Hello Ok? please show me pictures showing where these`missing` modules were ment to be installed!! Have serviced several of these `cheap` ?MXA look a like. I can tell that they all are real MXA`s,but with swapped boards. Why do you not look in N9020-90218-- service manual for X series-?? Here you also se that front panel castingare ?prepared? for 4 additional connectors!—but not N…. as its part of Baseband option. I have one of them right here(OPEN) –if you want any picture just let me know. Regards Hardy ? ? Hello Jason,
Nice detailed log, thanks for sharing. Full EXT has additional module with source and related items, so those were removed to convert these cheap "MXA"'s into working MXA.
Many of these boxes also have OXCO option installed, since that was important for wireless/EXT applications. It's still awesome to have MXA-level hardware for the price that works as neat analyzer for hobby fun tinkering at home. Just don't send it in for service/calibration, that wouldn't be ethical or correct thing to do.
As for diagnostic numbers and data, those might be corrupted when software got bodged up to mimic running as MXA, so I wouldn't trust them too much.
What options your box has enabled? I saw few units actually had 40MHz BW capable hardware too, but while ago. Not sure if it's possible to enable 40MHz BW from SW that easy.
BR,
Illya
On 05/14/2024 12:52 AM, Jason via groups.io wrote: ? After reading this thread, I decided to take a chance on one of these units.? I chose not to buy from the seller that stated in the description that the software options were bootleg, but rather one that i thought (perhaps naively) had at least a decent chance of being legitimate.? I wanted to share my first impressions for anyone who is considering one, and a few things that i'm hoping the group can help me with.??So far, I've just started to scratch the surface of learning what this analyzer can do. The instrument arrived from china in an unexpectedly quick 9 days, packed tightly in a few thin foam layers, totaling a bit less than an inch, in a flimsy cardboard box, fully covered with packing tape.? On opening the box and looking the instrument over, it was in typical shape for an instrument with a decade on a factory floor.? A little bit in the way of scratches, scuffs, corner dings, but decent overall after cleaning the dirt off.? There were partial cal stickers, and residue from many more, all over the handle screws.? There were a few new stickers (regular sticker, not a seal) over one of the handle screws and in a few other places.? The feet were long gone.? A few screws, but not a worrying amount, were missing. The front had a Keysight MXA top label.?The font is just ever so slightly off, but otherwise the labels look genuine, and i doubt anyone not specifically scrutinizing it would notice.? The rear had an original-looking serial number label, with an agilent logo, made in malaysia.? The left part was ripped off.? the remaining part said ATO-90561 ser MY51xxxxxx.? The label had a datamatrix, which read out "E6607A MY51xxxxxx".? I had no luck on the keysight warranty page as an N9020A, but with this model number, there it was.? I was even able to retrieve the original cal cert, for an "EXT Wireless Comm Test Set", from 2012. A quick look inside further reinforced the fact that this was a modified unit.? In the EXT's, there are 4 N connectors on the left side, and the N9020A has one on the right.? The input connector looked as expected from the service manual, but the cable had obviously been hand bent, as it did not follow a neat path, nor one similar to any of the variants in the N9020A service manual.? I've yet to find an E6607A service manual, so while i'm guessing it's just one that was moved from the left, i'm not sure of that. Upon seeing this, I messaged one of the ebay sellers listing these (the only one with an actual description), and asked if it was an original N9020A or a modified EXT.? The seller was upfront about the fact that it was a modified EXT, and said that all of the chinese sellers listing them at that price point were the same.? I then asked about what the modifications entailed, beyond moving the input, new labels, and loading different software.? The answer i got had a strong language barrier but i'm pretty sure the intent was to communicate that those were the only things modified, and nothing in the internal circuitry was touched.? I haven't yet been able to find a service manual for the EXT (if anyone can point me to one, it would be greatly appreciated), so i'm still developing my own understanding of exactly what the differences are, which will inform how much i believe that. In the HW Stats page, the attenuator cycles, individually, range from 16-27k.? That seems entirely reasonable to me, but i have no idea what life expectancy is for those.? There is also a line that states "Elapsed Time (On-Time)(Hours)" and 612855.? That's not a typo - 612855.? So far, this is the greatest mystery, any ideas?
Overall, while the units have a lot of capability, they also are definitely a little shady, and I would recommend steering well clear in any professional context.? For pure hobbyists, I suppose it is up to an individual's perspective.
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