Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[nfmax]

And I will fit it tomorrow evening! Promise!

Done! 

[tggzzz]

Blooming surplustest on ebay uk

They have a Tek 1502 "This equipment has been tested. Please refer to the tests/remarks section below for details." but there are no photos of a trace.

I sent them a PM suggesting they show a trace and how to set it up to see a trace. No response. Colour me dubious.

[Specmaster]

IC testers, there are some currently on eBay such as these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144548954813

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255626223428

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125373915528

There are also loads YT videos covering some of those and also this one which blisteringly fast.

[Robert763]

Blooming surplustest on ebay uk

Solartron 7150 plus with pre-blown RIFA (discharge visible aroud mains inlet)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403800084939?

NOT a spectrum analyser that apparently didn't sell at a rally for £10, now £50 
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403800169971?

There suddenly seem to be lots of HP435 power meters about. Maybe they've always been there and I haven't noticed them.

Aren't they useless without the sensors? They never mention them so I assume they aren't there. I believe you can still get them but they are pricey and they are also easily damaged. I've got a 432A which I bought a few years back for a tenner, and I'm sure that was the story with that.

435A uses same cable/sensor as 436A, 437B and 438A. Even those are cheap anymore... Last 3 times I shopped them I was able to find one of the 3 models listed as tested using known good sensor guaranteed working for $30-50, sans cable & sensor of course.

mnem
 

That is another reason why sensors and cables are scarce. Professional users upgraded to later digital meters but kept the old sensors and cables. Meters were surplused. The matching sensor models were discontinued a few years ago so sensors are starting to appear on the surplus market. Still need to be sure it's working though.

The 432A family is different. The sensor goes back to the 481A but is still made today (478A ands 8478A) They cost a fortune (>$10,00) and there is a new digital meter the N432A ($13600) specially made for the old sensors. Why? Because they are a transfer standard (in every sense of the word) used to calibrate other power meters.

Edit: Just checked and in the 1963 catalog the 478A was $145. It was in the 1962 shortform catalog as a new product so in production for 60 years and counting. That's pretty good going for a fairly complex bit of kit 

[Zucca]

Should I install 17KW or 12KW of PV solar my roof?

I mean the $14K delta is something but I could not resist the future thinking about "I should have...." the entire time.... 

[Vince]

What's a Kelvin-Watt solar ?! 

I expected better from a highly paid top flying highly experienced BMW engineer ! 

PS : I still love you anyway, that's OK 

PPS : how is the THS Tek scope repair going ?! 

[Zenith]

They aren't completely useless, I've bought a couple over the years to provide the HP logo, feet and the plastic meter case parts for repairing other HP TE, eg 3400A. I'm sure I've used other bits but can't remember.

The sensors are usually missing because the last user fooked them, they are very easy to ruin.

Trouble is most of the the 435A/Bs listed at the moment, are too expensive to consider as part donors.

David

The HP432A cost a tenner. I didn't know anything about them - but for a tenner. It would be interesting to find out about. There was a meter movement which might do for one of the 3400As if their meter failed (I think HP used the same 1mA movement in lots of things), screws, there might be other interesting bits.

I had a girlfriend who used to go shopping with her friends and if she hadn't bought anything she felt guilty, so she'd buy a packet of chewing gum or something very cheap, to satisfy the urge. I laughed.

I was at a rally and I hadn't bought anything, so I came away with the HP432A. Maybe I shouldn't have laughed at her.

£10 to £15, unless they came with the sensors, and then you couldn't be sure they were any good.

[mnementh]

My current distraction...     

mnem
Caffeine levels dangerously low... must stop for refill...   

   Printed successfully, but too fine detail; not enough mass in the "snap-together" bits. They just fall apart.

In the middle of a complete redesign. You can click on the link above and see current iterations. New version should print well at 0.20LH, tho.

mnem
"The role of failure in design."

   Rev 11 printing. A wee bit more material now... 

mnem
          ...and there might have been a little scope creep; I should probably confer with my assistant, Mr Bluebottle fly...
*yawwnnnn*

      

This is somewhere around Rev 17; aboot half of which have actually been printed and test-fit. Finally have something I like the looks of that can actually be printed and assembled without major post-production fettling.

It can be a real dicksore trying to design something for other people to print and use... 

I added finger-grips to be able to pull the adapter out of the HP Pod, as that has quite a bit of hold with 40 pins all at once. Also a key-peg to match the slot on the pod as well.

Note that the back of the adapter has a slight taper away from the body of the scope so it doesn't make contact and scar up the panel. And yes, those are 1.6mm dia printed pins that lock the halves together. You can easily substitute any ~m2 screw you might want to use instead.

Now I need to get to work on Part 2 - a redesign to fit the original TK adapter, since he so graciously included both.

mnem
*toddles off to ded*

   3D Model Web Viewer

First version of the new cover for the original TK adapter; now printing. Then of course comes the fettling to get it to actually work...

mnem
*fettle-fettle... tinker-putter... fettle-tinker....*

[Zenith]

That is another reason why sensors and cables are scarce. Professional users upgraded to later digital meters but kept the old sensors and cables. Meters were surplused. The matching sensor models were discontinued a few years ago so sensors are starting to appear on the surplus market. Still need to be sure it's working though.

The 432A family is different. The sensor goes back to the 481A but is still made today (478A ands 8478A) They cost a fortune (>$10,00) and there is a new digital meter the N432A ($13600) specially made for the old sensors. Why? Because they are a transfer standard (in every sense of the word) used to calibrate other power meters.

Edit: Just checked and in the 1963 catalog the 478A was $145. It was in the 1962 shortform catalog as a new product so in production for 60 years and counting. That's pretty good going for a fairly complex bit of kit

Interesting.

I looked into it a bit at the time, about ten years ago. I got the impression that the sensors were easily ruined, they weren't something you could bodge up, and you could buy new ones but they were hideously expensive.  So it really wasn't something to pursue.

The 435s I've seen recently for £50-£60, err, no.

[med6753]

The recently re-capped 475A and 465B successfully passed an extended burn-in with no issues. Time for a change on bench 1. But before settling in place how about some vintage 1950's cheesecake porn? Type 503 stripped naked both sides BEFORE she became an 80 year old stripper.    Ain't she a beauty? Look at that chassis.  You know you want her. 




Loving that blue-green trace. So sexy. 

[Cubdriver]

Mike, thanks for finally posting a stripper that WON'T make me lose my lunch!  Beautiful piece of hardware you have there.   

-Pat

[Specmaster]

My PV Solar panel saga continues to roll on. I reported to the operators of the system last Monday (18th) that the RCD trips out each time I reset it. They claimed that they had zero knowledge of me ever having panels installed. Strange seeing as they have been before to sort out odd issue, but they were operating under a new name, so that may explain it. I also reported it to the HA, who also emailed the company, twice but had no reply, they also phoned them and the phone (allegedly, just rang and nobody answered).

Anyway, still no response by last Friday, so I rang the HA again, and they said to give them until Monday. I did, still nothing, so I phoned them again, and they discovered a new email address for the company and emailed them with some additional comments. Today I had a phone call from a company up in Carlisle who explained that had been given the job to do and wanted to book an appointment for Sept 2nd  , that would mean that it would then be 7 weeks with zero solar energy. TBF, they did say that if they had cancellations etc, they would try and get it done before then 

I have now gone back to the HA to see what they can do, I basically told them that it is unacceptable not to have that free energy for that duration, it is costing upto £4 a day extra for electric (depending on the amount of washing etc).

The PV solar installation etc was all originally planned via the HA, so I assumed that they were getting the income from any power that we did not consume and was supplied back to the grid. They tell me that is not the case  so the question is why did they propose the scheme to their tenants in the first place?

Now, the company that the HA arranged it all with in the first place is based just 30 miles away, and they are still there, so just why have they subbed the repair out to a company based around 370 miles away makes no sense to me whatsoever  

[med6753]

My PV Solar panel saga continues to roll on. I reported to the operators of the system last Monday (18th) that the RCD trips out each time I reset it. They claimed that they had zero knowledge of me ever having panels installed. Strange seeing as they have been before to sort out odd issue, but they were operating under a new name, so that may explain it. I also reported it to the HA, who also emailed the company, twice but had no reply, they also phoned them and the phone (allegedly, just rang and nobody answered).

Anyway, still no response by last Friday, so I rang the HA again, and they said to give them until Monday. I did, still nothing, so I phoned them again, and they discovered a new email address for the company and emailed them with some additional comments. Today I had a phone call from a company up in Carlisle who explained that had been given the job to do and wanted to book an appointment for Sept 2nd  , that would mean that it would then be 7 weeks with zero solar energy. TBF, they did say that if they had cancellations etc, they would try and get it done before then 

I have now gone back to the HA to see what they can do, I basically told them that it is unacceptable not to have that free energy for that duration, it is costing upto £4 a day extra for electric (depending on the amount of washing etc).

The PV solar installation etc was all originally planned via the HA, so I assumed that they were getting the income from any power that we did not consume and was supplied back to the grid. They tell me that is not the case  so the question is why did they propose the scheme to their tenants in the first place?

Now, the company that the HA arranged it all with in the first place is based just 30 miles away, and they are still there, so just why have they subbed the repair out to a company based around 370 miles away makes no sense to me whatsoever  

Cue up circle jerk and finger pointing with you caught in the middle. 

[bd139]

The recently re-capped 475A and 465B successfully passed an extended burn-in with no issues. Time for a change on bench 1. But before settling in place how about some vintage 1950's cheesecake porn? Type 503 stripped naked both sides BEFORE she became an 80 year old stripper.    Ain't she a beauty? Look at that chassis.  You know you want her. 




Loving that blue-green trace. So sexy. 

That’s the kind of thing you want keeping you warm in winter 

[bd139]

Did a quick job on the 427A this evening. The original battery mount terminals and the degraded foam pad removed for power supply re-engineering. This required quite a fair bit of disassembly and made a bit of a mess with foam crap so I gave the whole thing a brush out at the same time.



And the removed terminals.



The objective here will be to build an LM317 regulator board which will be (carefully) attached to the existing battery mount. This board will be always powered when the instrument is plugged in but anything more complicated requires some significant reengineering and moving AC volts up to the front panel switch which I'm not up for as it may risk damage to the unit and/or signal problems.

[Cerebus]

If I did that Jim Williams one before bed I would just wake up at 5AM with jigsaw pieces stuck up my arse 

It's been years since I've done a jigsaw puzzle, but I kept all the pieces on the table and they were nowhere near my arse.  I'm not sure I want to know how you put together puzzles, bd...   

-Pat

Think "What would a monkey do?".

Ook ook it is then 

[Specmaster]

If I did that Jim Williams one before bed I would just wake up at 5AM with jigsaw pieces stuck up my arse 

It's been years since I've done a jigsaw puzzle, but I kept all the pieces on the table and they were nowhere near my arse.  I'm not sure I want to know how you put together puzzles, bd...   

-Pat

Think "What would a monkey do?".

Ook ook it is then 

LMAO 

[bd139]

Been saving that one for ages haven't you 

[Cerebus]

Been saving that one for ages haven't you 

No, it was entirely spontaneous, honestly. But I do have a good memory. I may sometimes not be able to remember my own name, but I do remember conversations and situations in sometimes extreme detail. If you pick a situation like a meal out with friends, even if it was 30 years ago, I can tell you who was sitting where around the table. I just thought, "OK who would get bits of jigsaw stuck everywhere?" Came up with chimpanzee or toddler, and then remembered the conversation about Covid vaccines and that you'd said "Ook, ook" and Google provided the exact reference for that in 2 seconds flat.

[med6753]

That’s the kind of thing you want keeping you warm in winter 

And doesn't complain about the toilet seat being left up. 

[Cubdriver]

If I did that Jim Williams one before bed I would just wake up at 5AM with jigsaw pieces stuck up my arse 

It's been years since I've done a jigsaw puzzle, but I kept all the pieces on the table and they were nowhere near my arse.  I'm not sure I want to know how you put together puzzles, bd...   

-Pat

Think "What would a monkey do?".

Ook ook it is then 

Scatter the pieces about and then fling poop?  Or perhaps accost passersby with a tin cup for donations?


-Pat

[25 CPS]

Some quick lunchtime fun:

I didn't have a specific need for a Fluke 8060A but it was available for reasonable money so I got it to complement the IBM branded version of the 8060A I've had for a few years.  I did a couple of quick tests on it and so far it loooks good
<SNIP>



Here are the two takes of the same meter side by side.  I'm not sure why the contrast on the two displays is so different; both meters are original and have not been recapped so I don't know if it's attributable to that, the zebra stripes, different specs from IBM, different ageing or luck of the draw.

There were at least two standards of LCD on the Fluke badged 8060A. The earlier one had a separate front polariser, the later had it stuck to the glass.  The interconnects were different too but they don't normally affect the overall contrast.

Interesting; I've never dug into the service information on these meters.  The IBM one came with a photocopy of the operating instructions tucked into the case.  Here's the picture I took of the IBM 8060A when I got it on 5 November 2020:



The display doesn't look so dark in that picture but that was held at a different angle under weak autumn sun.  I'm going to have to take the IBM one outside in the even when the sun's going and see if the display looks the same or if it really has darkened over the last two years it's been in the drawer.  The side by side picture was a bit difficult to take since I was trying to balance the best angle to have both LCDs at the same time while avoiding glare from the overhead lights at work.

[bd139]

If I did that Jim Williams one before bed I would just wake up at 5AM with jigsaw pieces stuck up my arse 

It's been years since I've done a jigsaw puzzle, but I kept all the pieces on the table and they were nowhere near my arse.  I'm not sure I want to know how you put together puzzles, bd...   

-Pat

Think "What would a monkey do?".

Ook ook it is then 

Scatter the pieces about and then fling poop?  Or perhaps accost passersby with a tin cup for donations?


-Pat

Absolute classic that film. One of my favourites 

[Vince]

It's midnight here, I can understand the European people being quiet, but the guys in the US should all be up and energetic... where are you all ?

Point being : please be a bit more talkative and expedite page 5110, I have an agenda and don't want to wait 'til 5AM for it to realize, I would like to go to bed before that.

Thanks.

If you don't comply I will have to resort to..... no, it's best no to tell, hopefully I won't have to resort to that.. that would be very nasty. Please don't make me do it.

Usually TEA doesn't need any incentive to get talking, what's wrong with you this evening ?

Let me help, let's see :

1) Guns are dangerous, they should be banned
2) My god is better than yours
3) 80yo strippers should be advertised in the street on bus stops.
4) Diesel engine is better than Petrol engine.
5) Global warming is a scam
6) 3DP XYZ is way better than  3DP RZA even with customized version of the open source F/W v6.2.0
7) HP Scopes are much better than Tek scopes
8 ) Brand XTY of speaker sounds much better than GTR Speakers.
9) It never rains in England
10) Frogs have the best English accent on the planet.
11) Electric cars suck, they are a scam and will never save the planet.
12) RPN calculators suck, it's for backward retards.

Pick whatever you like, but get talking FFS ! 

[tautech]

It's midnight here, I can understand the European people being quiet, but the guys in the US should all be up and energetic... where are you all ?

Point being : please be a bit more talkative and expedite page 5110, I have an agenda and don't want to wait for 5AM for it to realize, I would like to go to bed before that.

Thanks.

If you don't comply I will have to resort to..... no, it's best no to tell, luckily I won't have to resort to that.. that would be very nasty. Please don't make me do it.

Usually TEA doesn't need any incentive to get talking, what's wrong with you evening ?

Let me help, let's see :

1) Guns are dangerous, they should be banned
2) My god is better than yours
3) 80yo strippers should be advertised in the street on bus stops.
4) Diesel engine is better than Petrol engine.
5) Global warming is a scam
6) 3DP XYZ is way better than  3DP RZA even with customized version of the open source F/W v6.2.0
7) HP Scopes are much better than Tek scopes
8 ) Brand XTY of speaker sounds much better than GTR Speakers.
9) It never rains in England
10) Frogs have the best English accent on the planet.
11) electric cars suck, they are a scam and will never save the planet.

Pick whatever you like, but get talking FFS !