Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[capt bullshot]

There are also a couple strange small files that I wonder what they do.. an XML file and an 'squlite' file. Can't open either it appears...
Well the XML file I just opened with a text editor.. not much in it, just a few line of "meta data".

User manual has a mechanal parts list which gives me the HP Part number for the knobs, so I can use that as a search term to go hunting for them on the interweb I suppose.

You'd want to find out which program was used to collect the photos. The XML and the sqlite most probably contains a list of the photos in correct order and maybe some pointless meta information, just because a lot of software uses this free and open source sqlite library as a "simple" way to store their meta information. Most probably, the contents are useless for anything else but this exact piece of software. And yes, mansaxel is right, you can open it using "sqlite" or similar on most probably any linux distro, I just wouldn't expect you to find anything useful there.

[capt bullshot]

... 54645D ...

I have this exact model and it is my go-to 'scope.
You can even plat Tetris on it 

Dear Judge, I plead guilty ...



Dunno who was first, HPAK or /me
My sin dates 2003, ballpark

[mansaxel]

Cool, it's alive 

Yes you are right. Problem appears to be limited to sweep not working. Horizontal amplifier itself seems fine since you said you can move the trace left to right properly. Vertical amplifier obviously works. Trigger too or you just would not have any trace whatsoever to begin with.

So just the sweep circuitry by itself to look at. Maybe some more tants hiding in that plugin and simple fix ! 

In any case, go download the service manual for your time base plugin, if you haven't already done so...

Keep us posted and show us pics, I wanna see what's going on... 

What's the model  / type of your TB plugin ? Will download the SM to have a look...

The time base is a 5B40, and my two input plugins are a 5A48 and a 5A38; the latter is 

Time base is driven by a Tek 155-0049-02 IC. Those ARE available, but not cheaply...  Will have to probe around first before deciding on path forward.

[mnementh]

Yes, absolutely; that is not to code here in the US. The entire point of the 4-wire pigtail dryer cord is to keep GND and N separate. Doing this makes the GND a current-carrying conductor. BIG no-no!
mnem
 

Tell me what you think, this is how they installed it:

...

so I removed the yellow/green from the neutral white but....

...

the freaking yellow/green is looping back to the neutral white on the top

How is that going to survive a RCB?

Apart from that, it's a big fat no-no in the civilised world to join PE and N after the terminal in the first central, where they, if the feeder was  TN-C-S (3 phases plus PEN as is common in 1-familiy homes et c), split to never meet again.  If it is TN-S, you'll not even see the split.

Oh, yeah, you live in the Edison worshipping world where voltages are puny, and people kill elephants instead of admitting they're wrong. You don't have a proper 3-phase mains feed.

The reason it is wrong is of course if the incoming neutral goes open circuit then the entire household 110V load current will be flowing through that bit of wire and the flexible cable causing a fire.

Ummm... no. Both ends of the Green/Yellow pigtail are connected to the same Neutral busbar in the terminal assembly; the same exact piece of metal. Only possibility of current flow is if it happens to be laying against a live wire and for some reason both wires melt/rub through the insulation, shorting the live wire to Neutral/GND.

Normal use of the pigtail is only with a 3-wire plug used on a prehistoric house to connect the 220V/split-single-phase Neutral to the cabinet as a pseudo-GND. No possibility of current flow through the little green-yellow wire then, either, unless you also have some unpainted part of the dryer somehow directly against some grounded pipes or electrical box.

Older models had this Neutral busbar connected to the cabinet permanently in the same exact way; you couldn't unplug the Green/Yellow pigtail from the Neutral busbar in the terminal assembly. In some cases, it screwed through the terminal assembly directly into the cabinet at that point and there was no GND pigtail. 

This was the electrical standard for a dryer or range plug in North America for over half a century.   

I agree the 3-wire 220V plug is pretty barbaric... but it is something that manufacturers still have to maintain backwards compatibility with. 

mnem
 

[tggzzz]

... 54645D ...

I have this exact model and it is my go-to 'scope.
You can even plat Tetris on it 

Dear Judge, I plead guilty ...



Dunno who was first, HPAK or /me
My sin dates 2003, ballpark

Tetris? Asteroids!

[bd139]

Cool, it's alive 

Yes you are right. Problem appears to be limited to sweep not working. Horizontal amplifier itself seems fine since you said you can move the trace left to right properly. Vertical amplifier obviously works. Trigger too or you just would not have any trace whatsoever to begin with.

So just the sweep circuitry by itself to look at. Maybe some more tants hiding in that plugin and simple fix ! 

In any case, go download the service manual for your time base plugin, if you haven't already done so...

Keep us posted and show us pics, I wanna see what's going on... 

What's the model  / type of your TB plugin ? Will download the SM to have a look...

The time base is a 5B40, and my two input plugins are a 5A48 and a 5A38; the latter is 

Time base is driven by a Tek 155-0049-02 IC. Those ARE available, but not cheaply...  Will have to probe around first before deciding on path forward.

Bog standard Tek sweep controller IC. There are a few posters on here who probably have cupboards full of the things 

[Cubdriver]

I hate to be pedantic, but it's a three or four wire 240 V plug.   

<ducks and runs>

-Pat

[mansaxel]

Time base is driven by a Tek 155-0049-02 IC. Those ARE available, but not cheaply...  Will have to probe around first before deciding on path forward.

Bog standard Tek sweep controller IC. There are a few posters on here who probably have cupboards full of the things 

We'll see if it's knackered first.

[mansaxel]

I hate to be pedantic, but it's a three or four wire 240 V plug.   

<ducks and runs>

-Pat

This is a 240V plugsocket:



What's availablecommonly used in the US is not suitable for anything with that much voltses in it.

[mnementh]

I hate love to be pedantic, but it's a three or four wire allegedly 240 V plug.   

<ducks and runs>

-Pat

FTFY. 

mnem
 

[Cubdriver]

I hate to be pedantic, but it's a three or four wire 240 V plug.   

<ducks and runs>

-Pat

This is a 240V plugsocket:



What's availablecommonly used in the US is not suitable for anything with that much voltses in it.

And yet, despite its alleged lack of suitability, said devices have been in use across the US for well over half a century.  Perhaps they're not quite as unsuitable as you suggest.  Could they be better?  Yes, of course.  Would I like them to be better?  Yes, of course.  All that said, as in many cases, the perfect is the enemy of the good enough.  In this instance they're good enough.

-Pat

[Zucca]

sex on a stick!

[Zucca]

And yet, despite its alleged lack of suitability, said devices have been in use across the US for well over half a century.  Perhaps they're not quite as unsuitable as you suggest.  Could they be better?  Yes, of course.  Would I like them to be better?  Yes, of course.  All that said, as in many cases, the perfect is the enemy of the good enough.  In this instance they're good enough.
-Pat

The costs to unfu... the US main system are 10*twitter price tag :-) or more. Does it works? Yes sometimes. Is it safe? yes sometimes.
Is it the right thing for home made mainly of wood? very bad choice IMHO.

Do not worry today I decided to go off grid before end of the year.

This is also why



INDIPENDENCE!

[capt bullshot]

Diode gone wild has some cool toys:



It's always impressive to see how simple complex math can be solved ...
Just like "let's solve this equation in real time with human eye compatible result presentation"

[Neomys Sapiens]

Yay! Playing detective on that picture has paid off! I received the cover for the TDS5104 and it is indeed the right one.
So it is a well protected investment now.
And my P5210 is in and seems to work all right.

On other news, I just won a Radiall R435270 sniffer adaptor, the one with loop coupling. This is especially nice, as it was really affordable AND I have the complete set now! (R435170, R435270, and R435470)
 

[Vince]

... 54645D ...

I have this exact model and it is my go-to 'scope.
You can even plat Tetris on it 

Dear Judge, I plead guilty ...



Dunno who was first, HPAK or /me
My sin dates 2003, ballpark

Wow that's freaking cool 

... but did your boss knew he was paying you to implement it ?! 
... how did it go when the quality assurance department asked the boss to sign the test procedure for this, and then he rushed to your office to ask you for an explanation ?! 

[capt bullshot]

Dear Judge, I plead guilty ...

... Easter Egg ...

Dunno who was first, HPAK or /me
My sin dates 2003, ballpark

Wow that's freaking cool 

... but did your boss knew he was paying you to implement it ?! 
... how did it go when the quality assurance department asked the boss to sign the test procedure for this, and then he rushed to your office to ask you for an explanation ?! 

The environment while I committed this deed: 5 person R&D department in a 40 person company in 2003
Effective time to implement this was something from 1 to 3 days iirc, no obstacles (as QA, code reviews, testing ...)  to work around otherwise they might have insured it was a proper Tetris, not just a poor clone for fun - just for fun and giggles as it was easily possible back in the days

Any more questions?

[cyclin_al]

When Toyota makes a Rolls Royce:



mnem
Even Toyota knows Lexus is for posers. 

I watched that same video last week, impressive car in many ways. Many of the features they discuss, footrests etc, my car has as well and that drop down panel in the front passenger seat, my car can also have that in just about every country where they are sold, except the UK 

It is an impressive car ... I am surprised that we have such nice things in Canada.
My distraction with the video is that I actually recognized some of the roads; brought back memories from 25+ years ago!

[cyclin_al]

Today, after all that sailing, I and Middle Boy spent the day doing the last of the "yearly suspension renovation". We swapped out springs and shocks in the rear, a job much easier on the AWD model than the FWD one. The AWD has a McPherson style strut that goes out of the car in compressed mode, and is then renovated on the bench, whereas the FWD clamps the spring between a control arm and the chassis. It takes lots of jury-rigged jacks and swearing to fix the FWD. I won't do that again, not without the special tool Volvo prescribes. The AWD takes a pillar-style jack between the control arm and the rubber anti-bottoming-out dumper "shoe" in the chassis, which bends the suspension down, unloads the strut which comes out like nothing, once all 4 screws are out!, and then the swearing and cursing part can take place at the bench, where spring compressors can be at play.

We gathered nearly all of the swapped-out parts in a box, to tell the previous owners (They're family) what we'd done.

Why do you have to do a yearly suspension renovation?, my car is coming up to its 9th birthday and is still running on its original springs, shocks etc and passes its annual test with no problems.

His local roads must be in better shape than the roads around the national capital of Canada 

[Robert763]

Yes, absolutely; that is not to code here in the US. The entire point of the 4-wire pigtail dryer cord is to keep GND and N separate. Doing this makes the GND a current-carrying conductor. BIG no-no!
mnem
 

Tell me what you think, this is how they installed it:

...

so I removed the yellow/green from the neutral white but....

...

the freaking yellow/green is looping back to the neutral white on the top

How is that going to survive a RCB?

Apart from that, it's a big fat no-no in the civilised world to join PE and N after the terminal in the first central, where they, if the feeder was  TN-C-S (3 phases plus PEN as is common in 1-familiy homes et c), split to never meet again.  If it is TN-S, you'll not even see the split.

Oh, yeah, you live in the Edison worshipping world where voltages are puny, and people kill elephants instead of admitting they're wrong. You don't have a proper 3-phase mains feed.

The reason it is wrong is of course if the incoming neutral goes open circuit then the entire household 110V load current will be flowing through that bit of wire and the flexible cable causing a fire.

Ummm... no. Both ends of the Green/Yellow pigtail are connected to the same Neutral busbar in the terminal assembly; the same exact piece of metal. Only possibility of current flow is if it happens to be laying against a live wire and for some reason both wires melt/rub through the insulation, shorting the live wire to Neutral/GND.

Normal use of the pigtail is only with a 3-wire plug used on a prehistoric house to connect the 220V/split-single-phase Neutral to the cabinet as a pseudo-GND. No possibility of current flow through the little green-yellow wire then, either, unless you also have some unpainted part of the dryer somehow directly against some grounded pipes or electrical box.

Older models had this Neutral busbar connected to the cabinet permanently in the same exact way; you couldn't unplug the Green/Yellow pigtail from the Neutral busbar in the terminal assembly. In some cases, it screwed through the terminal assembly directly into the cabinet at that point and there was no GND pigtail. 

This was the electrical standard for a dryer or range plug in North America for over half a century.   

I agree the 3-wire 220V plug is pretty barbaric... but it is something that manufacturers still have to maintain backwards compatibility with. 

mnem
 

Well the original post said protective earth and neutral were connected together which poes the rissk I described. If the green / yellow wire was only connected (or moved) to either side of the neutral tagstrip that is not good pactice but is no immediate risk IF it has a 4 wir connection with good protive earth. Trouble is it's inviting a mistake in the future if the riring is changed. If it a a spare link for a 3 wire connection then it should have been removed comletely and discarded when the 4 wire cord was installed.
The old design of no neutral so 110V parts in dryer connected to one phase and chassis ha it's own risk that a single fault of a disconnected earth will leave the metalwork of the dryer at 110V.
 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Now this discussion and resulting procurement activity regarding pliers left me wondering about one thing:
why are you all only mentioning side cutters? What about oblique cutters (Schraegvornschneider), frontal cutters (Vornschneider), angled tip cutters (Spitzenschneider)?
 
You are not even nearly done!
 

[Vince]

Thanks people for your replies, much appreciated.

Glad to see the LA probe/cable is neither impossible to find nor mega expensive, that's cool... will be searching for one then, but not now, bankrupt. Was already before buying the scope, now I just made things worse...    time to start job hunting I guess.... if just to pay the bills and food. Been out of employment for long enough now, next week that will be spot on a year since I got fired at my request. Done the work I needed to do inside the house to make it livable. Garage foundations done as well, just need to pour the concrete for the slab (need 1500 Euros for that...). Front yard has been transformed too, and I just seeded the lawn. Now I am penniless and getting bored... time to get back to work 

As for the knob, had a quick look on ebay, found a guy selling 3 of them for ... 25 bucks !   I need 9 knobs...

OK, xrunner you win, I lose... maybe some 3D printed knobs would be good as a temporary solution, until I can afford to get a cheap broken bottom of the barrel 54600 scope for parts.

If there exist readily available 3D models of these knobs, have fun and tell me how it's going.... Dwagon I am sure you will excell at it, won't you...

hopefully you have the proper shades of grey to match the OEM knobs.. if you have only pink or bright yellow, that's fine too, I guess I can do like xrunner and just go get some model paint of the correct colour, and go painting....

Geez looks like this 546XX HP series is quite a lucrative business.... it's out of my league for sure, can't compete in this arena. Will be fixing this one and that will be my first and last, won't be collecting them like I do Tek scopes...

Looking at the video Dwagon posted of this amateur, I see there are no I/O connectors at the back like on Tek scopes... instead just a single general purpose expansion connector that's useless in itself, unless you plug an I/O box in it. So... that means these scopes didn't have a whole lot of I/O then... ranging between zero, and one or two, depending on what extension pack the scope came with.

Obviously mine will have zero extension, seeing as the guy stole the knobs, it's hard to believe he would have left the extension at the back ! 

I see there is a GPIB extension for sale here, for 60 Euros... no, no money, that won't be mine.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Only today the totally funny aspect of this picture of the young Grace Hopper did catch my eye!
 
(Hint: do we have an AC problem?)

[GreyWoolfe]

I heard someone mention Knipex. Can someone recommend a suitably decent pair of their needle nose pliers for electronics work? I actually have no pliers at the moment at all as I knackered the Piergiacomi ones. Need to have grips on and cutters. Utterly fed up of shit ones.

I'd like to put a word in for Pastorino. I've had a couple pairs over the years and they simply seem like an extension of my mind, and grip where I want. Their handles are clad with a sturdy non-slip foam that keeps them very secure in the hand. I like that.

For cutters, nothing of course beats Lindström. Although the Knipex Superknips comes close.

Thanks will have a look.

I am not looking at Lindstrom. They are really nice but out of budget unfortunately. I have owned a pair before

These are the cutters and pliers I used most often. I also have other throwaway cutters and pliers.

The two blue handled ones are 47 years old. I chose the pliers as a compromise between brute force and fine work pliers. They still work admirably within their obvious ranges.

The two cream handled ones are 42 year old Lindstrom tools. Again, they continue to work well. The white handled Lindstrom cutters, also full-flush were "cheap" on fleabay, and were bought as a backup if the white cream one failed.

You may see a pattern there.

It helps that, as with any decent knife, I don't allow anyone else to use them

Just cos I haven't posted a picture in a while...

The Blue one on the left is used for nibbling plastic off 3D prints... Came free with some printer peripheral I ordered and nibbling plastic is about all it would be good for.
The Big red one is from CK Tools (German), is approx 35 years old and you could still almost cut bolts with it.
The others are all knipex... no further comment required.

McBryce.

In my office tool chest, I have Hakko, Sandstrom, Xcelite, Craftsman, Knipex and no name pliers/wire cutters.  In the big chest in the garage, I have Craftsman, Channelok, Husky and no name disposable stuff picked up from Habitat for Humanity thrift store and cleaned up with a wire wheel.  In my work van, the tool bags have Klein and Xcelite,  The black box is in the office, the red in the garage.

[mansaxel]

Now this discussion and resulting procurement activity regarding pliers left me wondering about one thing:
why are you all only mentioning side cutters? What about oblique cutters (Schraegvornschneider), frontal cutters (Vornschneider), angled tip cutters (Spitzenschneider)?
 
You are not even nearly done!
 

I've got a pair of Lindström Schrägvornschneider -- I believe that's what they are, at least -- and I like them. Better reach at times. Vornschneider I've got some bigger ones only. For pulling nails.