Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[BU508A]

For this anount of money you could contact

https://www.daliborfarny.com/

He will make you any number you want, they are new and price per tube is probably less than here. 

One more thing on my want list. . .    At 145EUR each, I'll need to win the lottery.  Nevertheless. . . . 

https://www.daliborfarny.com/product/rz568m-nixie-tube/

I'm a bit concerned about Dalibor. His core product is out of stock, no update since months.
I hope, all is well with him, his family and his company.

[mnementh]

I thought most of his stuff was offered made-to-order...?

mnem
 

[Specmaster]

I will be putting in a low bid on this  TTi TF830.     

The TF830 is an 8-digit  1.3GHz counter / timer.   The  time base is a 1ppm crystal (ho hum)  but there is an external frequency standard input.    Mains or battery power 6  of C-cells!

Looks very clean.  I don't need it, but this is hard to pass up at the current price.     I'll stand aside if someone here is a TTi collector or needs this one.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324955698865

They are very nice units, I have the TF930 3GHz one  very pleased with it.

[mansaxel]

Always keeping an eye on those levels and the programme loudness... in dB nowadays...  :-)

That was a want-inducing piece of equipment.

[Neper]

That was a want-inducing piece of equipment.

The loudness meter or the RTW?

The loudness meter I've offered myself for Xmas, a year ago. Extremely difficult to get hold of. Everyone had them listed as out of stock and next delivery expected by March 2021. Eventually located one at a dealer here in town, one day before Xmas Eve. 

The RTW peakmeter is one of the very rare 301 element versions. It was a present by the boss himself in the good old days when I counted them among my customers.

[mansaxel]

I will be putting in a low bid on this  TTi TF830.     

I have one, and I like it. Go for it!

[mansaxel]

That was a want-inducing piece of equipment.

The loudness meter or the RTW?

The loudness meter I've offered myself for Xmas, a year ago. Extremely difficult to get hold of. Everyone had them listed as out of stock and next delivery expected by March 2021. Eventually located one at a dealer here in town, one day before Xmas Eve. 

The RTW peakmeter is one of the very rare 301 element versions. It was a present by the boss himself in the good old days when I counted them among my customers.

The TC, but while being a NTP fan, I'm no enemy of RTW either. This got me hunting for a Tek 760 and 764 again. Obviously, the 760 is useful to people who like pain, and professional analog audio (if it HAS to be right, all the time, digital wins hands down, just so much less hassle.), so it is much more expensive than the 764 that's AES3 and S/PDIF only.  And my home shop is all-analog, bar the S/PDIF opticks between CD / TV / surround amp. I'd like to run a bit AES3, though.

Edit: I suspect the scarceness of the TC is because it's likely the cheapest thing that'll do program loudness to EBU R.128.

[Cerebus]

I will be putting in a low bid on this  TTi TF830.     

The TF830 is an 8-digit  1.3GHz counter / timer.   The  time base is a 1ppm crystal (ho hum)  but there is an external frequency standard input.    Mains or battery power 6  of C-cells!

Looks very clean.  I don't need it, but this is hard to pass up at the current price.     I'll stand aside if someone here is a TTi collector or needs this one.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324955698865

There's a whole bunch us of that bought the successor to that (me, spec, BD at least), the TF-930, when a big batch turned up cheap on eBay. Very similar specs, NiMH instead of alkalines, nice little counters, I doubt that the TF-830 is any less good in practice.

[Zucca]

Today sin



Sunlu or later I will stop.

[m k]

Travellers claws, part II.
(8505A)

While searching missing parts I removed front/rear option and it was like a new.
One must wonder where this thing has been stored and for how long.

Anyway, two claws scrapped and one missing, found afterwards.

Few guides had initially only one claw missing and I tried to take them out intact, no change.
Every one of them lost at least one claw more.
So, in case you are in the same situation be noted.

BTW, my variac needs a new case.
It's door mounted now.
(Herbert Arnold, W-Germany)

[Neper]

I suspect the scarceness of the TC is because it's likely the cheapest thing that'll do program loudness to EBU R.128.

The stereo version appears to be in stock at all major dealers but my 5.1 version seems to be out of production. Thomann has it as 'delivery date unknown' and Musicstore doesn't even list it anymore. Pity really as the 5.1 version was only marginally more expensive. 

[Andrew_Debbie]

There's a whole bunch us of that bought the successor to that (me, spec, BD at least), the TF-930, when a big batch turned up cheap on eBay. Very similar specs, NiMH instead of alkalines, nice little counters, I doubt that the TF-830 is any less good in practice.

The 930 has a crystal oven.   

oh and...

You're the first bidder. Good luck.

[Andrew_Debbie]

Seller also has this AMF 7734 --> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224754097942

and this Heathkit --> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324955212141

which I won't be bidding on.

[Cerebus]

There's a whole bunch us of that bought the successor to that (me, spec, BD at least), the TF-930, when a big batch turned up cheap on eBay. Very similar specs, NiMH instead of alkalines, nice little counters, I doubt that the TF-830 is any less good in practice.

The 930 has a crystal oven.   

oh and...

You're the first bidder. Good luck.

Err, no it doesn't. TCXO, that is all.

[SilverSolder]

Travellers claws, part II.
(8505A)

While searching missing parts I removed front/rear option and it was like a new.
One must wonder where this thing has been stored and for how long.

Anyway, two claws scrapped and one missing, found afterwards.

Few guides had initially only one claw missing and I tried to take them out intact, no change.
Every one of them lost at least one claw more.
So, in case you are in the same situation be noted.

BTW, my variac needs a new case.
It's door mounted now.
(Herbert Arnold, W-Germany)

I wonder if there is a solution/liquid you can give plastic parts a bath in, to restore the plasticiser and make them supple again...

[Cerebus]

Travellers claws, part II.
(8505A)

While searching missing parts I removed front/rear option and it was like a new.
One must wonder where this thing has been stored and for how long.

Anyway, two claws scrapped and one missing, found afterwards.

Few guides had initially only one claw missing and I tried to take them out intact, no change.
Every one of them lost at least one claw more.
So, in case you are in the same situation be noted.

BTW, my variac needs a new case.
It's door mounted now.
(Herbert Arnold, W-Germany)

I wonder if there is a solution/liquid you can give plastic parts a bath in, to restore the plasticiser and make them supple again...

There are, the original plasticisers. Thing is, many, perhaps most, of the plasticisers used in the past have significant reproductive toxicity. It would involve having buckets of the stuff around. Your plastic would be nice and soft again, but your balls would shrivel and harden. Ouch. (The ex-Mrs. Cerebus used to do toxicity research on exactly these classes of compounds.)

[0culus]

Travellers claws, part II.
(8505A)

While searching missing parts I removed front/rear option and it was like a new.
One must wonder where this thing has been stored and for how long.

Anyway, two claws scrapped and one missing, found afterwards.

Few guides had initially only one claw missing and I tried to take them out intact, no change.
Every one of them lost at least one claw more.
So, in case you are in the same situation be noted.

BTW, my variac needs a new case.
It's door mounted now.
(Herbert Arnold, W-Germany)

I wonder if there is a solution/liquid you can give plastic parts a bath in, to restore the plasticiser and make them supple again...

There are, the original plasticisers. Thing is, many, perhaps most, of the plasticisers used in the past have significant reproductive toxicity. It would involve having buckets of the stuff around. Your plastic would be nice and soft again, but your balls would shrivel and harden. Ouch. (The ex-Mrs. Cerebus used to do toxicity research on exactly these classes of compounds.)

I was just putting my Tek P6046 diff probe away, and I was wondering at the wonderful suppleness of the probe cable....I'm sure it's not healthy. 

[med6753]

With the recent acquisition of the 5 plug-in's one of the issues is storage. Due to their open design they are dust magnets. Which means before use the attenuator switch decks will need some deoxit every time before every use.

The Type 500/53A scope carts have 2 slots each for plug-in storage. Well, they did. Not any more.



I made it clear right when I brought this big haul home that I didn't want nor had the room these carts. But I can use those plug-in storage racks. So I pulled them and that seals the fate of these carts. They will be torn down and recycled.

I'm going to build the 2 racks into a unit on casters that will fit nicely under bench 2. Storage problem solved.

 

[factory]

   Sometimes the cheap-cheapness of the daylight white LEDs works in your favor; they tend to be much cheaper as they aren't as popular, and wind up in cheap-cheap China-direct household schtuffs. Case in point; these stoopit integrated incandescent appliance bulbs commonly found in microwaves and range hoods. Cheapest way to get them is China-direct; ~$6 each with S-B-F-C shipping. You can get 2 for $10 off Amazon.

After replacing the mag in the convection/nuker below with a new LG part for $25, I really got annoyed at that price for a freaking light bulb. Over the years, I've replaced quite a few of these with the correct E17 or E12 base bulb-holder, usually scavenged from older appliances in the JUX pile.



Anyhoo... I had oodles of these dollar-store LED nightlights to place throughout the house so night-time navigation wouldn't be a death-trap. Four 0.1W LEDs with a bridge-rectifier and CC driver, all on a nice little PCB for a buck. And there was one already on the bench opened up to see if it would be horribly difficult to turn the brightness down a bit, as they are crazy bright to have in a bedroom with you. Also a wee bit towards the blue end of the spectrum, but this works well in dim hallways and here, to see your food clearly under adverse conditions of a looking through a nukebox door.



Well... after smashing the bulb, it was a simple matter to solder a couple bits of paper-clip legs to make this. Literally less time than I spent shopping for the correct part. 

mnem
*lit AF*

I was surprized to find an LED lamp in the last microwave I scrapped, as is common it was fully working but chucked in the dumpster due to rust. I've no shortage of regular lamps from microwaves too, they all seem to get quite dirty from whatever food splattered the insides, wonder if that bare board will survive if this happens. 



P.S. would it be wrong to treat it very carefully, in the next scrap microwave that appears in the dumpster. 

David

[Vince]

With the recent acquisition of the 5 plug-in's one of the issues is storage. Due to their open design they are dust magnets. Which means before use the attenuator switch decks will need some deoxit every time before every use.

The Type 500/53A scope carts have 2 slots each for plug-in storage. Well, they did. Not any more.

I made it clear right when I brought this big haul home that I didn't want nor had the room these carts. But I can use those plug-in storage racks. So I pulled them and that seals the fate of these carts. They will be torn down and recycled.

I'm going to build the 2 racks into a unit on casters that will fit nicely under bench 2. Storage problem solved.

I was going to suggest simply putting the plugins into plastic bags, cheap and easy.... but I do admit that your solution has a bit more style to it 

[AVGresponding]

@ch_scr  that ADF 4351-based RF-gen arrived today, and I guess I have a faulty one; it's absolute shite.

You can't properly select frequency, it outputs more or less power of two multiples of 35MHz, and the jitter is so bad it looks like it was made by a lindy-hopper.

Using the sweep function just makes the jitter worse, with the frequency stepping up at 70MHz, 140MHz etc. The output level jumps randomly between three or four different levels if you sweep it, with the steps synchronised with the frequency steps if you input them manually.

The SMA connector is shit quality, the USB A to micro lead is shit quality.

A quick look at the datasheet for the 4351 shows a PLL lock indicator on pin 25; there's a green LED on that pin (via a 1k resistor) on this, and it flickers randomly in operation, not a good sign as it should be lit solidly.

I'll be messaging the seller shortly, but I won't get a reply soon as they are marked as away.

[Vince]

Thanks for the feedback as I am very interested in these little things and have been thinking of getting one for some time now.

Yours sound so bad I can't imagine they are all like that... let us know how it goes with the seller and if you get a replacement that hopefully works properly.

You got the dirt cheap version didn't you ? The 20 quid one with the myriad of push buttons and 2x16 text LCD ?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224100457749

Was thinking of going crazy and go for the ultra luxurious 40+ quid version with graphical LCD / touch screen UI :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284513161840

Will try and see if I can find real world reviews of this thing on YT.

[AVGresponding]

Yes I'm guessing mine is faulty, rather than intrinsically disfunctional.

Looking at the datasheet for the IC, it should certainly be capable of what is claimed for the module. As to whether it's the ADF 4351 or the Atmel 8L-8AU, or whether it just needs reflowing (the soldering is ugly as hell) I don't know and I'm not inclined to investigate further until I've communicated with the seller.

[factory]

Found another defective board in the HP 5340A, this time the A20 timebase board, it has some issues with counting the 10MHz self check, with the resolution switch in certain positions it gives a wrong count.


I've traced this to the multiplex IC (U23), which gives an odd output with bursts of pulses in some of the switch positions, the timebase divider ICs are all working fine.










Oh course it had to be something I haven't got any spares of, a 9312 IC (1820-0615), will have to wait to find one a sensible price. And then there are the other two faulty digital boards to fix and it needs a replacement transformer, any sane person would have stuck on ePay as spares/repair by now. 

Some good news, all the other digital boards & the display board are working fine, even that one with the hybrid (the one Cubdriver describes as the "Roach Hotel"), this means the high frequency fault is either in the front end, or the boards in the die cast block.

David

[AVGresponding]

Found another defective board in the HP 5340A, this time the A20 timebase board, it has some issues with counting the 10MHz self check, with the resolution switch in certain positions it gives a wrong count.


I've traced this to the multiplex IC (U23), which gives an odd output with bursts of pulses in some of the switch positions, the timebase divider ICs are all working fine.










Oh course it had to be something I haven't got any spares of, a 9312 IC (1820-0615), will have to wait to find one a sensible price. And then there are the other two faulty digital boards to fix and it needs a replacement transformer, any sane person would have stuck on ePay as spares/repair by now. 

Some good news, all the other digital boards & the display board are working fine, even that one with the hybrid (the one Cubdriver describes as the "Roach Hotel"), this means the high frequency fault is either in the front end, or the boards in the die cast block.

David

Could the problem be a failed decoupling cap for the IC?