That is what I get for jumping in without reading the thread. I have sent 2 or 3 units in for them to repair... When they quit selling part I was forced to junk or have them repair. What parts are needed?
On Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 7:12 PM, Tom Miller <[email protected]> wrote: > They might not take it in without a serial number. > > Regards > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Phillips" < > [email protected]> > To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2013 9:34 PM > > Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] HP3458a available (was Re: hp 3458a advice) > > > You should be able to any unit repaired by Agilent as long as all the >> parts >> are there for the $3000 flat rate repair and calibration charge. >> >> On Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 5:59 PM, J. L. Trantham <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Paul, >>> >>> The 'value' of a 3458A is based on several issues, not the least of which >>> is >>> supply and demand. You only have to look at theBay to get an idea of >>> what >>> units are selling for, both working and non-working. The fact that the >>> unit >>> passes it's 'Self Test' is not a guarantee that it would be able to be >>> calibrated to published performance specs. >>> >>> Tha Agilent website is very useful in determining an 'upper bound' on the >>> value. The 3458A is currently orderable and currently supported. A new >>> 3458A (without options) is available at $9,085 and would come with a >>> fresh >>> calibration and warranty. >>> >>> Repair Per Incident is available for $2,660.64. This means that if you >>> have >>> a complete unit, they will repair it for that price. That also comes >>> with >>> a >>> fresh calibration. I don't know if that price includes all recommended >>> upgrades as listed in the Service Notes, of which there are 20, 6 of >>> which >>> list 'Modification Recommended' and one of which lists 'Modification >>> Available'. Perhaps someone on the forum knows the answer to this. >>> Certainly Gary Biermann at Agilent can answer this. >>> >>> The fact that your unit does not have a serial number sticker but instead >>> 'MTG PROTO 27' would be concerning as to whether Agilent would consider >>> this >>> a 'complete 3458A', and thus a candidate for repair, or, rather, a >>> 'prototype' or some other descriptor that would imply that it looks like >>> a >>> 3458A but is really not a 3458A. >>> >>> Both new and newly calibrated units are candidates to add a Repair >>> Agreement, available for $178.68 per year with up to 5 year blocks >>> available >>> for purchase. >>> >>> I note you mentioned firmware REV 2,1. The current firmware is 9,1. >>> Therefore it would appear that you have a rather old and probably not >>> 'updated' unit. That plus the 'stored in an attic' history would be >>> concerning about the ability to repair the unit without changing several >>> assemblies, etc. >>> >>> Assuming you could get the unit repaired and updated by Agilent, complete >>> with a fresh calibration, then the maximum value would be $9,085 minus >>> $2,660.64 minus what ever value you place on 'new' over 'old'. >>> >>> Then you are left with an older unit, made in the USA, with no (or >>> perhaps >>> a >>> reduced) warranty as opposed to a new unit, made in Malaysia, with a >>> warranty. The question of whether a 'new' Malaysian unit or an 'old' >>> American unit is better is the subject of further discussion and >>> speculation. >>> >>> If the unit cannot be repaired by Agilent, then, in my opinion, the value >>> goes down and approaches the value of the hardware, transformer, etc., >>> with >>> serious questions about the state and reparability of the assemblies, >>> particularly given the 'stored in an attic' history. >>> >>> Gary Biermann would be very helpful in getting the history and >>> reparability >>> of the unit. He would be worth contacting about these issues. He works >>> at >>> the Loveland Calibration Facility. >>> >>> Hope this helps. >>> >>> Joe >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: [email protected] >>> [mailto:volt-nuts-bounces@**febo.com<[email protected]>] >>> On >>> Behalf Of Paul Fox >>> Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2013 8:54 AM >>> To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement >>> Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] HP3458a available (was Re: hp 3458a advice) >>> >>> part of me hates to do this, but... there have been some rule-breakers >>> that ignored the "under $350" limit, and now they've ruined it for >>> everyone. ;-) >>> >>> clearly the research i did into prices for "HP3458a, needs repair" was >>> woefully inadequate. >>> >>> i guess the easiest thing to do is to simply remove the "under $350" >>> part. that way everyone's working under the same assumptions. again, >>> sorry. local buyers still get preference. (and, if you'd like to chew >>> me out for being a bozo, that's fine, but please do it privately. maybe >>> i should have used ebay in the first place. lesson learned.) >>> >>> paul >>> >>> i 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:volt-nuts-bounces@**febo.com <[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<https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts> >>> > and follow the instructions there. >>> >>> =--------------------- >>> paul fox, [email protected] (arlington, ma, where it's 19.2 >>> degrees) >>> ______________________________**_________________ >>> volt-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe, go to >>> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts<https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts> >>> and follow the instructions there. >>> >>> ______________________________**_________________ >>> volt-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe, go to >>> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts<https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts> >>> and follow the instructions there. >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> John Phillips >> ______________________________**_________________ >> volt-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] >> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/** >> mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts<https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts> >> and follow the instructions there. >> >> > ______________________________**_________________ > volt-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/** > mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts<https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts> > and follow the instructions there. > -- John Phillips _______________________________________________ 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.
