Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) : Discussion and Group Therapy Thread

[mnementh]

This muppet, mjtronix who according to his ebay listings breaks up working test equipment has now stooped to breaking the edge connectors off and stripping tantalums and TO100 ICs from PCBs before trying to sell them on ebay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115809887346?

Here's the other half https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115639341822

mnem
no.

[mnementh]

Yeah yeah yeah I know. I did it again

Yeah... this one's either not barking mad *looks askance at bd139* , or she's going to wait until she has his bank accounts before she boils his bunny and harvests his kidneys...

mnem
"Honey, did you pack the rubber pants and chimpanzee repellent...?"

We're all barking mad to some degree. She is in all the right ways

" 'd 'ave ter be, tuh put up widjer shit, wott?"

mnem
dafuq did 'e just say?

[bd139]

Yeah yeah yeah I know. I did it again

Yeah... this one's either not barking mad *looks askance at bd139* , or she's going to wait until she has his bank accounts before she boils his bunny and harvests his kidneys...

mnem
"Honey, did you pack the rubber pants and chimpanzee repellent...?"

Well I certainly hope that's not going to happen, There's always the exception to the rule and maybe bd140 is that person, we'll just have to wait and see. At least bd139 is currently having fun, so that's a bonus.

So far so good. Never met anyone like her!

[tggzzz]

Oh now that's pretty amazing. Thanks for posting. bd140 did a trip to Iceland in 2019 and wants to go again. Will certainly be doing that with her

Iceland is full of waterfalls and geology

This picture is the one that made me want to go. Three years later I had sufficient money.

iceland0006.jpg

You won't be able to stand where they are standing. When they went back in '93 the arch had fallen down. Bugger.

Allow me to recommend Grjótagjá. Just the right temperature for relaxing (but that does change), and I watched someone dive down until the top of his head was about the size of my thumb (IIRC!). No idea where the "bottom" might be

grotagja.jpg

Also recommended:

• Jökulsárlón and Skaftafell, particularly if you can make it to the top of Kristínartindar
• museum at Vik
• Dyrhólaey clifftop, for the views and puffins. Looks like snowflakes have been at work, and the species won't be improved
• Landmannalaugar, if you don't mind crowds
• Kverkfjöll, but the roof does collapse
• Namaskard and Hverir, which had the one safety sign I saw, and it was sensible (something like tread on the red and brown ground but not the yellow nor white). More evidence of snowflakes, though.

It would be best to take an organised 3 week round trip in a 4WD coach, preferably camping wild. Renting a car is possible, but if you don't lose your life you will lose an organ. Shipping your own car is also expensive, but you probably wouldn't want to bother to bring your car back.

[bd139]

Oh now that's pretty amazing. Thanks for posting. bd140 did a trip to Iceland in 2019 and wants to go again. Will certainly be doing that with her

Iceland is full of waterfalls and geology

This picture is the one that made me want to go. Three years later I had sufficient money.
iceland0006.jpg

You won't be able to stand where they are standing. When they went back in '93 the arch had fallen down. Bugger.

Allow me to recommend Grjótagjá. Just the right temperature for relaxing (but that does change), and I watched someone dive down until the top of his head was about the size of my thumb (IIRC!). No idea where the "bottom" might be
grotagja.jpg


Also recommended:

• Jökulsárlón and Skaftafell, particularly if you can make it to the top of Kristínartindar
• museum at Vik
• Dyrhólaey clifftop, for the views and puffins. Looks like snowflakes have been at work, and the species won't be improved
• Landmannalaugar, if you don't mind crowds
• Kverkfjöll, but the roof does collapse
• Namaskard and Hverir, which had the one safety sign I saw, and it was sensible (something like tread on the red and brown ground but not the yellow nor white). More evidence of snowflakes, though.

It would be best to take an organised 3 week round trip in a 4WD coach, preferably camping wild. Renting a car is possible, but if you don't lose your life you will lose an organ. Shipping your own car is also expensive, but you probably wouldn't want to bother to bring your car back.

Fantastic - thanks for the recommendations. Will look into these. The place looks amazing.

We're thinking about renting a mediocre RV (yeah I know it'll cost an organ), sleeping in it and doing a 2+ week trip with that and occasional wild camping. Can't wait.

Better than spending it on a fucking house...

[Cerebus]

This muppet, mjtronix who according to his ebay listings breaks up working test equipment has now stooped to breaking the edge connectors off and stripping tantalums and TO100 ICs from PCBs before trying to sell them on ebay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115809887346?

I'll get the pitchforks and torches, you get his address and round up the village.

[tggzzz]

Fantastic - thanks for the recommendations. Will look into these. The place looks amazing.

We're thinking about renting a mediocre RV (yeah I know it'll cost an organ), sleeping in it and doing a 2+ week trip with that and occasional wild camping. Can't wait.

Better than spending it on a fucking house...

You should come back a slightly different person, the same as your visit to the 'stans. One difference is to develop a gut feel that if your roof blows off then you will be the one to fix it. After all, the major town in SE Iceland (shown on maps ranging to the Urals and Africa) has a population of <2500. That's only four Grenfell Towers.

Caution about an RV. You should have knowledge of how to ford deep fast rivers and dig yourself out of sand. 30 years ago the story was that 5 tourists were "lost" every year.

The coach I was in was pushed sideways by an ordinary river in Þórsmörk, and water entered the luggage compartment. Coach like this...


Hopefully this redhead will be aware of all that, and guide you accordingly

[mansaxel]

The red car looks to be a Volvo C300 series, known as Terrängbil 12 in Swedish Forces. What it can't get through, its little brother the Terrängbil 11 (less one axle) can do. Head-on collisions are not recommended, though. As much crumple zone as in a VW bus.

[AVGresponding]

This muppet, mjtronix who according to his ebay listings breaks up working test equipment has now stooped to breaking the edge connectors off and stripping tantalums and TO100 ICs from PCBs before trying to sell them on ebay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115809887346?

Someone should pay that rancid cuntsock a visit and glue his hands to his arse.

Their address is on their ebay seller details. We could start a mailing campaign...

[mnementh]

Mmmmhmmm... I'm thinking something like:

"This round of 7.62 NATO comes hand-delivered. If you don't shut down your TE chop-shop, the next one will come airmail."

mnem
grrrrrrrrrr...

[mnementh]

.

This weekend's dose of EV misery tinkery...

Went from "got the hub motor assembled and bolted on" to "Ready for first road-test" over this week; all while sick as the proverbial dog.

Lots of printed parts already; a battery tray, another bit to turn a stoopit motorcycle-oid twist-throttle into a sensible thumb-throttle, and a mount for the Pedal-Assist Hall sensor followed by a redesigned magnet ring built from scratch so it aligns properly with that sensor.

Prelim testing is actually a wee bit frightening; with these 48V HP common-slot server batteries, the thing has a top speed of almost 30 kliks hauling my fat dwagon arse around, and according to the control panel, dumping ~1200W peak/LRA. With the properly mounted sensor and redesigned magnet ring, Pedal-Assist works very well; if anything, it is too aggressive even on the lowest setting. I need to look into the programming pamphlet in a little more detail to see if I can tone things down for my daughter to ride it.

mnem

[Robert]

I went to the Dunstable Downs amateur radio car boot sale today.
As usual I was looking for TE but came back with mostly mechanical engineering bits.
Find of the day was a Pultra precision lathe. I think it's a 1750 but have to check. Certainly 50mm center height. These are small machines, I can pick it up with one hand. It is in fair condition and came with a lever action tailstock, 3 and 4 jaw chucks. No tool rest or slides though. The slides are probably the easiest parts for me to make myself. I have some miniature linear rail bearings that would be ideal. The same donor unit that hs the bearings, an optical scanner, also has some leadscrews. I will have to check them out. Not sure when I’ll get a chance to investigate the further, got a couple of busy weeks coming up. Other purchases included a unknown high speed precision PCB drill press. It is older and very well made. Direct drive from a universal (brushed) motor with the whole assembly sliding in a plain bearing about 2” in diameter. Needs a clean but looks OK. I’ve wanted a drill of this type for years. The universal motor will make it easy to add variable speed control.
Small items were a small Verdict lever DTI in the case with fittings, M&W depth micrometer and a small V block.

Cost was minimal, £40 for the Pultra, £10 for the drill and £4 for the smalls. smiley

I did get a few items of test equipment too. A Telequipment C3 'scope calibrator £1, an Advance OFS 2B off-air frequency standard from TGGZZ (need to check if this is 198kHz or 200), a mechanism digital force gauge, 10GHz Doppler speed detector (vintage and free) and a couple of bits from a friend.

Robert.

[mnementh]

Quite jelly on that Pultra. On my wish list for decades.

https://pennyfarthingtools.co.uk/pultra ... 022/11/19/

mnem

[Robert]

The Pultra I got isn't as tidy as that one. I've fancied one (or a Schaublin) for years. Didn't think I'd get one for £40. I've already got a possible line on a cross slide.
Looks like mine is a bit of a hybrid. It has an earlier bed probably a P type and a 1750 headstock. Not an issue, it was a feature of these that they were precision made to size so you can swap parts from one to another and still maintain accuracy without adjustment. This was important in a production environment with several lathes. It meant that a single capstan unit could be used on different lathes as requred for a job. This one looks like it was set up for coaxial drilling which may explain the lack of cross slides.

Pultra-1.jpg

No pics of the tailsstock, chucks etc yet.

[Cerebus]

I went to the Dunstable Downs amateur radio car boot sale today.
As usual I was looking for TE but came back with mostly mechanical engineering bits.
Find of the day was a Pultra precision lathe. I think it's a 1750 but have to check. Certainly 50mm center height.

I did toy with the idea of going this year. Now I wish I had, even if I'd have had to fight you for the lathe.

Memo to self: Next year, actually go. And take a big stick.

[tggzzz]

Memo to self: Next year, actually go. And take a big stick.

Can I suggest taking a second stick with a carrot on it.

Not a literal carrot, obviously. But a Tek212 is small/light and should do the job.

[Zenith]

I did toy with the idea of going this year. Now I wish I had, even if I'd have had to fight you for the lathe.

Memo to self: Next year, actually go. And take a big stick.

IIRC you live East of London. From Ilford it's 50 miles and an hour's journey according to the RAC route planner. Newbury is also almost always good, but it's 80 miles and about an hour and fifty minute's travelling. There's also McMichael in Reading - over 60 miles and 90 minutes. It's smaller than the other two and I've found it hit and miss. There are others, such as Dover and Milton Keynes within a reasonable distance. I've been to neither of those, but I have the impression from BD139 that they are not that big.

I'd say that from where you live, Dunstable Downs is the one really worth making the effort to go to.

[AVGresponding]

Memo to self: Next year, actually go. And take a big stick.

Can I suggest taking a second stick with a carrot on it.

Not a literal carrot, obviously. But a Tek212 is small/light and should do the job.

Why use something vaguely nice? An AVO 8 is probably more alluring to most of the crusty old farts at those events, and if it's one of the modern ones with a lamp fitted, they'll still be able to see it if the weather turns

[tggzzz]

Memo to self: Next year, actually go. And take a big stick.

Can I suggest taking a second stick with a carrot on it.

Not a literal carrot, obviously. But a Tek212 is small/light and should do the job.

Why use something vaguely nice? An AVO 8 is probably more alluring to most of the crusty old farts at those events, and if it's one of the modern ones with a lamp fitted, they'll still be able to see it if the weather turns

Possibly true.

Wouldn't distract me in the slightest, though. Can't stand the damn things!

I do have a carcass like the one below acquired as part of an interesting job lot. I thought of using it to attract attention to my stall by fitting flashing red LEDs in the centre of the rotary knobs.

Then I remembered the Black and White Minstrel show, and realised it would attract the wrong type of people and attention. Idea abandoned.

8mk5.jpg

[Cerebus]

I do have a carcass like the one below acquired as part of an interesting job lot. I thought of using it to attract attention to my stall by fitting flashing red LEDs in the centre of the rotary knobs.

Then I remembered the Black and White Minstrel show, and realised it would attract the wrong type of people and attention. Idea abandoned.

8mk5.jpg

You could have got a vintage Robertson's merchandising stand, the ones with a standing figure and a tray, to display it on.

[tggzzz]

I do have a carcass like the one below acquired as part of an interesting job lot. I thought of using it to attract attention to my stall by fitting flashing red LEDs in the centre of the rotary knobs.

Then I remembered the Black and White Minstrel show, and realised it would attract the wrong type of people and attention. Idea abandoned.

8mk5.jpg

You could have got a vintage Robertson's merchandising stand, the ones with a standing figure and a tray, to display it on.

Insufficient relevance to what I'm flogging, and also (I would like to think) to my clientele.

I have been known to dig up images to show youngsters how much things have changed, and for the better. Ditto the toys invented by Florence Kate Upton in 1895.

[bd139]

Right outta here for a couple of weeks. Super busy preparing stuff and hanging around with bd140 until we fly out on Thursday. Condition changes over there meant a trip kit shopping today so no new toys for a while for me!

Have fun everyone and as I said on discord, no one drop dead while I'm gone

[Zenith]

It's clear you have other and more engaging activities on your mind than radio rallies. I would hazard to say, healthier. I also suspect that as understanding as she appears to be, BD140 and radio rallies would not be a good mix, and could even prove explosive. I've tried explaining to friends that £3 to enter a radio rally is far better value than £12 to enter a country show, because at the radio rally there are wonderful things, like oscilloscopes and boxes of valves and test equipment, but the country show is the same old stuff. I've come to the conclusion it's like describing a get together on Mars.

Good to hear from you and I hope the trip works out well.

[tggzzz]

I've tried explaining to friends that £3 to enter a radio rally is far better value than £12 to enter a country show, because at the radio rally there are wonderful things, like oscilloscopes and boxes of valves and test equipment, but the country show is the same old stuff.

Best said with a deadpan tone of voice, but with word that leave.doubt as to whether you are being serious.

Let's hope neither bd drops dead while they are gone. But if they do we will console ourselves that they died with a smile on their face.

[mnementh]

The Pultra I got isn't as tidy as that one. I've fancied one (or a Schaublin) for years. Didn't think I'd get one for £40. I've already got a possible line on a cross slide.
Looks like mine is a bit of a hybrid. It has an earlier bed probably a P type and a 1750 headstock. Not an issue, it was a feature of these that they were precision made to size so you can swap parts from one to another and still maintain accuracy without adjustment. This was important in a production environment with several lathes. It meant that a single capstan unit could be used on different lathes as requred for a job. This one looks like it was set up for coaxial drilling which may explain the lack of cross slides.
Pultra-1.jpg

No pics of the tailsstock, chucks etc yet.

40 quid...?

mnem
here, take my coffee to wash it down...