Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[tggzzz]

Yesterday it was more "East Enders" and British version of "Law and Order". This morning she wakes up before me and now it's "Doc Martin". When I take her home later today I'm going to have to set up at least 3 bug bombs to completely cleanse the place. 

Edit....maybe I need to set up some kind of jammer. 

Permanently tune it to Fox Nooos. That's equivalent!

[AVGresponding]

This and some other crusty old stuff from what looks like a ham having a clearout in Chelford:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284448291325

Nah, thats just normal tarnishing etc that happens when stored in a shed. Most of that will clean up nicely.

You can buy it then!   

[tggzzz]

LMAO.

Got some revenge on the old hag upstairs again. So she’s watching Gladiator at full volume. It was 23:44 and I hit pissed off mode when I could hear clanking of swords and shit. Well quick research and ITV here is on 514MHz (well the mux is) and  has a few MHz of bandwidth. So out comes the NanoVNA poked on 514MHz with a 10Mhz span. Worked out a BNC panel mount can be wedged in my aerial coupler and connected via SMA adapter to the NanoVNA. So I poked the signal up the feed line. Only took one minute of it dropping out over and over again once per sweep while the front end of her TV puked. Heard her swear very loudly, turn it off and go to bed 

I’m now sitting in bed in silence reading about wide band noise sources and amplifiers 

Edit: attached configuration

Now you need to work out how to modulate it so there's ghostly voices in the static like that movie...   

mnem
karma works both ways. 

If you are going that far, you could try Gracie Fields "Sally" on repeat - but she's old so that might remind her of her youth.

A more modern irritant would be Faust's "The Faust Tapes", which I only bought because Richard Branson was selling it at 25% of the normal LP price, i.e. 50p. I grew to like it as "the music to play when you are sick of your other records".

Or, of course the two attached mp3s are designed to wake people up with extreme prejudice.

[tggzzz]

Today's trip was to the Exeter hamfest. There were quite a few small scopes, not too crusty but not worth thinking about getting.

I recognised some items as having been purchased at the "Victorian and Later Effects" auction I mentioned a few days ago, e.g.


Ended up with a 5-decade resistance substitution box which I will probably flip (looks like it all works except the lowest resistor (10ohms). I can guess why that's now 70ohms, and hope the switch hasn't been buggered.

Also rescued a Fluke 8300A DMM marked as "all nixies work". Without bothering to let it warm up, when my 34410A shows 10Vdc, this shows 10.0002V. The Vac settings look reasonable, the mVdc show 0, as do the ohms settings.

[Specmaster]

This and some other crusty old stuff from what looks like a ham having a clearout in Chelford:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284448291325

Nah, thats just normal tarnishing etc that happens when stored in a shed. Most of that will clean up nicely.

You can buy it then!   

Nah, you buy it and use some of that fantastic Brasso (AKA Duragilt) and see if I'm not, I don't buy boat anchors.

[bd139]

Think you need some Dr Guff’s Turd Polish for that

[Specmaster]

Nah, Duraglit will bring the handles, and side rails up a treat and a quick rub down of the case a rattle can of paint a good wipe down of the facia will make it look pretty good, I've had worse looking gear before.

[Zucca]

Now you need to work out how to modulate it so there's ghostly voices in the static like that movie...   

Ghostly voices? nnaaaa go for "Rocco invades Poland".
It the TV was at full blast, surely it would be turned off very quickly.

[bd139]

One of my neighbours named their kid Rocco. I don’t think they knew the significance 

[mnementh]

Most suspect scope award goes to https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313671287713

Oh, isn't it just darling...? I love its rustic charm... 

mnem
rust never sleeps...

[Specmaster]

Most suspect scope award goes to https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313671287713

Oh, isn't it just darling...? I love its rustic charm... 

mnem
rust never sleeps...

Said nobody....ever 

[Neper]

I remember scanning around with an RTL-SDR stick a few years ago and finding an stray narrow FM signal on a few hundred Mhz - not any ISM band I could recognize - that turned out to be audio from a TV.

Many years ago, a friend wondered why his stereo amp was always running hot, even at very low listening levels. So I took it home to have a closer look and maybe correct the quiescent current setting. While I was testing the amp, my amateur radio rig was running in the corner, tuned to 40 meters, and the amp signal was coming loud and clear out of my receiver.

As it turned out, the amp was broadcasting its input signal on 7 megs with one hell of a signal. No wonder it ran hot all the time.

[mnementh]

Spent some time yesterday diagnosing one of my Anritsu MG3633 signal generators. (SNIP) So I think about bodging some MMIC in here for further checks until the spare parts arrive to see if there's more damage.

Success!
Found this MMIC amplifier "board" that I had built some time ago for testing purposes and temporarily connected it to the pads of the defective UPD1677.

      

...So I'll just have to stash this MG3633 and its guts away for some weeks until the replacement parts arrive, put in a new amplifier, put everything together again and hopefully I'll have a working as normal sig gen again.

Good sleuthing/bodging Sherlock! So do you think random IC fail, or something PSU related or...? Do they run these hot/close to max specs like the AD811ANs in my B&K 4070A/BNC 630?

EDIT:

BTW.... I just love the construction on that. Feels so Space-Race/Mil-spec "built to a spec, not to a price" enginerd-ery... nice herd.

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Most suspect scope award goes to https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313671287713

Giblets... that is crusty...

Have a couple good ones here as well !

https://www.leboncoin.fr/bricolage/2037590332.htm

and

https://www.leboncoin.fr/collection/2035985058.htm


This one is clean but not so sure about value for money ! 

https://www.leboncoin.fr/collection/1845407573.htm

  ...?

Did everybody wake up and just randomly decide to have a "2-bagger" contest...?   

mnem
I never get the memo...

[mnementh]

Now you need to work out how to modulate it so there's ghostly voices in the static like that movie...   

mnem
karma works both ways. 

If you are going that far, you could try Gracie Fields "Sally" on repeat - but she's old so that might remind her of her youth.

A more modern irritant would be Faust's "The Faust Tapes", which I only bought because Richard Branson was selling it at 25% of the normal LP price, i.e. 50p. I grew to like it as "the music to play when you are sick of your other records".

Or, of course the two attached mp3s are designed to wake people up with extreme prejudice.

Ghostly voices? nnaaaa go for "Rocco invades Poland".  It the TV was at full blast, surely it would be turned off very quickly.

I was really thinking more along the lines of creeping her out rather than waking her up.  Tho I guess if she doesn't get any sleep for a week, that would soon become its own brand of horror...

However... as bd has stated she's deaf as a hickory stump, I do have my doubts either approach would work as intended.

mnem
 

[Kosmic]

Most suspect scope award goes to https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313671287713

WTF!!

My favourite bit is the anode cable clearly hanging out the front.

Oh dear ... just got up to that. 



WTF is the point? Lost the original case I guess, or ... don't ask. 

Forget steampunk the "Shed" look is really popular now among what's left of the HAM crowd.

[tggzzz]

However... as bd has stated she's deaf as a hickory stump, I do have my doubts either approach would work as intended.

Yes, but those two warning?.mp3 files are designed to make people pay attention!

Having said that, my mother tended to do what bd's neighbour does. Fortunately the walls in her house varied from 1ft to 3ft thick, so we've never heard of the neighbours having problems.

[mnementh]

One of my neighbours named their kid Rocco. I don’t think they knew the significance 

mnem
Sadly, still as relevant as ever.

[mnementh]

However... as bd has stated she's deaf as a hickory stump, I do have my doubts either approach would work as intended.

Yes, but those two warning?.mp3 files are designed to make people pay attention!

Having said that, my mother tended to do what bd's neighbour does. Fortunately the walls in her house varied from 1ft to 3ft thick, so we've never heard of the neighbours having problems.

Well, those at 110% volume in the middle of the night would probably have the other neighbors calling the cops on her, so that might ultimately have the desired effect... 

But I highly doubt even those noxious noises would actually "wake her up" when having the cops break down her door already failed to do so...

mnem
https://youtu.be/BcCn-2ajpgY

[Kosmic]

¹ Sadly, the lawyers from Keysight pulled an ugly stunt and called off Ben Riddle, because of NDAs, intellectual properties and other stupid reasons.
Keysight is working really hard to permanently damage their reputation.     

Not sure what's going on with Keysight. Apparently, they stopped selling critical parts for the 3458a to individuals. This is particularly a problem with the ADC board that tend to die in 50% of the 3458a.

Was always thinking of eventually getting a 3458a but recently changed my mind since I might well end up with an unrepairable brick.

[mnementh]

This is what happens when you let the parasites (lawyers) take control of the host organism. "Tunnel vision" becomes the primary directive; then you get multiple different tunnel visions fighting for control.

I fear it won't be long before they go the way of RCA and TIMEX; reduced to a wholly-owned subsidiary of some factory in China that used to manufacture for them...   

mnem
"Get me the hell out of here..." ~ Dave, on meeting princess Carly face to face

[Zucca]

Was always thinking of eventually getting a 3458a but recently changed my mind since I might well end up with an unrepairable brick.

There is still hope

but I fully agree with you, anyway his majesty 3458a scares me to death regardless, lot of money for a very deep rabbit hole... and more deeper... and more money and time...

No I pass.

[Saskia]

Here's your rabbit hole.

Diabetes included.
https://youtu.be/oGc7FcE8614

[AVGresponding]

Today's trip was to the Exeter hamfest. There were quite a few small scopes, not too crusty but not worth thinking about getting.

I recognised some items as having been purchased at the "Victorian and Later Effects" auction I mentioned a few days ago, e.g.


Ended up with a 5-decade resistance substitution box which I will probably flip (looks like it all works except the lowest resistor (10ohms). I can guess why that's now 70ohms, and hope the switch hasn't been buggered.

Also rescued a Fluke 8300A DMM marked as "all nixies work". Without bothering to let it warm up, when my 34410A shows 10Vdc, this shows 10.0002V. The Vac settings look reasonable, the mVdc show 0, as do the ohms settings.

Presumably because it doesn't have the ohms/millivolt module (option 03) fitted.

Neither of mine have the ACV (01) module, one has the 03. Both are dead nuts against my recently cal'ed 8840A. Fluke for sure know how to build a meter!

[Kosmic]

Was always thinking of eventually getting a 3458a but recently changed my mind since I might well end up with an unrepairable brick.

There is still hope

but I fully agree with you, anyway his majesty 3458a scares me to death regardless, lot of money for a very deep rabbit hole... and more deeper... and more money and time...

No I pass.

yep you pay around 4k$ for the 3458a and first thing you know you need to fork out 2k$ more for parts. If you are lucky that is. You might have to send the meter to Keysight and it will cost you another 4k$.

I think I'll go play with my Solartron 7081 I paid 300$