List your test equipment "scores" here!

[Cubdriver]

I worked 37 years ago, to repair more complex wire-wrapped big boards of Nicolet 660x, was a real nightmare!

see here as well...
http://www.amplifier.cd/Test_Equipment/other/660b.htm

Holy Crap!!  That is certainly a big board!  It looks like most of them are WW. We had some process gear at National Semi when I worked there in the mid-late 80s that had wire wrapped backplanes and cards in the control electronics.  Luckily I never had to delve into that part of them - they were PWS Coyote plasma deposition systems, and the issues tended to be vacuum related (like when second shift left an o-ring out, but used so much vacuum grease the thing sealed and ran for over 24 hours) rather than control related.

-Pat

[tautech]

Some nice old HP gold. 
Ex member wilgil 

HP 8654B 10-520 MHz sig gen with option 003.

Teardown thread:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hp-8654b-10-520-mhz-sig-gen-light-teardown/

[xwarp]

Picked up a Precision Apparatus Co. E-400 sweep generator from the 40's for a couple of bucks. Even has the cable and termination box with it. Pretty well made piece of equipment for it's time.

[Ysjoelfir]

I guess i got a score! Keithley 199 for 90€. Was described as broken as it only displays values using the ports at the back. I wonder if that could be caused by the visibly enabled "front/rear" switch... 

[bitseeker]

I wonder if that could be caused by the visibly enabled "front/rear" switch... 

Woot! And if not that, then it might simply need a little workout to remove oxidation on the contacts.

[Falkra]

Worth checking... 

[DaJMasta]

Here's a nice surprise.  Wanted a high bandwidth scope to look at some high frequency waveforms and found a LeCroy DDA-125 (1.5GHz bandwidth, 4GS/s or 8GS/s with external bridge) that was being sold as powered on but with no display or activity on the front panel.  Looking for a bit of a repair project, good price, schematics available, so I picked it up.

It arrived, powered on and nothing as expected, so i plugged in the video connection to see if anything was getting out.  A few power cycles in I had no luck, so I turned on my existing scope to see if I could find any signal at all on the output connectors before I cracked it open.... but this time it beeped and the relays clicked a bunch.

It works fine.  Apparently the years it spent in storage just meant that it took some time being plugged in before it fully booted.  Screen looks good, buttons responsive, channels active, and even the printer seems to be a-ok.  Not going to stop me from cracking it open, of course, but at least I know there's no requirement to buy any replacement parts 

[hpbo]

Long time ago i scored a vintage HIOKI 3520 lcr meter from the bay - it was listed as pulled from working environment - as the service manual was included, I decidet to bid on it and won it for little money - sure enough it was faulty - the display was dim, showed "8 8 8" and the keys where not responding. Later I scored Kelvin-Probes and Test Fixture on a local online auction site.
Today I started fixing by checkin voltages - as soon as i touched the internal power connector with multimeter probes i heared relay click and the sleeping Beauty woke up    After thorough cleaning she works like a charm - and her GP-IB socket is fun to play with 

[bitseeker]

It works fine.  Apparently the years it spent in storage just meant that it took some time being plugged in before it fully booted.

Fascinating. I'll have to keep that in mind.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Yes, I had a llok at it and thought the same. Given my Oltronix experience (told in this thread), I would give it at least 50%. Also bought a R&S Lab Power Supply at a Dortmund hamfest. When the seller made a face when I asked him if it works, I haggled him far down - Solution: set Sense switch correctly!

[GreyWoolfe]

It works fine.  Apparently the years it spent in storage just meant that it took some time being plugged in before it fully booted.

Fascinating. I'll have to keep that in mind.

And, as a bonus, it even has all its knobs.

[DaJMasta]

It works fine.  Apparently the years it spent in storage just meant that it took some time being plugged in before it fully booted.

Fascinating. I'll have to keep that in mind.

Seems there's more to this than meets the eye.  I ran through a full set of tests with it for maybe 45 minutes of use, got the full 8GS/s on one channel with no adapter (haven't seen the PP096 for sale anywhere, maybe it was included in the acquisition board after the manual was published?), got used to the controls, tested some functions, let it build up a few hundred thousand waveforms worth of persistence on the color graded display, but after I shut it down, it hasn't powered up since.

Went in to disassemble (lovely metal work), had some trouble pulling the power supply and I found out why... one of the PSU to board interconnects was slightly melted and singed - but no smell.  Bad voltages on several rails direct from the power supply output, and when I popped the lid and took a look through the thermal camera, all of the power resistors in the power supply light up bright within seconds of turning on.

So there is real troubleshooting to be done, and the PSU is a bit cramped to try and work in, but the fact remains that briefly, it was just fine after exhibiting the same no-power-on failure.  This gives me some confidence that despite how the rails read, they probably haven't cooked anything on the mainboard, since that probably would have shown when it was working.  Still, chasing down the culprit could be tricky... I suppose the first order of business is checking continuity across main lines, but thankfully, the LC684 that has near identical hardware includes a full PSU schematic in the service manual bundle.

Probably a coming thread in the repair forum 

[don.r]

Managed to find a Fluke 87V with probes for a shade over $100. Turns out its rev 10, firmware 3.00 so no cell phones in the lab, please!  Personally, I don't think they are worth more than $150 used now given the number of excellent $150-200 meters available new.

[Ysjoelfir]

I guess i got a score! Keithley 199 for 90€. Was described as broken as it only displays values using the ports at the back. I wonder if that could be caused by the visibly enabled "front/rear" switch... 

Well, what should I tell you - I repaired it Wasn't the switch being switched to rear but rather the switch being beaten the crap out of it - cracked right in half that thing!
That thing is working flawlessly again - thinking about gettint that thing compared to a known good source or meter as this will be my most acurate meter now. Any suggestions in Germany?

https://youtu.be/3tNQtYuWTrs

[innkeeper]

Does an isolation transformer count as test equipment?

[bitseeker]

Plug your device-under-test into it and you've qualified it.

[nctnico]

Toploser struck again:
I just bought a GW Instek PSP603 PSU from him. Didn't really need it but then again the alternative I have are two very old HP6024As.

What I like is that the set points are visible and it also shows the power and it has power limiting (constant power?). I don't think I've seen that before on a PSU in this price range. I'll do a short teardown (open the cover and take a few pictures) and some tests when I get it.

[PTR_1275]

I'm pretty sure those power supplies are made by Manson. I'd be interested to see the tear down of it and if that is a constant power preset.

I don't know why power supply manufacturers are insistent on the 3 terminals at standard spacing, but with the earth terminal in the middle. It renders all of my lovely Pomona double banana connectors unusable.

[Cubdriver]

I'm pretty sure those power supplies are made by Manson. I'd be interested to see the tear down of it and if that is a constant power preset.

I don't know why power supply manufacturers are insistent on the 3 terminals at standard spacing, but with the earth terminal in the middle. It renders all of my lovely Pomona double banana connectors unusable.

I would guess that's because with a fully floating output, you can easily tie either the positive or negative rail to ground with equal ease to make the reference point either polarity.  That being said, they could also do it with a triangular arrangement of posts, with the ground at the bottom - this would let the double banana plugs work, but might also take some creative thinking on the part of the designer, and a bit more panel real estate height-wise.

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

I'm pretty sure those power supplies are made by Manson. I'd be interested to see the tear down of it and if that is a constant power preset.

I don't know why power supply manufacturers are insistent on the 3 terminals at standard spacing, but with the earth terminal in the middle. It renders all of my lovely Pomona double banana connectors unusable.

Like so:



-Pat

[bjcuizon]

Toploser struck again:
I just bought a GW Instek PSP603 PSU from him. Didn't really need it but then again the alternative I have are two very old HP6024As.

What I like is that the set points are visible and it also shows the power and it has power limiting (constant power?). I don't think I've seen that before on a PSU in this price range. I'll do a short teardown (open the cover and take a few pictures) and some tests when I get it.

Is it like the one Dave has? The BK precision one with the kind of horrible UI?


EDIT: Oh no, I think its different. 

[JustSquareEnough]

Toploser struck again:
I just bought a GW Instek PSP603 PSU from him. Didn't really need it but then again the alternative I have are two very old HP6024As.

instek's website seems to indicate this is a switching based PS vs linear, is that accurate?


Edit: i answered my own question its clearly in their switching power supply category on their site... need more coffee today 

[nctnico]

Toploser struck again:
I just bought a GW Instek PSP603 PSU from him. Didn't really need it but then again the alternative I have are two very old HP6024As.

What I like is that the set points are visible and it also shows the power and it has power limiting (constant power?). I don't think I've seen that before on a PSU in this price range. I'll do a short teardown (open the cover and take a few pictures) and some tests when I get it.

Is it like the one Dave has? The BK precision one with the kind of horrible UI?
EDIT: Oh no, I think its different. 

It is different from the BK Precision (which seems like a Manson rebadge). I already read the manual and the operation should be straightforward. It was quite funny to see Dave2 struggle with the BK Precision PSU though 

@JustSquareEnough: yes, it is a switching PSU. Part of my testing will be the conducted output noise.

[tecman]

Our company was closing down one of the labs.  I scored for free an HP 3478B meter, Tek 2330, Lecroy 9304 4 ch scope, couple of power supplies, Tek TM506 full with PS, counter, couple of DMMs and FG, and 4 shopping bags full of parts and hardware.

The price was certainly right

Paul

[AF6LJ]

Our company was closing down one of the labs.  I scored for free an HP 3478B meter, Tek 2330, Lecroy 9304 4 ch scope, couple of power supplies, Tek TM506 full with PS, counter, couple of DMMs and FG, and 4 shopping bags full of parts and hardware.

The price was certainly right

Paul

Great Score looks like you hit the Lotto.