Test Equipment Anonymous

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 2:50 pm**

I'm not making any more TE find posts here, I have made a new members-only-viewable forum, purely to post finds (basically because it's easy to do that and you can't really have that kind of private area here).

If you want to join (I know I know, another bloody sign-up?) it's at teabaytat.forumotion.com

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 2:58 pm**

AVGresponding wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 2:50 pm I'm not making any more TE find posts here, I have made a new members-only-viewable forum, purely to post finds (basically because it's easy to do that and you can't really have that kind of private area here).

If you want to join (I know I know, another bloody sign-up?) it's at teabaytat.forumotion.com

In what way would that an improvement over viewforum.php?f=9 ? You have to be logged in before you can see that.

When exiting a browser, I set it to clear sessions and cookies. If I want to find if there is a new post, would I have to login? Obviously that would be a significant disincentive.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 4:38 pm**

was snowed-in and bored yesterday. decided to take a shot at my first broke assed 1502. pulled the hv supply from the new working one and installed it in the one with no display.

it still had no display on the crt. noodled around and finally took a close look at the vert/horiz output board. jeeeeezze. it is missing Q3137, R3237, some fixed resistors, and a ceramic cap. funny thing is.....it looks like it was made that way. who would steal common passive parts and leave behind what are probably 300V transistors in cans? (and what parts robber does such nice solder work?)

am mystified, baffled, and confused.

any ideas?

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 5:25 pm**

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 4:38 pm was snowed-in and bored yesterday. decided to take a shot at my first broke assed 1502. pulled the hv supply from the new working one and installed it in the one with no display.

it still had no display on the crt. noodled around and finally took a close look at the vert/horiz output board. jeeeeezze. it is missing Q3137, R3237, some fixed resistors, and a ceramic cap. funny thing is.....it looks like it was made that way. who would steal common passive parts and leave behind what are probably 300V transistors in cans? (and what parts robber does such nice solder work?)

am mystified, baffled, and confused.

any ideas?

Strange.

I note both are -04, but one is handwritten and one looks like a professional label has been stuck on it. I wonder where that label came from?

One of my manuals shows Q3137, but the other (filename tektronix-1502-OM-SM-1986.pdf) doesn't have it on the schematic. So probably pukka.

Sounds like it is time to break out your scope, and fit a condom on your *10 probes.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 5:42 pm**

tggzzz wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 5:25 pm
nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 4:38 pm was snowed-in and bored yesterday. decided to take a shot at my first broke assed 1502. pulled the hv supply from the new working one and installed it in the one with no display.

it still had no display on the crt. noodled around and finally took a close look at the vert/horiz output board. jeeeeezze. it is missing Q3137, R3237, some fixed resistors, and a ceramic cap. funny thing is.....it looks like it was made that way. who would steal common passive parts and leave behind what are probably 300V transistors in cans? (and what parts robber does such nice solder work?)

am mystified, baffled, and confused.

any ideas?
Strange.

I note both are -04, but one is handwritten and one looks like a professional label has been stuck on it. I wonder where that label came from?

One of my manuals shows Q3137, but the other (filename tektronix-1502-OM-SM-1986.pdf) doesn't have it on the schematic. So probably pukka.

Sounds like it is time to break out your scope, and fit a condom on your *10 probes.

THANKS! will poke around let you know what turns up.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 6:25 pm**

tggzzz wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 2:58 pm
AVGresponding wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 2:50 pm I'm not making any more TE find posts here, I have made a new members-only-viewable forum, purely to post finds (basically because it's easy to do that and you can't really have that kind of private area here).

If you want to join (I know I know, another bloody sign-up?) it's at teabaytat.forumotion.com
In what way would that an improvement over viewforum.php?f=9 ? You have to be logged in before you can see that.

When exiting a browser, I set it to clear sessions and cookies. If I want to find if there is a new post, would I have to login? Obviously that would be a significant disincentive.

Not sure I follow you. I made this so I can share listing finds more exclusively; I don't want undercover traders/tube rapists seeing them. That's all. If you want it to run in some different manner, join, and alter it so it runs how you like (I intend to allow admin privileges to all members, which should give you a clue as to how exclusive it's going to be).

EDIT: Have you checked our members list recently? Quite a few zero-posters, we have no way of knowing if they are traders or breakers, or just shy.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 6:37 pm**

tggzzz wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 2:58 pm
AVGresponding wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 2:50 pm I'm not making any more TE find posts here, I have made a new members-only-viewable forum, purely to post finds (basically because it's easy to do that and you can't really have that kind of private area here).

If you want to join (I know I know, another bloody sign-up?) it's at teabaytat.forumotion.com
In what way would that an improvement over viewforum.php?f=9 ? You have to be logged in before you can see that.

When exiting a browser, I set it to clear sessions and cookies. If I want to find if there is a new post, would I have to login? Obviously that would be a significant disincentive.

I think the issue is that a number of forum members are unknown thus we have a problem potentially with somewhat undesirable people being made aware of findings. As AVGresponding says: tube rapists and gold recovery nonces.

As for clearing your cookies and sessions when you exit, what purpose does that serve other than to inconvenience yourself unnecessarily? It's like locking your keys in the house every time you go out and having to climb in a window to get back in.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 7:09 pm**

AVGresponding wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 6:25 pm
tggzzz wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 2:58 pm
AVGresponding wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 2:50 pm I'm not making any more TE find posts here, I have made a new members-only-viewable forum, purely to post finds (basically because it's easy to do that and you can't really have that kind of private area here).

If you want to join (I know I know, another bloody sign-up?) it's at teabaytat.forumotion.com
In what way would that an improvement over viewforum.php?f=9 ? You have to be logged in before you can see that.

When exiting a browser, I set it to clear sessions and cookies. If I want to find if there is a new post, would I have to login? Obviously that would be a significant disincentive.
Not sure I follow you. I made this so I can share listing finds more exclusively; I don't want undercover traders/tube rapists seeing them. That's all. If you want it to run in some different manner, join, and alter it so it runs how you like (I intend to allow admin privileges to all members, which should give you a clue as to how exclusive it's going to be).

EDIT: Have you checked our members list recently? Quite a few zero-posters, we have no way of knowing if they are traders or breakers, or just shy.

So, a "known friends only" forum. Fair enough; that's different.

Signed up.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 11:33 pm**

I contributed to a vintage radio forum 20 years ago. There was an ebay section not closed to the public through a password. That was thoughtless.

It was fun but it went through a sort of meltdown after someone doing a thesis on social media, with particular reference to the vintage radio scene, pointed out an AJS crystal set on ebay and said it looked as if it was made last week. AJS were an offshoot of AJS motorcycles. One of the sons made radios in 20s when most radios had a dry HT battery, a grid bias battery (which lasted forever) and a lead-acid accumulator for the valve heaters. The venture didn't survive that era and they never made a crystal set. It was, on inspection, an obvious fraud for which someone had shelled out £120.

My view was that the seller was not necessarily knowingly selling something that he knew to be false, and buyer may not have been aware of caveat emptor and didn't know much about these things anyway. A naive seller and naive buyer.

Anyway, a new member turned up, obviously irate and threatening legal action - on dubious grounds. I suspected he was the sucker who'd bought this thing and was very annoyed to have his find dissected and ridiculed by people who really knew about these things, or found it easy to look on the WWW and see it was not kosher. I thought the correct continuation was to tell the new contributor he was an obvious moron and FOAD. The forum owner took a different view, closed the section and forbade further ebay discussions.

No one wants to read on a publicly accessible forum, that they are idiots who've sold something for a few quid worth hundreds, or spent hundreds on something which is worthless.

Your's is a good idea and I've signed up. I've always been interested in your ebay reports, although I must say I haven't bought any vintage electronics on ebay for a long time, because it's generally not well described and overpriced all considered.

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2024 12:52 pm**

An even more sekrit forum?! I bet MercedesMan is already in there…

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2024 3:40 pm**

Who is MercedesMan?

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2024 3:47 pm**

AVGresponding wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 2:50 pm I'm not making any more TE find posts here, I have made a new members-only-viewable forum, purely to post finds (basically because it's easy to do that and you can't really have that kind of private area here).

If you want to join (I know I know, another bloody sign-up?) it's at teabaytat.forumotion.com

Already signed up, just waiting to be approved, thank you.

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2024 6:56 pm**

I signed up too just to see what it's about. I know, I know....there goes the neighborhood.

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2024 6:58 pm**

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 5:42 pm
tggzzz wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 5:25 pm
nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 4:38 pm was snowed-in and bored yesterday. decided to take a shot at my first broke assed 1502. pulled the hv supply from the new working one and installed it in the one with no display.

it still had no display on the crt. noodled around and finally took a close look at the vert/horiz output board. jeeeeezze. it is missing Q3137, R3237, some fixed resistors, and a ceramic cap. funny thing is.....it looks like it was made that way. who would steal common passive parts and leave behind what are probably 300V transistors in cans? (and what parts robber does such nice solder work?)

am mystified, baffled, and confused.

any ideas?
Strange.

I note both are -04, but one is handwritten and one looks like a professional label has been stuck on it. I wonder where that label came from?

One of my manuals shows Q3137, but the other (filename tektronix-1502-OM-SM-1986.pdf) doesn't have it on the schematic. So probably pukka.

Sounds like it is time to break out your scope, and fit a condom on your *10 probes.
THANKS! will poke around let you know what turns up.

grabbed the tek 2336 and started down the vertical amplifier chain. everything seemed ok all the way to the vertical output transistors.

wtf?

there was a loud pop when my head came out of my ass.

turned up the brightness control and wiggled the vertical position knob. holy shit.....it's alive. (had done that before breaking out the scope...with no success).

so what fixed it? no idea. maybe i wiggled the right wire or reseated the correct loose connector? maybe it enjoyed being diddled by the 2336? or maybe it was freightened by the threat of unleashing an hp 54502a on its sorry ass.

so now i have two working 1502's (ok, only one at a time until another HV board can be scrounged, stolen, or....or.....or fabricated. where in the world would ya' find that transformer?).

why didn't i listen to my inner voice and stay the hell away from anything tektronix blue? (those guys sure did jam a lot of parts into a really really tight space. my hp gear all seems spacious and comfortable by comparison.)

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2024 7:56 pm**

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 6:58 pm
nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 5:42 pm
tggzzz wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 5:25 pm Strange.

I note both are -04, but one is handwritten and one looks like a professional label has been stuck on it. I wonder where that label came from?

One of my manuals shows Q3137, but the other (filename tektronix-1502-OM-SM-1986.pdf) doesn't have it on the schematic. So probably pukka.

Sounds like it is time to break out your scope, and fit a condom on your *10 probes.
THANKS! will poke around let you know what turns up.
grabbed the tek 2336 and started down the vertical amplifier chain. everything seemed ok all the way to the vertical output transistors.

wtf?

there was a loud pop when my head came out of my ass.

turned up the brightness control and wiggled the vertical position knob. holy shit.....it's alive. (had done that before breaking out the scope...with no success).

Smirk!

Never done anything like that, oh no. Never.

I've never had to resort to a scope's "beam finder".

Looks like another well-formed pulse too.

Is there some "sharp vertical" noise, at the fiducial vertical and at 2.6 divs after that? If so, might that be a PSU noise hint?

so what fixed it? no idea. maybe i wiggled the right wire or reseated the correct loose connector? maybe it enjoyed being diddled by the 2336? or maybe it was freightened by the threat of unleashing an hp 54502a on its sorry ass.

so now i have two working 1502's (ok, only one at a time until another HV board can be scrounged, stolen, or....or.....or fabricated. where in the world would ya' find that transformer?).

why didn't i listen to my inner voice and stay the hell away from anything tektronix blue? (those guys sure did jam a lot of parts into a really really tight space. my hp gear all seems spacious and comfortable by comparison.)

And from that we conclude you've never recapped an HP spectrum analyser.

I proactively replaced the RIFAs in my HP8562B spectrum analyser, a job in itself since the instrument has to be unpeeled to get to the PSU. The hinges on the boards are as wonderful as a John Dory's mouth origami; both benefit from stereoscopic photos or a video showing the movements.

After all that new RIFAs were the only caps that would fit

They'll last me out

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/ ... msg3153112

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2024 8:02 pm**

MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 6:56 pm I signed up too just to see what it's about. I know, I know....there goes the neighborhood.

Next question: how often to go there and look?

There's a lot to be said for RSS feeds

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2024 8:45 pm**

tggzzz wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 8:02 pm
MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 6:56 pm I signed up too just to see what it's about. I know, I know....there goes the neighborhood.
Next question: how often to go there and look?

There's a lot to be said for RSS feeds

Actually, never. So I'm a newb.

Posted: **Sun Jan 21, 2024 9:38 pm**

tggzzz wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 7:56 pm
nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 6:58 pm
nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 5:42 pm

THANKS! will poke around let you know what turns up.
grabbed the tek 2336 and started down the vertical amplifier chain. everything seemed ok all the way to the vertical output transistors.

wtf?

there was a loud pop when my head came out of my ass.

turned up the brightness control and wiggled the vertical position knob. holy shit.....it's alive. (had done that before breaking out the scope...with no success).
Smirk!

Never done anything like that, oh no. Never.

I've never had to resort to a scope's "beam finder".

Looks like another well-formed pulse too.

Is there some "sharp vertical" noise, at the fiducial vertical and at 2.6 divs after that? If so, might that be a PSU noise hint?

so what fixed it? no idea. maybe i wiggled the right wire or reseated the correct loose connector? maybe it enjoyed being diddled by the 2336? or maybe it was freightened by the threat of unleashing an hp 54502a on its sorry ass.

so now i have two working 1502's (ok, only one at a time until another HV board can be scrounged, stolen, or....or.....or fabricated. where in the world would ya' find that transformer?).

why didn't i listen to my inner voice and stay the hell away from anything tektronix blue? (those guys sure did jam a lot of parts into a really really tight space. my hp gear all seems spacious and comfortable by comparison.)
And from that we conclude you've never recapped an HP spectrum analyser.

I proactively replaced the RIFAs in my HP8562B spectrum analyser, a job in itself since the instrument has to be unpeeled to get to the PSU. The hinges on the boards are as wonderful as a John Dory's mouth origami; both benefit from stereoscopic photos or a video showing the movements.

After all that new RIFAs were the only caps that would fit They'll last me out

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/ ... msg3153112

rifa's in my 8569b were also a pain in the ass to replace. but never had to do anything else to it, other than re-attach fingers to rotary switches.

enjoy most working on freq counters and do not recall ever encountering a hinge anywhere inside one.

my least favorite thing to work on........power supply in those GD 141t's. always hoped that the guy who designed that PS was electrocuted by one.

Posted: **Mon Jan 22, 2024 1:46 pm**

MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 11:27 pm That's cool but it's been done before. This used to be available on Ebay but apparently sold out.

I know. But buying stuff is not as much as fun as building stuff.

Posted: **Mon Jan 22, 2024 7:34 pm**

BU508A wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 3:40 pm Who is MercedesMan?

I think he's the character who turns up early at UK radio rallies in a grey Mercedes estate car. He books a stall to get in early with the traders, but doesn't set it up, it's just a device to get in early. He scoops up all the best stuff, and about ten minutes after the rally is opened to buyers, he's off with his Mercedes bulging with prizes.

I'm not aware of having seen him, but bd139 has often complained about what he sees as Mercedes man's underhand and despicable practices.

Posted: **Mon Jan 22, 2024 9:27 pm**

MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 8:45 pm
tggzzz wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 8:02 pm
MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 6:56 pm I signed up too just to see what it's about. I know, I know....there goes the neighborhood.
Next question: how often to go there and look?

There's a lot to be said for RSS feeds
Actually, never. So I'm a newb.

Actually, the whole thing might soon be moot anyway; Bitseeker and I have been discussing how to do it within this board, simplifying things a lot.

Posted: **Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:37 pm**

Zenith wrote: ↑Mon Jan 22, 2024 7:34 pm
BU508A wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 3:40 pm Who is MercedesMan?
I think he's the character who turns up early at UK radio rallies in a grey Mercedes estate car. He books a stall to get in early with the traders, but doesn't set it up, it's just a device to get in early. He scoops up all the best stuff, and about ten minutes after the rally is opened to buyers, he's off with his Mercedes bulging with prizes.

I'm not aware of having seen him, but bd139 has often complained about what he sees as Mercedes man's underhand and despicable practices.

I've spoken to him a couple of times. I tried shaming but that didn't work. One hell of a smug motherfucker. His car is sealed up ready to roll and full by the time I manage to wangle my way in 30 minutes early.

Honestly not that I give a crap at the moment if I'm honest. I'm fed up of hopelessly panning for gold at these things. Sold the car. Happier now. Feel considerably less dirty and the eldest doesn't have to put up with a racist Vladimir Harkonnen leering at her while puffing on a lasagne-flavoured vape while donning regulation cum stained combats and an RSGB badge.

I have of course met a couple of fine TEA members who are perfectly respectable. I think they need to hire bouncers.

Posted: **Tue Jan 23, 2024 10:37 pm**

bd139 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:37 pm
Zenith wrote: ↑Mon Jan 22, 2024 7:34 pm
BU508A wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 3:40 pm Who is MercedesMan?
I think he's the character who turns up early at UK radio rallies in a grey Mercedes estate car. He books a stall to get in early with the traders, but doesn't set it up, it's just a device to get in early. He scoops up all the best stuff, and about ten minutes after the rally is opened to buyers, he's off with his Mercedes bulging with prizes.

I'm not aware of having seen him, but bd139 has often complained about what he sees as Mercedes man's underhand and despicable practices.
I've spoken to him a couple of times. I tried shaming but that didn't work. One hell of a smug motherfucker. His car is sealed up ready to roll and full by the time I manage to wangle my way in 30 minutes early.

Honestly not that I give a crap at the moment if I'm honest. I'm fed up of hopelessly panning for gold at these things. Sold the car. Happier now. Feel considerably less dirty and the eldest doesn't have to put up with a racist Vladimir Harkonnen leering at her while puffing on a lasagne-flavoured vape while donning regulation cum stained combats and an RSGB badge.

I have of course met a couple of fine TEA members who are perfectly respectable. I think they need to hire bouncers.

Maybe we are all looking for different sorts of gold? Going to rallies doesn't start to be a way to make a living or even decent pocket money, even if you are hard up. I usually manage to come away with a few interesting things (to me) which afford a few hours of innocent amusement, and it's a pleasant day out.

I see his as nutty, borderline psychotic behaviour, rather like those strange few people who put their supermarket trolley in the queue empty, then charge off round the store coming back with armfuls of stuff, bunging it into the trolley, then going off again. They pride themselves on being A type personalities, unafraid of confrontation and determined not to waste any time.

Posted: **Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:25 am**

I have zero tolerance for that kind of bullshit.

The new private marketplace is up and running now, I just need to compile a list for Bitseeker to add permission for.

Posted: **Wed Jan 24, 2024 6:48 pm**

what? you are gonna' name names?

for a list?

https://www.tiktok.com/@sandronyc/video ... 0513687850

Test Equipment Anonymous

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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