Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Vince]

It's a "Megazoom" version which Dragon is all excited about and am now kinda curious about... and it costs only 50 Euros.

But... it's an Agilent rebrand / facelift. I absolutely despise this industrial design. Looks so cheap and ugly, I absolutely refuse to own these things. It's only 60MHz. It's heavily yellowed. There is a missing button below the CRT.

I DO want an old Megazoom, but a proper HP one, I love those, but also at least 100MHz, not yellowed and no broken/missing knobs.

You passed on a Mixed Domain 4MB MegaZoom scope for only 50 clams because it was KeySight (meaning newer) and "only" 60MHz...?

[img height=]https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/?action=dlattach;attach=1021934;image[/img]


Jeebus... as much as I love my 2465 Army, that's a more useful scope any day, and it should be your daily driver.

I'd take the cookie back, but now it's got frog cooties all over it...

mnem
reading that caused me physical pain... 

to each there own Dragon, to each their own ! 

Yes I find it ugly, yellowed, and missing knob, and 60MHz, and I don't need it.and couldn't make any money reselling it.

Only the digital / logic stuff on it might be useful but I plan on getting a proper and modern logic analyzer. Don't need to live with an ugly scope in terrible condition and crap B/W just to get limlited logic features.
Not a good use of bench space nor bang for buck.

To each their own...

I will keep my cookie because you gave it to me, it's a gift. You can't take back a gift, that would be stealing ! 

[mnementh]

*SMH*

mnem
This is where I usually put some pithy remark.

[Saskia]

just got it from a distributor;
creality ender 2 pro  barely 3 digity
msi 3070 ti gaming trio below msrp
3d resin - 10 pesos

[Vince]

I don't know what SMH stands for, but I assume it's some kind of negative comment...

Dragon just because someone doesn't think like you do or has the same needs than you do or has the same way of looking at things, doesn't mean they are worthless and stupid.
It just means that they are not you, that's all...

[TERRA Operative]

TEA Time.

Is it? In that case...

Got any with the Tekprobe interface? Wanna sell it if you do? 

[TERRA Operative]

I don't know what SMH stands for, but I assume it's some kind of negative comment...

Shake My Head

[mnementh]

I don't know what SMH stands for, but I assume it's some kind of negative comment...

Dragon just because someone doesn't think like you do or has the same needs than you do or has the same way of looking at things, doesn't mean they are worthless and stupid. It just means that they are not you, that's all...

SMH means "Shaking My Head" in disbelief.

No insult was intended. I would never say or even think that you were worthless or stupid; I'm just not that person. 

While I do think it was utterly daft (my personal opinion) to look right past that awesome scope and only go for the arb, that still doesn't mean I meant anything that was in any way mean-spirited. Thinking you did something daft is not the same. We all do daft things from time to time; it's a defining part of being human.

I'm generally just not that kind of a negative person, and I really do wish you'd stop assuming the worst of everything I say. Please.

Being that kind of negative just takes too much energy, and I'm too old and have too much other shit going on for it.

Cheers,

mnem
Peace be with you.

[mansaxel]

queue is growing. just talked to old buddy who's gotten by on a 500MHz [hp] DSO, but it's developed crapacitors, and he got himself a Siglent instead. So, old scope is free to pick up. oy wel.

[mnementh]

just got it from a distributor; creality ender 2 pro  barely 3 digity msi 3070 ti gaming trio below msrp 3d resin - 10 pesos

Ender 2 Pro Cantilever 3DP...   

...

No comment on the resin, as I have deliberately avoided that particular rabbit-hole due to cost and the fact I actually like most of the clothes I still own.

mnem
No  for me...

[med6753]

I think that's unfair.. tranny is just a short because native English speakers find it easier / quicker to write/type than tran - sis - tor or trans - for - mer or trans - mi -ssion or whatever else it might stand for.
Just like people say "pot" instead of "potentiometer".

In this logic, the short form would be potty.

SCNR

And if it's portable: porta potti

 


I got nothing today. Been too damn busy with other stuff. For 2 weeks I had nearly nothing to do and was just itching to work on the Type 547. Now that the HV assembly is installed and working I want to continue with the restoration but it figures now I don't have the time. And not going to happen tomorrow either. Maybe Friday unless something else comes up. But at least it's been getting lots of burn-in and further proof that the HV issue is fixed.   

[Vince]

I don't know what SMH stands for, but I assume it's some kind of negative comment...

Dragon just because someone doesn't think like you do or has the same needs than you do or has the same way of looking at things, doesn't mean they are worthless and stupid. It just means that they are not you, that's all...

SMH means "Shaking My Head" in disbelief.

No insult was intended. I would never say or even think that you were worthless or stupid; I'm just not that person. 

While I do think it was utterly daft (my personal opinion) to look right past that awesome scope and only go for the arb, that still doesn't mean I meant anything that was in any way mean-spirited. Thinking you did something daft is not the same. We all do daft things from time to time; it's a defining part of being human.

I'm generally just not that kind of a negative person, and I really do wish you'd stop assuming the worst of everything I say. Please.

Being that kind of negative just takes too much energy, and I'm too old and have too much other shit going on for it.

Cheers,

mnem
Peace be with you.

I am very happy to hear that Dragon, you are making progress. Less colours in your messages, too !

I am sorry if I assume the worst... it's just that I have been on TEA for over year now, so I have some data on which I have built my opinion ! 

.. .but you seem to be changing / improving  recently, even if you won't notice or admit it maybe...

Yes I went for the sig gen because THAT was what I wanted. I knew I wanted one in the long term, but couldn't afford the 500 asked here for one.
So when I saw this one for that cheap, I could not dismiss it, had to buy it.

The scope, I have never been looking for one of these and never will, so had absolutely no reason to buy it and make my financial situation even worse than it is.
It's not like I had money to waste on stuff I don't need nor want.

If I was searching for one of those, yes I would probably have bought it for parts, waiting for a better one. But, again, I have never been in the market for one of those.

Let's be real Dragon for a minute here. The main reason you liked that scope is the missing button... it would have given you an excuse to print one more thing on your 3D printer(s) ! 

Next time I see one like that, you can buy it and I will send it to you ! 

[mnementh]

Nope. Primarily because I know what it can do, and I know that in most daily-driver situations, the diff between 60MHz and 100Mhz on one of these scopes is a non-issue.

What I really like is the fact it has 4MB of memory depth, and it is MegaZoom. After that, being mixed-signal with decoding on all the protocols I use in my hobbyist work. I'd love to get into one of the 1GS/s models, but they need at least 4 times the depth, and those models are still crazy expensive.

200MS/s & 4MB is a really good match in this vintage and with this ASIC; plenty of depth for 4-8 channels or so. 16 is gonna be pushing it fer sherr, but as a daily driver scope, I'd probably choose it over my 54645A which is only 2MB depth.

I really think that things like a missing button or yellowing are really poor excuses to use here, in this little corner of the internet. And hating on it cuz Keysight is just bizarre. IMHO.

mnem
 

[Ice-Tea]

Got any with the Tekprobe interface? Wanna sell it if you do? 

BNC only I'm afraid. You don't have adapters?

[Specmaster]

<snip>
So I am over the moon, can't believe I got one of these for only 105 Euros ! 

It's a tremendous update over my old analog Philips. Much better rise time, frequency and amplitude are much more stable, 15MHz vs 1Mhz, GPIB for automation. Extra wave forms like saw tooth. Does noise generation, and arbitrary wave forms. Digital controls to set the frequency in steps, that's convenient for testing stuff and plot frequency responses. The ability to vary the frequency from super low up to the max 15MHz with NO interruption, no decade switch to fuck with, is also incredible, love it.

Time base most likely better too. At the back it says " Option 001 ". I assume it's the crappiest option but still better than the Philips for sure. Plenty good enough for what I do. PLUS, I really don't care anyway because it has an external 10MHz ref input so that's what I plan on using anyway, if I ever want great accuracy.

So that's it... was unexpected, was just pot luck, but here I am modernizing the lab !

See Tautech ? Now I don't want to hear you anymore saying I only buy old junk. I am a modern HP guy now. Less vacuum tubes and more CPU's.
Of course I am keeping the old Philips, love it, and was given by my dad, it's sentimental, my first sig gen. I will never part with it.


First attached pic is the one I asked the seller to do. Others are from me.

Nice score, but maybe you should have made a low ball offer on the scope as well, what did you have to lose?

Zero money ! As cheap as 105 Euros was for that sig gen, I do not have any money. I now need to quickly fix and sell a couple scopes that have been waiting on the shelves for months, to pay for the sig gen.

The scope vaguely tempted me, still for sale BTW been sold now it appears :

https://www.leboncoin.fr/bricolage/2150494690.htm

It's a "Megazoom" version which Dragon is all excited about and am now kinda curious about... and it costs only 50 Euros.

But... it's an Agilent rebrand / facelift. I absolutely despise this industrial design. Looks so cheap and ugly, I absolutely refuse to own these things. It's only 60MHz. It's heavily yellowed. There is a missing button below the CRT.

I DO want an old Megazoom, but a proper HP one, I love those, but also at least 100MHz, not yellowed and no broken/missing knobs.

Buying it to flip it wouldn't have worked either, because I can't afford to buy / spend now, and wait for 6 months to get my money back.
Plus given all I said above, this scope would be very difficult to resell, here anyway... and if it does sell it would be for the same price I paid for it, tops.

This scope makes no sense either for me to use, or to buy to flip. I try now try to be less impulsive and more reasonable, because of lack of space and money.

I admire your resistance, I would have gone out on a limb for that scope personally, even with the missing button, which I think is a rubberised thing with a carbon pad that I'm sure could be bodged or resolved, even it meant sticking a small push button somewhere, its only used via the on-screen menu system, so no real biggy to overcome. As you say, its sold now, that tells you that it was a real bargain if it was listed at 50 Euros, you more than likely would have secured it for a low ball offer of 40 Euros and sold it on for far more 

[mnementh]

I am very happy to hear that Dragon, you are making progress. Less colours in your messages, too !

I am sorry if I assume the worst... it's just that I have been on TEA for over year now, so I have some data on which I have built my opinion ! 

.. .but you seem to be changing / improving  recently, even if you won't notice or admit it maybe...

Ummm, no... I've always been a generally positive person, and have always tried to bring that here.

It's your perception that is changing, and slowly, and you still seem to have the occasional relapse of vitriolic defensiveness.

I have always advocated moderation and tolerance; in fact my mantra is "I can tolerate anything except intolerance." and I've been saying that, in here, for years. Long before you arrived.

As for the colors... they are a tool, and I use them as such. Whether you like them or not is up to you. As is how you choose to react to them. 

mnem
 

[Vince]

I really think that things like a missing button or yellowing are really poor excuses to use here,

mnem
 

"Excuses" ? I don't have to give any excuse for not liking or wanting this particular scope. I don't want it, period. I have givne my reason, if any were needed. you don't find them valid in your eyes, that's fine, your are not god, I don't need your approval to make my choices 
Just like you don't need my approval for anything you buy 

in this little corner of the internet. And hating on it cuz Keysight is just bizarre. IMHO.

That's industrial design for you.. you don't seem to be affected by industrial design or cosmetic condition or even missing or broken controls. Well, I am.   

As long as I have a choice between two or more products that meet my needs, I will chose the one I like the design of best. Doing otherwise would be strange, why would I purposefully buy something I find crap cheap and ugly, and have it ruin my daily lab experience, if I can get a similar product but better that I like much better ?! 

[Vince]

I am very happy to hear that Dragon, you are making progress. Less colours in your messages, too !

I am sorry if I assume the worst... it's just that I have been on TEA for over year now, so I have some data on which I have built my opinion ! 

.. .but you seem to be changing / improving  recently, even if you won't notice or admit it maybe...

Ummm, no... I've always been a generally positive person, and have always tried to bring that here.

It's your perception that is changing, and slowly, and you still seem to have the occasional relapse of vitriolic defensiveness.

I have always advocated moderation and tolerance; in fact my mantra is "I can tolerate anything except intolerance." and I've been saying that, in here, for years. Long before you arrived.

As for the colors... they are a tool, and I use them as such. Whether you like them or not is up to you. As is how you choose to react to them. 

mnem
 

Whatever, I give up, as always 

[Vince]

<snip>
So I am over the moon, can't believe I got one of these for only 105 Euros ! 

It's a tremendous update over my old analog Philips. Much better rise time, frequency and amplitude are much more stable, 15MHz vs 1Mhz, GPIB for automation. Extra wave forms like saw tooth. Does noise generation, and arbitrary wave forms. Digital controls to set the frequency in steps, that's convenient for testing stuff and plot frequency responses. The ability to vary the frequency from super low up to the max 15MHz with NO interruption, no decade switch to fuck with, is also incredible, love it.

Time base most likely better too. At the back it says " Option 001 ". I assume it's the crappiest option but still better than the Philips for sure. Plenty good enough for what I do. PLUS, I really don't care anyway because it has an external 10MHz ref input so that's what I plan on using anyway, if I ever want great accuracy.

So that's it... was unexpected, was just pot luck, but here I am modernizing the lab !

See Tautech ? Now I don't want to hear you anymore saying I only buy old junk. I am a modern HP guy now. Less vacuum tubes and more CPU's.
Of course I am keeping the old Philips, love it, and was given by my dad, it's sentimental, my first sig gen. I will never part with it.


First attached pic is the one I asked the seller to do. Others are from me.

Nice score, but maybe you should have made a low ball offer on the scope as well, what did you have to lose?

Zero money ! As cheap as 105 Euros was for that sig gen, I do not have any money. I now need to quickly fix and sell a couple scopes that have been waiting on the shelves for months, to pay for the sig gen.

The scope vaguely tempted me, still for sale BTW been sold now it appears :

https://www.leboncoin.fr/bricolage/2150494690.htm

It's a "Megazoom" version which Dragon is all excited about and am now kinda curious about... and it costs only 50 Euros.

But... it's an Agilent rebrand / facelift. I absolutely despise this industrial design. Looks so cheap and ugly, I absolutely refuse to own these things. It's only 60MHz. It's heavily yellowed. There is a missing button below the CRT.

I DO want an old Megazoom, but a proper HP one, I love those, but also at least 100MHz, not yellowed and no broken/missing knobs.

Buying it to flip it wouldn't have worked either, because I can't afford to buy / spend now, and wait for 6 months to get my money back.
Plus given all I said above, this scope would be very difficult to resell, here anyway... and if it does sell it would be for the same price I paid for it, tops.

This scope makes no sense either for me to use, or to buy to flip. I try now try to be less impulsive and more reasonable, because of lack of space and money.

I admire your resistance, I would have gone out on a limb for that scope personally, even with the missing button, which I think is a rubberised thing with a carbon pad that I'm sure could be bodged or resolved, even it meant sticking a small push button somewhere, its only used via the on-screen menu system, so no real biggy to overcome. As you say, its sold now, that tells you that it was a real bargain if it was listed at 50 Euros, you more than likely would have secured it for a low ball offer of 40 Euros and sold it on for far more 

Scopes don't sell here atm. 50 Euros is for a clean working good condition one.  Anything above 50 euros is impossible to sell quickly.
Had I bought it, the best I could have gotten for given its condition, would be 75 euros, it I am lucky. Waiting months and month to make 10 or 20 euros profit a 50 Euros or so buy, is not worth the time and initial investment.

I don't have money to burn nor space to buy old clunky stuff hoping to maybe make 10 or 20 Euros profit on them.

Scope sell for dirt cheap, working, and in good nick. So one in not so good shape like this one, either you buy it because like Dragon or you, you like it and are happy using it as is, or, if you want to make a profit on it, then you must get it for free or almost (you have to factor in shipping as well).

for example I bought for 6 Euros SHIPPED, and old brown Philips scope. it's in good shape and dual time base. I know if I can fix it I could get maybe 75 Euros for it. That's about worth me putting a few hours fixing it. Also my 4 channel GOULD 1604 analog+digital scope with built-in printer, I know this one can sell for 75 or 100 Euros maybe (I fixed and sold a 1604 withOUT printer ) for 120 Euros, miracle.
I paid 20 euros for it IIRC, very cheap anyway. So I know I have a reasonable chance of making a few bucks if I can fix it.

But generally speaking, at least here, I don't live else where sorry, it's generally not worth buying with the intent of reselling for a profit. I have eventually realized this an have now stopped wasting my time with this, it's just not worth the trouble and time fixing the things.  Return on investment (time, storage, hours spent on it, effort...) is just not worth it, at all.

[mnementh]

The replacement speaker arrived today, hoping to fit it in the car tomorrow. Had a rummage around in the garage for my riveting kits, disappointed as the rivets that pass through the speaker fixing holes are only 5 mm long and will not be long enough to attach the speaker to the door. So I had to pop onto Amazon and look for some that more suitable, found some that are 12 mm long, those will do the job OK. Then I tried to do one of the 5 mm rivets as a trail and was amazed at just hard they were to do and thinking about doing 12 mm and 6 of them made me think about it and I just pulled the trigger on a neat attachment for cordless drill for riveting, both the gun and rivets should here today (Wednesday). Just hope that both come at the same time and from 2 deliveries.

I admire your desire to "keep it original", but I'll say this once: self tapping sheet metal screws are your friend. Especially when you're installing used speakers with a plastic frame which may have suffered embrittlement from age.

It is not booty-fab; it is the normal way professional car audio installers do it, and it is how the manufacturers used to do, before it was cheaper to use pop-rivets that were only cheaper because made with slave labor.

mnem
moo...?

[med6753]

I am very happy to hear that Dragon, you are making progress. Less colours in your messages, too !

I am sorry if I assume the worst... it's just that I have been on TEA for over year now, so I have some data on which I have built my opinion ! 

.. .but you seem to be changing / improving  recently, even if you won't notice or admit it maybe...

Ummm, no... I've always been a generally positive person, and have always tried to bring that here.

It's your perception that is changing, and slowly, and you still seem to have the occasional relapse of vitriolic defensiveness.

I have always advocated moderation and tolerance; in fact my mantra is "I can tolerate anything except intolerance." and I've been saying that, in here, for years. Long before you arrived.

As for the colors... they are a tool, and I use them as such. Whether you like them or not is up to you. As is how you choose to react to them. 

mnem
 

Whatever, I give up, as always 

You two need to consider this. Only $122/night. Split the cost and hash it out once and for all.



Ain't I a stinker? 

[Vince]

That entrance looks much better than that Agilent scope front panel. They did care about design.

[mansaxel]

You two need to consider this. Only $122/night. Split the cost and hash it out once and for all.



Ain't I a stinker? 

Too colourful. Try this:

[Vince]

No, the decoration of that room is so ugly it reminds me of that scope ! 

That old red car  in the background, is the only thing that looks nice in this whole pic.
I bet it's got a vacuum tube radio in it 

[mansaxel]

No, the decoration of that room is so ugly it reminds me of that scope ! 

That old red car  in the background, is the only thing that looks nice in this whole pic.

It's because it is a still from a movie set in the early part of the 70s in the USA, a period only bested in uglyness by the late 70s in the USA. I went there for the first time in 1993, and it was pretty bad then too, but they'd learnt about drywall painted in 452 different tones of brown, and somewhat toned down the fake wood decor by then.

(Who am I kidding; we had asbestos concrete ("Eternit") siding on houses back then.  )

[mansaxel]

Today's TE moment, apart from the aforementioned scope:

I got a call from my wife, who said there was a need to measure voltage, from a suspect laptop power brick  So sent a short "how to use Fluke 10" email illustrated with a flurry of googled pics. 

Later, was texted: "Have successfully performed measurement"

Morale:  Make sure there's a DMM around when the need arises.