Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

I'm just looking to listen to broadcasts from around the place etc. but I have no idea about radio stuff, its one thing I've never got into before.

Something semi-portable to portable and not toooo boat-anchory would be perfect, but when taking a look at what's around in Akihabara, my head starts to spin.... Although the Japanese brands are easy to find considering my location.

   

If you're looking for a classic analog receiver to restore and use, I'll reiterate the Grundig Satellit. If you just want something ready-to-use to just listen... depends on the money you have to spend. Mansaxel's recommendations for good models are probably a lot more current than mine. If you want cheap and ready-to-use... probably the latest from Baofeng and then shop a decent receive-optimized antenna. I got my 'feng UV-5R for $23 delivered in the US with rechargeable battery pack and charging dock. Hard to beat that deal.   

https://www.amazon.com/Baofeng-UV-5R-136-174-400-480Mhz-1800mAh/dp/B074XPB313/

mnem
 

[TERRA Operative]

Looking around, I think what I want is a full-band or all-band radio rather than a dedicated shortwave only receiver. That Grundig Satellit looks like it's pretty much the style of thing I need. Something like that would be good.

Restoration is ok for a decent unit, my budget would be a couple hundred dollars max I think.

[BU508A]

Grundig Satellit 3400 for 250 Euro in Germany:



ebay Kleinanzeigen offer (NAWTS)

[mnementh]

..., because they have the Zerhacker (the amount of mayhem caused by making AC out of PV DC can't be adequately visualised if one uses nice words like "inverter" or "vibrator", so one must resort to German terms) units ...

No, that needs a proper twenty-seven syllable German compound noun to get the right Gestalt for it. Unheimlichwechselndegeräuscheerzeugenderaparatus or somesuch, more properly constructed, word.

That compound word needs to contain "Gerät", that's my input. "Schwergewichtsgeräuschergänzungszerhackergerät"

   https://www.google.com/search?q=translate+Schwergewichtsgeräuschergänzungszerhackergerät

I clicked on the "Spoken aloud" button and...

mnem
"Run away... run awayyyy!!!"

[dl6lr]

Here's a question for the radio aficionados here.

What's the go with shortwave radios? If I want a really good one (new or second hand), what should I look at for a self-contained radio (I.e. no rtl-sdr type gizmos).

Conventional receiver? JRC NRD 535 or 545.

[TERRA Operative]

Here's a question for the radio aficionados here.

What's the go with shortwave radios? If I want a really good one (new or second hand), what should I look at for a self-contained radio (I.e. no rtl-sdr type gizmos).

Conventional receiver? JRC NRD 535 or 545.

Ooof, they are hovering around 60,000yen to 100,000yen second hand. Ouch.

[mnementh]

Looking around, I think what I want is a full-band or all-band radio rather than a dedicated shortwave only receiver. That Grundig Satellit looks like it's pretty much the style of thing I need. Something like that would be good.

Restoration is ok for a decent unit, my budget would be a couple hundred dollars max I think.

The Satellit family has literally been around since before I was born, and I think still is being made in some form today. Go here: http://www.classic-worldband.com/ and take a look around; see the models and basic features.

After that, be prepared to lose a couple afternoons in depth-first searches... these radios are a whole new in and of themselves. 


mnem
 

[mnementh]

Grundig Satellit 3400 for 250 Euro in Germany:      ebay Kleinanzeigen offer (NAWTS)

Heh... some previous owner lost/broke the analog clock that came with it and substituted some little LCD brick clock like they used to sell to stick to the dash of your car... 

mnem
Still a little bit of right there...

[mansaxel]

I'm just looking to listen to broadcasts from around the place etc. but I have no idea about radio stuff, its one thing I've never got into before.

Something semi-portable to portable and not toooo boat-anchory would be perfect, but when taking a look at what's around in Akihabara, my head starts to spin.... Although the Japanese brands are easy to find considering my location.

I was a bit heavy on the Japan brands just because. JRC home-style comms receivers are very interesting; also if one gets their fingers on them the pro marine receivers from JRC are really nice, albeit very much boatanchory; full-deep 3HE 19"... My personal favourite would be the Swedish-designed Standard Radio & Telefon CR-91, also an anchor-class receiver. It's hard to find even in Sweden, so finding one in Japan would probably be nigh impossible.

[mnementh]

Oh, yeah... Sony also had a line of worldband radios with excellent cred... and as they're your local boys, might be easier to glom something decent at a reasonable price:

http://www.classic-worldband.com/pages/info/SONY_thumbs.htm

Again, another whole new    in and of themselves...

mnem
I'm helping...!   

[mansaxel]

Also, I remember reading an article on OXCOs (Maybe Wolfgang...?) recently where the author found a supplier who did custom-cut crystals for ~$20 each any qty.

CuriousMarc found a crystal vendor for the Apollo ground station equipment who could do really nice crystals for small money. Look in his Youtube videos on the Apollo comms project.

[BU508A]

Better example:

[mnementh]

@Mounty: Oh yeah, baybee!  Guess I was wrong about the clock; original was digital. Probably an older model I was thinking of.

mnem
This is where I usually put some pithy remark.

[BU508A]

Also, I remember reading an article on OXCOs (Maybe Wolfgang...?) recently where the author found a supplier who did custom-cut crystals for ~$20 each any qty.

CuriousMarc found a crystal vendor for the Apollo ground station equipment who could do really nice crystals for small money. Look in his Youtube videos on the Apollo comms project.

The company you are looking for is Krystaly in .cz
http://www.krystaly.cz/en/

I've bought there the crystals for the HP 3456A for 50Hz operation.

[mnementh]

CuriousMarc found a crystal vendor for the Apollo ground station equipment who could do really nice crystals for small money. Look in his Youtube videos on the Apollo comms project.

BAM!  That's it! I totally conflated the two.

mnem
I'm all out of "pithy".

[dl6lr]

Ooof, they are hovering around 60,000yen to 100,000yen second hand. Ouch.

Quite cheaper should be the JRC NRD-525. This older rig has some minor bugs: The audio is a bit muffled and it has quite some hiss. There were some mods available for those issues.

[Andrew_Debbie]

Here's a question for the radio aficionados here.

What's the go with shortwave radios? If I want a really good one (new or second hand), what should I look at for a self-contained radio (I.e. no rtl-sdr type gizmos).

I have a Tecsun PL-880.   

If you are looking for a modestly priced portable mostly for SW listening,  I highly recommend it.    It is < $160 including shipping from anon-co.   

https://swling.com/blog/tag/pl-880/
https://swling.com/blog/2013/12/a-review-of-the-tecsun-pl-880-portable-shortwave-radio/


The tiny Belka DX has caught my eye.    It is also inexpensive and with very good performance.

https://belrig.by/index.php?route=product/category&path=59    Buy  Direct from the designer     Note   He is in Minsk.  Buying anything from Belarus might be difficult.

[Andrew_Debbie]

Auction catalog for  7E communication is out.    PP Auction - Site is near the Hampton Court  --  You know,  King Henry's pad west of London.


A few interesting lots:

2x  HP33120A  AWG --   I'd bid if I had a trip to London Planned.
HP 58503B GPS time & frequency reference receiver   -- I expect this antique to sell for far more than it should.   

TTi EX354D power supply in the box.

Fluke multimeters  -- 29, 8022A, 322  and so on

Racal Dana Rubidium Frequency Standard. -->  https://www2.ppauctions.com/lot/164397/lot-161?auction_filters=cGFnZT02
Racal Dana 9478  - House frequency standard distribution amplifier.  Time nuts?

Tek 465B   https://www2.ppauctions.com/lot/164409/lot-173?auction_filters=cGFnZT02

Many used and Unused Pelican cases. 

UV prom programmers and an eraser.

194 HP 3582A spectrum analyser
HP 8591A spectrum analyser, 9kHz - 1.8GHz with accessories in Peli 1650 protector case
Qty various compasses, inclinometers etc (unused)

[mnementh]

   I regret not to buy this when I was living in Germany.

Ooooooh... shiny kit.

   https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1100513560.html   (I think that's the correct listing)

Much nicer than this one (12V Spot Welder V5.6) I bought a lifetime ago in the GWN, which resurfaced yesterday while I was looking for caps for that Apple power brick. So far, I really have not had a need for it; all the cells I've built with lately have come from busting packs, so I just trim the existing shunts into tabs I can solder to. Guess I do still need to at least build and try the fucking thing sometime soon...  I figured for $12, at least worth a punt. Get some nice high-current FETs for cheap if nothing else.

This showed up in my YT queue... guy does sound like a bit of a fanboi, but I guess as he got the thing for free, that's to be expected. 

That said... definitely a quantum level exponentially better hardware for the money he didn't spend than my $12 cheapie. From the videos I've looked at, the key to getting good welds with the cheapie is technique; you have to find the sweet spot between shorting the probes with too good contact (the thing just misfires) and almost making bad contact (thus introducing resistance at the point of contact) to get a decent weld.

The K-Weld unit can actually provide the current needed such that you just hold the probes tightly in place and you get a proper weld, and it is designed to be calibrated to accurately deliver it every time. *sigh*

Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".

mnem
 

[Robert763]

Here's a question for the radio aficionados here.

What's the go with shortwave radios? If I want a really good one (new or second hand), what should I look at for a self-contained radio (I.e. no rtl-sdr type gizmos).

What do you want to listen to, broadcast SW or amateurs? Portable or to sit on a desk?. My personal favorite all-rounder is the Lowe HF225.
The biggest problem with shortwave listening is background noise, e.g. solar installations, ADSL, LED lighting.

[TERRA Operative]

What is going on here with my Chinese trinket!?....

Mar 1, 2022 12:16am - Tracking number provided
Mar 3, 2022 5:17pm - Package Received Shenzhen
Mar 3, 2022 9:04pm - Depature from Local Sorting Center Shenzhen
Mar 3, 2022 11:38pm - Dispatched from Office of Exchange Shenzhen
Mar 4, 2022 9:51am - Departure from Regional Sorting Center Shenzhen
Mar 4, 2022 1:19pm - Arrival at Regional Sorting Center Guangzhou
Mar 4, 2022 3:46pm - Handed over to the Carrirer Guangzhou
Mar 4, 2022 3:50pm - Returned Guangzhou
Mar 4, 2022 9:35pm - Departure from Regional Sorting Center Guangzhou
Mar 5, 2022 3:58pm - Departure from Regional Sorting Center Guangzhou
Mar 5, 2022 7:57pm - Arrival at Regional Sorting Center Shenzhen
Mar 6, 2022 10:57pm - Returned Shenzhen
Mar 6, 2022 10:57pm - Dispatched from Office of Exchange Shenzhen
Mar 7, 2022 1:25pm - Departure from Regional Sorting Center Shenzhen
Mar 7, 2022 1:27pm - Arrival at Regional Sorting Center Guangzhou
Mar 8, 2022 2:12am - Departure from Regional Sorting Center Guangzhou
Mar 11, 2022 9:49pm - Handed over to the Carrirer Guangzhou
Mar 11, 2022 9:52pm - Returned Guangzhou
Mar 11, 2022 10:16pm - Departure from Regional Sorting Center Guangzhou
Mar 14, 2022 10:30pm - Returned Shenzhen

Please stop playing hot potato with my thing and just send it already! 

[TERRA Operative]

This showed up in my YT queue... guy does sound like a bit of a fanboi, but I guess as he got the thing for free, that's to be expected. 

That said... definitely a quantum level better hardware for the money he didn't spend than my $12 cheapie. From the videos I've looked at, the key to getting good welds with the cheapie is technique; you have to find the sweet spot between shorting the probes with too good contact (the thing just misfires) and almost making bad contact (thus introducing resistance at the point of contact) to get a decent weld.

The K-Weld unit can actually provide the current needed such that you just hold the probes tightly in place and you get a proper weld, and it is designed to be calibrated to accurately deliver it every time. *sigh*

Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".

mnem
 

Quantum in this context usually means the smallest change possible.

Like when people mention a 'quantum leap' (Which is about as small as an electron jumping orbits) instead of the more accurate 'paradigm shift'. 

Problem is, it's been used incorrectly so much that 'quantum leap' now means a big jump...   

[tggzzz]

Auction catalog for  7E communication is out.    PP Auction - Site is near the Hampton Court  --  You know,  King Henry's pad west of London.

... and all the pictures are finally there. All the stuff in the auction looks in good nick, and hence I doubt I'll be able to afford anything. (A network analyser has already had 10 bids and is at £200)

There are lots of Peli boxes and similar.
Quite a few spectrum analysers.
A Tek 2465B as well as a 465B.

BTW Hampton Court was built by Cardinal Wolsey, but "donated" to Henry VIII when Wolsey fell out of favour. I used to hate it as a kid, since all our visitors from the US insisted on dragging me around.

[mnementh]

Quantum in this context usually means the smallest change possible. Like when people mention a 'quantum leap' (Which is about as small as an electron jumping orbits) instead of the more accurate 'paradigm shift'.     Problem is, it's been used incorrectly so much that 'quantum leap' now means a big jump...   

You're right.    Fixed now.

mnem
*toddles off to dismantle an offending bedframe*

[Robert763]

Also, I remember reading an article on OXCOs (Maybe Wolfgang...?) recently where the author found a supplier who did custom-cut crystals for ~$20 each any qty.

CuriousMarc found a crystal vendor for the Apollo ground station equipment who could do really nice crystals for small money. Look in his Youtube videos on the Apollo comms project.

The company you are looking for is Krystaly in .cz
http://www.krystaly.cz/en/

I've bought there the crystals for the HP 3456A for 50Hz operation.

Before synthisised radios there were several suppliers in the UK, one just down the road from were I used to live.
IQD survivied
 https://www.iqdfrequencyproducts.com/