Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

somebody please buy it and save me from myself.

[mtdoc]

Crazy price alert. 1GHz HP scope with probes £60!

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F332643645817

I’m not interested in it but that’s worth a few quid more than it’s being sold for!

Yikes! Nice spot. Doesn't ship to the US....

[bd139]

Looks like it has two 300Mhz modules and a 1GHz module.

[Cerebus]

The display on that HP 54100 looks a bit dodgy. I've asked the vendor a question about it, it might just be becuase it's a photo of a proper CRT. I am sorely tempted to buy it, I could do with the bandwidth, and SWMBO didn't scream when I pointed it out.

[tggzzz]

The display on that HP 54100 looks a bit dodgy. I've asked the vendor a question about it, it might just be becuase it's a photo of a proper CRT. I am sorely tempted to buy it, I could do with the bandwidth, and SWMBO didn't scream when I pointed it out.

You might do when you try to lift it! And does she understand its size?

I used one 25 years ago. Great with repetitive signals and a 50ohm plugin.

[bd139]

The display on that HP 54100 looks a bit dodgy. I've asked the vendor a question about it, it might just be becuase it's a photo of a proper CRT. I am sorely tempted to buy it, I could do with the bandwidth, and SWMBO didn't scream when I pointed it out.

Display looks fine. Most likely the filter in front of it. The CRT module in them is easy to fix anyway.

The display on that HP 54100 looks a bit dodgy. I've asked the vendor a question about it, it might just be becuase it's a photo of a proper CRT. I am sorely tempted to buy it, I could do with the bandwidth, and SWMBO didn't scream when I pointed it out.

You might do when you try to lift it! And does she understand its size?

I used one 25 years ago. Great with repetitive signals and a 50ohm plugin.

This is why I didn’t buy it. I don’t have the room!

[Cerebus]

The display on that HP 54100 looks a bit dodgy. I've asked the vendor a question about it, it might just be becuase it's a photo of a proper CRT. I am sorely tempted to buy it, I could do with the bandwidth, and SWMBO didn't scream when I pointed it out.

You might do when you try to lift it! And does she understand its size?

[Fx: Elmer Fudd's voice] Shh! We's hunting scopes...

Anyway, I've got an HP 6002A, I know about heavy.

I used one 25 years ago. Great with repetitive signals and a 50ohm plugin.

Only 40 Ms/s though, which really does limit it to repetitive signals in the modern world. Depending on your personal rule of thumb that's about an 8MHz one shot bandwidth.

[Specmaster]

The screen issue might be down to a dodgy photo, its as grainy and out of focus as it could be. Perhaps if the seller could take another photo for you?

[Cerebus]

To return the favour, an HP 436A power meter that might tempt the RF types, if you can find a sensor for it at a reasonable price.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/power-meter/183205793888?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Currently no bids, £0.99 and 1 day 13 hours to go.

[tggzzz]

I used one 25 years ago. Great with repetitive signals and a 50ohm plugin.

Only 40 Ms/s though, which really does limit it to repetitive signals in the modern world.

That was true 25 years ago as well!

[bd139]

To return the favour, an HP 436A power meter that might tempt the RF types, if you can find a sensor for it at a reasonable price.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/power-meter/183205793888?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Currently no bids, £0.99 and 1 day 13 hours to go.

I’m sure there’s like a billion orphaned HP power meters out there. Everyone had got to have blown all the sensors up by now.

[GerryBags]

Well, somebody has snapped it up, and it wasn't me.

[Cerebus]

Nor me, although I was sore tempted.

[bitseeker]

Wow, well done B&K! If only more companies had that attitude to keeping their OOP gear in service. Especially with TE, these companies must accumulate masses of parts for those models which could still make them money if they didn't just offload them in job lots, and the sort of people who are going to be trying to fix up old gear are highly unlikely to be in a position to buy a new model instead. It's a different market that could be served by a simple warehousing operation from anywhere.

Fully agree, this helps me keep these instruments out landfills (and allowed me to get an instrument higher in quality than I could afford new).

That was a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect B+K to have parts available, let alone at a reasonable price. Good to know.

Have a look at Keysight. I bought a knob for a 22 year old power supply recently.

Different tier both in quality and price. I would EXPECT this kind of thing from Keysight. On the other hand, considering that BK Precision is a slightly lower tier, this is instead a pleasant surprise. Plus the reasonable price is great too!

I'm still kind of annoyed with B+K. A lot of their "modern" equipment that I've seen either in person or via repair videos has been low to medium quality yet still sold at only slightly lower than Keysight prices (i.e., major brand surcharge).

Your experience with parts availability, though, helps lower my annoyance level a bit.

[BravoV]

NOS .. NIB ... TON ... whatever ...  for sure $20 gone ..

Teaser ... 

[mnementh]

To return the favour, an HP 436A power meter that might tempt the RF types, if you can find a sensor for it at a reasonable price.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/power-meter/183205793888?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Currently no bids, £0.99 and 1 day 13 hours to go.

I’m sure there’s like a billion orphaned HP power meters out there. Everyone had got to have blown all the sensors up by now.

A sensor at a reasonable price?!? 

I haven't seen an 848x N series sensor that didn't just scream "Run for the hills, I've been toasted then toasted again by multiple dumbasses in succession" selling less than $300 in years, and then another $50-100 for a cable. Maybe that's my bad luck, I dunno.

But I've seen oodles of 437b/438a meters that pass POST (at least a good sign) sell for $30-70 shipped.

Right now, there's a shedload of 4412/E4413 E series listing for ~$60 "As-is"; looks like they're the next orphan generation...


mnem
*Toddles off to ded*

[mnementh]

NOS .. NIB ... TON ... whatever ...  for sure $20 gone ..

Teaser ... 

Do I see "Goodwill Industries" on the paper in the baggie, and a hand-scribbled sticker on top of the unit?  This does not bode well... 


mnem
*Toddles off, even dedder now*

[Ero-Shan]

If you fall into a hole where you can't find parts......ask here !
Many of us have old IC's and especially in my junk pile of old PCB's 1m² x 500mm high.....dozens and dozens of old IC's.
A good few tubes of new assorted stuff too.

Same here.

I always considered myself to be rather good stuffed with parts ...
So, of course, I add myself to this list also.

A long, long time ago, I got some rather big machines that had TTLs without end. But as they were all soldered and I had no real means to unsolder them, I finally threw them away (my parents gave some strong advice about filling up the house with trash). Wish I still had them.

[Mr. Scram]

That was a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect B+K to have parts available, let alone at a reasonable price. Good to know.

I'm still kind of annoyed with B+K. A lot of their "modern" equipment that I've seen either in person or via repair videos has been low to medium quality yet still sold at only slightly lower than Keysight prices (i.e., major brand surcharge).

Your experience with parts availability, though, helps lower my annoyance level a bit.

I've seen Shahriar's teardowns and repairs of a few bits of BK stuff and he seems quite satisfied with the quality.

[Specmaster]

NOS .. NIB ... TON ... whatever ...  for sure $20 gone ..

Teaser ... 

Its a signal or a function generator?

[med6753]

Houston, we have a trace! The 110V supply is fixed and the scope came up. Checked all the supply voltages and they are OK. But the trace is dull even with full intensity. So I'll have to dive into the CRT circuits and see what's up. I have a suitable HV probe and I respect the HV area especially since I cut my teeth on vacuum tube circuits. Hopefully it will just need some adjustments.

There's life in the old beast after all! 

[bd139]

Looking good 

Have a look round the intensity control and HV divider resistors. They all seem to go a bit drifty.

[GerryBags]

  Nice work! Could it need a grid bias adjustment? It could have been adjusted out of whack as the power supply started causing issues.

[bd139]

That’s a good point.

Annoyingly I didn’t have an HT probe until recently so I used to crank the intensity right up and then adjust it until it lit the wall up on the other side of the room 

Wonder how many tubes I killed doing that.

[GerryBags]

A proper HT probe is on my list of essentials to be purchased. The real bargains always come up just after I've skinted myself on a non-bargain.... like the P6013, unused in original box with the instructions and everything, from a few weeks ago. £30 something it went for while I had not a pot to piss in I just couldn't bring myself to buy a cheapo new one after seeing that.