Hi jleaman,
LOL
You know. Supplies never go that cheap. Especially the ones with digital displays. I'd keep one like that.
I built my own +- 3A supply (25V) and I have an HP 6236A that's like a part of my body.
I have a Fluke 85 I resurrected from the dead (assorted BER parts). Resistance and other functions don't work, but at least the voltage functions do. An 87 would be great.
-Chris
LOL
You know. Supplies never go that cheap. Especially the ones with digital displays. I'd keep one like that.
I built my own +- 3A supply (25V) and I have an HP 6236A that's like a part of my body.
I have a Fluke 85 I resurrected from the dead (assorted BER parts). Resistance and other functions don't work, but at least the voltage functions do. An 87 would be great.
-Chris
Banned
Joined 2002
An analog digital multimeter? Maybe I should use my brain when writing? It's an analog one.
Exactly!
The 80$ Mastech is a LOT better compared to this one, and that's why I don't think about changing it : The probes didn't break, a 5k resistor IS a 5.0?k resistor, 12v is 12.0?v, it has an auto shut-off feature, 21°C IS 21°C, a 250pF cap is showing betweet 248 and 252pF.
I don't know if it can check high freq AC well tho.
Yes, but I spent more on probes and fuses than the original value of the multimeter. At least, now, the probe ends can be opened and re-soldered if the wire breaks(Not like the original ones).
Just saw you replied before I posted... Yes, that's about it.
The only thing I can use it for is to see if there's voltage present or if a circuit is short. The scale is so crappy that making the difference between a 10k and 1k resistor is impossible.
You could think a 20kohm resistor is an open circuit, it can't go there. The Mastech goes to 20M(In fact 19M, because they tell you have to substract 1Mohm in this mode. True, when you put the test leads together, you get 1.0M).
HP3468's aren't quite as cheap as they had been, but if you have an HP-41C hanging around, they can do this:
Thus you can do all sorts of statistics and trigger the meter through the HP-IL -- and the HP-IL can itself be controlled through the HP-IP or GPIB.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Thus you can do all sorts of statistics and trigger the meter through the HP-IL -- and the HP-IL can itself be controlled through the HP-IP or GPIB.
Banned
Joined 2002
I think that the HP34401A has gone to the boneyard -- which means that they will become plentiful and cheap -- they are about $600 to $900 on the used market. This 34401 has HP-IB and RS-232, the newer Agilent 34410A has HP-IB, USB, LAN interface.
My favorite HP items are the HP 3581 Wave Meter and the HP 3586 Selective Level Meter. The engineers at HP were clever in allowing a sequence of key strokes which would result in the device playing the chorus from Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
My favorite HP items are the HP 3581 Wave Meter and the HP 3586 Selective Level Meter. The engineers at HP were clever in allowing a sequence of key strokes which would result in the device playing the chorus from Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
At work I use the newest Agilent stuff with USB, but for home that's out of the question. My surplus collection includes the old HP 3455A 6 1/2 digit meters, a newer HP 3478A meter, and the HP 8903B audio analyzer. Sitting on the table next to them is a little Acer PC running Vista. No troubles with Vista at all. The key to the whole thing is the inexpensive USB to GPIB converter you can get here-
Spark Fun Electronics
I program using PowerBASIC for Windows from Bob Zale. This is lightening fast, produces small code, lets you use the Windows API or it's own simplified version, and is under $200. Most importantly, since programming isn't my big thing, I can use the same old BASIC knowledge from times past. Can get that here-
PowerBASIC
I also have the HP 5334B counter with an interface, great for audio because it's a reciprocal counter, but I've no idea why I'd want to talk to it with the PC. The HP 3581A Wave Analyzer is nice, but it would be about 1000X more useful if it had any interface at all.
Spark Fun Electronics
I program using PowerBASIC for Windows from Bob Zale. This is lightening fast, produces small code, lets you use the Windows API or it's own simplified version, and is under $200. Most importantly, since programming isn't my big thing, I can use the same old BASIC knowledge from times past. Can get that here-
PowerBASIC
I also have the HP 5334B counter with an interface, great for audio because it's a reciprocal counter, but I've no idea why I'd want to talk to it with the PC. The HP 3581A Wave Analyzer is nice, but it would be about 1000X more useful if it had any interface at all.
Conrad Hoffman said:Spark Fun Electronics
I program using PowerBASIC for Windows from Bob Zale.
I also have the HP 5334B counter with an interface, great for audio because it's a reciprocal counter, but I've no idea why I'd want to talk to it with the PC. The HP 3581A Wave Analyzer is nice, but it would be about 1000X more useful if it had any interface at all.
A USB to GPIB Card is about $600 from NI.
The 3581 Analyzer does sweep, has analog output, and a nice tracking generator -- lovely crystal filters.
Well, yeah, the 3581A is a wonderful instrument, and I'm being unfair saying it has no interface, when it has analog outputs. No doubt I could hook it to an ADC...
I've also got an old HP network analyzer setup out in the garage that has a primative GPIB connection, but it weighs a lot and needs some work. I have written programs for that, and it has the advantage of going from very low out to 13MHz or so.
I guess I'm spoiled by the ease of use of the FFT sound card programs like this one-
Visual Analyzer
Since I collect GR bridges from the 1940s on, I have to choose the rest of my equipment very carefully, so as not to collapse the test bench!
I've also got an old HP network analyzer setup out in the garage that has a primative GPIB connection, but it weighs a lot and needs some work. I have written programs for that, and it has the advantage of going from very low out to 13MHz or so.
I guess I'm spoiled by the ease of use of the FFT sound card programs like this one-
Visual Analyzer
Since I collect GR bridges from the 1940s on, I have to choose the rest of my equipment very carefully, so as not to collapse the test bench!
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.