Nice.
Geeze - two HP units posted in a row. You guys are killing me here.
My fingers are getting itchy for that Ebay search ... ![Face Palm :palm:](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/xfacepalm.gif.pagespeed.ic.EBDwh1hCfo.png)
Well, get ready to die a little more.
![Grin ;D](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/xgrin.gif.pagespeed.ic.QVVz6XIT20.png)
I have an evilBay search saved for the HP 209A oscillator, for no good reason other than I don't currently have one. A cheap but somewhat abused specimen showed up last week as a BIN, but in the short time between when I watched it and dug out a catalog to research it and an hour or so later when I decided to give it a home, someone else had already done so. Oh well.
But... ...on the page opposite the 209A listing in the 1973 Book of Crack (more commonly known as the Hewlett-Packard Electronic Instruments and Systems for Measurement/Analysis/Computation Catalog) was the image of a device called an HP 4204A Digital Oscillator. Hmmm - that looks interesting. <search> Sweet - here's one for $50 plus shipping,
with the manual. And its badge! And all
five feet & the tilting bail!!!! Sold!! (It arrived today (perfectly timed!); I haven't photographed or plugged it in yet, but it appears to be in decent physical shape. I'll poke at it shortly.)
But the catalog is still open. <flips page> Hmm... A 3300A function generator. I was looking at a function generator earlier, but it got bought out from under me, and this one looks more boat anchor-y and has more personality than the other one. <search> Oh, look - here's one with a sweep/offset plug in, not too $$, shipping not insane. Sweet - all five feet and the bail!! Sold! (this one has the engraved/paint filled emblem). It arrived on Saturday, and I resisted opening it till last night around midnight in deference to TEAnniversary. A cursory going over shows it to be working, but the contacts will need some cleaning and I need to get a scope onto the power rails to see how the caps are. This one I currently have pictures of:
Front panel overall:
![](https://photos.smugmug.com/Electronics/HP-3300A3304A/i-24jjtKM/0/eee86fd3/X3/HP%203300A%20front%20overall-X3.jpg)
Open chassis, from above:
![](https://photos.smugmug.com/Electronics/HP-3300A3304A/i-CK4BxLs/0/d460a3eb/X3/HP%203300A%20top%20view%20-%20fully%20open-X3.jpg)
The output on the scope:
![](https://photos.smugmug.com/Electronics/HP-3300A3304A/i-BSqXg7r/0/02457e27/X3/HP%203300A%20outputs-X3.jpg)
And finally, a rarity in gear of this vintage - it's fully shod!:
![](https://photos.smugmug.com/Electronics/HP-3300A3304A/i-KhMLzWH/0/eb47fff5/X3/HP%203300A%20bottom%20view-X3.jpg)
There are a few more pics of the 3300A on the SmugMug page (
https://pmanning.smugmug.com/Electronics/HP-3300A3304A), but it hasn't yet had a thorough teardown, and will be getting in line behind the long suffering 5340A counter that's beginning to grow roots next to the bench waiting its turn.
Now to get the 4204A on the bench and posed...
-Pat