I plan to buy a HP 8903B.
I will eventually hook it up to a computer and use Pete Millet's software.
I think Millett's software requires the GPIB adaptors from National Instruments which are rather expensive. Personally, I use some MATLAB scripts and a GPIB-Ethernet controller made by
Prologix.
What should I look out for ?
How can I make sure it works properly ?
If you have the option to view the equipment in person, look for the usual suspects - broke pieces, bent connectors, etc. Connect a power cable and power up the analyzer. It should default to 1 kHz, 0 V, RMS voltage measurement. Hook up a BNC cable from output to input (set the ground switches to GND). Punch in [AMPL] 1 [V/kHz]. You should see 1 V RMS on the right display and 1 kHz on the left. Hit [DISTN] and you should see 1 kHz on the right display and 0.01 % or below in the right display. Most units fall below 0.005 % in this test.
If you get this far, there's a good chance the equipment works. Run it through the complete performance check section of the service manual. I've tested a few of these analyzers and would still have to spend 2~3 hours going through the performance test to fully test the gear. You can have it professionally done as well.
Are there any options that is a must have ?
The front panel connectors are nice for home use, so OPT 001 would be less useful to me as this moves the connectors to the rear of the instrument. Not a huge deal, though. You can always get a couple of BNC-BNC bulkhead adaptors and bring the connectors out to a bracket of sorts.
The remaining options are all filters. I use the 400 Hz HP, 20 kHz LP, and 80 kHz LP all the time. I wouldn't live without those.
I actually use an HP8903
A. It's a fine analyzer. The only difference between the A and the B is that the B has filter options and a true differential input.
~Tom