10 Nov
2009
10 Nov
'09
5:10 p.m.
I'm not reading here much at present, not until I eventually get all my
collection moved, but I did just get offered a Tek 545A which is languishing
in a garage down in Texas, so figured I'd ask about shipping it safely.
Weight seems to be 65lbs according to the manual, but I've not poked any
shipping companies yet to see how much it'll cost to get it up here to MN -
perhaps it'll end up being just too costly on those grounds.
Current owner's happy to pack it for me and drop it off to a shipping company
(and apparently they have a Craters and Freighters about 5 miles away from
them). Obviously styrofoam "poodle poop" is not a good idea - presumably a
higher-density material of some kind would be good, and something that's not
going to shift around too much. I wondered about some slabs of that styrofoam
stuff they use as house insulation, cut to fit, but maybe that's *too* solid
and won't absorb any impacts. Oh, and obviously something softer would be
needed on an inner layer to protect all the controls at the front of the 'scope...
Do people recommend pulling the tubes/valves and packing and shipping
separately, or will they likely be OK in-situ? I'd be doing a strip-down of it
anyway (it's not run in a couple of decades) - but with over 100 of them it's
a lot of work for the current owner, plus I hate getting stuff
already-dismantled and prefer making notes as I disassemble it myself.
cheers
Jules
10 Nov
10 Nov
5:45 p.m.
Craters & Freighters usually does well.
They cost more than the UPS store. There are reasons for this.
If you bag the equipment, usually you can exclude any packing materials
from entering.
One issue is that some packing materials outgas corrosive substances.
Long term storage in the packing box/crate can be a problem, especially
for sockets, contacts, etc.
Bench heater survival is probably enhanced by teardown and separated
shipping, but have seen a couple shipped via UPS that miraculously
survived, due to overpackaging.
GL.
Jules Richardson wrote:
I'm not reading here much at present, not until I eventually get all
my collection moved, but I did just get offered a Tek 545A which is
languishing in a garage down in Texas, so figured I'd ask about
shipping it safely.
Weight seems to be 65lbs according to the manual, but I've not poked
any shipping companies yet to see how much it'll cost to get it up
here to MN - perhaps it'll end up being just too costly on those grounds.
Current owner's happy to pack it for me and drop it off to a shipping
company (and apparently they have a Craters and Freighters about 5
miles away from them). Obviously styrofoam "poodle poop" is not a good
idea - presumably a higher-density material of some kind would be
good, and something that's not going to shift around too much. I
wondered about some slabs of that styrofoam stuff they use as house
insulation, cut to fit, but maybe that's *too* solid and won't absorb
any impacts. Oh, and obviously something softer would be needed on an
inner layer to protect all the controls at the front of the 'scope...
Do people recommend pulling the tubes/valves and packing and shipping
separately, or will they likely be OK in-situ? I'd be doing a
strip-down of it anyway (it's not run in a couple of decades) - but
with over 100 of them it's
a lot of work for the current owner, plus I hate getting stuff
already-dismantled and prefer making notes as I disassemble it myself.
cheers
Jules
5:51 p.m.
On 10 Nov 2009 at 11:10, Jules Richardson wrote:
Current owner's happy to pack it for me and drop
it off to a shipping
company (and apparently they have a Craters and Freighters about 5
miles away from them). Obviously styrofoam "poodle poop" is not a good
idea - presumably a higher-density material of some kind would be
good, and something that's not going to shift around too much. I
wondered about some slabs of that styrofoam stuff they use as house
insulation, cut to fit, but maybe that's *too* solid and won't absorb
any impacts. Oh, and obviously something softer would be needed on an
inner layer to protect all the controls at the front of the 'scope...
That's exactly what I use--the pink 1" stuff that comes in 2x8 and
4x8 sheets. It's different from most polystyrene foam--it's
extruded, so it doesn't make lots of "sawdust" when you cut it--just
score with a utility knife and break.
For heavy objects, I use double-walled cardboard boxes and make a box
within a box out of the styro foam. Add blocks here and there to
keep the object from moving within the box (this is what does the
damage--when the object can shift). Between the CRT surface and the
styro "wall", I fill a plastic bag with some packing "peanuts" and
insert the bag so it's snug, but not tight. A partially-deflated
beach ball might work as a shock absorber also--I've used those with
large musical instruments.
At any rate, I've shipped heavy loads overseas and cross-country with
no damage, using plain old UPS ground.
--Chuck
6:55 p.m.
Another thing I've seen work very well: bubble wrap, the kind with BIG cells. A
couple of layers of that wrapped around a unit provides a lot of protection. I agree that
removing the tubes would be the best move, but it's also a real pain. Might it be
possible to wad up some bubble wrap and place it inside the unit's cabinet? It's
been a long time since I've opened up a 545 so I'm not sure how helpful that would
be, but it's worth a look.
Oh, and congratulations! The 545 is a wonderful old beast. My HP 1741 is smaller,
lighter and packed with features, but it's just not the same.... -- Ian
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-
bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Chuck Guzis
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:51 AM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Shipping a Tek 'scope
On 10 Nov 2009 at 11:10, Jules Richardson wrote:
Current owner's happy to pack it for me and
drop it off to a shipping
company (and apparently they have a Craters and Freighters about 5
miles away from them). Obviously styrofoam "poodle poop" is not a
good
idea - presumably a higher-density material of
some kind would be
good, and something that's not going to shift around too much. I
wondered about some slabs of that styrofoam stuff they use as house
insulation, cut to fit, but maybe that's *too* solid and won't absorb
any impacts. Oh, and obviously something softer would be needed on an
inner layer to protect all the controls at the front of the 'scope...
That's exactly what I use--the pink 1" stuff that comes in 2x8 and
4x8 sheets. It's different from most polystyrene foam--it's
extruded, so it doesn't make lots of "sawdust" when you cut it--just
score with a utility knife and break.
For heavy objects, I use double-walled cardboard boxes and make a box
within a box out of the styro foam. Add blocks here and there to
keep the object from moving within the box (this is what does the
damage--when the object can shift). Between the CRT surface and the
styro "wall", I fill a plastic bag with some packing "peanuts" and
insert the bag so it's snug, but not tight. A partially-deflated
beach ball might work as a shock absorber also--I've used those with
large musical instruments.
At any rate, I've shipped heavy loads overseas and cross-country with
no damage, using plain old UPS ground.
--Chuck
7:04 p.m.
I would not strip the unit its built like a tank and will protect the
tube. If the tube was separated and in the same outer case the scope
body becomes a hammer to smash the tube.
Dave Caroline
7:19 p.m.
I'd still stuff the internal open spaces with something (news
paper/bubble wrap) so the tubes don't vibrate loose, and start bouncing
around the innards....
David
On Tue, 2009-11-10 at 19:04 +0000, Dave Caroline wrote:
I would not strip the unit its built like a tank and
will protect the
tube. If the tube was separated and in the same outer case the scope
body becomes a hammer to smash the tube.
Dave Caroline
7:53 p.m.
The 545A is intended as a portable instrument, they are pretty robust. It has
been awhile since I looked inside one, but instruments like this generally have
either shields or retaining clips holding the tubes in place. IIRC, many of the
tubes in Tek scopes are mounted upside-down or sideways, and will certainly
already have some type of retainer.
For the front panel, I would try cutting pieces of something such as stiffer
foam to fit around the perimeter of the front panel, to keep forces off the controls.
7:53 p.m.
-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org
[mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] Namens Dave Caroline
Verzonden: dinsdag 10 november 2009 20:05
Aan: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Onderwerp: Re: Shipping a Tek 'scope
I would not strip the unit its built like a tank and will
protect the tube. If the tube was separated and in the same
outer case the scope body becomes a hammer to smash the tube.
Dave Caroline
In a Tek 545A/B a lot of tubes are matched paires.
If you remove them you got to mark them so you put them back in the right
place.
I've had one for more the 20 years it never let me down.
-Rik
11 Nov
11 Nov
8:38 a.m.
I'm not reading here much at present, not until I
eventually get all my
collection moved, but I did just get offered a Tek 545A which is languishing
in a garage down in Texas, so figured I'd ask about shipping it safely.
The best option is to politely ignore it and wait until you find one
you can go and pick up locally. 545s are common as dirt.
I have shipped bigger Teks, and they are a real hassle.
--
Will
12 Nov
12 Nov
10:28 p.m.
William Donzelli wrote:
Not around here, I suspect - it's not exactly the right area for it :-(
I think the chances of finding someone with one local enough that I can pick
it up in person are reasonably close to zero. Not impossible, of course, but
it'd be difficult to find one close by purely for the cost of moving it.
"common as dirt" very much depends on location...
cheers
Jules
I'm not
reading here much at present, not until I eventually get all my
collection moved, but I did just get offered a Tek 545A which is languishing
in a garage down in Texas, so figured I'd ask about shipping it safely.
The best option is to politely ignore it and wait until you find one
you can go and pick up locally. 545s are common as dirt. 
10:54 p.m.
So bad there are too few (and when found TOO expensive) exemplars of tek
gear around here.
I dream with a TM500 "lab in a box" thing :o)
Not around here, I suspect - it's not exactly the
right area for it :-(
You are not looking, apparently.
Hams dragged these things to all corners of the Earth.
10:56 p.m.
On Nov 12, 2009, at 5:42 PM, William Donzelli wrote:
Ok, I'm gonna call your bluff, because I *AM* looking, ever since
my trusty 545A was accidentally sold from a warehouse. They're
pretty rare down here as well. Pointer?
...and they tend to keep them. That's
the problem.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
Not around
here, I suspect - it's not exactly the right area for
it :-(
You are not looking, apparently. Hams dragged these things to all corners of the Earth.
11:04 p.m.
UWilliam Donzelli wrote:
Umm the world is round. I suspect all the big cleaning of old stuff
was done about 10 to 15 years ago, with the advent of digital scopes.
Not around
here, I suspect - it's not exactly the right area for it :-(
You are not looking, apparently.
Hams dragged these things to all corners of the Earth.
--
Will
11:12 p.m.
On Nov 12, 2009, at 6:04 PM, Ben wrote:
Umm the world is round. I suspect all the big cleaning of old stuff
was done about 10 to 15 years ago, with the advent of digital scopes.
A digital oscilloscope is a completely different instrument with
(mostly) different applications...they have not replaced analog
scopes, and likely will not. It would be more correct to say "modern
analog scopes have replaced 40-year-old tube-type analog scopes".
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
Not around here, I suspect - it's not exactly the
right area for
it :-(
You are not looking, apparently.
Hams dragged these things to all corners of the Earth.
--
Will 
11:34 p.m.
--- On Thu, 11/12/09, Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> wrote:
From: Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com>
Subject: Re: Shipping a Tek 'scope
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at
classiccmp.org>
Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009, 3:12 PM
On Nov 12, 2009, at 6:04 PM, Ben wrote:
Umm the world is round.? I suspect all the big cleaning of old stuff
was done about 10 to 15 years ago, with the advent of digital scopes.
? A digital oscilloscope is a completely different instrument with (mostly) different
applications...they have not replaced analog scopes, and likely will not.? It would be
more correct to say "modern analog scopes have replaced 40-year-old tube-type analog
scopes".
? ? ? ? ???-Dave
--Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
I don't think you can even buy an analog scope from Tektronix or Agilent any more.
Digital really is taking over the scope market.
Bob
Not around here, I suspect - it's not exactly the
right area for it :-(
You are not looking, apparently.
Hams dragged these things to all corners of the Earth.
--
Will
11:49 p.m.
On Nov 12, 2009, at 6:34 PM, Bob Rosenbloom wrote:
I don't think you can even buy an analog scope from Tektronix or
Agilent any more. Digital really is taking over the scope market.
You mean the entire TAS line has been discontinued? That must've
JUST happened, as they were trying to sell me one just a few months ago.
I guess I can get a kitchen sponge to replace my handtruck, as
they're about as similar as analog and digital scopes. I guess we
can blame the current crop of college-boy "engineers" who
automatically think "obsolete" when they hear "analog".
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
Umm the world is round. I suspect all the big
cleaning of old stuff
was done about 10 to 15 years ago, with the advent of digital
scopes.
A digital oscilloscope is a completely different instrument with
(mostly) different applications...they have not replaced analog
scopes, and likely will not. It would be more correct to say
"modern analog scopes have replaced 40-year-old tube-type analog
scopes".
11:35 p.m.
On 12 Nov 2009 at 18:12, Dave McGuire wrote:
A digital oscilloscope is a completely different
instrument with
(mostly) different applications...they have not replaced analog
scopes, and likely will not. It would be more correct to say "modern
analog scopes have replaced 40-year-old tube-type analog scopes".
You can say that again. While I don't miss fussing with the old
storage-tube scopes, a good analog scope is still a very valuable
tool (mine is an old Tek 465). I wouldn't mind owning a 7000 series
unit with a nice palette of plugins, but I suspect those are still in
high demand and command real money.
--Chuck
11:51 p.m.
On Nov 12, 2009, at 6:35 PM, Chuck Guzis wrote:
770x scopes are relatively cheap, but a 790x in good shape will
set you back may hundreds of dollars. The good thing is that they're
practically indestructible.
I use a gorgeous, very compact Tek TDS3012 digital oscilloscope
much of the time, but when something "just doesn't look right", I use
a 2465A.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
A digital
oscilloscope is a completely different instrument with
(mostly) different applications...they have not replaced analog
scopes, and likely will not. It would be more correct to say "modern
analog scopes have replaced 40-year-old tube-type analog scopes".
You can say that again. While I don't miss fussing with the old
storage-tube scopes, a good analog scope is still a very valuable
tool (mine is an old Tek 465). I wouldn't mind owning a 7000 series
unit with a nice palette of plugins, but I suspect those are still in
high demand and command real money.
11:13 p.m.
Umm the world is round. ?I suspect all the big
cleaning of old stuff
was done about 10 to 15 years ago, with the advent of digital scopes.
In the past six months, I have come across (in mostly different
locations!) EIGHT different tube type Tek scopes. I will likely only
keep the 565 machine, as all good 70s mainframe shops had a Tek on a
cart tucked away somewhere.
Just a few days ago I came into a 535A and a 567. The 567 is a little
bit of an oddball, as it has the built in Nixie tube frequency
counter. I may end up parting these out, unless someone wants to give
me scrap/parts/shipping value (from 10512). It is a bit rough, so it
is a bit of a project.
In thinking about this again, it was likely the military that spread
Teks all over the place initially. They purchased biblical amounts of
535As and 545As.
--
Will
11:46 p.m.
On Nov 12, 2009, at 6:13 PM, William Donzelli wrote:
You, sir, are blessed with being in the right part of the country
to get interesting gear cheap. The best I can hope for around here
is old VCRs and last year's Pentiums. And yes, I DO know how to find
stuff...there's just not any here.
Umm the world
is round. I suspect all the big cleaning of old stuff
was done about 10 to 15 years ago, with the advent of digital scopes.
In the past six months, I have come across (in mostly different
locations!) EIGHT different tube type Tek scopes. I will likely only
keep the 565 machine, as all good 70s mainframe shops had a Tek on a
cart tucked away somewhere. Just a few days ago I came into a 535A and a 567. The
567 is a little
bit of an oddball, as it has the built in Nixie tube frequency
counter. I may end up parting these out, unless someone wants to give
me scrap/parts/shipping value (from 10512). It is a bit rough, so it
is a bit of a project.
567, I don't think I've even heard of that model. Built-in
frequency counter, neat! I might be interested in picking that up
from you if you don't get any other takers.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
11:57 p.m.
On Thu, 12 Nov 2009, Dave McGuire wrote:
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:46:34 -0500
From: Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com>
Reply-To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at
classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: Shipping a Tek 'scope
On Nov 12, 2009, at 6:13 PM, William Donzelli wrote:
You, sir, are blessed with being in the right part of the country to get
interesting gear cheap. The best I can hope for around here is old VCRs and
last year's Pentiums. And yes, I DO know how to find stuff...there's just
not any here.
Dont think its frequency counter but a voltmeter/comparator widget that can
measure amplitude/risetime etc when used with sampling plugins. Has go/nogo
outputs, probably intended as part of a automated test system.
Peter Wallace
Umm the
world is round. I suspect all the big cleaning of old stuff
was done about 10 to 15 years ago, with the advent of digital scopes.
In the past six months, I have come across (in mostly different
locations!) EIGHT different tube type Tek scopes. I will likely only
keep the 565 machine, as all good 70s mainframe shops had a Tek on a
cart tucked away somewhere. Just a few days ago I came into a 535A and a 567.
The 567 is a little
bit of an oddball, as it has the built in Nixie tube frequency
counter. I may end up parting these out, unless someone wants to give
me scrap/parts/shipping value (from 10512). It is a bit rough, so it
is a bit of a project.
567, I don't think I've even heard of that model. Built-in frequency
counter, neat! I might be interested in picking that up from you if you
don't get any other takers.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
13 Nov
13 Nov
12:04 a.m.
Dont think its frequency counter but a
voltmeter/comparator widget that can
measure amplitude/risetime etc when used with sampling plugins. Has go/nogo
outputs, probably intended as part of a automated test system.
I think you might be right there. I will take a look at it tomorrow.
--
Will
14 Nov
14 Nov
4:15 a.m.
Dave McGuire wrote:
On Nov 12, 2009, at 6:13 PM, William Donzelli wrote:
You, sir, are blessed with being in the right part of the country to
get interesting gear cheap. The best I can hope for around here is old
VCRs and last year's Pentiums. And yes, I DO know how to find
stuff...there's just not any here.
"Time To Move," right? :)
Pat
Umm the
world is round. I suspect all the big cleaning of old stuff
was done about 10 to 15 years ago, with the advent of digital scopes.
In the past six months, I have come across (in mostly different
locations!) EIGHT different tube type Tek scopes. I will likely only
keep the 565 machine, as all good 70s mainframe shops had a Tek on a
cart tucked away somewhere.
4:34 a.m.
On Nov 13, 2009, at 11:15 PM, Patrick Finnegan wrote:
You, sir, are blessed with being in the right part
of the
country to get interesting gear cheap. The best I can hope for
around here is old VCRs and last year's Pentiums. And yes, I DO
know how to find stuff...there's just not any here.
"Time To Move," right? :)
For me, yes! But I'm planning to wait until my house is worth
maybe just a hair more than I owe on it.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
Umm the world
is round. I suspect all the big cleaning of old
stuff
was done about 10 to 15 years ago, with the advent of digital
scopes.
In the past six months, I have come across (in mostly different
locations!) EIGHT different tube type Tek scopes. I will likely only
keep the 565 machine, as all good 70s mainframe shops had a Tek on a
cart tucked away somewhere.
5524
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25 comments
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