Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bitseeker]

Re the Domain Analyzer, aren't the higher end frequency counters doing the same, they time-stamp their samples, start and finish, the 53230A even has some inbuilt histograms but also trend data. Can be locked to 10MHz reference, ~25pS accuracy. Below is a shot of one of the histograms.

Thanks, Rob. I suspected that as a possibility, probably from vague recollections of screenshots I'd seen on the forum. Thanks for the confirmation.

[bitseeker]

The HP 8920A with its cloths off is a sexy beast.  Its one densely built 40lb package.  Found a proper front cover, and option 004 signaling board (CTCSS, DCS ... encode/decode) from Amtronix, talked to the owner and he made me a good deal on the parts.
http://www.amtronix.com/usequip1.htm

That's a beast alright. It even suggests the use of pry tools inside!

I was wanting an IFR-1200s Supper for a while, love analog meters and the simplicity of use, had an IFR-1500 at a previous job and have an IFR-1200 at work now.  But the 8920a is regarded superior for both accuracy and reliability over the IFR's.  Only complaints are some dont find the 8920's menu driven interface intuitive, playing with it last night I had no problems with it.  Ran a cal routine on the OCXO ref and internal voltage ref.  Found the internal test, status and calibration menus easy to use.  Operation didn't take me long to figure out, but I did have to lookup how to enable the tracking gen.  Glad I went with the 8920 over the IFR, that and the price was a win.

Yeah, I had been looking at IFR-1200s, but also heard the 8920A was better. Thanks for sharing your initial impressions.

Added to the POI.

[bitseeker]

Watch out, they might try to take their equipment back later      https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/ebays-outback6-lawyered-up-and-is-attempting-to-claw-back-equipment-they-sold/

That was quite an exceptional set of circumstances. Keysight is still trying to get those unauthorized equipment resales recovered last I saw.

Has any kind of plausible explanation for this charlie-foxtrot surfaced? I followed for a while out of voyeuristic perversity; but the story long ago used up my available store of outrage, so I lost interest. I get the feeling this was one of those bureaucratic "left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing" scenarios gone horribly wrong... but you know they're probably going to hang that millstone around the neck of some poor suffering bastard who had a "way above my pay grade" problem dumped in his lap due to administrative dereliction. 

The last I heard, the wayward equipment was from a company that was involved in cleanup operations from the California fires that hit Keysight. They were not supposed to be made available to resellers such as Outback. I don't recall the name of the company that was responsible for the leak.

[med6753]

Yeah, just remember that caps are livestock; their value in the stockpile is temporally dependent. 

mnem
*back to the bench*

In my experience, good quality ones last, and last, and last...   (with the proviso of not being thermally or ripple-y bullied ofc).   As an example, I will say that most of my years as a hobbyist have been on little more than zero budget at best; consequently many of my components are reclaimed from scrapped gear.

I recently had cause to require a 470uF cap of decent tolerance to prove a point. The one that metered out best, ie bang on 470uF as it happens, was an old (and I mean old, 30 years at least) Rubycon. No chance of remembering what I culled it from, save to say that the lack of fade on the heatshrink hints it hasn't been sat next to anything hot, at least.

Now, I didn't specifically measure the leakage current approaching its rating (40V iirc), but I can say the leakage current must be tiny as I was using it in a CMOS 555 timer circuit with very high value resistors, in the low-multi-mega-ohm range, and it did indeed function correctly (the circuit in question had a 11.7VDC supply) and thusly prove my point about leakage current in CMOS 555 circuits...

Come to think of it, I should re-measure it, with my now operational 4 wire LCR meter       Just remembered also, a work colleague has found me a nice new toy from a strip out; a neon sign transformer with 2x 5kV secondaries. Time to make a Jacob's Ladder!   

If USED regularly, I'll agree. Not so much when left sitting around the basement, etc for years on end. And any caps made in the last 2 decades... no fucking comparison to the industrial-duty caps of yesteryear.

mnem
 

By all indications the electrolytic capacitors in this 535A are still good...from an observed voltage and ripple perspective. And this scope was built sometime between 1963 and 1972 when the 535A went out of production. But I am going to develop a plan for eventual  replacement just for peace of mind.

[bitseeker]

Congrats, med. Your 535A is the longest series in the POI.

[med6753]

Congrats, med. Your 535A is the longest series in the POI.

Aw gee...thanks! 


What's my prize?

[bitseeker]

and/or  

[mnementh]

*waggles a clawed digit at bitseeker*

Did you bring enough to share...? 

mnem
*~*

[Cerebus]

Because you cant get a new pad to replace it with so it is dead and flogged  . A replacement Ryobi with variable speed is about $70USD locally much as I would like the Bosch gear drive the extra $ are a bit tough to justify.

Do you get free sunglasses with it to protect you from the vile green glare for that $70? :-)

[Cubdriver]

Yeah, 300+ pieces I feel a bit better about my "collection". Speaking of which, I just added a 53310A to it.

Let me know if you need any help with it.  I also have a spare power supply laying around.

Thanks, kj7e. Your info on the trigger gave me the nudge to snag it. If I run into any issues with that or something else crops up, I'll ping you (here or in PM).

The one I got doesn't have the oven reference, but I've got projects to put together a GPSDO and convert a quad-output black level generator into a distribution amp. So, the culmination of those will be a nice time base for the MDA and my counters and SA.

I'm not becoming a time nut...I'm not becoming a time nut...I'm not...

Damn you guys, I just ordered one, too.    You're bad influences!   

I was *trying* to stay away from eBuy.  That didn't last long...   

-Pat

[bitseeker]

*waggles a clawed digit at bitseeker*

Did you bring enough to share...? 

You'll have to ask med, nicely.

[bitseeker]

Yeah, 300+ pieces I feel a bit better about my "collection". Speaking of which, I just added a 53310A to it.

Let me know if you need any help with it.  I also have a spare power supply laying around.

Thanks, kj7e. Your info on the trigger gave me the nudge to snag it. If I run into any issues with that or something else crops up, I'll ping you (here or in PM).

The one I got doesn't have the oven reference, but I've got projects to put together a GPSDO and convert a quad-output black level generator into a distribution amp. So, the culmination of those will be a nice time base for the MDA and my counters and SA.

I'm not becoming a time nut...I'm not becoming a time nut...I'm not...

Damn you guys, I just ordered one, too.    You're bad influences!   

I was *trying* to stay away from eBuy.  That didn't last long...   

ROFL! You bought the one that showed up right after I got mine? Way to go, Pat! That one seems to have the OCXO. Let me know what it's like when you get it.

Stay away from eBay? I've tried that. Doesn't work. Next topic...

[kj7e]

On the 53310A, the OCXO is nice, but not necessary.  A good GPSDO with a long time constant and a well aged OCXO is the way to go.  On Cubs, the listing is wrong, they listed option 31 but it really has option 30.  Still has channel C for 2.5GHz though, just not the fancier RF Com analysis option.

http://userequip.com/files/specs/826/HP%2053310A%20Opt.%2031%20User.pdf

[bitseeker]

His is only 202 units after mine! Nifty.

In the past, I saw a 53310A with option 031. Didn't realize it had the downconverter and increased sampling rate, too. Thanks for the doc.

Well, as is the case with TEA, once you buy one, you never really stop looking. One can always "upgrade."

[Cubdriver]

Thanks, kj7e. Your info on the trigger gave me the nudge to snag it. If I run into any issues with that or something else crops up, I'll ping you (here or in PM).

The one I got doesn't have the oven reference, but I've got projects to put together a GPSDO and convert a quad-output black level generator into a distribution amp. So, the culmination of those will be a nice time base for the MDA and my counters and SA.

I'm not becoming a time nut...I'm not becoming a time nut...I'm not...

Damn you guys, I just ordered one, too.    You're bad influences!   

I was *trying* to stay away from eBuy.  That didn't last long...   

ROFL! You bought the one that showed up right after I got mine? Way to go, Pat! That one seems to have the OCXO. Let me know what it's like when you get it.

Stay away from eBay? I've tried that. Doesn't work. Next topic...

LOL - yeah, I put the 53310A into my watch list back when the first flurry of them were spoken about here, but most seemed to be too pricey or I wasn't quick enough or simply didn't want to spend the $$ at the moment.  This one hit a sweet spot, so I grabbed it.  Based on the serial number, it appears to be a very early specimen of the breed - the S/N indicates 1991 production, but it didn't appear as 'NEW!!" until the 1992 catalog, so it must have been introduced in mid 1991.  It may be the 549th one built, and does appear to have all three of the options checked.  I'll know in a week or so.

Also have a 60503A DC electronic load module (240V, 10A) on the way as well.

Fell off that wagon right quick this year.  At least I'm still eating less...

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

His is only 202 units after mine! Nifty.

In the past, I saw a 53310A with option 031. Didn't realize it had the downconverter and increased sampling rate, too. Thanks for the doc.

Well, as is the case with TEA, once you buy one, you never really stop looking. One can always "upgrade."

LOL - just saw this post - looks like yours is even older.  You may have the 347th one off the line.  They're siblings!   

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

On the 53310A, the OCXO is nice, but not necessary.  A good GPSDO with a long time constant and a well aged OCXO is the way to go.  On Cubs, the listing is wrong, they listed option 31 but it really has option 30.  Still has channel C for 2.5GHz though, just not the fancier RF Com analysis option.

http://userequip.com/files/specs/826/HP%2053310A%20Opt.%2031%20User.pdf

It doesn't appear the option 031 even existed in 1992.  I see it in the 1996 catalog, but would have to look back at the ones between '92 and '96 to see when it was introduced, and I'm too lazy at the moment to dig them out.

-Pat

[mnementh]

*waggles a clawed digit at bitseeker*

Did you bring enough to share...? 

You'll have to ask med, nicely.

I'll bring a cooler full of 🥓 bacon/cheese poutine & swing by med's place next time I visit my dad in Manhattan. He'll either love it so much he shares his Ms happily, or be so revulsed by it he'll gladly give anything if I just take it away...   

mnem
Poutine: You love it or you hate it; there is no middle ground. 

[SilverSolder]

[...]
Fell off that wagon right quick this year.  At least I'm still eating less...

-Pat

I lasted 7 days...    ...this is getting embarrassing...

[mansaxel]

I lasted 7 days...    ...this is getting embarrassing...

I held out two days, but then just a few small component purchases... (the motor capacitor from upthread doesn't count, that just made sense to buy.) I'm trying to establish what I need (lots and lots of toggle switches, for starters) to get my old mixer to work, and also build a few DI boxes to a 70s design with Lundahl transformers. Found a Eurocard with 5 Lundahls on in the bin at work last year so there's motivation..

[Cubdriver]

[...]
Fell off that wagon right quick this year.  At least I'm still eating less...

-Pat

I lasted 7 days...    ...this is getting embarrassing...

It would be easier if I
1) turned off e-mail notifications
2) stopped coming here

Neither is likely to happen...

-Pat

[beanflying]

Because you cant get a new pad to replace it with so it is dead and flogged  . A replacement Ryobi with variable speed is about $70USD locally much as I would like the Bosch gear drive the extra $ are a bit tough to justify.

Do you get free sunglasses with it to protect you from the vile green glare for that $70? :-)

Lucky I am colourblind and not prejudiced I can buy a DeWalt (colour is no better) or a Makita for over twice the price at the localish store.

[Neomys Sapiens]

beanflying, when I seen the writings BOSCH on green I run like Forrest.
BOSCH must be only on blue background, right med?

Nice project, you will surely improve the PBD40.

BTW: Why that wheel (pulled from a woking baby trolley) on the side? I can't stand it
--> eBay auction: #223821805665

Neither green nor blue Bosch-Frosch on a drill press.
ALZMETALL

[worsthorse]

I spent a couple of hours playing with my upgraded DG831 and for a hundred sixty bucks, this was a pretty good deal.  I don't really have much use for an arb function generator (at least that I know about) but having all the usual waveforms, two channels, along with sweep, AM and FM modulation, and 100MHz will come in pretty handy. I haven't done any rigorous testing (there are others on eev that have) but a few simple checks of frequency, amplitude, and noise suggest that it is plenty good enough for the sorts of things I do.

I don't remember who posted the Arrow deal but whoever it was.      

My long suffering Wavetek Model 11 sweep generator will be shelved to make room for this one on the bench. 

[Zucca]

Neither green nor blue Bosch-Frosch on a drill press.
ALZMETALL

Leck mich, those are so expensive but high quality.