Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mansaxel]

Lessee...

Ersa traditional soldering station.
Chinesium desoldering station.
TS100 in the porta-kit.
250W behemoth.
Weller somewhat-regulated mains iron.
Optimus kerosene blowtorch.
Steinel paint stripper heat gun. I've actually soldered copper pipe with it. Took ages, but worked.
Wife has a small LPG craft burner, and a craft hot air tool, which sometimes see some use.

[Specmaster]

Yeah horrible things. TBH as I lost my craft heat gun the last time I did heat shrink I used my trangia burner. It stank of meths for a couple of days. I’m sure that couldn’t put out enough energy to melt anything though as it takes two hours to cook some beans 

For Trangias the keyword is LPG burner. I bought one and have not looked back.

I also have a Milspec Optimus 111 kerosene stove, for when I'm "hiking with a car", since it comes as part of a 10-person "officer mess utensil" kit. Much easier to get going than the blowtorch, which makes me think I oughta service it... There is a service organisation still offering parts for the Optimus torch so I'm a bit tempted. Once lit, it packs serious punch.

Yeah, meths is really for old winos and Hammond model steam engines 

[Specmaster]

my 2 year old crap prepaid phone was acting up (it would always go straight to voice mail).  checked the blocked list, and do not answer settings, and airplane mode with no resolution.  it turned out that in the contact list you can click a box for "go to voicemail".  who knew?  and how did that little block get checked?

but part of my troubleshooting was pulling the battery to reset the pos.  hey!  is it supposed to look like that?  took it to the at&t store where a very nice young lady said "if it spins on a flat surface it is bad".  then she proceeded to spin it like a top.  BUT the local store was unable to sell me a new one.

so.  as a believer in the principle of "function follows form"......all i really need to do is restore its form.  squeezing it back into shape in a vise seems a little risky.  maybe just lay it in the driveway and drive over it a couple of times with the truck?  now where did i put that fire extinguisher?

I've seen worse batteries, can't you order a replacement online?

[TERRA Operative]

Well, the TDS220 is playing silly buggers with the LCD contrast... Turns out the contrast voltage to the LCD is drifting slowly over time and is causing the contrast to slowly increase, meaning it can be set to be either nice at turn-on then goes too dark, or is too light at turn on and slowly comes nice.

I've traced out the contrast circuit on the main PCB (I'll upload that portion of the schematic to tekwiki once I've laid it out nicely), and it seems there are a few transistors that I am glaring sideways at (I'm suspecting leaky transistor/s). They appear to be SOT-32 versions of the 2N3904 and 2N3906 (MMBT3904 and MMBT3906), and I have found they are sold at one of my usual stores in Akihabara for dirt cheap. Nice!

So, I guess I gotta endure another trip to electronics Mecca tomorrow on the way in to work to grab parts... It's a tedious life.

[med6753]

B&K Precision 2120 Update.

Re-cap of this board is complete.



Installed except for switch rods. The rods will prevent removal of shields in next picture.



Next on the agenda is removal of these shields to access the channel attenuator switch decks for cleaning. They are soldered to the board.

[grizewald]

When it comes to soldering equipment, I'm still very happy with my Xytronic LF-3200 which I picked up from Reichelt a few years ago for half the price that Elfa-Distrelec wanted for it. It's a high frequency eddy current heater type.



It gets up to temperature in about ten seconds and with a nice fat tip fitted, has plenty of heat capacity supported by what I'd say is a quite realistic 120W rating. For me, it'll do everything from SMD stuff to 10 AWG copper cable depending on the tip I have fitted. The tips themselves are compatible with the Hakko and BAKON irons so you can get a huge selection of shapes from Aliexpress for a song.
It's very well put together inside with a high quality toroid transformer and the nice thin iron is perfect for my small hands.

[nixiefreqq]

my 2 year old crap prepaid phone was acting up (it would always go straight to voice mail).  checked the blocked list, and do not answer settings, and airplane mode with no resolution.  it turned out that in the contact list you can click a box for "go to voicemail".  who knew?  and how did that little block get checked?

but part of my troubleshooting was pulling the battery to reset the pos.  hey!  is it supposed to look like that?  took it to the at&t store where a very nice young lady said "if it spins on a flat surface it is bad".  then she proceeded to spin it like a top.  BUT the local store was unable to sell me a new one.

so.  as a believer in the principle of "function follows form"......all i really need to do is restore its form.  squeezing it back into shape in a vise seems a little risky.  maybe just lay it in the driveway and drive over it a couple of times with the truck?  now where did i put that fire extinguisher?

I've seen worse batteries, can't you order a replacement online?

yeah.  ordered one from a guy in NYC.  10 bucks.   can't complain about that.  hope is a genuine OEM one as promised.

[Specmaster]

B&K Precision 2120 Update.

Re-cap of this board is complete.



Installed except for switch rods. The rods will prevent removal of shields in next picture.



Next on the agenda is removal of these shields to access the channel attenuator switch decks for cleaning. They are soldered to the board.

I'd consider removing all the gunk that they used to secure the caps with. It can become conductive over a period of time and cause further issues to resolve.

[AVGresponding]

Started rearranging the Pile'o'TE when I got home an hour or so ago, so that it's possible to get a pic of the 3468A and The Quorum all in shot together. Leaving them on to warm up for a bit, then I'll do some comparisons. I'll have to RTFM to see where in the ranges the cal points are, to get a good idea if the linearity is good, as well as the accuracy.

One thing I noticed, that I hadn't before, is that the Keithley 2015 is much heavier than the 2000. I would expect some difference, but it's easily 50% more. Seems all that THD stuff is heavy!

[med6753]

I'd consider removing all the gunk that they used to secure the caps with. It can become conductive over a period of time and cause further issues to resolve.

The white Silicone does NOT go conductive.

[Specmaster]

I'd consider removing all the gunk that they used to secure the caps with. It can become conductive over a period of time and cause further issues to resolve.

The white Silicone does NOT go conductive.

So its just the brown stuff then?

[med6753]

I'd consider removing all the gunk that they used to secure the caps with. It can become conductive over a period of time and cause further issues to resolve.

The white Silicone does NOT go conductive.

So its just the brown stuff then?

Correct.

[mansaxel]

TE excursion:

Tomorrow, second day at work after my 5-week paid vacation (I still have one week left, and some saved from earlier years...), I'm going to test the suspension on the car. In will go the 5372A I bought from bsdphk, my 2465CTS, and the 5245L, because they're going to spend some quality time at work, working on verifying and recording performance of our new networked time/frequency transfer system.  I sense a Keynote presentation in the making, and  doing the rounds at various network related events.  I might take the 410b too, because having an AC volt meter that goes to 10MHz is useful. Just am a bit annoyed that I missed a N connector coupler for it, because that would have been handy.

I frequently find myself uttering the phrase "I collect test equipment as a hobby" and this is no exception. Am going to steal back an instrument cart from the people who these days fill them with decommissioned equipment instead of putting Waveform/Vector scopes on them as was intended..

[AVGresponding]

Aaaaaannnd of course I had forgotten to move my AC/DC V/I source from its cold store (my bedroom) to the workbench in the main room (quite a bit warmer), so proper measurements will now have to wait until tomorrow. Bench supplies just aren't stable enough when you're down in the uV region.   


EDIT: The bench supplies are good enough to give a general impression though, and it looks to be easily within 1 year specs, and probably within 24h specs for the most part.

[Specmaster]

Aaaaaannnd of course I had forgotten to move my AC/DC V/I source from its cold store (my bedroom) to the workbench in the main room (quite a bit warmer), so proper measurements will now have to wait until tomorrow. Bench supplies just aren't stable enough when you're down in the uV region.   


EDIT: The bench supplies are good enough to give a general impression though, and it looks to be easily within 1 year specs, and probably within 24h specs for the most part.

Surely that is good enough isn't it?

[ch_scr]

Todays haul - PCB with a motherload of analog IC for 30€. Not a jammy git but I don't think I've been had (or at least not too bad) either. The cerdip is an AD524, 12x OP07, 2x LF356 and an LM399. Two high quality foil capacitors of 1 and .1uF as a cherry on top. Sadly the rest of the components on board were cut with a lead-forming tool, so I will have to let go of the precision resistors. Datecodes all look like 2006 to me? Not sure what the PCB came from and why they needed this many OP07 on there 

[AVGresponding]

Aaaaaannnd of course I had forgotten to move my AC/DC V/I source from its cold store (my bedroom) to the workbench in the main room (quite a bit warmer), so proper measurements will now have to wait until tomorrow. Bench supplies just aren't stable enough when you're down in the uV region.   


EDIT: The bench supplies are good enough to give a general impression though, and it looks to be easily within 1 year specs, and probably within 24h specs for the most part.

Surely that is good enough isn't it?

That's down to a prospective buyer, but yes, you'd think so. I've gone through the performance verifications up to 30VDC and the DCI, it's mostly managing around the 90 day specs, a few are 24h, and the rest are all comfortably inside 1 year specs, at least.

The V/I source will be usable tomorrow, so I'll finish the DCV tests, and do the AC V/I, though I can only test to 400Hz, and not 20kHz.

Oh, and of course I still need to do the ohms tests.

[ch_scr]

Aaaaaannnd of course I had forgotten to move my AC/DC V/I source from its cold store (my bedroom) to the workbench in the main room (quite a bit warmer), so proper measurements will now have to wait until tomorrow. Bench supplies just aren't stable enough when you're down in the uV region.   


EDIT: The bench supplies are good enough to give a general impression though, and it looks to be easily within 1 year specs, and probably within 24h specs for the most part.

Surely that is good enough isn't it?

That's down to a prospective buyer, but yes, you'd think so. I've gone through the performance verifications up to 30VDC and the DCI, it's mostly managing around the 90 day specs, a few are 24h, and the rest are all comfortably inside 1 year specs, at least.

The V/I source will be usable tomorrow, so I'll finish the DCV tests, and do the AC V/I, though I can only test to 400Hz, and not 20kHz.

Oh, and of course I still need to do the ohms tests.

I have to admit, I enjoy your "sneaky advertising" much more than Saskia's blunt one 
You've had me far enough to be looking at pictures of the innards of a 7150....

[mnementh]

That's a good question for the group... How much dragon-fire do you keep on tap?

Soldering stations, any kind of jet-flame type torch (no, not flashlights you scone-eaters), hot air guns including hot air rework...?

On my bench right now I have 2 Hot-air rework, a big paint-stripper heat gun, my Ungar heat-shrink tubing gun, and the cheapie cylindrical hot air gun I bought to get by with in Canuckistan. I have My Aoyue soldering station (also Hot air rework #2), my T12-OLED station, my Metcal, my Weller GT7 in a drawer under the bench, a couple-three Bernzomatic propane and one of their oxy-propane torches, and a couple butane crack-pipe torches. That I know of right now.

I know I have a bin in back of the racks full of soldering iron bits; doubtless enough to make 2 more, plus there's my old Weller WTCPN, my old ATTEN, and at least a couple Radidio Shack type firestarters for travel. I would literally have to open up at least 3 bins and rummage to get a accurate count. 

I also have squirreled away ~90% of my once daily-driver Smiths Oxy-acetylene torches, but they needs new hoses and I can't find the threaded collar for the brazing tips. Prolly need the regs rebuilt by now.

mnem

I have a Metcal MX-500 with wand and Talon tweezers, Hakko FX-951, Quick 957DW, Zhongdi ZD-985, 2 small handheld butane torches, 2 propane torches and a heat gun.

As a ham myself, I take umbrage with the generalized descriptions of hams( even if they are true).  I shower and even change my underwear every day, never smoked a day in my life and pay pest control to keep little critters out of my house, so put THAT in your waveguide and smoke it!!!!!!   I have walked away from freebies due to nicotine crustiness.  Only thing worse than smoking is chewing tobacco.  Back when I was doing Dell warranty repair work, I would run into tower computers so gummed up with nicotine dust the fans couldn't turn.  I ended up keeping Lysol wipes in my car to clean my hands when I left.

DAFUQ?!?

I cannae recall the last time I said a disparaging word aboot HAMs... in here... recently... 

I mean, yeah, I have ragged on the air pollution produced by our stereotypical skipland cousins more than a few times... but what does that have to do with a dragon-fire head-count?

mnem
I'm all out of pithy.

[mnementh]

...The thing is when you go home, it's sort of nice to be able to move in there.

Plenty of space to be used up and still be able to move.

Vacant area under bench 2...   

So... the idea is to leverage a smurf's legendarily diminutive stature and put your bunk under there...? 

mnem
*squishy*

[tautech]

had a call with the authorities.
For a wind mill I need a building permit, but I am to officially ask and they will check if they will allow a 3 - 5 kW turbine
If I put PV onto the roof, I don't need a building permit. If I put it into the garden, I need a building permit, unless it is only temporary in which case they will tolerate it for the time being.
 

What turbine specs did you have in mind ?
This 1200mm bit bigger one than we installed a few weeks back was dropped off to install:
https://www.jaycar.co.nz/500w-12-24vdc-wind-turbine/p/MG4550?pos=3&queryId=6bcbf8f1ed01ef062243fe012b9566ef

That's ~500 in real money.

If the damn weather improves enough to get up the hill !

[AVGresponding]

I have to admit, I enjoy your "sneaky advertising" much more than Saskia's blunt one 
You've had me far enough to be looking at pictures of the innards of a 7150....

I don't really expect it to go to one of the TEA regulars, but I think it's worth showing the process for anyone who (a) might see the thing in the BSW section and dig around a bit, and (b) for anyone that might be thinking of preparing an instrument for sale for the first time themselves.

When I do eventually stick it up for sale, there will be plenty of information for the prospective buyer, and I'll include the packing process too of course.

[factory]

Suddenly some TE has shown up on my local CL.

https://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/ele/d/vails-gate-tektronix/7518261208.html

The plug-in's appear to be in excellent shape but his price is wishful thinking. But I am thinking of asking him if he would price the 7B92A and the TM equipment rack separately.

You probably would get a better deal if he separated out the SG505 and sold that separately. That plug-in alone would account for at least 50% of the total price for the TM500 gear.

Guess Med isn't interested in the curve tracer plug-in in pic 8? 

David

[tautech]

Oh and wishing Vince all the best for tomorrow....his first day back at being gainfully employed for a while.

[Specmaster]

@Vince, good luck for your first day back at work again