VHS Equipment Review Project - Part Deux

wander · February 3, 2018, 10:31am

Hi all,

Taking inspiration from @Majicj, I thought it was time to review more of the equipment languishing on the VHS shelves:

Automated Production Machinery Corp EX500
BTR 2000 Series Soldering Desoldering System
Voltbox AC Power Supply
Hewlett Packard 3400A RMA Voltmeter
Healthkit IP-2718 Tri-Power Supply
Welch Densichron
Harrison 6433B Power Supply 0-36V 0-10A
Kikusui Electronics Corp Regulated DC Power Supply
PowerBright VC-750W Step Up & Down Transformer
Oscillator Model K8202 400V AC Power Supply
PACE SensaTemp
MBT by PACE SensaTemp
MBT by PACE SensaTemp Dual Tip

I’ve posted a list in the wiki with pictures, here: area:retirement [Vancouver Hack Space]

Same process as before:

pick an item
if you know about it, let people know
express your opinion on Keep, Bin, Sell or claim it

The objective is to come to consensus within a similar time frame of one week.

Thanks for your help!

lukecyca · February 3, 2018, 5:03pm

PowerBright VC-750W - This is an autotransformer that’s useful to testing 220V 240V equipment at VHS. We used to have 2 or 3 of these. At least one of the junkier ones was tossed at the last review. I vote we keep one (ie: this one).

Voltbox AC Power Supply - This appears to be a bog standard variac which we should have. However this one has warnings about a live power switch so maybe it isn’t in good repair, expects to be used in conjunction with an isolation transformer, or is simply old and unsafe.

Oscillator Model K8202 400V AC Power Supply appears to be a modified Elgar 401B. I’ve added specs and a manual to the wiki page.

The DC power supplies are probably better quality than the digital ones we all typically use at VHS.

A bunch of things on this list seem to be soldering/rework equipment that is missing components. I guess anyone who is recommending we keep something is implicitly volunteering to ensure it is in working order or figure out what would be required to fix it up, and tracks down Make/Model and ideally the specs and a manual.

SteveRoy · February 3, 2018, 5:12pm

Don’t know much about any of them, however agree with @lukecyca - something with a warning like that should be tossed.
The soldering equipment with missing parts isn’t useful or worth keeping.

rsim · February 3, 2018, 5:15pm

Agreed on keeping the PowerBright VC-750W and Voltbox AC Power Supply. I expect the variac’s warning is just stating that it’s an old piece of equipment - perhaps it’s fixable so the switch can be grounded?

If VHS doesn’t want to keep the Oscillator Model K8202 400V AC Power Supply, I’d definitely give it a good home as I need a variable frequency PSU.

lukecyca · February 3, 2018, 5:35pm

The “Model K8202” looks to be hand engraved, and is probably an asset ID from the previous owner. It’s actually an Elgar 401B (or very similar to).

If we can confirm that it works, then I’d like to see if stay at VHS. It would be a generally useful power supply for the advanced electronics bench. Now that we have specs and a manual, we could just flesh the wiki page out a bit more and move it into the proper Equipment section.

Jarrett · February 3, 2018, 6:28pm

The variac is fine, I have used it many times. I’m volunteering to test the
potential switch issue and remove the warning or bring it up on the forums
as appropriate.

Standard warnings of it being very dangerous if you don’t know how to use
it properly apply, and will remain.

SteveRoy · February 3, 2018, 6:31pm

My concern wasn’t so much having something dangerous at VHS, as we have a ton of stuff that is. It was more having something dangerous that isn’t supposed to be.

wander · February 8, 2018, 8:22am

Here is the current plan for the equipment list:

Equipment	Action
Automated Production Machinery Corp EX500	Retire
BTR 2000 Series Soldering Desoldering System	Retire
Voltbox AC Power Supply	Keep
Hewlett Packard 3400A RMA Voltmeter	Retire
Healthkit IP-2718 Tri-Power Supply	Retire
Welch Densichron	Retire
Harrison 6433B Power Supply 0-36V 0-10A	Retire
Kikusui Electronics Corp Regulated DC Power Supply	Retire
PowerBright VC-750W Step Up & Down Transformer	Keep
Oscillator Model K8202 400V AC Power Supply	Keep
PACE SensaTemp	Retire
MBT by PACE SensaTemp	Retire
MBT by PACE SensaTemp Dual Tip	Retire

We’re looking to wrap this up in 2 days, so if you have comments please make them soon.

Thanks!

Rebel_without_Clause · February 8, 2018, 2:58pm

Let’s keep the following for the reasons mentioned:

(1) Hewlett Packard 3400A RMS Voltmeter: It is a 6and1/2 digit one!

(2) Harrison 6433B Power Supply: It is a beast of power supply.

(3) Heathkit IP-2718 Tri-Power Supply: Iconic Power Supply Design.

(4) BTR 2000 Series Soldering Desoldering System: Our only Desoldering Station.

The Power Supplies are not needed until you need them!

Are the soldering stations to be retired non-functioning? If they work they come in handy for circuit workshops.

Jarrett · February 8, 2018, 4:05pm

I believe those soldering stations are missing expensive or rare
components. If you’d like to champion them, please take a look and reply
back within Andrew’s two day limit!

Additionally, I get the desire to keep the Heathkit because it’s iconic,
but I don’t know if that passes the bar for “useful enough to justify its
space at VHS”

Rebel_without_Clause · February 8, 2018, 5:58pm

I will take a look at the Soldering/Desoldering stations and the power supplies this week/this weekend.

wander · February 9, 2018, 9:48pm

Okay, I’d like to try and wrap this up on Saturday.

Equipment	Action
Automated Production Machinery Corp EX500	Retire
BTR 2000 Series Soldering Desoldering System	Retire
Voltbox AC Power Supply	Keep
Hewlett Packard 3400A RMA Voltmeter	Doubt
Healthkit IP-2718 Tri-Power Supply	Doubt
Welch Densichron	Retire
Harrison 6433B Power Supply 0-36V 0-10A	Retire
Kikusui Electronics Corp Regulated DC Power Supply	Retire
PowerBright VC-750W Step Up & Down Transformer	Keep
Oscillator Model K8202 400V AC Power Supply	Keep
PACE SensaTemp	Retire
MBT by PACE SensaTemp	Retire
MBT by PACE SensaTemp Dual Tip	Retire

Can we get final judgement on the Healthkit IP-2718 Tri-Power Supply and the Hewlett Packard 3400A RMA Voltmeter?

Thus far I’m not seeing a compelling reason for keeping it beyond aesthetic reasons.

Jarrett · February 9, 2018, 10:42pm

wander:

Here is the current plan for the equipment list:

		Equipment
		Action

		Automated Production Machinery Corp EX500
		Retire

		BTR 2000 Series Soldering Desoldering System
		Retire

		Voltbox AC Power Supply
		Keep

		Hewlett Packard 3400A RMA Voltmeter
		Retire

		Healthkit IP-2718 Tri-Power Supply
		Retire

		Welch Densichron
		Retire

		Harrison 6433B Power Supply 0-36V 0-10A
		Retire

		Kikusui Electronics Corp Regulated DC Power Supply
		Retire

		PowerBright VC-750W Step Up & Down Transformer
		Keep

		Oscillator Model K8202 400V AC Power Supply
		Keep

		PACE SensaTemp
		Retire

		MBT by PACE SensaTemp
		Retire

		MBT by PACE SensaTemp Dual Tip
		Retire

We’re looking to wrap this up in 2 days, so if you have comments please make them soon.

Thanks!

I was going to update this quote list to my recommendations, but there was no need, I completely agree with all of these

Janet · February 9, 2018, 10:56pm

Definitely agree on the retirements. Thanks for organizing this @wander

Rebel_without_Clause · February 10, 2018, 9:46pm

I will come tomorrow (Sunday) to check the functioning of the following:
Let’s keep the following as well if it is functioning:
(1) HP Hewlett Packard 3400A RMA Voltmeter:
It is 6.5 digits, really, really accurate (and 4 wire)!
(2) Harrison 6433B Power Supply 0-36V 0-10A:
No other power supply that can supply 10A at 36 V, it is a BEAST!
(3) Healthkit IP-2718 Tri-Power Supply:
Can go with ARC equipment, really well built!
(4) Kikusui Electronics Corp Regulated DC Power Supply:
Does it work?
(4) BTR 2000 Series Soldering Desoldering System:
Only desoldering device in space?

Welch Densichron (is this our only Optical-Analytical Instrument?)

The following can be retired:
(1) Automated Production Machinery Corp EX500
(2) PACE SensaTemp
(3) MBT by PACE SensaTemp
(4) MBT by PACE SensaTemp Dual Tip

Thanks,
RK

wander · February 10, 2018, 10:20pm

Uh, sorry mate the Hackery train was already scheduled.

These items are gone.

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Virus-free.

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Rebel_without_Clause · February 10, 2018, 10:31pm

Sorry got busy yesterday & today morning.
Since Hackery doesn’t pickup on weekends, we can recover the HP 3400, The Harrison & Heathkit power supply & Welch Denischron?

faja66 · February 11, 2018, 3:06pm

Hey all. I’m all for getting rid of non use equipment. But the timeline on this was way to fast. It would be good to give us a chance to look at some of the stuff. Can we please make this at least 1 week for the future?

Rebel_without_Clause · February 11, 2018, 7:03pm

Yes, the process was too quick to even to see if the equipment was functioning.
4 wire 6.5 digit multimeters are pretty rare!

(1) Maybe the committees (woodshop, laser cutter, electronics) and frequent users of those sections can decide what is useless (non-functioning, costs too much to repair, rare parts, etc.), what can be saved, etc.

(2) Users write their names, initials, handles, etc. and dates when a non-frequently used instrument was used on a tag. Only if the difference between successive dates on tags is greater than 6 months, does the equipment get considered for recycling, hacking, etc.
Does not apply to frequently used instruments such as Oscilloscopes, Laser Cutter, etc. (5S Method).

miststlkr · February 11, 2018, 7:25pm

I don’t know. I get what you guys are saying, but I kinda feel like if nobody can chime in and say it IS working, or that it was working “last month when I used it” then maybe we don’t use it enough to bother keeping it?