EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
Products => Test Equipment => Topic started by: HalFoster on May 19, 2020, 01:32:23 pm
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I just got a very good deal on a Wayne Kerr 6425 in very good condition, and apparently still fairly close to specs. Currently I am using a HP 4274A but, after playing around with the 6425 a bit, I'm very impressed with it and am actually considering selling my HP. The published specs are better for the WK and from what I have seen so far that carries through in practice. Also, the WK looks to be very easy to service if need be - nicely laid out, quality components, and *all* IC's (all COTS, no unobtanium) in sockets - and is very intuitive and easy to use.
So, I would be very grateful to have any input from those that have experience with this unit - there is not a lot of information out there concerning it other than the manuals - no much from actual users.
Thanks,
Hal
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Have had my 6425 for approximately 20 years. I did have one unobtainium part fail, the flyback transformer for the CRT. Have just fixed it by replacing the CRT with a similar sized LCD with VGA input, an RGB-to-HDMI (see Github), and a change to the parameter table for the 6845 video controller. The new circuitry only requires +12V @ 370mA and +5V @ 340mA which the existing power supply is capable of handling. Speaking of the power supply, the only other issue I've had with the 6425 was the connection to the filter capacitor to the input of the +5V regulator. The pin in the connector on the regulator board got badly overheated, so I just added a heavier gage of wire between the capacitor and the pin on the PCB.
Regards
Peter O'Neill
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I had one for several years and liked it. Bought mine knowing it had issues, which turned out to be an easy fix, a dead Z80 cpu. Only sold it because I wanted a 4275A, already have a 4276A for low freqs, and didn't have bench space for both. I consider the 6425 a 200kHz instrument; the 300kHz freq was difficult to get in cal and unreliable in use. Other than that I liked its flexibility and would probably choose it over a 4274A for the reasons you stated. I always thought it odd to have a crt for readout but with no graphical display...