Wavetek 23 croaks, anyone know of "notorious" falure areas?
in [Design]
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From: Joerg on 5 May 2010 16:40 Michael A. Terrell wrote: > Joerg wrote: >> Michael A. Terrell wrote: >>> Joerg wrote: >>>> So here I am, doing variable line frequency test and ... phssss ... PHUT >>>> ... *BAM* ... followed by a stench wafting about. I looked at what was >>>> supposed to be 265V/50Hz sine and found a totally distorted 1Hz, plus >>>> lots of heat in my amp which luckily survived. >>>> >>>> Turns out the Wavetek 23 function generator became totally "loose" in >>>> frequency. Have to wrap up some stuff today so I tried and was able to >>>> goose it to 50Hz by cranking it to 995Hz (above 1kHz it completely loses >>>> it). But that's a white-knuckle ride because the test runs mostly >>>> unattended. >>>> >>>> Does anyone know whether these things have a typical pathology that can >>>> be fixed? Like this or that cable always comes loose, etc.? I have >>>> re-seated the EPROM, battery is fine, re-seated connectors, nada. I do >>>> have the manual but diagnosing it from synthesizer to the end will take >>>> hours because it's a uC driven instrument. >>> >>> The first problem is that it was made by Wavetek. About 90% of the >>> junked test equipment at Microdyne was Wavetek. >>> >>> Luckily, I had a HP 3325B on my benches. >>> >> Maybe time to look for something better soon. A PC-driven "faceless" box >> would be just fine for the lab here. All I use it for is as a signal >> source, no need for fancy external triggering and stuff. > > > I first used Wavetek equipment almost 30 years ago. I used it once, > and shoved it to the corner of the workbench. It was a so called > alignment system for CATV equipment. I could do a better job by watching > the output on a good TV. :( > In all fairness though, this Model 23 has been good to me. Allows all sorts of fancy tricks, FM, AM, triggering. I rarely used those features but they did come in handy on a pulsed laser project. The spectrum looks quite clean. The only peeve for me is the sub-par mechanical quality. I don't like plastic-studded BNC jacks where the whole board rocks because it resides loosely inside two slits. It just doesn't have the cast-iron "HP feel". -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Michael A. Terrell on 5 May 2010 16:51 Joerg wrote: > > In all fairness though, this Model 23 has been good to me. Allows all > sorts of fancy tricks, FM, AM, triggering. I rarely used those features > but they did come in handy on a pulsed laser project. The spectrum looks > quite clean. The only peeve for me is the sub-par mechanical quality. I > don't like plastic-studded BNC jacks where the whole board rocks because > it resides loosely inside two slits. It just doesn't have the cast-iron > "HP feel". Or HP's repairability. -- Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.
From: Spehro Pefhany on 5 May 2010 17:03 On Wed, 05 May 2010 16:51:50 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > >Joerg wrote: >> >> In all fairness though, this Model 23 has been good to me. Allows all >> sorts of fancy tricks, FM, AM, triggering. I rarely used those features >> but they did come in handy on a pulsed laser project. The spectrum looks >> quite clean. The only peeve for me is the sub-par mechanical quality. I >> don't like plastic-studded BNC jacks where the whole board rocks because >> it resides loosely inside two slits. It just doesn't have the cast-iron >> "HP feel". > > > Or HP's repairability. Not to mention their amazing agilence and avagod-like nature.
From: Joerg on 5 May 2010 17:23 Spehro Pefhany wrote: > On Wed, 05 May 2010 16:51:50 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell" > <mike.terrell(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > >> Joerg wrote: >>> In all fairness though, this Model 23 has been good to me. Allows all >>> sorts of fancy tricks, FM, AM, triggering. I rarely used those features >>> but they did come in handy on a pulsed laser project. The spectrum looks >>> quite clean. The only peeve for me is the sub-par mechanical quality. I >>> don't like plastic-studded BNC jacks where the whole board rocks because >>> it resides loosely inside two slits. It just doesn't have the cast-iron >>> "HP feel". >> >> Or HP's repairability. > > Not to mention their amazing agilence and avagod-like nature. > And Carly is now running for a US Senate seat :-) -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Joel Koltner on 5 May 2010 17:38
"Joerg" <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> wrote in message news:84e5vfFpq8U1(a)mid.individual.net... > And Carly is now running for a US Senate seat :-) I'm thinking that largely destroying a company's culture and nearly running it into the ground sound like good qualifications to be a politician... |