sorry all, that was meant to be off list
On Wed, Feb 6, 2013 at 1:21 PM, Eric Garner <[email protected]> wrote: > Paul, > > I'm interested in the 3458a. I'm located in Portland, OR since that > affects your decision. I've been lusting after a 3458a for sometime. > Since I'm on a budget most of my equipment is acquired in "needs TLC" > condition, so i'm used to a project. fortunately for me my day job has > it's yearly calibration in a few months so if I get it I can get it > cal'd properly (taking the techs out for beers goes a long way). > > thanks > > -eric > > > > On Wed, Feb 6, 2013 at 12:59 PM, Paul Fox <[email protected]> wrote: >> resurrecting a somewhat older thread -- >> >> it's now clear to me that i have little interest in (or time for) >> resurrecting my 3458a. several people on the list were interested in >> it when i first brought it up, and you were all very helpful. i'd >> rather not go through the ebay hassle, and i'd rather make it >> available to one of you folks first in any case. >> >> i've put up a small set of pictures, along with a short video of >> the startup sequence at http://www.foxharp.net/hp3458a . re-reading >> my original list message (below), i see that my startup video didn't >> capture an error message i saw back in october. so in addition to the >> "110, Calibration required -- ACAL" message in the video, i guess we >> should assume that it sometimes gives "204, "Hardware Failure -- Flatness >> DAC Convergence: 198" >> >> i haven't opened the unit, and wasn't really planning on it. if >> there's something that you'd like to know that will be clear from just >> looking, and if it might appreciably change the unit's value for you, >> let me know and i'll find a screwdriver and take some more pictures. >> >> i have two original (i believe) copies of the manual. no service manual. >> firmware version is "REV 2,1". >> >> so how about this: best offer (by private mail) under $350 gets it, >> shipping not included (it looks like shipping will be in the $40 to $80 >> range, once i find a box). for obvious reasons, a local-to-boston >> transaction will be given a lot of preference. >> >> i'll wait until next wednesday evening (i.e., about a week -- feb 13) >> before choosing a lucky recipient, since i hear some people don't read >> their mail as continuously as i do. >> >> paul >> >> i wrote: >> > thanks joe, and to the other couple of people who responded privately. >> > i need to figure out how much of a project i want this to be, and how >> > it ranks against all the other projects that i also don't have time >> > for. :-) >> > >> > i have the full users manual (two copies!), but i don't have anything >> > else that speaks GPIB. i'll play with some of the front panel >> > commands you've suggested, while i think about what to do. thanks! >> > >> > paul >> > >> > j. l. trantham wrote: >> > > Paul, >> > > >> > > First, the meter is worth something if nothing other than parts. It is >> ... >> > > Good luck. >> > > >> > > Joe >> > > >> > > -----Original Message----- >> > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On >> > > Behalf Of Paul Fox >> > > Sent: Monday, October 15, 2012 9:50 AM >> > > To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement >> > > Subject: [volt-nuts] hp 3458a advice >> > > >> > > hi -- >> > > >> > > i'm not a volt-nuts regular, and not even a precision measurement nut >> > > at all, but given past discussion in the list archives, i think you >> > > folks might be able to help. >> > > >> > > i was recently given an HP 3458a multimeter. the donor thought it >> > > worked when he last used it, but that was quite a long time ago, and i >> > > think it was stored in an attic for some time, so i'm not too >> > > surprised that it now doesn't pass self tests. :-/ he mainly wanted >> > > it out of his house, along with a bunch of other vintage (sadly mostly >> > > non-working) equipment he'd accumulated over the years. >> > > >> > > the self-test error is: >> > > ERRSTR 204, "Hardware Failure -- Flatness DAC Convergence: 198" >> > > >> > > judging from past list traffic, repairs on these units are >> > > expensive, and it would still need recalibration to be useful, and >> > > there are may be other parts (eeproms?) that may not be good >> > > any more. i'm not really interested in pursuing any of this >> > > myself. >> > > >> > > what's worse is that the unit doesn't have a serial number. (i assume >> > > the s/n would normally be obvious on the rear of the unit.) it bears a >> > > sticker on the back that says "MTG PROTO 27". i think the unit came >> > > from a place that themselves produced reference standards, and they >> > > may have gotten a very early model from HP to work with. that's >> > > conjecture. i haven't opened the unit, so i don't know if there are >> > > other clues to its age inside. >> > > >> > > so: is this machine useful to anyone? given the error message above, >> > > are there any measurements at all that it might still get correct, in >> > > it's current state? >> > > >> > > paul >> > > =--------------------- >> > > paul fox, [email protected] (arlington, ma, where it's 63.1 >> degrees) >> > > >> >> =--------------------- >> paul fox, [email protected] (arlington, ma, where it's 30.0 degrees) >> _______________________________________________ >> volt-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] >> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. > > > > -- > --Eric > _________________________________________ > Eric Garner -- --Eric _________________________________________ Eric Garner _______________________________________________ volt-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts and follow the instructions there.
