Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[ch_scr]

One day I'll buy a 34401A and will replace the LM399 with an ADR1399KHZ 
They are available at analog.com for 12.28 Dollars per piece (one has to order at least 18 pieces).

Now that you have that international VAT, wouldn't it be a shame to let it go to waste?
I'd guess if you post a thread in the Metrology section á la "I'll order 18 and look for 3 people to take 4,4,5 each in europe"
You might find a few kindred souls there... Please tell if you do, I'd take one 4pcs lot please 

[capt bullshot]

One day I'll buy a 34401A and will replace the LM399 with an ADR1399KHZ 
They are available at analog.com for 12.28 Dollars per piece (one has to order at least 18 pieces).

Now that you have that international VAT, wouldn't it be a shame to let it go to waste?
I'd guess if you post a thread in the Metrology section á la "I'll order 18 and look for 3 people to take 4,4,5 each in europe"
You might find a few kindred souls there... Please tell if you do, I'd take one 4pcs lot please 

I'd jump in for a lot of 4, too.

[med6753]

And now for something completely different: Fun with TEA

Phase noise - this is just another rabbit hole to explore

These signal generators are said to be very good in terms of phase noise.

Seems to me you are trying to measure a fart in a hurricane.  Interesting stuff. 

In other news. MS tells me that WIN11 is now ready to install on my laptop. I thought about it. Kept going back and forth. Finally decided, no, staying on WIN10. I see no advantage to upgrading and typically upgrading is a freaking minefield of issues. When this laptop dies then I'll upgrade. 

[capt bullshot]

In other news. MS tells me that WIN11 is now ready to install on my laptop. I thought about it. Kept going back and forth. Finally decided, no, staying on WIN10. I see no advantage to upgrading and typically upgrading is a freaking minefield of issues. When this laptop dies then I'll upgrade. 

Well done. Following rule #1 - never up[gr|d]ate a working system.

[BU508A]

One day I'll buy a 34401A and will replace the LM399 with an ADR1399KHZ 
They are available at analog.com for 12.28 Dollars per piece (one has to order at least 18 pieces).

Now that you have that international VAT, wouldn't it be a shame to let it go to waste?
I'd guess if you post a thread in the Metrology section á la "I'll order 18 and look for 3 people to take 4,4,5 each in europe"
You might find a few kindred souls there... Please tell if you do, I'd take one 4pcs lot please 

I was asked also, if I would spare one of the ADR1000AHZ.
Well, I would, but ...
I got the ADR1000AHZ via FedEx. The five ADR1000AHZ cost around 310 Dollar, shipment via FedEx 25 Dollar.
I got the parcel with the ADR1000AHZ but no invoice from FedEx about import duties or VAT.
Sent today an enquiry to FedEx about this invoice and I'm waiting now for an answer.
As soon as it is clear what's going on, I'll consider organising a group buy for the ADR1000AHZ and ADR1399KHZ.

But, to be honest, I'll refuse to buy at one time 80 ADR1000AHZ, that is way too much money for me spending at one time.

We'll see ...

[med6753]

The seller of this told me on Sunday he would have pictures of the interior on Monday.

It's now Tuesday. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324825230533?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11051.m43.l1123&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=ba3b19dd0ad541c6928a8d86d439de82&bu=44447527752&osub=-1%7E1&crd=20211107173937&segname=11051&sojTags=ch%3Dch%2Cbu%3Dbu%2Cosub%3Dosub%2Ccrd%3Dcrd%2Csegname%3Dsegname%2Cchnl%3Dmkcid

[ch_scr]

The seller of this told me on Sunday he would have pictures of the interior on Monday.

It's now Tuesday. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324825230533?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11051.m43.l1123&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=ba3b19dd0ad541c6928a8d86d439de82&bu=44447527752&osub=-1%7E1&crd=20211107173937&segname=11051&sojTags=ch%3Dch%2Cbu%3Dbu%2Cosub%3Dosub%2Ccrd%3Dcrd%2Csegname%3Dsegname%2Cchnl%3Dmkcid

I think that plays to a certain "mystery" about this unit 

[med6753]

The seller of this told me on Sunday he would have pictures of the interior on Monday.

It's now Tuesday. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324825230533?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11051.m43.l1123&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=ba3b19dd0ad541c6928a8d86d439de82&bu=44447527752&osub=-1%7E1&crd=20211107173937&segname=11051&sojTags=ch%3Dch%2Cbu%3Dbu%2Cosub%3Dosub%2Ccrd%3Dcrd%2Csegname%3Dsegname%2Cchnl%3Dmkcid

I think that plays to a certain "mystery" about this unit 

I suspect that since it's a totally sealed cabinet that unless it's been under water the interior is in decent shape. But I want to know for sure. Never ass-u-me. 

[VK5RC]

@tautech - that mud! - I noticed that even the tractor tyres (tires for the 'mrricans) were caked and the tread was full 😂, getting back inside a house would involve a hosing down then a bath outside I suspect.

Been doing a bit of shopping therapy to see if it will help me hear some distant radio signals (amateur radio) over the deafening cacophony from the bloody smpsu made in shitty-stan or wherever is the cheapest today.
I have a horizontal loop - about 20m circumference at about 8m height, open 450ohm feedline going to an impedance transformer 9:1 to an automatic tuner.
I am about to place a noise antenna - one that is designed to pick up noise not the signal - typically a plain vertical antenna close to the noise sources
The kit in the photo is an X-phase - an analogue phase changer to get the noise to 'cancel' - you can get up to 20-30dB of improved S/N ratio.
The SDR duo can have a go in the digital domain to try the same thing.
An interesting recent podcast on the Ham Radio Workbench with john fallows Ve6ey and his website and YouTube are worth a look if you are interested in this stuff.

[Neper]

The SDR duo can have a go in the digital domain to try the same thing.

It can do the most amazing things in this regard. I can 'switch' between two AM stations from roughly opposite directions on the same frequency by reversing the phase. Antennas are two actives, about 10 m apart.

Wish they'd eventually come up with the promised Mac software...

[McBryce]

Possibly a nice restoration project if the seller takes a low-ball offer? https://www.ebay.de/itm/234276755883

McBryce.

[Andrew_Debbie]

Dana 5100 DMM update:

Working on the 74188 PROM burner design.   I'm at the LTSPICE simulations stage.  I'll put up schematics once I have something that works in simulation.    I have 3 NOS National DM74188s and am using the NS databook for waveforms.   

16 Soviet  K155RE3's showed up in today's mail.   These are functional clones of the 74188.    They are not exact copies.   I plan to use them to test before risking a scarce  DM74188s.

[BU508A]

Yeah, ICs sitting directly on styro-foam!      

I hope, they'll work.

[Andrew_Debbie]

That is how they were shipped to me. 

TTL is pretty rugged.   With any luck they are fine.     The DM74188s shipped in an anti-static tube 

[BU508A]

That is how they were shipped to me. 

Yes, I assumed that. Some sellers have really NO clue about what they are doing ...

Keep my fingers crossed for you.

[Zucca]

Working in my (lovely) parent home in Italy.

There is one television which get all dvbt (-t2) channels only if I left the antenna coax cable core disconnected (I cut a few mm before the male pin TV cable connector) but the shield is connected.
If I connect the coax cable properly (core + shield) to the tv cable then I get just 20% of the available channels.

This is why I will never be a HAM/Radio guy, this voodoo black magic is not for me.... 

Possible (unreasonale) explanations:

1) a killer ground loop ?
2) the antenna sig is overdriven from the antenna amp under the roof and the is too strong for that TV

[Kosmic]

One day I'll buy a 34401A and will replace the LM399 with an ADR1399KHZ 
They are available at analog.com for 12.28 Dollars per piece (one has to order at least 18 pieces).

I wonder if the LM399 on the 34401a were hand pick ? if they were, replacing just by any regular ADR1399 might not be a great move.

[ch_scr]

Working in my (lovely) parent home in Italy.

There is one television which get all dvbt (-t2) channels only if I left the antenna coax cable core disconnected (I cut a few mm before the male pin TV cable connector) but the shield is connected.
If I connect the coax cable properly (core + shield) to the tv cable then I get just 20% of the available channels.

This is why I will never be a HAM/Radio guy, this voodoo black magic is not for me.... 

Possible (unreasonale) explanations:

1) a killer ground loop ?
2) the antenna sig is overdriven from the antenna amp under the roof and the is too strong for that TV

Given your description, my bet is on 2.

[mnementh]

3 - older antenna with VHF-only amplifier is drowning the IF stages so none of the higher frequencies, but breaking the core allows the DVT receiver to receive the un-amplified signals in the UHF band as if they were common-mode noise. This was a very common problem during the  early parts of the switchover from analog.

mnem
 

[mnementh]

The seller of this told me on Sunday he would have pictures of the interior on Monday.

It's now Tuesday. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324825230533?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11051.m43.l1123&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=ba3b19dd0ad541c6928a8d86d439de82&bu=44447527752&osub=-1%7E1&crd=20211107173937&segname=11051&sojTags=ch%3Dch%2Cbu%3Dbu%2Cosub%3Dosub%2Ccrd%3Dcrd%2Csegname%3Dsegname%2Cchnl%3Dmkcid

I think that plays to a certain "mystery" about this unit 

I suspect that since it's a totally sealed cabinet that unless it's been under water the interior is in decent shape. But I want to know for sure. Never ass-u-me. 

It certainly appears well-sealed with approx 1/4 inch of grunge all over it... 

But yeah... with shipping that's what, $50-60? A fair chunk of change to spend on a pig in a poke...

mnem
"Discretion is the better part of Valory... but the other parts of 'er aren't half-bad either."     ~mom

[BU508A]

One day I'll buy a 34401A and will replace the LM399 with an ADR1399KHZ 
They are available at analog.com for 12.28 Dollars per piece (one has to order at least 18 pieces).

I wonder if the LM399 on the 34401a were hand pick ? if they were, replacing just by any regular ADR1399 might not be a great move.

Yes, it might be worth a try.
IIRC stated AD at the MM2021 that the ADR1399KHZ can be used as a direct replacement of the LM399.
Might be a fun project.

[ch_scr]

One day I'll buy a 34401A and will replace the LM399 with an ADR1399KHZ 
They are available at analog.com for 12.28 Dollars per piece (one has to order at least 18 pieces).

I wonder if the LM399 on the 34401a were hand pick ? if they were, replacing just by any regular ADR1399 might not be a great move.

Yes, it might be worth a try.
IIRC stated AD at the MM2021 that the ADR1399KHZ can be used as a direct replacement of the LM399.
Might be a fun project.

Given that you want to age them 3-6 months to make the calibration adjustment worthwile, better start now to be the first one with the nice toy 

[BU508A]

One day I'll buy a 34401A and will replace the LM399 with an ADR1399KHZ 
They are available at analog.com for 12.28 Dollars per piece (one has to order at least 18 pieces).

I wonder if the LM399 on the 34401a were hand pick ? if they were, replacing just by any regular ADR1399 might not be a great move.

Yes, it might be worth a try.
IIRC stated AD at the MM2021 that the ADR1399KHZ can be used as a direct replacement of the LM399.
Might be a fun project.

Given that you want to age them 3-6 months to make the calibration adjustment worthwile, better start now to be the first one with the nice toy 

I know what you are up to! 
Let's wait for the answer of FedEx, then we'll see.

[mnementh]

mnem
*toddles off to fondle his 27 some more*

[Robert763]

Not TE but a new toy arrived today via ebay and a TEA member.  A "new" laptop. A Lenovo T495. Thanks BD.
Seems great so far. No issues installing required software etc. Keyboard is a lot nicer than the old Toshiba. The A key works every time which the one on the Tosh didn't. That made my bad typing even worse.