Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[AVGresponding]

Just read the newsletter from German computer magazine c't:

They've asked their readers what this unit is and what it would be used for in their lab:



BTW: I've already submitted my answer to them and there's no prize to win, so no point in hiding your answers here ...

A 6811B presumably?

If I could afford one I'd use it for cross-checking handheld DMMs against a calibrated bench DMM, or if I was feeling decadent, instead of a variac/dim bulb supply. BD139 would use it to assassinate crapacitors.

6811, 6812 or 6813 - they look the same, just different output power.

Yep, I'd take one, too ...
But not for checking DMMs, that's what the Fluke 5101 is for. The AC source is rather like a variac on steroids and would make a pretty good companion to the WT1600, especially if you add one or two to the number and reach for a 6814

I don't have a Fluke 5101 though...

My AC voltage source is good for up to 5A/1100V, but with a maximum voltage burden of 10VA, so not really usable as a power supply.

[capt bullshot]

My AC voltage source is good for up to 5A/1100V, but with a maximum voltage burden of 10VA, so not really usable as a power supply.[/color][/size][/b]

What type (make/model) is this?
10VA would be a spec for kind of a calibrator or something ...

[mansaxel]

In the saga of replacing car speakers it was my turn yesterday. Original speaker had broken its foam surround, and thus unbound, proceeded to jump its voice coil, former and all out of the magnet gap.

Replacement was surprisingly hard to locate. Turns out it is the most basic speaker kit sold as original fit, with a dual-cone broadband driver. The LF-only ones are easier to find; or at least were back when I swapped on my older cars, who had higher-spec drivers. However, local auction site supplied a used pair for about 41€, which is very good.



Fitting is pretty easy; the driver is mounted in the door with 4 pop rivets, which drill out. A quick-disconnect is supplied, so electrical connection is child's play. 4 new pop rivets and you're done.

The harness has a parallel (MetraHit checked, hence.) connection to a tweeter. Which appeared blown as I tested my work. Closer inspection revealed that no, there was no tweeter at all. What sits in the hole is a dummy.



The left one is an actual tweeter; the right one is a dummy.  They do make a good job of hiding the fact; the quick-connect is present and works, albeit sans electrical connection. I quickly dug tweeters out of the doors of my parts cars, and made a significant upgrade to the system.

[bd139]

Just read the newsletter from German computer magazine c't:

They've asked their readers what this unit is and what it would be used for in their lab:



BTW: I've already submitted my answer to them and there's no prize to win, so no point in hiding your answers here ...

A 6811B presumably?

If I could afford one I'd use it for cross-checking handheld DMMs against a calibrated bench DMM, or if I was feeling decadent, instead of a variac/dim bulb supply. BD139 would use it to assassinate crapacitors.

That’s wasted on capacitors.

I’d use it to assassinate transformers!

[bd139]

More TEA,
I made an offer on a 34401A on ebay and it was accepted. 

Like I need another bench DMM 
It can replace the the 34907A data logger on the bench. I might sell the 34907A.

A Keysight with input jacks all in red? I smell some heavy modifications ...
Hope, you'll get a good one. And as bd139 mentioned: check the display, it looks a bit dim.

Not just dim, beware the faintly glowing middle dots

Leaky / defective driver ICs perhaps. Oh dear ...

Yeah looking at it, it’s an interesting one.

It’s early 1994 HP model but has keysight plastics and early 01 revision display model. Firmware is 05-01-01 so that’s confirmed.

I would just return it if you’ve already bought it to be honest. The DMM itself is probably fine but the display IC is hosed and is now no longer orderable from keysight.

[BU508A]

Looks like a scam to me:

Keithley 2400 SMU for 1000 Euro.

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/keithley-2400-sourcemeter-smu-4-quadranten-betrieb-200v-1a/2134956759-168-9532

[Zucca]

More TEA,
I made an offer on a 34401A on ebay and it was accepted. 

Like I need another bench DMM 
It can replace the the 34907A data logger on the bench. I might sell the 34907A.

A Keysight with input jacks all in red? I smell some heavy modifications ...
Hope, you'll get a good one. And as bd139 mentioned: check the display, it looks a bit dim.

Not just dim, beware the faintly glowing middle dots

Leaky / defective driver ICs perhaps. Oh dear ...

There is a qu1ck  solution

[Specmaster]

Warning especially to our Canadian members, this video was put up on YT in April this year and it seems that RCMP wash their hands of this type of fraud, take care.

[Zucca]

Interesting finding in the µinverters spec...

https://enphase.com/download/iq8-series-microinverter-installation-and-operation-manual



Basically the output is a 240/208 single phase. In USA they connect the two outputs to each 120VAC phase of the split phase system.
Now consider a 3KW washer running on a single phase. How the µinverters are helping a single phase load will generate some discussion here, I bet.

[Robert763]

It can replace the the 34907A data logger on the bench. I might sell the 34907A.

Isn't the 34907 a superset of the 34401?

yes

[nixiefreqq]

New acquisition: Anritsu MS610B spectrum analyzer 10kHz-2GHz

Got this in the same Craigslist transaction as the Heath Zenith HV DC power supply. Some middle-age guy was selling TE before moving. It came with the original Operation Manual and the Service Manual.

I had to remove cal stickers to open the case, which is a good sign. I saw a few date codes of '91 and then quickly buttoned it up again. There is a calibration sticker on it from '06.

Made in Japan. Solid as a brick dunny. Looks expensive. I notice that the mains input autoranges across Japanese and US voltages and frequencies.

It seems to work OK up to 20Mhz (which is as high as my signal generator will go).

Why? I've always wanted an SA. More recently, I've started down the slippery slope of radio. I've started with GMRS (license is USD35, no test) which is 462-467Mhz. I would dearly love an SA that goes down to 0Hz (for audio work), but those are far too dear for me to justify at this point.

I'm now in the market for an N connector dust cap, cables, adapters, attenuators, and a signal generator that goes up to 500MHz or so.

EDIT:

Test setup is Rigol DG1022 -> 50 Ohm BNC cable -> BNC to N connector adapter -> SA. I know enough to know that I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to RF. I was very careful to figure out a nice low output level (1V RMS) that would not damage the SA.

EDIT EDIT:

Also came with a box of cables and adapters that I'm not able to judge yet, but it looks more Aliexpress than [hp].

EDIT^3:

https://www.opweb.de/english/company/Anritsu/downloads/Anritsu--MS610B--user--ID4283.pdf - User manual 20MB scan

Nice,
BUT 1V RMS is a LOT of input for a SA. It's +13 dBm or 20mW the MAX input for a 610B is 20 dBM (100mW see attached.) This is a bit close for comfort.  If you manually switched the attenuation down you could blow the mixer. Add a 10dB attenuator to your shopping list and keep it on  the SA until you have more experience. Fortunatly the 610B has good DC voltage resistance at 50V. Some SA mixers die with tiny amounts of DC.

YIKES!  almost shit when i read that he was stuffing 1v rms into that poor thing.

my sop is to always keep 20 dB in front of an SA until sure that it is safe to go bareback.  a blown mixer or toasted internal attenuator will ruin your day.  i also have a 10W 60dB atten for use when messing with the output of transverters  (mine are all 5W or less).  others have suggested a dc block too.....not a bad idea.

a good SA is a thing of delicate beauty.   be nice to it.

Just to scare you a bit more,

Blown attenuator pads from a Tektronix 2794 SA





Finally, the limiter (just after the attenuator) also died. But the damages are less apparent.



P.S: I got the instrument broken and was not responsible for all this. A gorilla probably fed multiple Watt into the poor thing.

OH!  THE HUMANITY!

[Robert763]

More TEA,
I made an offer on a 34401A on ebay and it was accepted. 

Like I need another bench DMM 
It can replace the the 34907A data logger on the bench. I might sell the 34907A.

A Keysight with input jacks all in red? I smell some heavy modifications ...
Hope, you'll get a good one. And as bd139 mentioned: check the display, it looks a bit dim.

Not just dim, beware the faintly glowing middle dots

Leaky / defective driver ICs perhaps. Oh dear ...

Damm I missed that.  I don't really want to be messing with OLED replacements so have asked the seller nicely if I can cancel the order. We will see what they say.....

[duckduck]

New acquisition: [(hp)] 34401A 6 1/2 digit bench multimeter

Also part of the same Craigslist buy. I couldn't get it to read an AC measurement or a frequency measurement but I didn't bring anything and I had limited equipment/time available to test with. I should really buy one of these small multimeter calibrators. I could bring it on shopping trips with my Fluke 87V DMM and it would probably pay for itself after a few Craigslist buys.

The Bad:
* Does not make measurements when in AC or Frequency modes.
* Fails self-test with the following errors:
     620 - AC rms zero failed
     621 - AC rms full scale failed
     622 - Frequency counter failed
* No folding bale
* VFD is dim

The Good:
* Everything else seems to work.
* Looks like it was calibrated in 2010.
* I paid USD66 for it.
* It's in good nick (appearance-wise)
* Came with rubber baby buggy bumpers
* All VFD elements work. Can you turn up the brightness? (I'm going to RTFM...)
* I had to tear old cal stickers to uncover case screws and pull case off. The dangerous idiots haven't been inside it, yet. Here I come!

Revision code on this unit is 05-01-01. The most recent date code I found in it was '95, so I'm going with that. I found a couple of components that look like they had been the victims of Zeus' wrath: an ex-capacitor, and the Zener (in the TO-236 package) next to it. I've already downloaded the service manual. ...reading a little bit... oh, brother. That cap filters the -15V rail for all of the transistors and an obselete IC (AD637JR) in the AC section. If all that silicon got damaged this unit is headed for ebay "For parts or not working".

Is there anyone on the TEA forum that doesn't know what this meter is? Here you go, sir or madam:

https://www.keysight.com/us/en/product/34401A/digital-multimeter-6-digit.html

[AVGresponding]

Just read the newsletter from German computer magazine c't:

They've asked their readers what this unit is and what it would be used for in their lab:



BTW: I've already submitted my answer to them and there's no prize to win, so no point in hiding your answers here ...

A 6811B presumably?

If I could afford one I'd use it for cross-checking handheld DMMs against a calibrated bench DMM, or if I was feeling decadent, instead of a variac/dim bulb supply. BD139 would use it to assassinate crapacitors.

That’s wasted on capacitors.

I’d use it to assassinate transformers!

Are you related to photonicinduction?   

[Zucca]

New acquisition: [(hp)] 34401A 6 1/2 digit bench multimeter

The 34401A is spreading like rabbits. Do not worry about the failure, they are such a fun to fix...
Congrats!

[nfmax]

It can replace the the 34907A data logger on the bench. I might sell the 34907A.

Isn't the 34907 a superset of the 34401?

yes

no

Although the 34970A gains offset-compensated ohms, and temperature measurements from thermistors, thermocouples and PRTs, it has a maximum current measuring capacity of only 1A instead of 3A, and a maximum voltage capacity of only 300V instead of 1kV

[Zucca]

Stupid question for the gang.
If a water electro-valve spec is 24VAC, can I use VDC to control it?
If yes at what voltage DC current?

Yes I am a little embarrassed to ask....

[Saskia]

The fugitive LCR meter has been apprehended. It was hiding in a packaging of a U1241c DMM which is on the run. All units report any sightings. Subject can no longer rely on its support network and may be dangerous.

[Zucca]

I told you!

I am very happy for our TEA lady! Thanks for spreading the good mood!

[AVGresponding]

My AC voltage source is good for up to 5A/1100V, but with a maximum voltage burden of 10VA, so not really usable as a power supply.[/color][/size][/b]

What type (make/model) is this?
10VA would be a spec for kind of a calibrator or something ...

It's a 0.05% spec AC/DC V/I source, with selectable 50/60/400Hz. It's an RFL Boonton/Clarke Hess 828.

[AVGresponding]

Stupid question for the gang.
If a water electro-valve spec is 24VAC, can I use VDC to control it?
If yes at what voltage DC current?

Yes I am a little embarrassed to ask....

I routinely run 24VAC relays on 12VDC, haven't had any disasters yet...

[mindcrime]

After reading recent posts in this thread, I feel like I should just sell my spectrum analyzer. I'm too scared to ever use it now. 

[bd139]

After reading recent posts in this thread, I feel like I should just sell my spectrum analyzer. I'm too scared to ever use it now. 

You're scared enough to do it carefully now

[bd139]

Just read the newsletter from German computer magazine c't:

They've asked their readers what this unit is and what it would be used for in their lab:



BTW: I've already submitted my answer to them and there's no prize to win, so no point in hiding your answers here ...

A 6811B presumably?

If I could afford one I'd use it for cross-checking handheld DMMs against a calibrated bench DMM, or if I was feeling decadent, instead of a variac/dim bulb supply. BD139 would use it to assassinate crapacitors.

That’s wasted on capacitors.

I’d use it to assassinate transformers!

Are you related to photonicinduction?   

I share some attributes. The accent, the posture and the destructive tendencies. So possibly.

[nixiefreqq]

After reading recent posts in this thread, I feel like I should just sell my spectrum analyzer. I'm too scared to ever use it now. 

it's sort of like having a scope with input termination options.  you had better think twice before you select 50 ohms.

have never blown one up myself, but have seen lots of attenuators toasted by others.

be a nervous nelly........check everything twice or keep external protection hooked up all the time (or until you are convinced you are not about to do something stupid) and you will be fine.

edit  one of the nice things about my hp54601 and hp54622 is that they don't have 50 ohm inputs.  you have to really really work at killing one of them.  that is one reason they are my daily drivers and the hp54502 and 54504 only get turned on when 400 Mhz of bandwidth is actually required.