Tek Oscope Probe Cable

[icy.dev]

Scored big (essentially free) 10x and 1x/10x Tektronix probes!!!

Thing is the cables are 40+ years old and STIFF!

Anyone know what I can use to replace just the cable?
(Google was no help)

[Gyro]

Not that easy unfortunately. The cable isn't ordinary coax, it has a resistive centre conductor to prevent artefacts in the signal.


Edit: I remember a thread on here somewhere about softening cable sheaths. I can't remember how successfully.

[bdunham7]

What are the model numbers of the probes?  The cables are typically not any sort of standard and usually have a fairly high resistance.  There may be exceptions.

[icy.dev]

the one is a P6105 and the really bad one doesn’t have a Tektronics number on it

[Alex Eisenhut]

Now you know why they were free. Toss em out and get new probes. There's very little you can do that's worth your time.

If these were some super-duper probes like a P6032 it might be worth looking into flexible heat shrink but when you can get cheap Chinese 10x probes, why bother?

Plastics age. They either stiffen or exude plasticizer.

[Jeff eelcr]

This one is a P6063B 200 MHz.
Jeff

[bdunham7]

This one is a P6063B 200 MHz.

And one reason the cable might be big and stiff is that there are additional wire(s) for the readout pin selection.

[icy.dev]

Found the number: P6062B ….

[icy.dev]

I was just really hoping I could swap in a new cable…

[james_s]

It might work to swap in cable cannibalized from cheap Chinese probes, but I don't know if it will be a close enough match. You could also try soaking the cable in a plasticizer like wintergreen oil, that will probably soften it up but it will stiffen again after a few months.

[Alex Eisenhut]

In my experience the center conductor is usually crimped and will not take solder easily. It's resistance wire and not copper. Either way it's a big project for nothing.

That probe looks like it's had a rough life. I'm sure I could find you a somewhat nicer one in my junk.

If you're hard up I can mail you one for the cost of shipping, but Canada to USA is not cheap these days either.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000623481491.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.4dde434c1lo1BM&algo_pvid=5d24652e-1554-47ae-a205-f2755d73773d&algo_exp_id=5d24652e-1554-47ae-a205-f2755d73773d-0&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2210000004273280619%22%7D&pdp_pi=-1%3B4.01%3B-1%3B-1%40salePrice%3BCAD%3Bsearch-mainSearch

It's easier to buy like 10 of these shipped halfway around the world it seems...

[bdunham7]

I was just really hoping I could swap in a new cable…

You can try swapping in some 50R coax like RG174 and wrap a small single conductor around it for the readout--or even omit that if you aren't using it with a readout-capable scope.  The performance may not be very good, but I couldn't tell  you how bad exactly without trying it.  You'd be experimenting.

[james_s]

It's worth mentioning that even if the probes are junk they are sometimes worth a few bucks as parts, and the compensation box with the BNC connector shell and readout pin have some value as parts for other Tek probes.

[inse]

Time ago I tried to tinker probes for a Tek 224 portable scope from scrapped Tek probes as the 224 does not have BNC inputs.
I can confirm that the probe cables are not standard coax, it had at least been difficult to solder.
On a low bandwidth scope possibly less critical, but at 100's of MHz, I would expect signal integrity problems.

[Jeff eelcr]

I missed the 105pf spec for that P6062B probe so that would make it only 100 MHz.
Jeff

[jonpaul]

We have boxes of 100s of Tektronix probe dating to 1970.

The plasticisers outgas so the material become stiff.

All scope probe cable is special Zo and attempted replace will,not work.

See  tektronix circuit concept books Oscilloscope Probe circuits

Suggest you discard old probe find correct original tektronix probes eg we use P6137 and P6156

Bon chance


Jon

[alm]

Some of the probes where designed to have replaceable cables, but only by the exact same cable. E.g. some of the P610xA series. See the instruction sheet. I'd expect the chance of finding an original NOS replacement cable for those probes to be quite small.

For understanding why a simple RG-174 cable would perform horribly, I suggest these resources in incrementing levels of technical detail:



The Secret World of Oscilloscope Probes by Doug Ford (he did some simulations of lossless vs lossy cables)
Tektronix Oscilloscope Probe Circuit Concepts (This was published in the sixties but is by far the most in-depth decription you're likely to find)

[icy.dev]

WoW!
Thanks ALL✌🏼

Funny enough I happened on a NOS cable on fleabay…😱
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tektronix-175-1507-00-6-Length-Probe-Cable-Assembly-New-/232642855093

Hate that shipping is as much as the cable…but it’s better than $100+ for a new probe!

Totally gonna try the Armorall tip I got off AntiqueRadio with the old cable!! (Post #3)
https://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=410880

[jonpaul]

We pay $25..60 for very good..mint TEK P6136 and P6137

TEK probe book

https://w140.com/tekwiki/images/6/62/062-1146-00.pdf

Jon

[Jeff eelcr]

I have paid around $60.00 for P6137's but not recently.
Jeff

[Alex Eisenhut]

We have boxes of 100s of Tektronix probe dating to 1970.

The plasticisers outgas so the material become stiff.

All scope probe cable is special Zo and attempted replace will,not work.

See  tektronix circuit concept books Oscilloscope Probe circuits

Suggest you discard old probe find correct original tektronix probes eg we use P6137 and P6156

Bon chance


Jon

My 1960s P6032s are sweating carcinogens and poly-chlorinated biphenyls it seems... OTOH it kills all the moths.