Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

Perhaps the load blew the current and smoothing controls off the front shortly before this picture was taken

Yep, I was going to mention that the current limiting control was defunct and then forgot to post it.

[shakalnokturn]

Just scored a clean 100MHz TDS2012B in good condition for not much cash. No I'm not keeping it        Talking of which the TBS is going on ebay this weekend.

2.5Kpts depth...? *blerk and a half*

mnem
*huggles his MegaZoom close*

They're even worse than that they have 2.5k points! Having 2.5K points would feel slightly better at least on the marketing side of things.

What are you all complaining about.. .that fancy TPS2024 you all are drooling over, is not better ! 

OK yes I too couldn't believe Tek put so little memory on these scopes, and thought so even when they were brand new in 1997 when we received them at school.... a super fancy scope at 1GS/s.. but only 2.5K of memory ?! The Tek series 2000 we had, 10 years older, were already better equipped than that, at 4K ! 

I know... Probably the best reason not to hold on to it.

Isn't it a feature of the fast (at the time it was designed) CCD acquisition having f-all memory depth?

The Tek 2000's have more depth but don't sample quite as fast.

[bd139]

Ignoring the price, I did consider that 2.5kpts is probably ok for basic and amateur users but the aliasing issues are a massive problem and thoroughly resolved in every other major brand scope. I can see new end users tripping over this without an understanding of what is going on.

But including the price, at £1170 for a 100MHz unit (TBS1102B), it's laughable. That's 3.25x the price of a 4 channel DS1054Z or 200MHz SDS1202X-E.

Tektronix can get fucked.

[tautech]

Yeah that's a proper scope.

I don't know why anyone would buy anything but those Siglents new now unless you need to go up a couple of levels of super-power.

True but not everyone needs the feature set of the 4ch X-E's so the somewhat cheaper SDS1104X-U has gained some traction .....of which we have a new inquiry for one right now. 

[bd139]

Way to kill Rigol too 

I notice they kicked out a 2 channel 200MHz DS1000Z 

[mnementh]

Re-watched Back to the Future parts 1 & 2 last night, and noticed the name on the side of the manure truck that Biff crashes into twice. Would have been just a random name back when I watched it in the past, but is nowadays quite amusing...



Finally managed to score one of the cheap GW Instek scopes on CDL this morning. They still have a few unsold that will be relisted, so there's a possibility they'll get cheaper yet. If you tilt at one remember to check the pics first; some have screen damage.

Heh... my son just "discovered" Karate Kid and asked if he could watch it. I said "Hell yes." Nice when they appreciate the classics. 

mnem
"Wax on... wax off.. Breathe in... breathe out..."

[tautech]

Way to kill Rigol too 

I notice they kicked out a 2 channel 200MHz DS1000Z 

And it seems quite well priced and featured but dunno just how bug free it is yet. 

[bd139]

I know someone who bought one. It's exactly same as a DS1054Z. Relatively bug free now. Lag included 

[Saskia]

the last 1054Z I got I paid a hunnerd for ...
Could not resist flipping it ...

[mnementh]

I bought my 1054Zed from TEQuip; they matched a sale on Arrow and threw in a 50Ω terminator, and had it in stock. $302 delivered.

I do admit to missing the protocol features from time to time... but the 54645A has definitely spoiled me as far as usability. I have this terrible feeling that when I finally do have the Zed back, I'm going to cringe every time I turn it on... 

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Just scored a clean 100MHz TDS2012B in good condition for not much cash. No I'm not keeping it        Talking of which the TBS is going on ebay this weekend.

2.5K kpts depth...? *blerk and a half*

mnem
*huggles his MegaZoom close*

They're even worse than that they have 2.5k points! Having 2.5K points would feel slightly better at least on the marketing side of things.

Feel better now...? 

mnem
either way, still S-F-A memory.

[bd139]

Ok just did a penis fingers. If you're measuring S11 in a large signal class C amplifier near midnight, don't blindly connect the output to the NanoVNA CH1 port instead of the dummy load. S21 measurements no worky now . Think the smoke escaped  . Back to using RLB, power tap and scope! 

But before that, bed!

[Cerebus]

Re-watched Back to the Future parts 1 & 2 last night, and noticed the name on the side of the manure truck that Biff crashes into twice. Would have been just a random name back when I watched it in the past, but is nowadays quite amusing...



Finally managed to score one of the cheap GW Instek scopes on CDL this morning. They still have a few unsold that will be relisted, so there's a possibility they'll get cheaper yet. If you tilt at one remember to check the pics first; some have screen damage.

Heh... my son just "discovered" Karate Kid and asked if he could watch it. I said "Hell yes." Nice when they appreciate the classics. 

mnem
"Wax on... wax off.. Breathe in... breathe out..."

At least you'll get a clean car.

[tautech]

Ok just did a penis fingers. If you're measuring S11 in a large signal class C amplifier near midnight, don't blindly connect the output to the NanoVNA CH1 port instead of the dummy load. S21 measurements no worky now . Think the smoke escaped  . Back to using RLB, power tap and scope! 

But before that, bed!

Oh no, don't you hate it when that happens and when not only did you stuff up but also failed to recognize you were too tired to be doing something that might put your TE at risk. 
Double fuck up !

[xrunner]

Ok just did a penis fingers. If you're measuring S11 in a large signal class C amplifier near midnight, don't blindly connect the output to the NanoVNA CH1 port instead of the dummy load. S21 measurements no worky now . Think the smoke escaped  . Back to using RLB, power tap and scope! 

But before that, bed!

Oh crap - not a big loss though. Easy recovery. 

[bd139]

Yeah looks like I smoked some R’s and that’s it. Possibly SA612 as well but that’s reading ok across the inputs. Can’t see anything as such just R open so far. May have killed the coupling caps. Don’t even look damaged. Will look at it tomorrow. Not expensive to fix though which is good.

[tggzzz]

Ok just did a penis fingers. If you're measuring S11 in a large signal class C amplifier near midnight, don't blindly connect ...

Thinking of penis fingers, what could possibly go wrong with this? https://hackaday.com/2021/09/03/wearable-scope-lets-your-fingers-do-the-probing/

[Specmaster]

Way to kill Rigol too 

I notice they kicked out a 2 channel 200MHz DS1000Z 

And it seems quite well priced and featured but dunno just how bug free it is yet. 

Isn't that a problem with all modern day equipment when they contain so much coding in them?

[mnementh]

OK now for some more TEA. Maybe the grey beard will have a clue and give me some info on this little gizmo I just did a quick tear down of for you people.

The guy I bought one of my two Metrix nixie counters (not the one picture earlier, another one with only 6 digits, 10Mhz not 160Mhz), also gave me this little artifact as a bonus. Said it was so crap he didn't even find it worth the effort putting it up for sale as for sure nobody would want it.

I always wondered what it was for !  Seller had no clue either !

Looks old, looks military looking maybe... it's tiny, fits in the hand !

If I believe the scale on the galvanometer, it's an ohm-meter, with two ranges. There as switch on the side of the case to let you select that.
Also on the side there is a handle that you can crank to energize it.

So far so good, looks like your typical ancient mega-ohmmeter to measure earth resistance.

Problem is... the scale should read in the tens of Mohms..... whereas here, it's the opposite : it measures very LOW values : one scale for 0 - 50 ohms, other scale is 0 - 150 ohms !!!

There's something that feels very mining, possibly explosives related aboot that little device. Also, just because the current holder of that business name was founded in the 60s, does not mean it's the same company at all, or may even have been restructured, etc.

mnem
*idle thoughts of an idle fellow*

[bd139]

Ok just did a penis fingers. If you're measuring S11 in a large signal class C amplifier near midnight, don't blindly connect ...

Thinking of penis fingers, what could possibly go wrong with this? https://hackaday.com/2021/09/03/wearable-scope-lets-your-fingers-do-the-probing/

Dead makers? Is that a bad thing 

[mnementh]

Yeah looks like I smoked some R’s and that’s it. Possibly SA612 as well but that’s reading ok across the inputs. Can’t see anything as such just R open so far. May have killed the coupling caps. Don’t even look damaged. Will look at it tomorrow. Not expensive to fix though which is good.

I suppose the counterfeit one may serve as a donor if need be...? I mean, you sound annoyed, so figured it was your good one. You'd probably be crowing if you smoked the counterfeit...

mnem
 

[bd139]

Way to kill Rigol too 

I notice they kicked out a 2 channel 200MHz DS1000Z 

And it seems quite well priced and featured but dunno just how bug free it is yet. 

Isn't that a problem with all modern day equipment when they contain so much coding in them?

I wouldn’t worry about scope software. Every time you spend money, some code runs somewhere written by an outsourcer who bought his degree for three goats, was stoned and working up to his knees in fecal matter flooded from the Ganges. And he has several orders of magnitude more clue than the guys telling him what to do. Worry about that instead

[Cerebus]

Ok just did a penis fingers. If you're measuring S11 in a large signal class C amplifier near midnight, don't blindly connect ...

Thinking of penis fingers, what could possibly go wrong with this? https://hackaday.com/2021/09/03/wearable-scope-lets-your-fingers-do-the-probing/

Dead makers? Is that a bad thing 

I believe that I have made my opinions on that topic completely clear in the past!

[Fx: sound of grinding wheel on cold, hard steel.]

[mnementh]

Ok just did a penis fingers. If you're measuring S11 in a large signal class C amplifier near midnight, don't blindly connect ...

Thinking of penis fingers, what could possibly go wrong with this? https://hackaday.com/2021/09/03/wearable-scope-lets-your-fingers-do-the-probing/

Dead makers? Is that a bad thing 

Naaahh... just let 'em wear it while they're spanking it and them, then you can measure their testicle-hertz...

mnem
*ducks into his soggy ol' boot shelter for the duration of dinner*

[tautech]

Way to kill Rigol too 

I notice they kicked out a 2 channel 200MHz DS1000Z 

And it seems quite well priced and featured but dunno just how bug free it is yet. 

Isn't that a problem with all modern day equipment when they contain so much coding in them?

To some it is for sure yet without coding you are stuck with what it can do at time of production. Period.
Innovative additions can be made just with a FW update such as what has just been done with our 4ch X-E's.
A NTP clock, Trace labeling and a dedicated logging feature that I've not played with yet so not sure how powerful it is yet with a deep memory DSO and ability to save captures as CSV you have that sort of capability already.