Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[grbk]

My HP 34401A and also my Agilent 34401A don't have vent holes on the bottom. I thought similarly that it could be swapped from another instrument from that line. And indeed this case most probably comes from a HP/Agilent 33120A:

(linked from this ebay-offer)

No holes here either - might have changed the design so it ran cooler, or swapped with some other compatible case ... from what hmmm ...

I think someone swapped the cases.   
The 34401A is a non-fan design from the beginning. There's no reason for vent holes actually.

OK, thanks for the confirmation on vent holes. 33120 was my guess as well for a likely case donor. I wonder if the vent holes affect stability?

[URI]

My HP 34401A and also my Agilent 34401A don't have vent holes on the bottom. I thought similarly that it could be swapped from another instrument from that line. And indeed this case most probably comes from a HP/Agilent 33120A:

(linked from this ebay-offer)

No holes here either - might have changed the design so it ran cooler, or swapped with some other compatible case ... from what hmmm ...

I think someone swapped the cases.   
The 34401A is a non-fan design from the beginning. There's no reason for vent holes actually.

OK, thanks for the confirmation on vent holes. 33120 was my guess as well for a likely case donor. I wonder if the vent holes affect stability?

Hmm. You could find out doing a long-term measurement to compare the drift -once with open vent holes and once with closed vent holes e.g. covered with tape. With the rest of the case being closed I wouldn't expect much ventilation at all.

[grbk]

OK, thanks for the confirmation on vent holes. 33120 was my guess as well for a likely case donor. I wonder if the vent holes affect stability?

Hmm. You could find out doing a long-term measurement to compare the drift -once with open vent holes and once with closed vent holes e.g. covered with tape. With the rest of the case being closed I wouldn't expect much ventilation at all.

At some point I may do that experiment.

The service manual I have lists the part number as 34401-84111. Keysight says that part is no longer available, but will sell me the replacement part 34401-84121 for $56.67. Probably not worth it

[xrunner]

I wrote the Ebay supplier about where mine came from.

He said he has sold on Ebay more than 200 34401A units. He receives them from my different suppliers. Sometimes condition is good, sometimes not. He personally checks each unit and repair/replace parts if needed. My unit was just dusty. This one was a spare unit from military surplus batch.

There you go.

[mnementh]

You can always repurpose  your porcelainware.   

In Texas we'd call that a redneck BBQ pit. 

Nope... Redneck BBQs always start out as a wheelbarrow or a 1/2 or full keg. That's definitely "SPAM-Sucking Trailer Trash" haute cuisine, right they-arrre… If it's cooked on a stolen shopping cart, it's Alabammy Brisket.

mnem
Traveling up & down the Eastern Seaboard doing the snowbird thing, you get to see all kinds...

[grbk]

I wrote the Ebay supplier about where mine came from.

He said he has sold on Ebay more than 200 34401A units. He receives them from my different suppliers. Sometimes condition is good, sometimes not. He personally checks each unit and repair/replace parts if needed. My unit was just dusty. This one was a spare unit from military surplus batch.

There you go.

Nice, sounds like you got a good one.

[beanflying]

3 Hours of my life and counting  Windoze 10 updates, marketing crud 'magically installed' by KOBO or visiting email links and clicking, old ASUS Laptop and my 75+ year old mother - what could possibly go wrong   

[Brumby]

Here's the 34401A pics. As I said looks brand new.

That   is   gorgeous !!!

[Brumby]

Pictured also is the bodnar GPSDO which is pretty excellent. I'm very happy with it.

You knew I'd notice this ... didn't you?

[Brumby]

Proof I'm over the Tek thing: I just turned down a FREE limping Tektronix 475A about 5 mins drive from here.

I'd drive 25 minutes just to have the carcass. Getting it working would be a bonus.

(It's just one of those acquisition dreams from many years ago.)

[AngusBeef]

Any love for the 16500s?

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

[Brumby]

The dreams began emerging in the 70's.  The first device listed was a reel-to-reel tape deck ... one that was solenoid controlled.  I now have an Akai GX-620 which needs a little work - and one special screw.

In the realm of test gear, it was the 465 which first caught my eye.  Any 465, 475 or 485 would have been droolworthy.

It is only recently I have been getting my feet wet with actual HP gear on my bench - thanks to Bean and Dave - but I would be happy to entertain extending my collection.  The best I have in the way of a digital scope is a TDS220, which I have found both useful and frustrating.  Just a case of the more you have, the more you want.

It is, perhaps, better that I am in Australia.  If I lived in the US, it would not be good... 

[beanflying]

Any love for the 16500s?

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

Is there still a use case for them over modern cheap and cheerful Chinese knockoffs is more the question? $50-100 then maybe for fun if it has the leads and probe tips.

[bd139]

Pictured also is the bodnar GPSDO which is pretty excellent. I'm very happy with it.

You knew I'd notice this ... didn't you?

Me? With my reptuation? 

[nfmax]

Trying to clear my mind of impure thoughts today. The HPAK fanboy in me has fallen in love with a DSOX1204G and the credit card is empty 

Well, as it happens, I've just up-scoped my bench to a fully-pimped-out MSOX3104T from the Keysight eBay store offer, so my old MSOX2024A (again, fully optioned-out, including the 200,000WFM/s and advanced trigger upgrade, and a 'cloned' LAN adapter) may be looking for a new home...

[beanflying]

Kind of Classy Gossen sparkies meter and pouch 60's to 70's I guess. eBay auction: #264412062812

[nixiefreqq]

Pictured also is the bodnar GPSDO which is pretty excellent. I'm very happy with it.

You knew I'd notice this ... didn't you?

Me? With my reptuation? 

hmmmmmm.  this may inspire med to buy a 5334 from our friends in nj.

do ya' think he will bodge a fan onto the back of it?

[VK5RC]

A bit (well about 8kg) of RF  'boat anchory', an old HP 803A RF Bridge, 50-100MHz, from a delightful guy associated with my amateur radio club. He is one of the state's Broadcast Antenna engineers, he wields the antenna modelling program EZNEC effortlessly. The price was free provided after my use it went on to another good home. Top bloke. 😊

[beanflying]

And while trawling the bottom end of evilbay test gear I snagged a measuring stick of sorts for not a lot  Have used an older mechanical one a bit for measuring in the past, this one needs a new battery and if it works play for a bit then sell it for a bit more I reckon. eBay auction: #163842846806

[bd139]

Trying to clear my mind of impure thoughts today. The HPAK fanboy in me has fallen in love with a DSOX1204G and the credit card is empty 

Well, as it happens, I've just up-scoped my bench to a fully-pimped-out MSOX3104T from the Keysight eBay store offer, so my old MSOX2024A (again, fully optioned-out, including the 200,000WFM/s and advanced trigger upgrade, and a 'cloned' LAN adapter) may be looking for a new home...

That'll probably be slightly out of budget for me based on the current retail price and far more than my modest requirements. I've allocated some capital for "product development" in my ltd so need to carefully slide everything in there as that's what it's going to actually be tasked with for once (rather than just futzing with stuff  . Need to get out of the IT trade as I hate it). I've got a niche product and market to get into which should see me out the next decade or so if I don't screw it up. Worst case I screw up, depreciate it and then "dispose" of it in a few years 

Objectively I want to avoid the older CE based DSOX series which I suspect will go into "extended maintenance mode" at some point as they're moving in the Linux direction.

[med6753]

Only about $125 - $150 USD overpriced. 

[bd139]

FFS there are some chancers out there for sure.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232972297216

^^ this turd is even missing a knob 

[med6753]

Your turd has got my turd beat by a country mile. 

[Mr. Scram]

That'll probably be slightly out of budget for me based on the current retail price and far more than my modest requirements. I've allocated some capital for "product development" in my ltd so need to carefully slide everything in there as that's what it's going to actually be tasked with for once (rather than just futzing with stuff  . Need to get out of the IT trade as I hate it). I've got a niche product and market to get into which should see me out the next decade or so if I don't screw it up. Worst case I screw up, depreciate it and then "dispose" of it in a few years 

Objectively I want to avoid the older CE based DSOX series which I suspect will go into "extended maintenance mode" at some point as they're moving in the Linux direction.

That will happen eventually but considering every oscilloscope bar the four channel 1000X runs CE it's likely to take a while.

[bd139]

Not necessarily. MSFT are stopping selling CE licenses in 2020