Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

WTF, guys I'm just in the process of fitting this Fluke jack block to the 85 and after removing the old broken one, I went to fit the new one, only to discover it is not new as advertised but is infact a pull from another meter 

It is now fitted and works OK, but it is not as described, I think I'll ping a claim of this seller with photos and see what he is going to do about it. He has no more left, so maybe he'll offer a reasonable discount, seeing that he did state that it was brand new.

[AVGresponding]

@Saskia:

there is was a nice Wow- and Flutter meter from Philips (PM 6307) in the ebay Kleinanzeigen:
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/philips-wow-and-flutter-ink-test-kassette-top-zustand/1859470927-172-1990

I very much want one of these; if anyone sees one that can be shipped to the UK please ping me.

you should name the cup Sisytronix 585 or similar ...

No, Sisytronix 547.

sorry, did not want to take too much piss out of you   

That's the job of the catheter...

[bd139]

WTF, guys I'm just in the process of fitting this Fluke jack block to the 85 and after removing the old broken one, I went to fit the new one, only to discover it is not new as advertised but is infact a pull from another meter 

It is now fitted and works OK, but it is not as described, I think I'll ping a claim of this seller with photos and see what he is going to do about it. He has no more left, so maybe he'll offer a reasonable discount, seeing that he did state that it was brand new.

Oof. Where did you get it from?

[Saskia]

urgs. That sucks. good luck.

[Specmaster]

WTF, guys I'm just in the process of fitting this Fluke jack block to the 85 and after removing the old broken one, I went to fit the new one, only to discover it is not new as advertised but is infact a pull from another meter 

It is now fitted and works OK, but it is not as described, I think I'll ping a claim of this seller with photos and see what he is going to do about it. He has no more left, so maybe he'll offer a reasonable discount, seeing that he did state that it was brand new.

Oof. Where did you get it from?

From this seller in the USA on eBay joelfriend, Scopemeter Repair.com in Hartville.

[25 CPS]

Another 5 1/2 digit bench multimeter from the 90's. It's an HP 3468A off of the Bay of Pay. It was packed very well, but it was dirty and had a good amount of old permanent marker on it. The lithium primary battery (3V nominal) measures 3.42V, and nobody has played doctor with it. ICs have date codes of 1991.

Perhaps the 3468A isn't that interesting on it's own, but it is interesting to compare it to the Keithley 197A. The 3468A has a more modern interface with soft-touch buttons and a larger LCD. It has no backlight, but neither does the 197A, effectively. The 3468A does have HP-IL (of questionable use nowadays), and it can only measure to 300V and 3A. The Keithley can make relative measurements, measure dBm, has a built-in data-logger, and can measure the forward voltage drop of diodes. It also has safety banana jacks, and can measure 1000V and 10A. The HP has a funny shape that allows the folding bale to tuck underneath, whereas the Keithley's bale is always in the way if you aren't using it.

The 300V limit on the HP is really a deal-breaker for me (think vacuum tubes). It's either going in the sale thread or back on the 'bay from whence it came.

Getting old permanent marker off of textured plastic is a real pain. I tried multi-surface cleaner, WD-40, acetone, chlorinated brake cleaner, and car polish. The thing that seemed to offer the best results was the "magic eraser", which is a soft white sponge with a mild abrasive in it. N.B.: it creates a matte finish on the plastic and "magically erases" all printed text and graphics. It doesn't clean down into the texture, but it looks better than before.

Cerebus, HP are a step ahead of you (and hopefully me) with their warning label.

EDIT:

Anybody know the MSRP on the 197A and 3468A?

Yes that 300V limitation and the lack of a backlight was my biggest problem with the 3478 and also the 3468. I never noticed it until I did some work on a couple of vacuum tube items and the readings had me scratching my head for a while before the penny dropped that I'd run out of headroom on volts range  I soon flipped them after that, otherwise they are very good meters.

I ran into that too.  The main measurement station on my bench is a pair of 3478A with a 3457A sitting on top of them, which is great, except for anything involving a B+ voltage above that 300 volt limit.  So, next to those is a pair of 34401A stacked up.  One was an ebay buy fairly locally and the other was one of those NIB US Navy surplus ones that were being sold a year and a bit ago which takes care of the high voltage work.  I got those before 34401A prices exploded, luckily.  I can't believe what those are selling for now.

I left the 3478As and 3457A that sits on top of them in place since they're still great meters and for anything under that 300 volt threshold, keeps the VFD wear off the displays in the 34401As, plus it gives me two DMM stations to work with on that bench.

Yeah, you kindof said what I was thinking, only a bit less directly: Why the fuck would you get rid of a 34x8A that you got in good working condition at a good price...? There is no such thing as too many good meters, especially in here... 

mnem
"Big, little, short or tall; I tell you I loved them all... each and every one..."

Resulting monies from the sale would be placed into the "buy duckduck a spectrum analyzer" fund. Is that a valid defense in the court of public opinion, or am I on shaky legal ground? I have already signed the "I will never buy tubes that I have reason to believe may have been removed from a Tek scope" affidavit and I support the right to keep and bear vintage rackmount HP test equipment. I want to see the look on the face of an intruder when he sees the red glow of my deadly accurate 3455A aimed at his center of mass  Can you facepalm your own post?

EDIT:

Leave bd139 alone. Who doesn't enjoy dress-up night?

I guess it comes down to how good the market for unloading a used HP bench meter is where you are.  If you're going to be out the meter if you sell it but not get much cash to put into the spectrum analyzer fund, maybe it's better to keep the meter and enjoy it while saving up.  If you can get a good price for it and be happy without it, by all means.

Ironically, unloading meters to save up for spectrum analyzers never came up for me since all the deals on meters came along after I found good deals on spectrum analyzers so for the longest time, I had one 3478A to go with a 3588A and 8592A which had far more to do with jumping on equipment deals as they came up rather than an organized plan towards outfitting the test bench.  Most of the good deals on meters came along after I came across affordable spectrum analyzers and the total giveaway 3562A dynamic signal analyzer that was a local pickup eBay purchase that nobody else bid against me on.

[Cubdriver]

That 8482A with the cable had my attention for a few minutes.  They will ship to the GWN and the shipping rate is quite reasonable. 
Still too expensive for my budget though; the 436A here is going to have to continue to stay lonely and unloved.

I didn't pay the full price. I made an offer $25 less and they accepted it. Who knows how low they will go?  That sensor is in really good physical shape (and it works right).

I also have noticed more lately that if I add something to my watch list, that I will get an offer from the buyer in a few days. Sometimes that's a way to get a good deal.

I just threw an offer of $25 less on one, too, but it now indicates that the seller is away until the fourth, so who knows what will come of it.

I've found the same result with watching things - there have been a lot more offers over the past few months in my experience, too.

-Pat

[mnementh]

Ah yes seen those PCs before. The ones where the ants are trying to carry the laptop away because it's full of tasty cockroach remains and mountain dew

Ummm... no. This was one where you open up the box and at first you think there's wires wiggling at you... then you see all the beady little eyes staring you down.

Then when I got home I found dozens crawling around the trunk of the car and my toolbag.   

mnem

train and pay them to actually clean your car ...

Are you kidding...? I'm lucky they didn't blackjack me for my keys and phone... next thing you know, they'd be taking over my client list and pushing me out of my own territory... 

mnem
OTOH, wouldn't be much different from my last job in Tampa...

[nfmax]

I shown an in-service optical fibre in 1979. It was a telephone link in the USA. A Big Deal back then. I was 17

There were a small number of in-service multimode links in the UK in 1978; they were effectively "pilot plants" rather than "lab experiments". Even as late as 82 when I left the field, multimode dominated installed fibres - but single mode was clearly the future.

Back in March, FTTP was finally installed at my house - singlemode, natch. Just because, I showed the installer a reel of (multimode) fibre I MADE MYSELF as a postgrad back in 1981. I made the MCVD preform on the lathe, and pulled it myself on one of the world's very first pulling towers.

Bragging rights...

[Neper]

I very much want one of these; if anyone sees one that can be shipped to the UK please ping me.

I was tempted to buy it. A mere 15 km from here, but it's across the Rhine and with the current chaos on our bridges that would have been a 3 hour round trip.

Ralf

[TERRA Operative]

I got one!

It's now in pieces getting restored. 

[Kosmic]

I got one!

It's now in pieces getting restored. 

The Cesium tube is still good ?

[mnementh]

I shown an in-service optical fibre in 1979. It was a telephone link in the USA. A Big Deal back then. I was 17

There were a small number of in-service multimode links in the UK in 1978; they were effectively "pilot plants" rather than "lab experiments". Even as late as 82 when I left the field, multimode dominated installed fibres - but single mode was clearly the future.

Back in March, FTTP was finally installed at my house - singlemode, natch. Just because, I showed the installer a reel of (multimode) fibre I MADE MYSELF as a postgrad back in 1981. I made the MCVD preform on the lathe, and pulled it myself on one of the world's very first pulling towers.

Bragging rights...

I bought a 50 ft LC patch cable from Fry's and used it to go across a 6x10 IDF. I left the excess Velcro-tied neatly in a great big loop and hung on the demarc box.

Per explicit direction from the Bridge coordinating the rollout.   

mnem
*cringe rights*

[TERRA Operative]

I got one!

It's now in pieces getting restored. 

The Cesium tube is still good ?

This one is rubidium, and yep, the whole device looks like it's in fantastic shape (pending operational tests), beyond a few capacitors and stuff to replace that is usual for a device of this age.

[TERRA Operative]

I shown an in-service optical fibre in 1979. It was a telephone link in the USA. A Big Deal back then. I was 17

There were a small number of in-service multimode links in the UK in 1978; they were effectively "pilot plants" rather than "lab experiments". Even as late as 82 when I left the field, multimode dominated installed fibres - but single mode was clearly the future.

Back in March, FTTP was finally installed at my house - singlemode, natch. Just because, I showed the installer a reel of (multimode) fibre I MADE MYSELF as a postgrad back in 1981. I made the MCVD preform on the lathe, and pulled it myself on one of the world's very first pulling towers.

Bragging rights...

I bought a 50 ft LC patch cable from Fry's and used it to go across a 6x10 IDF. I left the excess Velcro-tied neatly in a great big loop and hung on the demarc box.

Per explicit direction from the Bridge coordinating the rollout.   

mnem
*cringe rights*

Yeah? Well.. I plugged in a few 100G optics today!

[med6753]

You guys are a bad influence. I need to buy something. 

[Specmaster]

OK, here is finished meter with new jacks installed and working. Also are the photos of the old and new jacks and the arrows point to clear signs that these are not new as claimed and even have slight damage via chips etc, thankfully none of these are really visible once installed.

I installed them as these are now like hens teeth and currently there are none available on the evil bay. I do feel peeved as once the shipping and import duty has been paid they nearly cost as much as the entire meter cost me. So, should I just suck it up and get on with it, or should I raise a claim for not as described via eBay?

[AVGresponding]

OK, here is finished meter with new jacks installed and working. Also are the photos of the old and new jacks and the arrows point to clear signs that these are not new as claimed and even have slight damage via chips etc, thankfully none of these are really visible once installed.

I installed them as these are now like hens teeth and currently there are none available on the evil bay. I do feel peeved as once the shipping and import duty has been paid they nearly cost as much as the entire meter cost me. So, should I just suck it up and get on with it, or should I raise a claim for not as described via eBay?

Tricky... it's clearly not as described, but what if the seller wants you to return it, for a refund..?

[Specmaster]

OK, here is finished meter with new jacks installed and working. Also are the photos of the old and new jacks and the arrows point to clear signs that these are not new as claimed and even have slight damage via chips etc, thankfully none of these are really visible once installed.

I installed them as these are now like hens teeth and currently there are none available on the evil bay. I do feel peeved as once the shipping and import duty has been paid they nearly cost as much as the entire meter cost me. So, should I just suck it up and get on with it, or should I raise a claim for not as described via eBay?

Tricky... it's clearly not as described, but what if the seller wants you to return it, for a refund..?

The thought did cross my mind, but I doubt that because of the shipping via GSP costs.

[AVGresponding]

I see that Thandar scope-meter sold, apparently for the full asking price!

OK, here is finished meter with new jacks installed and working. Also are the photos of the old and new jacks and the arrows point to clear signs that these are not new as claimed and even have slight damage via chips etc, thankfully none of these are really visible once installed.

I installed them as these are now like hens teeth and currently there are none available on the evil bay. I do feel peeved as once the shipping and import duty has been paid they nearly cost as much as the entire meter cost me. So, should I just suck it up and get on with it, or should I raise a claim for not as described via eBay?

Tricky... it's clearly not as described, but what if the seller wants you to return it, for a refund..?

The thought did cross my mind, but I doubt that because of the shipping via GSP costs.

Probably worth the risk then, with a decent chance of a partial refund

[Specmaster]

I see that Thandar scope-meter sold, apparently for the full asking price!

Well, call me gob-smacked, I had it earmarked if it came down to a sensible price. I did make an offer on it, but as I predicted, it was ignored.

[Cubdriver]

You guys are a bad influence. I need to buy something. 

You do.  My offer on the RF sensor head was accepted.  Join the club, man - buy something!

-Pat

[25 CPS]

You guys are a bad influence. I need to buy something. 

Retail therapy.  Isn't that one of the things pension cheques are supposed to be for?

[med6753]

You guys are a bad influence. I need to buy something. 

You do.  My offer on the RF sensor head was accepted.  Join the club, man - buy something!

-Pat

OK, sell me your 547 and I'll even come and pick it up. 

[Cubdriver]

You guys are a bad influence. I need to buy something. 

You do.  My offer on the RF sensor head was accepted.  Join the club, man - buy something!

-Pat

OK, sell me your 547 and I'll even come and pick it up. 

I could maybe hook you up with a 465, but sorry, the 547 is staying here.   

-Pat