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Date

Re: Fume extractor recommendation

 

Getting OT but I will note that things like cancer are probability based and include genetic disposition.? Raising the risk of cancer from 0.001 per thousand to 0.01 per thousand still means you are extremely unlikely to get it, yet 10 times more people will and in addition to it being terrible for them we all pay the costs through higher health insurance premiums.

You are free to make your own choices but others will want to take a more cautious route.

Peter

On 4/11/2024 10:38 AM, Matt Harris wrote:

When I was a 7 year old kid, up until I was 18, I fished frequently during the summer.? I always used lead sinkers.? I also always crimped them on the fishing line with my teeth.? I also remember chewing on one of the sinkers on more than one occasion just because it was fun.

I have also have amalgam fillings in a few of my teeth.

I have also handled mercury from a broken old thermometer with my bare hands - because it is fun - and Mercurichrome was standard faire in our home when I was growing up; both the dab-on kind and the kind which came from a spray can.? I appreciate that Dad knew there was no antiseptic match to the product when applied to the newest scrape or cut which was obtained from being adventuresome children growing up in an amazing world without doomsayers around every corner warning us about the dangers of radiation from the Motorola color TV on which we watched Saturday morning cartoons or some other such nonsense.

This was also the time in my life when I became interested in electronics.? I loved the smell of the pine-based (or whatever it was made from) rosin in the 60/40 solders of that era.? I created many projects and desoldered many old boards for spare parts.? And I stripped tinned wires with my teeth.? In fact, I still sometimes hold the solder with my lips when I need a third hand while soldering things.

My last home had copper pipes with lead solder solidly holding it all together.? I raised two children in that home.? One is a brilliant biotech engineer who graduated in the top 1% of her class.? The other has an IQ as high as his old man had 30 years earlier.? They grew up in that same home where I soldered things on probably a weekly basis - and I never use lead free solder.

When I was a teenager, I worked in an auto shop which performed brake jobs and had a machine to grind new brake shoes to the proper size.? Those shoes and the dust they created contained asbestos.? Later on, I worked for a shop which installed and maintained industrial sound equipment.? Often times we were tasked with drilling holes in asbestos materials to run new audio wiring.? Then I worked at a radio station which had a transmitter that held within it PCB containing capacitors and transformers in an old building with asbestos ceiling tiles. Later, I went to work for a TV station which had huge Klystron beam supply transformers which also contained the rectifier stack, all cooled with PCB-containing transformer oil.? I've often been up to my shoulders in that oil while reaching in to unhook and retrieve the rectifier module to replace the blown diodes... the worst part of which was the fact that there was always a stored charge on those components simply due to being in close vicinity to 36KV in that oil, even though every possible point which was reachable was already grounded out with the "chicken stick".? It was always an adventure to reach into that oil.

One would think nowadays I'd be a walking bag of cancer or a blathering fool given the paranoia surrounding [insert purportedly dangerous substance here] in our environment to which I have been exposed my entire life.? And while that can be debated by some, I'd instead let the IQ test I took in my adulthood and my current state of close-to-retirement-age old-fartdom speak for itself. I think the biggest hazard I have to worry about right now is all the Marlboros, Big Macs and Coca-Colas I have consumed over my lifetime. /Those/?are indeed the scourge of this country, and I'm happy to say I more-or-less swore off them all almost 20 years ago - but I would never dream of limiting someone else's freedom to partake in those same things if they so choose.

I will admit, however, that I wasn't very smart in choosing to marry a very liberal thinking person who believed in most of these hoaxes perpetrated by those who have huge financial interests which would be greatly increased by the populous believing their stories.? Thankfully that mistake is far behind me and I learned a great deal from it.

I think people in California have much greater hazards to worry about than fumes from soldering.? And if it doesn't matter to you that things of this nature exist mostly to make people rich, go ahead and purchase the most expensive new fume hood setup you can find.? One that gives tons of CFM, purifies the exhaust with hyper-expensive filters which cause far greater environmental damage to manufacture and dispose of than it could ever avert. ?If you so strongly believe this to be a problem, why would you settle for anything less?? To do anything less would be killing your family.? To do anything less would be hypocritical and bad for the state.? If you know in your heart that there is grave danger in soldering things, your choice is clear; extremely expensive filtration which is guaranteed to eliminate 100% of the contaminates, or ceasing to do that kind of work.? Also, be sure you register your home as a potentially disastrous environmental pollution source; I'm sure the CA ministry of environmental protection directorate would want to know.


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

OK sorry for any confusion about where 60R and 7pF comes from.?

If you are still unsure about the Rp of the 10073C up at UHF, I tried a quick experiment using a VNA and a simulator. I measured a parallel tank circuit consisting of a 6.8pF ATC800B cap and a 16nH Coilcraft 'spring' inductor. See the simulation and the real measurement plots below.

This resonates at about 470MHz and this shows less than 0.1dB loss. The 6.8pF cap was then replaced with the tip of the 10073C with the tip ground used to make a direct ground connection.
If the Rp of the probe is about 60R then it will almost double terminate the system at resonance and there should be about 3dB loss.

I used the 1 port VNA measurement to predict what would happen if the 6.8pF cap was replaced by the tip of the 10073C. I then did the measurement for real. You can see there is really good agreement. The Rp simply 'has' to be really low because the system is so lossy when the ATC800B cap is replaced by the lossy capacitance of the 10073C.

You can also see that the probe can't be a consistent 12pF across all frequencies as there isn't a well defined resonance anymore. However, the phase plot shows zero degrees where the loss is about 3dB. So the Rp must be in the ballpark of 50 to 60R up near 500MHz.

The plots don't align that well because the real Coilcraft inductor won't be exactly 16nH and the probe won't look exactly like 6.8pF up at UHF but you get the idea.





Re: Fume extractor recommendation

 

Wow, those old guys must have been much tougher than today's youth and young adults!

I loved your stories, and will withhold many similar ones of my own. Other than having made a much better choice of lifetime partner, my stories are much like yours, and I have some others involving cleaning a pesticide spray tank from the inside, climbing trees, bicycle mishaps, etc. And I'm just getting ready to go out for the "running of the bulls" (long story, but it involves "pit", and I get about 15 miles per week).

So, when did *I* become one of the "old __s"?!?

Steve Hendrix


Re: Fume extractor recommendation

 

When I was a 7 year old kid, up until I was 18, I fished frequently during the summer.? I always used lead sinkers.? I also always crimped them on the fishing line with my teeth.? I also remember chewing on one of the sinkers on more than one occasion just because it was fun.

I have also have amalgam fillings in a few of my teeth.

I have also handled mercury from a broken old thermometer with my bare hands - because it is fun - and Mercurichrome was standard faire in our home when I was growing up; both the dab-on kind and the kind which came from a spray can.? I appreciate that Dad knew there was no antiseptic match to the product when applied to the newest scrape or cut which was obtained from being adventuresome children growing up in an amazing world without doomsayers around every corner warning us about the dangers of radiation from the Motorola color TV on which we watched Saturday morning cartoons or some other such nonsense.

This was also the time in my life when I became interested in electronics.? I loved the smell of the pine-based (or whatever it was made from) rosin in the 60/40 solders of that era.? I created many projects and desoldered many old boards for spare parts.? And I stripped tinned wires with my teeth.? In fact, I still sometimes hold the solder with my lips when I need a third hand while soldering things.

My last home had copper pipes with lead solder solidly holding it all together.? I raised two children in that home.? One is a brilliant biotech engineer who graduated in the top 1% of her class.? The other has an IQ as high as his old man had 30 years earlier.? They grew up in that same home where I soldered things on probably a weekly basis - and I never use lead free solder.

When I was a teenager, I worked in an auto shop which performed brake jobs and had a machine to grind new brake shoes to the proper size.? Those shoes and the dust they created contained asbestos.? Later on, I worked for a shop which installed and maintained industrial sound equipment.? Often times we were tasked with drilling holes in asbestos materials to run new audio wiring.? Then I worked at a radio station which had a transmitter that held within it PCB containing capacitors and transformers in an old building with asbestos ceiling tiles.? Later, I went to work for a TV station which had huge Klystron beam supply transformers which also contained the rectifier stack, all cooled with PCB-containing transformer oil.? I've often been up to my shoulders in that oil while reaching in to unhook and retrieve the rectifier module to replace the blown diodes... the worst part of which was the fact that there was always a stored charge on those components simply due to being in close vicinity to 36KV in that oil, even though every possible point which was reachable was already grounded out with the "chicken stick".? It was always an adventure to reach into that oil.

One would think nowadays I'd be a walking bag of cancer or a blathering fool given the paranoia surrounding [insert purportedly dangerous substance here] in our environment to which I have been exposed my entire life.? And while that can be debated by some, I'd instead let the IQ test I took in my adulthood and my current state of close-to-retirement-age old-fartdom speak for itself. I think the biggest hazard I have to worry about right now is all the Marlboros, Big Macs and Coca-Colas I have consumed over my lifetime.? Those?are indeed the scourge of this country, and I'm happy to say I more-or-less swore off them all almost 20 years ago - but I would never dream of limiting someone else's freedom to partake in those same things if they so choose.

I will admit, however, that I wasn't very smart in choosing to marry a very liberal thinking person who believed in most of these hoaxes perpetrated by those who have huge financial interests which would be greatly increased by the populous believing their stories.? Thankfully that mistake is far behind me and I learned a great deal from it.

I think people in California have much greater hazards to worry about than fumes from soldering.? And if it doesn't matter to you that things of this nature exist mostly to make people rich, go ahead and purchase the most expensive new fume hood setup you can find.? One that gives tons of CFM, purifies the exhaust with hyper-expensive filters which cause far greater environmental damage to manufacture and dispose of than it could ever avert.? ?If you so strongly believe this to be a problem, why would you settle for anything less?? To do anything less would be killing your family.? To do anything less would be hypocritical and bad for the state.? If you know in your heart that there is grave danger in soldering things, your choice is clear; extremely expensive filtration which is guaranteed to eliminate 100% of the contaminates, or ceasing to do that kind of work.? Also, be sure you register your home as a potentially disastrous environmental pollution source; I'm sure the CA ministry of environmental protection directorate would want to know.


Re: E4406A starting problem

 

I have one with the same problem. I didn't disassemble it. I saw comments that could be the source. Do I check the power source directly?


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

I againmissed the plot you provided.
A lot fo confusion has arisen due to your use of 6pF and 60R without any inital reference.hey were determined.

I still suggest that the BNC T method is a good option for Jinxie to check the unknown probe (up to 350MHz) given the resources that she appears to have available. Unlesss you can suggest a different, practical alternative.

Robert.

?


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

Jmr:?? "This stuff isn't difficult or technically challenging."
<boggle>
I have to admit I'm finding it *extremely* challenging trying to follow all this!! I thought I had a reasonable grasp of transmission line theory before this thread unfolded and now I'm feeling like an absolute beginner. It would be so nice if the cognecenti here could arrive at a mutually-agreed approach as to how to proceed. That would make like *so* much easier!
Just a hope...

J.


Locked Lothar Baier - please explain the possible 8703A -> 8720B deception

 

Lothar,
On 9th August 2023 you offered for sale a 130 MHz to 20 GHz 8703A? lightwave analyzer.


You stated that had bought 2 and "I removed the optical testsets to use them for parts"

You went on to say

"this is a great unit for someone who wants a compact VNA but can not afford a 8720B or for someone who has a broken 8720B and wants to get it back running"

Clearly from this you considered an 8720B to be more valuable than an 8703A with the optical test set removed.?

Then on 29th March 2024 you offered for sale what you said you believed with an 8720B. Anyone that receives the list via email will have the link, but the link is no longer valid as you deleted the posts - see screenshot of what I can see as an admin.


You wrote it was offered for sale on behalf of a widow of a friend, an

"HP VNA? 130MHz-20GHz , appears to be 8720B no sticker on unit.? , good condition $1650"

As you know, a potential buyer from Iceland backed out of the deal when he became suspicious that the item with no label was actually the 8703A you had advertised 6 months earlier. The differences and similarities between the? photographs are as follows.

1) A label to the right of test port 2, with part of the label scrubbed out is seen in all photographs

2) A label under the test port 2 is seen in all photographs

3) The part number which was clearly visible on the photograph posted last year has been removed.

I have attached 3 photographs - two clearly showing the model number is an 8703A, and another with the model number and function removed, and it just showing "130 MHz - 20 GHz analyzer" rather than the "8703A 130 MHz - 20 GHz Lightwave Component Analyzer" in the photographs posted previously.

F1EKU has since provided his view that the instrument you were selling was indeed an 8703A. I have not checked out F1EKU's comments, but I am even without looking, I am sufficiently concerned about this to ask for your comments.?

Can you please shed any light on this matter? Do you accept that they are the same instrument? Why, if you had done nothing wrong, did you feel the need to delete the messages?

Dave (group owner).

--
Dr David Kirkby Ph.D
Kirkby Microwave Ltd
Email: drkirkby@...
Web:
Telephone 07910 441670 (UK) or +44 7910 441670 (international)
Registered in England and Wales, company number 08914892.?
Registered office: Stokes Hall Lodge, Burnham Rd, Althorne, Essex, CM3 6DT



Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

What do you think is going to be special about the 10073C that means the Rp will stay at 2.2Meg even up at VHF and UHF??

I just measured one for you. Rp falls in a similar way to other x10 scope probes. This should be no surprise because there's going to be a compensation cap in the tip (across a large tip resistance) and this is going to be in series with a deliberately lossy transmission line. The reason the Rp falls is partly because of the lossy coax cable in series with the tip capacitor.

Plot Rp vs frequency for a lossy capacitor and you will see Rp falling with frequency.

This stuff isn't difficult or technically challenging.

Some of you shouldn't be offering advice to Jinxie because you seem so inexperienced.


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

Posts crossed agin, I'm doing other things.

The Tek example is a 10M 100MHz probe. That is not the same as the 10073C.


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

On 2024-04-11 09:06 AM, jmr via groups.io wrote:
The parallel capacitance won't be a constant 12pF, it will fall slightly up at VHF and UHF.
I've been following this discussion with interest, no particular expertise to contribute. Is your statement above based on the leads and other parasitics adding some inductance, which starts to cancel the capacitance at higher frequencies?

Steve Hendrix


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

I've just measured a 10073C probe on an analyser for Rp Cp and XP vs frequency up to 500MHz. See the plot below.

There should be no surprises in the result below as many x10 scope probes will look like this.




Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

No,
I've not measured a high impedance 'scope probe on a VNA (which is typically intended for 50R systems). I'm away from home on business so won't be doing so any time soon (I have a number of VNAs).

When HP / Agilent / Keysight say the probe input impedance is 2M2 in parallel with ~12pF I tend to belive them. I cannot see where you are getting a RESISTANCE of 60 Ohms from.

As it is close to the reactance of the "missing" 6pF on your simulation maybe it make little difference, but surely, lacking any other data your simulation should use the published 2M2 in parallel with 12pF values for the 10073C?

Robert.


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

If it helps, look at the Tek datasheet in the link below. It shows Rp vs frequency for a typical 100MHz x10 scope probe.

The input Rp for the 10073C will be fairly similar vs frequency. It will fall below 100 ohms by a few hundred MHz.



The parallel capacitance won't be a constant 12pF, it will fall slightly up at VHF and UHF.?


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

Jeez, I've just read all the recent replies. Have none of you ever measured a x10 scope probe before?
You can't assume the Cp will remain at 12pF up at UHF.
Also, the Rp will fall with increasing frequency. Only a novice would expect the Rp to still be 2.2M up at VHF and UHF.

It's going to look like about 60R Rp resistance in parallel with 7pF up at 400-500MHz.

Down at (say) 10MHz it might look like 12pF in parallel with about 20k ohm Rp.


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

No I'm not counting the capacitance twice.?

Rp is a measure of parallel resistance not parallel capacitance. At 400-500MHz, the 10073C will load a circuit in a similar way to the loading caused by a perfect 60R resistor in parallel with about a 7pF perfect capacitor. i.e. just as I drew it on the circuit.

Have you ever measured a x10 scope probe using an analyser??


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

On Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 02:45 PM, Robert G8RPI wrote:
Crossed with Raymonds reply.
You saved my day...

Raymond


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

On Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 02:37 PM, Robert G8RPI wrote:
But you have Rp and 7pF probe capacitance.
That is counting the input capacitance twice.
Hi Robert,
Is that meant as an answer to my question? I'd say (HP spec) Rp = 2.2MOhm, Cp = 12pF, resulting in |Xc| less than 30Ohm @ 500MHz, or no? I'm confused...

Raymond


Re: Testing Scope Probes

 

Crossed with Raymonds reply.
I was assuming the probe input capacitance was 12pF. Seems odd to split the reactive impedance.

Robert.


Re: HP8568B battery replacement

 

On Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 10:57 AM, Gianni Becattini wrote:
My had both, but I concluded that the big one (HP-67 style) was not used, so I changed only that on board and it works.

Hi Gianni,

I'm one of the many that have admired your beautiful books from the beginning but haven't posted about that.

As regards your above post, I'm not sure what you mean by "both": Two NiCds? BTW, the HP-67 also uses the smaller 3-cell (HP-35 style) battery, the HP-97 (and HP-91) use the bigger, 4-cell type.

Raymond