Author Topic: List your test equipment "scores" here!  (Read 774994 times)

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Offline precaud

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2075 on: July 08, 2018, 05:59:23 pm »
Anyway, I've got three of the low frequency Metcal (MFR single tool) supplies sitting in my pile of stuff, they came from the same scrapyard, but neither irons nor stands ???

Hmmm... I have two of the irons sans base... been sitting on 'em for years... (well, not literally...)
 

Offline AF6LJ

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2076 on: July 08, 2018, 06:23:30 pm »
Just acquired this from a friend in non working condition.
The +5V supply was repaired and in the process I managed to break the +40V supply.

It's just the universe seeking balance...

Quote
Fixed. and all appears to be working.
Just a basic HP-8901A modulation analyzer.

Nice. They're still in demand, I see them on want lists all the time.

It's handy considering I am sitting next to not one but three broken service monitors.
I do have to stick a screw driver in it, and put the 10MHZ reference on frequency.
This one does not have the high stability oscillator option.

 
Sue AF6LJ
 

Offline wkb

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2077 on: July 16, 2018, 08:41:15 pm »
Neat!  That is the first scope I even had my hands on.  LIke when I was 9 years old :)  IIRC it has a ECC83 vertical amplifier input stage.
 

Offline Neomys Sapiens

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2078 on: July 19, 2018, 10:39:59 pm »
So, despite being only sporadically online (and having aquired a new used Lenovo hack), I nevertheless made some nice aquisitions:

The Tek TM500 list got longer by a PS505 and a spare PS501, a nice Hi-Z measurement amplifier (the hammer-effect enamel project box would have been worth the 12.-€) and a Philips PM9355 current clamp with amplifier for 40.-€! (it was labeled as amplifier for PM9355!!)
The latter two are still untested, although.

So far, so good - I will post an update when they are tested. More to expect.


 

Offline SteveOregon

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2079 on: July 22, 2018, 08:34:14 pm »
Tek 475A with DM44 module. Free. The company I worked for (before retiring) was going to scrap it, because it failed the temp meter calibration, and the cal department didn't want to give it an exception. Told them I would take it (about eight years ago).  Still works perfectly to this day (I never tested the DM44 temp meter, and could care less). 

 

Offline bitseeker

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2080 on: July 22, 2018, 11:24:56 pm »
Good thing you were able to grab it! :-+
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Offline AF6LJ

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2081 on: July 23, 2018, 01:39:36 am »
Very nice and the price was right.  :-+ :-+
Sue AF6LJ
 

Offline mtdoc

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2082 on: July 23, 2018, 04:58:35 pm »
Good score Steve. I like your green and airy lab space. Not much bench space though....
 

Offline AF6LJ

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2083 on: July 23, 2018, 10:39:48 pm »
Good score Steve. I like your green and airy lab space. Not much bench space though....
Very nice; comes up short on bench space though, but the lighting is to die for.  :)
Sue AF6LJ
 

Offline VK5RC

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2084 on: July 24, 2018, 11:26:49 am »
That Lab has no fume problems either!
Whoah! Watch where that landed we might need it later.
 
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Offline rob.manderson

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2085 on: August 04, 2018, 02:55:32 pm »
My latest aquisition is an HP59401A GPIB Bus Analyser.  Got it for US$15.35 - the shipping was $29.99  :)  (I await Bitseeker's comment of 'Ah, so that's who got it'!  :-DD)

Out of Seattle so my guess was it was from Boeing - and sure enough there's the Boeing sticker on the top.  The seller claimed it was taken from a working system.  Uh huh - I can't think of a single reason, in 2018, for a GPIB bus analyser being in a production line system (which is the implication I read into 'taken from a working system').

Anyway it doesn't work.  Front panel character display shows nothing (though the control line leds seem to be showing valid states).  I'm about to dive in and find out what's wrong.  I'm guessing power supply (fingers crossed).

I searched and searched but could find no online schematics.  Yep, there's an operators manual but no schematics.  Fortunately Artek have it so there's another 15 bucks.  I'm almost starting to think it might have been cheaper to buy the HP/Agilent usb adapter and have done with it.  But I'm into the money pit now.

So why, in 2018, would anyone actually buy this dinosaur (1975ish design)?  I'm trying to get Emanuele Girlando's arduino code working!  It works fine against my HP5335, HP3325 and HP3456 instruments, but my HP8568 doesn't want to play nice.  I'm convinced there's something in the arduino code that's not quite right.

The problem is that the HP8568 locks up after I send it a command with the REN line asserted.  By locks up I mean that the display freezes.  Switch back to local and it executes the command and the display becomes active again.  If I leave REN unasserted the HP8568 behaves properly except that it doesn't light up the REM indicator.  And leaving REN unasserted for the other instruments means they never go into Remote mode (but still respond to commands and return data).

Yes, I've considered the possibility that there might be something wrong with the HP8568 but it seems unlikely.  My reading of the HP8568 service manual doesn't show anything like a Listen or Talk only mode.
 
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Offline bitseeker

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2086 on: August 04, 2018, 05:41:31 pm »
Ah, so that's who got it! :-DD

Sorry to hear it's not a happy camper, Rob. Yeah, hopefully, it's just the power supply. If it becomes too much to fix, it's sure to have lots of nice GPIB parts and these old HP enclosures are great for repurposing. It'd be great to see it working again, especially for the Girlando interface debugging.

I look forward to hearing more about your findings on both fronts.
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Offline rob.manderson

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2087 on: August 04, 2018, 06:27:15 pm »
lol - glad you took that comment the way I meant it  :-DD

Nope - it's not the power supply.  Seems to be somewhere in the clocking.  I'm seeing no activity on any of the display multiplexer lines.  They don't seem to have used a crystal to generate the internal clock - it looks like a multivibrator fashioned out of a 7438 and a 7414 schmitt trigger.  However, it doesn't want to work on an external clock either so I'm digging around at the logic in that area.  It doesn't help that I'm dredging up 35 year old memories of working on TTL :-)

This beast is so old it's all TTL with a couple of MOS memory chips - it has a whopping 32 character memory!  There are a couple of PROMs, one for the character generator and I'm assuming the other forms part of a state machine.  The manual is somewhat light on details like that.  Surprisingly, the manual *does* list the contents, in octal, of the proms!  Also, quite surprisingly, most of the chips are marked with both the HP part number and the corresponding known to the rest of the world as... part number.  Even the transistors in the power on reset circuitry are marked as 2N3904's.

Ah, but it's all fun and a challenge.  I really enjoy repairing stuff of this vintage.
 

Offline bitseeker

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2088 on: August 04, 2018, 06:40:48 pm »
lol - glad you took that comment the way I meant it  :-DD

No worries. I actually lol'd when I saw it as I didn't think I had posted it so much that it had become a meme. Too funny.

Quote
...snip...
Ah, but it's all fun and a challenge.  I really enjoy repairing stuff of this vintage.

There doesn't appear to have been a teardown or repair thread for one of these. If you're so inclined, it'd be cool to start one to document the old beast, share your findings, and see who else might have one or be familiar with it.
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline precaud

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2089 on: August 04, 2018, 07:51:20 pm »
I've had one for over 20 years, but never found it to be useful when troubleshooting a GPIB setup...    :-//

The problem was almost always my code  :)
 

Offline Tony_G

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2090 on: August 06, 2018, 02:07:26 am »
Out of Seattle so my guess was it was from Boeing - and sure enough there's the Boeing sticker on the top.  The seller claimed it was taken from a working system.  Uh huh - I can't think of a single reason, in 2018, for a GPIB bus analyser being in a production line system (which is the implication I read into 'taken from a working system').

Taken from a working system my arse. I hate that BS phrase with a passion....

I bought one a while ago, still waiting to clear bench space to do a video of it. Fortunately I have some similar generation gear so I can run it through its paces if mine also works. Looking forward to your repair log/video.

TonyG

Offline bitseeker

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2091 on: August 06, 2018, 05:25:11 am »
The seller just didn't say when it was taken from that working system. ::) :-DD
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Offline Berni

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2092 on: August 06, 2018, 05:41:35 am »
I had bought a big Fluke precision 10kV PSU before that was listed as fully working.

Its pretty old so it has a permanently attached power cord. Just to be sure i tested the plug for any shorts and that i can see the transformer resistance looks normal. However i couldn't get any resistance reading to anything, even to the case. That is until i grabbed the crocodile clip and wiggled it around enough for it to dig trough the oxide layer. The PSU seamed to belong to a school and it has been sitting so long that the power cord is so oxidized it doesn't even make contact, upon closer inspection the prongs on the plug had a consistent layer of oxide all around without any mating contact marks, so the seller has not even tried to plug it in in likely the last 10 to 40 years.

Oh and there is also the fact that the fuse was missing and the case cover interlock switch had oxidized too so it needed to be clicked a few times to clean its contacts.

Yeah it was working... maybe 40 years ago.
 

Offline Ice-Tea

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2093 on: August 08, 2018, 08:41:42 pm »
Three HP8648C's.

1) Works, but outputs 3-4dB too much. Calibration?  :-// In addition, the screen is odd. From below it is unreadable, from above it is perfect. Not sure what's up with that, maybe aftermarket jobbie
2) No go. Swapped the PSU with another unit. Boots now, good display. But ain't nothing coming out of the damn thing. Even though it thinks it does. And some stuff gets *hot*. As in "that blob of rubber used to be a standof".
3) A few errors, seems linked to a dead backup bat. Unfortunately, my ATTEN crapped out on my today, so no soldering for me.

Three HP66332A's

Booted up the first two: no go. Both had bad fuses.

...

...

I then figured out these weren't auto-ranging. No selector switch either (I checked - at least I'm that smart). Just hardwired 110V units. Which I could have figured out if I had botherd to check the option code (yeah, no print or label or whatever). So, that's two that went up in smoke. I'll rewire the third one later.

Not the best day I ever had.

Offline PTR_1275

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2094 on: August 08, 2018, 10:59:26 pm »
If you want to part out those 2 66332a, let me know. I’ve got a few here needing parts to get them up and running. Front pcba (well mostly the display but it’s a pain to get out of the board) and possibly 1 control board if it didn’t fry.
 

Offline Berni

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2095 on: August 09, 2018, 05:23:14 am »
Now that is quite the bad luck, but im sure you can get the parts for at least 1 working one out of all 3.

I recently had quite a scare with a 110V situation. A bunch of gear came into the lab recently and i made sure to switch it all to 230V when going trough it and testing it, most of it worked, some of it mostly worked. But then there is the WaveCrest digital time system that has no selector switch and has a 110V sticker on the back. Weeks later when i got to do proper performance testing of it i forgot about it and just thought to my self "I switched it all to 230V anyway". So i plug it in and it turns on as usual and starts booting but then turns off after just a second or two. Also i thought i have heard a transformer hum when plugging it in that i don't recall hearing the first time around. I start checking for power and then see the 110V sticker on the back.... oh fuck i put 230 in it.

What seams to be half a million screws later i finally was in and half of the case was a pile of off the shelf PSU modules, some switching some linear. The switching supplies said they are universal input voltage, but the linear ones had 110V marked on the stickers. The primary wingdings on the transformers still seamed to have a few Ohms so that's a good sign. Applying 110V power this time around nothing happened, but also none of the transformers had power to the primary. Eventualy i found pretty hidden fuse socket in the IEC connector on the back to find 2 separate fuses (One for live one for neutral) that are both blown. Sticking new 5A fuses in got it back to life again. Phew... that sure had me going.
 

Offline capt bullshot

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2096 on: August 09, 2018, 05:32:26 am »
Now that is quite the bad luck, but im sure you can get the parts for at least 1 working one out of all 3.
Powering up 120V TE with 230V may cause quit a lot of wrecking. Once I've got a bunch of five MG3633A, all of them set to 120V, one tried out by the seller using 230V, resulting in blown fuses. Total damage was a bit more than a blown fuse:
http://wunderkis.de/mg3633a/repair3.html
« Last Edit: August 09, 2018, 06:34:54 am by capt bullshot »
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Offline Ice-Tea

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2097 on: August 09, 2018, 06:25:23 am »
If you want to part out those 2 66332a, let me know. I’ve got a few here needing parts to get them up and running. Front pcba (well mostly the display but it’s a pain to get out of the board) and possibly 1 control board if it didn’t fry.

Well, I actually sold one before I received the units. So, when I confessed I couldn't deliver the customer asked if he could have the dead units. As they are not worth enough to me to attempt repair I let him have both for a song. Seemed like  a good way to make up ;)

Offline Ice-Tea

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2098 on: August 10, 2018, 06:28:39 pm »
Re. the odd screen: there's a contrast knob on the back. Fixed.  :-DD :palm:

Offline ArthurDent

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Re: List your test equipment "scores" here!
« Reply #2099 on: August 10, 2018, 11:39:25 pm »
Yesterday I bought a lot of instruments from Craigslist that were all guaranteed to have some problems. From what I’ve seen so far, that is correct, but some look like they are easier to repair than others.

A Dynaload electronic load had a meter that worked but showed a dead short across the terminals. Lubricant on a couple of switches had stiffened up and relubricating them solved that problem. The short was caused by 2 of the five paralleled 2N3055 load transistors being shorted.  It works for testing with 3 and replacements are on the way.

An HP 6032A 60V/50A 1000W system power supply has a broken switch and an electrolytic cap that blew but didn’t destroy anything else. Also a second 8V/20A HP 6541A system power supply that doesn’t look too bad.

One Fluke 887 differential meter that looks pretty good but needs batteries, five HP3478A meters that need batteries and calibration, Wavetek 164 and HP3314A function generators, and an HP 8657A synthesized 1Ghz signal generator,  and a couple of other items.

The seller was moving and just wanted to clear this stuff out quickly at $20 for each item. Repairs on this pile will keep me busy for a while.

 


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