List your test equipment "scores" here!

[james_s]

You can find deals once in a while on craigslist but for this sort of thing it seems like most people look on ebay and see what others are asking for a similar instrument and then post it for one of those optimistic prices.

[cncjerry]

I agree with all the comments and I like watching people with a high listing on Craigslist slowly drop the price over the years. 

[bitseeker]

slowly drop the price over the years.

Years. That's a persistent seller.

[xwarp]

 

Your 3rd one?

Want to give up your worst one for a reasonable price?

Great Score Jerry   

[AF6LJ]

Your 3rd one?

Want to give up your worst one for a reasonable price?

Great Score Jerry   

This is The EEV Blog forum, there are some heavy hitters here.

[xwarp]

Yeah, got that....lol

I've been watching craigslist for a couple of years now waiting for one to show up locally plus 150 miles out, and they don't.

Problem is that I wouldn't use it enough.......I just want one.

Your 3rd one?

Want to give up your worst one for a reasonable price?

Great Score Jerry   

This is TEA, there are some heavy hitters here.

[bitseeker]

Problem is that I wouldn't use it enough.......I just want one.

Sounds like a classic case of TEA to me. (insert tea-sipping smiley here)

[james_s]

I've always wanted an RF spectrum analyzer, but I can't really come up with a good enough use for one to justify the cost. Maybe I'd find uses I didn't know I had once I got one? I don't know. It would have to be something smaller than that one too, I like CRT based instruments but I don't have space for gigantic boat anchors.

[cncjerry]

Depends  on where your hobby leads you.  I love playing around with RF design, amplifiers, filters, mixers, phasing systems, DSP, etc.  I couldn't live without an analyzer, or two, or three, actually four or five if you count the old parallel port one I have, six if you count the boards I have for Scotty's analyzer for when I retire, seven if you count my VNA, eight and nine if you count the two other simple-type VNAs I almost forgot about.  OK, OK, no more spectrum analyzers, I promise.

I do plan to build Scotty's analyzer and extend it to a VNA.  I have a beautiful set of gold plated boards that are just dying for parts.

[james_s]

My interest in RF comes and goes, I tend to cycle through hobbies, set something aside and then come back around to it sooner or later. For the time being the FFT feature on my scope gets me close enough. In the meantime I'll keep an eye out for a broken one I can fix. The problem though with gear like this is that almost everyone who knows how to use it also knows how to fix it so you don't see the deals on broken stuff like there is with consumer equipment.

[Berni]

Well thing is that the equipment does not always stay in the hands of people who know how to use and fix it. Lots of test equipment is owned by companies where it sometimes sits unused and unloved on a shelf until the company goes under and gets thrown out. Sometimes its fully working, sometimes its broken.

Tho RF test gear can be a gamble to buy broken. That big list of self test failures could be something as simple as that -15V rail being absent due to a blown regulator or it could be that a expensive and delicate component deep inside the RF path is completely toast. To even diagnose it you likely need good deal of RF knowledge and a bunch of other RF test gear to test the component. Then you have to find the replacement somewhere (Could involve buying another differently broken unit to cannibalize it out of) and when you replace it it likely throws all the calibration out of wack. Getting it back in cal might involve even more RF test gear to do and a 150 page long procedure of tweaking trimmers.

[cncjerry]

Yes, but an uncalibrated spectrum analyzer is still better than no analyzer. 

Granted, I live in the north bay above silicon valley so there is a ton of equipment that shows up on craigslist.  I know I mentioned this before, but if you setup some search notifications and jump on the stuff usually people will take reasonable offers.  I said I was a bottom feeder, and I am, but I am way above the wholesale liquidation people when it comes to price.  Sometimes you just have to be persistent.  My first analyzer, an Advantest R3131a with TG, near perfect, the guy wanted $2,500.  I sent him a nice email saying if he ever gets to where he'll accept $750 to call me.  A year later he did.  I watched him drop the price and drop the price and finally he gave up.  Ended up being a really nice guy too.   I've had other people get all pissy about the low ball offer and I just hit the delete key.  I never understood why someone would get mad about an offer.  Or if they did, why they would take the time to write a long hateful note.  And then look like a real idiot when the drop their ridiculous price over the next 9 months.

The searches are the key and you have to move fast with cash on craigslist.  The problem with eBay is the shipping.  I like old, heavy, lab-grade equipment that I can fix.  Yes, they don't have the bells and horns like some of the new gear.  But you can get all the decode on a scope on a $16 logic analyzer knockoff these days.  I can upload a trace to excel and do all the stats and plotting I would care to do.  Yep, not right on the tube, but still get the data I want.  One other thought, two of my HP analyzers still exceed their calibrations 32yrs later.  The other is on the border line.  The only disadvantage is shelf space and you can get a rack from the Container Store for like $150 that holds 300lbs per shelf.

[bitseeker]

Yeah, there sure are interesting types out there, especially here in the bay area since it's quite the international melting pot. Most people I've met via craigslist were really nice, though. Thanks for sharing your experiences, Jerry.

[TheSteve]

My newest toy has arrived - an Agilent N2891A 70 MHz 7 kV differential probe, like new with all accessories in the original case. Doesn't appear it was ever used - I love ebay when it delivers such great stuff.
I committed to buying this a day before Dave announced his new probe or I'd have bought his. This was most likely cheaper anyway, sorry Dave!

[cncjerry]

OK, Steve, nice find.  I would like to have one but can't for the life of me figure out what I would need a 7kv differential probe for.  Please share, please do...

[TheSteve]

OK, Steve, nice find.  I would like to have one but can't for the life of me figure out what I would need a 7kv differential probe for.  Please share, please do...

Not sure I need a 7 kV probe either - doubt I'll get anywhere near that, but then you never know. It was the right price and at the 100:1 setting it works just fine down to pretty low voltages.
For now it will mainly be used for switching power supply work.

[Cubdriver]

Great find, Steve - congrats!

-Pat

[SimonD]

Hi Steve,
Looks like an excellent choice!
How many bucks ? from eBay ?

[TheSteve]

Hi Steve,
Looks like an excellent choice!
How many bucks ? from eBay ?

It was $350.00 USD.

[AF6LJ]

Hi Steve,
Looks like an excellent choice!
How many bucks ? from eBay ?

It was $350.00 USD.

WoW
That qualifies as the Deal of the Month.

[bitseeker]

Steve is the master of scores on probes!

I would also use them for power supply work. Nowhere near 7kV, but still useful at a few hundred. Lots of headroom.

Looking forward to seeing Dave's probes.

[mtdoc]

Hi Steve,
Looks like an excellent choice!
How many bucks ? from eBay ?

It was $350.00 USD.

WoW
That qualifies as the Deal of the Month.

Yes, well done!

Coincidently,  I recently purchased an excellent condition Tek p5205 differential probe (100MHz, 1300V) plus the necessary Tek 1103 power supply for $348 delivered. I was feeling proud of myself,  but that combo is not nearly as nice as your Agilent N2891A.

Steve is truly the master of the Ebay TE scores!

[BU508A]

I've scored this Tek THS 720A with two probes and the original carrying case for around 230 EUR two years ago at HAM Radio in Friedrichshafen.

[G0HZU]

This has to be a record low for a functioning 8568B or even an 8568A, which is on the cover.

About 10 years ago I bought a fully functioning HP8568B for just £125. Still got it and it is still working fine

The best bargain I have seen (if you exclude freebies and skip salvages) was a fully working Marconi 2383 4.2GHz spectrum analyser that cost just £25 about 10 years ago. I didn't buy it but I know the person who did.

[eugenenine]

Picked up this today