开云体育

  1. HP-Agilent-Keysight-Equipment
  2. Topics

Test Equipment where battery failure causes SERIOUS problems

Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd)
 

For many bits of kit, a battery is used to run a real time clock, and a failure is not a big deal. But for others it can be quite serious. It would be useful if we had a list of HP equipment where battery failures cause serious problems. Here are 1.5 entries.

1) HP 70700A digitizer



when power fails on that, the code is lost, so it needs to be reprogrammed. Someone in Germany done mine for me, but it meant shipping it overseas to get it repaired.

So if you have an 70000 series MMS with one of those, make sure the battery is replaced and done so without losing the data in SRAM.

2) HP 3457A 6.5 digit multimeter


whilst not so catastrophic, a report I read recently on one of the newsgroups from someone, said he sent a 3457A in for calibration, and the company was not happy as the failure of the battery added an hour to the calibration time. They were going to charge for this, but in the end they did not.

So a battery failure causes a loss of calibration data, and perhaps a higher charge to get a 3457A calibrated, since everything needs adjusting, not just the odd range which might be out of spec.




Dr. David Kirkby Ph.D CEng MIET
Kirkby Microwave Ltd
Registered office: Stokes Hall Lodge, Burnham Rd, Althorne, Essex, CM3 6DT, UK.
Registered in England and Wales, company number 08914892.

Tel: 07910 441670 / +44 7910 441670 (0900 to 2100 GMT only please)
Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd)
 


On 16 February 2016 at 21:27, Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd) <drkirkby@...> wrote:


2) HP 3457A 6.5 digit multimeter


whilst not so catastrophic, a report I read recently on one of the newsgroups from someone, said he sent a 3457A in for calibration, and the company was not happy as the failure of the battery added an hour to the calibration time. They were going to charge for this, but in the end they did not.

Just to clarify, the extra hour was not for replacing the battery - the owner had already done that. The extra hour was for the fact every range needed zeroing and setting to full scale.?

 

开云体育

Hello David?I think the HP 8756 Scalar analyzer?Looses all the Channel calibration data if the battery is lost. This requires?programming through a HP computer with obsolete software.
best regards Peter Hansen
?
To: hp_agilent_equipment@...
From: hp_agilent_equipment@...
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 21:39:40 +0000
Subject: [hp_agilent_equipment] Re: Test Equipment where battery failure causes SERIOUS problems

?

On 16 February 2016 at 21:27, Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd) <drkirkby@...> wrote:


2) HP 3457A 6.5 digit multimeter


whilst not so catastrophic, a report I read recently on one of the newsgroups from someone, said he sent a 3457A in for calibration, and the company was not happy as the failure of the battery added an hour to the calibration time. They were going to charge for this, but in the end they did not.

Just to clarify, the extra hour was not for replacing the battery - the owner had already done that. The extra hour was for the fact every range needed zeroing and setting to full scale.?


 

The 859X series spectrum analyzers loose: band leveling offsets, attenuator corrections, and clock corrections if the memory battery dies. There is at least a procedure to copy these down from the operator interface so they can be reloaded in event of failure.?
-Kelly


On Wednesday, February 17, 2016 2:02 AM, "Peter Hansen oz1lpr@... [hp_agilent_equipment]" wrote:


?
Hello David?I think the HP 8756 Scalar analyzer?Looses all the Channel calibration data if the battery is lost. This requires?programming through a HP computer with obsolete software.
best regards Peter Hansen
?
To: hp_agilent_equipment@...
From: hp_agilent_equipment@...
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 21:39:40 +0000
Subject: [hp_agilent_equipment] Re: Test Equipment where battery failure causes SERIOUS problems

?

On 16 February 2016 at 21:27, Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd) <drkirkby@...> wrote:


2) HP 3457A 6.5 digit multimeter


whilst not so catastrophic, a report I read recently on one of the newsgroups from someone, said he sent a 3457A in for calibration, and the company was not happy as the failure of the battery added an hour to the calibration time. They were going to charge for this, but in the end they did not.

Just to clarify, the extra hour was not for replacing the battery - the owner had already done that. The extra hour was for the fact every range needed zeroing and setting to full scale.?



 

开云体育

Does anyone know about the HP 3456A DMM? I can’t remember if it requires a battery for cal memory or not.

?

Thanks

Gary? K4FMX

?

From: hp_agilent_equipment@... [mailto:hp_agilent_equipment@...]
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 8:10 AM
To: hp_agilent_equipment@...
Subject: Re: [hp_agilent_equipment] Re: Test Equipment where battery failure causes SERIOUS problems

?

?

The 859X series spectrum analyzers loose: band leveling offsets, attenuator corrections, and clock corrections if the memory battery dies. There is at least a procedure to copy these down from the operator interface so they can be reloaded in event of failure.?

-Kelly

?

On Wednesday, February 17, 2016 2:02 AM, "Peter Hansen oz1lpr@... [hp_agilent_equipment]" <hp_agilent_equipment@...> wrote:

?

?

Hello David?I think the HP 8756 Scalar analyzer?Looses all the Channel calibration data if the battery is lost. This requires?programming through a HP computer with obsolete software.
best regards Peter Hansen
?

To: hp_agilent_equipment@...
From: hp_agilent_equipment@...
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 21:39:40 +0000
Subject: [hp_agilent_equipment] Re: Test Equipment where battery failure causes SERIOUS problems

?

?

On 16 February 2016 at 21:27, Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd) <drkirkby@...> wrote:

?

?

2) HP 3457A 6.5 digit multimeter

whilst not so catastrophic, a report I read recently on one of the newsgroups from someone, said he sent a 3457A in for calibration, and the company was not happy as the failure of the battery added an hour to the calibration time. They were going to charge for this, but in the end they did not.

?

Just to clarify, the extra hour was not for replacing the battery - the owner had already done that. The extra hour was for the fact every range needed zeroing and setting to full scale.?

?

?
Tom Miller
 

开云体育

No battery in the 3456A. Calibration is by knob twiddling.
?
?

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 12:46 PM
Subject: RE: [hp_agilent_equipment] Re: Test Equipment where battery failure causes SERIOUS problems

?

Does anyone know about the HP 3456A DMM? I can’t remember if it requires a battery for cal memory or not.

Thanks

Gary? K4FMX

From: hp_agilent_equipment@... [mailto:hp_agilent_equipment@...]
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 8:10 AM
To: hp_agilent_equipment@...
Subject: Re: [hp_agilent_equipment] Re: Test Equipment where battery failure causes SERIOUS problems

?

The 859X series spectrum analyzers loose: band leveling offsets, attenuator corrections, and clock corrections if the memory battery dies. There is at least a procedure to copy these down from the operator interface so they can be reloaded in event of failure.?

-Kelly

On Wednesday, February 17, 2016 2:02 AM, "Peter Hansen oz1lpr@... [hp_agilent_equipment]" <hp_agilent_equipment@...> wrote:

?

Hello David?I think the HP 8756 Scalar analyzer?Looses all the Channel calibration data if the battery is lost. This requires?programming through a HP computer with obsolete software.
best regards Peter Hansen
?

To: hp_agilent_equipment@...
From: hp_agilent_equipment@...
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 21:39:40 +0000
Subject: [hp_agilent_equipment] Re: Test Equipment where battery failure causes SERIOUS problems

?

On 16 February 2016 at 21:27, Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd) <drkirkby@...> wrote:

2) HP 3457A 6.5 digit multimeter

whilst not so catastrophic, a report I read recently on one of the newsgroups from someone, said he sent a 3457A in for calibration, and the company was not happy as the failure of the battery added an hour to the calibration time. They were going to charge for this, but in the end they did not.

Just to clarify, the extra hour was not for replacing the battery - the owner had already done that. The extra hour was for the fact every range needed zeroing and setting to full scale.?

[email protected]
 

My 8590B battery died one day while I was using it, and it may be cheaper to buy one that hasn't lost its cal factors than get this one recalibrated. I have meanwhile switched to an Avantek 3261A, which while less portable (the 8555/844552/141T came with a free double hernia) IS a later piece of gear and drifts less during a scan.


Cortland Richmond
 

Not 100% sure yet but I have an E4445A spectrum analyzer with a dead battery, it thinks it is an E4440A, has lost all options, and can't even run self cal because it doesn't know it has a preamp in it.? Per-incident service charge is $7500 with Keysight.? I haven't determined if all of this information was retained by the battery, but it appears this may be the case.
 

This may not be the best place to mention this but I have an Advantest R3131 spectrum analyzer that had its battery fail and as a result "forgot" that it has a tracking generator installed.?

I have reviewed the documentation manuals, I have searched high and low on the internet for information on how to restore the tracking generator installed option bits but have had no success.?

I have asked on the Yahoo Advantest instrument forum.?I have checked with several instrument repair groups and they are all clueless. I even checked with Microlease, the official designated repair group for Advantest in the US. They want to charge me $4k for fixing the issue, which is completely ridiculous and way outside my retiree amateur radio budget.?

Does anyone here in the HP instrument forum have any experience fixing this issue with the Advantest R3131 analyzer or perhaps knows someone familiar with this analyzer? Perhaps a former instrument repair tech that might have knowledge that will help me solve this issue??

I would appreciate any help you can give me. I'm desperate. That's why I'm lurking here in this HP forum. :)

Thanks,
Leland
K9SDR

1 - 9 of 9