Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Vince]

Yeah that would be great, keep me updated !
Your pics show a two row connector but otherwise looks very similar to what I need !    right angle, round pins, PCB mount, one bolt at each end, same shape same colour... must be it.

I have just buttoned up the donour and took some macro shots of the connectors then took a few measurements with the calipers so I can post a thread about that on the forum, somewhere.

I measured, on the male/plugin board connector :

- Single row, 16 pins.
- Round pins, diameter 1.5mm
- Length of the pins (max length, including the conical/rounded tip ) : about 6.5mm.
- Pitch :  about 4mm. Should be quite accurate : measured the overall length of all 16 pins, 61.3mm, remove one diameter, about 60mm, divided by 15 intervals... 4mm.

Some bad news, measured the Smiths connector on the MM/INS readout board, the overall length of the 16 pins is 77.7mm (pitch is 5.08mm)  , pin length & diameter is the same however. They are two separate connectors stacked, top one has longer right angle pins.

David

Oh well, thanks for trying anyway, I appreciate ! 

I e-mailed the guy from Electro-puces. Said he recognized this connector for sure, but can't give me a part number. He said he would search his stuff to see if he might still have some connectors somewhere... or even a genuine Ferisol extender card, though he said that's a bit unlikely...

I will give him a few days before I ping him for an update on his search ! 

If that fails, maybe I can just use individual round terminals if that exists...
Or worst case, I can salvage connectors from the donour counter.. but only as a last resort.

[AVGresponding]

57Ex top notch, the best of the best, I approve !

Based on the of the range MX56 but ads temperature measurement which is normally only found on the MX 54, not on the 53 nor 56.

So you get all the feautres + the best accuracy of the range.

Sure you lose the 10A current range but it's not like it gets used that often anyway... if you do need the 10A then just grab any other meter, no matter how crap it will be good enough.
High current readings on a DMM has never been mega accurate anyway 

I have clamp meters and home-made shunts that cover me from uA to kA in any case, imo better than risking internal meltage of a treasured DMM (all mine are treasured, even the derided 139C).

It's in good company in that the other meters in regular front-line rotation are a Fluke 289, Brymen 869S, and Tektronix DMM912. There would be a Gossen M242A but it is currently in the repair queue
 

[Cerebus]

You can add Engineer Tools to the Japanese list. They have a special pliers for the extraction of fnorked screws, which definitely comes handy sometimes.

I use a bunch of Enginner brand stuff. It's good quality gear, and their Neji-saurus pliers (Screw-saurus pliers) as you mention are great for getting out of a stuck situation.

I keep on meaning to get myself a pair of those. That intention is redoubled now that I know they have a kawaii name!

They look quite good, and clearly Knipex think so too, as they've recently copied released their own design of screw-gripping pliers:  https://www.knipex.com/en-uk/products/pipe-wrenches-and-water-pump-pliers/knipex-twingrip-slip-joint-pliers/knipex-twingripslip-joint-pliers/8201200

I was unable to find any way to buy anything on the Engineer Co website...   

Often the way with Japanese companies; I'm not going to offer any theories as to why.

I searched on eBay UK for "neji-saurus"and immediately found: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251176589284 so I bought a pair.

ebay just feels like cheating, somehow... in any case, the ones I want (PZ 81) seem to only be available from Japan anyway (ie not cheap).

"Thanks" for the ebay link.   

Here, have this one in exchange     :  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133953510227

Oooo! Shiny!

[Vince]

57Ex top notch, the best of the best, I approve !

Based on the of the range MX56 but ads temperature measurement which is normally only found on the MX 54, not on the 53 nor 56.

So you get all the feautres + the best accuracy of the range.

Sure you lose the 10A current range but it's not like it gets used that often anyway... if you do need the 10A then just grab any other meter, no matter how crap it will be good enough.
High current readings on a DMM has never been mega accurate anyway 

I have clamp meters and home-made shunts that cover me from uA to kA in any case, imo better than risking internal meltage of a treasured DMM (all mine are treasured, even the derided 139C).

It's in good company in that the other meters in regular front-line rotation are a Fluke 289, Brymen 869S, and Tektronix DMM912. There would be a Gossen M242A but it is currently in the repair queue
 

Yes current clamps good... I need one or two. Problem is that prices have skyrocketed due to a shortage on the used market, caused by Robert collecting them all selfishly.

Even with his garage completely full, he still buys more and more of them, there is no stopping him. It's the Putin of current clamps. Only way to make him let his TE go is to cut his income (will talk to his boss about that), so that he is forced to sell all of his TE to get money for food. I think that's the only way to solve the problem... we need to starve him....

[mnementh]

Only reason to buy a brand new Chinese meter would be...

1) You don't mind the cheap and childish look and feel.
2) You absolutely want a warranty on your product.
3) You don't care about reputation / track record / reliability.
4) You want it right now, in brand new condition, you don't want to search for month and month for a used item.... which is very understandable !

Well, then, you clearly haven't bothered to do your research (amazing what you'll find here on eevBlog ) , or you'd know that there are a number of Chinesium meters that stand up every bit as well as the "name brands", and many that do so at 10% the price.

Sorry dood... dismissing them out of hand is exactly as nonsensical as the "brand loyalty" you claim not to have, yet exhibit in spades. You know them, you like them, and you feel they provide good value for dollar. That is a form of brand loyalty, whether you want to admit it or not.

mnem
 

[markl17@gmail.com]

hi does anyone of a good signal amp that can raise the db of generator that has +5db to start with to something like 50db or higher
for semi affordable price like below $150 I am willing to chain them if at all possible 

[ch_scr]

hi does anyone of a good signal amp that can raise the db of generator that has +5db to start with to something like 50db or higher
for semi affordable price like below $150 I am willing to chain them if at all possible 

I suppose what you mean is +5dBm to +50dBm?! As in, 100W output power?
Depending on the frequency range, maybe you can find a china DIY kit you can build for the price.
You'll also need a stout (like 250W+ stout) 28ish Volt DC supply to power it.

[Vince]

Only reason to buy a brand new Chinese meter would be...

1) You don't mind the cheap and childish look and feel.
2) You absolutely want a warranty on your product.
3) You don't care about reputation / track record / reliability.
4) You want it right now, in brand new condition, you don't want to search for month and month for a used item.... which is very understandable !

Well, then, you clearly haven't bothered to do your research (amazing what you'll find here on eevBlog ) , or you'd know that there are a number of Chinesium meters that stand up every bit as well as the "name brands", and many that do so at 10% the price.

Sorry dood... dismissing them out of hand is exactly as nonsensical as the "brand loyalty" you claim not to have, yet exhibit in spades. You know them, you like them, and you feel they provide good value for dollar. That is a form of brand loyalty, whether you want to admit it or not.

mnem
 

Looks like you again did not read me, be it about brand loyalty or chinese stuff. The old Dwagon is back   

Think what you want as always, I don't care... unlike some, I don't enjoy arguing endlessly with you, who alwya swnat to have the final word, when you clearly don't understand / read / ignore  what I write and instead just want to force your narrative on me. That will be without me, I quit right there, have fun.

Give me the new 2022 Dwagon back please.

[mansaxel]

Hmmmm beautiful CRT, I miss mine, think I will buy some again ! 

Yes, those are Trinitrons, very high quality ones. I've got one, the standard 19" that came with the circa SS5 generation. Also got another 21" Sony Trinitron that's waiting to be picked up by a colleague from the southern part of the country.

[mansaxel]

As it happens, my current go-to is a Metrix 57EX (I rotate through my collection).

As do I!

In the tool case, it's the Sweden-bought 8060A unless I want to measure mains, then it's the Fluke 10. The Uni-T UT-210E clamp is biding its time; having a DC clamp is important!

On the bench, the [hp] 974A and the Fluke 27 are resting, together with the MetraHit 14, while the Fluke 123 and the MetraHit 25 are being actively used.  I've gotten into nearly always having the 428b (while no DMM) cocked and ready too. (having a DC clamp is important!)

In the queue, there's an US-bought 8060 that won't measure mA. An Avometer 7 that won't measure anything. But the movement is OK.

[mansaxel]

hi does anyone of a good signal amp that can raise the db of generator that has +5db to start with to something like 50db or higher
for semi affordable price like below $150 I am willing to chain them if at all possible 

(what ch_scr wrote, too)

At what frequency? If it's below 100KHz, chances are you'll find an audio power amp well suited. Sometimes, they have band-pass filtering that might need defeating. (and what they'll do if unfiltered is left as an exercise to the reader; but be sure to look at the output with something that can tell you if it's gone to the natural state of an amplifier, i.e oscillating. )

[0culus]

Someone please tell me this idiot is trolling: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/heres-a-gas-pressure-vessel-can-i-get-some-advice/


In other news, I haven't actually bought much lately. But I am moving houses relatively soon and will have more space for my lab. 

[cyclin_al]

You can add Engineer Tools to the Japanese list. They have a special pliers for the extraction of fnorked screws, which definitely comes handy sometimes.

I use a bunch of Enginner brand stuff. It's good quality gear, and their Neji-saurus pliers (Screw-saurus pliers) as you mention are great for getting out of a stuck situation.

I keep on meaning to get myself a pair of those. That intention is redoubled now that I know they have a kawaii name!

They look quite good, and clearly Knipex think so too, as they've recently copied released their own design of screw-gripping pliers:  https://www.knipex.com/en-uk/products/pipe-wrenches-and-water-pump-pliers/knipex-twingrip-slip-joint-pliers/knipex-twingripslip-joint-pliers/8201200

I was unable to find any way to buy anything on the Engineer Co website...   

Often the way with Japanese companies; I'm not going to offer any theories as to why.

I searched on eBay UK for "neji-saurus"and immediately found: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251176589284 so I bought a pair.

ebay just feels like cheating, somehow... in any case, the ones I want (PZ 81) seem to only be available from Japan anyway (ie not cheap).

"Thanks" for the ebay link.   

Here, have this one in exchange     :  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133953510227

I had a good look around, and was very tempted for the PZ 58 pliers.  I could only find them in the UK or Japan, far far away from the GWN.
Add in shipping, and it became just too much.  I will be watching these in case anything does show up closer to home at a more reasonable price (which means still expensive).

[Cerebus]

Someone please tell me this idiot is trolling: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/heres-a-gas-pressure-vessel-can-i-get-some-advice/


In other news, I haven't actually bought much lately. But I am moving houses relatively soon and will have more space for my lab. 

The poster in question is, in my not so humble opinion, and based on observations over several months, only borderline sane. Sane enough to not get swept off the streets by a team of men in white coats, but not sane enough to be allowed to play with things that require expertise to avoid killing or maiming oneself or others. I can't help but be reminded of Niven and Pournelle's "Think of it as evolution in action". The appearance of some videos from him, with frequent hand-rolling of *ahem* cigarettes, generates a new perspective that to my mind certainly explains a lot of his past postings.

I'd previously wondered whether he was a young but bright teenager or even younger who was just charging headlong into everything that seemed interesting without slowing down enough along the way to learn how anything actually worked. There was a lot that spoke of much immaturity, coupled with a certain kind of enthusiastic but unfocussed curiosity that often goes with bright young men. Now that I see that he's 35 or so the evidence of immaturity takes on a completely different flavour.

Footnote.

Quoting Niven and Pournelle made me realise that I'd completely forgotten that I once shared an office with Jerry Pournelle for a week back in the 90s. He wrote a column for our US backed but UK published magazine, and for some reason the powers that be in the US (who paid for his column at 'star writer' rates) had decided to billet him with us for a week for him to "Get a flavour of what they're doing in the UK". A self-confessed 'paleo-conservative', he was as much of a sexist knuckle-dragger as you might expect from some of his writing; his trying to send our [female] Deputy Managing Editor off to "Get me a cuppa coffee dharlin'." did not go down well, and during the week there were other incidents that suggested that he hadn't quite caught up with the times as to how one approached professional women in the 1990s. I recall having to persuade some of the ladies that pitching him from a sixth floor window was likely to go down very poorly with our US publisher who paid our inflated salaries.

[cyclin_al]

Someone please tell me this idiot is trolling: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/heres-a-gas-pressure-vessel-can-i-get-some-advice/

I took a quick scan of that person's posts in general.  It does look like they have a habit of trolling, or at least playing the role of acting like an idiot.

The topic in that thread is concerning enough that I am a bit surprised it has gone for 4 pages without a moderator getting involved?

[TERRA Operative]

Meth, it's a hell of a drug...

[vk6zgo]

Math being universal and undeniable, it's the most reliable way of eliminating confusing.

Ask people what is "1+2*3"? Include teachers

I ask them back---"Where are the brackets?"

The slightly more clued up ask that, and I reply "no brackets, just the normal laws of arithmetic".

Yes, after I wrote that, I remembered the order of operations, (it's been a long time) but still think it is a Smartarse trick to omit them.
After all, if clarity can be best served by using brackets, why "spoil the boat for a Hap'orth of tar"?

[tautech]

Someone please tell me this idiot is trolling: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/heres-a-gas-pressure-vessel-can-i-get-some-advice/

I took a quick scan of that person's posts in general.  It does look like they have a habit of trolling, or at least playing the role of acting like an idiot.

The topic in that thread is concerning enough that I am a bit surprised it has gone for 4 pages without a moderator getting involved?

Or anyone advising how to properly test a pressure vessel. 

[TERRA Operative]

From what I've seen at BOC gasses, it's with x-rays then in a fk-off big stronk containment cage behind a blast shield. or two... 

[Brumby]

Math being universal and undeniable, it's the most reliable way of eliminating confusing.

Ask people what is "1+2*3"? Include teachers

I ask them back---"Where are the brackets?"

The slightly more clued up ask that, and I reply "no brackets, just the normal laws of arithmetic".

Yes, after I wrote that, I remembered the order of operations, (it's been a long time) but still think it is a Smartarse trick to omit them.
After all, if clarity can be best served by using brackets, why "spoil the boat for a Hap'orth of tar"?

My response would be: Describe the scenario this expression is supposed to define, so that I can determine if the expression is properly formatted.

Expressions of themselves are pretty much a nothing-burger.  They are used to provide a means of working on a particular problem.  Knowing the problem will deliver expressions that are appropriate.

[tautech]

From what I've seen at BOC gasses, it's with x-rays then in a fk-off big stronk containment cage behind a blast shield. or two... 

Nope, visually inspected then valve removed and vessel filled with water then pressurized to the vessel's spec.
Any possible expansion checked with Go/No Go rings for a Pass or Fail.

From what they charge for such a service one would think it's a highly complex test when it certainly isn't.

[TERRA Operative]

From what I've seen at BOC gasses, it's with x-rays then in a fk-off big stronk containment cage behind a blast shield. or two... 

Nope, visually inspected then valve removed and vessel filled with water then pressurized to the vessel's spec.
Any possible expansion checked with Go/No Go rings for a Pass or Fail.

From what they charge for such a service one would think it's a highly complex test when it certainly isn't.

I guess BOC in South Brisbane does it different, I've seen the machine first hand, almost completely automated.

[Cubdriver]

From what I've seen at BOC gasses, it's with x-rays then in a fk-off big stronk containment cage behind a blast shield. or two... 

Nope, visually inspected then valve removed and vessel filled with water then pressurized to the vessel's spec.
Any possible expansion checked with Go/No Go rings for a Pass or Fail.

From what they charge for such a service one would think it's a highly complex test when it certainly isn't.

I've never seen it done, but had always heard of it being referred to as a 'hydro test', which makes sense - water doesn't compress, so if a cylinder should cut loose during testing there's no massive amount of stored energy to be violently vented as there would be if it were pressurized with gas.  Very similar to the way they tested the DH Comet after the in-flight breakups - built a giant tank around the fuselage of one, immerse it in water and cycle till it stopped holding pressure.



Highly compressed gasses of any sort are not to be trifled with - there's an immense amount of pent up energy in one of those innocuous looking metal cylinders, and if that guy in the other thread carries on with some of his ideas despite having been repeatedly told not to and given the reasons why, I don't think he'll be long for this world.   

-Pat

[Neomys Sapiens]

...I can't remember which LED I need to replace so I don't know if I will be in luck or not... will need to wait 'til the PSU is recapped and put back in...
ISTR the LED was somewhere in the upper left corner of the front panel, but which one exactly I don't knoooooow......   

With the panel unplugged should be easy-peasy, as it appears the +5V rail for the LEDs is isolated from that for the ICs. Just test the LEDs directly using the DIODE/JUNCTION TEST function on your meter. Any that don't light up, investigate further. If none of your meters will produce enough Vfd or current to light a LED on that function, then you have a REALLY GOOD excuse to shop for one that does; even if it's just a cheap Aneng AN8xxx. 

mnem

That's precisely the hard part ! 

No not getting a crap meter just to test LEDs...

I tried my goto Fluke 11 and WaveTek DM27XT. Both can light old salvaged red or green standard/low luminosity 5mm LED. Red is very dim but green which is what we are interested in here, is much better, though still not stellar.
Then tried a Metrix MX54, it's much better. If I really want super bright when testing, I can just use my power supply and put a current limiting resistor in series. This way I can test any LED you can throw at me and get it as bright as it can handle...

But again I don't need to test them all, I only need to put back the PSU to see which is the one I know is dead. The others I already know work fine...

Working on the front panel and on the PSU are two completely independent tasks. They share no dismantling of anything. There is no reason to try and fix the front panel and the PSU at the same time.
It's two completely independent jobs.

My goal for now is to fix the PSU ASAP before I forget how to put it back together. I don't te get distracted by adding other jobs to the mix. One thing at a time here...
If I am successful with the PSU I will be well happy and could then contemplate doing other jobs on this scope... but I want to focus on the PSU only right now...

I might still order green LEDs and a new battery along with the caps, but I am not attempting to pull the font panel until the PSU is recapped, put back together, re-installed, and assured it works fine.

I know my limits, want to try to minimize the risk of fucking things up, on a scope I care a lot about and managed to get for a good price.

Obviously, you need a LEDtester like the one once sold by Mentor (panel elements company), where you have several current steps (2/10/15/20mA or so) and which allows you to place several LEDs side-by-side in sockets with the same current step, so that you can select them precisely for brightness and hue! 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Someone please tell me this idiot is trolling: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/heres-a-gas-pressure-vessel-can-i-get-some-advice/


In other news, I haven't actually bought much lately. But I am moving houses relatively soon and will have more space for my lab. 

Pressure vessels - the reason why a certain industrial fire service in Germany keeps a precision rifle with AP munition around. Some problems are better solved from a distance.