[time-nuts] Test Equipment

[John Miles]

> Another important aspect of the electronic test bench is the furniture.
>
> I started with the cheapie particle board "fold up legged" tables and
> very soon
> learned they could not hold much weight without significant sagging.

If you have the space, you could do what I do, and bolt multiple folding
tables together with 'L'- and 'T'-shaped flat metal brackets.  The idea,
besides adding surface area, is to dampen the tables' tendency to wobble.
This adds a surprising amount of stability and load-bearing capacity.  It
completely eliminates the need to add a center leg, which is otherwise
pretty much mandatory when using folding tables.

With cheap folding tables, you don't have to feel bad about drilling into
your workbench or otherwise marring and gouging it.  Every few years, or
when you move, just throw the old folding table away and spend $39.95 on
another one.  Voila, a brand new workbench.

> Many industrial equipment catalogs will give you an idea of the
> accessories possible.
> Shelves, drawers, electrical outlet strips.etc.
>
> An effective infrastructure will allow the test bench to gradually grow,
> as the budget allows.

Also, HP/Agilent equipment racks are sometimes available on eBay.  These are
nothing like the relay racks or server racks that you commonly see in data
centers.  They are *stout*.  They're very expensive when new, but almost
free for the shipping when bought used.  I used generic shelving units to
hold test equipment for a long time, but once you use real racks, you won't
go back.

An Agilent E3662A/B rack can hold up to 81 EIA units of gear weighing up to
1800 pounds.  I have three in my living room and wish I had more...

-- john, KE5FX