs. Looking at my archived pictures I have seen just over a dozen 3734A sold & only three 3735A.


Has anyone else added the 10 second timebase option to the 3734A, or am I the only one?
All that is needed is another 5212A-65C divider board, may have to fit this in the middle if it's a later REV "B" board as I found, no other modifications are required as the necessary wiring is already in place.

Back on the HP 3734As The design team must have annoyed Mr Clement by putting ventillation holes all over his standard "clemant" case design (later called System I).

The ventilation holes appeared around the same time that the RIFAs did. I reckon that's not a coincidence!

There are lots of Clement cases with holes added, including the 120B in that article on the hp memory website and a full rack width 180A I have just acquired. They are kind of needed as they don't have cooling fans fitted, the down side is dust & other things such as component lead ends can find their way in. 


David

[mansaxel]

My modular 5000 series scope arrived today. Badly, badly packed. Frame twisted. Fucking fuckers. I've contacted the intermediate clearing house who are responsible for the "packing" (single wall box with scope plonked into, some wrapping paper to one side. )

Someone will burn for this.

[mnementh]

mnem
 

[Cubdriver]

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.

And is that a 241A push button oss-q-lator there next to it?  There's one of those here, too - one of the binding posts got snapped off in transit due to poor packing by an incompetent evilbayer.

-Pat

Somehow I picked the same oscillator on Sunday when I took the pictures of them. 
Never noticed before, but the 3734A made in Bedford have two plain knobs and the later ones from South Queensferry have the skirted knobs. Looking at my archived pictures I have seen just over a dozen 3734A sold & only three 3735A.


Has anyone else added the 10 second timebase option to the 3734A, or am I the only one?
All that is needed is another 5212A-65C divider board, may have to fit this in the middle if it's a later REV "B" board as I found, no other modifications are required as the necessary wiring is already in place.

Back on the HP 3734As The design team must have annoyed Mr Clement by putting ventillation holes all over his standard "clemant" case design (later called System I).

The ventilation holes appeared around the same time that the RIFAs did. I reckon that's not a coincidence!

There are lots of Clement cases with holes added, including the 120B in that article on the hp memory website and a full rack width 180A I have just acquired. They are kind of needed as they don't have cooling fans fitted, the down side is dust & other things such as component lead ends can find their way in. 


David

I just checked - to my pleasant surprise, mine appears to have it from the factory - all six boards are present on the slide-out sub chassis.



That little box is pretty fully stuffed, and is surprisingly heavy for its size.

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

My modular 5000 series scope arrived today. Badly, badly packed. Frame twisted. Fucking fuckers. I've contacted the intermediate clearing house who are responsible for the "packing" (single wall box with scope plonked into, some wrapping paper to one side. )

Someone will burn for this.

So does that mean it was "packed" by someone who should know better?      These idiots should be hung by their heels.

-Pat

[med6753]

Arrived at hospital at 0545 hours. At 0730 hours was in for the surgery. Didn't fully wake up until 1130 hours. Currently 1430 hours and I'm home. I had at least a 3 or 4 inch cut and surprisingly as long as I'm sitting and even standing pain is minimal or just uncomfortable. It's getting up that hurts like hell. Not taking any pain meds either and I think I'm going to forgo them unless I really need it.

It's good to finally have that taken care of and hopefully I heal fast.

That cup of coffee tasted so damn good after not having anything since last night. 

[factory]

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.

And is that a 241A push button oss-q-lator there next to it?  There's one of those here, too - one of the binding posts got snapped off in transit due to poor packing by an incompetent evilbayer.

-Pat

Somehow I picked the same oscillator on Sunday when I took the pictures of them. 
Never noticed before, but the 3734A made in Bedford have two plain knobs and the later ones from South Queensferry have the skirted knobs. Looking at my archived pictures I have seen just over a dozen 3734A sold & only three 3735A.


Has anyone else added the 10 second timebase option to the 3734A, or am I the only one?
All that is needed is another 5212A-65C divider board, may have to fit this in the middle if it's a later REV "B" board as I found, no other modifications are required as the necessary wiring is already in place.

Back on the HP 3734As The design team must have annoyed Mr Clement by putting ventillation holes all over his standard "clemant" case design (later called System I).

The ventilation holes appeared around the same time that the RIFAs did. I reckon that's not a coincidence!

There are lots of Clement cases with holes added, including the 120B in that article on the hp memory website and a full rack width 180A I have just acquired. They are kind of needed as they don't have cooling fans fitted, the down side is dust & other things such as component lead ends can find their way in. 


David

I just checked - to my pleasant surprise, mine appears to have it from the factory - all six boards are present on the slide-out sub chassis.



That little box is pretty fully stuffed, and is surprisingly heavy for its size.

-Pat

Not so sure that left the factory with five REV A boards & one REV B board (horizontal row of transistors). 

David

[Cubdriver]

Not so sure that left the factory with five REV A boards & one REV B board (horizontal row of transistors). 

David

Good point - I hadn't noticed that.  That would also explain why there's no indication of it having option 01 on the rear panel, too.

-Pat

[Robert763]

Robert did what with who for how many jellybeans...?!?   

mnem
*agitating-ily*

There were no jellybeans but apparently there was some hot buttered toast and a nurse..........

[bd139]

Arrived at hospital at 0545 hours. At 0730 hours was in for the surgery. Didn't fully wake up until 1130 hours. Currently 1430 hours and I'm home. I had at least a 3 or 4 inch cut and surprisingly as long as I'm sitting and even standing pain is minimal or just uncomfortable. It's getting up that hurts like hell. Not taking any pain meds either and I think I'm going to forgo them unless I really need it.

It's good to finally have that taken care of and hopefully I heal fast.

That cup of coffee tasted so damn good after not having anything since last night. 

Great to hear all went well. Make sure you rest up and leave those boat anchors alone for a bit. Don't want to see any of this! 

[mansaxel]

My modular 5000 series scope arrived today. Badly, badly packed. Frame twisted. Fucking fuckers. I've contacted the intermediate clearing house who are responsible for the "packing" (single wall box with scope plonked into, some wrapping paper to one side. )

Someone will burn for this.

So does that mean it was "packed" by someone who should know better?      These idiots should be hung by their heels.

-Pat

I've bought through this intermediate before. They're not great at packaging; once got a microphone in a Jiffy bag. It survived, though, being a Sennheiser dynamic mike comes with a certain physical resiliency that Mexico-built Shure can barely dream of. And, the Sennheiser sounds OK, which the Shures fail miserably at. Anyway, I've written an email to them, and am expecting them to react tomorrow, or there's going to be Consequences.

There's some progress, though. The scope does turn on without blowing any fuses, but there's no life in the CRT. Looking in the manual (in the golden age of TE there was only one manual, and it was for service and operations.) the -30V rail is responsible for the usual reference duty -- typical Tek style. It sits at -0.06V. With scope off, it reads less than 1 Ω between rail and ground.  There are at least 2 tant beads in the picture. I've got me work cut out, I guess.

[bd139]

I'd kill for some shorted tants at the moment 

[med6753]

Arrived at hospital at 0545 hours. At 0730 hours was in for the surgery. Didn't fully wake up until 1130 hours. Currently 1430 hours and I'm home. I had at least a 3 or 4 inch cut and surprisingly as long as I'm sitting and even standing pain is minimal or just uncomfortable. It's getting up that hurts like hell. Not taking any pain meds either and I think I'm going to forgo them unless I really need it.

It's good to finally have that taken care of and hopefully I heal fast.

That cup of coffee tasted so damn good after not having anything since last night. 

Great to hear all went well. Make sure you rest up and leave those boat anchors alone for a bit. Don't want to see any of this! 

No argument with that. I do not want to go through this again. The Type 547 will sit which will give me time to catch up on minor stuff.

[AVGresponding]

Received a lot of 3 scope probes today: all Tek, a P6053B, a P6065, and a P6075.

They are not intended for use with my TDS420A, I know, but the price was too good to pass up. £17, for all 3, shipped.



@BD139, I can send a care pack of salvaged tants for you to abuse, if you wish...

[nixiefreqq]

hey factory.....thanks man!

it never occured to me that my 3734 did not have the 10 sec gate option.  in fact never noticed that the switch position is labeled "opt".

fortunately that big box of hp nixie counter parts that came from the military depot cal lab has a boatload of decade dividers.

it is now fully equipped.

if anyone needs one (or a handful) let me know.

[Specmaster]

@mansaxel, these people should know better than that, hope you get a full refund from them.

[bd139]

@BD139, I can send a care pack of salvaged tants for you to abuse, if you wish...[/color][/size][/b]

I've got tants. After stuff with duff ones in it 

[Cerebus]

I'd kill for some shorted tants at the moment 

I haven't got any tants in the house at the moment, otherwise I'd be getting them out, putting little summer shorts on them and photographing them. I know I could photoshop it all, but it's not the same. 

[mansaxel]

@mansaxel, these people should know better than that, hope you get a full refund from them.

Yes, that's my take on this. I'm requesting a full refund, and then, if they bother, they can send me a prepaid return label. Or I get to make BD envious by swapping tants and, at the same time, get to annoy Med by not swapping all the 'lytes out, Gatling style.

The 5440 series is a bit of a strange animal, though. There were (and probably are in an US Army depot somewhere) rebuild kits for these chassis enabling conversion into side-by-side 19" rack layout from the vertical setup I've got. I'd love to have one, a 19" scope is much more useful to me.  Anyway, this might mean that there are a bunch of mechanical compromises made that make it stand up less well to reshipping gorillas. I guess.

Also, system has been found to be buggy.

[Robert763]

@BD139, I can send a care pack of salvaged tants for you to abuse, if you wish...[/color][/size][/b]

I've got tants. After stuff with duff ones in it 

If you want something to play with I've loads of crap useful stuff you can have.

[tautech]

Arrived at hospital at 0545 hours. At 0730 hours was in for the surgery. Didn't fully wake up until 1130 hours. Currently 1430 hours and I'm home. I had at least a 3 or 4 inch cut and surprisingly as long as I'm sitting and even standing pain is minimal or just uncomfortable. It's getting up that hurts like hell. Not taking any pain meds either and I think I'm going to forgo them unless I really need it.

It's good to finally have that taken care of and hopefully I heal fast.

That cup of coffee tasted so damn good after not having anything since last night. 

Don't be try to be a fucking hero !
Pop the pills and at least be comfortable.

[tggzzz]

Not taking any pain meds either and I think I'm going to forgo them unless I really need it.

That's a delicate balance.

IMHO there are two benefits to painkillers: getting a nights sleep, and not causing damage by muscles flinching.

Having said that, I don't remember needing anything significant (e.g. tramodol).

I suspect the problem will be your making sure you don't cause damage by doing too Too Much Too Soon

[tggzzz]

I'd kill for some shorted tants at the moment 

How much are you prepared to pay?

If you want them in something, is rattling around OK or do you require soldered in?