Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[maskedviperus]

So its time i post in here...

I just scored this off facebook two days ago for 30bux (ship included). Got here today

Seems clean.  Powers up and the decimal point moves like its autoranging, but there are no digits displayed on the display.

Relays click.  Seems like a really clean unit.

Been wanting to try my hand at fixing somethin old and the price seemed decent 

EDIT: i feel with this many posts in here its prob best to just edit this post
thanks for the advice med -the plan was to start with the psu and caps and work forward.

in this album theres more pix and a clip of what it does -  looks like someone did a repair at one point

https://photos.app.goo.gl/z1djjHK6UbCuNyPb7

[med6753]

So its time i post in here...

I just scored this off facebook two days ago for 30bux (ship included). Got here today

Seems clean.  Powers up and the decimal point moves like its autoranging, but there are no digits displayed on the display.

Relays click.  Seems like a really clean unit.

Been wanting to try my hand at fixing somethin old and the price seemed decent 

Good deal. I have an 8600A too. First thing....check the PSU voltages. 2nd item....replace the Philips capacitors in the PSU. They are crap. After that's done see where you're at. 

Edit, oh and welcome to our nuthouse. 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Bought myself a table lamp. Someone tried to snipe me but I got in a headshot first!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284464291469


The lamp is missing but I'm sure I can fix that small problem. As it's not an AVO I'll have to paint my own smiley face on it.



@mnem yes I spent some time rummaging through my reclaimed zeners, found a 5.1V one but it's only a 500mW jobby so I'll have to add in a power tranny too, if I want to blow the 2A M205 fuse I'm planning to use without toasting the zener too.

This is not a table lamp! It is a perfectly fine FET analogue multimeter which is nearly identical on the inside with the already discussed PM2502.
If you paint on it, the Koninklijke Marechaussee shall come after you!

Oh, the cops!
I envisaged something like the "Baba Yaga!"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Yaga

KM is the scariest thing Dutch I could think of.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Quick update about my absence and lack of progress on the Dana 5100 DMM.

I was in the US visiting family.  My father had a stroke and this was perhaps my last chance to see him. Hard to know if he will live another 5 days or another 5 years.


I picked up Covid near the end of the trip.   Probably in Kalispell Montana  but maybe SLC.    My pre-flight tests were negative but my Day 2 (home in the UK) test came back positive.   We were also pinged by NHS track and trace, almost certainly from the train trip from London back to Wales.   

Finally feeling well enough to post here.

My father had one at 88 1.5years ago and he is almost back to his previous status. When properly treated on time, there are good chances nowadays.

[AVGresponding]

Working on the mini 212. This is the PSU board. I verified all transistors, diodes, zeners, and tants on this board are OK. Taking it slowly. This set up is the always on AC section that charges the batteries. I put the batteries on ceramic plates and have a fire extinguisher at the ready in case there was flames. I'm happy to report this section of the PSU is working and charging the batteries. Next step is to attempt to power up the inverter section with no load to see if it comes up.

This board is an real hazard to work on. It has AC in several places plus the board floats. In reality I should have it on an isolation transformer but even then it's a shock hazard. I connect the 87 before plugging the PSU and freaking stand back. 

Good to see you are using proper Meissen-lation techniques!   

[Cerebus]

Quick update about my absence and lack of progress on the Dana 5100 DMM.

I was in the US visiting family.  My father had a stroke and this was perhaps my last chance to see him. Hard to know if he will live another 5 days or another 5 years.


I picked up Covid near the end of the trip.   Probably in Kalispell Montana  but maybe SLC.    My pre-flight tests were negative but my Day 2 (home in the UK) test came back positive.   We were also pinged by NHS track and trace, almost certainly from the train trip from London back to Wales.   

Finally feeling well enough to post here.

My father had one at 88 1.5years ago and he is almost back to his previous status. When properly treated on time, there are good chances nowadays.

A friend of ours had one getting on for 5 years ago. When he came out of hospital afterwards he was, to put none too fine a point on it, a drooling idiot. A few months later he was back to his annoying self (He self pens poetry and insists on recitations at the drop of a hat). He's retained some mobility issues - he can walk and stand but needs help for more than a few steps and now uses a wheelchair but intellectually is as much as a pain in the arse as he ever was. 

[mnementh]

Urrghhh... iterative design... 

Done printing, and the part works perfectly... until I put it in the saw and tighten the screws. Then it crumples a bit and the battery binds up.

Just a few areas need to have some relief made in them; nonsymmetrical inconsistencies in the body of the saw that need to be allowed for.

I mean... YAY! Iterative Design!!!

mnem
*toddles off to ded*

#3 is now printing. We'll see.

Now off to run errands IRL.

mnem
a dwagon's work is never done...

[Kosmic]

Talking about soldering iron, anybody know if the new T245 JBC Clone are any good ? Supposed to be 200W. I really doubt it.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002983155657.html   

Edit: Was reviewed over here doesn't look bad.

That's a tough choice there... My gut reaction is that if I were ready to plunk down that kind of money, I'd rather stalk eBay for another MX-500 piecemeal at a reasonable price. But if I were in need right now... I'd probably seriously consider it, especially knowing it will drive a T12 handle if I think the JBC bits suck.

mnem
 

Yeah, not being able to change the temp is a deal breaker for me. I just ordered one of those. Will see if they are any good.

So I received my AiXun T3A soldering iron. My first impression compared to the T12:

- Heatup a lot faster. 2-3sec no Joke.
- Deliver more power. Less problem on large ground surface.
- Screen is a lot better.
- Sleep function when on the stand is nice. The stand is actually connected to the station and detect when the iron is on the stand. T12 only has a simple timer.
- Software update via USBC port,
- Overall quality of the station (enclosure, powersupply) is better than KSGER T12.
- The Handle is all plastic though. this is a bit disappointing. I might have to find a better one.

Overall a really nice upgrade to the T12.



Clone tip vs original one. I have the impression the original one perform better.


At 320degC, no problem soldering on a huge copper surface.

[factory]

Working on the mini 212. This is the PSU board. I verified all transistors, diodes, zeners, and tants on this board are OK. Taking it slowly. This set up is the always on AC section that charges the batteries. I put the batteries on ceramic plates and have a fire extinguisher at the ready in case there was flames. I'm happy to report this section of the PSU is working and charging the batteries. Next step is to attempt to power up the inverter section with no load to see if it comes up.

This board is an real hazard to work on. It has AC in several places plus the board floats. In reality I should have it on an isolation transformer but even then it's a shock hazard. I connect the 87 before plugging the PSU and freaking stand back. 

If you know the charging part is working, why not remove the batteries & mains and run it from a 12V PSU in place of the batteries for fault finding, you could set a sensible current limit too.
I seem to recall reading somewhere that the tants  on the secondary of the small transformer, can damage said transformer if they short.

David

[Neper]

Good to see you are using proper Meissen-lation techniques!   

All this to the March of the Isolators from Elektra by Siemens & Halske.

[AVGresponding]

Discord is up, and in fact quite harmonious.

[factory]

Well the second Solartron made way more than I wanted to pay. 


David

[VK5RC]

Fairly complete Grid Dip meter in Oz for not to many pesos eBay auction: #294430910612 Needs some love but the coils are where it is at.

Snapped😁, thanks
I am ashamed to say that I don't have a GDO (till now).

[xrunner]

I spent a lot of the day putting a mod on the 3D printer so I can remotely shut the power to it off (and on) should I want to. This done through a GPIO pin on the Pi, an add-on to Octoprint, a relay board, a level shifter, and associated wiring.

But I did get a chance to check out the pine green Atomic filament I got a few days ago. I'm going to make the front and back panels for the GPSDO display using it. I thought it would be an acceptable color, but hard to say looking at it on the internet. Well I'll be damned if it isn't a nice match to the front panels of the other units that sit next to it. Finally got lucky for a change. 

[vk6zgo]

Bought myself a table lamp. Someone tried to snipe me but I got in a headshot first!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284464291469


The lamp is missing but I'm sure I can fix that small problem. As it's not an AVO I'll have to paint my own smiley face on it.



@mnem yes I spent some time rummaging through my reclaimed zeners, found a 5.1V one but it's only a 500mW jobby so I'll have to add in a power tranny too, if I want to blow the 2A M205 fuse I'm planning to use without toasting the zener too.

This is not a table lamp! It is a perfectly fine FET analogue multimeter which is nearly identical on the inside with the already discussed PM2502.
If you paint on it, the Koninklijke Marechaussee shall come after you!

Oh, the cops!
I envisaged something like the "Baba Yaga!"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Yaga

KM is the scariest thing Dutch I could think of.

They were a serious world power back in the 17th & 18th century, so must have been scary then.
Somehow, they succumbed to a "niceness" virus after that!

[vk6zgo]

Good to see you are using proper Meissen-lation techniques!   

All this to the March of the Isolators from Elektra by Siemens & Halske.

And here I was, thinking my "Handle's Messiah" comment earlier was the worst possible Geek Dad joke!
I bow to the Master!

[AaronLee]

A cool looking Tek 230 Digital Unit:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/294431694997

However, I don't have a Tek 568 to use it with. Nor does the seller ship to my location. Nor is the price reasonable in my opinion. But the nixie tubes are definitely cool. Something very few Tek devices have.

[mnementh]

It's done. All in, CAD$20 and 10 hours drafting/fab, plus another ~$4 materials. Plus I got lucky and caught a 6-piece blade kit for CAD$15.

I'll post some details next week; right now I need to get to bed, as I have to be up early and go scope out a scope.

Cheers all you maniacs!

mnem
yes, I know it's missing some screws in that pic. It isn't anymore.

[beanflying]

Poor neglected TEA last digit has been flicking 0 to 1 for the afternoon so stable Temperature and Pleasant conditions is the weather report. 

Time to find a new maid too the dusting and cobweb patrol is lacking.

[Robert763]

Why are the dial covers always missing on 735As ?

[beanflying]

Looking at the actual item I would say cracked over time or broken due to plastic issues maybe.
 


OR

More likely there is what looks like an upper and lower clip area to hold the cover on that are hidden and the two alignment pins on the face so I would go with broken by gorillas 

Now if only there was a device to replicate one off plastic parts ....... 

[med6753]

The same Gorillas who bend/break the B Delayed Trigger slope/level knobs and controls on the upper right corner of 465/475 scopes.

[mnementh]

It is in my trunk. Looks like exactly as described. In fact, I think this was the fellow I bought that HP 54645A training signal board from a year or so ago. 

mnem
*on my way home*

[Vince]

Eh ?! Since when does Dwagon have an interest in ancient glowing Tek scopes ?!    Had not gathered that so far ?! 

And... I thought another GWN fellow the other day talked about getting it ! You stole it from him ? Not nice !

[mansaxel]

Eh ?! Since when does Dwagon have an interest in ancient glowing Tek scopes ?!    Had not gathered that so far ?! 

And... I thought another GWN fellow the other day talked about getting it ! You stole it from him ? Not nice !

No, I think this is a little coöperation between TE people. All will be well.