Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

Fairchild...?

In other news...

In response to some questions my son had about one of his Social Studies assignments, I sat us down in front of a segment of Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain show... he learned something, and we both laughed.

There's hope for the boy yet. 

mnem
*toddles off to rigorously inspect his eyelids for pinholes*   

[Cerebus]

Fairchild...?

Na, never made switches as far as I know. It looks like a "Ferranti" 'F' of 1970s vintage, but again I  discounted them because they too, as far as I know, were never in the [mechanical] switch business.

[Vgkid]

*Snip*
Watch out for the wolves at vk5rc - lick you to death!

Those are 2 cute Airedales. I miss ours

[Neomys Sapiens]

This is the defective power switch out of the Type 105. Discovered something interesting. On that brass plate it states 3A/125v and beneath it UL approval. On the cardboard is the maker's mark of "F" within a circle.

On the bottom of the plastic housing it is stamped 6A/125V and 3A/250V. Huh? I give up, which is it at 125V?  Also again is the maker's mark of "F" within a circle. I have no idea who that maker is and they probably are no longer around anyway. It certainly isn't Switch Craft. 

Frankly, I have no idea whether they used this logo, but for 'switches' and 'F' FEME comes to my mind.
(They are Carlo Gavazzi now)
Or 'Circle F Industries'. See picture for Logo.
The rating is perfectly normal. 6A/125V and 3A/250V are the manufacturer's ratings, while UL approves it for 3A/125V.

[vk6zgo]

yarp. but at least it works. better to have a working GPU than a brick.

Not if you're being attacked by, say, a wolf...

I think Saskia would have other, quite adequate, resources in that event!

[AVGresponding]

yarp. but at least it works. better to have a working GPU than a brick.

Not if you're being attacked by, say, a wolf...

I think Saskia would have other, quite adequate, resources in that event!

The choice is between a working GPU and a brick. Other items are not permitted.

yarp. but at least it works. better to have a working GPU than a brick.

Not if you're being attacked by, say, a wolf...

...a working GPU would allow you to explore the various outcomes of any move you and the wolf make and produce nice parametric diagrams of them!

Only if it's attached to a working PC and monitor, which was not mentioned. Also, I'm not sure the wolf would be patient enough to wait while you wrote and ran the software.

Yes, but by definition, it wouldn't be a "working" GPU without those things.

mnem
and before you say it... It's not a GPU when it's being used for mining or AI compute, etc... it's a coprocessor.

If you choose to define it that way, then the choice is even more clear, since any attempt to use the GPU as a physical obstruction is likely to render it non-working, and any attempt to use it thusly while ensconced within an operating PC violates the spirit of the original premise.
Any attempt to use it to bamboozle or bore the wolf will fail; wolves care not for such pettifoggery.

[vk6zgo]

Watch out for the wolves at vk5rc - lick you to death!

Wolves, OK, we were talking about wolves, but why did you post a picture of some complicated sort of floor mop? Is it for mopping up wolf drool?

Nah, don't you see that hairy leg? That's the wolf!

"It's the Wooluff!"

My "wolves" think that I should like receiving "tongue baths" as much as they like giving them, but it tickles like mad!

[mansaxel]

My kitchen fan hood is built in Italy. To clean the draft flap, one needs to dismantle the hood completely. It figures. I once had a boss who was into Ferraris. Alternator belt swap was an engine lift operation. 

Now, my fan works, at all three speeds, and the flap closes properly. No more ice-cold draft under the hood. Took better part of a day, and was a major upgrade in quality of living.

Edit: TE involved was Fluke 10, for continuity mostly.

Edit: Current EE obsession: Ring modulator stomp box.

[Robert763]

<SNIP>

 

Watch out for the wolves at vk5rc - lick you to death!
[/quote]

Those arn't wolves, this is a Wolf:

[Robert763]

This is the defective power switch out of the Type 105. Discovered something interesting. On that brass plate it states 3A/125v and beneath it UL approval. On the cardboard is the maker's mark of "F" within a circle.

On the bottom of the plastic housing it is stamped 6A/125V and 3A/250V. Huh? I give up, which is it at 125V?  Also again is the maker's mark of "F" within a circle. I have no idea who that maker is and they probably are no longer around anyway. It certainly isn't Switch Craft. 

It means that if you use it in an item that requires UL marking you can only pass 3A through it but the manufacturer thinks it's good for 6A. The manufacturer probably wants to sell replacements.
I've actually seen this dual rating for UL approval on several electrical items. It was backed up by the data sheet.  Example here:
https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/175819.pdf fuse holders rated up to 7A higher for non UL (CSA maybe it's the colder weather in Canada). If seen other fuse holders were the UL raing was highr tha the european rating.
I assume it's different test methods and or maximum temperature rise or voltaage drop limits.

[med6753]

It means that if you use it in an item that requires UL marking you can only pass 3A through it but the manufacturer thinks it's good for 6A. The manufacturer probably wants to sell replacements.
I've actually seen this dual rating for UL approval on several electrical items. It was backed up by the data sheet.  Example here:
https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/175819.pdf fuse holders rated up to 7A higher for non UL (CSA maybe it's the colder weather in Canada). If seen other fuse holders were the UL raing was highr tha the european rating.
I assume it's different test methods and or maximum temperature rise or voltaage drop limits.

Well whatever it's rating doesn't really matter because it's NFG. 

The Type 105 is fused to 3A slow-blow.

[med6753]

No wolves around these parts but we have plenty of these running around.

And their favorite prey isn't road runners. Domestic cats unfortunately top the menu.

[BU508A]

It means that if you use it in an item that requires UL marking you can only pass 3A through it but the manufacturer thinks it's good for 6A. The manufacturer probably wants to sell replacements.
I've actually seen this dual rating for UL approval on several electrical items. It was backed up by the data sheet.  Example here:
https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/175819.pdf fuse holders rated up to 7A higher for non UL (CSA maybe it's the colder weather in Canada). If seen other fuse holders were the UL raing was highr tha the european rating.
I assume it's different test methods and or maximum temperature rise or voltaage drop limits.

Well whatever it's rating doesn't really matter because it's NFG. 

The Type 105 is fused to 3A slow-blow.

How about this one as a replacement?



The switch is rated for 3A/250VAC, should be okay as a replacement.

Mouser has it on stock.

[med6753]

It means that if you use it in an item that requires UL marking you can only pass 3A through it but the manufacturer thinks it's good for 6A. The manufacturer probably wants to sell replacements.
I've actually seen this dual rating for UL approval on several electrical items. It was backed up by the data sheet.  Example here:
https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/175819.pdf fuse holders rated up to 7A higher for non UL (CSA maybe it's the colder weather in Canada). If seen other fuse holders were the UL raing was highr tha the european rating.
I assume it's different test methods and or maximum temperature rise or voltaage drop limits.

Well whatever it's rating doesn't really matter because it's NFG. 

The Type 105 is fused to 3A slow-blow.

How about this one as a replacement?



The switch is rated for 3A/250VAC, should be okay as a replacement.

Mouser has it on stock.

It's already been replaced. A Type 561B parts mule gave up it's toggle switch.

[Neper]

The bullshitometer:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2022/mar/02/frozen-assets-braving-the-elements-in-rural-california-in-pictures-bruce-haley#img-4

[Saskia]

No wolves around these parts but we have plenty of these running around.

And their favorite prey isn't road runners. Domestic cats unfortunately top the menu.

you called ?

[m k]

(just in case)

Variac with a case, a bit over 30 liters, I think it's a TE.
(meters are mine, with Dremel, iron was thick)
(decades old drill bits couldn't really do it)

BTW,
I have also one of those splitting RJ45/RJ11 testers, not so fancy looking older model, and it is not showing all errors.
Possibly something to do with regular LAN pins vs. others, can't check, the device is currently out of site.
If memory serves connecting pairs 3 and 4 only is too exotic.

[dl6lr]

The bullshitometer:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2022/mar/02/frozen-assets-braving-the-elements-in-rural-california-in-pictures-bruce-haley#img-4

Bah, ugly HDR tone mapped pictures.

[Specmaster]

Not quite TEA but close, there are a number of members here who have a great dislike for fans, especially in their PC's so I'll post this link to a new portable, almost pocket PC just needs keyboard, mouse and screen, so any TV with HDMI should do, and it runs Windows 11. Thoughts?

[Brumby]

The last week or two has seen a lot of rain.  I'm over it ... and so is everyone else.  I am, however, nowhere near as unfortunate as many who have had to deal with flooding.

However, tomorrow is going to be the day we rename the east coast here "Kamino".



I've never seen a rainfall forecast in the 3 digits before.... ever.  This is Sydney - we don't get monsoon rain!

[BU508A]

Today arrivals:



Thanks to Neomys for the Nordmende and the dental probes, they are very useful. 

Teardown and more details will follow.

[McBryce]

finally some bastelfrickeldoodling ...

1084 Monitor! The best monitor you can get for retro systems. I've the same model (but I still have the cover over the knobs)

McBryce.

[ch_scr]

Not quite TEA but close, there are a number of members here who have a great dislike for fans, especially in their PC's so I'll post this link to a new portable, almost pocket PC just needs keyboard, mouse and screen, so any TV with HDMI should do, and it runs Windows 11. Thoughts?

My opinion is this: A modern (last 3-4 years) cpu (either in a mini pc or a notebook) can leave it's fan off doing the "usual stuff" (watching videos, browsing, text editing) when you may need the quiet.
But such a system can mobilize it's fan and wind up the cpu when you want to have the power (and if it's just so the update goes by fast). A fully passive system is only needed for reliability and/or on a shoestring power budget. IMHO in all other cases a more powerfull (and in the sub 45W class definitely a red team system) is more appropriate. With the new Ryzen 6000 we'll hopefully see mini pc systems (towards the end of year) not much bigger than this, but with a fan, that can run "modern games" on 1080p/mid graphics @60 fps. If you want that, hold out. If you do not care for that, a Ryzen 5000 mini pc/laptop is well good enough for anything else for years to come. A "tower pc" is IMHO only appropriate anymore if you needed special plug in cards or big iron graphics, and even then it can be half the size of a "classic tower".

[Saskia]

mouser shafted me again. I'm pissed.

[Neper]

1084 Monitor! The best monitor you can get for retro systems.

I beg to differ. I've run my Amiga computers with a DEC VR241 colour monitor originally intended for the Rainbow 100. Worlds apart.