Just scored a HP 4140B in pristine, working condition. Now what...

[HalFoster]

All-

As the subject line says, I just scored this sweet piece of kit.  Only negatives are lack of input cable ($$, but easily gotten if justified) and a bent Output A & B connectors (easily replaced).  Limited testing indicates it works with no issues.

Now that the thrill of feeding my TEA addiction has worn off somewhat, I'm left with: So, now what?  While the ability, in theory, to measure femto-amps has a definite cool factor, what use is it in day-to-day practice?  I can measure in the low micro-amps easily enough already and I can't think of any times I've needed more than that.  Of course, the ability generates the desire.

So, what things can I use it for that would justify keeping it instead of selling it?  Is it even worth trying to sell, or is it just a very cool - but not very valuable - boat anchor?

TIA,

Hal

[MosherIV]

Erm................

Someone was asking about a G/T  meter.

Sounds like you have the right meter for the job 

[TERRA Operative]

I have one of these sitting in the pile of 'things to get around to restoring'.

I'd be interested in any cool uses for it.

[HalFoster]

It's surprising how large those piles get... and what winds up in them 

Hal

[bitseeker]

That's quite a boat anchor! Peruse the manual for stuff that you can do with it. Pretty neat piece of kit. I wonder how well it'd work with an oscilloscope to do curve tracing since it can convert I to V.

[HalFoster]

That was the plan... mostly.  Problem is that I just don't need it enough to justify the space it would take up, so I'll repair as needed and let it go.  I picked up a nice 8903A at about the same time that I will keep instead - it I will definitely use.  I will, however, first use it to compare with a Keithley 416 I have sitting around... be interesting to see how it matches up.  The 416 literally had dried mud inside the case (although, thank God, not inside the input head) when I got it and I haven't had a chance to do more than a initial check... which, surprisingly was "so far, so good."

Hal

[TERRA Operative]

Ooh, I got an 8903B I gotta put to use one day too, once I finish building the tube amps that are also on the to-do list...

Using the 4140B as a curve tracer sounds interesting, although I have a Tek 577 Curve Tracer and a HP 4145A Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer to play with (that also has a matching 7475A pen plotter), along with an ebay curve tracer kit I built, so I'm all good for curve tracers.

I keep buying cheap HP boat anchors, shooting first, asking questions later.... What could go wrong? haha ^{help me.....}

[Kjelt]

First thing you have to do is add pictures of your device 

[bitseeker]

Such is life with TEA. There's no shortage of equipment, just time.

Kjelt is right. Need pics here and/or in the TEA thread.

[TERRA Operative]

Here's my unit in one of my piles of HP junk....   

If people are interested, I'll take the lid off for an upskirt photo.

[HalFoster]

Parts should be in Thursday...

[HalFoster]

But, then there is the ToDo Pile...

[HalFoster]

More...

[HalFoster]

and more still...

[HalFoster]

and...

[HalFoster]

OK, everything is NOT rotated on my end... fix, anyone?

But you can see where my time is going for the next several years...  And why the wife is so grumpy 

[bitseeker]

If you're using an image viewer, it probably supports the rotation information in the image's EXIF, which makes it appear correctly there. However, the actual image data in the file is still rotated. So, you'll need to use an image editor to rotate the image and re-save it.

Your TEA is much bigger than my TEA — you're an instant member, that's for sure. Come over to the TEA thread to share your woe and maybe get some positive energy toward your to-do pile. We have ongoing repairs and restorations being posted for inspiration.

[Brumby]

Holy freakin' fanblades!!!!

I'll have to bookmark these to show SWMBO that I'm not really that bad!

[0culus]

Damn dude. That's some serious boat anchory. You need one helluva harbor.  Please do allow us to wallow in your misery with you in the TEA thread.   



[edit] no seriously, I got to tour the cal lab at work today (all but the most specialized equipment is done onsite), and the only thing they have on you is much more space to spread out. 

[Brumby]

OK, everything is NOT rotated on my end... fix, anyone?

(I also trimmed down the image size.)

[lowimpedance]

But, then there is the ToDo Pile...

  ........just .....wow ,

that is one serious pile of 'round to its'.

My hats of to you.


(What I really want to know is how did you acquire such a mother load !?)

[Brumby]

(What I really want to know is how did you acquire such a mother load !?)

My guess is being in the right part of the USA at the right time.

[kj7e]

Nice!

[Kosmic]

Ha ha, so you're them one fetching all the nice deal out of eBay   

[bitseeker]

Looks like the whole TEA House has come over to welcome our new neighbor.

[URI]

Holy freakin' fanblades!!!!

I'll have to bookmark these to show SWMBO that I'm not really that bad!

Yes, indeed. My wife and also parts of my family think I'm mad but I only have a fraction of that amount of gear.   

I don't have any problem, I don't have any problem, I don't have any pro... just mild TEA   

[Kean]

Just WOW!

Australia is a lovely country, but living here pretty much precudes a collection like that... 

[Cubdriver]

Holy shite, I thought I was bad....   

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

More...

Do I see the poor beaten down 5105A Synthesizer that was on the bay of evil a few months ago there on the bottom shelf?  If so, I'm glad to see it went to a good home.  I was watching it, but managed to resist as I haven't touched the one I currently have yet.

-Pat

[TERRA Operative]

Geez, I'll save these pics to show my wife when she complains about yet another delivery to my place.

At least being in Japan, I get first pick of the goodies over here, I don't have to bid against any of you fellow addicts. I just wish the selections wasn't quite as limited (Ya'll got any of them's Tek 2467 scopes???)

[bd139]

All those Schaffners and RIFAs   

[HalFoster]

Cubdiver:  Yes. Yes, you do.    And because at the time there appeared to only be two left in the whole world, a couple of 5110B's to make it hopefully do something one day.  They will both be targets of a, hopefully, like-new restoration project.  Once the pile is reduced some, of course... it's the result of some unexpected $$, coupled with the glut of cheaper finds early this year and wrapped in a very healthy dose of TEA - that's Test Equipment Addiction, don't ya know?  Most of it I will repair, refurbish, cal and sell - and hopefully it will at least pay for the things that I will keep.  But the 5105A/5110B combo is just... massively, heavily, awesomely and - did I mention heavily? - excessive. 

Hal

[HalFoster]

And, regarding TEA, at least one a week (well, any time after she looks in the garage, really) I feel the need to drag the Grumpy Wife over to the computer, point out the current TEA thread message count, and say, "See! It's not just me!"

Hal

[Cubdriver]

Cubdiver:  Yes. Yes, you do.    And because at the time there appeared to only be two left in the whole world, a couple of 5110B's to make it hopefully do something one day.  They will both be targets of a, hopefully, like-new restoration project.  Once the pile is reduced some, of course... it's the result of some unexpected $$, coupled with the glut of cheaper finds early this year and wrapped in a very healthy dose of TEA - that's Test Equipment Addiction, don't ya know?  Most of it I will repair, refurbish, cal and sell - and hopefully it will at least pay for the things that I will keep.  But the 5105A/5110B combo is just... massively, heavily, awesomely and - did I mention heavily? - excessive. 

Hal

Nice.  If/when both of us get through our repair queues, there will be a couple of working ones, then.  I need to do chassis repair on mine - it was poorly packed and one of the handles broken off.  Also need to cobble together the 57 cable RF interconnect harness to tie it to the 5110B, too.  Then start to determine what else might ail it.  In my 'spare' time - so called because I have so little of it...

-Pat

[HalFoster]

As far as i can tell, mine is just dirty... I know if I actually open it up I'll never come back up for air.  In the mean time, I just bought enough of these to connect them together:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4Pcs-RG316-BNC-Male-Plug-to-BNC-Male-Plug-RF-Pigtail-Jumper-Cable-Adapter-SS/333092829453?

They seem to be good quality and should certainly do the job.  On into the project, if everything seems to work well, I'll make up some custom ones and do a fitted bundle.  As you said, though, finding the time is the problem...  At the end of the day, it *is* a hobby for me and by need has to be down on the priority list.  But... pretty sure that there is only (!!!) 22 or so cables... from memory anyway.

Hal

[HalFoster]

Well, 22 or so needed per 5105A anyway... I know the 5110B can have options to drive up to three 5105's but I don't know if that is additional outputs or just increased drive capacity.

Hal

[HalFoster]

And while I'm thinking of it, you don't happen to need a 8566A do you?  Or, have an extra 85662A and cables to get rid of?  Needless to say, I wasn't paying attention a while back, had an oops moment, and now have a true boat anchor.  Seems to work as far as it goes, though.  For what the cables go for, you could just by a complete working unit - could make them, but I would still have to buy the top half and there goes more $$ than it is really worth.

Hal

[Cubdriver]

22 cables per sounds about right.  The 5110Bs set up to drive multiple 5105s have additional outputs added to them, so it appears that they're capable of providing the drive from the get-go.  BNC jacks are added and the internal 49.9 ohm load resistors they are placed in 'parallel' with are removed.  They can support up to four 5105s.  Of course, if the additional output jacks are present on the 5110B but not used, they must be capped with 50 ohm terminators.

At around 85 lbs for the 5105A and 54 lbs for the 5110B, it certainly qualifies as a boat anchor signal source!!

-Pat

[Specmaster]

and...

Wow, you really should become a TEA member along with the rest of us, pray show us your working / fixed equipment stacks if this little lot is your waiting list for triage. 

[KaneTW]

Oh, nice, I have one of those too. Has been sitting around until I buy some cables for it.

[HalFoster]

Specmaster, if it was all in one place I would... not that there is that much at the moment that I actually consider done.  About the time all this had come in, a *lot* started happening both good: kid graduations, work & other family stuff, and bad: pretending that I was still in my 20's and lifting 4x8 sheets of PT plywood up to the roof of a large shed I was building, the result of which was finding out the joys of rotator cuff surgery.  So, not as much progress as I would like.  Currently working on about 20 Fluke 8050A's - and cursing over the cases.  All were very badly yellowed, put in the ultrasonic cleaner with light soap and a shot of H2O2 in prep for de-yellowing.  Ten minutes later, they came out with irregular white splotches on some of them - never had anything even close happen before.  Admittedly up to now any large parts have been metal not cheap plastic (HP vs Fluke  ) but still... Anyway, paint to the rescue - going to finish up a test batch and list them over the weekend and see how they do. I did one in a royal blue that looks wicked good. 

Hal

[bitseeker]

Regarding yellowed plastic, it seems the latest preferred method is pure sunlight bleaching, no peroxide or anything else. Just beware of the plastic's temp if the sun is really strong.

[Kjelt]

Regarding yellowed plastic, it seems the latest preferred method is pure sunlight bleaching, no peroxide or anything else. Just beware of the plastic's temp if the sun is really strong.

So uv lamp would also work or what is the nm range for this process?

[bitseeker]

I'm unsure about the effective wavelength for this. The experiments I saw were done outdoors with full-spectrum sunlight. It's not as fast as traditional retro-brite, but supposedly doesn't have the splotching risk.

[HalFoster]

Just a quick note on something brought up earlier.  On a whim (and evidently a desire for a hernia) I brought in the 5105A & one of the 5110B's.  Opened them up, cleaned out as many dust bunnies and dead spiders (a lot!) as i could, plugged them in, turned the switches on and....

They friggin' worked.  Over 50 years old, no evidence of even being opened before, and they worked.  Oh, the 5105 has a lot of sticking keys on front - and, of course, I had just ran out of DeoxIT - but they worked.  And the 5110 is spittin' out frequencies only about 12 ppm high after warm up.

Go HP!

Hal

[bitseeker]

Good stuff!

[0culus]

No one builds stuff like that anymore, that's for sure. 

[Sigurd]

What year were those Power Design 2020 supplies made? I've been searching all over and I can't find much information on the years PD models were produced, especially in the 70s and earlier.

[james_s]

That's a lot of cool stuff.

Gotta be careful with that big of a hoard though, make sure there's someone the family can have deal with it if something happens to you. All too often someone passes away and their treasure all goes into a dumpster because nobody in their family has any idea what any of it is or how to separate the good stuff from the crap. To them it all just looks like old junk.