Re: Favourite Test Equipment

On 11/04/2024 11:55 pm, Phil Hobbs wrote:

On 2024-04-10 16:30, Trevor Wilson wrote:

On 11/04/2024 3:42 am, Cursitor Doom wrote:

On Wed, 10 Apr 2024 11:40:02 +1000, Trevor Wilson
<trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:
>

On 1/04/2024 4:41 am, Cursitor Doom wrote:

Hi all,
>
I'm starting to get a bit fed up with having my test equipment blow up
just when it's needed. This is the drawback with vintage gear; if it's
not used frequently then it can go *bang* the next time you switch it
on. It makes for good practice in repairing stuff, but wastes a lot of
time which could be better spent doing other things.
I think it's time I modernised my test gear. I was just wondering if
anyone has any recommendations they can share. Is there a particular
piece of test equipment you couldn't live without? Something you're
particularly impressed with? I'd be interested to know so I can
perhaps acquire said item and thereby reduce the number of explosions
I experience.
>
Thanks,
>
CD.

>
**In my 55 years of servicing, I've only blown up one thing: A Micronta
DMM, which I connected to a laser power supply. I should not have done
it. Clear operator failure. Everything else works just fine. Even my
first multimeter. A Sanwa U-50D my dad gave me on my 14th birthday.
Still works fine. My first DMM. A cheap 'n cheerful SOAR. Works just
fine. My first Fluke meter. A 40 year old Fluke 85. Works fine. I've had
to clean the switch a few times. Otherwise, no problems. Ditto my other
15 or so meters. Same deal with my 'scopes.
>
I don't know what your problem is. Test equipment, when treated properly
lasts a long time.

>
To be fair, these "explosions" are typically capacitors: old, dried
-out electrolytics in test gear that hasn't been used in a long time
go bang when the power's switched on - as do old X2 safety caps. Those
are the chief culprits IME.

>
**Oh, I see. You ignore regular maintenance. That makes sense. I hope no one buys a car from you.
>

 Whereas all you Ozites are 100% rational reasonable polite beings who are always on top of everything, including predicting the exact date when an old cap will give up the ghost.
 Silly me for forgetting. ;)
 Cheers
 Phil Hobbs

**The FIRST thing I do, when I acquire a new (second hand) piece of equipment is to replace all the RIFA caps that are connected across the mains I find. Then I carefully look for any signs of distress from electros. After which, I experience no or few problems. Two items I recently acquired (a Sound Technology 1000A and HP339A) were COMPLETELY re-built with all new electros, as they are very old products. Most of the electros measured acceptably well, but some were well below spec (ESR). They now perform as new (better than new in the case of the 339A). OTOH, my recently acquired Panasonic VP-7721A required nothing else but a new NiCad back-up battery. Performance was well beyond specification. No RIFA caps either.
Here is the distortion profile of 1kHz output from the Pana:
https://ibb.co/2yqM1S4
I have no idea why the OP has so many problems with decent test equipment, as test equipment tends to use superior quality components when compared to domestic equipment. With the exception of RIFA caps.
And the only product that ever failed when I switched on was a second hand Tektronix 2267B, I acquired from the Japan a few years back. It seems that the RIFA caps in the power supply had become accustomed to the Japanese 100VAC mains and 'chucked a wobbly' when connected to our Aussie mains supply. Much smoke and more than a little panic from me. Hence, I now replace ALL RIFA caps on sight.
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