Least Favorite Piece of Equipment

Thraxas · 07-29-2005 -- 16:29:36

Okay. Flynn's topic inspired me to create this one. I agree with the drunk man's assessment of Boonton and Wavetek equipment. I can't comment on the newer stuff, but I've seen too many half-dead dogs come across my bench. They can be very headache-inducing.

I know everybody has at least one item they dislike. So, don't be shy. Post!

Hoopty · 07-29-2005 -- 20:14:38

Least favorite standard, hands down, has to be the 242E. I HAAAAAAAAAAAATE using that POS for anything!

Least favorite piece of TMDE... hmmmmmmmmm... would have to be the AN/ALM-197 (or was it 184?) Test Set for the A-10. I think that's the P/N anyway. It's the one that has the triangle, square, and circle on the meter. The composite video section sUUUUUUUUUcks. It's always a pain in the ass!

mdbuike · 10-14-2005 -- 17:37:49

Let's see...

Scopes...Tek's 46X series (yes, we have some customers that won't get rid of them, and the contract says we fix 'em if we can...and the QAE's are tough on that)

Spec An's...anything by Tek, period

Sig Gens...Most anything that goes in a SATCOM terminal..the Army went for low bidder, and it shows. That, and the fact Agilent isn't supporting anything over 5 years old anymore..we support about 50 8663/8662s, and thier phase noise is tarting to go Tango Uniform, and the parts aren't available. Same with the 8340's..I had to NRTS one because of a bad YIG, and you can't get them.

And my final pet peeve..customers that buy stuff locally, then bring it in without contacted us first...FIREBERD 8000 springs right to mind, and since there's only 5 reported in the USAF, AFMETCAL won't write a procedure, so it's comm data

Rant mode off.....

Mike

calqueen · 10-21-2005 -- 12:25:54

flamy is it you wont touch the 334A or have you been banned from touching it? just curious because those are my favorite and i could do them with my eyes shut and one hand tied behind my back!

docbyers · 10-21-2005 -- 12:53:52

I can remember 4-hour stints doing Fluke 5100B-03's; there was a week before I left Ramstein where I had 4 5100-B units, all dead, and was asked to NRTS 2 and save 2. I did it, but I didn't enjoy it much. When I built FASTCAL labs I asked AGMC to upgrade to the 5700, which they did. Ancient history now...

Phys_dim · 10-27-2005 -- 11:11:31

Quote from: flamy78 on 07-29-2005 -- 22:26:07
Well currently I won't touch 334A for calibration because of a rewrite to the kpro which makes you have to use an alternate procedure if you read it right. Personal thing though I guess.

I'm being forced into calibrating the scopes and "sif" drawers on some 137's next week to help out. I do not look forward to it.

a currently hated item of night shift here is the Boonton 82AD or something or rather mod meters.

I'm not crazy of that one altimeter test set i've done - its got 3 20 dB attenuators and a delay line. A lack of good amplifier makes this a bitch.

I have a very valuable....PERSONAL AN/UPM 137A adjustments, hints and tricks book, at one time I was VERY knowledgeable on this unit...but not now. I probably could scan this...and it might help you out, let me know if your interested, this is not for the faint of heart. btw you will need some basic knowledge of TACAN/IFF and the such.

MIRCS · 10-27-2005 -- 14:20:25

You get that scanned in and could someone get off of Metweb the spreadsheets that have A4, A8, B4 and B8 coefficients??? Need badly

Hoopty · 10-27-2005 -- 22:22:17

Phys_dym: If you're willing to share your 137A bag 'o tricks, I'm more than willing to host it here. Just e-mail it to me and I'll get it up.

MIRCS: What is this spreadsheet for? I'll see if I can find what you're talking about and get it to ya.

MIRCS · 10-28-2005 -- 07:10:33

Quote from: Hoopty on 10-27-2005 -- 22:22:17
MIRCS: What is this spreadsheet for? I'll see if I can find what you're talking about and get it to ya.

Hoopty it is for figuring the coefficients of ITS-90 for PRT's and SPRT's...like A4, A8, B4, B8, A10...etc One of the lab techs at AFMETCAL sent me a ccopy once and of course I have lost it. It was then put on METWEB in the place that has the helpful stuff.

Phys_dim · 10-28-2005 -- 07:35:44

I've been out since '96. But I was the TACAN guy for way too many years. I will try to get it scanned in this weekend, keep your fingers crossed.

I might have some other semi valuable stuff too...

Phys_dim · 10-31-2005 -- 13:58:59

TACAN BOOK

Well, I've dug thru the pit of hell looking for that book...I'm not sure where the hell that thing is...I have one more closet to look through, but folks this is not looking good.

I did find some cool other manuals/com data for the an/upm 123 (or 124, I can't recall), and other odd tacan stuff that is SO obsolete that no one would even recognize it.

As soon as I find the "TACAN bible" I will scan it and get it posted for you. Keep your fingers crossed.

civservicerules · 11-02-2005 -- 07:08:58

284 pulse gen.

flew-da-coup · 11-09-2005 -- 08:33:12

anything Dave R. touched...

Thraxas · 11-09-2005 -- 17:00:12

Quote from: flamy78 on 11-09-2005 -- 11:12:33
Is this a drunken Hugo?

I performed a Google search of "drunken Hugo", and this site came up:

http://www.stuffonmycat.com/index.php?itemid=516 .

That's a pretty talented cat.

kkudla · 04-06-2006 -- 12:26:44

This one's easy...

It was a GRA-111 o'scope. I recall it always being priority 1 and it was almost alway out of tolerance. Adjusting the plugins was F-U-N as well. You had to power down, pull the plugin out, make the adjustment, plug it back in and let warm up and hope that the trace is in spec (which it usually wasn't). Then you power down and repeat. Usually this was always accompanied by someone breathing down your neck because it was a priority.

Next runner-up was the AN/UPM-137... ugh.. I don't miss those at all..