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I see so many folks post sad stories here or other places about buying something or other off of ebay, at a flea market, or wherever that didn't turn out well. So, I thought I would relate at least one happy tale.
A couple of weeks ago I spotted an HP 5351B on ebay listed as 'as is, fails on power up' for $150 or best offer. I made an offer that was refused, so I waited. It relisted twice with a 'buy it now' price a few $ lower each time. So I made an offer on it that was $30 less than my first offer, and it was accepted.
Based on the very loose description, the pictures of a nice looking unit with cal stickers in place, my thinking was that it couldn't be too much of oa project. Maybe re-cap, maybe replace a board, or if I was lucky, something even simpler. Even if it was a total basket case, the 10MHz ovenized oscillator was worth more than I paid for the unit.
I got lucky. Unit arrived, relatively well packed, though still with styrofoam peanuts, and undamaged. I dragged it up to the workbench and plugged it in. I was greeted with 'FAIL TIMEBASE' and a diag code. I poked at it for a few minutes, then got called away to dinner with $SPOUSE.
Over dinner, I got thinking about it and decided on a simple check. Got home, hooked the bench standard up to the 10MHz reference in and 990MHZ from the 8657A up and powered it on. Poof. 990.000.342 on the display. Looks like this unit wants to have the ref out looped back to the ref in or get a 10MHz reference. Not the first time I've seen this 'failure' mode. So for under $100+rational shipping, I now have a 26GHz counter.
Not the first time one of these kinds of things has been found, sure won't be the last, but for me, I've had far more winners than loosers on this kind of speculation. In fact, I think the only boat anchor was the 8620 sweeper.
To, for every sad story, know there are a few happy ones. And feel free to bid on 5351Bs, I've got mine. ;)
Bob
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I bought, for a token bid, a Gigatronics power meter on ebay from a test equipment vendor.
It was listed as will not power up.
Received it in good condition and placed it on the bench.
Plugged it in and sure enough it did not power up.
Checked the 110/220 Volt switch and it was in the 220 position.
Moved it to 110 and tried again.
Still no display.
I did not have a manual, but, noticed a contrast control on the back.
I moved the control and now have a very good display.
And, the power meter has worked fine since.
I was pleasantly surprised as this was from a test equipment vendor.
Glenn
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On 7/18/2017 10:23 PM, Bob Bownes bownes@... [hp_agilent_equipment] wrote: I see so many folks post sad stories here or other places about buying something or other off of ebay, at a flea market, or wherever that didn't turn out well. So, I thought I would relate at least one happy tale.
A couple of weeks ago I spotted an HP 5351B on ebay listed as 'as is, fails on power up' for $150 or best offer. I made an offer that was refused, so I waited. It relisted twice with a 'buy it now' price a few $ lower each time. So I made an offer on it that was $30 less than my first offer, and it was accepted.
Based on the very loose description, the pictures of a nice looking unit with cal stickers in place, my thinking was that it couldn't be too much of oa project. Maybe re-cap, maybe replace a board, or if I was lucky, something even simpler. Even if it was a total basket case, the 10MHz ovenized oscillator was worth more than I paid for the unit.
I got lucky. Unit arrived, relatively well packed, though still with styrofoam peanuts, and undamaged. I dragged it up to the workbench and plugged it in. I was greeted with 'FAIL TIMEBASE' and a diag code. I poked at it for a few minutes, then got called away to dinner with $SPOUSE.
Over dinner, I got thinking about it and decided on a simple check. Got home, hooked the bench standard up to the 10MHz reference in and 990MHZ from the 8657A up and powered it on. Poof. 990.000.342 on the display. Looks like this unit wants to have the ref out looped back to the ref in or get a 10MHz reference. Not the first time I've seen this 'failure' mode.! So for under $100+rational shipping, I now have a 26GHz counter.
Not the first time one of these kinds of things has been found, sure won't be the last, but for me, I've had far more winners than loosers on this kind of speculation. In fact, I think the only boat anchor was the 8620 sweeper.
To, for every sad story, know there are a few happy ones. And feel free to bid on 5351Bs, I've got mine. ;)
Bob
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Glenn Little ARRL Technical Specialist QCWA LM 28417
Amateur Callsign: WB4UIV wb4uiv@... AMSAT LM 2178
QTH: Goose Creek, SC USA (EM92xx) USSVI LM NRA LM SBE ARRL TAPR
"It is not the class of license that the Amateur holds but the class
of the Amateur that holds the license"
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Jeremy,
Hi, and thanks for the email.? As I said, there was an 8600 for sale recently at a very low price (fifty dollars!!) and I missed seeing it.? One other is offered at some $500.? Ugh. Anyway, if you have one, do let me know what you might want for it.? I do appreciate the possibility. PS: If you see some garbage at the bottom of this message, I have *tried* to delete it - I just upgraded my operating system (Mac Book) and the editing is acting strangely.
?
Roy, I have a surplus 8600A. Please contact me off line.? --
4.
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Roy,
My 8600A is serial number 2048A01572. It is complete and undamaged. I need to clean it up, put feet on it, etc., and make sure it still works¡ªhas been on the shelf for years! Also included is the factory operation/service manual, an Ed Matsuda copy with a plastic spiral binding. How about $125 and I'll pack and ship it for free? Jeremy N6WFO
?
Jeremy,
Hi, and thanks for the email.? As I said, there was an 8600 for sale recently at a very low price (fifty dollars!!) and I missed seeing it.? One other is offered at some $500.? Ugh. Anyway, if you have one, do let me know what you might want for it.? I do appreciate the possibility. PS: If you see some garbage at the bottom of this message, I have *tried* to delete it - I just upgraded my operating system (Mac Book) and the editing is acting strangely.
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Jeremy,
Ok sounds good.? Thanks. Address is Roy Morgan PO Box 101 Bernardston MA. 01337 Physical address is 18 Center Street in? case shippper can't send box to Post office. Glad to see there is a manual... I have lost track of the suggested web sites that were mentioned on the HP list. Thanks - more tomorrow or tonight... got to get food before a meeting. Thanks much.. that thing will make my radio alignments MUCH easier.
?
Roy,
My 8600A is serial number 2048A01572. It is complete and undamaged. I need to clean it up, put feet on it, etc., and make sure it still works¡ªhas been on the shelf for years! Also included is the factory operation/service manual, an Ed Matsuda copy with a plastic spiral binding. How about $125 and I'll pack and ship it for free? Jeremy N6WFO
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Hope the meeting goes well. Being retired here, I got roped into several volunteer organizations and spend more time in meetings than I did when I was working!
I'll send pictures of the 8600A. Jeremy
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Jeremy,
Ok sounds good.? Thanks. Address is Roy Morgan PO Box 101 Bernardston MA. 01337 Physical address is 18 Center Street in? case shippper can't send box to Post office. Glad to see there is a manual... I have lost track of the suggested web sites that were mentioned on the HP list. Thanks - more tomorrow or tonight... got to get food before a meeting. Thanks much.. that thing will make my radio alignments MUCH easier.
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Jeremy,
Thanks, the meeting was about A Course In Miracles... my senior citizen efforts at spirituality ? Thanks for pictures - I would like to have found a manual before leaving the library and internet access tonight but could not... maybe tomorrow mid day I will find one online to read about the thing. thanks, Roy
?
Hope the meeting goes well. Being retired here, I got roped into several volunteer organizations and spend more time in meetings than I did when I was working!
I'll send pictures of the 8600A. Jeremy
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OK, it works. Here is a picture of my 8601A and the 8600A looking at a 32 MHz Lo-pass filter on my 175A scope.?
?
Jeremy,
Thanks, the meeting was about A Course In Miracles... my senior citizen efforts at spirituality ? Thanks for pictures - I would like to have found a manual before leaving the library and internet access tonight but could not... maybe tomorrow mid day I will find one online to read about the thing. thanks, Roy
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Oops, pressed the wrong key. Picture. The intensified marker shows 33.423 MHz at the bottom just before the sweep makes its big rise. (The detector in the circuit has a negative output.) See Figure 3-2 on page 3-3 when you get the manual. All five markers work correctly. Looks like it needs only feet and cleaning to be ready for you. I need to sell the 8601A too but it may have an output problem. Don't know if I can fix it. Jeremy On Wed, Jul 19, 2017 at 10:36 PM Jeremy Nichols <jn6wfo@...> wrote: OK, it works. Here is a picture of my 8601A and the 8600A looking at a 32
MHz Lo-pass filter on my 175A scope.
On Wed, Jul 19, 2017 at 4:57 PM Roy Morgan k1lky68@...
[hp_agilent_equipment] <hp_agilent_equipment@...> wrote:
Jeremy,
Thanks, the meeting was about A Course In Miracles... my senior citizen
efforts at spirituality ?
Thanks for pictures - I would like to have found a manual before leaving
the library and internet access tonight but could not... maybe tomorrow mid
day I will find one online to read about the thing.
thanks,
Roy
On Wed, Jul 19, 2017 at 3:57 PM, Jeremy Nichols jn6wfo@...
[hp_agilent_equipment] <hp_agilent_equipment@...> wrote:
Hope the meeting goes well. Being retired here, I got roped into several
volunteer organizations and spend more time in meetings than I did when I
was working!
I'll send pictures of the 8600A.
Jeremy
On Wed, Jul 19, 2017 at 12:48 PM, Roy Morgan k1lky68@...
[hp_agilent_equipment] <hp_agilent_equipment@...> wrote:
Jeremy,
Ok sounds good. Thanks.
Address is
Roy Morgan
PO Box 101
Bernardston
MA. 01337
Physical address is 18 Center Street in case shippper can't send box
to Post office.
Glad to see there is a manual... I have lost track of the suggested web
sites that were mentioned on the HP list.
Thanks - more tomorrow or tonight... got to get food before a meeting.
Thanks much.. that thing will make my radio alignments MUCH easier.
On Wed, Jul 19, 2017 at 2:31 PM, Jeremy Nichols jn6wfo@...
[hp_agilent_equipment] <hp_agilent_equipment@...> wrote:
Roy,
My 8600A is serial number 2048A01572. It is complete and undamaged. I
need to clean it up, put feet on it, etc., and make sure it still works¡ªhas
been on the shelf for years! Also included is the factory operation/service
manual, an Ed Matsuda copy with a plastic spiral binding.
How about $125 and I'll pack and ship it for free?
Jeremy
N6WFO
On Wed, Jul 19, 2017 at 10:07 AM, Roy Morgan k1lky68@...
[hp_agilent_equipment] <hp_agilent_equipment@...> wrote:
Jeremy,
Hi, and thanks for the email. As I said, there was an 8600 for sale
recently at a very low price (fifty dollars!!) and I missed seeing it. One
other is offered at some $500. Ugh.
Anyway, if you have one, do let me know what you might want for it.
I do appreciate the possibility.
PS: If you see some garbage at the bottom of this message, I have
*tried* to delete it - I just upgraded my operating system (Mac Book) and
the editing is acting strangely.
On Wed, Jul 19, 2017 at 12:57 PM, Jeremy Nichols jn6wfo@...
[hp_agilent_equipment] <hp_agilent_equipment@...> wrote:
Roy, I have a surplus 8600A. Please contact me off line.
------------------------------
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Regards,
Roy
Roy Morgan
k1lky since 1958
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Sent from my iPad 4.
--
Regards,
Roy
Roy Morgan
k1lky since 1958
--
Regards,
Roy
Roy Morgan
k1lky since 1958
--
Regards,
Roy
Roy Morgan
k1lky since 1958
--
Sent from my iPad 4.
-- Sent from my iPad 4.
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bownes
Jeremy Nichols