[time-nuts] Test Equipment

d.seiter at comcast.net d.seiter at comcast.net
Sun Jan 24 10:44:31 UTC 2010


Even worse are the tables with plastic tops...instasag! I've scavenged a few local leg sets from dumped tables on the curb for future projects. My lab has particle board tops covered with anti-stat matts, but they are sitting on 2 drawer filing cabinets and there is no sag. I have 4 racks currently in the house and garage; in one case, the rack out weights the contents by quite a bit. It will still be working after the roaches take over the world... 

Dave 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Miles" <jmiles at pop.net> 
To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement" <time-nuts at febo.com> 
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 5:37:55 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain 
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Test Equipment 

> 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 


_______________________________________________ 
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com 
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts 
and follow the instructions there. 


More information about the time-nuts mailing list