FS: Racal-Dana 9084 synthesized signal generator. Range: 10 KHz - 104 MHz

[TerraHertz]

I've been sifting through my storage trying to cull stuff I'm never going to need, by selling or scrapping.
Here's a Racal-Dana 9084 synthesized signal generator. Range: 10 KHz - 104 MHz.

Going for $20. Pickup preferred, location Sydney south area, Australia.
(Edit to add: that price assumes pickup. If someone wanted this shipped, then add say $20 for packing and travel, plus postage. I'm not keen to post this.)

I'd posted about this a while ago: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/fe-fi-fo-fum-i-smell-tan-tal-um/

The power supply tantalum problems were fixed, and now it powers up, responds to controls including the spinner wheel. But the frequency display flashes continuously, presumably indicating a PLL lock failure. Also there's no output.
If I'd ever been able to find a service manual for it, I'd be probably be keeping it. But without the manual it's just wasting space here. And I have other, better signal generators.

There are manuals available:
Racal 9084 Synthesized Signal Generator Operator Handbook
ebay 301102359028  Used, in good condition. Complete. US $16.73  seller: fred-bloggs
But this seller killed my interest by offering an 'original service manual' for GBP70, then later mentioned it was a reprint. Unknown quality, and the guy comes across as untrustworthy and rude.

Same people: http://www.telford-electronics.co.uk/manual.php?alpha=r

Lots of Racal manuals on CD here: ebay 251541846984 seller: legrandexplorateur
But the 9084 is not listed.

[TerraHertz]

It's still here. I'm kind of surprised, as it's a nice instrument and probably easy to fix if you can find a manual.

The guy from Indonesia who wanted me to ship it to him, so he could "fix it by replacing the micro with an arduino or something" has given up on the idea, thank goodness.
My "$20" price was meant to stop silliness like that. Actually, for someone sensible who seemed like they had a reasonable chance of fixing and using it, it would be free. Just come pick it up.


Update: Listed on ebay. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/191747646085

[TAMHAN]

Hello Terra,
to be honest, I am thinking about bidding. But it would be ideal, for tax reasons, if I could pay in January.

Plus, shipment would need to be to Slovakia or Austria.

Re the lab manual vendors: all, except for manualsplus, are total sleazebags. FUCK them. Sorry, really, FUCK them. With a donkey, up the arse. I could tell you horror stories, the bullshit meter is 

[Shock]

Hello Terra,
to be honest, I am thinking about bidding. But it would be ideal, for tax reasons, if I could pay in January.

Plus, shipment would need to be to Slovakia or Austria.

Re the lab manual vendors: all, except for manualsplus, are total sleazebags. FUCK them. Sorry, really, FUCK them. With a donkey, up the arse. I could tell you horror stories, the bullshit meter is 

Shipping would be a minimum 100 euros I hope you realize.

[Deathwish]

Re the lab manual vendors: all, except for manualsplus, are total sleazebags. FUCK them. Sorry, really, FUCK them. With a donkey, up the arse. I could tell you horror stories, the bullshit meter is 

Scary image, do you actually know a lot about fucking people up the arse with a donkey, is it painful as I know someone I would like to see that done too...... 

[GreyWoolfe]

Just the thought of a 1000 LB animal used as a butt plug is somewhat horrifying.

[TAMHAN]

Hello Terra,
to be honest, I am thinking about bidding. But it would be ideal, for tax reasons, if I could pay in January.

Plus, shipment would need to be to Slovakia or Austria.

Re the lab manual vendors: all, except for manualsplus, are total sleazebags. FUCK them. Sorry, really, FUCK them. With a donkey, up the arse. I could tell you horror stories, the bullshit meter is 

Shipping would be a minimum 100 euros I hope you realize.

Tell me, man. I just paid like 1 grand for shipping of equipment worth like 2 grand total...so I am aware of that

[TerraHertz]

Re the lab manual vendors: all, except for manualsplus, are total sleazebags. FUCK them. Sorry, really, FUCK them. With a donkey, up the arse. I could tell you horror stories, the bullshit meter is 

Scary image, do you actually know a lot about fucking people up the arse with a donkey, is it painful as I know someone I would like to see that done too...... 

Scary? I disagree, I can think of some people for whom it would be ideal. As for painful, well you're probably not thinking literally enough. I'm sure he meant with the entire donkey, not just one part. Starting with the teeth end.

As for bidding on the 9084, well, I just want to get rid of it as soon as possible. Scrapping it for parts won't give much of great use. I can't see that shipping it to Austria could possibly be worth it, considering what you can get a modern small, light signal generator or Arbitrary Waveform Generator for these days. That works.

About manuals horror stories, no need to tell me. I try to obtain original paper manuals for all the old electronics gear I have, and have had enough sad experiences myself. As for 'online scans of manuals'... shudder. There seems to be some kind of widespread cognitive defect, that makes many people think pathetic inadequate pieces of incompetently scanned and poorly formated PDFs are adequate.
My latest encounter with this syndrome is here: http://everist.org/NobLog/20151112_planning_vacuum.htm  Scroll down to the Racal-Dana 9000 Microprocessing timer-counter part.

[TAMHAN]

Hello,
oh man, welcome to manual hell. I just got ripped off for shipment...but what can I say, I want to restore that Systron Donner 6153 counter even if it is irrational economically.

Re an AWG - in fact, we already have one...which has me worried a bit, see https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/tektronix-awg2021-cant-remove-cabinet-amplitude-issues/.

But, either way. If you don't find another taker for it, we will evaluate it again. Would you be willing to trick around with customs?

[PTR_1275]

There is quite a low res scan of the maintenance manual for the 9084 on the racal dana yahoo group. If you are interested, please PM me and I can send a copy through to you. It is ~5mb and 338 pages. A few pages are a bit wonky, the PCB component position diagrams seem OK, but the schematic is almost unreadable (The diagram is fine, but most component designators are quite difficult to read which is what makes it unreadable)

-Chris

[migsayal]

Hello! I share with you the manual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfioveyqkdE&feature=youtu.be

please share.

[nrxnrx]

Thank you! I don't have the thing, but I'll host the file for a while: https://hamsterpower.org/f/Racal_9084_Signal_Generator_service_manual.pdf (35MB)

Interesting way of sharing. I guess it's to stop bots from killing your hosting?

(clamav says it's ok, but don't trust that too much)