Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

https://www.dx.com/p/creative-aircraft-gyro-support-car-air-outlet-mobile-phone-support-mouse-navigation-universal-bracket-2746652.html

OMG... this has to be the height of something... and the nadir of something else. It is the "connected age" equivalent of a propeller beanie; a dash-vent smartPwn holder with decorative propellers. 

There is just a universe of fail here; starting with the egregious pointlessness of it all, leading to the inevitable incapability to perform its basic function and finishing with the fact it is designed such that it will place spinning propellers right over the touchscreen. 

And somebody got paid to design this fucking thing.

mnem

So you go out and buy a fancy new BMW with a 3kW HVAC system that can blast you with all the cool air you could ever want... and then mount some piss-ass Chinese fans in front of the air outlets??     McBryce.

Dude... did you even do more than just glance at the pic...? It has nothing to do with the AC, it's a phone holder with little decorative props on it. Like a propeller beanie, or that stoopit thing some people put on their trailer hitch... 

mnem

[bd139]

Introducing my new YouTube series. How not to package stuff….

This is the HP OCXO.  Haven’t opened it yet as I’m too busy 



 

[mnementh]

Not one to lower myself to posting Reddit links in here but this one is slightly hilarious.

https://www.reddit.com/r/facepalm/comments/p28v2f/seriously_though_what_was_she_expecting/

It comes to something when someone is stupid enough to physically cut through the instructions that say:



What, so "cut" doesn't equate to "puncture", "crush" or "disassemble" in this genius' mind?
(SNIP)
Do not fold, spindle or mutilate.

No, they ignore any words with that many syllables; crush & burn are things you do to a boy when you're flirting, and she already heated the stoopit thing over the stove to get the cover off, so... 

mnem

[Cubdriver]

The Fluke 8300A arrived yesterday, packaged pretty well to my pleasant surprise.  It powered up without a hitch and has been sitting connected to a resistance standard overnight.  It's within 2 ohms of the standard it's currently connected to, so I'd say the resistance functions, at least, seem to be operational.  I'll connect it to the DC calibrator later to see how it fares there, and perhaps try to get the AC one operational, too.  More photos to follow once I take a good series with the DSLR rather than the iPhone.







-Pat

[Cubdriver]

Damn....



-Pat

[xrunner]

Introducing my new YouTube series. How not to package stuff….

This is the HP OCXO.  Haven’t opened it yet as I’m too busy 
 

Subscribed ... 

[bd139]

Introducing my new YouTube series. How not to package stuff….

This is the HP OCXO.  Haven’t opened it yet as I’m too busy 
 

Subscribed ... 

Yay my first subscriber 

I’m going to do some proper content at some point. Probably forward engineering and repair stuff if I get the time.

OCXO box works nicely. Surprisingly the unknown uncalibrated 5381A is only 0.4Hz off and rock solid. Now I need a GPSDO to check the OXCO against  .

I’m wondering if I bother with buying that 5334B or just use this and keep the OCXO box as a transfer standard until I find someone who can check it properly. It’s probably enough for my trivial requirements like this now.

Edit: I’m being an idiot.  Of course I need the 5334B 

[Specmaster]

Introducing my new YouTube series. How not to package stuff….

This is the HP OCXO.  Haven’t opened it yet as I’m too busy 



 

If it wasn't fecked before, it is now after that shake down  Seriously they could have found a bigger box to put such a small thing in, oh no, they don't make tea chests anymore do they 

And your second subscriber 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Some TWT porn for your viewing pleasure. I like how simple these 490 series amplifiers really are. The RF goes in the front panel, goes through the TWT, and comes out bigger. That's it.

Like you, IIRC, I'm not certain I know why I want one, but am pretty certain I feel some desire. Mmm, Watkins-Johnson RF gear.. Nearly always 3-digit serial numbers or less, full-on milspec build quality, insane performance, very unclear service history (as in who bought it, where did they use it, et c.) , and mucho desirable.

Edit: I'm mostly doing RF hobby at 2m and 70cm, with a bit of HF, so is not even my frequency range preference. Still.

Must you awaken that craving of mine?

Formidable receivers indeed. I owned once a 566 with counter and VHF and UHF heads. Got lost by my former assistant who had it blaring at the cops' local frequency when the latter were coming for his antisocial little brother while I was far abroad. When I got notice of that it was too late to intervene.
Worked with 8611, 8711 and several others - they are really the cream of the crop.

BTW, does anyone have experience with the AOR5700? (just a bit more affordable)

Jag hoppas att du blir störd av en järv!

[xrunner]

Yay my first subscriber 

As of 18:38 UTC you have two subscribers. I think your content may go viral ... 

[med6753]

Yay my first subscriber 

As of 18:38 UTC you have two subscribers. I think your content may go viral ... 

Make that 3. 

[bd139]

Quick OCXO teardown. Works absolutely as intended by the looks.

First view of the insides. Reasonable construction. Proper TRW socketed. I was worried the module was going to be soldered in but it's fine.



Other side. Mains inlet is total dog excrement but not unexpected for home construction.



Connected to the 5381A and warmed up. Takes 15 minutes to stabilise in total which is to be expected. Surprisingly the 5381A sits within 0.4Hz of the standard. Impressed.



Thanks to Robert for pointing this one out 

Edit: also 5334B snagged to stick it in 

[AVGresponding]

Here's one for the aircraft-lickers. I did not know that before the Harrier was the Harrier, it was the Kestrel...

[Neomys Sapiens]

Tool Time widda ToolDwagon: 10 DOLLAH!



This one is for my fellow Canucks on the thread; I went running some errands today and stopped at my local Princess Auto to see what they had on the GET IT OUTTA MY SIGHT!!! table; a bit of rummaging and my paws turned up these gems for less than 10 Canadian pesos total.



The pliers are GearWrench; like most of their products (evidently, an Apex Tools brand up here), quality is decent and if you can get them on sale you can get a great deal on a tool you'll use for years or even decades. The jaws are ground evenly with a well-centered point, and they meet close enough to pull a single hair off my arm without cutting it. The tips have a very fine serration; this is a tool I'm certain I'll be pleased to use for years to come, especially for 4 bux.

   

The step drills are typical China-direct quality; much better than some of the case-hardened cheese drills I've bought at Horror Fraught for sure. They are well-ground and the points are well-centered on the flute with a pretty aggro double-angle grind, and the nitriding def appears heavier than some of the cheaper ones I've seen. Sizes are LASER-etched and clear, and it comes with a little pouch to suck up moisture from the air and hold it right on the steel... yumm!

EDIT: It appears the inner surface of the pouch is rubberized... so maybe moisture will not be a problem...?

TL/DR: Not premium quality but certainly fit for purpose, and anyone who's used them knows they can be a life saver; for 6 bux it's gonna be hard not to get my money's worth.

Cheers!

mnem
Stay hungry; stay toolish.

Well, I just caught those...
= spare 2456B (115mm) and 2679B (125mm), both unused and from original German production

- prrrbllllltt -

[tggzzz]

Here's one for the aircraft-lickers. I did not know that before the Harrier was the Harrier, it was the Kestrel...

And before that, the P.1127.

[Robert763]

Introducing my new YouTube series. How not to package stuff….

This is the HP OCXO.  Haven’t opened it yet as I’m too busy 
 

Subscribed ... 

Yay my first subscriber 

I’m going to do some proper content at some point. Probably forward engineering and repair stuff if I get the time.

OCXO box works nicely. Surprisingly the unknown uncalibrated 5381A is only 0.4Hz off and rock solid. Now I need a GPSDO to check the OXCO against  .

I’m wondering if I bother with buying that 5334B or just use this and keep the OCXO box as a transfer standard until I find someone who can check it properly. It’s probably enough for my trivial requirements like this now.

Edit: I’m being an idiot.  Of course I need the 5334B 

I've got that Rapco GPSDO sorted. Just doing some photos to post details. I don't really need a 7th GPSDO......
I've also got a 5335A with 1GHz input and 10811D GPSDO. If you get those two off me you will have 2 slightly differerent OXCO's and a GPSDO and a coounter with statistics so a good time nut strter pack......

[mnementh]

         https://www.ebay.com/itm/203519104466

Fecking eBay muppets. Bought a digitizer to repair my laptop after it was brutally assaulted by Johnny the Tackling Alzheimer's Patient Randomly Leaping Xylophone (long story, and Johnny belongs to SWMBO so no way to win on that one); whole screen assemblies were in the neighborhood of $150 by the time they get to me, so when the guy accepted my $50 offer, I thought I'd gotten lucky. 

Now the cynic in me wants to say the guy deliberately took the listing photos such that it obscured the damage... but I don't wanna be that guy anymore; I wanna keep the generally good feeling of DILLIGAF...? I've cultivated since moving to the GWN dropped my internal stress level by 20-40dB. 

Under any circumstances, this was very prominent damage and must've been visible from the front of the thing before he even took it apart to scrape the digitizer off of the cracked LCD; so I was really dreading the return process and trying to get my money/shipping/duty, etc back.

Fortunatley, eBay.ca has a customer support link to have someone call you; which I did, and they started the "dispute resolution" process I've long associated with eBay. Depending on the response from the seller, I should just have to post some pics I already have to get my money back.

Oh, and y'all would be proud of me... I didn't go all rabid dwagon nor nuttin'; just simple & sweet as sugar in my request:

"This part was listed as "used" from a working laptop. It is "damaged". There is a very prominent gouge in the digitizer film right in the middle of the screen. I cannot use this part, and quite frankly it never should have been put up for sale."

mnem

[Neomys Sapiens]

Some recent auctions on Ebay.de raise my suspicion that HTB Elektronik is preparing to close shop. They throw out what they have - someone got a working R&S ZVRE VNA (digital, 2-port, 4 GHz) for 2800.-!

Today comes a Maury Microwave  Noise Gain Analyser. I'll watch them closely now.

[Specmaster]

         https://www.ebay.com/itm/203519104466

Fecking eBay muppets. Bought a digitizer to repair my laptop after it was brutally assaulted by Johnny the Tackling Alzheimer's Patient Randomly Leaping Xylophone (long story, and Johnny belongs to SWMBO so no way to win on that one); whole screen assemblies were in the neighborhood of $150 by the time they get to me, so when the guy accepted my $50 offer, I thought I'd gotten lucky. 

Now the cynic in me wants to say the guy deliberately took the listing photos such that it obscured the damage... but I don't wanna be that guy anymore; I wanna keep the generally good feeling of DILLIGAF...? I've cultivated since moving to the GWN dropped my internal stress level by 20-40dB. 

Under any circumstances, this was very prominent damage and must've been visible from the front of the thing before he even took it apart to scrape the digitizer off of the cracked LCD; so I was really dreading the return process and trying to get my money/shipping/duty, etc back.

Fortunatley, eBay.ca has a customer support link to have someone call you; which I did, and they started the "dispute resolution" process I've long associated with eBay. Depending on the response from the seller, I should just have to post some pics I already have to get my money back.

Oh, and y'all would be proud of me... I didn't go all rabid dwagon nor nuttin'; just simple & sweet as sugar in my request:

"This part was listed as "used" from a working laptop. It is "damaged". There is a very prominent gouge in the digitizer film right in the middle of the screen. I cannot use this part, and quite frankly it never should have been put up for sale."

mnem

OK, who are you and what have you done with our Dwagon?

[mnementh]

Introducing my new YouTube series. How not to package stuff….

This is the HP OCXO.  Haven’t opened it yet as I’m too busy 



 

If it wasn't fecked before, it is now after that shake down  Seriously they could have found a bigger box to put such a small thing in, oh no, they don't make tea chests anymore do they 

And your second subscriber 

meh. I'll just bookmark your page until something forces me to log in.  I don't feed Gurrgle any more often than I absolutely have to.

Nice view from Beacon Hill, BTW... makes me homesick for the ol' homestead in East BumbleFuck, NY.

mnem
*toddles off to lick a unicorn*

[mnementh]

Quick OCXO teardown. Works absolutely as intended by the looks.

First view of the insides. Reasonable construction. Proper TRW socketed. I was worried the module was going to be soldered in but it's fine.

   ...Thanks to Robert for pointing this one out     Edit: also 5334B snagged to stick it in 

Did that crusty BNC clean up okay, or didja replace it...?

Dang... looks like 3-400VA worth of toroidal XFMR there. A wee bit overkill I'll wager... but bet it runs cold as a stone.

mnem
"Here, just let me put my highball on there to cool off..."

D'OH!

[mnementh]

...Oh, and y'all would be proud of me... I didn't go all rabid dwagon nor nuttin'; just simple & sweet as sugar in my request:

"This part was listed as "used" from a working laptop. It is "damaged". There is a very prominent gouge in the digitizer film right in the middle of the screen. I cannot use this part, and quite frankly it never should have been put up for sale."

mnem

OK, who are you and what have you done with our Dwagon?

Just chalk it up to the bigger fish to fry effect of moving dwagons.

mnem


 

[Robert763]

Quick OCXO teardown. Works absolutely as intended by the looks.

First view of the insides. Reasonable construction. Proper TRW socketed. I was worried the module was going to be soldered in but it's fine.

   ...Thanks to Robert for pointing this one out     Edit: also 5334B snagged to stick it in 

Did that crusty BNC clean up okay, or didja replace it...?

Dang... looks like 3-400VA worth of toroidal XFMR there. A wee bit overkill I'll wager... but bet it runs cold as a stone.

mnem
"Here, just let me put my highball on there to cool off..."

How big do you think a 10544A is?  We arn't talking Tek hollowstate  The transformer is probably 30VA, 60 tops. Just about right.

[tggzzz]

Introducing my new YouTube series. How not to package stuff….

This is the HP OCXO.  Haven’t opened it yet as I’m too busy 



 

I hate most yootoob vids because talking heads are a waste of my remaining life. Irritatingly that avoids both of those traps. I'm still not going to become the 7th subscriber, though

[mnementh]

Quick OCXO teardown. Works absolutely as intended by the looks.

First view of the insides. Reasonable construction. Proper TRW socketed. I was worried the module was going to be soldered in but it's fine.

   ...Thanks to Robert for pointing this one out     Edit: also 5334B snagged to stick it in 

Did that crusty BNC clean up okay, or didja replace it...?

Dang... looks like 3-400VA worth of toroidal XFMR there. A wee bit overkill I'll wager... but bet it runs cold as a stone.

mnem
"Here, just let me put my highball on there to cool off..."

How big do you think a 10544A is?  We arn't talking Tek hollowstate  The transformer is probably 30VA, 60 tops. Just about right.

You're right... I should've looked closer and would've noticed how small it is compared to the back of the BNC, LEDs and such.     I was looking at the winding and thinking "damn, that looks just like the one at my feet, which is good for 6-8 ish amps"; but obviously not on 2nd look.

So, I guess "hoist on his own petard..." etc...

Dude... did you even do more than just glance at the pic...?
mnem

Ummm.... evidently not.   

mnem