Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mansaxel]

The bloke in 2012 could have done the same thing, if he had an ounce of competence, as could the others.

What gripes me, is that I could have done it myself, but I'm not allowed to!

This sounds exactly like my story, except the story started in 2013 and the "ultimately in 2019" has not yet occurred here... still waiting.
One tech has actually said the lead-in cable needs to be replaced, but he did not have the authority to order it done.

I've had the same issue, but slightly better -- I was lucky to get the same tech twice, first on the service call when everything seemed OK, and then again when I'd done what he told me and it did not work. In Sweden, the standard phone jack is of a construction that cascades the outlets, leaving one as the first outlet counting from the line. This is where DSL splitters must connect in order to preserve quality and connectivity. He'd told me to exchange the first jack for a quality one, and he also remade the punches in the Krone LSA-Plus I'd put in before that jack.  This did not help, I found out, since the problems persisted.  I registered another service request with Telia, and was lucky enough that I got the same tech.  I was not able to be home for the service call, so I told him as he called me to set up an appointment, that if he switched to the orange/white pair in the lead-in instead of the blue/white I was more than happy to swap indoors as soon as I got home.  I came home to find "no Internet" complaints, took out my LSA-Plus tool, and repunched the first line from being on the blue/white pair to the orange/white. Modem linked up, full speed, and never again failed. A couple years later, I was finally able to get a fiber connection, whose local-loop has worked flawlessly all the time.

[cyclin_al]

"Y'all are such nerds..."   

mnem
in the interest of domestic tranquility, I did not relate the discussion aboot Lucas or which exact motor was in the car...

Just change the texas drawl to a french accent; other than that, it is the same conversation here!

[Neomys Sapiens]

Wasn't someone looking for a good mini belt sander?

https://www.joke-technology.com/3d-shop/en/products-3d-onlineshop/grinding-and-polishing-devices/belt-grinder/

(without drive and control unit)

[Neomys Sapiens]

So I found a new bunny hole to jump into...a natural extension of electronics tinkering is wanting to be able to make small parts. And my local used tool guy had juuuust what I needed... 

Unimat SL 1000, basically brand new. Missing some accessories (notably, the milling table). I need to get more lathe tools for sure as well, as it only came with one of unknown provenance.

I would probably kill for one of those. Some of the cheap Chinese mini-lathes are OK, but most are not a patch, quality-wise, on the old British and American hobby/model-engineering lathes. I just ain't got the room for anything bigger...

Yeah, I've got the same problem. Eventually I will have a proper machine shop, but that will be a next house problem for sure. In the meantime, this will allow me to dip my toes into making small parts for projects.

I do need to track down some of the accessories this Unimat is missing. I'd like to get a milling table+vise (though all the recommendations I see is to get a second Unimat if you want to use both functions...to save time realigning when swapping), thread cutter, and a better selection of tools and end mills.

Let me know if you need help. They seem to be more numerous over here.

[beanflying]

Wasn't someone looking for a good mini belt sander?

https://www.joke-technology.com/3d-shop/en/products-3d-onlineshop/grinding-and-polishing-devices/belt-grinder/

(without drive and control unit)

Ouch  Think I will stick to my Air driven powerfile thanks think I paid $40'ish AUD 

[Andrew_Debbie]

Thinking about bidding on this 7603  -->  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174833689117

It clearly has had a big smack on the upper left corner.   The Graticule illumination pot may be damaged and the knobs are gone.


It has the usual 7A18s  and a 7B53A plugins.

[med6753]

Thinking about bidding on this 7603  -->  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174833689117

It clearly has had a big smack on the upper left corner.   The Graticule illumination pot may be damaged and the knobs are gone.


It has the usual 7A18s  and a 7B53A plugins.

If the Intensity/Readout pot is damaged good luck sourcing it. You would probably have to rob one off a junker.

The graticule pot definitely looks damaged but you may be able to straighten out the push button shaft for the beam finder.

Replacing the knobs will be the least of your worries.

Definitely a crap shoot. Hard to tell the extent of the damage.

[bd139]

Yep. Already skipped that one here. Plus the £15 delivery fee may result in more broken things.

[Robert763]

Thinking about bidding on this 7603  -->  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174833689117

It clearly has had a big smack on the upper left corner.   The Graticule illumination pot may be damaged and the knobs are gone.


It has the usual 7A18s  and a 7B53A plugins.

If you want to start a 7000 collection I have a 7603, 7633 and a box of plug-ins you can have cheap.

[capt bullshot]

Some results of testing my frequency difference meter and my radio clock in PPS mode (10MHz OCXO synced to PPS output of a random ublox GPS module) vs. the TruePosition GPSDO:

[Andrew_Debbie]

If you want to start a 7000 collection I have a 7603, 7633 and a box of plug-ins you can have cheap.

  After thinking about it, I'm not going to bid on the eBay one.   Prefer something that had the controls smashed     

Would you happen to be within 100 miles of Anglesey?    I'm sure we'd both like to avoid the hassel, risk and expense of posting.

[Robert763]

Would you happen to be within 100 miles of Anglesey?
Nope, Cambridge, about 250 miles......

[med6753]

Road trip! Arrange to meet someplace halfway for each. Just be careful and don't get any hernias. 

[AVGresponding]

Well the joblot that included the HP CAT V tester has been cancelled by the seller, ostensibly because it was "damaged". Given the lot was sold as "for parts or not working" I'm calling BS.
They've clearly just done a bit of research and realised there's more money to be had than the "winning" bid (which was apparently withdrawn) and my second placed bid.

The ebay seller ID is wheeljack0 and I'll be keeping an eye out to see if he relists them separately.



The FLIR One just dropped through the door. Rather ludicrously it requires charging. A bit annoying it can't use the phone to power itself. I'll post some pics later if it works...

[beanflying]

Is it just me or does it seem this place is absent of Soccer news 

Will the Poms win Wimbledon or a Soccer championship in the next 50 years and which will be first 

[Andrew_Debbie]

Road trip! Arrange to meet someplace halfway for each. Just be careful and don't get any hernias. 

Would that be an all-transistor hernia?   7603  Manual says 30lbs without the plug-ins.    Should be fine as long as I lift it correctly.   

More concerned about leaving the dogs alone.    We lost our doggy day care.  Working on training up a new dog sitter.   Our Great Dane is 'special' and will only permit special people near her.

ABRB tells me  324mil  and 6hr 19min  round trip to Rugby Services, which has a bank of brand new rapid chargers.   The return route includes a stop at an old unreliable DBT charger in Wrexham.  I wouldn't risk that but there are alternates that would add a few minutes to the trip home.

[tautech]

Road trip!

Just done a 4 day one visiting customers and shacked up with the daughter, her partner and our 3yr old grandson.
Bring chainsaw dad said the daughter airline captain, we got some gardening to do that we need help with. 

Pretty glad I had customers to see yesterday while they lumped 1.3 tonnes of fallen and dissected tree to their local
tip. 
Escaped just before lunch today and got the 675km return trip done in 8 hours with a couple short stops and a refuel.
Nice to get away for a change and especially to put faces to emails.

[med6753]

Is it just me or does it seem this place is absent of Soccer news 

Is it just me that I don't give a shit? 

[beanflying]

Is it just me or does it seem this place is absent of Soccer news 

Is it just me that I don't give a shit? 

It has Zero to do with giving a Poo and all to do with gently prodding those that might 

[med6753]

Is it just me or does it seem this place is absent of Soccer news 

Is it just me that I don't give a shit? 

It has Zero to do with giving a Poo and all to do with gently prodding those that might 

Trouble maker. 

[AVGresponding]

Is it just me or does it seem this place is absent of Soccer news 

Will the Poms win Wimbledon or a Soccer championship in the next 50 years and which will be first 

Even if it takes that long, it'll still be sooner than the Italians winning a football match without cheating.

[AVGresponding]

@tautech, one of your pesky Siglents has infiltrated my TE collection...   

It came in disguised as an RS Pro:

[tautech]

This ones on Tautech for poking my completionism/collector mode  #6 Aussie made Stanley/Falcon eBay auction: #284354856127 not to hotly contested which was nice.

Bit of TLC will be needed but looks serviceable

You just need the #7 to round out the collection then.

Using that logic I will also then need a #8 

And a 3 and 3 1/2 ! 

More likely a 4 1/2 long before those wee toys 

TBH from a previous life when I was on the tools a 3 1/2 that one of the old chippys had was the perfect small plane and in some ways much more useful than a block plane as the iron protrudes to the edge of the sole where it can double as a rabbet plane although without the precision of a 78 that has a fence, scorer and depth gauge.
They are a bit rare though because their throat extended to the sides it made them a bit fragile and if they were dropped onto concrete they could break.
A 3 on OTOH is as strong as a 4 but a good deal lighter where it's more useful than a 4 or a block plane for final fitting work especially with old style big form factor finishing lines where a block plane is too light.
I snaffled a 3 a few years back which gave me a 3,4,5,6 and 7 to go with the more specialty 45, 78, 90 and couple of block planes. The 5 is now in Perth with Larry Major and Larry Minor has my 4 but I'd love to see them argue over who gets what when my time comes. 

[tautech]

@tautech, one of your pesky Siglents has infiltrated my TE collection...   

It came in disguised as an RS Pro:

Probably at higher than OEM cost. 

Now all you have to do is upgrade it to an X spec. 
Does the GUI say RSPro ?
Wonder if it will flash over as easy as OEM ?
You might need to pop tv84 a message for help.

[mansaxel]

Is it just me or does it seem this place is absent of Soccer news 

I'm quoting one of the best T-shirt designs I've ever seen:

Music has saved
me from sports

Colour me very ignorant, thusly.