Dynoguy's  Test Equipment Collection


Main intention of this page is to share information + experience with other enthusiasts.
Nothing is for sale on here.
No flash here, no moving pics either, just plain old HTML,
For good reasons - speed + simplicity !

This is my beloved collection of Test + Measurement equipment, accumulated during 40+
years of messing around with all sorts of electronics, currently over 200 items and counting,
I just can't resist if an example of my favourite brands comes up at theright price.

Unless stated otherwise, items are in working condition and used in my lab for repairs and
developing various electronic projects.
I have a requirement for precise/multiple time + frequency measurements, hence the good
selection of counters and generators.
The RF gear is mainly because i am a Radio Ham (licensed since 1977), so all sorts of dead
radios hitting the bench as well.

The collection of radios and related gear is on another page, see Ham Radio Collection.

Certainly, there are some instruments which i keep only for nostalgia, but i try hard to keep
them in working order and even use it occasionaly. On the other hand, gear junkies like me
would most likely agree that a Tek 5xx scope is a much nicer fan heater than the ones you
can buy at the hardware store ...:-)

Where useful, frequently used items are calibrated regulary against traceable standards.

Some of the HPIB/GPIB  equipped instruments are connected to a PC running some homemade
software using Prologix interfaces and the KE5FX driver collection, since the old 8 bit cards won't
run in a new-ish PC anymore.
It still hurts when i think of how much i've paid for those 8 bit GPIB cards in the early 1990s

Below i have started to list my instruments in alphabetical order, it's quite time consuming to
compile this and add some story (if there is one), therefore it will grow, but pretty slow.
Some descriptions might be short or nil, will add more when time allows.
If I find the time, some instruments might be linked to a spec/repair/history-story page or
even a video. Pictures will also follow at some time.

Where i refer to the playlist, it is mostly the "Electronics Lab" one ... see here

Moved house a while ago, so the (now much bigger) lab will get a total re-organisation,
pictures to follow

Happy to talk to other enthusiasts or share manuals, email address is "info" on this domain.

---

Ailtech:

Probably one of the most underrated brands, at least for spectrum analyzers.
Also know for excellent RF/SHF and EMC gear.
As far as i know, related brand names are also Eaton and Singer, don't know the history.

Ailtech 727 Spectrum Analyzer, 20 GHz
Bought in the 90s because i needed one, but the HP 85xx series were just over priced and
they still are today, so i ended up with this one for a decent price..
With its narrow and wide band PLL, the amazing LO stability, the clever IF sweep and the
ability to resolve  100Hz at 20 Ghz it was state of the art in it's days, I think it still outperforms
some of the modern ones. All it needs is a generous warm up time, also good for heating the lab
as the power consumption is quite a bit more than a Chinese plastic box,
It's getting older, developing faults every now and then, so rather tricky to keep it going,
but still an amazing piece of equipment.
Believed to be introduced in the early 1970s - and with 40+ kg a real Boat Anchor.
With the Tek Storage display thrown into the middle of the front panel, it's a really ugly thing, ... 
and not quite portable either, but i certainly don't want to miss it.

I have the service manual.

Update 2022: Lucky ebay find, got a very cheap display unit with the larger CRT, according to the
spec sheet it's a bit slower, but size does matter at my age,
These are standard TEK X-Y display units (analogue storage), just with the Ailtech signature on it.
After a quick test, i'd say it's working ok.
Now i just need to find the time and motivation to pull the beast off the shelf, it does have a few
other little issues, so it likely may happen rather soon.

Still looking for a matching Tracking Generator and a parts unit



Ailtech 757 Spectrum Analyzer, 22 GHz
You can't have too many Spectrum Analyzers, ...can you ?

Well, this one was so cheap that i had to buy it, it even came with a printed service manual.
It also has the 100Hz IF filter and the 1st LO output option which my 727 does not have.
Specs and the excellent RF front end design are pretty much similar to the older 727.
The display section is very different, using lots of TTLs and SRAMs for storage, also a HP CRT
display (HP1340A) instead of the Tek analogue storage unit.
It has some sort of digital output, essentially parallel data from the RAM, need to think about
interfacing that somehow.
Considering the price, i was expecting rather bad news,..and so was it.
Dozens of shortened tantalums, a few dead SRAMs and some dodgy TTLs later, the beast
finally came to life.
Most surprisingly, the input mixer is not fried, attenuator works as it should and with some
goodwill, i would say it's sort-of  "in spec". At least good enough for me, because a full calibration
would be several days of work, so i only checked/aligned the most important parameters,

Meanwhile, it has taken the shelf space of the trusty old 727 which is still waiting for a time slot
to get looked at.

I also have a pdf service manual, but can't share that as i have purchased a CD from Artek Media
which sells excellent copies. (no affilitionn whatsoever, just a happy customer)

Lots of video material taken, but it will take quite a while to edit all that industrial language out ....



Anritsu:

With this Japanese premium brand, I have a sort of love/hate relationship. Specs
are usually quite impressive but working units and manuals are pretty expensive or
even unobtainable. Therefore faulty units with no manuals are an absolute no-no.
I guess there is more to find in Japanese, but my language skills don't cover that.

ML 82 Power Meter
no head, no manual, no idea, powers on, thats all i know.
Looking for an affordable head + Manual


ML524C Measuring Receiver 25-1000MHz



This was sort of a punt, advertised as faulty at a very low price, but with a printed
service manual (Original). Being Anritsu and considering the package size, it was
clear that this can be a real challenge.
The beauty of this model is that it is very small and light weight, it runs on 12V DC,
therefore highly portable and ideal for doing measurements in the field.
It has quite some interesing features, including GPIB remote control capability,
Long story short,...i got it woking at the end, but it was quite an interesting journey.
I am happy with the result and it calibrated OK, even the VCO for the high range is
still a bit jerky when stone cold, but after a few minutes of warm up, it's spot on.
The high range failure seems to be a real issue as i've seen other ones advertised
with the same fault description.
What the seller did not say, someone has been in it before and by the look of the
solderings, i suspect he used a laundry iron or a roofing burner.

A video is in the playlist, but still need to edit the second part of it.


EIP:


EIP 371 Source Locking Microwave Counter (18 GHz)
Acquired in early 2024 and as usual, cheap and faulty.(very ...)
Looked out for one of these for quite some time, but working ones are fetching silly $$,
certainly far beyond my budget.
This one was advertised as pretty much dead and the price we negotiated was worth
the gamble, so i spent a few nights at the bench and finally got it back to life.

A decent mix of bad caps, blown transistors, bad contacts, (the usual stuff) has been
found and fixed. The worst thing was that someone had stolen the OXCO, that means
it had no timebase at all. On top of that, it had a fault in the reference distribution, means
no joy, even with an external 10MHz reference. A new fan made it quiet and the broken
power switch is stll brokem, seems to be a commom issue with those units.

I must admit that this thing is better than my beloved  HP5340, sensitivity is at least
10dB higher, probably even more. I suspect that the very good input AGC is one reason.
Newer EIP models also have a power readout, using exactly that AGC signal somehow.

But now for the main reason wanting one of these counters ....
Inspired by stumbling across KO4BB 's page, showing the spectrum of an EIP 371 locking
his Marconi 6310 microwave sweeper to decent stability, i was hooked as my Marconi 6311
(essentially the same as Didier's 6310) is more like a random FM generator.
Well, you can't blame Marconi for that, it's a 20 GHz YIG sweeper, not exactly designed
for stability in CW mode but it has a DC coupled FM input...
It's really as simple as he describes it, hook up the cables, press the buttons and it locks
almost instantly, it's magic, ... well, absorbing the EIP drawings for a while i must admit,
ir's a pretty clever design....and it's all done with a 4bit processor (4004) and some DACs.!

I've also got the GPIB control mostly working, BUT ....there is always one, isn't it ?
I can't find anything about the GPIB and the AM100 boards, no drawings, no command
set, nothing at all. The option is listed in the manual and in the sales spec, but that's it.

To get started somehow, i've downloaded every GPIB info i could find of later models and
started poking around for a while.
This resulted in an almost complete command set, except the most important function  - at
least for me, which is source locking. No matter what i try, neither "PFnnnM" nor "PL" seems
to do anything. Strangely enough, YIG preset is working perfect, so the CPU gets these
numbers correctly, pretty much excluding a hardware issue.
What i have noticed is that remote YIG preset does not show the numbers on the small
display,nor does the LED come on but it's definitely working.
Maybe that's by design, but could be a fault, can't tell without feedback from other 371 owners.

Any help, or even better, a copy of the GPIB option manual would be much appreciated.


Hantek

Some Chinese brand, not considering it to be serious test equipmet, but handy to carry
around in the laptop bag.

Hantek 6022BE, 20MHz 2 Channel USB scope
Simple 20MHz USB scope, quite rugged metal housing, cheap enough to carry around
and beat up in the field. Much cheaper than a Pico scope, so don't expect miracles.
These toys do have several issues and the software is not great either but as long as
you know what's real and what's an artefact, quiite useable.
The 20MHz bandwidth is rather optimistic, maybe the inputs do that, but the total sample
rate is 48Msamples/sec max. Max resolution is 8 bit.
Sells around US$ 70, i'd say it's worth it.

They also make other versions, stating higher band width and sample rates, but never
had one of these on the bench, also they getting quite expensive, around $200 for the
80MHz version.


Hantek 1008, 8 channel USB scope
The slower brother of the 6022, but 8 channels instead, 2.4Msamples max total.
Other than the 6022, this one comes in a plastic housing.
Apparently, it has some digital output as well, but never tried that.
Software is as good/bad as for the 6022, i mostly use it as a logic analyzer in the field.
Sells at around US$ 100, i probably would not buy it again.


Hewlett Packard:

My favourite test gear brand, in my opinion, equipment and manuals are state of the art.
The price tags where quite steep, too.
As most of us know, the HP brand is now mostly dedicated to computers and accessories.
The instrumentation branch went from Agilent (1999) to Keysight (2014). To me, the latest
name sounds a bit like some Chinese discount merchant, but that may be just me being
nostalgic.
Apparently, they seem at least caring about their history, most manuals are still for
download (free) from the Keysight website,
The HP Memory website is also a valuable source for documents.


HP 140T Spectrum Analyzer 18GHz
Came with a 8555 and 8552 plugins, so dirt cheap that i just could not say no.
The 8555A RF section is the most desirable 18GHz version,
The 8552A is the IF section, both units also fit the 141T models.
This thing is big and heavy, not quite sure if i should keep it or not.

Essentially an older version of the HP141T but with a rather different display section.
Lots of issues, started to look into it, but got side tracked by more important stuff.

Have the manuals (pdf), it also came with an original printed manual for the 8552.

Update and video to come


HP 435D RF Power Meter
As with most RF power meters, these come pretty cheap, but sensors are pricey.
So guess what,... i am looking for a (cheap) power sensor.
The meter works, the dial is not flaked,  that's all so far.

Have the service manual (pdf)


HP 6033A System Power Supply 0-20V/30A
Lucky find on fleabay some 10 years ago, advertised as faulty and so it was.
After replacing a fuse. a good clean and connecting the sense wires, the thing
works just as it should
It's a linear regulated PS and weighs around 10kg/20lbs
Keysight sold this exact model until mid 2016 and the spec sheet explains why
this thing costs a little bit more than these cheap + noisy switching units.
The list price in the 1991 HP catalogue was $2700 + options
The most exciting features are the absolutely amazing load response (1ms) and the
HPIB interface which allows full remote control with a resolution of 5mV and 7.5mA

Connected to the PC via Prologix interface, KE5FX drivers and some homemade
control software.
Have the service manual (pdf)


HP 6265B Power Supply 0-40V/0-3A
Bought second hand a very long time ago, still works like a dream, and what i really
like... it does not have the usual Jet Engine inside

Recently popped a few of the dreaded X2 capacitors, easy fix, now back in service.

Have the Service Manual (pdf)


HP 6269B Power Supply 0-40V/0-50A
This is the real beast, weighs around 40kg (90lbs) and lives in a 3U 19" unit,
Lots of fans inside, but it does up to 2kW output power, all day long if you wish so.
40V/50A is continuous rating, max output voltage is 60V, max current 60A. As usual
with older HP gear, specs will be most likely exceeded.
Acquired in early 2020 by buying a pallet full of random test gear (unseen),
Had very noisy fans, a bit scratched and very dirty inside, worked initially, but suddenly
started smoking when applying load.
Interesting fault and dismantling is a pain, but it's working now, even the fans got new
bearings, fiddly job, but definitly worth it.

List price in the 1991 HP catalogue was $2800 + $80 for option 040

video to come .... but editing will take time as it's many hours of footage to go through

Have the service manual.(pdf)


HP 3296A Power Supply 0-60V 3A
Bought some time ago because of the 60 Volt range,
Dirty as usual, the only fault was the cracked meter surround, this alone is not a problem,
but if the meter pops inside it may short something badly.
Recently got a second one, dirty and some  Amps smell, looks like a bigger job, also a
broken meter surround.
Have the Service Manual (pdf)

Update 2015: second unit works, only minor isues found.


HP 6002 Programmable Power supply 50V/10A
Nice power supply, fitted with a rudimentary implemented HPIB interface, but does the job.
Bought rather cheap and very dirty, apart from a temperamental voltmeter, everything is fine,
so just a job for the dishwasher.
Main reason for purchase was the 50V range and remote control capability.
As always, specs are beyond belief, load regulation 0.01% + 1mV/mA,
recovery time 100 microsec.
As with most of these older HP boxes, after flicking the mains switch, it sounds like
cranking up a jet engine....

List price in 1991 HP catalogue was $2575 + $585 for the HPIB option

Have the Service Manual (pdf)


HP 6012A Power Supply 0-60V, 0-50A, 1kW,
Bought at an auction in early 2023, not exactly cheap, but the price was right.
Reason for buying was having something a bit smaller and quieter than the 2kW 6269B
for use with smaller demands. This is actually a switch mode PS.

Initially powered on, but left a cloud of smoke after a few minutes.
Replaced some blown X2 capacitors, now works just fine.

Repair video to come at some time

Have the Service Manual (pdf)


HP 5245L - Frequency Counter
The Legend, and it still works, comes with OXCO as standard
Have it for decades, apart from cleaning filters every now and then, never opened.
It seems the fan bearings are giving up slowly.
List price in 1965 HP catalogue was $2950
List price in 1970 HP catalogue was $2480
Fitted with a 5262A Time Interval unit, used regulary for heating the shack

Have the Service Manual (pdf)

Update: A second one followed me home, related video is is the playlist


HP 5216A - Frequency Counter
Nice little counter, accidently bought 2 off the bay, one turned out to be fitted with
high stability timebase. One had a fault with the Gate Pot.
It's a real pain to take the thing apart, but at the end i've got 2 working  counters,
both equipped with HPIB interface.
These are reciprocal counters (like the 5345A), therefore an excellent choice for low
frequency stuff
Display is a bit small for my old eyes, but that's pretty much the only thing which
i don't like

Have the Service Manual (pdf)

HP 5328A - Frequency Counter
Acquired in the 90s, the reason for buying this one was the HPIB option being fitted.
This has the 500MHz C-Channel option, it also had the HP 10544 OXCO option.
There was always an intermittant  problem with a missing digit on the HPIB interface.
A while ago, it lost its TXCO for upgrading the HP 5340A. so running on a standard
time base for now.
Already got 2 more units for parts, but someone pulled the OXCO's, but at least the
HPIB interface works ok now/

Have the Service Manual (pdf)

Update 2020: 2 more units arrived, one with the rare 1.3GHz option and OXCO,
both having issues, video of fixing the better one is in the video playlist, worth watching
as the fault was an interesting assembly error by a previous owner.


HP 5340A - 18GHz Microwave Counter
This was certainly one of the most challenging repair jobs i've ever done.
Acquired on the bay for little money, known to be faulty i did not expect an easy repair, but it
was most definitely one of the worst ones.
It had a silly collection of faults - one fixed, another one turned out.
I believe the main reason for trouble was, that someone tried to fix it but actually made it worse.
Apart from a dodgy OXCO (heater dead & unsoldered), the main fault was a partially bad rectifier
diode and a dried out capacitor.
Someone adjusted the 5V supply to get it right, but obviously with a meter, so not checked for
ripple with a scope.
Finally the nearly 6V peak shot a bunch of - all soldered - TTLs and also a few other random
bits.
It took me nearly 2 weeks to get it back to full spec, therefore i decided to use my HP 5328A as
a donor and the HP 10544 OXCO went into the new masterpiece.
It does actually fit, but the mounting holes needed drilling out.The bottom studs are slighly bigger
than the ones of the older OXCO model, the pin-out is the same.
Mine is the older, Nixie tube model, so not sure if this is also true for the LED model.
However, a priceless improvement over the 5257A Transfer oscillator fitted to my 5345A. It works
well too, but the harmonic calculation and setup was always an annoying task.
Another step forward is the HPIB bus, a rather limited command set, but it perfectly does what it
should do. It won't work with Solartron devices on the same GPIB bus, no idea why.

List price in 1991 HP catalogue was $18,300 (LED model) + $950 for OXCO + $711 for the HPIB

Have the Service Manual (pdf)

Update: It has blown the mains transformer, so i acquired a second unit for parts, unfortunately
this one is different inside so the transformer won't fit. Fitted my OXCO and use the new one for now.

While testing a newly arrived Marconi 6311, i found out that this thing happily counts to 20GHz,
40-ish years old and still exceeding specs, i am quite impressed but not really surprised.

Unit is shown in use in several videos, see playlist.


HP 5345A - Frequency Counter
Bought used (rather expensive) some 30 years ago with a 5257A 18GHz Transfer oscillator in the slot
Apart from a humming mains transformer, nothing ever been wrong.
Has the high stability ovenized time base as standard, the spec sheet is typical HP, stunning !
This is a reciprocal counter with lots of digits, means high update rate at low frequencies.and good
resolution in the highe range. Certainly don't want to miss it.

List price in 1991 HP catalogue was $14,700 + options
Have the Service Manual (pdf)

Update 2017: Developed a power supply fault, now fixed and a video of this unit is in the playlist


HP 8002A Pulse Generator
This seems to be a rather rare instrument, hardly listed anywhere.
I must havee it for at least 35 years, can't remember how i got it.
The Agilent website has only the Operators Manual listed, no drawings in it.
Believed to be early 1970s and still works perfectly fine, never looked inside.
List price in 1970 HP catalogue was $700
Everytime i use it, i know why they had such a heavy price tag, i still believe that i don't have a
scope which can truly display what this toy really does.
Rise/fall time down to 2ns,  repetition rate up to 10MHz with 5V into 50 Ohms,

Got the operators manual (pdf), still looking for a service manual


HP 3312A Function Generator 0.1Hz - 13MHz
Another fleabay find, a bit neglected, some broken knobs, but worked fine for
many years.
List price in 1991 HP catalogue was $1600
Have the service manual (pdf)

Suddenly developed a fault (shortened tantalums), now fixed, video in playlist

Update 2024:
Since i now have too many other function generators, this will probably go this year..


HP 3326A Dual Synthesizer DC to 13MHz
Well, someone may think why having such a bulky old toy on the shelf as it does not really
sound exciting, it sems to be just a big functon generator ? .... yes, but .... !

It's in fact 2 independent synthesizers which can be locked together at any phase angle
and/or offset frequency.
On top of that, we have an OXCO time base, 1mV to 10Vpp on 50 Ohm outputs,
It can sweep up to full range or in steps and/or pre-defined pairs of frequencies.
HPIB comes as standard, so fully remote controllable....and so on,....the list is quite long.

Acquired unseen and very cheap, so not expecting much from it, ... but what a surprise,
It just works and after OXCO warmup, this thing sits rock solid all day long.
So far i could not find anything wrong with it, essentially just cleaned it.
It may need a new battery (at least i think there is one) as if it was powered off for longer
it comes up with an error, subsequent power cycles don't show the issue.

I've read the specs before buying and was quite impressed, but seeing what it really does
is simply amazing.

List price was $9565 + $650 for the OXCO option
I do have the service manual.(pdf)



HP 8112 - 50MHz Pulse Generator.
Yes, I finally found one, acquired in 2020 at an auction for (in hindsight) too much money.
Turned out to have a strange collection of faults, the only really good thing is that it had
a later replacement mainboad fitted, including a fresh battery,
Unfortunately, they did not remove the residue of the leaked battery from the board below.
A bunch of power supply issues and some strange bit errors in the DAC adressing kept
me busy for quite some time.
Have a service manual (pdf)

It works now, all on video, but not yet published,
Still need to try out the HPIB interface,  i assume it's working.


HP 1517A 200MHz Oscilloscope
Nice compact scope, nothing spectacular, but it's a HP, that alone makes it interesting.
Bought cheap as faulty in 2010, spent quite a bit of time on it, but the schematics i have
are a very poor copy , so it's almost impossible to identify components and what goes where.
I have narrowed it down to a problem in the output stage and focus unit.
I also believe that one Y amplifier is dead. CRT looks good.
Decided to leave it alone and put it in storage, maybe i come across a better one at some time.


HP 618B SHF Signal Generator, 3.8 - 7.6 GHz
Another one of the boat anchors, believed to be early 1960s. large and heavy (43kg/95lbs)
All tube design, cavity tuned klystron oscillator, full range in one single band, FM and pulse
modulation. Output level is rather low, only 0 dBm into 50 Ohms.
My example is the military version, differences appear to be minor but no HP logo,
instead it is labelled:  Generator Signal SG557/U  a unit of AN/URM-52B
Manufactured for the dept. of the Navy bureau for naval weapons by contractor
Telectro-Mek Inc, Fort Wayne, Indiana
List price in 1965 catalogue was $2250 (civil B-model)
I hardly use it nowadays, but i think it was NOS when i pulled it out of a surplus collection
in the late 1980s.

Have the manual of the civil version, dated 1959

HP 3437A High Speed Systems Voltmeter
Another one from the range of 1970s HPIB instruments.
It only measures voltage up to +/-10V, but it does that quite fast (5700 samples/sec).
Together with usual HP bells and whistles, this was quite some advanced instrument
in it's days.
It does work, but the ADC is only 8 bit and the (floating) input is via a Triax connector.
To be honest, nowadays it's rather a collectors item, pretty bulky for what it is and
the display is only a tiny 3-1/2 digit thing which i have trouble with reading it.
It's not in the 1970s catalogue, so it must have been introduced afterwards.
Currently it sits in my storage, can't really see a valid reason for using it.



 

Hikock:

Hikock 6000A Tube Tester
Believed to be manufactured in 1963,  it still does what it says on the tin - it's testing
tubes (or valves...)
Bought mid 80s at a ham fest, a set of new tubes and a good clean did the job,
it's working just fine ever since.

I think i do have a manual, somewhere


Hung Chang

Hung Chang 7802, 1GHz Spectrum Analyzer
A portable, no-frills spectrum Analyzer, simply does what it says on the tin.
Produced in South Korea at some time in the 90s, purchased new.
Handy unit for carrying around, specs are quite good and perfomance is better
than the similar looking Hameg units.
Has a CRT with on-screen display, no storage facility, no interface.
Build quality is very good, it never let me down.

I have lost the manual and now looking for one since years, but no luck so far.
All I could find out so far that it was sold as Protek brand in some countries,
appears to be exactly the same unit, just a different color scheme.


Leader

I my opinion, one of the the go-to brands for cheap, no-frills test gear.
Build quality is not the best, but price reflects this.

LDM 817 Grid Dipper
works, no manual, but who needs one for a dipper ...:-)

LCT 910A CRT Tester/Rejuvenator
Cheap fleabay find, works, need to fix some broken lugs on the case.
It comes with some CRT adapters but not a complete set.
Have the operators manual, but no service documents


Marconi Instruments:

Another one of my favourite brands, built like a tank and well engineered,
usually quite heavy but once on the shelf, that does not realy matter anymore.
Later been IFR, then Aeorflex, not convinced that much British spirit is left there
since the Marconi brand name has finally disappeared
Later the whole Aeroflex business which includes others has been bought by
Cobham. Thereafter, it changed hands again, but as far as i know the Aeroflex
brand name still exists.


TF 2017 Signal Generator, 50kHz-1024MHz
Aqcuired in 1992, it wasn't exactly cheap then, but still worth every penny i paid for.
I really love this thing, even by today's standards it's an excellent instrument.
Believed to be first sold in the early 1980s makes this thing 40+ years old, ..wow.
It has all the bells and whistles you can think of, except portability (30+ kg)
Comes in a very long 3U 19" unit, so it wont fit into a standard size rack.
Super accurate time base, if i really need it any better, i do have a Rubidium standard.
Definitely a priceless piece of equipment.
After a few minutes warmup, this beast is always spot on, never had any issues.
Reason for purchase was the super clean, cavity tuned oscillator and the GPIB interface.

Bought a manual at a rather silly price, because nothing to be found at the time,
nowadays they everywhere for free ....

Update 01/2024: I probably need to have a look at the power suply caps at some time
as i noticed a tiny bit of AM (100Hz) on the output signal


Marconi 2305 Modulation Meter
This came in the same lot as the recently aquired  TF 2370 bundle (11/2022)
Unfortunately this was not exacly a good buy, even it was cheap.
I think it's a very early unit, rear panel is brown and has no writings on the Aux ports.
OXCO missing
A9 board missing
GPIB interface missing
left display leaking
So guess what, ... i am looking for parts ...:-)

At least i have the manual as pdf

Update 08/2023, found a better one, also needed repair, video to come.

TF 2370 Spectrum Analyzer - 110MHz
Even a bit outdated, brilliant for HF and 50/70 MHz where the Ailtech isn't really good on.
I also like the built in Tracking Generator, great for checking linearity.

This boat anchor is made of 2 stacked 4U 19" units latched together, weighs 40+ kg
Downside is the lack of an interface and the rather poor display resolution.
Build quality is OK, but after 30+ years, these units are kown for leaking transistors,
causing all sorts of trouble.
The display is a non-grid 9" TV CRT, still crisp, but the display accuracy is not so
impressive, the grid is generated internally by some fancy timing circuit.
For recording, i use a PC and DAQ-card connected to the (analogue) Plotter output.
Reference comes from the HP counter if high accuracy is required.
The built in CF counter is quite noisy, for best sensitivity it needs turning off.

Have the service manual, but what it does not say is how to get the CRT plastic
window off for cleaning. Tried everything but there must be some trick, can't believe
that it really requires total dismanting. Any ideas welcome.

Update 2018: got a cheap display unit for parts and fixed a display generator fault on
mine, still have not figured out the window trick, part of the repair video is in the playlist

Update 11/2022: got another complete set with a frequency extender, also 2 tracking
generator amplifiers, the price was right so i just could not resist .....
Only looked at the tracking amps, both work, one sold off,
update for the rest of it will come at some time


Marconi TF 2502 RF Power Meter 10W
Nice little thermocouple power meter, range selectable 3W/10W, DC to 1GHz.
This came to me in an ugly 19" unit together with a Bird 8343-100 attenuator and some
coax relays to switch the range between 10 and 100W.
After separation of the arrangement it is much more useful and the extra bits are a nice
bonus ...
Readings are reasonably ok, it just takes some time to settle, obviously no PEP function,
RMS only.

Have the service manual.(pdf)




Marconi 6055B Signal Source 850-2150 MHz
Marconi 6056B Signal Source 2-4 GHz
Marconi 6057 Signal Source 4.5-8.5 GHz
Marconi 6058 Signal Source 8-12 GHz
Marconi 6059A Signal Source 12-18 GHz
Not the most versatile instruments, but a simple no-frills generator, they all look very
much the same, but are quite different inside. Produced at some time in the 1970s
Actually a Gunn Oscillator, but once warm, surprisingly stable and very clean spectrum.
Only good for CW and Pulse modulation, but they filled some long standing gaps in my
frequency generator spectrum and being rather small they don't take much space.
On pretty much all of these, the mechanical frequency display (actually a turns counter)
is not always in line with the oscillator, so best use a proper counter to check
The 6059 needed work on the mechanical frequency display and the oscillator, rather painful.
The others needed minor fixes.
Have a printed Service Manual for the 6059 and a pdf of the 6058, looking for the others

The 6056 recently blew a cloud of smoke, having no drawings made it a good challenge.
Have some footage of the repair, also from testing another one but needs editing still.

Recently purchased one of these Chinese ADF 4351 synthesizer development boards
(35MHz - 4.4GHz) with fast sweeping capability.
Not really comparable as the spectrum looks quite dirty, but good enough for quick tests
and conveniently programmable via PC, May do a video about it when time allows.


Marconi 6311 Microwave Sweep Generator 10MHz-20GHz
Other than much of my gear, this one did not land here by chance, i did actually seach
for an affordable microwave sweeper and this one fits my requirements reasonably well.
Aquired unseen, rather cheap in 11/2022, so was not expecting too much from it.
Surprisingly, it works, sort-of ...
Frequency is about 16MHz low in all ranges,
Calibration password unknown and unobtainable.
From around 15GHz it seems the level starts dropping quite a bit.
Nothing of that will be a showstopper for now, so i put it straight to work.
GPIB interface tested and working.

Update 02/2024:
Finally.i had a closer look at it, replaced a few suspect capacitors and improved the overall
stability/noise of the FM circutry, still not perfect but getting there, slowly.
Also did some alignments and now the output frequency is very close to the displayed number.
Since this is a YIG based sweeper, it will neither be super accurate nor very stable which
i did know before i purchased it.
However, the FM input is DC coupled and therfore allows external phase locking.
That's precisely the reason why i did some impovements on the FM circuitry since i recently
acquired an EIP 371 Source Locking Microwave Counter (up to 18 GHz).
Of course, that EIP 371 has its own sad story, see there ....
The magic in the EIP does allow me to lock the 6311 spot on at pretty much any frequency.
In this case, "spot on" means +/- 1Hz at 18GHz !
The final accuracy and stability of the entire setup depends on my Rubidium standard feeding
the EIP and the (still somewhat present) noise in the FM circuitry.
Only downside is a rather high phase noise and a very slight 100Hz FM, audible on the carrier
when listening to it in CW or SSB mode, still trying to find out where it comes from.
Interestingly, it's the very same level at any frequency.and not visible on the DC loop either.
At present, i am suspecting a ground loop, further investigation will tell.

Have a pdf service manual of the 6310, but not for the 6311, so looking for one.


Marconi 6461/1 RF Power Meter
This is the military version of the 6461, as far i could find out, the civil version lacks the
calibrator, apart from that it's the same.
Acquired somettimes in 2023, cheap and assumed to be faulty.
As expected, the 6420 power head was deep fried, the meter seems to work ok.
Early 2024 I've got a 6421 head from one of the usual suspects on ebay, sold as working,
but the price was a bit too low for a good one.
Well, at least the input was not fried, but the cal factor pot was dead and someone soldered
inside with a blowtorch or similar, looked really awful.
If i bridge the pot, it seems to work just fine, at least something ....
Unfortunately, i can't find a new pot which fits well, so i need to salvage one.
Somewhere i've got a collection of dead sensors, just need to find it.

Have the service manual for meter and heads.

Update and video to come


Marconi 893B AF Power meter
works, but needle of the meter is broken off, DC output works fine.

I think i have a manual fo this one


Philips:

Philips PM3310 60MHz Digital Storage Oscilloscope
A real TTL grave but rather well made with good and crisp CRT.
Bulky and slow by today's standards, but excellent for very low speed analytics
as the sweep/roll time can be very long, just one example.
As always, every instrument has some features which others don't, that's why i keep
so many ... :-)

Bought as faulty, but worked OK on arrival, just needed a good clean.
After a while, the LEDs on the front panel started flickering like a christmas tree.
Well, long story short, it turned out to be a Ground wire wrapped to a terminal but never (!)
beend soldered. Thats proper quality control ....:)
The good thing is that the HV unit is fine and it seems it has not got a lot of hours.
Unfortunately it hasn't got the serial port option fitted which i am still looking for
Have an original printed manual.

Update: A while ago, this one confirmed that electronic devices work on compressed
smoke which has suddenly escaped and therefore it stopped working.
The lab was stinking for weeks. Repair video is in the playlist

Update 08/2023:
A PM 3311 found it's way to the ever growing pile of jobs.
Essentially the same as the 3310, apparently with some refinements and faster clock speed
Not yet tested, update as soon as time allows.


Plisch

A German company, founded in 1955, known for broadcasting equipment, still trading

Plisch EP35T Panorama Receiver 10-1000MHz
Another 1970s (maybe 80s)  boat anchor, but quite interesting.
Came to me in working condition around 1990  and never needed any repair.
Essentially an IF spectrum display with a selective wide band receiver front end.
Frequency range is selected by 3 different plugins covering the full range of 10 to 1000MHz.
Built in AM/FM demodulator with loudspeaker and a crisp CRT to show the spectrum.
These were often used by authorities for (mobile) spectrum monitoring and chasing illegal
transmissions. Typical outfit was a van with pneumatic mast and some directional antenna.
Power supply either by mains or 12V DC

Have no manual

Don't use it much anymore as the AR5000 with the SDU5500 is just more convenient
and also remote controllable, but it stll has it's place.



Polarad:

The Polarad Electronics Corp, Long Island, NY, USA, does not exist anymore.
They are well known for microwave and Radar test equipment.
An interesting fact is that they granted free life time service on their instruments.
N2FGX has a website with some interesting history  www.polarad.com

Polarad Frequency generator 7 - 11GHz
Rather heavy, all tube, CW/Pulse only, acquired sometimes in the late 80s.
Typical 1960s MIL-spec radar test equipment, superb build quality, rather small (3U 19")
A while ago, it sparked quite badly in the power supply section, so another one for the project
pile, It has a decent output power, so definitely worth fixing it.

No manual found yet, only a spec sheet.
Need to check my exact model number, it's an 1108 or 1208, the difference is output power


Racal Dana:

Racal Dana 1998 Frequency Conuter 1,3 GHz
Fitted with high stability timebase + GPIB
Bought in 2009 for cheap being faulty, fixed a few minor things and a broken handle.
Amazing counter, i would say this toy is very close to a HP, it's alway spot on.
And most importantly,... no turbine inside

Have a service manual

Racal 9009 AM/FM modulation meter
Frequency range 8MHz-1.5GHz.
Nice little meter, looks a bit cheapish, but does the job.
Pulled it out of a junk box at a car boot sale, looked rather sad and filthy so did not
expect too much of it.
Most surprisingly, after a good clean it turned out to be perfectly ok.
Have the manual

Since i now have a working Marconi 2305, this will probably go for sale ...
Also have a Radiometer AFM2, sitting in storage because it's quite bulky



Racal 9475 Rubidium Frequency Standard
Acquired in 2023, cheap (relatively) and faulty as usual.
Not much to say about it, has 10MHz and 1MHz outputs.

Fault was in the power supply of the Efratom module, quite a fiddly job to
get into it, but now works perfect with good lamp voltage.
Also made a change to the power supply circuit on the external board to make
it more stable since there is a known design flaw.

Video to come.






Rohde + Schwarz:

R+S BOL  374.2000.02 - 100MHz Oscilloscope
Believed to be mid 1980s, this thing is a sort of mystery.
I am pretty sure it is something re-branded, but no evidence who really made it.
R+S had a strong relationship with Tektronix in those days, but the look and feel
is not Tek.... its more like a Kikusui, but my COS 5060 doesn't look similar either.
However, apart from the usual things like crackling pots + switches, a perfect
toy.

Update: I am led to believe that this is actually made by Panasonic (VP-5512A)
No manual

Rohde & Schwarz ZRZ direct reading reflectometer 30-1000MHz
Actually a (very) glorified SWR bridge, but a very very good one, produced from
around 1965 to probably some time in the late 1970s
This one comes in the more modern case, so it's a later model, mid 1970s
Price and weight are quite substantial, approx $4000 (1972) and 28kg/61lbs
Needs at least +20 dBm input power, not many RF generators go that far.
That's why i keep the old SLSV, it produces suitable levels from 10-480MHz
Has the R+S Dezifix connectors, rather hard to come by, but have adapters.
Got the whole set in the 90s, came with a nasty fault, a perfect looking soldering
joint had no contact at all.

Have a spec sheet, but no manual



Solartron - Schlumberger - Enertec

Name and ownership of this company changed several times, not exactly ideal when it
comes to support (manuals + info) for older units
Very likely the most sought after service manuals, really hard to find anything useful.
With Solartron i cannot really decide if i love it or hate it, they all have quite sophisticated
features, but the lack of service manuals makes them hard to keep alive.
The GPIB interface on later units seems standard, but almost useless without a manual.
The design of the plastic case units is certainly state of the art, real 70s retro, love it

Solartron 1170/1172 Frequency Response Analyzer
Frequency Range 2mHz - 20kHz.
A really interesting toy, basically some sort of Network Analyzer for Audio frequencies....
and a brilliant AF Function Generator.
As all of the Solartrons with the Glass/Ceramic keys, the keyboard could be a bit annoying.
Unfortunately it developed a rather strange fault with the keyboard sensor unit, no real
chance to fix this without a manual.
I really miss it, the HP 3312 is not actually a suitable replacement.
Found a second unit, so chances are there now.

Update: both units in storage now, purchased a pretty cheap 1250, see below...

Solartron 1250 Frequency Response Analyzer
Frequency Range 2 microHz - 65 kHz.
Essentially the same thing as the 1170, smaller, newer, better spec, but not much lighter.
Great retro design, with the laminated keyboard and a large blue vfd character display.
This one comes with GPIB and serial interface.
Advertised as having a rather dim display, so it could be a gamble as these vfd's are no avail.
Luckily, a bit of dismantling and a few squirts of window cleaner restored the brightness to
it's former glory....
A video of this unit is in the playlist

For a recent calibration job with some industrial equipment I have used it as a ramp generator
at 5mHz (0.005Hz),  the linearity and repeatability is simply mindblowing ....



Solartron 7060 Systems Voltmeter
I have 2 of these in working order, but with different options fitted.
Nice meter, lots of digits, has GPIB interface, but a bit tricky to control when other
non-Solartron devices are connected to the same bus.
Apart from calibration, i never had to do any work on them.

Manuals for the 7060 are very hard to find, the 7061 seems similar so i live
with that one for now. Funny enough, the 7060 ROM images are available.

Update 2020: one of them developed a power supply fault, video is in the playlist.


Solartron 2721 Frequency counter
Cheap ebay find around 2014, it seems to be working. as far i could test it.
Just another one of these mystery items from Solartron, absolutely no manual
to find on the web, units rarely listed anywhere.
It only does 200MHz, but the beauty is that it has a CRT display which allows
plotting statistical data, very handy for long term drift/jitter evaluation.
Lots of features and GPIB, but without a manual, almost impossible
to program.

Update:
After years of searching, i finally found a manual, it's in French, but better than
nothing. Now it's about finding the time to play with ....


Tektronix:

My favourite scope brand, definitely, at least for the older models.
Having a fair spectrum of the 400 series, i must admit that each type has
it's unique features which i don't want to miss.
The 468 is still on my bucket list
Service manuals are by far the best ones i've ever seen, no questions left.
Don't ask me why, but if a significant model comes along (cheap) which i don't
have, ....guess what.....


Tektronix 308 Logic Analyzer
Sony actually, isn't it ?
Had a fairly working one without probes, so bought a sad one with probes,
It seems they all got the problem with the buttons, rather tricky to fix.
Nice little Analyzer, does what it should do, just the rather small display
becomes a bit hard to read if you get older ....
Recently used for fixing the HP8112A as it does signature analysis as well.

Have a service manual.

Update 02/2024: 2 more of those and a Tek 338 arrived, similar but different somewhat.
test results and video to follow.


Tektronix 1502 Time Domain Reflectometer
New acquisition in 2023, pretty cheap as most of my new arrivals.
I was looking for TDR for quite some time, but good working ones are way beyond my budget.

Most expected DOA, turned out to be a power supply fault, fixed that, battery is bad but runs fine
on a 12V supply, CRT is excellent and tunel diodes are NOT fried, so i am quite surprised.
It is useable now, but still having a noise issue and some fault in the sample and hold circuit,
so it only displays 2 humps instead of the usual stepped trace.
Since it produces valid results, i will use it as is for now as the bench is full of other patients
waiting to be fixed.

Repair video taken, but as always, editing will need to wait for a while.

Have the sevice manual.

Update 02/2024: 2 more 1502 and a 1503B arrived, all having some issues.
Results and videos to follow.


Tektronix 464 Analogue Storage Oscilloscope
Bought in 2009 as faulty, mains cable cut off, screen somehow blurred, no real trace
just all green, a few knobs cracked, and really, really dirty.
It turned out being power supply fault, so fixed that, fitted new mains lead,
works ok, gave it a good clean and did a few adjustments.
The storage tube is in excellent condition, no burns or marks, just slightly weaker
on the left when displaying in storage mode.
Considering being some 40+ years old, i would say thats perfectly ok.
Have the Service Manual

Update: Recently repaired a fault in the Y amplifier, video is in the playlist


Tektronix 465 Oscilloscope 100 MHz
Acquired in 2010 as non working, fixed the usual power supply issues.
Still working ok, just some minor issues do need looking at some time.
This one has the rare DM44 display unit on top,
Very good CRT, no marks or burns

Have the service manual (pdf)

Update 2020: got a parts unit, mainly because i needed some knobs for the 475,
For some reason, someone scraped the serial number tag off the front panel...
rather dilletantic,... what a shame.


Tektronix 466 Analogue Storage Oscilloscope
Basically the same thing as the 464, just a faster CRT
new aquisition 2022, dirt cheap - of course.
Did not yet have the time to look at, update to come at some time

I have the service manual (pdf)


Tektronix 475 Oscilloscope 200MHz
Acquired in 2020 as a courier victim, been dropped and things broken, so the owner
finally gave up on fixing things and decided to sell it for cheap instead.
It had a random collection of faults, mainly caused by the impact, took a while to go through
everything, including correcting some assembly faults of previous owners.
Very good CRT, no marks or burns, so definitely worth fixing,

It now works, has already found it's place on the RF shelf and is being used regulary.
Impressive bandwidth, but also noisier than a 465, exceeding specs as usual.
A few episodes are in the video playlist, more to come when i find some time for editing ,,,

Have the service manual

Update 02/2024: another cheap 475 arrived, it's in sad state,, been banged around and has
several electrical and mechanical issues.
Test results and video to follow when time allows.


Tektronix 2245A Oscilloscope,100MHz, 4 channels
Another lucky find, it actually followed me home for free.
It was fitted into some fancy (but useless noewadays) engine test system which i stripped
for parts. The scope was pretty much as new, just feet and handle were missing.
Apart from an outside clean, no further work was required.

These later scopes are definitely not the same build quality as the legendary 3-digit series,
but the on-screen display and 4 channels are valid arguments for keeping it

Video about this one is in the playlist

Tektronix 545A Oscilloscope
hardly used, currently sitting in storage due to to size, but belived to be
still working, ...real Tek scopes always do.....

Have the Service Manual

Tektronix 555A Oscilloscope
The real Monster, sitting on a Tek Scope Mobile, usually fitted with 2 CA Plugins.
Also got an M unit, but 2+4 channels is really tight on the round tube.
Mainly used with Tube CAs for high voltage stuff where the other scopes may die with . ...
and also if the shack gets too cold., power consumption is around 800 Watts !
Considering its 60+ years of age, still a pretty good scope.
List price in 1959 was $2600,... just proves that you get what you pay for

Have the Service Manual


Tektronix 2430 Storage Scope
This is the non "A" version which apparently is less troublesome.
A very cheap fleabay find (faulty), but the seller wasn't exactly honest.
Someone messed around in it before and some parts were missing.
Not yet sure what to do with it as it looks like a massive pile of work,
maybe i'll look for another one, CRT seems very good.

Have the service manual (pdf)

Update 02/2024:
Foumd a cheap parts unit which is actually much better than mine and sort of works,
got a few broken knobs and needs looking at a few things, so my old one will
become the parts dono since this looks like a lot less work.
CRT is good, trace is ok, just a bit noisy and maybe some power supply issues,
not yet fully through it,

Update and video to come.


Wavetek

A brand which wasn't really on my radar until recently, so can't say much about it.

In 1998 Wandel & Goltermann (a premium German brand) acquired Wavetek, later
on, Fluke had some involvement too, not sure what's the story there.
The name still exists, not sure how much is related to older test gear, but they still
sell function generators and other communication test equipment

Wavetek 178  50 MHz Function Generator.
I was not really looking for one of these, but upon reading the specs it turned out
that is has a much desired feature which none of my others have and that is the
precision ramp generator which goes down to really slow rates.( few milli Hertz)
I need precision AND ramp, can't really use triangle as it doubles my testing time.
GPIB interface allows automated testing, just what i need, so so let's go for it ...

Cheap as usual and sort-of half working, stinking like an entire mouse family,
glad i powered it up in the garage. Cleaning the stink out took quite some time.
Basic functions seem to be present but several keys don't work.

That's how far i got by now, update and video to follow




more to follow .....


(c) 2010-2024 www.dynoguy.co.uk

Disclaimer:
This website reflects my personal opinion and trademark names are
used solely for descriptive purposes.
All items described are part of my private collection.
I have no connection whatsoever to any of the brands mentioned above.

2024-02-28

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