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Old 25th Oct 2018, 11:29 pm   #1
G0HZU_JMR
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Default Thurlby TTi Spares

Does anyone have any experience of getting spares for old Thurlby/TTi PSUs?

I've heard a rumour that it is possible to deal direct with TTi and order spare parts. I rescued a TTi PL330QMT from the skip at work today. The original fault was a broken sense connector as you can see in the image below but it is also missing the metal sense bar. I could probably make a sense bar and fudge the sense connection so it works but I'd really like to repair it properly. I also have another TTi PSU that has a broken earth connector on the front and this is the same type of 4mm connector but in white. These connectors seem to be really easy to break off so hopefully I can get some spares to fix both PSUs.

I also managed to salvage an old HP digital scope at the same time today. It looks modern but it is probably 20 years old. It's a huge thing and probably a bit too big for my workbench but it works fine. It was scrapped because it wouldn't boot up. But this was because this model needs an external keyboard plugged in the back. So once I fitted a keyboard it works as good as new.

But it's the quad mode TTi PSU that I really want to get up to 100% as it is quite a versatile model.
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Old 26th Oct 2018, 12:09 am   #2
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

I can't speak for your unit but just in the past couple of months I contacted them directly because we needed a replacement front panel keyswitch for a TG1040 RF signal generator - more or less unique because the grey rectangular keycap is part of the switch, so it wasn't possible just to replace the switch.

They were extremely helpful, stated the exact part number and quoted me the price which was well under 50p per replacement switch, the only stipulation being that there was a minimum order value of £5 so they suggested I buy as many switches (from the very limited number they still had) as needed to make up the £5 order value.

My response was to suggest that they sell me just two for £5 because it seemed selfish to order switches which I was unlikely to use and which other people might very well need. Their counter-response to that suggestion was to send me several of the switches free of charge.

Your luck may vary and they may no longer have what you need at any price, but, as you can see from the above, it's definitely worth asking.
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Old 26th Oct 2018, 12:30 am   #3
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

Wow that does sound good! I'll probably buy more than I need in terms of the sense plates because I know we are short of them at work. I also need a knob for another TTi PSU I have here so I think I'll easily exceed the £5 order.

The weird thing is that the company could/should have salvaged all the sense bars off this supply before scrapping it because we have several more at work with crudely bodged alternatives fitted in place of the sense bar. They fall off really easily when transporting the PSU from bench to bench. So I'll buy a few extra sense plates and donate them back to the company.

The company is trying to get rid of loads of stuff these days as we are moving to a new (single) building soon and anything that is less than perfect is going in the skip as BER as we need to downsize in certain areas. The rules have changed allowing staff to be 'gifted' anything that is in the skip if they want it. I just have to fill in a transfer/disclaimer form and it becomes my property

A couple of weeks ago I salvaged a 6GHz Aeroflex/IFR vector sig gen from the skip. I did have to repair it but it is a very nice sig gen.
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Old 26th Oct 2018, 12:52 am   #4
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

jammy ******!,where is the skip?
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Old 26th Oct 2018, 2:18 am   #5
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

Well, maybe a bit jammy... this stuff is much older than it looks. I think it is all about 20 years old including the sig gen. So not worth much when faulty/BER. The big old HP scope was a bit of a dog even when it was new. It doesn't perform as well as other HP/Agilent scopes that look the same on the outside. It is an early Windows based scope running Win98!

I'm not sure if the relevant parts on these TTi supplies are obsolete and so they may have run out of spares. The 4mm connectors do break off really easily and the other issue is that TTi use different colours and styles for the connectors and knobs even on similar models. See the image below. One of the PSUs has a broken earth connector but the connectors and knobs are different on the same model!

So if ordering it pays to make sure you order the correct style and colour. A lot of the TTi supplies have white posts but the bit behind them is colour coded. But the lower PSU in the image below has a more traditional colour scheme and knob type.
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Old 26th Oct 2018, 4:33 am   #6
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

That is one of the very first of that series of scopes. The way you can tell opens up a bit of a mystery. The model range was called 'Infinium' very soon after they came out the spelling was changed to 'Infiniium' with a double 'i'

I haven't a clue why this was done. I never come across anyone who knew.

Probably they came across someone who had already trademarked that name in some market around the world?

At the time they weren't a bad scope. They marked a sudden change of direction. Previous generations of HP digital scopes had far fewer controls and everything buried down several button-pushes of menus. They were tedious to drive. Scopes need to be fast and intuitive. One knob and eight soft keys saved money on hardware but incomvenienced the user continuously all the time he used the instrument. These scopes were a switch to a one knob per function style.

I didn't like the Windows 98 aspect. That came down as a command from on high. If you connected it to a LAN, or moved floppies around, you ought to have had antivirus on it. £30 per annum to Norton, the Windows tax!

I've fixed a few TTI PSUs at work. The bare wire holes in the terminals are conveniently large, but leave the terminal weakened. I just fitted non matching ones from Farnell. Oh, be aware that stress on the mains cable strains the solder joints of TTI IEC connectors onto the main PCB and they go dry. Worth resoldering as a pre-emptive strike.

Lucky devil!

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Old 26th Oct 2018, 7:38 am   #7
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

I think TTi still sell the white binding posts. I bought one not that long ago for my PL310. They sell the sense bars as well. But as mentioned, £5 min order.

Keysight are arguably better. They sold me a knob for a power supply for £0.90 and there was free shipping from Spain included! Spoke to three people in the process as well who all knew what they were doing.
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Old 26th Oct 2018, 9:16 am   #8
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

Some nice stuff there! Where I work they have been sorting the equipment stores over the last year, and a big pile of stuff with a red X on it has been steadily growing. Sad thing is no matter how much we try twisting their arms about it, they won’t let us have anything! We even suggested the ‘sign a disclaimer’ route, but they won’t have it. They would rather waste thousands of £ on disposal costs. I’m sure there are a few of these PSU’s on the pile, probably still have their sense bars intact.

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Old 26th Oct 2018, 10:10 am   #9
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

Where I used to work faulty equipment was piled up on a set of shelves waiting to be taken away for scrap. As we were being charged £170 per cubic metre to take it away, anything that could be removed from the pile to reduce the cost to the company was welcome. A quick word to the "facilities" manager and the stuff disappeared into my car boot. Some of it needed fixing but it was mostly very simple faults.

When the company finally closed down anything which wasn't retained by the parent company was allowed to be taken by those still working there. Unfortunately I wasn't working for them at the time but I've had quite a few useful items and anything I didn't want was offered on here so there were several other people benefitting.

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Old 26th Oct 2018, 1:22 pm   #10
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

Quote:
Sad thing is no matter how much we try twisting their arms about it, they won’t let us have anything! We even suggested the ‘sign a disclaimer’ route, but they won’t have it. They would rather waste thousands of £ on disposal costs.
For a few years it was the same where I work. But luckily, someone managed to work out how to overcome the legal/liability risks. If the equipment is deemed to have no value as an asset or is BER then it can be gifted free. But this does require the signing of a lengthy disclaimer form.

If the asset has 'any' value then this all falls apart because the company can't wriggle out of warranty and liability issues that may arise in the future. Even if the staff member doesn't want a warranty and promises not to make a liability claim I think a warranty and liability is still implied if the equipment has value. So there is zero chance of salvaging the equipment if it has any value as an asset.

Quote:
That is one of the very first of that series of scopes. The way you can tell opens up a bit of a mystery. The model range was called 'Infinium' very soon after they came out the spelling was changed to 'Infiniium' with a double 'i'. I haven't a clue why this was done. I never come across anyone who knew.
This one doesn't have a model number on the front but the help screen says it is the 54825A model. The S/N suggests it was made in 1997 (Win95 era?) so it has probably been upgraded to Win98 at some point. The PC hardware inside it has probably been upgraded as well as it now has a 7Gb HDD and a fairly fast motherboard in it. Interestingly, it loads and runs the scope system in an old school Win98 RAMdisk. Presumably this helps with the speed? With the fast mobo and HDD it seems to run quite fast so I think it is now a lot better than it was when new back in 1997.
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Old 26th Oct 2018, 1:34 pm   #11
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

I spoke to TTi today on the phone and they were very helpful and patient. Their prices for parts like this are in pennies as SiriusHW and MrBungle mentioned above. So I am very pleased!

The white earth post for the TS3022S PSU is 22571-0696 and costs 81p
The red/white post for the PL330QMT PSU is 22571-0675 and costs 81p
The sense shorting plates are part no 35331-0080 and they are just 15p each.

The classic white rotary knob for the TS3022S and the PL series is 37151-0480 and costs 30p.

I'll buy a dozen or so of the sense plates and a couple of spare knobs to make up the order beyond £5 and donate the sense plates back to the company. TTi close early on a Friday so I'll order the parts on Monday.

TTi did say some of these parts are obsolete now and may not be stocked for much longer. Thanks to all for their input here. I probably wouldn't have even tried contacting TTi for a tiny order like this if I hadn't heard on here how helpful they are!
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Old 5th Nov 2018, 8:52 pm   #12
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

Hi!

Just a quickie one, for the early series PL320 PSU!

Can anyone point me in the direction of the smaller dark brown rocker–type switch used on the R.H.S. side of the unit – the output on/off switch, and the round push–in black caps for the knobs that TTi used please?

I got given a couple of PL320 old–style dark brown ones with all these bits missing!

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Old 5th Nov 2018, 9:09 pm   #13
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

RS sold the rocker switches. I can’t remember who they are made by but are about £2.50 a pop and I had to wait 2 months for a back order. I searched by panel cut out size to find them.

On the basis of limited spares availability I might panic buy some bits for my TTi supplies
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Old 5th Nov 2018, 10:32 pm   #14
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

If anyone needs the knobs or caps for the TTI PSUs I got mine here:- https://www.rapidonline.com/Catalogu...y=cliff%20knob
Order Code: 32-1912 plus caps in various colours further down the page.
Chris
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Old 6th Nov 2018, 11:43 am   #15
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

They used at least two different types of black knob in the life of the brown models.

I haven't seen the earlier type elsewhere. The later type look a bit like the ubiquitous Sifam types, but they're not quite the same. I'd say that the Cliff types linked to above are a good match externally, but the datasheet implies that the caps might be a different fit - so if you just need caps, you'd be as well to order the knobs as well, just in case. They're cheap enough.

I've just removed the caps from each type, and not surprisingly, they are slightly different diameters. The later cap won't fit into the earlier knob, and the earlier cap is far too loose a fit in the later knob. And a Sifam cap won't fit into either of the knobs.

I'd say that the while the Cliff types are the best match for the later types (and are probably what was used originally), the Sifam types are a slightly better visual match for the earlier type.

Interestingly, my later model uses the type secured with a screw, but I reckon that the push-fit 32-1912 would fit mine with no problems.
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Old 6th Nov 2018, 12:40 pm   #16
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Default Re: Thurlby TTi Spares

My early PSU had Cliff knobs as standard and they matched and the caps fitted what was there, also as Mark says above if you have a mixture it probably easiest to change the lot so they all match they are not very expensive.
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