Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[neo]

Just to tempt you all here is version one of a list of 8000 series flukes, i am undoubtedly missing dozens so feel free to add to it and pass it along.   

^ = want
*  = currently own

[Tony_G]

Just got back from vacation and realized that, yes I have a problem. Here is the lab as it greeted me:



I think it was the stark contrast with the tidy hotel rooms that brought my problem into focus.

Clearly I need help but not right now because I have to just complete this auction purchase, be right back.....

TonyG

[Tomorokoshi]

Just got back from vacation and realized that, yes I have a problem. Here is the lab as it greeted me:

...

I think it was the stark contrast with the tidy hotel rooms that brought my problem into focus.

Clearly I need help but not right now because I have to just complete this auction purchase, be right back.....

TonyG

I don't get what the problem is. You still have space on the floor next to the HP 432A.

[HighVoltage]

And you can always add another room to the lab, to have more space
And plenty of space to set up shelfs. And these shelfs can also be found on ebay.

[neo]

Out of curiosity does anybody have a reason for 6.5 digit multimeters costing so much?
5.5 digit used fluke is a 100 bucks or under
6.5 digit used fluke is a 1000 bucks or over
8.5 digit used fluke, the only one on ebay is used and is 16 grand!!
Is there a reason for such madness?

[alm]

With Fluke it is largely age: they introduced the 8840/8842 5.5 digit meters sometime in the late eighties, then nothing apart from the Fluke 45 for a long time, and they bought Datron and introduced the 8508 (8.5 digit) and 8846 (6.5) digit. So obviously the 8846 is much more expensive used than an 8840, 8810 or 8800.

If you look at the older Fluke 6.5 digit meters like 8502A, 8505A, 8506A, they can also be found for around the $100 mark depending on condition and options. Keep in mind that almost everything on those meters was optional except DCV, so you might end up with a meter that can measure nothing but DCV. There are also 6.5 digit meters of similar vintage from other brands like HP (3455a, 3456a, 3457a), Datron (106x/107x), Solartron, Prema and Keithley (196) that are available for well under $1000. I have not kept track of pricing, but a number of years ago it was common for the HP 3456A/3457A to go for about $100 in decent condition. Even the more recent HP/Agilent 34401A and Keithley 2000 can be found for around $250 if you are patient.

So if anything, I would say that there is not much price difference between 5.5 digit and 6.5 digit of similar vintage. More than 6.5 digit gets expensive because there are is less competition, but some 7.5 digit models like Datron 108x and Keithley 2001 can be found for under $1000.

[neo]

With Fluke it is largely age: they introduced the 8840/8842 5.5 digit meters sometime in the late eighties, then nothing apart from the Fluke 45 for a long time, and they bought Datron and introduced the 8508 (8.5 digit) and 8846 (6.5) digit. So obviously the 8846 is much more expensive used than an 8840, 8810 or 8800.

If you look at the older Fluke 6.5 digit meters like 8502A, 8505A, 8506A, they can also be found for around the $100 mark depending on condition and options. Keep in mind that almost everything on those meters was optional except DCV, so you might end up with a meter that can measure nothing but DCV. There are also 6.5 digit meters of similar vintage from other brands like HP (3455a, 3456a, 3457a), Datron (106x/107x), Solartron, Prema and Keithley (196) that are available for well under $1000. I have not kept track of pricing, but a number of years ago it was common for the HP 3456A/3457A to go for about $100 in decent condition. Even the more recent HP/Agilent 34401A and Keithley 2000 can be found for around $250 if you are patient.

So if anything, I would say that there is not much price difference between 5.5 digit and 6.5 digit of similar vintage. More than 6.5 digit gets expensive because there are is less competition, but some 7.5 digit models like Datron 108x and Keithley 2001 can be found for under $1000.

Fair enough, though a multimeter at 16000 still strikes me as insane. We need a time machine to either go back to when this stuff was cheap or forward to when it will be cheap...

[German_EE]

TEA Group members, I now have a problem. Connecting both of my frequency counters to my new (new to me) Wavetek function generator I get the following readings with the dial at 1 MHz:

Portable frequency counter      1.0013126 MHz
New Philips counter                  1.0013103 MHz

Clearly there is a difference between the two but I am not sure which counter is in error. Should I send the Philips counter away for calibration or purchase a third counter to see which unit is correct?

Or should I reassemble my DCF77 locked 10 MHz reference which is currently in pieces awaiting a new VCO?

[neo]

TEA Group members, I now have a problem. Connecting both of my frequency counters to my new (new to me) Wavetek function generator I get the following readings with the dial at 1 MHz:

Portable frequency counter      1.0013126 MHz
New Philips counter                  1.0013103 MHz

Clearly there is a difference between the two but I am not sure which counter is in error. Should I send the Philips counter away for calibration or purchase a third counter to see which unit is correct?

Or should I reassemble my DCF77 locked 10 MHz reference which is currently in pieces awaiting a new VCO?

Well since this is TEA we advise buying as much stuff as you possibly can.

[jpb]

TEA Group members, I now have a problem. Connecting both of my frequency counters to my new (new to me) Wavetek function generator I get the following readings with the dial at 1 MHz:

Portable frequency counter      1.0013126 MHz
New Philips counter                  1.0013103 MHz

Clearly there is a difference between the two but I am not sure which counter is in error. Should I send the Philips counter away for calibration or purchase a third counter to see which unit is correct?

Or should I reassemble my DCF77 locked 10 MHz reference which is currently in pieces awaiting a new VCO?

Given that this thread is under TEA, I'd suggest buying a third counter
But with a more sensible hat on, I'd suggest just getting a cheap GPS and measuring its output over a longish period to get rid of the jitter. You can get cheap Lea-6T on e-bay as per this thread:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ebay-u-blox-lea-6t-gps-module-teardown-and-initial-test/

[WastelandTek]

Hey guys, serious question, what do y'all think of the HP 3312A function generator?

[neo]

It needs more nixie tubes! 

Seriously though it has a nice frequency range, and the rest of its specs look nice, though i don't know anything about it, or what your purpose is, so my opinion stops dead there before i embarrass myself.

[alm]

TEA Group members, I now have a problem. Connecting both of my frequency counters to my new (new to me) Wavetek function generator I get the following readings with the dial at 1 MHz:

Portable frequency counter      1.0013126 MHz
New Philips counter                  1.0013103 MHz

What oscillators are they using? I expect the portable one to use a TCXO at best. 2.3 ppm does not strike me as excessive for a standard XO or even a TCXO after a couple of years. So it may very well be that both are in spec (or out of spec). If you want to be sure, I would send the one with the most stable oscillator out for calibration (or adjust it to a GPSDO).

[tggzzz]

Oh dear. On Thursday an ESI Dekapot KVD turned up, as expected.

Today I went to a geek car boot sale - and sold a few things I'm pleased to say. But I found another ESI Dekathingy at a price I couldn't resist.

As you can see, each decade range has 11 positions (0-10), so I can claim it goes all the way up to 11. Or more accurately, this Dekastat goes up to 121.1ohms.

At first I thought the 0.01ohm step range was buggered, but then I improved my measurement technique and it is just fine.

[mtdoc]

Hey guys, serious question, what do y'all think of the HP 3312A function generator?

They're nice FGs when working.  I have one that I got for cheap on the bay and it worked for a while... Now it sits in my repair queue (at the back I'm afraid).

Some nice pics in this thread

[WastelandTek]

Hey guys, serious question, what do y'all think of the HP 3312A function generator?

They're nice FGs when working.  I have one that I got for cheap on the bay and it worked for a while... Now it sits in my repair queue (at the back I'm afraid).

Some nice pics in this thread

These are simply the pinnacle of analogue function generators and were pretty much a "nothing is too expensive" job by HP.

Thanks, that clears matters up...now I have a decision to make

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ele/d/tektronix-oscilloscope-with/6241145888.html

[mtdoc]

Thanks, that clears matters up...now I have a decision to make

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ele/d/tektronix-oscilloscope-with/6241145888.html

Nice vintage combo! 

[German_EE]

Take it, the function generator is a lot better than the one I have and HP scopes are nice.

As for the post by alm, the portable counter has a TXCO in it that I retrofitted a few years ago. I'm not a volt nut but I am fast becoming a frequency nut and any error greater than 1 Hz is treated as a major disaster.

[WastelandTek]

Nice vintage combo! 

"vintage" lol

that would be the newest scope in the house by a bit

maybe I should just keep saving for the Rigol...lol

[Carl_Smith]

Clearly there is a difference between the two but I am not sure which counter is in error. Should I send the Philips counter away for calibration or purchase a third counter to see which unit is correct? Or should I reassemble my DCF77 locked 10 MHz reference which is currently in pieces awaiting a new VCO?

All of the above, obviously.   

[tggzzz]

TEA Group members, I now have a problem. Connecting both of my frequency counters to my new (new to me) Wavetek function generator I get the following readings with the dial at 1 MHz:

Portable frequency counter      1.0013126 MHz
New Philips counter                  1.0013103 MHz

Clearly there is a difference between the two but I am not sure which counter is in error. Should I send the Philips counter away for calibration or purchase a third counter to see which unit is correct?

Or should I reassemble my DCF77 locked 10 MHz reference which is currently in pieces awaiting a new VCO?

Take them to https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/ptb-at-the-maker-faire-in-hannover/msg1268287/#top

[TiN]

Problem?

Mhm.. no problems..



Just another never ending project. 

[buck converter]

So Today at a highschool STEM camp at a college, my friend said, "look a dumpster full of computers!" reminding myself that I don't need more computers , i go in the hallway to check it out. They were not computers, they were HP and Tektronix analog oscilloscopes. There were atleast 15 . the looked good, some had power cords, the BNCs were tight.

I was not hungry to take the scopes because I am addicted to old stuff or because I need one, rather because I knew I could sell them to raise money for my High school's robotics team, which desperately needs money . This past year, we could not afford a Laptop to program the robot. I got this idea when browsing eBay for an oscilloscope, a seller said it was for his robotics team, I know how desperate his club could be.

I had to ask the instuctor if they are being chucked, for a few reasons: The dumpster was indoors; there was a note that said "to centeral Islip, room 203". After telling him about my robotics club, he agreed to find out if I could take some. I will not find out until Monday. If i do get some, I will sell some on eBay to raise money for my robotics team, and I will sell some at a low price on this forum to begginers like me, who learned so much from these tools.

I spoke to the robotics instructor today, he said we could figure something out!

[bitseeker]

That's great news, buck. Hope it does work out.

[bitseeker]

Fair enough, though a multimeter at 16000 still strikes me as insane. We need a time machine to either go back to when this stuff was cheap or forward to when it will be cheap...

8.5-digit multimeters aren't easy to make or there'd be lots of them. Going back probably wouldn't help since in the old days, things we take for granted were expensive back then. Perhaps going forward yields potential for picking up today's expensive kit for less. However, if you couldn't come back, then you might want the then-available-but-too-expensive 10.5-digit multimeters.

GAS and DBA transcend space and time.