Frequency Counter Blues

[Musicmanager]

Hi Guys

I've got the opportunity to acquire a Thander TG 102 in working order, as per attached pic.

Is this limited to 2Mhz or does the multiplier increase it's range ??

S

 

[House0Fwax]

Looks like 2MHz maximum. "<0.2Hz to 2MHz in 6 overlapping decade ranges." from page 3 of this document;
http://www.kevinchant.com/uploads/7/1/0/8/7108231/thandar_tg-102-workshop-manual.pdf

 

[Musicmanager]

Hi Hof W

I've got that document and saw that information on page 3, but I'm confused, if that's the case what does the multiplier do then ?
S

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Hi Guys

I've got the opportunity to acquire a Thander TG 102 in working order, as per attached pic.

Is this limited to 2Mhz or does the multiplier increase it's range ??

It's NOT a frequency 'counter' (as per the thread title) it's a function generator, and 2MHz is perfectly fine and all you really require (above that you need an RF generator).

 

[Musicmanager]

Ooops ! Sorry, that's me ! I've been seeing Frequency and Function and 'Scopes in my sleep !

Great news just the same, belongs to a neighbour who is willing to part with for a beer !
Thanks N

S

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Ooops ! Sorry, that's me ! I've been seeing Frequency and Function and 'Scopes in my sleep !

Great news just the same, belongs to a neighbour who is willing to part with for a beer !
Thanks N

Well worth it for a beer

Got my new scope yesterday - a Rigol DS1052E - as part payment for a design job I'm doing

 

[Musicmanager]

I'm green with envy !!
D'you remember the conversation we had the other day about transformers, one with a 24 - 0 - 24 winding ?
They arrived from the courier the very next day totally smashed to bits ! Very frustrating !!
I've ordered a toroidal with 2 distinct 12v outs - I'll get you to check my connections are correct when I've done it before I turn it on 1st time !! I'm going to wire it through a fuse both sides for safety.
I think I looked at the Rigol 'scopes when I was exploring, very expensive if I remember right.

S

 

[JimB]

Nice function generator for the price of a beer.
Thandar were "budget" instruments, but they always seemed to do "what it said on the tin".

Sorry to hear about your transformer, smashing one to bits takes a lot of doing.

JimB

 

[Musicmanager]

Hi Jim
Amazing really, I was chatting to my neighbour this morning because his car wouldn't start and he needed help to get it going, and I mentioned my new hobby and he declared he'd got this 'thing' in his garage that he didn't know what it was but looked useful. Mind you, a week ago I wouldn't have known what it was either. That's your fault !! lol
The windings on the transformers may be OK, they are both in metal chassis, but they had plastic/nylon connector blocks on top which were in pieces in the bottom of the box and there are wires left with the small individual terminals on them. Will take some sorting to find which is which I imagine.
I know they do take a 'bit of doing' to smash, but then couriers these days are professionals at it, arn't they ?
Good to hear from you

S

 

[tunedwolf]

Thandar were fine for where they were aimed at, that middle ground between serious hobbyist vs professional user. I had a Thandar SC110A 10Mhz scope that I used to carry around in my tool box for times when I really needed to see what was going on. It wasn't particularly accurate but it was very handy to have, being totally isolated, and saved my bacon on more than one occasion. For a beer, I would say you done well. A quick clean of the switches etc should result in a nice wee function generator

 

[k7elp60]

Hi Hof W

I've got that document and saw that information on page 3, but I'm confused, if that's the case what does the multiplier do then ?
S

The multiplier takes the dial reading and multiplies it by the setting. If the dial (big round one) shows 1.4 and the multiplier is on 1M then the frequency is
1.4MHZ. If the dial is on 1.4, and the multiplier is on 1K then the frequency is 1.4Khz.

 

[Musicmanager]

Wooohooo ! something else I've learnt. Thank you

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Your transformer:
UPS=United Parcel Service a.k.a. United Parcel Smashers; Maybe not who delivered your package.

The transformers secondary datasheet should have dots on the schematic corresponding to a color. Think of these as a polarity symbol.
In series, you will get 0V or 24VAC. That's how you can determine the polarity of the secondary without knowing.

Paralleling windings with the wrong polarity releases the "magic smoke". Without the "magic smoke" electronics cease to function.

You can even get a decal: https://www.adafruit.com/product/691

 

[Musicmanager]

Hi Kiss

I don't think I'd attempt to rejuvenate these transformers without a lot more experience than I have. I managed to blow an electrolytic cap. with the poles the wrong way round a few weeks ago and that was terrifying enough for me ! Fortunately I didn't pay much for them so I've chalked it up to experience.

I like the decal, might get a few of those for a sort of signature .. lol

S

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

It's fun when your like 10 years old and it's intentional. The radial caps can be made to shoot off like little rockets. Oh what fun!

 

[Musicmanager]

Yeah, but I'm in my 60's with a heart condition and never expecting it !!!

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I'm catching up (in the limit). Get, the shippers insurance to handle it. You should hear the horror stores with scopes shipped from ebay sellers.
I got one that was remarkably shipped very well. I think he used where he worked. Sometimes it's nice to have a strap machine.

If your transformers come with data, your OK. I'm warning you to watch the dots.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I think I looked at the Rigol 'scopes when I was exploring, very expensive if I remember right.

Not really, they are the inexpensive side of digital scopes.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Another one of those things to do when you were a kid is generate sparks. I made probably 12" sparks from an auto ignition coil. I also did a high school project where I built a 3 KV power supply from scratch and used it to influence radish plant growth. I one an Honorable Mention at a regional science fair. Then I built a mirror image of my version of the"Leach amp" (Google it) and it took me FOREVER to find out what was wrong. I was able to use the board by switching the NPN's and PNP's and moving one trace. The amp is good for 0 to 800 kHz, that's like 0.8 MHz, but it's intentionally rolled off from 0.5 to 40 kHz. I then helped out a friend repair amps at home while going to school.

I worked on TV's at an early age. Probably 10 or 12. Removing the anode connection was always scary. Then I graduated to scientific stuff like Scanning Electron Microscopes, ebeam evaporators and X-ray generators. The power supplies in the latter two are off the charts: 13 kV at 1.5 Amps and 100 kV at 0.1A. Once I rebuilt them, the repairs stuck. No instrument formal training. One false move and your dead. And then there was the stupid lamp: 22 V at 45 amps to operate and a 40 kV pulse to kick.

I also worked at the other end of the spectrum measuring currents at around 1E-12 Amp (pA) and at 25 mA at around 0V. Some measurements were at cryogenic temperatures. The 1000 W RF transmitter was another scary unit.

I really wacked out some of the teachers because I would argue that my answer was right and some said "You aren't suppose to know that yet?.

 

[Musicmanager]

Guys

I went to my neighbour this morning and collected my function generator.
It's abosolutely filthy and needs a dismantle and clean out before use - I wouldn't say it's never been cleaned but in the dust in one corner I can see iron age archaeology !!
He's also got a couple of other things of interest, one thing that particularly caught my eye is a frequency 'meter' not counter - but same thing ? Range is 10Hz to 40 Mhz . Given that I'm not into radio things is that range good enough ????

Thanks