TDS5104B - To P4 or not to P4 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Ice-Tea
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2017, 11:02:33 am
content: Well, as some of you know, I buy stuff at auctions. I tell myself to make a profit, but, well, doesn't always work out that way. So, what remains is another T&M addict I supposeAnyways, one of the 'scores' from some time ago was a Tek VM5000, which is pretty much a TDS5104B with some fancy trigger functions. It was listed ad 'no display', which makes perfect sense as it arrived with a screen that looked like one from an iPhone dropped from a tall building. Didn't power on, so I opened her up and disconnected the display in the assumption it was preventing the PSU from powering up. No dice. Dicked around a bit and found the PSU to be defective. It's not a 100% ATX PSU (it has some fan control going to the MoBo) but it accepted and worked with one. Presto: unit boots fine on external screen!Now, I have a TDS5054 that has other issues (but that's another story) and shares a lot of internals including the screen. So, let the swapfest begin! A bit later, I had working unit, tested on all channels! Yay! Only remaining issue: depleted CMOS battery, which meant you needed to go in the Bios each time to set the internal screen. First figured to sell it like that (by that time I was tired of assembling/dissasembling the damn thing) but I can obviously sell it for more if that is solved. So, some time later, battery replaced, good to go. One final test and...Shit. Fan.Need to boot with external screen, which makes sense. Open bios, point to the right screen, save, reboot and... Nothing. At all. Only solution: pop out the battery and try again. So, first thought it had something to do with the screen, so I verified by not changing the screen and changing nothing but the date. Nothing. At all. So, I figured, saving after a cleared CMOS messed things up somehow. So I tried again with 'exit and discard changes'. Nothing. At all.So, now I started removing everything from the motherboard to see it it solved the issue. It didn't. In the end, I had only the motherboard in front of me (with an identical original PSU from the 5054): nothing. While the 5054 worked just fine in that minimal configuration. So I came to the only possible conclusion: the MoBo is cooked. Ordered a new one on eBay (fairly standard kit) and sure enough: immediate success! In addition, it came with a P4 iso a Celeron and two sticks of RAM so, minor upgrade in the process. You should actually be able to get a small SSD for it, SATA ports are available. But, well, I would like to sell for a profit, so...About a thousand screws later, I'm ready to put on the top cover! Which is, off course, where the train comes to another grinding haltThe P4 cooler is a tad higher than the old one and conflicts with the optional printer tray. I'd be more than happy to throw the thing out the window, but unfortunately, it's a also a part of the frame to bolt down the topcover. So I'm left with two options:- Take it all apart againand re-install the Celeron- Cut away the offending part of the tray (and of the tray insert). This would not be visible with the tray cover closed but very clear with it open.What would you do? And more importantly: what would you rather buy?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2017, 11:12:34 am
content: I wouldn't buy a piece of equipment which someone has tried to uphack unless the price is really low. If you want to resell then keep everything original. That way the buyer knows it has the components it is supposed to have so he/she can send it in for calibration without worries it gets returned due to mismatching components. It is also better for you because in case the equipment stops working you will always get the blame for your bodges.IOW: Install the Celeron.

author: Ice-Tea
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2017, 03:59:34 pm
content: Yeah, while I was writing all that up, I pretty much came to the same conclusion. Unfortunatly.Still think I'm gonna let the 2 sticks of RAM there, though..