New file: Sprague capacitor types in files
All-
Just uploaded a SS of Sprague capacitor series that I made as a quick reference for myself - feel free to add and modify as needed.? I also have scans (as found on the web) of old catalogs that I can upload if wanted but did not do so as they are approximately 100MB total and i don't want to use up storage space here for no reason.? I will gladly UL if requested.
Thanks,
Hal?
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Re: HP 8662A - alternative attenuator configurations
Thanks Askild.
I have been doing some internet image research and also asked a couple of friends on the Twittersphere. I think you are right - the J9 motherboard connector is deprecated in newer models.?
The two attenuators each have a 2x5 IDC socket but only 7 contacts are used. The ribbon cables have 10 wires but the yellow, green and gray wires are not used (cut short) and plug in to the A2A8 card on two rows of header pins via flat 8-position DuPont sockets.?
One wire (the brown 5V supply) is in a different position on each cable and the unused 8th position (either #1 or #2) is blanked off. This prevents plugging the attenuator cables into the wrong row of header pins.?
I pieced this together from various internet and eBay images. The available service manuals are for older models and while the 8663A manuals cover the two-attenuator versions, they still have them connecting to the motherboard rather than the A2A8 PCB. I¡¯ve found no documentation that covers this later layout at all.
Regards
Tony
Hi Tony,
I'm fairly sure you should not have anything connected to that connector. On my 8663A there are two attenuators, that each has a ribbon cable, and yes, all signals controlling the attenuators are on the ribbon cables.
I have not seen that single unit, maybe someone else has some info about it?
Unfortunately it seems as I have not taken a picture of the front open like this, so I cant say for sure how my 8663A looks like. And now it's difficult to open, as there is several instruments stacked on top of it.
Regards, Askild
Hi,
While trying to fix my HP8662A I'm trying to work out if?it is missing an output attenuator relay drive cable - or not.
There appear to be at least two attenuator configurations in these instruments. My machine has two attenuator units, each with a ribbon cable attached - which I assume are the relay drive signals. I have seen pictures of other revs of the instrument with a single larger attenuator with a drive cable that comes from the motherboard, but no ribbon cables. I attach a picture of both configs, as far as I can research them.
I can't find any HP update/change documentation on the internet about when the configuration of the attenuators for this instrument changed - or indeed, if it is an instrument option.
My question regards the attenuator drive cable. In my own instrument with 2 attenuators there is no drive cable plugged in to the motherboard (see circled area in pictures). In the single attenuator model this cable exists (again, see picture). So should my instrument have that cable (i.e. it is missing), or do the ribbon cables carry those signals and therefore does not need one?
I hope that is clear!
Many thanks
Tony
|
Re: WTB: 5265A Digital Voltmeter for HP 5245L Electronic Counter.
Sorry , unit has already been spoken for.
|
Re: Setting up an Ubuntu + Prologix GPIB toolchain
I'm using an HP 82357B USB-GPIB Interface with as Raspberry-Pi and it works great. (on eBay they are less than $100 NOS)
This particular device requires its firmware to be loaded when plugged in.
In Linux this is done with a udev rule.??
The Linux GPIB driver is used in the kernel.
Since this is not part of the distribution you set up 'dkms' so that its rebuilt and included automatically when the kernel gets upgraded.
I've used it on Raspian (like Ubuntu since its also a Debian derivative) and with Fedora (my choice).
If you decide to go down this route I can help you set it up.
|
Re: Setting up an Ubuntu + Prologix GPIB toolchain
Sure. Was hoping to see a sample implementation in any language where instruments are polled and results put into a RDBMS right away. I did this with serial GPIO many years ago with postgres DB for the very fine precision timestamps tagging data as telemetry. MySQL wasn't that popular just then. If nothing else is available then ProLogix it is, but still wonder of the Chinese versions are fake or not..? the main website says a different price than their own vendors.?
Wanted to have a method to capture data and then run analysis on the runs. I do think I will need control application for some experiments but not as much as deep dives into experimental runs.?
On Thu, Jun 2, 2022, 18:51 Dave McGuire < mcguire@...> wrote: On 6/2/22 18:09, Samudra wrote:
> HI, I looked around for USB/GPIB and Ethernet/GPIB solutions able to be
> used with Ubuntu (or, any modern LInux, but I use Ubuntu) OS - on a
> "ham-friendly" budget. I think the ProLogix Ethernet/GPIB module is
> about what I can afford, are there others?
>
> I see on this forum others have used Prologix, not sure if they all went
> ethernet or just USB. For those of you that did go Prologix
> Ethernet/GPIB, does ProLogix provide good programming tutorials/guides
> for writing test applications? Did you find any gotchas that you wish
> you had known? I'm ok with hard programming, and soft programming
> (scripting) with Python. I can also do C++ or C, etc. I will be using
> this to probe a future FPGA based RFSoC board and need to run automated
> tests.
>
> I looked for tutorials on YouTube, but didn't find any if at all...
> Perhaps I don't know where to look for TCP/IP connected GPIB programming
> on ProLogix?
? ?A tutorial on that would be pretty short.? The command set is a dozen
or so commands for both the Ethernet- and USB-connected versions.
Instead of looking for a tutorial, I suggest just looking at the manual.
? With your background, it will be a piece of cake.
? ?The USB version shows up as a serial port on the host machine, and
the Ethernet version listens on an IP port.? For that, to interact with
it directly, you can just telnet to it.? Programmatically, any
programming language that can open a TCP connection (and I can't think
of any offhand that can't) can talk to it.
? ?I've done a lot with these using R, but I think most people want to
use Python these days.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?-Dave
--
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA
|
Re: HP 8662A - alternative attenuator configurations
My 8662A looks like your picture on the right, no cable to that connector.? It is Agilent branded and has a 2000 production date.?
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Re: Setting up an Ubuntu + Prologix GPIB toolchain
On 6/2/22 18:09, Samudra wrote: HI, I looked around for USB/GPIB and Ethernet/GPIB solutions able to be used with Ubuntu (or, any modern LInux, but I use Ubuntu) OS - on a "ham-friendly" budget. I think the ProLogix Ethernet/GPIB module is about what I can afford, are there others?
I see on this forum others have used Prologix, not sure if they all went ethernet or just USB. For those of you that did go Prologix Ethernet/GPIB, does ProLogix provide good programming tutorials/guides for writing test applications? Did you find any gotchas that you wish you had known? I'm ok with hard programming, and soft programming (scripting) with Python. I can also do C++ or C, etc. I will be using this to probe a future FPGA based RFSoC board and need to run automated tests.
I looked for tutorials on YouTube, but didn't find any if at all... Perhaps I don't know where to look for TCP/IP connected GPIB programming on ProLogix? A tutorial on that would be pretty short. The command set is a dozen or so commands for both the Ethernet- and USB-connected versions. Instead of looking for a tutorial, I suggest just looking at the manual. With your background, it will be a piece of cake. The USB version shows up as a serial port on the host machine, and the Ethernet version listens on an IP port. For that, to interact with it directly, you can just telnet to it. Programmatically, any programming language that can open a TCP connection (and I can't think of any offhand that can't) can talk to it. I've done a lot with these using R, but I think most people want to use Python these days. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
|
Setting up an Ubuntu + Prologix GPIB toolchain
HI, I looked around for USB/GPIB and Ethernet/GPIB solutions able to be used with Ubuntu (or, any modern LInux, but I use Ubuntu) OS - on a "ham-friendly" budget. I think the ProLogix Ethernet/GPIB module is about what I can afford, are there others?
I see on this forum others have used Prologix, not sure if they all went ethernet or just USB. For those of you that did go Prologix Ethernet/GPIB, does ProLogix provide good programming tutorials/guides for writing test applications? Did you find any gotchas that you wish you had known? I'm ok with hard programming, and soft programming (scripting) with Python. I can also do C++ or C, etc. I will be using this to probe a future FPGA based RFSoC board and need to run automated tests.?
I looked for tutorials on YouTube, but didn't find any if at all... Perhaps I don't know where to look for TCP/IP connected GPIB programming on ProLogix?
Lastly, the ProLogix website shows a high price, but it's vendors/distributors show low price, and many similar prices are shown on eBay with Chinese suppliers. Which supplier has tech support that can be recommended? Compared to ProLogix, is there a another commercial product that meets ethernet/GPIB ??
Samudra
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Moderated
Re: which linux to use? (was Reinstalling operating software)
On 6/2/22 13:38, Samudra wrote: ?Amazing. Almost the same list of Unix OS versions for me, but I can add one, a summer job out of? high school (1983 for me) , to write a Terminfo entry for a color ascii/graphics mixed terminal for the ICL CLAN Unix multi-user server which was a UK-Japanese blended System V Unix on a terminal that had a color graphics cable screen, a keyboard --
with a key telephone PABX terminal -- and a printer connection (integrated together). I thought that was weird until I had the chance to port Unix OS to Data General MV/10000 (Yes, this was 1989) replacing its AOS/VS operating system. Are you in the US? You really need to come see LSSM. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
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Moderated
Re: which linux to use? (was Reinstalling operating software)
On Wed, May 11, 2022 at 10:37 AM, Chuck Harris wrote:
I started using Linux when Linux was minix... ;-)
I wrote a version of cron for minix, but, for reasons
I don't remember anymore, my cron got ignored, and
they used one written by Andrew T's graduate students.
My first store-bought version of linux was by a compilation
of Slackware sold by Yggdrisel.
My first version of Redhat linux got hacked by Polish
hackers.... It was on dialup at the time, I noticed the
hack because it suddenly slowed down as the modem went
wild... They downloaded a copy of a disk optimizing
utility, and installed it as root. I hung up, and learned
about firewalls.
Before minix, it was an assortment of DEC, Honeywell, Univac,
DG, HP, unix 4,5,6, and BSD... Oh, and CP/M, ISIS, DOS,
Windows, OS/2, Xenix, and QNX...
-Chuck Harris
?Amazing. Almost the same list of Unix OS versions for me, but I can add one, a summer job out of? high school (1983 for me) , to write a Terminfo entry for a color ascii/graphics mixed terminal for the ICL CLAN Unix multi-user server which was a UK-Japanese blended System V Unix on a terminal that had a color graphics cable screen, a keyboard -- with a key telephone PABX terminal -- and a printer connection (integrated together). I thought that was weird until I had the chance to port Unix OS to Data General MV/10000 (Yes, this was 1989) replacing its AOS/VS operating system.?
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GPIB, was Re: which linux to use? (was Reinstalling operating software)
On Wed, May 11, 2022 at 10:43 AM, Mark Litwack wrote:
?I purchased a Keysight 82357B GPIB<-->USB interface (a real one from them, not a fake from China).? I have not put it into daily use yet, but it is also working under the linux-gpib package.? It presents the same API, so all my scripts still work.? That testing was done on CentOS 7.3, and I have yet to try it on Mint.? I don't anticipate any issues since it's really linux-gpib that's doing all the work.
I have not tried the NI supplied driver.
-mark
Hello Mark, I am considering obtaining a GPIB interface, and looked at choices from eBay at first? but wonder why there is a price difference from the China supplied models, with HP product labeling and so forth, as the US list price is (currently) about $731 ea. Could you assist in helping me figure out why the price difference is so much? But otherwise, I saw that??shows?good linux driver support, but do they (KeySight) provide any ready built applications to access instruments? For example: I have: 8566B spec. an., and a 5342A counter, etc. so - do I write my own control programs (using a library) or do they have a GUI that does this already for any instrument depending upon whats connected? If this is discussed in a? tutorial (linux-gpib, 82357b, multiple instruments) please help with a link. Otherwise I am very good at programming serial I/O/data acq./command/telemetry, but which command set library did you use - and did you find Python v. C v. C++ in your choices?? Thanks Samudra
|
hi Thanks for all your replies I actually have the clips, but the trouble shooting information seems wrong so I'm looking for a service manual for my prefix 2923A but I'm not sure if it exists now on the web.
|
Re: HP 8662A - alternative attenuator configurations
Hi Tony,
I'm fairly sure you should not have anything connected to that connector. On my 8663A there are two attenuators, that each has a ribbon cable, and yes, all signals controlling the attenuators are on the ribbon cables.
I have not seen that single unit, maybe someone else has some info about it?
Unfortunately it seems as I have not taken a picture of the front open like this, so I cant say for sure how my 8663A looks like. And now it's difficult to open, as there is several instruments stacked on top of it.
Regards, Askild
Hi,
While trying to fix my HP8662A I'm trying to work out if?it is missing an output attenuator relay drive cable - or not.
There appear to be at least two attenuator configurations in these instruments. My machine has two attenuator units, each with a ribbon cable attached - which I assume are the relay drive signals. I have seen pictures of other revs of the instrument with a single larger attenuator with a drive cable that comes from the motherboard, but no ribbon cables. I attach a picture of both configs, as far as I can research them.
I can't find any HP update/change documentation on the internet about when the configuration of the attenuators for this instrument changed - or indeed, if it is an instrument option.
My question regards the attenuator drive cable. In my own instrument with 2 attenuators there is no drive cable plugged in to the motherboard (see circled area in pictures). In the single attenuator model this cable exists (again, see picture). So should my instrument have that cable (i.e. it is missing), or do the ribbon cables carry those signals and therefore does not need one?
I hope that is clear!
Many thanks
Tony
|
Thanks for the update, Ton.? My search result for your procedure yielded a dead Yahoo Groups link.
?
Dave Wise
?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
From: [email protected] < [email protected]>
On Behalf Of Ton PA0TBR via groups.io
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2022 1:21 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment] HP8640B no rf out
?
Hi Donald,
In 2011 I described how I made wiper contacts from a USB-A socket for my SA.
After 11 years those contacts are still going strong.
?
Another plastic-disk finger contact symptom and cause.? This is the disk on the back of the step attenuator.
?
SYMPTOM: Intermittent: LEVEL mode meter reads zero, RF still output.
CAUSE: A1A1S1 Meter Atten Sw (pins 5/6/16) contact broke loose.? See SS13.
ACTION: Reattach with JB Weld.? Also blob up the other two contacts that haven¡¯t broken yet.
NOTE: Do not need to remove A1A1.? Unmount pot using mini-ratchet and #1 Phillips bit.
NOTE: Inner contact kills RF and meter.? Outer contact goofs up meter range annunciators when meter is in LEVEL mode, probably lights 0-3 regardless of attenuator.
?
JFYI
Dave Wise
?
PS: Here are titles and URLs of some threads discussing this.
?
HP8640B Gear Repair -
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24788359
8565A in process -
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24800901
HP 8558 Missing contact fingers ?-
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24811643
Need Advice on Repairing 8640B Switch Contacts -
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24814127
HP 8640B range switch fingers and late manual -
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24815391
Wanting to buy rotor switch contact fingers that fall off in vintage HP Spectrum Analyzers ?-
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24815512
spectrum HP 8558b good but missing part ?-
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/33132015
HP 8558B spectrum analyzer plug-in rotary switch -
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/29340855
?
?
A very similar style of these ¡®finger¡¯ contact is found in the 8011/12/13 pulse generators which can be found quite cheaply¡. How do i know¡ just repaired one¡ works lovely.
?
On 28 May 2022, at 22:01, n4buq <n4buq@...> wrote:
?
Other HP switches use those wipers.? I think some of the slide switches on the 8640B use them but I think
there are others too.
From:
"Donald Prins" <dyhprins@...>
To: "HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2022 10:06:01 AM
Subject: Re: [HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment] HP8640B no rf out
Hi Ellud,
Can you tell me where one can obtain those wipers? I have a HP8640B that is missing 3 in total on the FM/RANGE switches. Your help will be much appreciated.
Donald?
PE1AHJ
|
Re: 8662A - a warning about dangerous service directions
Dmitri,
Your second assumption is the right one. If the ESR is too low the power supply will be unstable, the phase margin
is affected severely. ?I have made numerous power supply simulations using LTspice. If the ESR = 0 ohm the simulation
is stuck but if I place a 1 ohm resistor (or other value) the simulation will run through.
?
It took me years to figure out how to deal with the output capacitor in a power supply. What you wish is to confirm that a simulation would match your lab measurements. With the output capacitor in place you cannot easily determine that your design is ok. And the thing is that the output capacitor is not part of the loop but instead part of the load. With the capacitor
disconnected you are able to simulate and measure your design and determine that the phase margin for the loop is good enough. Then you can connect the capacitor with some ESR and the resistive load.
?
G?ran
|
Re: 8662A - a warning about dangerous service directions
Hello,
In trying to understand overvoltage shutdown problem of my 8662A I found a curious thing. I have two A7A3 inverter modules. I discovered sensitivity of the supply to the parameters of A7A3C8 (470 uF 16 V electrolytic filter cap on the +5.3V sense). I have tried both modules with 3 different parts:
1. Original 672D, 470 uF, 16 V: measures 250 uF, 0.3 ohms ESR at 10 kHz on my BK 885
2. Nichicon? 470 uF 16 V (likely?UHE1C471MPD6TD): measures 423 uF, 0.046 ohms ESR
3. Nichicon 470 uF 50 V (UHW1H471MPD): measures 512 uF, 0.029 ohms ESR
With the first capacitor installed, the unit starts every time. With number 2 it fails to start (goes to overvoltage shutdown) every 20% to 40% of the time. With the third capacitor installed, overvoltage trip is generated every time.
Scoping +5.3 V sense line I see that the overvoltage trips happen when the regulator breaks out in oscillation. With the second capacitor in place, oscillation does not always happen, but when it does, it takes place when crossing 4.6 V on the +5.3 V sense line. With the low ESR part, oscillation starts immediately upon turn on.
Since the symptoms are identical with two different A7A3 modules, I am tempted to say the problem is in the A7A2 control board. Or, possibly, the fast loop in this switching supply has a minimum acceptable ESR for the in-loop capacitor A7A3C8. Original part is probably around 0.25 ohms ESR when new.
Regards,
Dmitry
|
Hi Donald,
In 2011 I described how I made wiper contacts from a USB-A socket for my SA. After 11 years those contacts are still going strong.
Ton PA0TBR
Another plastic-disk finger contact symptom and cause.? This is the disk on the back of the step attenuator.
?
SYMPTOM: Intermittent: LEVEL mode meter reads zero, RF still output.
CAUSE: A1A1S1 Meter Atten Sw (pins 5/6/16) contact broke loose.? See SS13.
ACTION: Reattach with JB Weld.? Also blob up the other two contacts that haven¡¯t broken yet.
NOTE: Do not need to remove A1A1.? Unmount pot using mini-ratchet and #1 Phillips bit.
NOTE: Inner contact kills RF and meter.? Outer contact goofs up meter range annunciators when meter is in LEVEL mode, probably lights 0-3 regardless of attenuator.
?
JFYI
Dave Wise
?
PS: Here are titles and URLs of some threads discussing this.
?
HP8640B Gear Repair -
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24788359
8565A in process -
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24800901
HP 8558 Missing contact fingers ?-
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24811643
Need Advice on Repairing 8640B Switch Contacts -
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24814127
HP 8640B range switch fingers and late manual -
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24815391
Wanting to buy rotor switch contact fingers that fall off in vintage HP Spectrum Analyzers ?-
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/24815512
spectrum HP 8558b good but missing part ?-
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/33132015
HP 8558B spectrum analyzer plug-in rotary switch -
/g/HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment/topic/29340855
?
?
A very similar style of these ¡®finger¡¯ contact is found in the 8011/12/13 pulse generators which can be found quite cheaply¡. How do i know¡ just repaired one¡ works lovely.
On 28 May 2022, at 22:01, n4buq <n4buq@...> wrote:
?
Other HP switches use those wipers.? I think some of the slide switches on the 8640B use them but I think there are others too.
From:
"Donald Prins" <dyhprins@...>
To: "HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2022 10:06:01 AM
Subject: Re: [HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment] HP8640B no rf out
Hi Ellud,
Can you tell me where one can obtain those wipers? I have a HP8640B that is missing 3 in total on the FM/RANGE switches. Your help will be much appreciated.
Donald?
PE1AHJ
|
Re: anyone have broken HP 5342a counter GPIB/HPIB i/f or know of equivalents
? not sure about the dining room table unless you got a real good wife or sufficient funds to bribe her ? I think the 5342/43 came out in the late 1970s early 80s so that would put this into the 40+ year range of age , the main limits if it comes to fixing things is the availability of parts or suitable replacements , although TTL or CMOS parts are still manufactured things get harder with ECL logic circuits , processors or MMICs especially if they were in TO package From: [email protected] < [email protected]> On Behalf Of Dave McGuire via groups.io Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 9:44 PM To: [email protected]Subject: Re: [HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment] anyone have broken HP 5342a counter GPIB/HPIB i/f or know of equivalents On 6/1/22 22:41, Samudra wrote: I'm not sure what "ham friendly" means, On 5/25/22 17:31,
Samudra wrote:
Well,
<>?is your answer, IMHO.? Also, for
these old (failing) equipment that use TTL/CMOS chips, it's not worth
it to setup a whole test/service lab just to get things working. If it
doesn't work, and can't be reasonably fixed, out it goes - or provided
to someone who needs the spare parts, until all useful life is
scavenged. That actually does sound like what happens at hamfests and
trade between hams. Oh good grief, this counter isn't THAT old. People fix stuff like this all the time. It's easier with a well-equipped lab, but people fix these things on their dining room tables every day. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
|
Re: anyone have broken HP 5342a counter GPIB/HPIB i/f or know of equivalents
I have three, ...no extender cards.? Just a lot of teeny-weeny
clips and probes.
'Like your comment on 'dining room tables'.
Sometimes you just need to sprawl out.
Don N5CID
======================================================
On 6/1/22 9:44 PM, Dave McGuire wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 6/1/22 22:41, Samudra
wrote:
???????
I'm not sure what "ham friendly" means, On 5/25/22
17:31,
??????? Samudra wrote:
Well,
?is your
answer, IMHO.? Also, for these old (failing) equipment
that use TTL/CMOS chips, it's not worth it to setup a
whole test/service lab just to get things working. If it
doesn't work, and can't be reasonably fixed, out it goes
- or provided to someone who needs the spare parts,
until all useful life is scavenged. That actually does
sound like what happens at hamfests and trade between
hams.
? Oh good grief, this counter isn't THAT old.? People fix
stuff like this all the time.? It's easier with a
well-equipped lab, but people fix these things on their
dining room tables every day.
?????????? -Dave
|
Re: anyone have broken HP 5342a counter GPIB/HPIB i/f or know of equivalents
On 6/1/22 22:41, Samudra wrote: I'm not sure what "ham friendly" means, On 5/25/22 17:31,
Samudra wrote:
Well, <>?is your answer, IMHO.? Also, for these old (failing) equipment that use TTL/CMOS chips, it's not worth it to setup a whole test/service lab just to get things working. If it doesn't work, and can't be reasonably fixed, out it goes - or provided to someone who needs the spare parts, until all useful life is scavenged. That actually does sound like what happens at hamfests and trade between hams. Oh good grief, this counter isn't THAT old. People fix stuff like this all the time. It's easier with a well-equipped lab, but people fix these things on their dining room tables every day. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
|
Harold Foster
vk2bea
Dave McGuire
Richard
G?ran Krusell
Dmitry Teytelman