Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Vince]

I regularly get comments about why the heck I don't just buy from MouserKey in the US, and instead use Farnell.
Answer is always the same, MouserKey requires 50 Euros (before tax) minimum order to get free shipping&customs, whereas Farnell operates in the EU so no customs and free shipping from only 35 Euros.

Well, I guess the e-mail Farnell sent tome today is about to cause me to revisit this position.

Farnell tells me that due to inflation / transport prices, they have now increased their thresholds.

Before, shipping was 7 Euros IIRC, or something, and free from 35 Euros orders (ex tax as always).

Now, shipping is 15 Euros and minimum order 75 ! That nearly 100 Euros with taxes ! 

I gather from other people, that Farnell won't even accept new orders from hobbyists any more... but they still sell to me somehow, maybe because I started ordering from them like 20 years ago, and they were kind enough not to kick me out.

I guess this e-mail is their way of kicking me out ? OK Farnell, I got the message... 

So now it's cheaper to import from the other end of the world in the US with MouserKey, than it is to buy locally from Farnell. What a strange world we live in...

Well I guess I won't regret them since MouserKey have a much larger offering and cheaper prices.

So I guess my next order will be from MoseurKey then, and I will send my money to the US rather than the local economy. Sucks.

[tggzzz]

I regularly get comments about why the heck I don't just buy from MouserKey in the US, and instead use Farnell.
Answer is always the same, MouserKey requires 50 Euros (before tax) minimum order to get free shipping&customs, whereas Farnell operates in the EU so no customs and free shipping from only 35 Euros.

Well, I guess the e-mail Farnell sent tome today is about to cause me to revisit this position.

Farnell tells me that due to inflation / transport prices, they have now increased their thresholds.

Before, shipping was 7 Euros IIRC, or something, and free from 35 Euros orders (ex tax as always).

Now, shipping is 15 Euros and minimum order 75 ! That nearly 100 Euros with taxes ! 

I gather from other people, that Farnell won't even accept new orders from hobbyists any more... but they still sell to me somehow, maybe I started ordering from them like 20 years ago, and they were kind enough not to kick me out.

I guess this e-mail is their way to kick me out ? OK Farnell, I got the message... 

So now it's cheaper to import from the other end of the world in the US with MouserKey, than it is to buy locally from Farnell. What a strange world we live in...

Well I guess I won't regret them since MouserKey have a much larger offering and cheaper prices.

So I guess my next order will be from MoseurKey then, and I will send my money to the US rather the local economy. Sucks.

Don't forget Farnell was taken over by Avnet. Takeovers happen because the company taking over thinks that it can make money from the taken over company's customers, usually by cutting service or increasing prices. Squeezing the margins customers.

Avnet Express is not a company I like - many years ago after confirming an order they silently increased the delivery to 5 months - and didn't bother to tell me.

So I'm not surprised.

Today in UK: >£40: free, £20-40:£6, £0-20:£10. Next week/month/year: ?

[themadhippy]

Today in UK: >£40: free, £20-40:£6, £0-20:£10. Next week/month/year: ?

Meanwhile  cpc,there  sister company, its free over £20,recently gone up from £17.50,pity there range is a bit limited.

[tggzzz]

Today in UK: >£40: free, £20-40:£6, £0-20:£10. Next week/month/year: ?

Meanwhile  cpc,there  sister company, its free over £20,recently gone up from £17.50,pity there range is a bit limited.

CPC is more consumer oriented.

I've noticed that tant bead capacitors were much cheaper at CPC than apparently identical ones at Farnell. CPC didn't have as good a selection, of course.

[AVGresponding]

I remember using the trade counter at Farnell in Leeds, I wonder if that even exists any more? It would probably be quicker than waiting for them to post something...

[TERRA Operative]

I used to use the RS trade counter back in Brisbane Australia, was just around the corner from work and really convenient.

But companies be cost cutting and all, so it's long gone..

[tggzzz]

I still use the RS counter, since it reduces P&P costs.

A couple of days ago I was planning on buying an 9M2 3kV Vishay VR37 resistor for my "new" PM3400 sampling scope. Then I found I had some 33M VR37s, so there was no need.

Scope now works wonderfully, especially since it is >50yo and can do things a modern DSO can't: see the last 1% of a 0.2ns transition settling behaviour. Must write it up sometime.

[Vince]

A new Video just popped up from the VintageTek museum.

This time a commercial for the 5223 digitizing scope, this thing kicks ass. I will have to mka do with my more humble 5111 though.

I just love the music in these old Tek commercials 

For 90% of the video you can't see squat on, the screen because of the strong studio light. Towards the end, some kind soul finally thinks of turning up the brightness control so we can see something...

I am a bit surprise by the specs of the sampling though : only 1MSps for a 10MHz scope, but 10 bit resolution. Couldn't they have used a more usual 8 bit resolution and get in return a sampling rate more suited to the analog B/W of the scope ? I don't know.... I guess they thought thie extra resolution was more useful, but they didn't elaborate on that.

What did catch my attention was something I have never seen on any other scope old or new : it can display BOTH XY mode and YT mode at the same time ?!    Told you, this thing kicks ass 

Even has GPIB and can send screen dumps to a PC S/W, and even drive an analog plotter.

[Robert763]

The 5000 series were more aligned with low frequency work like biomedical and vibration measurement. The improved amplitude accuracry and low aliasing are more important to those users than bandwith.

[Robert763]

Here's an example of a resistor whose voltage, resistnace and wattage ratings don't add up:
https://theelectronicgoldmine.com/en-gb/products/g27323

1k, 10kV and 3.25W. If you applied 10kV to it it would dissipate 100kW = vapourised resistor.  It is usable for high voltge pulses though.

Robert.

[xrunner]

A new Video just popped up from the VintageTek museum.

This time a commercial for the 5223 digitizing scope, this thing kicks ass. I will have to mka do with my more humble 5111 though.

I just love the music in these old Tek commercials 

Damn you Vince! I was drawn in at the beginning by the thought of viewing a massive train collision later in the video, but was extremely disappointed! 

I guess somebody at Tek borrowed their kids train set and didn't want to destroy it.

[Martin.M]

Even has GPIB and can send screen dumps to a PC S/W, and even drive an analog plotter.

done 
https://wellenkino.de/video/plot.AVI

[Martin.M]

I got this nice oldie:

Knick H24 Tera Ohm Meter
The resistors inside are some aged, it was not so easy to bring that on the right way.

I need some calibrated R,  100G, 1T and more to finish the job. 20G was tested success.
It works with 2 stabi, a E80F as electrometer tube and a E80CF to amplify something. The test voltage is 100V

greetings
Martin

[ch_scr]

Even has GPIB and can send screen dumps to a PC S/W, and even drive an analog plotter.

done 
https://wellenkino.de/video/plot.AVI

Thanks for that demonstration, and the sneak peek into the workshop, too! Love the TR-0332B pulse generator sitting on top there.

[Martin.M]

thank you. this film was made 2017... actually there is something more.
TR0332 , EMG. it`s useful, yes. But the sine is made by a worst case generator,
you understand "die Welle wird aus dem Dreieck zurechtgefrickelt indem es die Spitzen abrundet, die obere mehr als die untere" 

[Vince]

Even has GPIB and can send screen dumps to a PC S/W, and even drive an analog plotter.

done 
https://wellenkino.de/video/plot.AVI

Thanks for that demonstration, and the sneak peek into the workshop, too! Love the TR-0332B pulse generator sitting on top there.

Cooooooool...... 

I am hoping I can do the same with my Tek 2232 scope, one day. I mean I first need to fix that scope (focus problem), then get a plotter.....

[Martin.M]

I think you need a HPIB Plotter, 7475 or relatives.
5223 works with any analog plotter or scope, by X+Y+Pen Lift relais.
may be it works also with a Hpib plotter, I have not tested.

[Vince]

I didn't know HPIB plotter even existed, that's cool.

I just googled the HP 7475.

I prefer XY tables even if they take more space....

I have fond memories of an A3 Roland XY plotter we had at school to plot our CAD drawings exercises, when I was 12/14 or something.
Watching that thing plot our drawings felt like magic. It was hypnotizing.

I guess it uses a proprietary protocol that's not handled by old scopes. But maybe there was some generic protocol old plotters used, I don't know.

[McBryce]

Plotters were just such a cool thing. It's a pity they went out of fashion. I still own an Atari 1020 and even have pens (and an Atari 800XL) for it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_1020

McBryce.

[TERRA Operative]

I didn't know HPIB plotter even existed, that's cool.

I just googled the HP 7475.

I prefer XY tables even if they take more space....

I have fond memories of an A3 Roland XY plotter we had at school to plot our CAD drawings exercises, when I was 12/14 or something.
Watching that thing plot our drawings felt like magic. It was hypnotizing.

I guess it uses a proprietary protocol that's not handled by old scopes. But maybe there was some generic protocol old plotters used, I don't know.

Ooohhhh we had one of those at school too!


Now I have a GPIB HP 7475A that I want to figure out how to connect to my PC for fun, a HP 7004B which one day I'll hook up a circuit to plot Lorenz attractor diagrams, and some other thing I have in storage in the corner at work.



Today, besides going to a local festival, shooting off fireworks and introducing my son to the wonder of R/C cars, I think I discovered the reason our main aircon isn't working. It seems one of the two relays that controls the 4-way valve (the thing in the outdoor unit pipework that swaps between heating and cooing mode) is worn out and the contacts have gone high resistance.
As usual the original Omron part is obsolete, but I can get Panasonic parts with double the contact current rating (10 amp up from 5 amp) from Akihabara for a couple hundred yen (like 3 bucks for both). Much better than the $350-odd we were quoted for an entire replacement inverter board....

The wife will be happy!

[Martin.M]

but when you own one of the older HP scopes with crt, dso,
and you connect it direktly to the 7475 to get a screenshot,
and you have forgotten to switch off the graticules,
the machine gun will start, for aroud 8 minutes.

[Vince]

Yes that's also one reason I prefer "table" plotters, no noisiy paper feed, just the pen sailing at the speed of light on a still paper, so sexy....

[wkb]

Maybe this one from Germany?

Gerade bei #Kleinanzeigen gefunden. Wie findest du das?
https://www.kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/stift-plotter-bbc-metrawatt-se284-zeichenplotter-gpib-hpib-hpgl/2516298143-168-8788?utm_source=copyToPasteboard&utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_medium=social&utm_content=app_ios

[Martin.M]

8 colors, nice.

[Martin.M]

it remembers me to my friend Jorgen who passed away 
we was in Hannover, 2018. This is the little hp, DIN A4 size. Hard working for the TDS

https://www.wellenkino.de/video/wellenkino-makerfaire-2018.mp4   ( ! 90MB )