9000 calculators are not all that big, most sweepers like the 8350 and wiltron boxes and even the old 8620 has GPIB (on the 8620 as option)
the software requires certain equipment but since its HP basic you can go in there and change the programming codes to adapt to any source or equipment you please !
I know the issues with the 2784 first hand, you need a software called lotus measure and its long gone so outside of tek no one can cal this box, this applies to all members of the family !
Many equipment pieces you need for the 8566 can also be used for the 70000 and for some there is not really a subsitute, a good example is the 3335A thats used for several tests.
By the way there is also a automated adjustment software for the 8566.
Lets face it most home labs dont give a ... about calibrated equipment, adjusments are only to be made if you repair something.
The problem i have with parts units is to find one that doesnt have the exact same bad part as the one you are trying to fix, lets face it usually you always encounter the same "offenders" if it comes to t+m so you would have to buy two good working units and keep one for spares.
Generally with the 70000 beein newer vintage i would not expect to see as many problems as with an old unit such as the 8566, the other thing is that the cooling system on the 70000 is so ver dimensioned that the box simply runs cooler and cooler temp always translates into higher reliability.
Last but not least you get more bang i.e frequency for your buck with the 70000 and if you use a 70908 you have a noise floor thats unmatched.
My alltime favorite analyzers though you cant touch or even think about them unless you hit the lottery is R+S stuff, they really got some nice stuff and superb specs, large Display and color but unfortunatly not affordable even used !
John Miles <jmiles@...> wrote:
they aint cheap - i agree but at least you can get them , maybe
its time to start scanning them and put them on the newsgroup ! :)
John makes it sound so easy on the 8566B where it is not, most
custom parts on the HP analyzers are RF/Microwave related and
they are custom on the 8566 as well as the 70000
the only analyzer i have ever seen that did not have any custom
parts was a old AIL757 Dinosaur !
Fact is if the mixer breaks you are in a world of hurt no
matter if you own a 8566 or a 70000, the mixer for the high band
on the 8566 includes also the YIG filter and this sucker is not cheap.
Well there is one downside of the 70000 however i forgot about,
in order to adjust or calibrate a 70000 you need the service
software which is available fairly cheap but requires a 9000
series calculator, those however have gotten cheap nowadays so
its not really a biggy !
Well, it's a big deal if I don't have room for a 9000-series calculator. :)
And doesn't it need a GPIB sweeper, too? Or are there manual workarounds?
You're right, in that servicing either model can be a pain. None of them
are getting any younger. But the great documentation on the 8566 will allow
you to work around just about any problem with substitute parts, if
necessary.
The YTX is about the *only* thing I couldn't replace with surplus microwave
parts off of eBay, or out of the Mini-Circuits catalog, if I had to. They
seem pretty reliable in my experience, but that's always a concern for
anyone who doesn't have (or can't afford) a parts mule.
-- john, KE5FX
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