Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[worsthorse]

Happy to report the seller outback6 on ebay is legit.  Received my new to me HP 8920A which I think I damn near stole and its in great shape, fully functional, with the options listed.  It was well packed and arrived safe.   Only had a hour to play with it last night (almost brought it into work with me today).

The seller has another one listed starting at $600, but only has the OCXO option, no spectrum analyzer.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/C164770-HP-8920A-RF-Communications-Test-Set-Option-001-RF-Gen-Anl-AF-Anl-Osc/333469043207

Same seller has a HP 53310A MDA for sale cheep too.

Ill post up some tests results and maybe even some teardown photos later in the week.

Only an hour left on that 53310A auction and no bids... anyone here going to jump on it?  I am holding firm in to my no-new-gear commitment.  So far anyway...

[bitseeker]

Hello TEA

here, as promised, some pictures of my General Radio 1192-B counter.
With Nixie tubes! 
I've bought it end of November 2019 from a very nice guy (retired engineer).
He wants to get rid of some gear and offered this unit for a (imho) reasonable price of CHF 60.-

So, let's start with the front (I've fed 19876MHz into it from the arb gen of my R&S RTM 2004)

Cool! We didn't have one of those yet in the POI. Added.

[worsthorse]

Getting seriously pissed off with selling stuff on eBay:

1. No I won’t send you photos of receipts before you buy something.
2. No I won’t take 33% off the price
3. No I won’t ship it to Mars
4. No I won’t take £10 off if you want to use Hermes instead of UPS fully insured.
5. No you can’t come and inspect it at 23:45 this evening.
6. No I don’t have any others that are cheaper.
7. No I won’t split this singular item and leave me with a hunk of shit worth 10% of the whole value.
8. No I can’t make it fit through a letterbox because you’re not in.

Argh. Seriously considering having a strop and just canning eBay sales.

And that there list is why I haven't started selling stuff on ebay.  I have heard some version of it from at least three long-term gear sellers in the last five months. 

[bitseeker]

Happy to report the seller outback6 on ebay is legit.  Received my new to me HP 8920A which I think I damn near stole and its in great shape, fully functional, with the options listed.  It was well packed and arrived safe.   Only had a hour to play with it last night (almost brought it into work with me today).

The seller has another one listed starting at $600, but only has the OCXO option, no spectrum analyzer.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/C164770-HP-8920A-RF-Communications-Test-Set-Option-001-RF-Gen-Anl-AF-Anl-Osc/333469043207

Same seller has a HP 53310A MDA for sale cheep too.

Ill post up some tests results and maybe even some teardown photos later in the week.

Only an hour left on that 53310A auction and no bids... anyone here going to jump on it?  I am holding firm in to my no-new-gear commitment.  So far anyway...

Making public announcements + bidding early = $$$ 

Flying under the radar + sniping = TEA

 

[Kosmic]

Happy to report the seller outback6 on ebay is legit.  Received my new to me HP 8920A which I think I damn near stole and its in great shape, fully functional, with the options listed.  It was well packed and arrived safe.   Only had a hour to play with it last night (almost brought it into work with me today).

The seller has another one listed starting at $600, but only has the OCXO option, no spectrum analyzer.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/C164770-HP-8920A-RF-Communications-Test-Set-Option-001-RF-Gen-Anl-AF-Anl-Osc/333469043207

Same seller has a HP 53310A MDA for sale cheep too.

Ill post up some tests results and maybe even some teardown photos later in the week.

Only an hour left on that 53310A auction and no bids... anyone here going to jump on it?  I am holding firm in to my no-new-gear commitment.  So far anyway...

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/

[bitseeker]

Getting seriously pissed off with selling stuff on eBay:

1. No I won’t send you photos of receipts before you buy something.
2. No I won’t take 33% off the price
3. No I won’t ship it to Mars
4. No I won’t take £10 off if you want to use Hermes instead of UPS fully insured.
5. No you can’t come and inspect it at 23:45 this evening.
6. No I don’t have any others that are cheaper.
7. No I won’t split this singular item and leave me with a hunk of shit worth 10% of the whole value.
8. No I can’t make it fit through a letterbox because you’re not in.

Argh. Seriously considering having a strop and just canning eBay sales.

And that there list is why I haven't started selling stuff on ebay.  I have heard some version of it from at least three long-term gear sellers in the last five months.

Heh. All of those can be "Yes" with the remittance of an appropriate fee.

e.g.,

   Q: #7. "Can you split this singular item?"

   A: Yes. Splitting fee is 50% of purchase price (including shipping).

   Result: End of stupid questions or $$$.

[Kosmic]

Sure it's brand new. Was just in storage for the last 50 years 

[bitseeker]

Only an hour left on that 53310A auction and no bids... anyone here going to jump on it?  I am holding firm in to my no-new-gear commitment.  So far anyway...

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.

[bitseeker]

Sure it's brand new. Was just in storage for the last 50 years 

"Almost new." That's like "mostly dead." At least it's in better condition than some of the "new" items on eBay.

[Kosmic]

Only an hour left on that 53310A auction and no bids... anyone here going to jump on it?  I am holding firm in to my no-new-gear commitment.  So far anyway...

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.

Yeah I know I was just joking. Outback is a huge equipment seller on ebay.

[bitseeker]

I know. I was just providing some context for others and sharing my surprise that it's still ongoing. What a mess.

[med6753]

An IC from Raytheon in a funny looking DIL package:

Very cool post.

Interesting. Looks like their unobtainium "TTL I" range which turned up just before the 74-series was standardised on TI's parts.

I've seen and worked with Motorola MECL 10K IC's of the same construction as the Raytheon IC.

[med6753]

Good but very long read. Someone's massive test gear collection:

https://emperoroftestequipment.weebly.com/

LOTS of test gear. I mean lots and lots.

Yea, I've seen that before. And I thought I was nuts. 

[bitseeker]

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



So, what modern equipment is used nowadays in lieu of the functionality of the 53310A?

[Kosmic]

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

Congrats! the 53310A is really nice instrument.

I connect mine to my rubidium reference and use it to calibrate and adjust oscillators.

[WastelandTek]

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/

good lord

[Kosmic]

So, what modern equipment is used nowadays in lieu of the functionality of the 53310A?

Keysight doesn't offer anything like that anymore. But Pendulum has some products to emulate the 53310A.

https://www.testwall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Pendulum-TimeView3Modulation-Domain-Analysisrev01.pdf

https://pendulum-instruments.com/products/frequency-counters-analyzers/timeview-modulation-domain-analyzer-sw/

[bitseeker]

Thanks. I couldn't find a direct replacement by Agilent or Keysight, either. I was wondering if some other equipment may have subsumed the functionality.

[mnementh]

Guys... I need programmer help. I think my Ferengi subroutine is borked; or maybe has been neutered by something in my "responsible parent" system update.

*Cue flashiebackie music*

So... by now you all know about the Arrow sale a while back; well the big gem of that deal (aside from a few 1054Zeds they literally gave away) was the Owon/Lilliput XDS3202E (200MHz/2CH/2GS/S) for $188. I had the last one in my cart, but put it back. Mostly because I'd JUST bought the HANTEK 6022BL and I felt a little guilty even thinking about buying ANOTHER scope when it was still enroute (I KNOW,  RIGHT...? What kind of TEA AM I...?) but also because I knew it would leave me short (not hot dogs & ramen short, but definitely a few more sghetti lunches and fish-plank dinners than the kids are used to) until my next payday.

I chalked it up to a momentary lapse of reason... but then just before Christmas, I happened upon a 55" LG flat-screen TV, new enough to be LED BL, for $90 at the thrift... same situation. It would leave me tight, but not flat broke, and I'd been looking for a second screen for the bedroom. So I passed on it.  Two days later dad sent Christmas money that would have more than covered it. 

   

But today at the thrift... I doubled down on the dumbass-juice, I swear. I had a Harmon-Kardon AVR-240 in my hands... I was scoping it out; it lit up, face in EC and nice bright CFL display. For $35. Canadian. Another guy walked up and started fiddling with it while I was looking up the specs; I shooed him off, but he hung around while I checked it out. After a minute looking over the specs, I decide it's definitely a few rungs higher on the food chain than what I have, but... the Denon sounds great, it's all set up... and same is true of the Sony I have up in the bedroom.

I don't NEED it.

So I tell the guy to take it; he clearly wants it and I figured I should save the money for something else.

Not once during all of this, do I consider buying it JUST TO RESELL. The thought NEVER EVEN CROSSES MY MIND.

And worse yet, I don't even remember the coupon I have in my wallet that would have made it, and the cartfull of random housewares in the back seat, half-price. Until I'm halfway home.

mnem
"I'll take Colossal Dumbasses for $50, Alex."

[Kosmic]

All good decisions. There's deals all the time. Also, a good thing you passed on that harman kardon. Got a AVR247 here and I have been hating the thing for years. Not sure how they did it but the hdmi passthrough is actually adding noise on screen!

[Kosmic]

Thanks. I couldn't find a direct replacement by Agilent or Keysight, either. I was wondering if some other equipment may have subsumed the functionality.

Maybe their oscilloscopes ? My Lecroy got the jitter analyzer software option and it overlap a lot with the 53310A functionalities.

[mnementh]

All good decisions. There's deals all the time. Also, a good thing you passed on that harman kardon. Got a AVR247 here and I have been hating the thing for years. Not sure how they did it but the hdmi passthrough is actually adding noise on screen!

Yeah, that's just a fact of life with HDMI receivers; I've had it happen over & over. You buy the new hawtness, a few months later they revise the HDMI standard for more BW or added feature (REALLY? GBE over HDMI...?) nobody really needs but it's an excuse to push all new HT gear. Then next thing you know your receiver can't keep up with the BW requirements of the screen or sources and you're boned.

Fuck all that and just pull a couple Toslinks along with a separate HDMI (the highest revision available at the time from a reputable vendor) for EVERY INPUT on the screen when you hang it. Pull long enough cables to connect EVERYTHING directly, no couplers anywhere, including especially those spiffy looking recessed bulkhead-style panels. Sooner or later, you'll be WISHING you had.

On your Harman, I'd pull a new HDMI cable direct to your highest BW source & a Toslink backhaul from the screen to the receiver for a trial run; bet you a dollar you'll fall in love with it all over again. 

Oh, and thanks for the supportive slap on the back.

mnem

[0culus]

Thanks. I couldn't find a direct replacement by Agilent or Keysight, either. I was wondering if some other equipment may have subsumed the functionality.

Incidentally, you can program the 8566B/68B to do similar things to the 53310A. Various statistics functions are provided.

[bitseeker]

Thanks. I couldn't find a direct replacement by Agilent or Keysight, either. I was wondering if some other equipment may have subsumed the functionality.

Maybe their oscilloscopes ? My Lecroy got the jitter analyzer software option and it overlap a lot with the 53310A functionalities.

Ah, very interesting. I don't have fancy scopes like that...yet. I wonder if fancy GUI-based universal counters might also provide analysis functionality with histograms, etc.

[bitseeker]

Guys... I need programmer help. I think my Ferengi subroutine is borked; or maybe has been neutered by something in my "responsible parent" system update.

...

I chalked it up to a momentary lapse of reason...

...

I don't NEED it.

...

Not once during all of this, do I consider buying it JUST TO RESELL. The thought NEVER EVEN CROSSES MY MIND.

And worse yet, I don't even remember the coupon I have in my wallet that would have made it, and the cartfull of random housewares in the back seat, half-price. Until I'm halfway home.

It's OK, mnem. My rate of snagging good deals is inversely proportional to the size of my collection. In other words, I've let more and more goodies intentionally slip through my watchlist in 2019 than ever before.