Author Topic: Advice for new HP8510c owner  (Read 12003 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline rastro

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 388
  • Country: 00
Re: Advice for new HP8510c owner
« Reply #25 on: November 12, 2017, 11:57:49 pm »

I picked up another 8510B in the form of a 8530 with the option to switch back and forth to the 8510B.

That and the monitor were $300 total.

So now I am trying to figure out if I just purchased a spare 8510 or if the microwave receiver part of the 8530 is uniquely valuable.

How large are antenna testing ranges typically?

I live an hour or so away from some EXTREMELY cheap land...

 :D

Any update on your first system?  Have you got it up and running?  Did you manage to piece together a calibration kit solution?

-rastro
 

Offline EternalStudentTopic starter

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 10
  • Country: us
Re: Advice for new HP8510c owner
« Reply #26 on: November 13, 2017, 12:19:32 pm »
I am in the process of pricing a 45 U 19" rack and shelves (full ones are $86 each!!).  Which is currently looking like a $500-1000 expense because I need a rack that can be disassembled and carried.

I still need the power conditioning for input AC before I am going to power it up and a SMA physical gauge to make sure the precision connectors don't get damaged by cheaper connectors.

I just started a new job and between getting ready, driving there, working, driving back from work I am spending 15 hours a day on work.

Its not that I haven't had time on the weekends but when your work week is ONLY work its much easier to do non technical things on the weekend.

I have just switched to Orcad and PSPICE for work and may be buying the home version of MatLab to learn work software and ramping up on that is ahead of this on the order of weekend activities.


So I have moved from plenty of time but no money to no time but sufficient money =)

Once the rack arrives I will assemble the system and power it on to see if its DOA but I may not have play time until work settles down a bit.

I think I have all the components of a calibration kit in the form of individual pieces of Maury Microwave load, open , short.  They are located near me so I can ask them questions and may get a response.


Part of the purpose of buying this kit was to get proficient in another field of EE to give me better job flexibility to find something closer or to work for myself.

I apologize for being so excited but proceeding so slowly but this fits my present circumstances.
 

Offline rastro

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 388
  • Country: 00
Re: Advice for new HP8510c owner
« Reply #27 on: November 13, 2017, 08:06:30 pm »
Going back to work is one of those good problems have.  Glad to hear you are back in the job market.

Getting the racks is a good idea.  I have a make-shift wooded rack for my system.  It's not beautiful but it does the job and I probably don't need to worry about moving it anytime soon. 

Since the majority of my equipment purchase is eBay I like to check out my purchases early due to the eBay resolution time line.

Anyway good luck going forward.
-rastro
 

Offline hendorog

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1617
  • Country: nz
Re: Advice for new HP8510c owner
« Reply #28 on: November 13, 2017, 09:44:26 pm »
I had the Schaffer power line adapter blow up on my HP 8515A, you might want to replace those modules before you get it all racked up.

Thanks for posting those return loss pics rastro, good to know.


 

Offline EternalStudentTopic starter

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 10
  • Country: us
Re: Advice for new HP8510c owner
« Reply #29 on: November 20, 2017, 12:45:43 pm »
The wheels of progress grind slowly.


I have just spent $800-900 buying a 42u 19" rack and shelves and a power conditioning transformer to protect the hardware and allow me to reclaim my work bench.  I previously said auto transformer but what I meant was ferroresonant power conditioning transformer.  Once that arrives I will start the incredibly basic operation of putting the setup together and making sure its not DOA. 

But the interesting thing is that I work 9/80 meaning I get every other Friday off and am applying to work at Maury Microwave and at an antenna range with that every other Friday.

I probably will be unsuccessful getting hired at either but I basically offered to work for cheap/free if they give me access to an RF engineer to ask questions =)

I also picked up a mechanical positioner (FLIR/DIRECTED PERCEPTION PTU-D300 PRECISE PAN TILT) and two antennas (WIRELESS EDGE ANTENNAS MT-485025) for less than $300 total as a package deal on eBay.  I already own 2 log-periodic PCB type antennas and a 10 khz to 30 MHz dipole antenna.  So I still need to get a wideband reference antenna solution and find a directional between 30 MHz and 800 MHz.

My concept has been to put together my own antenna range to make use of the HP8530 and I found some land for $5000 - $10,000.
I am in the USA and the government gives away or sells super cheap all manner of things if you can transport it to your own land.
I have seen all kinds of things I would like to own but I have no place to put.
I have seen free 5 meter satellite antennas on craigslist for anyone who can come pick it up for example.


But as I was headed in that direction (and am still interested in owning my own antenna range) I realized that all the money is in EMI/EMC compliance testing.

So the plan right now is to purchase 1 or more site suitable for an antenna test range and compliance testing and then to wait for a steel structure building to come up either free or super cheap in government auction.  Then I will pay for a foundation and build a building suitable for EMI/EMC compliance testing and for the permanent part of a antenna test range. 

I apologize for moving in such slow motion but the wheels are turning.
 

Offline rastro

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 388
  • Country: 00
Re: Advice for new HP8510c owner
« Reply #30 on: November 20, 2017, 03:52:36 pm »
It sounds like you're moving on a grand scale.
 

Offline EternalStudentTopic starter

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 10
  • Country: us
Re: Advice for new HP8510c owner
« Reply #31 on: December 01, 2017, 07:46:49 pm »
Just a little update.


1)  Got the ferro-resonant transformer and started to build my cheap 19" rack  |O  and the angle iron is the wrong angle  :-// so the easiest part is causing me troubles lol.

2)  Purchased a 85110 ($800) and 8517b ($1025) kits to allow me to do pulsed S-Parameters to 18 ghz (I purchased 11720A from ebay $60) and to do continuous to 50 ghz (provided I get a suitable source which I don't presently have).

But the interesting part is I discovered OML see omlinc.com who seem to do after market modifications to HP hardware to extend the usability and allow use of non HP/Keysight hardware with the 8510c or late firmware model 8510b.  They claim they can modify 8510c to 325 ghz if the right 85104 or 85105 is owned and the modifications done.

So if any of you have a 8510c and 85104 or 85105 and are looking to get to 325 ghz....
 
The following users thanked this post: bergenhut

Offline EternalStudentTopic starter

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 10
  • Country: us
Re: Advice for new HP8510c owner
« Reply #32 on: December 27, 2017, 05:51:40 am »
I got some time to finish the rack and load the equipment but still haven't finished the ferro resonant transformer hook up or powered on the hardware.

It was a nice feeling to give myself the presents I had purchased but not had time to assemble =)

 

Offline DL8RI

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 188
  • Country: de
Re: Advice for new HP8510c owner
« Reply #33 on: November 04, 2018, 02:17:34 pm »
Hello everybody,

allow me to revive this Zombie here :)
Since a few weeks, I'm also a happy "new HP 8510C owner".
My Setup is 8510C, 8514B, 83620A. Also got an 3650 Cal Kit from Anritsu with the data-disk.

I got the Unit as defective (it was) and have it now working again. Of course, also with my test-set, the Schaffner-filter did go off. I believe another one did bite the dust longer ago, whenever I switch the VNA on and all fans start, it smells like burned filter in the first seconds. Need to check and replace this one too.
What I was a little bit hesitant to do, is to change the clock-battery on the CPU Board (I have the feeling it is weak). If I change the battery and by accident the 3V are lost during the process, am I losing more than just the time?
HP's service-manual just says, the battery is not field-replaceable and the whole board needs to be switched. Some other Units from HP have cal-data or something, that may get lost. I would like to avoid "bricking" my Unit.

After the repair, I observed that my VNA has a significant lower dynamic-range on port #2 (please see picture), is that normal?

I also consider getting a HP 8516A-Testset to go up to 40 GHz, still searching for a good offer (but am not in a hurry). If anybody has one and is willing to sell....

Thanks a lot

Edit: Since people like teardowns, attached a picture of the 20 GHz Test-Set open.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2018, 02:32:44 pm by DL8RI »
 

Offline jjoonathan

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 780
  • Country: us
Re: Advice for new HP8510c owner
« Reply #34 on: November 05, 2018, 10:28:52 pm »
Possibly relevant:

Quote
In  the  “High  Forward  Dynamic  Range  Configuration”  (option 
003) the  Port  2  coupler  is  reversed  to optimize  dynamic  range  in  the  forward  measurement  direction.  Because  the  b2  sampler  is  connected to  the  coupler  through  path  instead  of  the  coupled  arm,  there  is  less  isolation  between  the  b2  sampler and  Port  2,  and  the  b2  power  level  will  be  higher  than  bl.  This  configuration  is  better  for  wide  dynamic range  or  reciprocal  devices  or  components  like  filters,  cables,  or  antennas,  where   S12 is  generally  not measured.  However,  as  a  result  of  the  lower  isolation  between  the  test  port  and  the  sampler,  “sampler bounce,” appearing as an occasional spurious response related to the  VT0 frequency, can be noticeable  in  this  “asymmetrical”  test  set.

Keep an eye on the raw directivity figures for the test sets. 8515A (the 26.5GHz one) is a standout in this regard. If you go up in GHz you go down in directivity; make sure the tradeoff computes for your use case.
 


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf