Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[TERRA Operative]

It's all part of the fun!

Unfortunately, I don't know any more details as I use the Keysight USB-GPIB adapter.

I do have a PC that will be using the ISA NI GPIB card, but I have to repair the PSU first so I can get it powered up.
So, I'll be following in your footsteps.  

No no no, you got that backwards : YOU will get it working on your ISA PC, THEN you will tell me what to do to get mine to work. 

You better hurry up, I am not leaving this computer mess on my bench for more than a few days.
So go fix that PSU real quick. Ask for help if required, or just swap it for a new one if it's a standard  type unlike in my computer where everything is proprietary because, well, IBM...

I have the disemboweled PSU on the bench as we speak.

[Zoli]

OK tried it..... but the computer says NO : Tektool doesn't work, see error below.
Windows complains about something, Tektool can't execute...
Something to do with a timer related function inside of a "Kernel32"  DLL / library.
Maybe I need a more recent version of that DLL 
See ? Nothing comes easy... I am cursed.

For the Field Adjustment Software, check the Tekwiki for your scope model number, I've been uploading everything I find there.
You'll need to install the software on your PC, and run it natively in DOS (Not a DOS window in Windows) but the readme with the Field Adjustment Software will tell you what to do.
Also, install this USB driver attached below, I've had good success in getting USB sticks to work on old Win98 machines using it.

1. I think you've got the answer why tektool doesn't work for ya'.
2. To make the USB work on your computer, TERRA Operative linked file is the last you've need to install; until then, you have to do cleanup in BIOS, cleanup in device manager, install the proper drivers, then install the mass storage driver(linked by TERRA Operative).
3. And yes, I have 2(two) win95 OEM(OSR1&2) disks, with the proper S/N's; but that will come later to the discussion.
4. Back to 1. - during the startup, IIRC, you have 2 seconds to press F8 for a start menu¹ once "Starting Windows 95" appears on screen(IIRC); that menu will give you the option to boot to MS-DOS; optionally, you can shutdown to MS-DOS. Now you can run tektool, make a backup of the scope, and start dealing with the transfer.
¹If you feel masochistic enough, you can make a start-up menu for the computer by editing c:\msdos.sys 

[cyclin_al]

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
 

When I bought my HP nixie counter, the seller also had some power meters.  My priority was the nixie counter!
He was offering a HP 436A with cable & sensor for $350.  HP 436A on its own was $35 CDN.
After the counter, I barely had cash left for the 436A.  I figured I could call him back later when I found some money, or that patience and ongoing searching would turn up a cable & sensor.  Been searching almost 2 years... but the only cables & sensors found have been over $1k CDN 

[ch_scr]

Email just received from my neighbor across the street -

Without going too much trouble, can you create a 1.6 Megahertz sound that can listen to and see on some kind of scope?

I've been watching a series on History Channel about Skinwalker ranch in Northern Utah where weird things have been happening for decades.  When weird things happen, a 1.6 megahertz sound is audible and it shows up on a scope.  The ranch is isolated and the sound could not be coming from a radio signal, satellite, or any known source.

I'll be calling him tomorrow ... 

Might that be 1.6mHz? There are some observations from the Eifel area of similar phenomena. When heterodyned up into the audible range, it sounds like 'Mooo', but it is of geophysical origin. I think Wolfgang Friese wrote about that too.

Possibly. I am not going to get into it via an email response - way too hard. Gotta be a phone call or visit. Clearly he can't mean a sound emission @ 1.6 MHz, who knows? I'll let you know what he was thinking.

If you can "hear"/measure the skinwalker at 1.6MHz, no need to run he'll be really close! Even at high (100kHz) ultrasonic, atmospheric attenuation is real bad already. Also, I'd like to see the "microphone" that can measure/transduce in the megahertz - even a high ultrasonic the "microphone" is quite bespoke. Also, for the range 1.6MHz radio waves will travel, "remote" is relative - hams will talk on "160m band" around the world on not much power...

[pcprogrammer]

When daughter asks what I want her to do with my body after death, I tell her I'd be more than happy if she fed me to her dog. We are unconvinced we can find a way to make that legal

I always tell the wife that the waste bin is good enough for me. No need to waste money on it.

Directly being food seems more productive....

Certainly true but there is not a lot of meat on the bones here

... Besides, every time she looked at the dog, she would be reminded of me.

That's as near to immortality as I can expect to get.

Only if she keeps the food chain alive Dogs don't age that well, so she has to feed the dog to a new one and so on.

[cyclin_al]

Update time on the accidental calculator eBay purchase, its arrived and wouldn't you know it, it also needs the same 12 digit LED bubble type display as the last one  So now I'm looking for 2 display modules or 2 similar calculators that may have other issues, but could be possible donors for the displays.

The calculators are made by Commodore and the displays I need are the ones as used on their LED display special function type, i.e, scientific, financial, statistician or navigator type of offerings.   

Just in case I attach the pictures again of the display type I need, you never know, someone might have some or know where I could try to find them?

Like this one?
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-general-electronics/ottawa/vintage-commodore-us1-desktop-calculator/1614231598

[mansaxel]

Oh no, mansaxel said Win95 has everything that's needed out of the box... how do I do then ?

As I wrote earlier, yes, that is true. But you have to put on your 90s head to do it.

On the Linux box, install or enable a FTP server. (google "enable ftp server ubuntu" or whatever distribution you have) Make a note ("ifconfig") about the IP address of that box.

On the windows box, open a DOS prompt, and start going back in time:

c:\> cd c:/vince/gpib/dumps/ <- where you put the file
c:\> ftp 192.0.2.44 <- swap in IP address of your Linux box (that address is a RFC 5737 example address)
Login with your user and password of the Linux machine. 

This will go in CLEAR TEXT over the LAN. That's why I was adamant on it being almost OK on only that LAN and nowhere else.

For classic ftp daemons, as long as you're approved.  you'll now be in your home directory on the target machine. Check with "ls":

ftp> ls
229 Extended Passive Mode OK (|||45379|)
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for '/bin/ls'.
....

You should see the same as "ls" on your linux box shows, in that folder.

On the target, you might want to do a new folder:

ftp> mkdir gpib
257 "gpib" directory created.
ftp> cd gpib
250 CWD command successful.

Now you're in that new folder.  Time for file transfer.
The memory dump is binary, right? Not a text file?
Then, put the file transfer in binary mode.

ftp> bin
200 Type set to I.

Transfer the file (I'm assuming it's called vincescp.dmp):

ftp> put vincescp.dmp
local: vincescp.dmp remote: vincescp.dmp
229 Extended Passive Mode OK (|||38311|)
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for 'vincescp.dmp'.
100% |********************************************************************************************************************************************|  1172 KiB   40.36 MiB/s    00:00 ETA
226 Transfer complete.
1200989 bytes sent in 00:00 (11.53 MiB/s)
ftp>


Done! Don't forget to be polite:

ftp> bye
221 Goodbye.


And you have the file on the usable computer.  Easy as Tarte Tatin!

[Robert763]

I wonder if I still have my old Win98 disk/license...

mnem
Scary part is... odds are I do...

What you only have one?

Bin 49 PC operating systems

[TERRA Operative]

OK tried it..... but the computer says NO : Tektool doesn't work, see error below.
Windows complains about something, Tektool can't execute...
Something to do with a timer related function inside of a "Kernel32"  DLL / library.
Maybe I need a more recent version of that DLL 
See ? Nothing comes easy... I am cursed.

For the Field Adjustment Software, check the Tekwiki for your scope model number, I've been uploading everything I find there.
You'll need to install the software on your PC, and run it natively in DOS (Not a DOS window in Windows) but the readme with the Field Adjustment Software will tell you what to do.
Also, install this USB driver attached below, I've had good success in getting USB sticks to work on old Win98 machines using it.

1. I think you've got the answer why tektool doesn't work for ya'.
2. To make the USB work on your computer, TERRA Operative linked file is the last you've need to install; until then, you have to do cleanup in BIOS, cleanup in device manager, install the proper drivers, then install the mass storage driver(linked by TERRA Operative).
3. And yes, I have 2(two) win95 OEM(OSR1&2) disks, with the proper S/N's; but that will come later to the discussion.
4. Back to 1. - during the startup, IIRC, you have 2 seconds to press F8 for a start menu¹ once "Starting Windows 95" appears on screen(IIRC); that menu will give you the option to boot to MS-DOS; optionally, you can shutdown to MS-DOS. Now you can run tektool, make a backup of the scope, and start dealing with the transfer.
¹If you feel masochistic enough, you can make a start-up menu for the computer by editing c:\msdos.sys 

The Tektool works in a DOS window, even in Windows 10 (how I use it), the TDS Scope Field Adjustment Software is the one that needs the native DOS environment.

[bd139]

I wonder if I still have my old Win98 disk/license...

mnem
Scary part is... odds are I do...

What you only have one?

Bin 49 PC operating systems

I’m so glad I have the selective pressure of nowhere to put stuff otherwise I’d have boxes of crap like that everywhere 

[grizewald]

No TEA related content from me as I'm down in darkest Småland visiting my daughter for the next few days.

I thought you might like the sign outside the local petrol station though...



 

[med6753]

I wonder if I still have my old Win98 disk/license...

mnem
Scary part is... odds are I do...

What you only have one?

Bin 49 PC operating systems

I’m so glad I have the selective pressure of nowhere to put stuff otherwise I’d have boxes of crap like that everywhere 

I recall throwing out a whole drawer full of 3.5 floppies. But I still have CD's dating back to OS/2 Warp. 

[Cerebus]

Email just received from my neighbor across the street -

Without going too much trouble, can you create a 1.6 Megahertz sound that can listen to and see on some kind of scope?

I've been watching a series on History Channel about Skinwalker ranch in Northern Utah where weird things have been happening for decades.  When weird things happen, a 1.6 megahertz sound is audible and it shows up on a scope.  The ranch is isolated and the sound could not be coming from a radio signal, satellite, or any known source.

I'll be calling him tomorrow ... 

Might that be 1.6mHz? There are some observations from the Eifel area of similar phenomena. When heterodyned up into the audible range, it sounds like 'Mooo', but it is of geophysical origin. I think Wolfgang Friese wrote about that too.

Possibly. I am not going to get into it via an email response - way too hard. Gotta be a phone call or visit. Clearly he can't mean a sound emission @ 1.6 MHz, who knows? I'll let you know what he was thinking.

That got me thinking. Generally we don't think about sound over about what, 50 kHz, but what's the actual theoretical upper frequency limit for sound? I'm guessing that at some point the viscosity of air becomes significant in such a way that losses make sound transmission in air impractical but I wouldn't know where to start calculating that.  1.6 MHz would have a wavelength of 0.214 mm, millimetric sonar anyone?

[Zenith]

Email just received from my neighbor across the street -

Without going too much trouble, can you create a 1.6 Megahertz sound that can listen to and see on some kind of scope?

I've been watching a series on History Channel about Skinwalker ranch in Northern Utah where weird things have been happening for decades.  When weird things happen, a 1.6 megahertz sound is audible and it shows up on a scope.  The ranch is isolated and the sound could not be coming from a radio signal, satellite, or any known source.

I'll be calling him tomorrow ... 

Might that be 1.6mHz? There are some observations from the Eifel area of similar phenomena. When heterodyned up into the audible range, it sounds like 'Mooo', but it is of geophysical origin. I think Wolfgang Friese wrote about that too.

Possibly. I am not going to get into it via an email response - way too hard. Gotta be a phone call or visit. Clearly he can't mean a sound emission @ 1.6 MHz, who knows? I'll let you know what he was thinking.

That Skinwalker Ranch thing seems to have started as a wizard wheeze to sell a pretty poor ranch for a lot more than it was worth. Here's an interview with the brother of the man who bought it in 1933. It was sold by the family in 1994. Garth Myers said he came across no paranormal activity there.

https://www.theufochronicles.com/2020/04/skinwalker-ranch-original-owner-family-member-speaks.html

I've seen a couple of the History Channel programmes on it. All breathless hey-wow stuff.

I wouldn't waste a second investigating any claimed effect reported from Skinwalker Ranch, especially if reported via The History Channel.

[tggzzz]

I wonder if I still have my old Win98 disk/license...

mnem
Scary part is... odds are I do...

What you only have one?

Bin 49 PC operating systems

I’m so glad I have the selective pressure of nowhere to put stuff otherwise I’d have boxes of crap like that everywhere 

I recall throwing out a whole drawer full of 3.5 floppies. But I still have CD's dating back to OS/2 Warp. 

I still have a large number of Mac Plus floppies (and a MacPlus). The only ones I have tried are for Apple Smalltalk, and they work. Glacially, but it still shows why, in 1986, I knew Smalltalk style OOP was the future. Objective-C good, C++ bad, which saved me a hell of a lot of professional angst and enabled me to continue to enjoy computing & hardware!

[med6753]

That got me thinking. Generally we don't think about sound over about what, 50 kHz, but what's the actual theoretical upper frequency limit for sound? I'm guessing that at some point the viscosity of air becomes significant in such a way that losses make sound transmission in air impractical but I wouldn't know where to start calculating that.  1.6 MHz would have a wavelength of 0.214 mm, millimetric sonar anyone?

Apparently bats can use and hear echo location up to 100kHz so who knows what the upper limit is.

[BU508A]

That got me thinking. Generally we don't think about sound over about what, 50 kHz, but what's the actual theoretical upper frequency limit for sound? I'm guessing that at some point the viscosity of air becomes significant in such a way that losses make sound transmission in air impractical but I wouldn't know where to start calculating that.  1.6 MHz would have a wavelength of 0.214 mm, millimetric sonar anyone?

Apparently bats can use and hear echo location up to 100kHz so who knows what the upper limit is.

Perhaps Batman will know ...

 

[ch_scr]

That got me thinking. Generally we don't think about sound over about what, 50 kHz, but what's the actual theoretical upper frequency limit for sound? I'm guessing that at some point the viscosity of air becomes significant in such a way that losses make sound transmission in air impractical but I wouldn't know where to start calculating that.  1.6 MHz would have a wavelength of 0.214 mm, millimetric sonar anyone?

Apparently bats can use and hear echo location up to 100kHz so who knows what the upper limit is.

We can find this graph:

from here: http://airstar1.com/ultrasound/
Like I said before, losses are brutal.

[med6753]

That got me thinking. Generally we don't think about sound over about what, 50 kHz, but what's the actual theoretical upper frequency limit for sound? I'm guessing that at some point the viscosity of air becomes significant in such a way that losses make sound transmission in air impractical but I wouldn't know where to start calculating that.  1.6 MHz would have a wavelength of 0.214 mm, millimetric sonar anyone?

Apparently bats can use and hear echo location up to 100kHz so who knows what the upper limit is.

Perhaps Batman will know ...

 

 

[bd139]

That got me thinking. Generally we don't think about sound over about what, 50 kHz, but what's the actual theoretical upper frequency limit for sound? I'm guessing that at some point the viscosity of air becomes significant in such a way that losses make sound transmission in air impractical but I wouldn't know where to start calculating that.  1.6 MHz would have a wavelength of 0.214 mm, millimetric sonar anyone?

Apparently bats can use and hear echo location up to 100kHz so who knows what the upper limit is.

Perhaps Batman will know ...

 

This one? He's suparman too just in case that's not enough.

[Cerebus]

That explains the whole "Batman v. Superman" thing. Daddy issues... 

[tggzzz]

That got me thinking. Generally we don't think about sound over about what, 50 kHz, but what's the actual theoretical upper frequency limit for sound? I'm guessing that at some point the viscosity of air becomes significant in such a way that losses make sound transmission in air impractical but I wouldn't know where to start calculating that.  1.6 MHz would have a wavelength of 0.214 mm, millimetric sonar anyone?

Apparently bats can use and hear echo location up to 100kHz so who knows what the upper limit is.

We can find this graph:

from here: http://airstar1.com/ultrasound/
Like I said before, losses are brutal.

Not something you would have found on UBeam's website!

[mnementh]

YALBOA:   

mnem

Shows as shipped 2 days ago. Guess I need to get my bench cleared off and drag that 54621D out...

Hey... seller earth_enterprises sounds familiar... is that one of Sphere's accounts? I know Sphere is Canada based, but they do most of their business down here...   

mnem
*currently being molested by ThingiVerse*

[Robert763]

I wonder if I still have my old Win98 disk/license...

mnem
Scary part is... odds are I do...

What you only have one?

Bin 49 PC operating systems

I’m so glad I have the selective pressure of nowhere to put stuff otherwise I’d have boxes of crap like that everywhere 

Yeah, I need to slim down and just keep one verified copy of each major version. That bin has got me out of trouble with vintage kit many times though. And not so vintage, last time I needed something from it was for a R&S CRTU / CMU-200.

[xrunner]

That Skinwalker Ranch thing seems to have started as a wizard wheeze to sell a pretty poor ranch for a lot more than it was worth. Here's an interview with the brother of the man who bought it in 1933. It was sold by the family in 1994. Garth Myers said he came across no paranormal activity there.

https://www.theufochronicles.com/2020/04/skinwalker-ranch-original-owner-family-member-speaks.html

I've seen a couple of the History Channel programmes on it. All breathless hey-wow stuff.

I wouldn't waste a second investigating any claimed effect reported from Skinwalker Ranch, especially if reported via The History Channel.

He's a smart man but he doesn't relate technical issues using the same words that this group would use. I help him with computer issues all the time and I can't do it over the phone because of this. He tries to relate very complicated technical problems in "everyday" language. This leads to a lot of misunderstanding on my part, so I have to sit there and let him point to things on the screen which then goes through my "translator" and only then can I understand what the problem is. I get very impatient when he has to type things because he types with one finger on one hand only (there is nothing wrong with his hands).

With a TV show involved with what might be dubious claims, I'm 99.34% sure that this is one of those situations.