Oscilloscopes

From: Richard Erlacher <edick_at_idcomm.com>
Date: Tue Nov 23 19:40:04 1999

Too bad it's the 465 "B" version. I've got an extra service manual for the
'A' version, which was the last one TEK built before simplifying their
triggering circuit. They did this because HP proved you don't have to be
able to trigger all that well.

I recently (2 years back) bought a fairly clean TEK 475A with the DM44
option and probes for the scope and the DMM for $500 by searching the
newsgroups. I still have my 465 which I bought about 20 years ago from an
instrument rental outfit. It needed a little service, and, when I took it
to TEK, I learned that it was only three months old and still in warranty,
so the tune-up was free.

The fellow who declared his "fav" is the 2465 has forgotten the size of the
difference in cost between a scope like the one I bought and that model. My
2467B was stolen in a burglary about five years ago, and, while I got my
2467 from a local aerospace contractor doing a selloff after a contract was
prematurely terminated. The 2467 equipped as mine was would have cost
about $15K leaving out the less common options, though there were fewer than
half a dozen for sale throughout the country. I should have paid closer
attention to the price changes and the ones which were sold while I was
negotiating with my insurance carrier. By the time I got a check, the
lowest-priced available 2467B was over $20k.

For fiddling with a PDP-8 you don't need a 400MHz 4-channel instrument with
GPIB, etc, with microchannel plate display amplification to help you observe
metastability in sub-10ns logic, since there isn't any (sub 10ns logic, I
mean).

If you look on DEJANEWS, you can find several guys who routinely refurbish
and resell instruments. They will send the instrument to you on approval,
and all you're risking is the odd $50 for shipping. A lot depends on what
you have sense to tell the guy you want, since that may remind him to check
things out more thoroughly.

I'd recommend you buy your probes from the guy who sells you the instrument.
They're more important than you might think, and the guy who wants to sell
his scope will be motivated to find you what you want. Be sure to insiste
that they be complete, however, because missing parts are likely to remain
so.

Dick

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave McGuire <mcguire_at_neurotica.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, November 23, 1999 4:27 PM
Subject: Re: Oscilloscopes


>On Tue, 23 Nov 1999, Dwight Elvey wrote:
>> You can get manuals for these someplace. They are out there.
>
> For manuals try www.usimperio.com. I deal with these folks regularly
>(they're local to me) and they're very well-stocked. Tek manuals aren't
cheap,
>though...
>
> -Dave McGuire
Received on Tue Nov 23 1999 - 19:40:04 GMT