Hi Don,
At first I thought you were referring to the years I was at HP (77-2002).? Things were fell apart on the instrument side at that time as well.??
I enjoyed working in the customer service center where it was a full repair and cal operation.? ?We could fix everything to the component level.? ? ?Rarely was a board replaced.??Then the instruments became assy level repair.? The 8753 was the first one that I recall but there were others like the 8920 etc.? ?Also fixed prices were established some where in there.? ? ? There was a fixed price for a repair, repair and cal and just cal and also a mini-repair price if the issue was very simple.? ? The cost of the assys were crazy.? ? Component level repair was no longer possible.? ?
Then the rep/cal facility became a cal only "hub".? ?If a repair was needed the instrument was shipped to Roseville, CA.? ? Also an on-site calibration service began.? ? The on-site cal work was too much like the stuff I hated to do in the air force were we traveled hours to get to a site and hours to get back to the base and 8 hours on the site.? Having to stay in a hotel away from home was not for me.? ? I hung on for a few more years in the power supply division.? ?After I left the power supply division,? the ex-repair / cal-only center was shut down and moved to PA and the entire facility was sold off.? The power supply div engineering / marketing dept moved somewhere close by and manufacturing was moved off-shore.? ?
Pete? ? ?
