Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[GreyWoolfe]

Do clocks count as TE?

Don't bother, I'll see myself out.

Not necessarily, but they can stand the test of time.

And even when they can't stand the test of time, they are right twice a day.  Don't mind me, I'm right behind Neper.

[factory]

I'm still trying to locate the part finished prototype adaptor I was making for the HP 1820-0092 decoder/driver IC, not had any luck so far, but have found various other things such as; a panel mount IEC inlet with fuse holder to fit the Ultrawave cleaner (still untested) in place of the Schaffner RIFA madness filled one, the parts I bought for modifying the HP 5090B 200kHz receiver to get Droitwich on 198kHz LW and a Belden 9222 Triax cable with two-lug Kings 1965-2 plugs on either end.



Datasheet for the Kings 1965-2 plug & others.
https://www.newark.com/pdfs/datasheets/Kings/TRB_SERIES.pdf

Question is, does anyone know if this would fit the Keithley picoammeter 445 with two lug triax input connectors ? .....





.....or maybe these triax input connectors on a Wayne Kerr bridge B900 (sorry for the crap picture) ? , both are in storage ATM.





David

[Neomys Sapiens]

I'm still trying to locate the part finished prototype adaptor I was making for the HP 1820-0092 decoder/driver IC, not had any luck so far, but have found various other things such as; a panel mount IEC inlet with fuse holder to fit the Ultrawave cleaner (still untested) in place of the Schaffner RIFA madness filled one, the parts I bought for modifying the HP 5090B 200kHz receiver to get Droitwich on 198kHz LW and a Belden 9222 Triax cable with two-lug Kings 1965-2 plugs on either end.


Question is, does anyone know if this would fit the Keithley picoammeter 445 with two lug triax input connectors ?

.....or maybe these triax input connectors on a Wayne Kerr bridge B900 (sorry for the crap picture) ? , both are in storage ATM.

David

I know only of one type of two-lug triax connector, so they should fit.

[pcprogrammer]

The device in the middle of the stack reminded me of way way back. Think I was 14 years old and got the opportunity to buy some old equipment. It consisted of three 19 inch rack mount cases and one of them had some sort of digital display. Can't remember what it was, a voltage meter or a frequency counter, but it worked with stepper relays. I thought I still had some lying around, but can't find them anymore. The display was made up with acrylic sheets with digits engraved in them. A light bulb above each sheet made the digit appear.

At the time I had no interest in the equipment as it was, and turned it into a home phone switching system. You know a young lad experimenting with electrics and electronics.

What I did with two of the three cases I don't recall, but the one remaining housed an amplifier for a long time and was recently converted to a backup for my central heating control system.

[factory]

Possibly an Electro Instruments digital voltmeter, a couple here on the antiqueradios forum, along with a few other early digital voltmeters.

https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2971963#p2971963
https://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=3033897#p3033897

These early digital voltmeters are much harder to find than counters (I've never seen for sale over here), for some reason very few people kept them, maybe the stepper relays wore out quickly & they got junked, or maybe they weren't common in the first place, with analog multimeters being everywhere.

David

[Per Hansson]

I have an admission to make:
At the home of my late dad was a Kaise SK-550 analog meter for reasons unknown to me, he was a electrician but of the modern kind.
But recently I could not let that meter just sit there, I had to take it to my home, it looked quite nice on the facia:


However disassembly prooved the alkalines had done something horrible (as usual)
They have even managed to corrode the fuse's wire inside the glass!
Now the exposed parts are recovering in a bath of fizzling vinegar.

[factory]

Something for this page, a HP 5232A electronic counter, these transistorized counters with individual neon bulbs, were made at the same time as the number readout tube versions, but quickly disappeared from the catalog. Had to wait a long time to find one for my collection & pay the extra to ship from the US. After a bit of cleaning & capacitor reforming, it was working just fine.





David

[pcprogrammer]

Possibly an Electro Instruments digital voltmeter, a couple here on the antiqueradios forum, along with a few other early digital voltmeters.

https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2971963#p2971963
https://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=3033897#p3033897

These early digital voltmeters are much harder to find than counters (I've never seen for sale over here), for some reason very few people kept them, maybe the stepper relays wore out quickly & they got junked, or maybe they weren't common in the first place, with analog multimeters being everywhere.

David

Thanks. The image with the top view on the digital readout is on the mark with what I remember. Not sure about the thing having valves in it. The cases were all the same height, and one housed the power supply and one the display with the relays flat on a carrier plate. Lots of wires in there. What was in the third case slipped my mind. Had fun playing with the relays though.

[pcprogrammer]

You need to be a bit wonked eyed to read the frequency on your HP5232A

But you seem to have nice old gear. Is that a frequency generator on top of the counter?

[Brumby]

It has an advantage, though .... If you have a digit jumping between two or three values, you will know which ones.  With 7 segment displays, that's not always so straightforward.

[tonyalbus]

Silly me thinking all HP counter have type number 52xx or 53xx ... here i found one 37xx
5 nixies... prob, look this weekend if it works... looks to be in good shape on the outside. 

[David Greene]

Yes, but keep in mind that you need one working scope to fix the broken scope too.

So this is an entirely serious question.  Any recommendations for a good, relatively cheap scope for this kind of repair?  I would really like to use the 7603 as my "main" scope and can't really afford/justify a $400+ scope.

Used is fine but of course we have to worry about whether they are actually functional.

[factory]

Silly me thinking all HP counter have type number 52xx or 53xx ... here i found one 37xx
5 nixies... prob, look this weekend if it works... looks to be in good shape on the outside. 

I guess most do start with 52xx, 53xx, but 37xx was actually reversed for HP instruments designed in the UK, the HP 3734A was the second they designed, it was originally known as the 5534A (E444 prefix only) and was a redesign of the 5532A in a different case type, with the frequency range increased to 2MHz, the 3734A was eventually upgraded to 5MHz too.

Ref page 6 here;
https://www.hpmemoryproject.org/timeline/hugh_walker/Chapters1,2,5--191114.pdf

And the 3734A manual;


My HP 3734A, together with the HP 3735A and the HP 241A oscillator.


David

[factory]

You need to be a bit wonked eyed to read the frequency on your HP5232A

But you seem to have nice old gear. Is that a frequency generator on top of the counter?

The wonky display is typical of older counters, I have a few more with column displays, posh ones might have edge lit displays, or number tubes. Just as well it wasn't a Racal one, they seem to be prone to transistor failure. 

It's a HP 241A push button oscillator, sine wave output only.



David

[factory]

I'm still trying to locate the part finished prototype adaptor I was making for the HP 1820-0092 decoder/driver IC, not had any luck so far, but have found various other things such as; a panel mount IEC inlet with fuse holder to fit the Ultrawave cleaner (still untested) in place of the Schaffner RIFA madness filled one, the parts I bought for modifying the HP 5090B 200kHz receiver to get Droitwich on 198kHz LW and a Belden 9222 Triax cable with two-lug Kings 1965-2 plugs on either end.


Question is, does anyone know if this would fit the Keithley picoammeter 445 with two lug triax input connectors ?

.....or maybe these triax input connectors on a Wayne Kerr bridge B900 (sorry for the crap picture) ? , both are in storage ATM.

David

I know only of one type of two-lug triax connector, so they should fit.

Thank you, I took the lead with me to the store this afternoon & it does fit the Keithley 445 perfectly  .



Need something else for the Wayne Kerr, it's still a two lug type, but not quite the same inside.



David

[tautech]

I have an admission to make:
At the home of my late dad was a Kaise SK-550 analog meter for reasons unknown to me, he was a electrician but of the modern kind.
But recently I could not let that meter just sit there, I had to take it to my home, it looked quite nice on the facia:


However disassembly prooved the alkalines had done something horrible (as usual)
They have even managed to corrode the fuse's wire inside the glass!
Now the exposed parts are recovering in a bath of fizzling vinegar.

Could you have any idea of its production date ?

Photos of another couple of earlier Kaise meters here:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/help-identifying-a-vintage-meter-(sec-ct-330)/msg2849434/#msg2849434
My SK160 was a gift for my 21st from a now departed friend and the Kaise rebrand SEC CT-330 looks to be from a similar era with the SEK maybe a little older and unusually it has 2mm sockets.

[vk6zgo]

Something for this page, a HP 5232A electronic counter, these transistorized counters with individual neon bulbs, were made at the same time as the number readout tube versions, but quickly disappeared from the catalog. Had to wait a long time to find one for my collection & pay the extra to ship from the US. After a bit of cleaning & capacitor reforming, it was working just fine.





David

The first frequency counter I ever used was a Racal with a similar display, except that the illumination was by incandescents.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Question is, does anyone know if this would fit the Keithley picoammeter 445 with two lug triax input connectors ?

.....or maybe these triax input connectors on a Wayne Kerr bridge B900 (sorry for the crap picture) ? , both are in storage ATM.

David

I know only of one type of two-lug triax connector, so they should fit.

Thank you, I took the lead with me to the store this afternoon & it does fit the Keithley 445 perfectly  .

Need something else for the Wayne Kerr, it's still a two lug type, but not quite the same inside.



David

Are you sure that they are triaxial? Could they be possibly just BNC?
If not, please take mechanical measurements! I'll try to come up ith an answer.

[duckduck]

I’ve figured out that one of the reasons why I regularly check out this thread is directly related to the pleasurable dopamine hit that I get when I’m successfully able to use a special tool, a piece of test or diagnostic gear, or other bit of hardware/software that turns the impossible fix/design/adaptation task into something possible.  Nothing like having the right tool for the job!

Coming from a background, many years ago, of having to “make do” with crude hacks and tools & “test gear” assembled from cobbled together scrap bits and pieces, the idea, for example, of “having a window” into what a circuit is actually doing (instead of guessing) as with a scope, or being able to capture the voltage of a circuit with the magic of a meter capable of a “hold” measurement, still generates that sense of satisfaction that, I think, might be a distinguishing hallmark of a TEA-person.

Even though I am, after all these years, in a position to be able to buy pretty much whatever I need to do any kind of electronic-related task, that thrill of “having the right tool for the job” never seems to ebb.  I love having test gear, tools, and related equipment, even though my fixit/design days are long gone, except for personal stuff.

So tell me, is the whole TEA-complex thing a result of being deprived of expensive (and even not-so-expensive) test gear when we were young lads and lassies, as I speculate? Is there anyone who’s always had access to all the gear they’ve ever wanted or needed and yet still buys old clunkers on EBay for refurbishing?

Or is this TEA thread really a collection of souls that were damaged as a result of technical tool deprivation at a young age, lol?

I love my beautiful old [(hp)] TE with gold traces and hand-assembled this and that but I'd drop them like a hot anvil given the chance to buy a new Rigol for cheap.

That being said, there is some old TE that can't be beat for certain reasons: DMMs with LED displays (so easy to see from all angles and all lighting conditions), counters with Nixies (beautiful), CROs for X-Y usage.

For me, it's expanding my capabilities tremendously for relatively little $$$.

[Brumby]

When Dave shared with us that he looking at adding a DC clampmeter to his product lineup, I thought I would document my experiences in using my UT210e - which I have done here:
Clampmeter DC current measurement - using UT210e

This is just me as a hobbyist sharing what I encountered.  I'm happy for feedback or just hit up the thread and add your 2 cents.


Edit: Should I move it to the Beginners section?

[DC1MC]

What about this slightly neglected pinball machine, is worth a recap after I'm back from the airshow and I'm done with my pancakes 

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/tektronix-tds744a-500mhz-oszilloskop/2161994080-168-20462

[tonyalbus]

Silly me thinking all HP counter have type number 52xx or 53xx ... here i found one 37xx
5 nixies... prob, look this weekend if it works... looks to be in good shape on the outside. 

I guess most do start with 52xx, 53xx, but 37xx was actually reversed for HP instruments designed in the UK, the HP 3734A was the second they designed, it was originally known as the 5534A (E444 prefix only) and was a redesign of the 5532A in a different case type, with the frequency range increased to 2MHz, the 3734A was eventually upgraded to 5MHz too.

Ref page 6 here;
https://www.hpmemoryproject.org/timeline/hugh_walker/Chapters1,2,5--191114.pdf

And the 3734A manual;


My HP 3734A, together with the HP 3735A and the HP 241A oscillator.


David

Thank David!!

[Per Hansson]

Could you have any idea of its production date ?

Photos of another couple of earlier Kaise meters here:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/help-identifying-a-vintage-meter-(sec-ct-330)/msg2849434/#msg2849434
My SK160 was a gift for my 21st from a now departed friend and the Kaise rebrand SEC CT-330 looks to be from a similar era with the SEK maybe a little older and unusually it has 2mm sockets.

No I looked the board over and the only thing that looks like a datecode is on the potentiometer in the right of the attached photo.
It ends with "18 3" that I assume could be a week and year code, but the decade was too much to ask to print out?
But based on the archive.org link in my previous post I'm guessing it is a recent meter, could really be made in 2003
I'm surprised by the PCB mounted fuses and the wire they have around them, plus their distance to other components on the board is _really_ minimal

[capt bullshot]

What about this slightly neglected pinball machine, is worth a recap after I'm back from the airshow and I'm done with my pancakes 

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/tektronix-tds744a-500mhz-oszilloskop/2161994080-168-20462

I'd guess it's a candidate for the fifty grams solution
If you place it before on a wooden table, the table will be dealt with too ...

[factory]

What about this slightly neglected pinball machine, is worth a recap after I'm back from the airshow and I'm done with my pancakes 

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/tektronix-tds744a-500mhz-oszilloskop/2161994080-168-20462

I'd guess it's a candidate for the fifty grams solution
If you place it before on a wooden table, the table will be dealt with too ...

I'd quite like to drag the heaviest item of TE (with feet removed) I can find, across that shiny table. 

P.S. all the offensive comments on the other site from tautech, I will now recommend Rigol over Siglent.

David