The place to be when you have TEA. Discuss all kinds of test equipment.
Important: Use tags for the type of equipment your topic is about.
Forum rules
Use tags for the type of equipment your topic is about. Include the "repairs" tag, too, when appropriate. If a new tag is needed, request one in the TEAdministration forum.
MED6753 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 28, 2023 12:32 pm
The seller and I talked. He claims he takes these plug-in's on consignment from someone else. Knows nothing about them. Can't test them. Sold "as is". Doesn't know a $1 tube from a $50 tube. Is not trying to be deceitful. Yada, yada. Do I believe him? Maybe, but I'm still suspicious. Anyway, we agreed on a partial refund, which he already passed, that more than covers the cost of two 12AU6 tubes. So I'm happy and consider the matter closed. But I did suggest to him that he talk with his "supplier" because someone in that loop is ripping others off.
The seller is "themudlarks" and he is located in Staten island, NYC. I suggest avoiding him.
Agreed, someone involved is definitely ripping people off since it's happened to you twice now. There's no way it's an accident when it's taken place twice and the tube compliment installed in the plugin shown in the eBay pictures is not what's present when the plugin arrives. Someone involved with selling the plugin has a supply of junk tubes ready to swap in replacement for the legitimate ones in the plugins each time one gets sold. They know exactly what they're doing and they've got themselves set up to do it.
This then prompts an interesting question: If the person on eBay is just a consignment seller, who is photographing the plugins with the original tubes for the eBay listings but then changing them out for the garbage replacements before shipment? If it's the owner of the plugins doing all this, they can probably manage to put up the eBay listings and handle shipment themselves so why do they need a consignment seller? The only reason I can think of for having a consignment seller would be to have a fall guy to take the eBay account hit, and if the "themudlarks" person on eBay really is a patsy in all this, the actual owner of the plugins is truly a scammer extraordinaire.
In the meantime the plug-in cleaned up except for that stubborn sticker at the bottom. Going to take extensive soaking in Goo Gone. Deoxit'ed the switch decks. Can't proceed any further until the two 12AU6's arrive.
An old gray beard with an attitude. I don't bite.....sometimes
Consignment means he has them and they were supplied by the other person, correct? Who’s taking the photos? Smells like processed male bovine spread to me…
It smells even more strongly. I just looked at his listings, and most photos seem to be taken on the same worn surface. Either he gets everything from the same crooked, tube swapping source, who also provides the photos, or he’s full of crap. Occam's Razor suggests to me at least that it’s the latter.
Received two 12AU6 so plug-in now fully populated with correct tubes. Verified no shorts on the PSU lines. First test on Type 535A. Both inputs pass a 50kHz signal surprisingly well before attempting any compensation. Vertical centering and DC Balance way off which is not surprising. And there is some vertical jitter that needs to be tracked down. Despite those issues looks real good. More to follow.
An old gray beard with an attitude. I don't bite.....sometimes
Vertical centering and DC Balance interact with each other so it's back and forth to get the trace centered and to stay centered when adjusting the vertical variable control. That has been accomplished. The vertical jitter is also solved. Reseated the 12AT7 output tube.
Left to do is vertical compensation.
An old gray beard with an attitude. I don't bite.....sometimes
Finishing up this plug-in with compensation adjustments. Heath IG-4244 Oscilloscope Calibrator set to 1kHz square wave as per manual. Amazingly Input A required no adjustments. Input B just some minor touch up. The overall gain on both inputs is also right on spec. This is surprising since none of the four 12AU6's are matched pairs which is standard factory shipped.
This plug-in is now complete and saved from the junk pile.
An old gray beard with an attitude. I don't bite.....sometimes
Another good restoration there Med, those vertical balances and DC balances can so infuriating at times, just as you get one spot on, you find the other one has just nudged out, I used to find that sometimes you had to tap the adjusters, and it could make a difference
