VTVM's and other Test Equipment.

[Jack-KA3ZLR-]

Good Day Everyone,

 I was looking around the epay place "just Nebben around" and i got to thinking, my Favorite VTVM has always been the RCA Senior Volt Ohmyst I know there were others Precise Eico etc, and i have collected quit a few down through the years but i always wondered what others think was is the best, personal favorites.


Also there's a slew of Gov auction sites now is everybody aware of them i wonder if maybe we should list them here there's alot of test equipment being auctioned by the Gov especially Spectrum Analyzers, i'd be lost without my analyzer.

Any Thoughts..?

[W3SLK]

Jack said:

Also there's a slew of Gov auction sites now is everybody aware of them i wonder if maybe we should list them here there's alot of test equipment being auctioned by the Gov especially Spectrum Analyzers, i'd be lost without my analyzer.

I got my HP-141T and the matching tracking generator (which was almost mint condition) here http://www.govliquidation.com/list/c7235.  I'll bet with shipping and all I have about $500 invested in both. When getting the tracking generator, (the mod# escapes me at the moment) be sure to get one with the cables. They are about as rare as hen's teeth to find. Also, some of the stuff is pretty well beat. I've been trying to get either an 8640C or 8660 RF generator but I always get sniped at the end. But check back often since they are constantly getting new stuff in.

[n2bc]

The HP-410C is a nice VTVM - there's a ham that has them for sale frequently on one of the other reflectors.  For the life of me I cannot remember his call (a W7 I think) or what list he posts on (how's that for helpful!).  The 410C is the sand-state version of the 410B.  Quite a bit smaller. Uses the same AC/RF probe.

A comment on the HP8640B:  I would be wary of an eBay purchase unless you get a firm agreement on return if it doesn't work.  I got mine for the perfect price (free), knowing full well that it was inoperative.  These critters are mechanically fragile. They are full of nylon gears that tend to split.  I was able to get a subassembly from Fair which provided the parts I needed to get mine going.  But I consider the successful repair mostly luck.

The Fluke (or Philips) PM2525 is a really nice DMM.  Autoranging, high input impedance.  I got lucky on eBay and snagged one of these for a good $.

Good Luck!   73, Bill   N2BC

[W3SLK]

Bill said :

The Fluke (or Philips) PM2525 is a really nice DMM. Autoranging, high input impedance. I got lucky on eBay and snagged one of these for a good $.

Bill, I scored a Fluke 85III for $150 brand new with an extra set of leads, pouches, and meter holder off of eBay a few years ago. Not quite all the horns and whistles as the 87 but good enough for my bench and the price was fery reasonable. Hell it was still in its shrink wrap and as far as I know it wasn't 'hot' since I sent in the warranty card never got a question on it.

[Jim, W5JO]

I scored a Triplett 801 VOM at the OKC hamfest a couple of weeks ago for 15 dollars.  Big mirrored scale meter and it had the probes and high current shunt.

While it is FET, it has low ohms capability to .1 ohms and standard reading to 1500 volts on both AC and DC.  Input is 11 meg. on DC and 10 on AC.  It is in very good condition and I picked it up to replace my RCA should anything happen.  Talk about rare, if the probe in the RCA quits, they are almost unavailable.  I have seen several meters sold on snipe without the probe.

My 141T bit the dust and I haven't had time to find out what happened to the trace.  Will have to do that some day.  I think the 12 volt regulated quit for some reason.  Problem is the manual.  I have downloaded it but it is over 100 pages and printing would be terrible.  Trying to work off the computer screen drives me up the wall.

[W3SLK]

Jim said:

Problem is the manual. I have downloaded it but it is over 100 pages and printing would be terrible. Trying to work off the computer screen drives me up the wall.

Jim, check ebay every so often. There is a guy on there that sells a whole pile of HP manuals on CD. I think he usually asks for about $15 for them since you can get them via public domain. Find the section you are interested in and just print that out for the bench work.

[ka0pad]

Re: the 141T tracking generator unobtainium cable. I was able to make my own. The local surplus shop just happened to have a bin of connectors that fit so I made up 6 individual coax cables, works fb. So if anyone is lacking one of these the parts are out there, I think he still has some connectors at the surplus store. It's a wonderful thing to have in a radio shop, hope mine never dies.

Larry

[wa2zdy]

I had a Sr Volt Ohmyst at some point years ago and agree, for its day it was excellent.  If properly calibrated it's still just fine.  We had them in the school electronics shop when I was in HS and I got hired for my second TV shop job (at age 17) because I knew how to fix and calibrate those very VTVMs.  

I don't remember how the subject came up during the interview, but at some point I must have said something about them as the owner said "come with me" and took me back to a closet.  He showed me this pile of mostly Volt Ohmysts and a few Simpson 260s, etc, and said incredulously "you know how to fix THESE?"

Yep, I worked there for only a short while but when I left he was selling test gear to his fellow TV shop owners!

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Good Day Everyone,

 I was looking around the epay place "just Nebben around" and i got to thinking, my Favorite VTVM has always been the RCA Senior Volt Ohmyst I know there were others Precise Eico etc, and i have collected quit a few down through the years but i always wondered what others think was is the best, personal favorites.
Any Thoughts..?

I still have my first RCA VoltOhmyst that I bought in 58. Still works well. Over the years bought several different variations of the VoltOhmyst. Also have several Tripletts and a few Simpsons. You would amazed at all the different VoltOhmyst models that RCA introduced over the years.

[WA1GFZ]

You can buy connectors for 141 tracking cables from newark for about $25 each. I have the 140 (non store) and had problems with my 12 volt supply also.
A resistor on the regulator board went quite high. Good basic tool
I have the 1.5 GHz. tracking generator that works quite well.
my best HP8640B deal was $100 and it only needed the regulator board pins cleaned. Nylon gears the weak link but newer units used a better material.

[W2VW]

My Measurements 80 makes all that stuff look stupid.

[WB2CAU]

My Measurements 80 makes all that stuff look stupid.

And I have a Measurements 82