Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[factory]

First one of these that I can remember seeing: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175031008598



I thought it was a poorly described curve tracer at first, but no, it's a new (to me) plug-in.

As usual, I see most of the glassware is missing from that Tek module.

hp had something similar for the hp 185A/B sampling scope, the hp 186A switching time tester.
Some details from German brochure I scanned for someone on the UKVRR forum, I later found out they scrapped the module without ever offering it for sale. 



David

[ch_scr]

[...]

[EDIT]
Well f-me. I won it. 5500yen, plus shipping. With the price of front panels and stuff for these units, this one is a parts mule. Fingers crossed it has something interesting inside....

Your firm grip on the used market for these grows ever stronger...
If you keep buying and fixing these, before long you'll be like a general agent except they're used 

[capt bullshot]

And here's the Type W plug-in. It's going to need the same cleaning as the Type 1A4. Also, going to have to read the manual and figure out it's uses. I currently have no clue. 

It says "Comparator" - so it can subtract a comparison voltage from the input voltage and show that difference on the screen. Don't know about this particular units capabilities, but it could e.g. be used to show ripple or noise riding on a supply rail, e.g. 10mV per div. at 10V DC offset (that'd be the comparison voltage).

[xrunner]

Vince,

What I'll do is go over to his house (well his garage, where he and his ham hobby have been relegated to) and bring a test rig with me. It'll be a small VHF handy-talkie that outputs ~1 W on low power (+30 dBm). I'll put a 30 dB attenuator on the output of the HT, so the Boonton power meter should read ~0 dBm (1 mW) when transmitting. I'd give it a 50 / 50 chance the Boonton meter is not working - meaning, in most cases, the sensor element got fried (technical term) by one of the last users.

I'm already committed to [ hp ] power meters so I don't want to try to get a sensor for the Boonton which might be over $100. The way the pricing of these things work is that the power meters are not that expensive - it's the sensors that will cost you. The power meter is almost useless without a sensor. Well, the sensor isn't much good without the power meter either, but the market charges for the sensor.

Knowing him, if the meter doesn't respond, he'll just say "Well shucks, you can just have it if you want it."

Will I want it? Stay tuned ...

[mnementh]

Discussion about gun ownership and gun rights. Watch this TE thread implode in about 30 seconds to a party of one.

Can we please not have that here.

You just proved my point. If you allow one you allow all.

Don't be ridiculous, you know that logic doesn't work that way. That's the equivalent to saying "If you don't have a rule about X you don't have rules about anything". It's quite possible to have a margin of consideration for Specmaster posting off topic pictures of military aircraft that are weapons of war while saying that the politics of gun ownership are off topic. Accepting one does not imply accepting the other.

Exactly. And in case you haven't noticed, we have had numerous discussions about guns and gun ownership in here, and for the most part, we do self-moderate very well. The only time I remember being really offended was when someone started mixing guns and religion... and all it took was a reminder that we were very close to going off the rails with these well-known 3rd rail topics, and please drop the conversation before it got too heated.

That seems to be the point that is getting lost: We are all adults here (well, to certain definitions of the term , and we have proven over and over again that even when the discussion does get heated, we all self-moderate pretty effectively and the noise dies down after a page or two.

Just like any IRL discussion between actual friends at the pub or workmates at the water cooler.

Yeah, sure... there's always gonna be "that one time" someone said something that made everybody else go ; ( Ifni knows it's been me more than a few times ), but that is all part of the spice of life.

Being able to filter the world around you for yourself is part of being an adult; you don't have the right to go into any public place or forum and expect others to never go there. "Zero-tolerance" is as offensive a concept to many people as guns, politics and religion are to others; only a despot deals in absolutes.

mnem
because reasons.

[TERRA Operative]

[...]

[EDIT]
Well f-me. I won it. 5500yen, plus shipping. With the price of front panels and stuff for these units, this one is a parts mule. Fingers crossed it has something interesting inside....

Your firm grip on the used market for these grows ever stronger...
If you keep buying and fixing these, before long you'll be like a general agent except they're used 

Got 4 now, All I want is the damn HDD option! The rest will get a spit shine (and option unlock), a calibration, and then sold off for as much profit as I can manage.

I'm already committed to [ hp ] power meters so I don't want to try to get a sensor for the Boonton which might be over $100. The way the pricing of these things work is that the power meters are not that expensive - it's the sensors that will cost you. The power meter is almost useless without a sensor. Well, the sensor isn't much good without the power meter either, but the market charges for the sensor.

I know how this feels, I got a HP 437B I picked up in Akihabara for $30, and later got a cable too, but those power sensors regularly sell for equal to $200+....

[Neomys Sapiens]

[...]

[EDIT]
Well f-me. I won it. 5500yen, plus shipping. With the price of front panels and stuff for these units, this one is a parts mule. Fingers crossed it has something interesting inside....

Your firm grip on the used market for these grows ever stronger...
If you keep buying and fixing these, before long you'll be like a general agent except they're used 

Got 4 now, All I want is the damn HDD option! The rest will get a spit shine (and option unlock), a calibration, and then sold off for as much profit as I can manage.

I'm already committed to [ hp ] power meters so I don't want to try to get a sensor for the Boonton which might be over $100. The way the pricing of these things work is that the power meters are not that expensive - it's the sensors that will cost you. The power meter is almost useless without a sensor. Well, the sensor isn't much good without the power meter either, but the market charges for the sensor.

I know how this feels, I got a HP 437B I picked up in Akihabara for $30, and later got a cable too, but those power sensors regularly sell for equal to $200+....

With your luck in aquisitions, I am curious what happens once you turn your attention to the newer Tek series.

[Saskia]

Hubby's 60th. Due to CoV19 restrictions to going out.
So I am cooking his favorite stew.

Update: he liked it. he called it well seasoned tho, which means that the Habanero did provide some non-blandness.

[mansaxel]

To all the TM500 aficionados here, here is a cheap one !

I have one. It is a very cool device if you're doing analog audio. Unfortunately mine is defective, it can't measure distortion right, but leveling is OK. People speak of reed relay trouble with these, and that the problem is that the autoranger needs exercise.

[mansaxel]

Do you mean snow or frost, we have already had frost in my neck of the woods.

I had to scrape frost off the windscreen this morning. Youngest boy's scout troop had the annual swim-up. Since we're sea scouts, everyone needs to swim 200m annually to prove they're worthy of getting in a boat.

[TERRA Operative]

With your luck in aquisitions, I am curious what happens once you turn your attention to the newer Tek series.

Once I sell off my backlog of gear in the new year (right when everyone is at home with fat wallets full of yearly bonuses! ) I might have some luck with accruing finds. I have been eyeing off some newer gear... I have to get a little more lucky though, the good newer stuff is still a little pricey.

My next big purchase might be a spectrum analyzer, I've been needing one for a few things of late. Can a vector network analyzer be used as a spectrum analyzer?

[mnementh]

Med, at least one of them scope carts needs a dose of Krylon Gloss Bahama Sea.

Good scores. 

I don't think either will need paint once I clean them up. My plan is to spray them down with a cleaner such as "Simple Green" then hose them off. Problem is at night temps are below freezing and aren't warming up too much during the day.

Simple Green and a scrub-brush are effing magic. Followed with Windex on on a rag, or sprayed directly on chrome and glass to get rid of smears from the degreasers. Finally touch-up with IPA on a rag for spots that aren't water/detergent soluble.

This has been my SOP developed over decades for cleaning pretty much anything, even engines and parts off them. Only difference is for a grungy engine, I'll usually start off with one of the popular engine degreasers like Orange Oil and/or Zep followed by a hose-off at the local pressure washers/car wash.

A visit to the car wash might be a good solution for your carts; it keeps the wet mess "somewhere else" besides where you live.  Just be careful with painted surfaces, as the pressure washer will quite eagerly strip off any paint in "marginal condition". However, the low pressure "rinse only" setting is a good compromise there. Just put some towels down in the back of the car to catch the drips on the way back and they should be at worst "damp and a little bit drippy" by the time you get 'em home.

Good luck, brother!

mnem
Keep the faith.

[mansaxel]

See notice on forward looking statements below.

I might have a line on a locally obtainable Boonton Model 42A Microwattmeter for $15.  Stock photo shown below.

The Envy.

[Robert763]

@Vince
How about a small cockpit UHF radio control panel with 5 minitrons for your clock?

Hey that would do it ! Compact, and 5 digits is just what I need to put a separator between HH and MM, could display say in this format :

" 14H30 " or
" 14h30 " or
" 14 30 " or
" 14-30 " or
" 14_30 "
.. or something ! 

With just a little cosmetic restoration... would look cool.
Has enough knobs to let me set time and even implement alternate functions like date, or an egg timer or god knows what...
I would have a unique, custom and exotic piece of a clock for sure, nothing like the mundane dull blue backlit nixie clocks in a crappy hastily made wooden box, for sale everywhere... mine will be really special and cool, something that means business ! 

.. and when I fiddle with the knobs I could imagine I am in the cockpit going through the take-off checklist ! 

So how much is it, and how much would it cost to ship it to Frog land ? to hell with the customs... if really they want you to declare a value, just say it's worth zero, scrap metal or something, I don't know ?! 

The first TEA-enabled Minitron clock, how about that !!! 

Give me few days to dig it out check at least 4 of the displays are fully workingand weigh it for postage.

[TERRA Operative]

Simple Green and a scrub-brush are effing magic. Followed with Windex on on a rag, or sprayed directly on chrome and glass to get rid of smears from the degreasers. Finally touch-up with IPA on a rag for spots that aren't water/detergent soluble.

This has been my SOP developed over decades for cleaning pretty much anything, even engines and parts off them. Only difference is for a grungy engine, I'll usually start off with one of the popular engine degreasers like Orange Oil and/or Zep followed by a hose-off at the local pressure washers/car wash.

A visit to the car wash might be a good solution for your carts; it keeps the wet mess "somewhere else" besides where you live.  Just be careful with painted surfaces, as the pressure washer will quite eagerly strip off any paint in "marginal condition". However, the low pressure "rinse only" setting is a good compromise there. Just put some towels down in the back of the car to catch the drips on the way back and they should be at worst "damp and a little bit drippy" by the time you get 'em home.

Good luck, brother!

mnem
Keep the faith.

Tektronix had a similar thing to say about cleaning scopes etc. Good old WD-40 and soap and water.

https://w140.com/Tek_Scope_Cleaning_by_C_Phillips.pdf

[mnementh]

A distortion analyzer went for over ¥55,000 with an SG505 and DM502A, and another alone in a TM503 went for ¥35,000 a few months back here in Japan.
They seem to command a bit of a premium for some reason.

Until I find a cheaper one, I'll make do with my 334A and 8903B.

Just checked exchange rate... your one at 35,000 Japanese money is 270 Euros versus 650 for "mine"... 2.4x cheaper but it does come with a rack, unlike "mine"... so apples for apples, the plugin alone, the Japanese one was 3 times cheaper than this French one !

merde'!

I did find that my excursion to the French colonies also came with a similar premium on used TE that seemed to have little correlation to the actual value of the TE. Which is why I happily imported my 54645A and my 27, and paid for duty on top of shipping from the US.

Cheer up; you will find your deal sooner or later.  TE-Anon-ers always do. 

mnem
 

[Robert763]

With your luck in aquisitions, I am curious what happens once you turn your attention to the newer Tek series.

Once I sell off my backlog of gear in the new year (right when everyone is at home with fat wallets full of yearly bonuses! ) I might have some luck with accruing finds. I have been eyeing off some newer gear... I have to get a little more lucky though, the good newer stuff is still a little pricey.

My next big purchase might be a spectrum analyzer, I've been needing one for a few things of late. Can a vector network analyzer be used as a spectrum analyzer?

Generally No, a VNA cannot be used as a SA. There are some exceptions though. Often as an option on modern instruments. If it does not say it is an SA as well it's not.

[Vince]

@Vince
How about a small cockpit UHF radio control panel with 5 minitrons for your clock?

Hey that would do it ! Compact, and 5 digits is just what I need to put a separator between HH and MM, could display say in this format :

" 14H30 " or
" 14h30 " or
" 14 30 " or
" 14-30 " or
" 14_30 "
.. or something ! 

With just a little cosmetic restoration... would look cool.
Has enough knobs to let me set time and even implement alternate functions like date, or an egg timer or god knows what...
I would have a unique, custom and exotic piece of a clock for sure, nothing like the mundane dull blue backlit nixie clocks in a crappy hastily made wooden box, for sale everywhere... mine will be really special and cool, something that means business ! 

.. and when I fiddle with the knobs I could imagine I am in the cockpit going through the take-off checklist ! 

So how much is it, and how much would it cost to ship it to Frog land ? to hell with the customs... if really they want you to declare a value, just say it's worth zero, scrap metal or something, I don't know ?! 

The first TEA-enabled Minitron clock, how about that !!! 

Give me few days to dig it out check at least 4 of the displays are fully workingand weigh it for postage.

Oh my bad ! I assumed you had just dug it out and took this picture of it today !
If you have to get to the back of the garage to find it well uh... take your time see you next summer maybe  !!! 
My lab is no condition to allow for any design work at the moment, and plenty of stuff to repair and sell first so.... there is ZERO rush... if it takes you 6 or 9 months to progressively get to the relevant boxes, I won't mind at all really... if you send it to me tomorrow it will just sit here for months and months before I can work on it anyway.... 

[mnementh]

See notice on forward looking statements below.

I might have a line on a locally obtainable Boonton Model 42A Microwattmeter for $15.  Stock photo shown below.

200 kHz to (up to depending on the sensor) 12 GHz, -50 to +10 dBm

Will report on any further actions related to this notice.


Notice: forward-looking statements” regarding business strategies, market potential, future financial performance and other matters, including all statements with respect to the “balance of recovery” and “guidance” and statements with words such as “will,” “should,” “could,” “expects,” “potential,“ “estimates” or “projected.” Where, in any forward-looking statement, I express an expectation or belief as to future results or events, such expectation or belief is based on the current plans and expectations at the time of this post.

Although I believe that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they are subject to numerous factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those indicated in such statements. Except as required by law, I undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events, new information or changes to future results over time or otherwise.

Wow the seller must be a lawyer not a TEA ! 

I am not into RF and know squat about it (other than the rudiments I garner by watching The Signal Path channel ), but I find it impressive how such an old basic instrument can measure at such high frequencies, and over such wide dynamic range.

Trouble is, though, that you will not know if it reads correctly until you double check it with a 12+ GHz digital scope, and that's going to be much more expensive than the 15 bucks of the Boonton !! 

EDIT : OK I got carried away... looks like this unit is just a readout, does not measure anything at 12GHz.... it's the external sensor you attach to it that does all the work ! 

Yup... that's the way most of these guys work, including the HP 4xxB series like I was drooling over which mansaxal posted, etc. All the magic is inside the sensor dongle; the meter itself is just a voltmeter and in some cases a digital compensation table that is applied based on a chart on the sensor.

That is why a working, passes all self-tests 437B can often be bought for $20-45 on the bay of fleas, yet a defective 8484A (10uW/10Mhz-18GHz) sensor can bring upwards of $100-150 depending on the alignment of the stars. And then you have to find and buy the bespoke cable and attenuator pad, which are each another ~$70-100 and $20-80 respectively.

Power measurement in these ranges is a deceptively simple thing; which is why this family of TE still brings upwards of $500 for a complete meter, cable and sensor dongle in "known-good" condition even though they are, IIRC, 80s vintage TE so 40 years old already.

mnem
 

[mansaxel]

Power measurement in these ranges is a deceptively simple thing; which is why this family of TE still brings upwards of $500 for a complete meter, cable and sensor dongle in "known-good" condition even though they are, IIRC, 80s vintage TE so 40 years old already.

mnem
 

• It is so deceptively simple I've been thinking of getting a bunch of thermistors and playing with building a sensor; the basic construction is comparing current through two thermistors, one of which is there to calibrate for surrounding temperature, and one is subjected to RF.
• I well remember the 80s; even soldering things back then. What does that make me?

Currently playing Floodland by Sisters of Mercy. I also remember when they were current.

Shit.

[Specmaster]

Simple Green and a scrub-brush are effing magic. Followed with Windex on on a rag, or sprayed directly on chrome and glass to get rid of smears from the degreasers. Finally touch-up with IPA on a rag for spots that aren't water/detergent soluble.

This has been my SOP developed over decades for cleaning pretty much anything, even engines and parts off them. Only difference is for a grungy engine, I'll usually start off with one of the popular engine degreasers like Orange Oil and/or Zep followed by a hose-off at the local pressure washers/car wash.

A visit to the car wash might be a good solution for your carts; it keeps the wet mess "somewhere else" besides where you live.  Just be careful with painted surfaces, as the pressure washer will quite eagerly strip off any paint in "marginal condition". However, the low pressure "rinse only" setting is a good compromise there. Just put some towels down in the back of the car to catch the drips on the way back and they should be at worst "damp and a little bit drippy" by the time you get 'em home.

Good luck, brother!

mnem
Keep the faith.

Tektronix had a similar thing to say about cleaning scopes etc. Good old WD-40 and soap and water.

https://w140.com/Tek_Scope_Cleaning_by_C_Phillips.pdf

yep, WD 40 is also a pretty good label and sticky residue remover as well.

[mnementh]

...It's quite possible to have a margin of consideration for Specmaster posting off topic pictures of military aircraft that are weapons of war while saying that the politics of gun ownership are off topic. Accepting one does not imply accepting the other.

Wanna bet? Over here gun rights and politics are one in the same. But I'm not going to engage further with this discussion. You can rant and rave and jump up and down all you want and say it ridiculous but mark my words.

But, that is surely where one's own censorship rules come into play by simply ignoring that particular comment and moving on, it always takes at two to make a discussion and or an argument.

On the topic of warplanes which I post from time to time, I did ask before posting them if there was any interest in them and was assured that there was, so I post a few occasionally, but only a very few to prevent wearing the welcome out. On a typical trip out to an air show or RAF base, I can shoot well over 300 photos and the occasional video as well.

Keep them coming, please! You have a gift for capturing that "hangs in the air exactly the way a brick doesn't" quality of these beasts. 

mnem
 

[med6753]

The Type 1A4 all cleaned up and now shines like the chrome on my pram. Capacitors have also been ordered and should be here the 24th. Going to hold off on deoxit until re-cap is complete.

[Specmaster]

Wow, what a difference that made, good job.

I often remove all the knobs on gear that I pickup and place them in a bath of hot soapy suds for a soak and a light scrub with a toothbrush.

[mnementh]

Dana 5100 DMM Update:  I was looking over the 74188  data sheets again to check if I missed anything.   I've been mostly following the TI data book and occasionally looking at the NS databook. TI specify setting the output to be programmed to a logic low or 0V.   

All other inputs connected to 3.9k pullup resistors.   

National specify something a little different.   

Implementing the TI method is easy:   

I'd guess you should be able to tell if you have it right by whether you're able to do a dump of the chip from your programmer, right...?

Or is this exercise specifically to figure out how to enter write mode/defeat write-protection?

mnem