Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

CQ, CQ, CQ.......the Bitch and Moan Net is now in session. 

[TERRA Operative]

Today was TEA Christmas! 


First up was some stuff I got BU508A to send me from ebay.de, NOS front panel parts for my SG503, but he also threw in some connector parts for the Fluke 335/332 Calibration standards (I have a 332D and a 335A) rather hard to come by these days, and a Tek-Sisyphus mug, so cool.
So special thanks to BU508A, good job! Domo arigatou gozaimasu~~ 

Secondly, my SG5030 arrived too. I'll have to drag out a TM5006 mainframe to plug it in and play with it in the next few days.

[med6753]

Today was TEA Christmas! 


First up was some stuff I got BU508A to send me from ebay.de, NOS front panel parts for my SG503, but he also threw in some connector parts for the Fluke 335/332 Calibration standards (I have a 332D and a 335A) rather hard to come by these days, and a Tek-Sisyphus mug, so cool.
So special thanks to BU508A, good job! Domo arigatou gozaimasu~~ 

Secondly, my SG5030 arrived too. I'll have to drag out a TM5006 mainframe to plug it in and play with it in the next few days.

Good deal. I'm still waiting on my Christmas. And it just might be Christmas before it arrives. 

[TERRA Operative]

Well, hit up the usual places, buy some stuff, and make your own Christmas!

Like any of us need an excuse anyway... hahaha

[m k]

About the earliest of earlier Volt Ref measurements.

Can silicone banana leads be the reason for instability?
Two were from the table and other two were from the store.
Store is a plastic bag, in a closed cabinet and beside outer wall.
Nights were below freezing and inside the cabinet was probably several decrees colder than room temp.

BTW,
TEA-hop-in starter pack.
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/265080918655

[BU508A]

Today was TEA Christmas! 

Well, here it is Easter Monday (a holiday in Germany), so it was more like the Easter bunny visiting you. 

First up was some stuff I got BU508A to send me from ebay.de, NOS front panel parts for my SG503, but he also threw in some connector parts for the Fluke 335/332 Calibration standards (I have a 332D and a 335A) rather hard to come by these days, and a Tek-Sisyphus mug, so cool.
So special thanks to BU508A, good job! Domo arigatou gozaimasu~~ 

The connectors are meant for building a riser card for your 332/335 devices, because you've mentioned something like this many moons before. Those riser cards are nearly unobtainium and hard to get.

I was concerned about the mug if it would arrive in Japan in one piece. Seems, that my packaging was sufficient.   

You are welcome. 

[BU508A]

Today was TEA Christmas! 


First up was some stuff I got BU508A to send me from ebay.de, NOS front panel parts for my SG503, but he also threw in some connector parts for the Fluke 335/332 Calibration standards (I have a 332D and a 335A) rather hard to come by these days, and a Tek-Sisyphus mug, so cool.
So special thanks to BU508A, good job! Domo arigatou gozaimasu~~ 

Secondly, my SG5030 arrived too. I'll have to drag out a TM5006 mainframe to plug it in and play with it in the next few days.

Good deal. I'm still waiting on my Christmas. And it just might be Christmas before it arrives. 

Patience, Papa Smurf, there is hope. 

[med6753]

Thanks to this thread here I found a repository of LaFayette Radio Catalogs. I pulled up the 1974 catalog and here is the recently repaired  Sony ICF-5500W that I bought that same year. My recollection on the price paid was correct. $99.95 for the radio plus approx $10 for shipping/tax or $110 total.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/lafayette-tk10-vom/

[med6753]

Today was TEA Christmas! 


First up was some stuff I got BU508A to send me from ebay.de, NOS front panel parts for my SG503, but he also threw in some connector parts for the Fluke 335/332 Calibration standards (I have a 332D and a 335A) rather hard to come by these days, and a Tek-Sisyphus mug, so cool.
So special thanks to BU508A, good job! Domo arigatou gozaimasu~~ 

Secondly, my SG5030 arrived too. I'll have to drag out a TM5006 mainframe to plug it in and play with it in the next few days.

Good deal. I'm still waiting on my Christmas. And it just might be Christmas before it arrives. 

Patience, Papa Smurf, there is hope. 

It's been in that limbo mode since 11 April. 

[mnementh]

Ifni help me, I'm looking at paint swatches... 

Well, technically collecting paint swatches in an approximate color range for my wife to look at, but still.

I never even knew that trim, doors/shutters, and main color were all supposed to be chosen as "an ensemble". 

mnem
I just know I hate the current trend towards "mud colors"...

[mnementh]

Today was TEA Christmas! 

Well, here it is Easter Monday (a holiday in Germany), so it was more like the Easter bunny visiting you. 

First up was some stuff I got BU508A to send me from ebay.de, NOS front panel parts for my SG503, but he also threw in some connector parts for the Fluke 335/332 Calibration standards (I have a 332D and a 335A) rather hard to come by these days, and a Tek-Sisyphus mug, so cool.
So special thanks to BU508A, good job! Domo arigatou gozaimasu~~ 

The connectors are meant for building a riser card for your 332/335 devices, because you've mentioned something like this many moons before. Those riser cards are nearly unobtainium and hard to get.

I was concerned about the mug if it would arrive in Japan in one piece. Seems, that my packaging was sufficient.   

You are welcome. 

Thanks again BU508A, for being all that TEA is supposed to be about. 

mnem
*toddles off to fondle some linear actuators*

[med6753]

Ifni help me, I'm looking at paint swatches... 

Well, technically collecting paint swatches in an approximate color range for my wife to look at, but still.

I never even knew that trim, doors/shutters, and main color were all supposed to be chosen as "an ensemble". 

mnem
I just know I hate the current trend towards "mud colors"...

Nothing worse than having a woman pick out paint colors. Be prepared for a loooooooong decision process and you may want to consider shooting yourself. 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Ifni help me, I'm looking at paint swatches... 

Well, technically collecting paint swatches in an approximate color range for my wife to look at, but still.

I never even knew that trim, doors/shutters, and main color were all supposed to be chosen as "an ensemble". 

mnem
I just know I hate the current trend towards "mud colors"...

Nothing worse than having a woman pick out paint colors. Be prepared for a loooooooong decision process and you may want to consider shooting yourself. 

You must not leave them too many choices. Allow her to chose between Steingrau, Mausgrau, Feldgrau, Kieselgrau, Lichtgrau, Braungrau, Dunkelgrau...

[Cubdriver]

Ifni help me, I'm looking at paint swatches... 

Well, technically collecting paint swatches in an approximate color range for my wife to look at, but still.

I never even knew that trim, doors/shutters, and main color were all supposed to be chosen as "an ensemble". 

mnem
I just know I hate the current trend towards "mud colors"...

Tell her there's no such thing as brown.



-Pat

[Neomys Sapiens]

For all those who think that simply buying a Tektronix 7xxx oscilloscope is waayyy too easy - they are available now in kit form!
https://www.ebay.de/itm/354014220053
 

[Specmaster]

Ifni help me, I'm looking at paint swatches... 

Well, technically collecting paint swatches in an approximate color range for my wife to look at, but still.

I never even knew that trim, doors/shutters, and main color were all supposed to be chosen as "an ensemble". 

mnem
I just know I hate the current trend towards "mud colors"...

Nothing worse than having a woman pick out paint colors. Be prepared for a loooooooong decision process and you may want to consider shooting yourself. 

If that also means buying little tester pots, be prepared to spend almost as much as the paint costs for the entire room, in tester pots, and then, (as I discovered to my cost earlier this year) after eventually settling on a colour, painting the room (all 4 walls), deciding after all, that the colour was wrong and start all over again. 

[mnementh]

LOL...

Thanks to all who provided feedback on my quandary. 

First, knowing that we live in a "Blue-State Conservative" neighborhood, she realizes we'll have to go with something traditional, and already has stated she wants something "around baby-blanket blue" which one of the bedrooms was already painted, and white trim.

So I took a bitty chip of that to the Sherwin-Williams store, picked a female associate, and after a few minutes of discussion (specifically grilling her for her "female perspective" vs what is popular, so won't be considered an eyesore) I have a handful of swatches with 3 shades of light blue, 3 shades of gray and grey-blue for doors and shutters, and 1 swatch of generic white for the trim so she can make a comparison.

There is no "brown" in the equation; my "I hate the current trend towards 'mud colors'... " comment was directly related to the whole trend towards earth-tones over the last couple decades, where everything is a shade of mud, or even if it's an actual color, it is that color mixed into "some shade of mud".

As for my wife... no, no, and hell no. Unless it's a purse or pedicure, she'll make the choice in 10 seconds, and then there'll be no changing her mind. Period.

All I have to do is give her a few choices I know she won't loathe, which I already have a leg up on with that chip of paint she already approved.

mnem
Fuck... my linear actuators are 12V, and the cheapo controller/power brick I got is 24V... 

[med6753]

For all those who think that simply buying a Tektronix 7xxx oscilloscope is waayyy too easy - they are available now in kit form!
https://www.ebay.de/itm/354014220053
 

If someone needs help putting it back together I have the exact one already pre-built. 

[mnementh]

I love it...  the TEA idea of "a pleasant afternoon building a jigsaw puzzle"...   

mnem
 

[TERRA Operative]

Thanks to BU508A, it now looks brand new. 

[BU508A]

Very nice! 

[Neomys Sapiens]

After a period of absence, here is another bit of TOOLPR0N - with a very special TEA twist.

To be seen is an immaculate pair of Belzer Renova 'thread files' (Gewindefeilen). While not files in the usual sense, they are cutting tools intended for manual rework of damaged threads.
Some of you might associate them rather with repairs on motor vehicles (or maybe agricultural machinery) and ask where the connection to test equipment might lie. Now we all have seen instruments with threaded connectors (coaxial or multipole circular) which have suffered mechanical damage, be it by impact of something on the thread, mis-coupling, corrosion or whatever. If you take a look at those thread files vs. the threads appearing on those connectors, you will recognize that most of them are covered. For example, 24tpi for the .625-24 UNEF-2B of an N-Connector is available as well as the 1.5mm pitch for the M29x1.5 of the 7-16 connector.
The smaller part at the tips is normally intended for the reworking of internal threads, but can be used on externals too if the handling is better this way. There, the working direction is to the side, while for the larger area it is lenghtwise. Now if you encounter such a connector, which for example has threads deformed by an impacting object, you align the cutting teeth with the correct pitch carefully with the thread and guide them threadwise, thereby cutting away the obstruction. And careful you must be,  because if you do not achieve good alignment, you will cross-cut into the thread! I have them used several times already in this capacity, which enabled my to do at least a test before exchanging the connector, and in some cases to repair the thread in a way which could be allowed to stay.
If in doubt about the right pitch, use a thread gauge (or a vernier caliper as last resort).

[Neomys Sapiens]

ANOTHER very useful gadget are the 'experimenter's universal power resistors' shown here.
Each of them contains 4 resistors with the relative values of 1, 2, 4 and 8. Power rating is 10W. Those 4 resistors can be combined into various series and/or paralell combinations to produce a wide set of resulting values. They are available AFAIK in 4 types/ranges. Manufacturer is UTM.

Type   constituent resistors        available resistance range of combinations
MR-1   1/2/4/8 Ohms                 0.5...15
MR-2   10/20/40/80 Ohms          5...150
MR-3   100/200/400/800 Ohms   50...1500
MR-4   1k/2k/4k/8k Ohms          500...15000 

Of course, large wire-wound sliding resistors can dissipate more power and even cheap resistance decades are more precise, but the range combined with the possibility of compact carry make them an helpful item.

[Specmaster]

Heads up for you UK based tool lovers, this week Lidl's are featuring while stocks last, Plasma cutter for just £119.99, a bandsaw for £99.99 and a bench grinder for £21.99, go and grab your choice.

[mansaxel]

I never even knew that trim, doors/shutters, and main color were all supposed to be chosen as "an ensemble". 

If they're not chosen in ensemble, the result will be a hideous fruit salad. That is to be avoided.

I just know I hate the current trend towards "mud colors"...

Oh, me too. Give me white and strong clear colours, perhaps Rietveld / Mondrian style, and I will be happy. Our house has mostly white walls, a lighter battleship grey trim, and some red or blue walls, for contrast. Works nicely. And is not mud.

Nothing worse than having a woman pick out paint colors. Be prepared for a loooooooong decision process and you may want to consider shooting yourself. 

I am a definitive part of the colour authority at home. It is always a discussion, and I'm not adverse to input. We will agree to something, and sometimes my view prevails, sometimes i yield, but most of the time, we make our selection better than either of the starting points.