Re: [volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards

[John Phillips]

J. L. ,
I do not know what level you are willing to pay for. I do not work in a
real high end lab but we seem to get by with checking our secondary
standards with a 3458A before and after we send it to gary to be
calibrated. We use our 10 volts and 10K resistor to calibrate the 3458A
before we send it in and then after. We look at the before and after data
as well to come up with new values for the units. Comes down to using the
3458A as the primary standard filtered by our history. The different AC
measurement methods in statistical mode can give you a good idea where your
AC values really are.

I would like to know how that compares with what the extra hardware can do.



On Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 7:52 PM, Mitch Van Ochten <
mi...@vincentelectronics.com> wrote:

> Joe,
>
> I used a Fluke 540 for a while, and also the Fluke 8506A.  The Fluke 540 is
> MUCH more difficult to use. You need to flip the switch between two
> positions rapidly and the results you get depend somewhat on how "rapidly"
> you make the transition. For AC volts the 8506A seems very nice.
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> mitch
>
> -Original Message-
> From: volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On
> Behalf Of J. L. Trantham
> Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2014 9:46 PM
> To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement
> Subject: [volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards
>
> I've been thinking about adding an AC Voltage Measurement Standard to my
> shop.
>
>
>
> It would appear that most of these have to do with thermal converters.
>  Does
> anyone have any thoughts about this?
>
>
>
> I've been thinking about a Fluke 540B, 8506A, or a collection of A55
> Thermal
> Converters.  I have accurate DC measurement tools and DC standards.
>
>
>
> I would appreciate any thoughts.
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
>
> Joe
>
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-- 
John Phillips
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Re: [volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards

[Todd Micallef]

In my previous post I meant the Fluke A40/A40A series current shunts. The
A45 is the current transfer switch used between the A40A shunts and 540B
for quicker measurements.

Todd


On Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 10:52 PM, Mitch Van Ochten <
mi...@vincentelectronics.com> wrote:

> Joe,
>
> I used a Fluke 540 for a while, and also the Fluke 8506A.  The Fluke 540 is
> MUCH more difficult to use. You need to flip the switch between two
> positions rapidly and the results you get depend somewhat on how "rapidly"
> you make the transition. For AC volts the 8506A seems very nice.
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> mitch
>
> -Original Message-
> From: volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On
> Behalf Of J. L. Trantham
> Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2014 9:46 PM
> To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement
> Subject: [volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards
>
> I've been thinking about adding an AC Voltage Measurement Standard to my
> shop.
>
>
>
> It would appear that most of these have to do with thermal converters.
>  Does
> anyone have any thoughts about this?
>
>
>
> I've been thinking about a Fluke 540B, 8506A, or a collection of A55
> Thermal
> Converters.  I have accurate DC measurement tools and DC standards.
>
>
>
> I would appreciate any thoughts.
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
>
> Joe
>
> ___
> volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to
> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
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Re: [volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards

[Mitch Van Ochten]

Joe,

I used a Fluke 540 for a while, and also the Fluke 8506A.  The Fluke 540 is
MUCH more difficult to use. You need to flip the switch between two
positions rapidly and the results you get depend somewhat on how "rapidly"
you make the transition. For AC volts the 8506A seems very nice.


Best regards,

mitch

-Original Message-
From: volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On
Behalf Of J. L. Trantham
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2014 9:46 PM
To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement
Subject: [volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards

I've been thinking about adding an AC Voltage Measurement Standard to my
shop.

 

It would appear that most of these have to do with thermal converters.  Does
anyone have any thoughts about this?

 

I've been thinking about a Fluke 540B, 8506A, or a collection of A55 Thermal
Converters.  I have accurate DC measurement tools and DC standards.

 

I would appreciate any thoughts.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Joe

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Re: [volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards

[Todd Micallef]

Joe,

I have the above listed models. My opinion of the 540B is that it requires
a lot of work. Reading the manual, it suggests swapping cables for
repeatability to get a good reading.

It originally shipped with a mercury cell for the galvanometer so you may
get a D sized dead/leaking battery. It also has a large Ni-Cd pack for
operation since it is not recommended for use while plugged in. There is no
proper battery charging circuit so you will have to monitor the charge
time. Also, there appears to have been two versions of the plug-in unit.
They are either A54-1 or A54-2. I cannot tell you the difference between
the two. I think that the A54-2 had better input protection.

Hopefully you can get one with a good thermal element that has not been
blown out. There is a procedure on EEVblog for determining if the thermal
element is not damaged.
I found a link a few months ago where Transmille was using the input port
for the A55 thermal converters as an output line. They connected the output
to different 8.5 digit multimeters to characterize an AC source.

My 8506A's are very nice. They are spec'd to 1Mhz and make a good second
7.5 digit DC meter too. Unfortunately, you cannot do AC current
measurements without using external shunts like the A45 series.

I have two different A55 thermal converters, but they have not been
thoroughly tested. I would recommend getting the Ballantine 1395A/B thermal
converters as they appear to be better supported by cal labs. I think
Ballantine still sells them and will do repairs and calibrations.

My other favorite is the Fluke 8920A. I think it is a good meter. It's 3.5
digit display is augmented by a DC analog output that you can connect to an
external meter. The 8920A is recommended for calibrating the 5100B series
wideband output.

Another potential AC measurement standard would be the Datron/Wavetek 4920
or 4950 reference standards. The cost to calibrate from Fluke is
astronomical though. You can look up the pricing on their website to see
what they charge. $3K-4K if I remember correctly.

Before I sent my 3458A in for calibration, the NVRAM was changed and I
performed the SCAL using my 5100B and 8920A. I was able to get the cal to
pass and was very surprised when Gary Bierman told me that all tests passed
during calibration.

I think you should consider getting both the 8506A and 8920A. Pick up a set
of shunts whenever you can get a good deal.

Todd



On Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 9:46 PM, J. L. Trantham  wrote:

> I've been thinking about adding an AC Voltage Measurement Standard to my
> shop.
>
>
>
> It would appear that most of these have to do with thermal converters.
>  Does
> anyone have any thoughts about this?
>
>
>
> I've been thinking about a Fluke 540B, 8506A, or a collection of A55
> Thermal
> Converters.  I have accurate DC measurement tools and DC standards.
>
>
>
> I would appreciate any thoughts.
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
>
> Joe
>
> ___
> volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
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Re: [volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards

[J. L. Trantham]

John,

Thanks for the reply.  I have both of those.  

What I'm thinking about is a measurement standard.  That is, how do I know
that my 'standards' are accurate?

That brings to mind the 'thermal converter' issue.  The 8506A apparently
uses a 'thermal converter' as part of its measurement process.  The
individual A55 Thermal Converters can be used for their various ranges but
might be more expensive if you collect all of them.

So, the question is how would you go about 'proving' that your reference is
indeed accurate?  As best I can tell, this has to do with comparing it to
some DC reference by virtue of an RMS (thermal, as best I can tell)
comparison.

Joe

-Original Message-
From: volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On
Behalf Of John Phillips
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2014 8:57 PM
To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement
Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards

I like the 5200A for a good stable unit up to 110 volts but if you go above
that you would be better off with a 5100B which will do 1100 volts.


On Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 6:46 PM, J. L. Trantham  wrote:

> I've been thinking about adding an AC Voltage Measurement Standard to 
> my shop.
>
>
>
> It would appear that most of these have to do with thermal converters.
>  Does
> anyone have any thoughts about this?
>
>
>
> I've been thinking about a Fluke 540B, 8506A, or a collection of A55 
> Thermal Converters.  I have accurate DC measurement tools and DC 
> standards.
>
>
>
> I would appreciate any thoughts.
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
>
> Joe
>
> ___
> volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to 
> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
> and follow the instructions there.
>



-- 
John Phillips
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Re: [volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards

[John Phillips]

I like the 5200A for a good stable unit up to 110 volts but if you go above
that you would be better off with a 5100B which will do 1100 volts.


On Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 6:46 PM, J. L. Trantham  wrote:

> I've been thinking about adding an AC Voltage Measurement Standard to my
> shop.
>
>
>
> It would appear that most of these have to do with thermal converters.
>  Does
> anyone have any thoughts about this?
>
>
>
> I've been thinking about a Fluke 540B, 8506A, or a collection of A55
> Thermal
> Converters.  I have accurate DC measurement tools and DC standards.
>
>
>
> I would appreciate any thoughts.
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
>
> Joe
>
> ___
> volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
> To unsubscribe, go to
> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
> and follow the instructions there.
>



-- 
John Phillips
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Re: [volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards

[Bob Albert]

I am no expert but there are some interesting ways of measuring AC.  I assume 
we are discussing true RMS.

Well, you have to have a frequency range in mind.  The more accurate you want 
to get, the wider the bandwidth, as only a small amount of VHF noise, for 
instance, still adds to the RMS.  Do you want to include the DC component?

So thermal is a good solution, although it gets cumbersome, especially for high 
accuracy.  Temperature measurement, thermal insulation, and all sorts of other 
complications enter.

Anyway, while I have an engineering degree and many years of experience, this 
is a specialized field and needs pertinent experience, a good physics 
background, and much more.  Of which I only have a smattering.

I am eager to follow any discussion on the subject.

Bob



On Tuesday, July 8, 2014 6:49 PM, J. L. Trantham  wrote:
 


I've been thinking about adding an AC Voltage Measurement Standard to my
shop.



It would appear that most of these have to do with thermal converters.  Does
anyone have any thoughts about this?



I've been thinking about a Fluke 540B, 8506A, or a collection of A55 Thermal
Converters.  I have accurate DC measurement tools and DC standards.



I would appreciate any thoughts.



Thanks in advance.



Joe

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[volt-nuts] AC Voltage Measurement Standards

[J. L. Trantham]

I've been thinking about adding an AC Voltage Measurement Standard to my
shop.

 

It would appear that most of these have to do with thermal converters.  Does
anyone have any thoughts about this?

 

I've been thinking about a Fluke 540B, 8506A, or a collection of A55 Thermal
Converters.  I have accurate DC measurement tools and DC standards.

 

I would appreciate any thoughts.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Joe

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[volt-nuts] Fluke 5200A repair.

[Kgoodhew]

Hi Gerd,
Thanks for the reply.
My mistake I should have said r6 and not r26 as I typed it from memory.
The  voltages that are high are :-

Q2 collector 7.35v
Q3-Q4 emitters 2.0v-3.2v should be nearly equal and about 0.7 to 1.8v
Q5 Q7 collectors -38.0v should be +28.4v
CR3 anode -31.8v should be -20 to -22v

Originally found Q36 and Q37 faulty apparently caused by intermittent bad
contacts on the plug in base  on Q15 as I could hear arcing from here after
powering up the unit and found the plastic plug in base melted, the
transistor tested ok so I just removed the base and soldered it into the
pcb.
During my investigations I found and relaced several out of tolerance
resistors as well as CR19 -CR20 zener's one of which was breaking down well
below it's 20v rating. Also found Q33 faulty.
Originally I had to replace a number of components in the power supply
regulator board including caps and the U2 regulator for the +19v and +5v
supplies as well as a few tracks that had been damaged by someone's earlier
repair attempts, to get the unit to operate at all.
The unit output is pretty close according to my HP3478A, it is just that I
have this 1mv  offset on the output that I cannot adjust out using R6.
As I do not have an extender board to do testing with the board out of the
chassis it has been a long and painful process to remove the board and
solder wires on to each point to make measurements that I need each time.
I even tried to get the sockets to make an extender board but it appears the
43/86 pin sockets at the required pin spacing are no longer available.

BTW the HP8569B you repaired for me some time ago is still going strong.



Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Fluke 5200a (Gerd)
   2. Re: Buying HP-3458A (Todd Micallef)
   3. Re: Fluke 5200a (John Phillips)


--

Message: 1
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 10:30:31 +1000
From: Gerd 
To: volt-nuts@febo.com
Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Fluke 5200a
Message-ID: <53bb3ba7.2070...@controlelectronics.com.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Hello Ken,

 From what I remember of this circuit, R26 is for output stage bias. R6 is
for adjusting offset. By the way, which voltages are high and how much?

The 5200 is an old beast, expect a lot of marginal electrolytics, carbon
resistors that have drifted well out of tolerance and even transistors that
no longer perform any where near what they originally did.

Regards

On 07/07/14 14:56, Ken Goodhew1 wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>  I am currently repairing a Fluke 5200a ac voltage 
> calibrator.
>
> After pulling cards in and out and soldering multiple wires on to test 
> I now have the unit working about 98%.
>
> Anybody might have or know of where I might be able to obtain an 
> extender card for this unit as it would make it a lot easier to fix 
> the last remaining problem that I have, ie:- I have a dc offset 
> voltage on the output of about 1mv when it should be +/- 100 microvolts.
>
> I am unable to adjust this with r26 adjustment on the power amplifier 
> board as described in the manual. I have followed the troubleshooting 
> guides as per the manual, as well as testing just about all the 
> components around that particular part of the circuit.
>
> The problem appears to be that the input stage is not being turned on 
> hard enough as all the suggested voltages for the input stage 
> (Q1-2-3-4-5-9) are all too high. The supply voltages are all within spec.
>
> Anybody can offer suggestions?
>
> Sorry to put this out there in this group but I cannot find an online 
> group related to fluke test equipment to ask.
>
> Ken Goodhew.
>
>
>
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Re: [volt-nuts] Buying HP-3458A

[Todd Micallef]

I agree with Joe that he is very intimately familiar with the 3458A.  He said 
he is the young guy with the least amount of time working on these meters 
(approx 30+yrs).

Gary told me that all repairs are done to the component level. He also said 
that the meters are tested to the same specs as a brand new unit. The repair 
process involves testing all the relays, rc networks in the ac section, etc... 
If I remember correctly, the calibrations are done to 24hr specs too. 

What you will end up with is a meter that functions as new. When it is 
complete, you can purchase up to a 5 yr service plan.

I am not sure about any cosmetic issues though. Agilent probably won't replace 
covers because they look worn. It is probably best to ask first before sending 
in your meter. I like my gear to look as new as possible and I would hate to 
have an old beat up panel for 5yrs for fear of voiding the service agreement.

Also, I was able to give Gary other serial numbers and he was able to tell me 
if the meter was ever serviced by Agilent.

Todd

Sent from my iPad

> On Jul 8, 2014, at 13:23, "J. L. Trantham"  wrote:
> 
> Randy,
> 
> Yes, that is my understanding.  The person who would be able to definitively 
> answer this question is Gary Bierman at Agilent at the Loveland Calibration 
> Lab.  A very knowledgeable person regarding the 3458A.  I had a long talk 
> with him before undertaking the purchase of my 3458A's.  I wound up with 
> three 3458A's for about the price of one new one.  All three 3458A's turned 
> out to be functional with no failures.  All three were of similar 1990's to 
> early 2000's vintage with the same major components.  Two were HP and one was 
> Agilent, all made in the US.  I had no Malaysian units.
> 
> I removed the three Dallas chips in each of them, installed sockets, and 
> installed new Dallas chips that I programmed with the data from their 
> respective removed chips.  A total of 9 Dallas chips for the three units.
> 
> I also removed the single EPROM in each of them, installed a socket, and 
> updated the firmware to the latest version I could find.
> 
> I managed to lose the CAL data from one of the units by, I think, trying to 
> read it while still warm from the unsoldering process.  I calibrated that 
> unit using some 'home standards' and a recently calibrated Solartron 7081 as 
> the 'transfer standard'.
> 
> I then sent the units in for Agilent Calibration, all three of which passed.  
> Then I was able to avail myself of their 'service agreement' for each of the 
> units.
> 
> They all agree very closely when measuring my now somewhat upgraded 'home 
> standards'.
> 
> They are truly impressive units.
> 
> Good luck.
> 
> Joe
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On 
> Behalf Of Randy Evans
> Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2014 9:29 AM
> To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement
> Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Buying HP-3458A
> 
> Joe,
> 
> I imply from your e-mail that if I get a "cheap" 3458A that is complete but 
> doesn't work, Agilent will repair it and calibrate it for a fixed fee of 
> $2740.46, regardless of what is wrong with it?
> 
> Of course that means i would need to insure the unit is complete with no 
> missing parts.
> 
> Randy
> 
> 
>> On Sun, Jul 6, 2014 at 3:15 PM, J. L. Trantham  wrote:
>> 
>> It is worth mentioning (re-mentioning) that once your 3458A passes 
>> calibration with HP/Agilent/Keysight, etc., it becomes eligible for 
>> their 'repair agreement' at $178.68 per year (with a small discount if 
>> you purchase multiple years, up to a maximum of five years).  This 
>> means that if it 'breaks' within that time period, it is repaired and 
>> recalibrated for no additional charge.
>> 
>> Per the Agilent US site, the 'repair per incident' charge is $2740.46.
>> 
>> So, if you happen to get a 'good' 3458A that Agilent calibrates, you 
>> can then get the service agreement (insurance policy?), which applies 
>> even if you do not change the NVRAM's.  If they die, send it back to 
>> Agilent and they will repair and recalibrate.
>> 
>> In my shop, the 3458A is the 'house standard' that I use to measure 
>> the resistance standards and voltage standards that I have.
>> 
>> Joe
>> 
>> -Original Message-
>> From: volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com] 
>> On Behalf Of R.Phillips
>> Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2014 2:08 PM
>> To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement
>> Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Buying HP-3458A
>> 
>> Randy
>> I'm already forgetting some of the facts that made up the price that I 
>> paid for the repair and re-cal. for my 3458A, as I have been involved 
>> in a number of other restoration/repairs, but it was remarkably 
>> similar in £ sterling, against your US $ price - so I guess it would 
>> seem to be a fixed charge ? My instrument failed when the 'classic' 
>> RAM/ROM 's ran out of battery support and further, they found another 
>> section whic

Re: [volt-nuts] Buying HP-3458A

[J. L. Trantham]

Randy,

Yes, that is my understanding.  The person who would be able to definitively 
answer this question is Gary Bierman at Agilent at the Loveland Calibration 
Lab.  A very knowledgeable person regarding the 3458A.  I had a long talk with 
him before undertaking the purchase of my 3458A's.  I wound up with three 
3458A's for about the price of one new one.  All three 3458A's turned out to be 
functional with no failures.  All three were of similar 1990's to early 2000's 
vintage with the same major components.  Two were HP and one was Agilent, all 
made in the US.  I had no Malaysian units.

I removed the three Dallas chips in each of them, installed sockets, and 
installed new Dallas chips that I programmed with the data from their 
respective removed chips.  A total of 9 Dallas chips for the three units.

I also removed the single EPROM in each of them, installed a socket, and 
updated the firmware to the latest version I could find.

I managed to lose the CAL data from one of the units by, I think, trying to 
read it while still warm from the unsoldering process.  I calibrated that unit 
using some 'home standards' and a recently calibrated Solartron 7081 as the 
'transfer standard'.

I then sent the units in for Agilent Calibration, all three of which passed.  
Then I was able to avail myself of their 'service agreement' for each of the 
units.

They all agree very closely when measuring my now somewhat upgraded 'home 
standards'.

They are truly impressive units.

Good luck.

Joe

-Original Message-
From: volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf 
Of Randy Evans
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2014 9:29 AM
To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement
Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Buying HP-3458A

Joe,

I imply from your e-mail that if I get a "cheap" 3458A that is complete but 
doesn't work, Agilent will repair it and calibrate it for a fixed fee of 
$2740.46, regardless of what is wrong with it?

Of course that means i would need to insure the unit is complete with no 
missing parts.

Randy


On Sun, Jul 6, 2014 at 3:15 PM, J. L. Trantham  wrote:

> It is worth mentioning (re-mentioning) that once your 3458A passes 
> calibration with HP/Agilent/Keysight, etc., it becomes eligible for 
> their 'repair agreement' at $178.68 per year (with a small discount if 
> you purchase multiple years, up to a maximum of five years).  This 
> means that if it 'breaks' within that time period, it is repaired and 
> recalibrated for no additional charge.
>
> Per the Agilent US site, the 'repair per incident' charge is $2740.46.
>
> So, if you happen to get a 'good' 3458A that Agilent calibrates, you 
> can then get the service agreement (insurance policy?), which applies 
> even if you do not change the NVRAM's.  If they die, send it back to 
> Agilent and they will repair and recalibrate.
>
> In my shop, the 3458A is the 'house standard' that I use to measure 
> the resistance standards and voltage standards that I have.
>
> Joe
>
> -Original Message-
> From: volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com] 
> On Behalf Of R.Phillips
> Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2014 2:08 PM
> To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement
> Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Buying HP-3458A
>
> Randy
> I'm already forgetting some of the facts that made up the price that I 
> paid for the repair and re-cal. for my 3458A, as I have been involved 
> in a number of other restoration/repairs, but it was remarkably 
> similar in £ sterling, against your US $ price - so I guess it would 
> seem to be a fixed charge ? My instrument failed when the 'classic' 
> RAM/ROM 's ran out of battery support and further, they found another section 
> which had gone bad.
> There's nothing to give your more confidence than the Agilent 
> Calibration Certificate that comes with the package,as this is 
> probably the prime instrument in the collection of we lucky owners, so 
> it has to be good.  As I have stated in a previous exchange, the 'new' 
> processor/ROM/RAM board is now fitted with sockets, and the devices 
> that were formerly fitted, have been replaced with the new type that 
> only connect the battery support power when they are plugged in to their 
> sockets.
> Roy
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Randy Evans
> Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2014 6:44 PM
> To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement
> Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Buying HP-3458A
>
> That e-mail I referenced is several years old.  i believe the current 
> repair price is just over $2800.
>
> Randy
>
>
> On Sat, Jul 5, 2014 at 10:49 PM, John Phillips 
> 
> wrote:
>
> > ​They do really offer that service as​ long as you send them a 
> > complete meter... No missing parts. Well they will take a few 
> > missing screws and such. My experience with them is they charge the 
> > same no mater what need to be fixed. Not sure what the price is, 
> > there prices are country dependent.
> > I
> > thought it was a little more than $2200 last I checked

Re: [volt-nuts] Buying HP-3458A

[Randy Evans]

Joe,

I imply from your e-mail that if I get a "cheap" 3458A that is complete but
doesn't work, Agilent will repair it and calibrate it for a fixed fee of
$2740.46, regardless of what is wrong with it?

Of course that means i would need to insure the unit is complete with no
missing parts.

Randy


On Sun, Jul 6, 2014 at 3:15 PM, J. L. Trantham  wrote:

> It is worth mentioning (re-mentioning) that once your 3458A passes
> calibration with HP/Agilent/Keysight, etc., it becomes eligible for their
> 'repair agreement' at $178.68 per year (with a small discount if you
> purchase multiple years, up to a maximum of five years).  This means that
> if it 'breaks' within that time period, it is repaired and recalibrated for
> no additional charge.
>
> Per the Agilent US site, the 'repair per incident' charge is $2740.46.
>
> So, if you happen to get a 'good' 3458A that Agilent calibrates, you can
> then get the service agreement (insurance policy?), which applies even if
> you do not change the NVRAM's.  If they die, send it back to Agilent and
> they will repair and recalibrate.
>
> In my shop, the 3458A is the 'house standard' that I use to measure the
> resistance standards and voltage standards that I have.
>
> Joe
>
> -Original Message-
> From: volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:volt-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On
> Behalf Of R.Phillips
> Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2014 2:08 PM
> To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement
> Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Buying HP-3458A
>
> Randy
> I'm already forgetting some of the facts that made up the price that I
> paid for the repair and re-cal. for my 3458A, as I have been involved in a
> number of other restoration/repairs, but it was remarkably similar in £
> sterling, against your US $ price - so I guess it would seem to be a fixed
> charge ? My instrument failed when the 'classic' RAM/ROM 's ran out of
> battery support and further, they found another section which had gone bad.
> There's nothing to give your more confidence than the Agilent Calibration
> Certificate that comes with the package,as this is probably the prime
> instrument in the collection of we lucky owners, so it has to be good.  As
> I have stated in a previous exchange, the 'new' processor/ROM/RAM board is
> now fitted with sockets, and the devices that were formerly fitted, have
> been replaced with the new type that only connect the battery support power
> when they are plugged in to their sockets.
> Roy
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Randy Evans
> Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2014 6:44 PM
> To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement
> Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Buying HP-3458A
>
> That e-mail I referenced is several years old.  i believe the current
> repair price is just over $2800.
>
> Randy
>
>
> On Sat, Jul 5, 2014 at 10:49 PM, John Phillips 
> wrote:
>
> > ​They do really offer that service as​ long as you send them a
> > complete meter... No missing parts. Well they will take a few missing
> > screws and such. My experience with them is they charge the same no
> > mater what need to be fixed. Not sure what the price is, there prices
> > are country dependent.
> > I
> > thought it was a little more than $2200 last I checked.
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Jul 5, 2014 at 4:08 PM, Randy Evans 
> > wrote:
> >
> > > I am in the market for a used HP-3458A and, in researching past
> > messages, I
> > > came across an interesting question:
> > >
> > > *Chris Erickson* ericksonc2 at comcast.net  > >
> > 40febo.com?Subject=Re%3A%20%5Bvolt-nuts%5D%203458A%20questions&In-Repl
> > y-To=%3C001b01cc7960%24a15d2840%24e41778c0%24%40net%3E
> > > >
> > > *Thu Sep 22 19:48:41 UTC 2011*
> > >
> > > If Agilent will fix everything, bring it up to specs, and calibrate
> > > it no
> > >
> > > matter what's wrong with it for $2200, then why would I spend
> > > $5000-6000
> > or
> > >
> > > more for one that is in good shape - even if calibrated? Just grab
> > > the first
> > >
> > > bargain that comes along for $1500-3000, send it straight to Agilent
> > > and
> > be
> > >
> > > money ahead. Seems the better course of action to me if that price
> > > is
> > >
> > > accurate - do they really offer this service?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I could not find an answer to this question but it does beg the
> > > question.
> > >  Does nayone have an answer as to why not buy the cheapest unit and
> > > send
> > it
> > > in for repair?
> > >
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > >
> > > Randy Evans
> > > ___
> > > volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to
> > > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
> > > and follow the instructions there.
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > John Phillips
> > ___
> > volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to
> > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
> > and follow the instructions there.
> ___
> vo