Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Dan Green Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design,sci.electronics.repair Subject: Re: Favourite Test Equipment Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 23:36:27 +0100 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 90 Message-ID: <7epg1j58rndepgcf07sj3nejuh5h3iqnh2@4ax.com> References: <9k7j0jlnbhs8qfg5m17pium0835meean83@4ax.com> <24979c04-3d96-6fdb-1763-e1a6f9f0a6d1@electrooptical.net> Reply-To: dhg99908@hotmail.se MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Injection-Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:36:28 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="ad92aa1cf331a2f9b588871bc5797bec"; logging-data="2043369"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX19YVQUvQy3Hrymqj9/UKRJ7ZK868VAigFI=" User-Agent: ForteAgent/8.00.32.1272 Cancel-Lock: sha1:vfEpM42ki7+Amg3n6DLmEZcwteQ= Bytes: 5342 On Fri, 12 Apr 2024 06:04:45 +1000, Trevor Wilson wrote: >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 >>>> 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. Ah - you're Australian. That explains a lot.