Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[McBryce]

I just had another look at that drawer full of 0.1" headers and yeah finally found the proper type ! Somehow I missed it the first time....
Don't have much of it though, a quarter of one strip no more.

Tell me which was the type - both sides square or both sides cylindrical contacts?

Square pins, male, straight, single row.. see pic ! 

Well I couldn't help, I sorted them to see what I have exactly... no less than 12 different types ! Thanks Neomys ! 

I guess I ought to split them into several drawers to make it easier to find stuff in the future...

Where do you find the time and motivation to sort all this stuff? And when you're finished, any chance you can call over and sort the multiple boxes I've labelled "unsorted" at my place?
Name you're price, Fois Gras? Snails? Wine? Maroilles? The wife's French (Ch'tis to be exact), so we probably have what ever you might want!

McBryce.

[mnementh]

...Riding a motorcycle  is scary for me. With time, hopefully I'll be less scared and still alive.   Fuel is £2.00/l   ~$10/gal-US.   We've been priced out of getting another electric car.    The little Honda should get close to  100mpg ~ 45km/l. 125cc  11kW (14.7hp)@10,000RPM    ABS.   Decent built quality.

Stay scared, it's what keeps you from getting scarred. I did a stint as a motorcycle dispatch rider in London back in the 80s so I'm no lilly-livered fair weather only motorcyclist. That said, I'm honestly not too sure that I'd want to take it up again. The Volvo drivers have got blinder and the Volvos have got bigger. They're added Audi and BMW drivers to their ranks as well. Plus you now have to contend with the crowd of Deliveroo riders getting under your feet at every step of the way.

You'll have to learn to dump some bad habits from car driving. While you shouldn't brake while cornering in a car you can get away with it and most drivers do it occasionally. Do it on a bike other than on a perfect road surface at low speed and you'll be very lucky if the bike doesn't disappear from under you and start sliding down the road. The first time you drop the bike, and you will drop the bike at some point, will be when you didn't brake in a straight line when you should have done so.

No matter how obvious your presence is, assume that every other bugger on the roads hasn't seen you and isn't going to. I once got knocked off my bike (a Yamaha X7 two stroke that was still bloody noisy at idle) while I was completely stationary in a queue of traffic, wearing high-vis, by a pedestrian that just walked into the side of me.

There's a list of other "You can get away with it in a car, but it isn't going to fly on a bike, instead you are!" things that I won't bore people with a rendition of here. I'd strongly advise finding a copy of the current version of "Motorcycle Roadcraft: The Police Rider's Handbook" and digesting it.

I used to love motorcycling, and it might seem I'm being a bit heavy handed here with the safety tips, but several of my erstwhile biking friends died on motorcycles, and some of the survivors are now part titanium. I'm evidence that you can survive motorcycling unscathed, but it requires taking your roadcraft to a whole new level.

Have fun and keep safe.

1000x this.

Remember this; learn it, love it, live it: Other drivers don't see you BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO.

Oh, and welcome back to the nuthouse; the Neverending Taco Truck remembers you fondly.

mnem
To paraphrase: There are old bikers and there are bold bikers, but there are very few old, bold bikers.

[AVGresponding]

Well the USB-serial cable arrived for the U1401B, but I can't tell if it works because the Agilent software doesn't work.   

No point asking for support, obviously, as they give zero fucks about private users nowadays.

[bd139]

Well the USB-serial cable arrived for the U1401B, but I can't tell if it works because the Agilent software doesn't work.   

No point asking for support, obviously, as they give zero fucks about private users nowadays.

Probably only works on some ancient version of windows.

To be fair the latest Keysight USB adapters identify as USB serial ports and just work and you can fart SCPI up and down then. No drivers or software required.

[25 CPS]

Well the USB-serial cable arrived for the U1401B, but I can't tell if it works because the Agilent software doesn't work.   

No point asking for support, obviously, as they give zero fucks about private users nowadays.

Are you running Agilent-branded software?  If so, it'd be a bit older now and might not work well with the current versions of Windows and the I/O libraries.  You might need to move up to a more current version of the software which would carry Keysight branding.  I went through some fun with this a while ago.  I think I posted pictures from a local Tim Hortons where I was fighting with some of the Keysight Meter Logger software and LCR meter software on a laptop and ran into a number of version conflicts that needed to be sorted out before everything ran properly on Windows 10.

[factory]

How do you know it's not a bridge ?

The pins are identified like a bridge would : an ' AC ' symbol on two pins, and a ' - - negative polarity symbol one the last pin. All my dual diodes were marked clearly with actual diode looking symbols, not polarity symbols. So when I hastily sorted these bridges earlier this year, as a first pass trying to sort through all my components, I based my judgement on that. I figured the missing ' + ' pin would just be connected to the metal and that's it.

OK just buzzed it, turns out it 's not. Metal tab is not the positive, it's connected to the negative pin... so it's indeed a dual diode not a bridge, but it could have been a bridge, tehcnically.. you just had no way to be 100% sure.... so sorry but I don't count that as win for you, merely luck. 

All 10 of them, are identical it turns out. Al marked " S5KC20R ".

Couldn't find a datasheet for it, only an old scanned catalog page from some chinese company : " SHINDENGEN Semiconductor ". Never heard of them ? Well now thanks to me, you have !

That page also shows an interesting product of theirs, that they named, I quote : " SIDAC bit-directional diode thyristor ".
I don't know what a SIDAC is, and I don't see how it can be a dual diode and a thyristor at the same time. I guess I am just too ignorant again... why don't all manufacturers make this wonderful product... 


OK so I shall be adding them to diode inventory then, I guess....

So they are 200V 5A 300ns fast recovery diodes.

Problem, with any dual diode :  for some of them the datasheet says they are rated, say, at 20A... then somewhere else they will say no it's just marketing BS. 20A is the "total" current... but each diode can only take 10A.

So the problem is that now, it casts a doubt of shadow on EVERY other diode. Most of them don't state if the current they specify is for one individual diode, or the total current for both diodes combined...

So in fact you just can never be 100% sure what current your freaking dual diodes can really take !! 

Sometimes I hate datasheets !!!  They are supposed to help you understand what the device can do... NOT add CONFUSION instead !

I thought Shindengen were Japanese.  Some years ago I spent far too long, trying to fix one of their PSUs, out of the big carousel storage unit at work, eventually I figured why not just look in the RS/Farnell for a modern frame PSU, which sorted the problem.

David

[Vince]

I just had another look at that drawer full of 0.1" headers and yeah finally found the proper type ! Somehow I missed it the first time....
Don't have much of it though, a quarter of one strip no more.

Tell me which was the type - both sides square or both sides cylindrical contacts?

Square pins, male, straight, single row.. see pic ! 

Well I couldn't help, I sorted them to see what I have exactly... no less than 12 different types ! Thanks Neomys ! 

I guess I ought to split them into several drawers to make it easier to find stuff in the future...

Where do you find the time and motivation to sort all this stuff? And when you're finished, any chance you can call over and sort the multiple boxes I've labelled "unsorted" at my place?
Name you're price, Fois Gras? Snails? Wine? Maroilles? The wife's French (Ch'tis to be exact), so we probably have what ever you might want!

McBryce.

Well the time I have because I am unemployed ! 
But well, even I weren't I would still do it, as it's the very step I need to take in order to setup / build my lab.
I mean there no point acquiring lots of TE if I can design stuff or make experiments because no components to use them with...
First components available readily, for free, is all the salvaged stuff. But all these components are unusable, useless junk until it is actually identified, datasheet downloaded, inventoried and organized...
If I don't know what it is that I have, and if I can't access it easily, then it's about as useful as if I had nothing at all 

Also, I have 4 boxes full of scrap board to '"process", and it's pointless salvaging components from them all, unless I have an inventory system to process and store them.
So, I had to start doing that first !

Once I am back in employment, top on the list is get a desoldering gun so I can process all these scrap board and make some space !


Don't mind sorting your stuff, my best friend is German and lives in Augsubrg near München, would be an opportunity to visit him ! 

As for payment I don't like alcohol nor snails nor frogs nor stinky/smelly cheeses like Maroilles.. but I lke Roquefort, fresh milk and organic orange juice.
Love a good roasted chicken with potatoes and lots of sauce too, slurp slurp ! Oh and a home made apricot or apple tarte for dessert !. 

Either that, or I will steal whatever components and/or TE that I like in your lab, could get expensive as I don't know what's in your lab ! 

[Neomys Sapiens]

I just had another look at that drawer full of 0.1" headers and yeah finally found the proper type ! Somehow I missed it the first time....
Don't have much of it though, a quarter of one strip no more.

Tell me which was the type - both sides square or both sides cylindrical contacts?

Square pins, male, straight, single row.. see pic ! 

Well I couldn't help, I sorted them to see what I have exactly... no less than 12 different types ! Thanks Neomys ! 

I guess I ought to split them into several drawers to make it easier to find stuff in the future...

I'll look next week whether I find some more of the type.

[Vince]

All 10 of them, are identical it turns out. All marked " S5KC20R ".
Couldn't find a datasheet for it, only an old scanned catalog page from some chinese company : " SHINDENGEN Semiconductor ". Never heard of them ? Well now thanks to me, you have !

I thought Shindengen were Japanese.  Some years ago I spent far too long, trying to fix one of their PSUs, out of the big carousel storage unit at work, eventually I figured why not just look in the RS/Farnell for a modern frame PSU, which sorted the problem.

Can't believe it, you know that company ?! 

So it's not some random cheap chinese Mfg then, my bad, shame on me, it's Japanese ! Maybe TerraOperative can confirm...

That will teach me for being a bad mouth 

Thanks for the info then...

[AVGresponding]

Well the USB-serial cable arrived for the U1401B, but I can't tell if it works because the Agilent software doesn't work.   

No point asking for support, obviously, as they give zero fucks about private users nowadays.

Are you running Agilent-branded software?  If so, it'd be a bit older now and might not work well with the current versions of Windows and the I/O libraries.  You might need to move up to a more current version of the software which would carry Keysight branding.  I went through some fun with this a while ago.  I think I posted pictures from a local Tim Hortons where I was fighting with some of the Keysight Meter Logger software and LCR meter software on a laptop and ran into a number of version conflicts that needed to be sorted out before everything ran properly on Windows 10.

No. It's the Keysight software downloaded mere minutes ago from their website.

[25 CPS]

We love accommodating anything and everything here.  As long as it isn't mainstream and as long as it doesn't involve taking care of things for yourself.  I think the Canadian way on this if I find someone trying to steal my car is to hug-a-thug, give them the keys, invite them in to load it up with whatever possessions from my house they also feel like stealing while I cook them a meal respecting their cultural heritage and religious, medical and personal preference dietary restrictions.  And, above all, not stand up for myself because dishing not-nice-ness out to poor misunderstood individuals breaking into houses and stealing cars would be very, very mean and we just can't have that.

I mean, if someone tries to steal my car or break into the house and steal the tools and equipment in my workshop and I come across this and ask them politely to leave, they'd be so traumatized, right?

Not going to make you feel any better sorry, but maybe at least feel not so alone in your misery : everything you said is 100% true here as well, sadly !

Sheesh, I'm sorry to hear that.  I end up shaking my head when I think of how the whole mess with the minivan being stolen went and a bunch of other things I've encountered.

Anyhow, there's some serious heat moving into the area so I'm going to take a shower and button the house up and put the air conditioning on.  I do have a small plan around that which involves some test equipment so I'll see if I can take some pictures of that and post.

[xrunner]

As for payment I don't like alcohol nor snails nor frogs nor stinky/smelly cheeses like Maroilles.. but I lke Roquefort, fresh milk and organic orange juice.
Love a good roasted chicken with potatoes and lots of sauce too, slurp slurp ! Oh and a home made apricot or apple tarte for dessert !. 

Either that, or I will steal whatever components and/or TE that I like in your lab, could get expensive as I don't know what's in your lab ! 

Hey Vince I had a French meal last night. I had some Dijon mustard which I know originated in Dijon, France. I put it on my hot dogs. It was Walmart brand "Great Value" Dijon but it tasted French! 

[Vince]

 

Glad you liked it !

Not sure how much French stuff is actually in that value Mustard.... probably just Marketing BS I guess, to extract more money from you... OK I am a bit cynical sometimes...

Well I don't like Mustard anyway, it's spicy and I don't like spicy stuff ! Told you I was not your typical French ! 

Yes Moutarde de Dijon was made in Dijon... Like Rocquefort cheese is made in Rocquefort and Camembert cheese is made in Camembert.

Here food is named by the original village it came from, so you travel in spirit when you eat stuff, I quite like that....

[duckduck]

[...] I started pulling the fuel pump fuse [...] if I was going to be away from home for more than a day or two with the vehicle left unattended. [...]

I thought I was the only one that did that.

[Cubdriver]

I lent my small bench PSU out last week and needed it today.
So I grabbed a HP 6227B that I found at the back of the garage. Yes I'd forgotten about it 

It's not a bad PSU. All working properly dispite 15 years waiting in the garage. Only negatives are it's very but has no handle so a bit of a pin to pick up. I have to remember not to use the tilt bail as a handle. The other annoyane is the captive mains lead. Neither are biggies.

That's the main niggle I have with those HP benchtop supplies - the fixed power cords.  Makes them a PITA to store away on the shelf with the damned wrapped cord flopping around hanging out the back getting hooked on stuff.  Must be even worse for you guys in the UK with your hockey-puck-sized mains plugs.

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

   Coffee table ornament?  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265740767106

Isn't that a photo of the inside of Robert's second "garage"? 

*want*

What, you want the contents of my second garage 

You really don't want a large turbofan to play with. They require a huge amount of support. Even to run at ground idle you need a substantial hardstanding and tie downs. A ground start turbine big enough to start it will typically cost more than the turbofan. That's assuming the airstarter is included with the engine. An inadvertent increase in power is likely to be traumatic. There is a reason why they sell for scrap metal value.
Years ago I was offered a similar sized RB211 complete with intake cowl and stand for £500. I declined. It was on the same industrial estate as my work and the boss said I could put it in the carpark. I even had free access to a forklift. They are just a liability. Even to scrap one needs special tools and lifting gear.
Even something medium sized like a Spey only fetches £2000-6000 but a small engine will cost far more.

Doesn't change the "want!!!" factor. Not one iota. 

mnem
Just makes your "want" expand... to include having the "Mad Scientist Secret Island Lair" you need to play with such toys... 

It'd be cool in the front yard with Christmas lights on it...   

-Pat

[bd139]

I lent my small bench PSU out last week and needed it today.
So I grabbed a HP 6227B that I found at the back of the garage. Yes I'd forgotten about it 

It's not a bad PSU. All working properly dispite 15 years waiting in the garage. Only negatives are it's very but has no handle so a bit of a pin to pick up. I have to remember not to use the tilt bail as a handle. The other annoyane is the captive mains lead. Neither are biggies.

That's the main niggle I have with those HP benchtop supplies - the fixed power cords.  Makes them a PITA to store away on the shelf with the damned wrapped cord flopping around hanging out the back getting hooked on stuff.  Must be even worse for you guys in the UK with your hockey-puck-sized mains plugs.

-Pat

The only problem I've had with that is the inevitable conk on the head or the toes when you get one out of the cupboard and the plug falls 

[Cubdriver]

After the minivan got stolen, I started pulling the fuel pump fuse and one or two others if I was going to be away from home for more than a day or two with the vehicle left unattended.  I don't think it's foiled any attempts at theft though since I've never come back to find any signs of someone trying to break in and start up any of the vehicles I've had since.  It doesn't rule out the possibility of someone towing or trailering them away vs. stealing them under their own power, but having the fuel pump and a couple of other control power fuses out does give me peace of mind that it wouldn't be as straightforward as normal to steal.  The other thing that changed out of the minivan being stolen was the porch light which also lights up the front part of the driveway stays on all the time, hydro bill be damned.

None of this addresses the problem of the driveway being empty while I'm away on a driving vacation and I have come home and the neighbours have told me they've been woken up by their dog barking and noise in my driveway between their house and mine and seeing scuffs on the side door where someone's tried to kick it open.

Employ geofencing plus the 500 grams solution. This would prevent the thieves from stealing other cars. Declare the situation a sacrifice to the gods and claim religious freedom.

We love accommodating anything and everything here.  As long as it isn't mainstream and as long as it doesn't involve taking care of things for yourself.  I think the Canadian way on this if I find someone trying to steal my car is to hug-a-thug, give them the keys, invite them in to load it up with whatever possessions from my house they also feel like stealing while I cook them a meal respecting their cultural heritage and religious, medical and personal preference dietary restrictions.  And, above all, not stand up for myself because dishing not-nice-ness out to poor misunderstood individuals breaking into houses and stealing cars would be very, very mean and we just can't have that.

I mean, if someone tries to steal my car or break into the house and steal the tools and equipment in my workshop and I come across this and ask them politely to leave, they'd be so traumatized, right?

They used to hang horse thieves...  Very frustrating when such things are dismissed with a slap on the back of the hand, if even that.     Stringing them up is extreme, but there's got to be a happy medium in the middle there somewhere.

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

Warning: Picture heavy post.

OK gang, here it is. Bent to crap Type 547.

Wow, quite a bit of work on that one scope indeed !! 
Too much work actually... I would just leave it like that 

Or.... you get out of your first floor apartment and noisy neighbours, and instead move out into a house with a large garage that you can stuff with all sorts of metal working tools and equipment... and then you can take some classes about metal work ! 

That's what I am going to do so I can fix my all boat anchors. Training in aviation had at least one good side.. spent a year learning and practicing metal  fabrication, albeit aluminium parts but hey, I can apply to steel with minor adjustments... more muscle mostly ! 

I'm firm on my options.

Fix it and perform a complete restore.

No fix? It will be junked as a parts unit.

Weird that the front panel still appears to be perpendicular to the bench - the look of the back and the way the side panels are fitting screams that the whole thing must be trapezoidal, with the bottom pushed forward relative to the top.  My first thought was bar clamps run diagonally from top rear to bottom front, then slowly tightened to bring it back into shape and maybe a bit beyond to counter springback, but if the front panel is plumb...  Can you see anything bent in the bottom of the unit, or some slippage in the rails at their attachment points?  There's gotta be for the back to be that far out of whack.  Weird!

-Pat

[Robert763]

I lent my small bench PSU out last week and needed it today.
So I grabbed a HP 6227B that I found at the back of the garage. Yes I'd forgotten about it 

It's not a bad PSU. All working properly dispite 15 years waiting in the garage. Only negatives are it's very but has no handle so a bit of a pin to pick up. I have to remember not to use the tilt bail as a handle. The other annoyane is the captive mains lead. Neither are biggies.

That's the main niggle I have with those HP benchtop supplies - the fixed power cords.  Makes them a PITA to store away on the shelf with the damned wrapped cord flopping around hanging out the back getting hooked on stuff.  Must be even worse for you guys in the UK with your hockey-puck-sized mains plugs.

-Pat

I might have a look and see if I can squeeze a C6 in there. Or I might just be lazy, cut the cable short and stick a inline C14 on it.

[duckduck]

New acquisition: Heath Zenith SP-2717A regulated HV DC power supply

Bought this off of Craigslist. It's got several codes with "85" inside (PCB, transformers), so I'm guessing that's the build date. Power tubes are Svetlana 6L6GCs (date codes from '98 on them, I believe). The little tube is a GE 6BH6 (Made in USA!) Build construction is really very nice: thick steel case, aluminum sheet chassis, nice carry handles on both sides, Nichicon caps, Carling switch. I guess having tubes inside was a selling point since the market was all tube-people. I hooked it up to my DC electronic load at 400VDC @ 100mA and there was no drama.

It's certainly due for a re-cap and the banana jacks could do a with a good scrubbing, but it would probably be fine without touching either.

https://frank.pocnet.net/sheets/093/6/6BH6.pdf - GE 6BH6 spec sheet
https://www.jogis-roehrenbude.de/Roehren-Geschichtliches/Roehren-Netzteile/SP2717A.pdf - Owner's manual with schematic.

EDIT:

Yes, it has an integrated mains cord, but it has the little ears on the back to wrap the cord around when not in use.


EDIT EDIT:

Check out the lacing on the wires.

[bd139]

Ooh very nice. SP prefix so factory assembled aka no retards 

[Neomys Sapiens]

BRIDGES !

Have a few of those as well, 33 it looks like. A bit a of everything size and package wise.... some small 4 and 6 pin DIP, small round ones, TO220, big SIL packages, and one big square.

They'll all be double diodes right, so technically not a bridge. 

How do you know it's not a bridge ?

The pins are identified like a bridge would : an ' AC ' symbol on two pins, and a ' - - negative polarity symbol one the last pin. All my dual diodes were marked clearly with actual diode looking symbols, not polarity symbols. So when I hastily sorted these bridges earlier this year, as a first pass trying to sort through all my components, I based my judgement on that. I figured the missing ' + ' pin would just be connected to the metal and that's it.

OK just buzzed it, turns out it 's not. Metal tab is not the positive, it's connected to the negative pin... so it's indeed a dual diode not a bridge, but it could have been a bridge, tehcnically.. you just had no way to be 100% sure.... so sorry but I don't count that as win for you, merely luck. 

All 10 of them, are identical it turns out. Al marked " S5KC20R ".

Couldn't find a datasheet for it, only an old scanned catalog page from some chinese company : " SHINDENGEN Semiconductor ". Never heard of them ? Well now thanks to me, you have !

That page also shows an interesting product of theirs, that they named, I quote : " SIDAC bit-directional diode thyristor ".
I don't know what a SIDAC is, and I don't see how it can be a dual diode and a thyristor at the same time. I guess I am just too ignorant again... why don't all manufacturers make this wonderful product... 


OK so I shall be adding them to diode inventory then, I guess....

So they are 200V 5A 300ns fast recovery diodes.

Problem, with any dual diode :  for some of them the datasheet says they are rated, say, at 20A... then somewhere else they will say no it's just marketing BS. 20A is the "total" current... but each diode can only take 10A.

So the problem is that now, it casts a doubt of shadow on EVERY other diode. Most of them don't state if the current they specify is for one individual diode, or the total current for both diodes combined...

So in fact you just can never be 100% sure what current your freaking dual diodes can really take !! 

Sometimes I hate datasheets !!!  They are supposed to help you understand what the device can do... NOT add CONFUSION instead !

SIDACTORs are also made by Littlefuse. They are circuit elements for overvoltage protection. You can see them as self-triggering crowbar thyristors or maybe as a thyristor crowbar triggered by a TAZ diode, which is formed on the same crystal. They come in various types, like those for power circuits, which are dependent on fuse action but also those frequently found in telecommunication lines, which can stay conducting until cleared.

[Neomys Sapiens]

All 10 of them, are identical it turns out. All marked " S5KC20R ".
Couldn't find a datasheet for it, only an old scanned catalog page from some chinese company : " SHINDENGEN Semiconductor ". Never heard of them ? Well now thanks to me, you have !

I thought Shindengen were Japanese.  Some years ago I spent far too long, trying to fix one of their PSUs, out of the big carousel storage unit at work, eventually I figured why not just look in the RS/Farnell for a modern frame PSU, which sorted the problem.

Can't believe it, you know that company ?! 

So it's not some random cheap chinese Mfg then, my bad, shame on me, it's Japanese ! Maybe TerraOperative can confirm...

That will teach me for being a bad mouth 

Thanks for the info then...

They ARE Japanese and rather well known.
 

[Cubdriver]

I lent my small bench PSU out last week and needed it today.
So I grabbed a HP 6227B that I found at the back of the garage. Yes I'd forgotten about it 

It's not a bad PSU. All working properly dispite 15 years waiting in the garage. Only negatives are it's very but has no handle so a bit of a pin to pick up. I have to remember not to use the tilt bail as a handle. The other annoyane is the captive mains lead. Neither are biggies.

That's the main niggle I have with those HP benchtop supplies - the fixed power cords.  Makes them a PITA to store away on the shelf with the damned wrapped cord flopping around hanging out the back getting hooked on stuff.  Must be even worse for you guys in the UK with your hockey-puck-sized mains plugs.

-Pat

The only problem I've had with that is the inevitable conk on the head or the toes when you get one out of the cupboard and the plug falls 

Your power cords could certainly be used as melee weapons in a pinch!

-Pat