Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[zepto]

Hioki 3520 40Hz-100kHz LCR meter. This one was made in 1987. Has nice green LEDs and GPIB. The instruction manual included a program for plotting sweeps. Mostly through-hole. A forum member posted service manual with schematic and calibration instructions to electrotanya.

[onsokumaru]

Hi people!

I think I don't have the TEA (yet) and I love this  thread, having a ton of interesting devices. At our local maker-space, we collected a big set of old decommissioned lab instrumentation from a research institute. Among the collected devices, I found a monster like this one, a Fluke 5100B Calibrator:


Reading the specs it's an amazing device, very handy to calibrate and test other instruments. The external condition looks good, but I don't know if it's still functional or if it has any issues, we are going to set it up and see if we can put it to work. Then we can use it to tests the other instruments 

[tggzzz]

Hi people!

I think I don't have the TEA (yet) and I love this  thread, having a ton of interesting devices. At our local maker-space, we collected a big set of old decommissioned lab instrumentation from a research institute. Among the collected devices, I found a monster like this one, a Fluke 5100B Calibrator:


Reading the specs it's an amazing device, very handy to calibrate and test other instruments. The external condition looks good, but I don't know if it's still functional or if it has any issues, we are going to set it up and see if we can put it to work. Then we can use it to tests the other instruments 

Nice, but you might like to consider the possible consequences of having inexperienced users/bystanders plus 1kV accessible with standard 4mm banana leads.

[duckduck]

Hi people!

I think I don't have the TEA (yet) and I love this  thread, having a ton of interesting devices. At our local maker-space, we collected a big set of old decommissioned lab instrumentation from a research institute. Among the collected devices, I found a monster like this one, a Fluke 5100B Calibrator:


Reading the specs it's an amazing device, very handy to calibrate and test other instruments. The external condition looks good, but I don't know if it's still functional or if it has any issues, we are going to set it up and see if we can put it to work. Then we can use it to tests the other instruments 

"Who will calibrate the calibrators?"

[Runco990]

At least that's one of the last of the fluke 5100's.  I have one of the first, with all the fun that comes with it..... bad caps, suddenly dead shorting tantalums....  flaky relays....    

Wanna trade? 

[KrudyZ]

Hi people!

I think I don't have the TEA (yet) and I love this  thread, having a ton of interesting devices. At our local maker-space, we collected a big set of old decommissioned lab instrumentation from a research institute. Among the collected devices, I found a monster like this one, a Fluke 5100B Calibrator:


Reading the specs it's an amazing device, very handy to calibrate and test other instruments. The external condition looks good, but I don't know if it's still functional or if it has any issues, we are going to set it up and see if we can put it to work. Then we can use it to tests the other instruments 

Or, if it works, you could sell it and buy something that is actually useful for a maker space...

[Zucca]

Just wanna to remember to tell your family where to sell your $$$ TEA if something bad happens..

Sadly it can happen.

RIP alligatorblues

[m k]

Seems that my new timer is already so old it needs a new face.

One other thing,
some old Audi models had dashboard/instrument cluster filled with red LED style numbers of some sort.
What is the actual name of that thing and how to tell that to search engine and get something consistent back?

[factory]

Just wanna to remember to tell your family where to sell your $$$ TEA if something bad happens..

Sadly it can happen.

RIP alligatorblues

Or maybe someone else will get a few TE bargains at a yard sale, as he did. 

Wow, all this work. I wanted to build some studio lights. I purchased five 100W square led arrays about 1.5" square, maybe 16x16 leds. I purchased the drivers from the same seller, which were 12VDC to 40VDC converters enclosed. I took some heat sink fan cpu coolers, tapped some holes and affixed the leds to them with acrtic silver thermal paste interface and 2 screws! I took some wallwarts I had laying around for the 12VDC IN, and cut off one side of (4) PC PSU cords.

I soldered the cord leads to the prongs on the wall warts. So, now they plug into the wall! I made 4 lights, three 100W and 1 200W. I think the  brightness of leds compared to incandscent is about 25:1 per W. So, the 100W are equivalent to about 2,500W incandescent, and the 200W about 5,000W incandescent! So, I required a dimmer, because these things are surreal they're so bright!

I just used a variac I had laying around for a dimmer, and it works pretty well. So, I think my total bill was ab out 150.00USD because I had a lot of little stuff I needed already! My basement is a electronics salvage yard. There's some pretty good stuff in there too! If I was disciplined enough to sell it all I'd probably make 50,000.00USD!

But I've got plans for almost everything down there! I just picked up a ESI SR104 10k resistor, Fluke 732B DC STANDARD, (2) 10Mhz. rubidium standards, 6 HP 735A 1.0VDC Standards with +-0-1000uV by 1.0uV control, 2 HP 34401A 6.5 DIGIT DMMs, Fluke 8842A DMM, and a huge box of miscellaneous passives, actives, and I don't know what all else, for a C-NOTE, at a yard sale. The lady was older than dirt! Her husband had just died. And, she was having a sale to downsize. 

The husband had been in electronics somehow, and she was really thankful for all the work I did carrying all the stuff to my UTE, all by myself! Always carry cash. She wanted cash! I said, all I have is a $100 bill. She said, Oh, I cwn give you change back! I said, No, you've just had a significant loss in life! You can just keep the whole thing. She said, Oh, Bless your heart!

So, now I've got a little project testing that stuff. Oh, and there were (2) 10A Staco variacs, and a bunch of leads.

It pays to shop yard sales. She thought she was going to have to leave the stuff at the curb for collection, because no one else even looked at any of it!

So, anyway, that's the story of 9500k studio lights. They just get a little warm. So, the fans on the heatsinks must help a lot.

David

[wkb]

Clueless people have no business in an electronics lab. Really, they can be bad news.
All too well my SO is a trained EE too 

Very nice calibrator, would love to own one. They are €€€

Wilko

Hi people!

I think I don't have the TEA (yet) and I love this  thread, having a ton of interesting devices. At our local maker-space, we collected a big set of old decommissioned lab instrumentation from a research institute. Among the collected devices, I found a monster like this one, a Fluke 5100B Calibrator:


Reading the specs it's an amazing device, very handy to calibrate and test other instruments. The external condition looks good, but I don't know if it's still functional or if it has any issues, we are going to set it up and see if we can put it to work. Then we can use it to tests the other instruments 

[Glull]

Hi folks,

I recently saved a rather large pile of equipment from my university waste bins and am not sure what to do with it. All I know is that this seems way too nice to go to a landfill. I briefly powered them to check what is running, but I do not even have cables to perform any additional tests. I have found the service manual for the HP and may attempt to get it to power on when I find some tinker time.
Any suggestions or advice on what is worth saving, and what is perhaps outdated or extremely niche use only? I don't think I will be doing anything with optical HF any time soon, but I am not opposed to having some fancy oscilloscopes.



Anritsu MG3642A (LCD screen dead)
HP 83480A Digital Communications Analyzer (completely dead)
Agilent Infiniium DCA-J 86100C Digital Communications Analyzer (turns on OK)
2x Anritsu MS9710B Optical Spectrum Analyzer 0.6-1.75um (1 stuck in boot, 1 turns on OK)
2x Agilent 81576A Lightwave Multimeter (both turn on OK)

[m k]

First you put lightwave multimeters on sale.

Next you open Anritsu analyzers, swap parts and find out what is wrong.
Then repair or not before sale.

Next Agilent analyzers, they are mainframes, completely dead one can have a simple problem.
If plug-ins are not swap able use a bit more time for the dead mainframe.
Then sell unnecessary parts.

Buy needed oscilloscope plug-ins.

RF Generator is sort of easiest.
It most likely has many takers with or without a working LCD, if you can verify that it's actually operating and only LCD is off.

Consider selling everything and buying something new and general as replacements.

BTW for my earlier thing,
no Micrel comments?

[Ice-Tea]

I might have a buyer for those Light waves. Did you have a price in mind?

[onsokumaru]

I'll try to find some time this week to test this fluke. I don't know if it was decommissioned because its old and they have new equipment, because they don't use it anymore, or because it's just broken, so we'll have to find out 

At least that's one of the last of the fluke 5100's.  I have one of the first, with all the fun that comes with it..... bad caps, suddenly dead shorting tantalums....  flaky relays....    

Wanna trade? 

[Runco990]

I'll try to find some time this week to test this fluke. I don't know if it was decommissioned because its old and they have new equipment, because they don't use it anymore, or because it's just broken, so we'll have to find out 

The 5100 is really only a 4 1/2 digit calibrator.  Since I have three 6 1/2 digit meters, it's more of a toy.  I suspect that's why you don't see these in use today.  But.... it has it's uses when you need a quick check for "All the things".  Just type in what you want and it (usually) spits it out.

I got mine for free some years ago and have been fighting with it ever since.  It's not working right more often than not, and I have a dozen spare boards for it....  I keep thinking one day I'll REALLY go through it in earnest and replace every cap in it.  I think that's most of it's problems.

Calibrating the calibrator is easy, since my meters are more accurate than IT!   

[AVGresponding]

I'll try to find some time this week to test this fluke. I don't know if it was decommissioned because its old and they have new equipment, because they don't use it anymore, or because it's just broken, so we'll have to find out 

The 5100 is really only a 4 1/2 digit calibrator.  Since I have three 6 1/2 digit meters, it's more of a toy.  I suspect that's why you don't see these in use today.  But.... it has it's uses when you need a quick check for "All the things".  Just type in what you want and it (usually) spits it out.

I got mine for free some years ago and have been fighting with it ever since.  It's not working right more often than not, and I have a dozen spare boards for it....  I keep thinking one day I'll REALLY go through it in earnest and replace every cap in it.  I think that's most of it's problems.

Calibrating the calibrator is easy, since my meters are more accurate than IT!   

Can still be used in conjunction with a cal'd 6.5 digit as a transfer standard...

[duckduck]

New acquisition:

General Radio Decade Resistor 1432-P

This is one piece of ten pieces of TE I got for 120 USD. He refused to take more money. He just wanted them to go to a good home.

Looking at the manual ( https://www.ietlabs.com/pdf/Manuals/GR/1432%20im%20fro%20GR%20incl%20510.pdf ) it looks like this is spec'ed to be accurate to +/- 0.05%. Wow. I plugged the ol' 87V into it and everything looked good except for the smallest range. I will have to investigate further. I'm not in a rush to "fix" it and ruin a nice piece of TE. Perhaps some users here know what type of grease to use and possibly other info regarding care and feeding?

EDIT: 0.005% -> 0.05%. What's a couple of zeros between friends?

[Robert763]

Lubricating and "exercising" the 10 ohm decade switch will probably sort that out. IET recomment Caig De-oxit

Robert.

[duckduck]

duckduck's Tip of The Day™:

Sometimes you need a blast of Deoxit to clean out an enclosed pot, but sometimes you only need a dab for a little connector. You can buy empty nail polish containers from the usual scumbags and fill them up with the tube from the aerosol can. Remember to like and subscribe.

[zrq]

All these things have significant value. If you are not interested in fixing them, they should have quite some resale value even in for repair condition, lucky you.
For example I'm particular interested in the two OSAs and the sampling oscilloscope which can be very useful for my (and my colleagues') research projects in another university lab in Switzerland. We have 8 Yokogawas + 2 HP/Agilent + 1 Finisar now but we always want more OSAs. And we are planning to borrow a scope with such a high bandwidth optical input exactly like the 86100C you got for our next paper on even lower noise microwave generation based on mode-locked lasers. (unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to afford them personally and I don't think our group can pay private individuals).

But note that these two oscilloscopes are not ordinary DSOs, but sampling scopes that are indeed only suited for niche uses. It can only reconstruct a repetitive signal and only when some synchronization is available.

[wkb]

Find a way to trade/exchange some equipment that is useful to the current owner for the optical T&M kit he has no use for. As long as no $ /€ need to change hands things are typically easier to fix.

[TERRA Operative]

duckduck's Tip of The Day™:

Sometimes you need a blast of Deoxit to clean out an enclosed pot, but sometimes you only need a dab for a little connector. You can buy empty nail polish containers from the usual scumbags and fill them up with the tube from the aerosol can. Remember to like and subscribe.

I like to do a similar thing but with Hakko flux pens and 100% DeOxit..
You buy the pens empty in a pack, so I have one for Red, one for Gold and one for Green with spare pens left over for maybe using with flux....
They are fantastic for applying 'just enough' DeOxit. Especially for poking into the layers of the open-frame type rotary switches.

I also have some in little nail polish bottles too as bought, so Caig also thinks the nail polish bottles are a good idea.

[tggzzz]

I apply DeOxit D100 using a jeweller's screwdriver to lift a small drop, and then position it on the relevant component lead (e.g. transistors in Tek scopes) or switch contact.

The drop size can be controlled by the width of the blade and/or flat vs crosspoint.

[m k]

I'm not in a rush to "fix" it and ruin a nice piece of TE.

I took mine apart, a different make, but very similar, at least one selector was very stiff.
Non metal inner rod goes through a center tube of a setting, if memory serves I had to push very hard to get the rod out.
It's also possible I had to use a hammer and punch, I doubt the sticky stuff was original.

I'd say that generally you can't ruin it without a hammer or something corrosive.
With bad luck you must file something, but it's better afterwards.
One problem is too much height difference between contacts, no contact or selector get stuck.
Other is burned surface, but it's pure metal, and selector finger can be adjusted, can't remember how the stud side is.
Worse it is if bottom contact plate or resistors have problems.

For grease I've not decided yet.
I guess I'll go with mineral, organic has a bad taste.

For the earlier thing,
it's Vdd <-> Vss.
Had to measure it.

[wolfy007]

Bought an Agilent E3642A power supply, listed as output correct but doesnt show correctly on display. Buy it fairly cheap, sure enough, can set a voltage and current limit, but once output enabled usually displayed output voltage in the order of 300V and some ridiculous current. After checking supply voltages, optocouplers, couple chips with some discolouration testing fine, and A/D + signal path signals passing through OK. SO I check the ref.voltage (AD586), 5V, OK, look at circuit diagrams, sure it creates a +10&-10 ref.volts via an AD706. Except its +10 and +13V. Wasnt expecting that, test components around this chip and all test fine. Sure enough change the AD706 and its good, I guess just a dud (if a little expensive) opamp. PS: Thankfully it wasnt something deeper in the A/D or the micro controlling it I guess.