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HP 8558B Spectrum Analyzer

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kc9qvl:
Looking at an HP 8558B Spectrum Analyzer and am looking for some advice.

Unit is in good condition. Appears to work. This model is very old 1973 and does have a tube in it. Price is $550.00.
Should I get it or wait for something newer. What would be reasonable offer. I'm not sure I'm willing to pay 500 for such an old piece of equipment.  It would suit my purposes though.

More info:

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/hewlett_pa_spectrum_analyzer_hp8558b.html
http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/usedequipment/hewlettpackard/spectrumanalyzers/8558b.htm
http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/usedequipment/hewlettpackard/spectrumanalyzers/8558bspecs.htm

Mr Simpleton:
Not so sure it is worth 500 though  :-//
If you're lucky you may find a HP8590 for a few hundred more, that would be much better instrument.
Still if money is thight and you need a spec... go for it, it's lots of fun!
But try get it cheaper... try a low ball offer  :box: :-+

G0HZU:
If you just want to use it for basic ham radio and homebrew testing then it would be a useful bit of test gear.
The plus points are that it doesn't take up much bench space and it is a plug in type so even if one part of it fails you can swap out the mainframe or the plugin if it proves difficult to repair.

The negatives are that it is a very basic instrument with fairly modest RF performance and is very old and $400 is probably closer to its true value so it definitely isn't a bargain at $500.

Also, the lower the RF performance at the front end, the harder you have to work the instrument to get a valid measurement (i.e. one with minimal uncertainty)

For example, to measure harmonics reliably at -50dBc would require quite careful use of the instrument to minimise uncertainty (due to the relatively poor linearity of the receiver front end)

But go back 25 years and that analyser would have been a serious bit of kit to have at home even for a semi pro designer of ham homebrew stuff. However, these days you can buy an HP8568 for a similar amount if you are patient and this is a fabulous analyser. But it's also very big and heavy and noisy and could be costly to maintain.

pomonabill221:
Also, doesn't seem to have a tracking generator which can be very useful but not necessary.
I am not familiar with this model, but that is the first thing that came to mind.

nctnico:
I wouldn't pay that much either. It looks pretty clean though. A problem with this old equipment is that the switches can be worn making it useless (no contact spray won't help because the contact material is gone). If it smells like contact spray just walk away.

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