List your test equipment "scores" here!

[bitseeker]

Very nice. Yeah, I figured you just enlarged the opening.

Fortunately, I have cables for the few devices that still use PH163. But this'll come in handy for the next one.

[james_s]

I try to keep old stuff as original as possible but this is one area where I'll occasionally make an exception, especially if I don't have the original cord. I hate having to find an obscure power cord, or hook something up with a suicide cord that has alligator clips on it.

[Ysjoelfir]

Sadly, I have no idea what kind of strange mains plug that is - a normal IEC plug doesn't fit, even after trimming the excess plastic of, the slots are just a few millimeters off... Would love to try it out though.

Might be an IEC C10?

Seems legit, thanks.

Sadly, I have no idea what kind of strange mains plug that is - a normal IEC plug doesn't fit, even after trimming the excess plastic of, the slots are just a few millimeters off... Would love to try it out though.

Why not change it for a normal C14 connector? Or a  C18 as the ground connector is unused. I replaced the connector of my HP 332A today. The old one was crusty as hell, and someone glued the cable and connector together. I replaced it with an 30 year old C14 connector. Really looks original, but works nice too.

It's so convenient to use one type of connector on your bench.

I thought about that, but as I don't even know if I will ever use it for anything, why should I bother?

[boffin]

A couple of Heathkit frequency counters...

Not sure what I'll need two for ...

[bitseeker]

@boffin, were those the ones stacked on a table at BARC?

[TheSteve]

@boffin, were those the ones stacked on a table at BARC?

Sheesh were you at the swap too?

We might have to setup a little meet after one of these events if that was the case.

[bitseeker]

Unfortunately, I wasn't. I just recognized them from 12voltvid's BARC tour video. So, I had to ask. Now, if I could make a vacation trip to Canada just happen to coincide with such an event (wow, how did that happen?), a meetup would be a hoot.

[boffin]

@boffin, were those the ones stacked on a table at BARC?

Sheesh were you at the swap too?

We might have to setup a little meet after one of these events if that was the case.

Yep @ 9:32 in the video.   I wasn't sure if they worked or not, but even if they didn't, they're a really nice case with a 12v transformer inside, and worth it for that. In fact I'm still debating gutting one of them just for the case.

[bitseeker]

Cool. Although if it does work, you can probably sell it for a nice return. Healthkit stuff tends to fetch a lot of bucks on eBay.

[razberik]

34401A branded Agilent, stamped Jun 2000.

100£ Buy it now on ebay.co.uk. Estimated 130€ shipped to me.

Sold for "repair or parts". Seller wrote something like "Doesnt start up. Illuminate display, beeps twice, turn off".
Couldnt resist and take a risk. Seller was very nice to send it overseas.

Missing mains switch push rod, that plastic part fixing front terminal in place and back plastic frame. Clean internals.
Quite easy repair, repair here.

[macboy]

Fluke 8800A 5.5 digit DMM, ca late 1970's/early 80's.

Super basic as far as DMMs go, this doesn't even have a NULL or REL button. Certainly no math, dB display, min/max, logging, etc. Just DCV, ACV (average responding), and Ohms. It is auto-ranging which is great. It uses a monolithic dual slope converter IC, likely Fluke proprietary, identified in the service manual only as "Part of final assembly". Gee, thanks. I opened it up to check on the two AA batteries that are used to power the current source on the ohms board, and was pleasantly surprised to find none. This one is apparently a later serial number that uses the same ohms board as the 8810A which has an isolated converter rather than batteries. Nice.

DC is spot on all ranges (photo shows 20 V range agreeing rather nicely with a Keithley 2001 7.5 digit meter). AC is accurate and very flat up to a couple hundred kHz. Too bad it's not true RMS (8810A is). Ohms looks accurate too. As you can see I don't need another bench meter (two Keithley 199 and three 2001 visible in the pic, one more 2001 out of frame), but I literally rescued this from the scrap pile at a local electronics recycler. They were purging stuff that had sat around unsold for too long. Paid... don't be mad. $5. Canadian. That's literally its value as e-waste destined for the crusher.

[bitseeker]

Nice catch. Thanks for saving it from the crusher. Still in cal!

[jacklee]

JSR is Korea brand for sure

[BFX]

Few Hi-res photos from inside Datron 1081 what I bought few weeks ago   



What I love at this gear is all ICs are in the sockets 
Replacement is so easy 

[Cubdriver]

VERY nice!!    

One of those is still on my list.  (those on here who know me will doubtless be shocked to hear that...    )

-Pat

[BFX]

VERY nice!!    

One of those is still on my list.  (those on here who know me will doubtless be shocked to hear that...    )

-Pat

Next goal > nearly full recap It will cost lot of money, I think

[razberik]

Why recap ?

[Cubdriver]

Next goal > nearly full recap It will cost lot of money, I think

Hmmm...  It looks like there are a fair number of them in there, but I don't know if I'd just go and shotgun them just yet.  I've found that the better test gear manufacturers tend to use decent quality parts, unlike what's in consumer gear.  I'm currently working on an HP 3450B, and had taken a look at one of the caps on the outguard power supply board.  It looked ugly, so I took it off the board, soldered some extensions onto the leads, and checked it.  It was good.  Doing some digging when I was looking for the specs revealed it to be a wet slug tantalum, still available today.  For about $37.  Each!  Needless to say, it's staying.

I check the caps if they look suspect, or give indications of failure during circuit checkout, but if they're operating well, I'm inclined to leave them alone.  And sometimes (as in this instance I'm describing), looks can be deceiving.  For what it's worth, I wouldn't touch those silver colored 1uF axials around the relay on the left of the main board of your meter - they're on Teflon standoffs and likely part of the input or measuring circuitry - unless there's something obviously wrong with them.







-Pat

[bitseeker]

If the equipment was built prior to or well after the capacitor plague of the late '90s to late '00s, they often are OK. That decade of bad electrolytics kind of made everyone paranoid. Of course, antique paper caps are a different story altogether.

[bitseeker]

Few Hi-res photos from inside Datron 1081 what I bought few weeks ago   
What I love at this gear is all ICs are in the sockets 
Replacement is so easy 

Very cool. Check out all the curvy rivers of traces.

[mmagin]

If the equipment was built prior to or well after the capacitor plague of the late '90s to late '00s, they often are OK. That decade of bad electrolytics kind of made everyone paranoid. Of course, antique paper caps are a different story altogether.

With good quality electrolytics or tantalums in low ripple current applications, I'd agree. Switching supplies are another matter...

[james_s]

Yeah switching power supplies really hammer the capacitors. I'm still seeing bulging electrolytics in TVs and flat panel monitors, also those switchmode "wall wart" power supplies.

On the other hand I have several 30-45 year old solid state radios that have perfectly good original electrolytic capacitors in them.

[Vgkid]

If the datron is anything like my solartron, then it uses a switching power supply, through a (multi secondary)transformer then through a LDO.

[djnz]

Someone I know was asking me if a working Fluke 87V for ~US$90 was a good deal. I told them it seemed like a good price. Was it? 

[retiredcaps]

Someone I know was asking me if a working Fluke 87V for ~US$90 was a good deal. I told them it seemed like a good price. Was it?

Yes. Absolutely.