Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Robert763]

Greetings, all. Ooh, music stuff. Time to start reading back in the thread.

Meanwhile,



this is the most boat-anchory bit of TE I've acquired thus far. I've been on the casual lookout for one of these test sets, either an 8920 or 8924, for a while but they tend to be pricey. I finally came across this one



It has a 6-Watt input, instead of the usual 3-Watt, but not the beefier 60- or 100-Watt. It does have the mechanical attenuator, which makes its calibrated bottom end 400 kHz instead of the 30 MHz of the ones with electronic attenuator.

Unfortunately, the seller packed it in a box that was just barely larger than the enclosure.



So, as you'd expect, there was some fallout. The worst of it was the front bezel, which took an impact.







I ran through all the tests in the ROM and everything seems to be working fine, including that loose N connector.

The seller was very responsive and apologetic. I was able to find a used bezel, so he covered that cost. It's from overseas, so it'll be a little while before I'll be able to restore this one, but an overall happy ending.

If you have not bought the replacement bezel I have a spare you can have FOC.
Does t have the Spectrum Analyser fitted?

[Robert763]

What's wrong with collecting gas turbines 

I was waiting for that one!

I spend so much time with people who make them.  They have to go to good homes somewhere....

Unfortunatly most go to scrap or end up with bits "repurposed" as lamp stands, coffee table bases or key rings.
With the extra garage space I should finally be able to do some work with my Garrett / Honeywell GTCP36-100RR
So far the re-orgnsation has released various bins of appropriate bits that had been trapped at the back of of the garage. This includes several quarts of turbine oil, a box s are no use because the tubine has a varibl reluctance pick-up but the EGTs are good. The start sequencer was last used on a Spey (a GTCP-35 before that) but will make a good protection box for initial manual fuel control trials.

[mansaxel]

Currently putting ferrules on old sins in barrier strips.
.
.
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In the other end, in the main equipment rack, I'm going to shuffle the inputs to the matrix a bit, so that I have a proper input allocated for this; I can always bodge it, but I've got some improvements planned that will coördinate well with this. Also, this involves soldering in awkward positions. Not looking forward to it. But I designed it myself, so I'll better live with it...

Pictures please! 

No pics yet, but the reality is not as fun as I might have alluded to..

In the business end, it's a old swedish style 10-pair tag block. Not very complicated, but it's in a metal box up under the ceiling, so soldering iron needs to be carried and held up there. In the other end there are tag blocks of UK broadcast model, but they're inside a rack cabinet, that also is enclosed in drywall with a rather small rear door. Bad lighting, and one can't get to it easily. The soldering I did ab initio was with the cabinet unclad, and that was bearable. I'll try to take some pics when I do the job.

[Specmaster]

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-sennheiser-hd-58x-jubilee-headphones

Honestly seemed a little too good to be true at that price. Any opinions...?

mnem
 

I hate you, I do not know why I am still thinking to buy them or not. I hate you.

Ummm..... You're welcome...? 

mnem

How about a TEA mod/hack for those headphones?



holly guacamolly 

  OMFG, STFU ALREADY!!!

This guy rambles like some rambly-rambling rambler-type person...

TL/DR: Cut some 1 inch discs of random fabric type material and tape them over the back of the drivers to alter the bass response. This guy likes tea-bag felt. The outer covers pop off real easy.

There's 44:30 seconds of your life not wasted.

mnem
YOUUUUUU'RE WELLLLL-COMMMMME!!!

I think he is just too dammed picky, well defined bass is pretty hard to do effectively and he wants to reduce it 

[vk6zgo]

If you're still going to flip them, it might actually pay off to go the extra mile and paint them, polish the chrome etc, and then you'll command a better price for them?

The time and effort to do that compared to the potential ROI is not worth it to me.

Yeah, if I wanted one, (which I do) & was Megatimes closer, I wouldn't let a few "life scars" bother me---I have plenty of scuff marks personally, so why would I begrudge a CRO trolley from having a few.

My bro was in the Oz Airforce (RAAF) in WW2, & their term for something a bit scruffy was that it looked "Operational".

[McBryce]

I was going to point this offer out to everyone here, but then I saw that it's "Only To Be Used By Qualified Electrician or Electronic Engineer" !! 
So for all of those here with the appropriate qualifications... 

https://www.ebay.de/itm/265418163607

McBryce.

[vk6zgo]

I never really got on very well with the open cans, prefer sealed cans so I can ignore external sounds and also not drive other mad with my music.

I solved that problem by getting both!  Sealed ones for the office, and open ones at home (where I don't disturb anyone, and vice versa).  The open ones have the edge on sound quality.

By the time you have emptied 6 or so "open cans", you will be that mellow you won't care!

[xrunner]

The guy (a ham) said now he doesn't want to sell the Boonton power meter to me. I had mentioned I wanted to test the meter to make sure the sensor was OK, because if it wasn't I didn't want the meter at all - I don't need it, I already have two fine hp power meters with sensors. I didn't want to buy a Boonton sensor for lots of money if it's defective. Now I think he realizes if the sensor is OK the meter and sensor is worth more than $15. I was talking with another ham friend who knows us both very well, and he said the other guy probably also was put off because I just didn't buy the meter without testing it first. But he knows me and agrees with what I wanted to do.

I talked with the seller on the phone when he called me to say he didn't want to sell it to me now. I explained that all I want to do is test it because if the sensor is bad I don't want to buy one. However he doesn't know how to test it himself. I asked him if he tested it and he said "yes". Because I know him and have been to his garage I asked how he tested it. He said "I connected my signal generator to it and applied a signal and the meter needle moved." I asked him how much power he applied. He said he didn't know how to figure that. So for all I know if the sensor wasn't bad before it might well be now. I just told him do what you want I don't need it have fun! 

This ham was just talking on the radio last night about a power supply kit that he assembled from Ebay - it's this one -

eBay auction: #373577880823

He was telling everyone how it was working but he was "probing it" and he shorted something. It let out smoke from several parts and now doesn't work so he's ordering another one. That's what I'm dealing with.

Remember hams are a weird bunch. Except for me, I'm a ham and I'm not weird. No not me. OK, I'm the least weird of all the local hams. 

[Vince]

OK so no Boonton for you then ! No big loss as I understand it ! 

I am no ham but from everything I gather here and there... it's a community that auto-convinces itself that they are electronic geniuses even though 99,999999% of the time it appears they are brain dead and know squat, but since they only live within their community of identical people, they don't even realize that they know squat ! 

There is no more dangerous and hopeless people than those who know nothing but are convinced that they they do know everything... they will do silly things and you can't even try to correct / teach them, they just won't believe you, get mad and tell you to go get lost.

I feel the pain for the 0.1% of HAM that do know their stuff like you, but are forced to endure the 99,9% of cavemen... 

[Zucca]

There's 44:30 seconds of your life not wasted.

mnem
YOUUUUUU'RE WELLLLL-COMMMMME!!!

I think he is just too dammed picky, well defined bass is pretty hard to do effectively and he wants to reduce it 

The real problem is every person has a different sound taste.

A lot of people are trying to mod audio stuff with esoteric methods to get the sound they (believe they) want.
If what you are looking for is achieved with a stupid cheap tea bag then halleluja this is the real deal let's tell the world with a you screw/tube video.
Skimming at the video he at least measured before and after the mod. Real audiophool have only hears and excited moon dependent brain to judge...
That said those few db difference are laughable....

Thank God you can't show sound in a video, it would be a huge mess.

[25 CPS]

I opened YouTube last night and saw a piece of test gear I wasn’t expecting to see:



Apparently Mr. Carlson has a Stark VT-9 as well.  He isn’t exaggerating about the size of the dial face.  I can take more pictures of mine later if anyone is interested.

And my vacation is over.  Back to work.  I’ve had to bring in a couple of multimeters and a portable scope, the Agilent got the nod, and some hand tools to rip into some piece of junk that died a couple of days ago.  I guess that does it, the next time the employee survey comes out, as soon as I see the “Do you have the tools and equipment to do your job?” question, they’re getting a zero because I’ve had to bring my own stuff in again.  So much for the “I firmly believe all you need to do your job is your laptop” routine.

[Brumby]

I was going to point this offer out to everyone here, but then I saw that it's "Only To Be Used By Qualified Electrician or Electronic Engineer" !! 
So for all of those here with the appropriate qualifications... 

https://www.ebay.de/itm/265418163607

McBryce.

[Kosmic]

The guy (a ham) said now he doesn't want to sell the Boonton power meter to me. I had mentioned I wanted to test the meter to make sure the sensor was OK, because if it wasn't I didn't want the meter at all - I don't need it, I already have two fine hp power meters with sensors. I didn't want to buy a Boonton sensor for lots of money if it's defective. Now I think he realizes if the sensor is OK the meter and sensor is worth more than $15. I was talking with another ham friend who knows us both very well, and he said the other guy probably also was put off because I just didn't buy the meter without testing it first. But he knows me and agrees with what I wanted to do.

I talked with the seller on the phone when he called me to say he didn't want to sell it to me now. I explained that all I want to do is test it because if the sensor is bad I don't want to buy one. However he doesn't know how to test it himself. I asked him if he tested it and he said "yes". Because I know him and have been to his garage I asked how he tested it. He said "I connected my signal generator to it and applied a signal and the meter needle moved." I asked him how much power he applied. He said he didn't know how to figure that. So for all I know if the sensor wasn't bad before it might well be now. I just told him do what you want I don't need it have fun! 

This ham was just talking on the radio last night about a power supply kit that he assembled from Ebay - it's this one -

eBay auction: #373577880823

He was telling everyone how it was working but he was "probing it" and he shorted something. It let out smoke from several parts and now doesn't work so he's ordering another one. That's what I'm dealing with.

Remember hams are a weird bunch. Except for me, I'm a ham and I'm not weird. No not me. OK, I'm the least weird of all the local hams. 

Too bad. The sensor cable alone sell for 60$ on ebay 

I was doing a bit of maintenance on my Boonton 4300 yesterday night and realized I could AC calibrate those power sensors with the 30Mhz power calibrator included in the 4300. Normally the high frequency calibration factors are on the probe itself, but the AC calibration was always delivered by Boonton on a sheet of paper and rarely come with the sensor you buy on ebay. The AC calibration need to be manually enter in the power meter (4200 or 4300).

If anybody need to calibrate a Boonton sensor, just let me know 

[Neper]

beyerdynamic are a bit underrepresented in Sweden, their distributor went bellyup a couple years ago.

This is quite unfortunate because in my humble experience their products are of higher quality and far more durable than Sennheiser's. AKG have dropped out of the race altogether since they're having their K240 produced in China and I've had to downgrade them to junk status. 

[Wolfgang]

I was going to point this offer out to everyone here, but then I saw that it's "Only To Be Used By Qualified Electrician or Electronic Engineer" !! 
So for all of those here with the appropriate qualifications... 

https://www.ebay.de/itm/265418163607

McBryce.

I'm dead sure its static sensitive. 

[Cerebus]

For those with closed back headphones...
Turn it up to 11  ....

https://youtu.be/DHh-SB_Ak2I?t=666

Cool! Typical PA mixer tap sound. (Good and clean, though.) I usually make a matrix mix that has a bit more guitars and, if present, a bit less electronic keyboards, if I'm taping.

Would benefit from a slap with the autotune stick!

Autotune is probably excellent if applied with moderation, and is IME never used so, which makes me suspect it. Also, I'm a good engineer and know what to criticise and not. At least in public. :-)

My ears can just about tolerate someone singing slightly sharp, but flat hurts, and in tune to flat and back again depending on the volume is right out; it's even worse than "just plain can't sing", you listen to every phrase waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Personally I abhor autotune - the answer to a vocalist who can't sing in tune is either training, silence or euthanasia. There may be some room for subtle, considered use on a recording that's too far out and can't, for whatever reason, be repeated or overdubbed, or fixed with a drop-in. The perennial usage of "It's pretty enough to be in the new manufactured boy/girl band but can't sing for toffee so slap autotune on it" is a depth of sin that I'm not sure there is adequate punishment for - perhaps "forced to listen for eternity to a philosophical debate between Boris Johnson and Donald Trump".

[Zucca]

I opened YouTube last night and saw a piece of test gear I wasn’t expecting to see:



Apparently Mr. Carlson has a Stark VT-9 as well.  He isn’t exaggerating about the size of the dial face.  I can take more pictures of mine later if anyone is interested.

shit I need one now... Stark VT-9 

[Neper]

DoOooo yOoooUUuu beEliveee in lOOOveEee after lOOOveEee....

The worst I've ever heard from Autotune is the background music in the Flunch chain restaurants in France. Apparently produced especially for them - never heard that stuff anywhere else - they use bottom-of-the-barrel vocalists with Autotune cranked up to the max in every single song. A blatant violation of the Hague Land Warfare Convention's ban on gratuitous violence.

[xrunner]

OK so no Boonton for you then ! No big loss as I understand it ! 

Not in this case!

I am no ham from everything I gather here and there... it's a community that auto-convinces itself that they are electronic geniuses even though 99,999999% of the time it appears they are brain dead and know squat, but since they only live within their community of identical people, they don't even realize that they know squat ! 

There is no more dangerous and hopeless people than those who know nothing but are convinced that they they do know everything... they will do silly things and you can't even try to correct / teach them, they just won't believe you, get mad and tell you to go get lost.

I feel the pain for the 0.1% of HAM that do know their stuff like you, but are forced to endure the 99,9% of cavemen... 

Don't get me wrong - there are hams that really know electronics and rf. But it seems more and more just don't have a clue. You don't have to understand electronics to be a ham, nor much of anything other than being able to memorize test answers. You could pass the Amateur Extra Class exam and know NOTHING about how to operate a real radio. But buy a radio and an antenna ... presto you are an Extra Class ham!

They now have a microphone and a radio. They breathe in air and blow it past their vocal chords and out come words yes ... but even smart birds can say words. So they seem to be instant experts on any subject among the following: medicine, engineering (of any kind), personal relationships, construction, oh and politics - they are the world's best political analysts!. You should listen to the local 2 meter simplex frequency for a couple of hours. You'd slit your wrists.

[Cerebus]

I was going to point this offer out to everyone here, but then I saw that it's "Only To Be Used By Qualified Electrician or Electronic Engineer" !! 
So for all of those here with the appropriate qualifications... 

https://www.ebay.de/itm/265418163607

McBryce.

Just for the sake of anyone who's reading but doesn't get what this is about: The seller is clearly covering their arse because the non-shrouded connectors used are unapproved for use above 60V*, but there are exceptions for use by suitably qualified people. The double dumb thing is that as their standard usage is for setting zero readings they will only ever be used at 0V, so are touch safe, in context. The triple dumb thing is that a pair of plugs with cable between them make a lousy low thermal EMF 'precision' short -  it's hardly any better for that purpose than a standard good quality test lead. The quadruple dumb thing is that you could make an equally good/lousy short from shrouded plugs, and then wouldn't need the specious "Only To Be Used By Qualified Electrician or Electronic Engineer"

* Differing authorities vary on what's a 'touch safe' voltage.

[med6753]

OK so no Boonton for you then ! No big loss as I understand it ! 

Not in this case!

I am no ham from everything I gather here and there... it's a community that auto-convinces itself that they are electronic geniuses even though 99,999999% of the time it appears they are brain dead and know squat, but since they only live within their community of identical people, they don't even realize that they know squat ! 

There is no more dangerous and hopeless people than those who know nothing but are convinced that they they do know everything... they will do silly things and you can't even try to correct / teach them, they just won't believe you, get mad and tell you to go get lost.

I feel the pain for the 0.1% of HAM that do know their stuff like you, but are forced to endure the 99,9% of cavemen... 

Don't get me wrong - there are hams that really know electronics and rf. But it seems more and more just don't have a clue. You don't have to understand electronics to be a ham, nor much of anything other than being able to memorize test answers. You could pass the Amateur Extra Class exam and know NOTHING about how to operate a real radio. But buy a radio and an antenna ... presto you are an Extra Class ham!

They now have a microphone and a radio. They breathe in air and blow it past their vocal chords and out come words yes ... but even smart birds can say words. So they seem to be instant experts on any subject among the following: medicine, engineering (of any kind), personal relationships, construction, oh and politics - they are the world's best political analysts!. You should listen to the local 2 meter simplex frequency for a couple of hours. You'd slit your wrists.

I used to do a lot of listening to AM'ers on 3.885MHz. Those guys had to know their stuff because the only way you could get on AM and sound decent was to build your own modulators and transmitters or heavily modify factory equipment. But if I switched over to slop bucket (SSB) on the rest of the 75m band it sounded like free for all CB and mostly "appliance" operators who don't know jack shit.

And while I make fun of all those hobos I see at hamfests those are usually the guys who DO know jack shit. You just have to get past the stink and funk.   

[mansaxel]

I opened YouTube last night and saw a piece of test gear I wasn’t expecting to see:



Apparently Mr. Carlson has a Stark VT-9 as well.  He isn’t exaggerating about the size of the dial face.  I can take more pictures of mine later if anyone is interested.

The Grundig / Hartmann & Braun RV55 isn't that small either. It only does AC Volts, of course.

And my vacation is over.  Back to work.  I’ve had to bring in a couple of multimeters and a portable scope, the Agilent got the nod, and some hand tools to rip into some piece of junk that died a couple of days ago.  I guess that does it, the next time the employee survey comes out, as soon as I see the “Do you have the tools and equipment to do your job?” question, they’re getting a zero because I’ve had to bring my own stuff in again.  So much for the “I firmly believe all you need to do your job is your laptop” routine.

The people in my end believe something similar. I really can do all I need with a laptop and a console cable. Except for the bits I can't. To me, it's mostly optical and some electrical comms link testing, but I've brought parts of the TE collection to work too. Big reason I'm after a Really Impressive Counter (No, perhaps not 524A impressive, but certainly 5245L impressive. ) is my hunt for a good display of phase, and more importantly frequency, differences between various 10MHz oscillators.

Those whose job are to empty the organisation of "unnecessary" instrumentation know of my little condition and if there's something they don't need which can be removed from inventory I'm at times the happy recipient.

[mansaxel]

You should listen to the local 2 meter simplex frequency for a couple of hours. You'd slit your wrists.

Recently, it's gone that way here too. There are in what used to be my car commute (I'm back to public transport) two older hams who hold 2-hour ragchews on 2m every afternoon, and they're strirring a cesspool of misogynic  and otherwise false statements.

[BU508A]

You guys need a Rohde & Schwarz URU BN 1080:   

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/msg2588193/#msg2588193



https://www.historische-messtechnik.de/aktive-messgeraete/hf-voltmeter/00368.php

[Cerebus]

Don't get me wrong - there are hams that really know electronics and rf. But it seems more and more just don't have a clue. You don't have to understand electronics to be a ham, nor much of anything other than being able to memorize test answers. You could pass the Amateur Extra Class exam and know NOTHING about how to operate a real radio. But buy a radio and an antenna ... presto you are an Extra Class ham!

I find it ironic that the first amateur radio licenses were issued with a view to enabling amateurs to improve the state of the art. The original amateur licenses in the UK were titled "Authority to Establish a Wireless Station for the Purpose of Receiving Signals for Experimental Purposes" and  "Authority to Establish a Wireless Station for the Purpose of Transmitting Signals for Experimental Purposes". It was fundamental to the nature of amateur "Wireless Telegraphy" that amateurs were not merely operators but inventors and originators of radio equipment and techniques.