List your test equipment "scores" here!

[rx8pilot]

HP 54120B with 54121A
4 channel 20Ghz sampling scope with TDR.
Released back when Milli Vanilli was still being played on the radio.

All channels checked out and I first plan to use it for measuring PCB impedance and syncronizing 12gbps serial data. My guess is that the cables, adaptors, and other accessories are about to be the budget busters.

[AF6LJ]

HP 54120B with 54121A
4 channel 20Ghz sampling scope with TDR.
Released back when Milli Vanilli was still being played on the radio.

All channels checked out and I first plan to use it for measuring PCB impedance and syncronizing 12gbps serial data. My guess is that the cables, adaptors, and other accessories are about to be the budget busters.

That's nice Drool worthy.

[rx8pilot]

That's nice Drool worthy.

Thanks! Let the learning curve begin. SOOOO happy it is not a repair project.

[hendorog]

A Marconi 2041 just arrived at my house

This is an ultra low phase noise signal generator.

Sadly there were about 1000 spare plastic parts in the packaging. One of the plastic (!) handles snapped off and both rear bumpers have shattered.
It wasn't packed as well as it could have been, and someone took out their Christmas frustrations on this package...

Fortunately though, it is working and seems fine in spite of the rough treatment.

[AF6LJ]

That's nice Drool worthy.

Thanks! Let the learning curve begin. SOOOO happy it is not a repair project.

I understand; that is the usual mode I get gear in, it's okay; I can fix it.

[beanflying]

A Marconi 2041 just arrived at my house

This is an ultra low phase noise signal generator.

Sadly there were about 1000 spare plastic parts in the packaging. One of the plastic (!) handles snapped off and both rear bumpers have shattered.
It wasn't packed as well as it could have been, and someone took out their Christmas frustrations on this package...

Fortunately though, it is working and seems fine in spite of the rough treatment.

Well that's a proper job 

Time to look for another for 'parts' 

[mtdoc]

That's nice Drool worthy.

Thanks! Let the learning curve begin. SOOOO happy it is not a repair project.

I understand; that is the usual mode I get gear in, it's okay; I can fix it.

I bet you have the "ultimate set of tools" and you can fix it! 

[nanofrog]

Please stop making my Pavlovian response kick in.   Replacement keyboards are too dadgum expensive IME.

[hendorog]

A Marconi 2041 just arrived at my house

This is an ultra low phase noise signal generator.

Sadly there were about 1000 spare plastic parts in the packaging. One of the plastic (!) handles snapped off and both rear bumpers have shattered.
It wasn't packed as well as it could have been, and someone took out their Christmas frustrations on this package...

Fortunately though, it is working and seems fine in spite of the rough treatment.

Well that's a proper job 

Time to look for another for 'parts' 

Fortunately it does appear that the damage is limited to the external plastic parts. The frame itself is OK with just a bent mounting tab where the bumpers screw on. So I can get away with just replacing the broken parts.

I am quite amazed that that is all that is broken actually. It must have been dropped on its butt at least once to shatter both of the plastic bumpers. Then its taken another blow to the front to break off the handle. Judging from the indentations it was from something pointy. It does appear that the plastic parts breaking has saved it from further damage.

[AF6LJ]

That's nice Drool worthy.

Thanks! Let the learning curve begin. SOOOO happy it is not a repair project.

I understand; that is the usual mode I get gear in, it's okay; I can fix it.

I bet you have the "ultimate set of tools" and you can fix it! 

Not as many as I would like.
You know how it is, you never have enough tools.

[BravoV]

Moving coil "thingy" .. two Yokogawa, one Yamaki and a Philip Harris Galvanometer.

[nanofrog]

I'm an old-fashioned sniper. A healthy max bid and itchy mouse finger at the last second is how I eBay. You won't know I'm there until it's too late.

That's how I operate, too. No automated bidding software, just quality, hand-made artisanal eBay sniping.

I used to do that but nowadays I very much prefer to just make an offer and I tend to ignore auctions.

Me too. 

I decide what I'm willing to pay, and that's it; win or lose. Their software takes care of my max bid, so I only need to wait for the listing to end.  Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. So be it. 

Best of luck to all bidders. 

[SMB784]

I've been fairly busy as of late trying to build up my baseline set of equipment from basic diagnostics to a more or less fully functional RF debug suite so that I can fix the random stuff I find on eBay.

I have a particular penchant for old HP gear, I love the reliability and build quality, and the fact that the devices are all user serviceable at the component level with available service manuals.

Anyway here are my scores over the past two months, some deals were great, others were merely good.

HP 5316B 100 MHz frequency counter with 1 GHz prescaler - $125

HP 3468A 5 & 1/2 Digit DMM - $80

LeCroy 9354M 500 MHz GS/s Oscilloscope with 4 Tek P6139A 500 MHz probes - $235

HP 8561A 6.7 GHz Spectrum Analyzer (needs repairs) - $400

I also snagged one of those cheapo 100 MHz USB logic analyzer clones for basic logic debugging. Still looking for a good GPS disciplined oscillator as a calibration reference.

Looking forward to getting some repair work done with this baseline of equipment!

[TheSteve]

More late night ebay searching paid off on this rare gem - ADCMT 8.5 digit DMM

[PTR_1275]

More late night ebay searching paid off on this rare gem - ADCMT 8.5 digit DMM

And after ebay searching for sold listings, that’s a damn good price you got it for. Never heard of that brand before, will you be doing a tear down to see what’s inside?

[HighVoltage]

More late night ebay searching paid off on this rare gem - ADCMT 8.5 digit DMM

Wow!
What a good deal you got there, congratulations!
Is it working correctly?

I have not seen that one before.

[nanofrog]

More late night ebay searching paid off on this rare gem - ADCMT 8.5 digit DMM

And after ebay searching for sold listings, that’s a damn good price you got it for. Never heard of that brand before, will you be doing a tear down to see what’s inside?

+1 

[TheSteve]

More late night ebay searching paid off on this rare gem - ADCMT 8.5 digit DMM

And after ebay searching for sold listings, that’s a damn good price you got it for. Never heard of that brand before, will you be doing a tear down to see what’s inside?

Absolutely.

Is it working correctly?

Yes it is, so far DCV is within 1 ppm of the last cal value of my 732A.

[beanflying]

New toy because its former owner "Brought to learn to test stuff and never got around to it. . "

Cost = price of a box of beer 

Also resoldering 2 wires on the Kelvin clips and adding a few oring to put them back together.

A nicely working Quadtech 1880 millohm meter with % offset checking. Might look at improving the calibration a bit but it is within 0.02% across a wide range already. 

[razberik]

More late night ebay searching paid off on this rare gem - ADCMT 8.5 digit DMM

And after ebay searching for sold listings, that’s a damn good price you got it for. Never heard of that brand before, will you be doing a tear down to see what’s inside?

ADCMT is renamed Advantest. It should share some parts with Godzilla of multimeters - 8.5 Advantest R6581T.
It definitely shares rubber lid for rubber buttons with 5.5/6.5 DMM series. Like 7351E, which I bought on ebay: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/advantest-(adcmt)-7351e-dmm-teardown/

[bitseeker]

More late night ebay searching paid off on this rare gem - ADCMT 8.5 digit DMM

And after ebay searching for sold listings, that’s a damn good price you got it for. Never heard of that brand before, will you be doing a tear down to see what’s inside?

Absolutely.

Is it working correctly?

Yes it is, so far DCV is within 1 ppm of the last cal value of my 732A.

Amazing score, Steve! Looking forward to the thread.

ADCMT is renamed Advantest. It should share some parts with Godzilla of multimeters - 8.5 Advantest R6581T.
It definitely shares rubber lid for rubber buttons with 5.5/6.5 DMM series. Like 7351E, which I bought on ebay: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/advantest-(adcmt)-7351e-dmm-teardown/

Ah, OK. Thanks for the info and link.

[Vgkid]

A nicely working Quadtech 1880 millohm meter with % offset checking. Might look at improving the calibration a bit but it is within 0.02% across a wide range already. 

Looking forward to seeing inside the unit.

[beanflying]

Looking forward to seeing inside the unit.

Looking at this one maybe I should turn mine over for $700USD with a 'free' set of refurbished Kelvin clips 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/QuadTech-1880-Milliohmmeter-/253070334390

1A current source for milliohms was part of the attraction. Effectively it should give me a nice range of stable accurate currents for testing with too.

[JonM]

Browsing the Clearance section of suppliers, such as TEquipment, can pay off. I just got the last AEMC 400D-10  AC current meter with Rogowski coil for 86% off.

 https://www.tequipment.net/AEMC/400D-10/Clamp-Meters/

It would have been nice if the probe was removable so I could use it on a scope, but for $33.46 I am not complaining. No, I did not try to get the EEVblog discount on top of the super clearance price...

Oddly, it came with AA batteries but uses AAA. It could have been a repackaged return but appears to be new.

[nanofrog]

Browsing the Clearance section of suppliers, such as TEquipment, can pay off.

Yes it can. 

All-Spec has been good to me in this regard as well. 

FWIW, TEquipment no longer carries Keysight. Perhaps some other brands were dropped or even added as well.