In the Mkt for a HP Bench DMM

[Watson A.Name - \"Watt Su]

I've been checking Ebay for a HP bench DMM, good quality, at least 5-1/2
digits. I've seen the 33401A 6-1/2 digit which seems to be in the $600
to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to $300.
I also see other models, some older and not so old. I had my eye on the
33401A, but they're $1137 new, so the auction price is 2/3 the price of
a new one, w/o calibration and usually w/o manual or accessories.
(manals on CD seem to be about ten bucks). The 33401A seems to be a
recent and common model still in demand. So I started looking at the
others, but there are several others such as the 3478A, 3468, etc. The
3478A is a 5-1/2 digit with four-wire resistance, which is what I want.
I'd like to know what you have, or would consider a good choice. What
are the pros and cons, especially the cons. Should I pay for
calibration, or pay extra for a cal'd DMM? I know that some of them
have GPIB and/or RS-232, but I'm not trying to automate, at least not
yet.

I've got another Q about automation that I may bring up later. For now
tho.. Thanks.


--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@

 

[John Miles]

In article <1178cr4831jmcea@corp.supernews.com>, NOSPAM@dslextreme.com
says...

I've been checking Ebay for a HP bench DMM, good quality, at least 5-1/2
digits. I've seen the 33401A 6-1/2 digit which seems to be in the $600
to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to $300.
I also see other models, some older and not so old. I had my eye on the
33401A, but they're $1137 new, so the auction price is 2/3 the price of
a new one, w/o calibration and usually w/o manual or accessories.
(manals on CD seem to be about ten bucks). The 33401A seems to be a
recent and common model still in demand. So I started looking at the
others, but there are several others such as the 3478A, 3468, etc. The
3478A is a 5-1/2 digit with four-wire resistance, which is what I want.
I'd like to know what you have, or would consider a good choice. What
are the pros and cons, especially the cons. Should I pay for
calibration, or pay extra for a cal'd DMM? I know that some of them
have GPIB and/or RS-232, but I'm not trying to automate, at least not
yet.

I've got another Q about automation that I may bring up later. For now
tho.. Thanks.

One opinion: I really like the 3478A. I bought a 34401A (not 33401A,
dunno what that is) when it came out, and it's certainly a great DMM.
Then a friend won a couple of 3478A auctions for around $200 each and
brought them by my bench for calibration against my (still-relatively-
new) 34401A. Our conclusion was that the 3478A is 95% of the meter for
1/3 the price.

I very rarely use the 34401A's extra digit, or any of the other minor
features that distinguish it from the 3478A. I do prefer its vacuum-
fluorescent display to the 3478A's LCD... but it ain't worth an extra
$400.

Both DMMs are great instruments, but the bang-for-the-buck prize goes to
the 3478A by a mile.

-- john KE5FX

------------------------------------------------------
http://www.qsl.net/ke5fx
Note: My E-mail address has been altered to avoid spam
------------------------------------------------------

 

[Watson A.Name - \"Watt Su]

"John Miles" <jmiles@pop.removethistomailme.net> wrote in message
news:MPG.1cddee18727bc1389896af@news-central.giganews.com...

In article <1178cr4831jmcea@corp.supernews.com>, NOSPAM@dslextreme.com
says...
I've been checking Ebay for a HP bench DMM, good quality, at least
5-1/2
digits. I've seen the 33401A 6-1/2 digit which seems to be in the
$600
to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to
$300.
I also see other models, some older and not so old. I had my eye on
the
33401A, but they're $1137 new, so the auction price is 2/3 the price
of
a new one, w/o calibration and usually w/o manual or accessories.
(manals on CD seem to be about ten bucks). The 33401A seems to be a
recent and common model still in demand. So I started looking at
the
others, but there are several others such as the 3478A, 3468, etc.
The
3478A is a 5-1/2 digit with four-wire resistance, which is what I
want.
I'd like to know what you have, or would consider a good choice.
What
are the pros and cons, especially the cons. Should I pay for
calibration, or pay extra for a cal'd DMM? I know that some of them
have GPIB and/or RS-232, but I'm not trying to automate, at least
not
yet.

I've got another Q about automation that I may bring up later. For
now
tho.. Thanks.


One opinion: I really like the 3478A. I bought a 34401A (not 33401A,
dunno what that is) when it came out, and it's certainly a great DMM.
Then a friend won a couple of 3478A auctions for around $200 each and
brought them by my bench for calibration against my (still-relatively-
new) 34401A. Our conclusion was that the 3478A is 95% of the meter
for
1/3 the price.

I very rarely use the 34401A's extra digit, or any of the other minor
features that distinguish it from the 3478A. I do prefer its vacuum-
fluorescent display to the 3478A's LCD... but it ain't worth an extra
$400.

Both DMMs are great instruments, but the bang-for-the-buck prize goes
to
the 3478A by a mile.

-- john KE5FX

Thanks. Sorry for the typo - 34401A.

There are others similar to the 3478A that have a VFD or LED display,
but may be older.

 

[Jim Adney]

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 18:36:08 -0700 "Watson A.Name - \"Watt Sun, the
Dark Remover\"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote:

I've been checking Ebay for a HP bench DMM, good quality, at least 5-1/2
digits. I've seen the 33401A 6-1/2 digit which seems to be in the $600
to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to $300.
I also see other models, some older and not so old. I had my eye on the
33401A, but they're $1137 new, so the auction price is 2/3 the price of
a new one, w/o calibration and usually w/o manual or accessories.

If you would be willing to stoop to a mere 4-1/2 digits, I have some
5306As which are nice multimeter plugons for the 5300 series displays.
I sell the 5306 for $80 and a 6 digit display unit for $50.

These are very nice little modular desktop units which have more
accuracy than most of use will ever need, plus once you have the
display, you can also buy a plugon frequency counter. There are a
number of counter modules available to cover the range from 10 MHz to
1.3 Ghz. The 5306 itself actually includes a 10 MHz counter.

I have a text file describing each of the modules. I will be glad to
send you a copy if you are interested.

If you really want 5-1/2 digits, I have some 34650s which are that
wide, but they are more expensive and don't have the frequency counter
capability. They also consist of a display and your choice of plugons.

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

 

[Watson A.Name - \"Watt Su]

"Jim Adney" <jadney@vwtype3.org> wrote in message
news:lp5b71p0r444tenervh5vc982jd65lss30@4ax.com...

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 18:36:08 -0700 "Watson A.Name - \"Watt Sun, the
Dark Remover\"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote:

I've been checking Ebay for a HP bench DMM, good quality, at least
5-1/2
digits. I've seen the 33401A 6-1/2 digit which seems to be in the
$600
to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to
$300.
I also see other models, some older and not so old. I had my eye on
the
33401A, but they're $1137 new, so the auction price is 2/3 the price
of
a new one, w/o calibration and usually w/o manual or accessories.

If you would be willing to stoop to a mere 4-1/2 digits, I have some
5306As which are nice multimeter plugons for the 5300 series displays.
I sell the 5306 for $80 and a 6 digit display unit for $50.

Thanks, but I already have a Fluke 4-1/2 digit DMM. Tnis morning on
Ebay I missed a chance to bid on a HP 3478A and it sold for $75. Darn!

These are very nice little modular desktop units which have more
accuracy than most of use will ever need, plus once you have the
display, you can also buy a plugon frequency counter. There are a
number of counter modules available to cover the range from 10 MHz to
1.3 Ghz. The 5306 itself actually includes a 10 MHz counter.

I have a text file describing each of the modules. I will be glad to
send you a copy if you are interested.

If you really want 5-1/2 digits, I have some 34650s which are that
wide, but they are more expensive and don't have the frequency counter
capability. They also consist of a display and your choice of plugons.

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

 

[Chuck Harris]

Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover" wrote:

If you would be willing to stoop to a mere 4-1/2 digits, I have some
5306As which are nice multimeter plugons for the 5300 series displays.
I sell the 5306 for $80 and a 6 digit display unit for $50.


Thanks, but I already have a Fluke 4-1/2 digit DMM. Tnis morning on
Ebay I missed a chance to bid on a HP 3478A and it sold for $75. Darn!

Being as it comes from Tucker, I'll let you know if it works.

-Chuck

 

[JW]

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 18:36:08 -0700 "Watson A.Name - \"Watt Sun, the Dark
Remover\"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote in Message id:
<1178cr4831jmcea@corp.supernews.com>:

I've been checking Ebay for a HP bench DMM, good quality, at least 5-1/2
digits. I've seen the 33401A 6-1/2 digit which seems to be in the $600
to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to $300.
I also see other models, some older and not so old. I had my eye on the
33401A, but they're $1137 new, so the auction price is 2/3 the price of
a new one, w/o calibration and usually w/o manual or accessories.
(manals on CD seem to be about ten bucks). The 33401A seems to be a
recent and common model still in demand. So I started looking at the
others, but there are several others such as the 3478A, 3468, etc. The
3478A is a 5-1/2 digit with four-wire resistance, which is what I want.
I'd like to know what you have, or would consider a good choice. What
are the pros and cons, especially the cons. Should I pay for
calibration, or pay extra for a cal'd DMM? I know that some of them
have GPIB and/or RS-232, but I'm not trying to automate, at least not
yet.

If you can forgo HP, these come up for auction now and then at a good
price:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=58275&item=7513599656&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

This one is priced ridiculously high; I've seen them to go for $100 to
$150 with GPIB. I purchased one on Ebay for $145, and I'm quite happy with
it.

 

[Watson A.Name - \"Watt Su]

"JW" <none@dev.nul> wrote in message
news:45tj71d34g8k8j523tp39qus819hi4ed1c@4ax.com...

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 18:36:08 -0700 "Watson A.Name - \"Watt Sun, the
Dark
Remover\"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote in Message id:
1178cr4831jmcea@corp.supernews.com>:

I've been checking Ebay for a HP bench DMM, good quality, at least
5-1/2
digits. I've seen the 33401A 6-1/2 digit which seems to be in the
$600
to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to
$300.
I also see other models, some older and not so old. I had my eye on
the
33401A, but they're $1137 new, so the auction price is 2/3 the price
of
a new one, w/o calibration and usually w/o manual or accessories.
(manals on CD seem to be about ten bucks). The 33401A seems to be a
recent and common model still in demand. So I started looking at the
others, but there are several others such as the 3478A, 3468, etc.
The
3478A is a 5-1/2 digit with four-wire resistance, which is what I
want.
I'd like to know what you have, or would consider a good choice.
What
are the pros and cons, especially the cons. Should I pay for
calibration, or pay extra for a cal'd DMM? I know that some of them
have GPIB and/or RS-232, but I'm not trying to automate, at least not
yet.

If you can forgo HP, these come up for auction now and then at a good
price:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=58275&item=751359

9656&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

This one is priced ridiculously high; I've seen them to go for $100 to
$150 with GPIB. I purchased one on Ebay for $145, and I'm quite happy
with
it.

When i saw the price on the one in the URL I was kind of hoping that
they would be available for a more reasonable price. One thing I'm
concerned about is availability. If they're a lot less common than the
HPs, then I'm guessing that they might be in greater demand, and hence
command a higher average price. And then there are the manuals and
stuff. I see the manuals (on CD) for the HP 3478A going for under ten
bucks. Maybe more for the originals on paper. Are the manuals for the
PM2534 going for about the same, or do I have to pay $50 for them? I'd
really like to have them. I got the manual for my old Fluke 8600, and
when it blew a +-15V regulator chip, I was really glad to have the
manual and be prepared.

I also saw a few models of Keithley DMMs I thought might also be good
choices. I'm wondering why the two names Philips and Fluke are
associated. I'm guessing that since Philips is sucn a huge
international organization, that they're actually the manufacturer, and
Fluke markets them in the U.S. and possibly calibrates and services
them, possibly for the whole world. Fluke is an older, well respected
org, but nowhere near as big as HP or Philips.

 

[Chuck Harris]

Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover" wrote:

to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to

$300.

Regarding my $75 HP3478A from Tucker, by way of eBay: It is perfect!

Tucker treated the unit like it was a $750 DMM. It was sent FedEX, and
arrived in 3 days. It was in a brand new, tucker branded, oversized box,
and was foamed-in-place. It came with a bound xerox copy of the operator's
manual, and a 5 day trial period.

The unit had several callibration/inventory stickers, on it, but none of
that nasty permanent felt tip pen that the US Gov't defaces its surplus
with.

I got lucky! I will buy from Tucker again, if the opportunity arises.

My only regret is I forgot that the HP3478A has a reduced measurement
range. It is only 300V full scale! Why did they do that?

-Chuck

 

[Watson A.Name - \"Watt Su]

"Chuck Harris" <cf-NO-SPAM-harris@erols.com> wrote in message
news:sY2dnYBHUJWTxObfRVn-hw@rcn.net...

Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover" wrote:

to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to

$300.

Regarding my $75 HP3478A from Tucker, by way of eBay: It is perfect!

Tucker treated the unit like it was a $750 DMM. It was sent FedEX,
and
arrived in 3 days. It was in a brand new, tucker branded, oversized
box,
and was foamed-in-place. It came with a bound xerox copy of the
operator's
manual, and a 5 day trial period.

The unit had several callibration/inventory stickers, on it, but none
of
that nasty permanent felt tip pen that the US Gov't defaces its
surplus
with.

I got lucky! I will buy from Tucker again, if the opportunity arises.

My only regret is I forgot that the HP3478A has a reduced measurement
range. It is only 300V full scale! Why did they do that?

Thanks for the info. Some possibilities are.. The precision resistors
don't come in high wattages so the V dividers can't handle more than
300V. On AC, I've noticed that cheap hand-helds also have limited AC
range. I guess there's a problem with getting the rectifiers to handle
high voltages. And the diode V drops cause non-linearity that makes the
meter inaccurate at lower V.

If HP or some other company offers a V divider probe, then 10:1 division
would up the maximum measurement to at least a kV. But I think 750V is
kind of pushing it. I have a 'heavily used' Fluke 23 that the HVAC guy
gave me at work. It powers up and displays but any input doesn't cause
any reading - just 0. I think he used it on 480VAC or something high
like that and it burned out. I hate to throw it out because someday I
might find another with a bad LCD display and I could make one good one
out of two bad ones.

Speaking of LCDs.. Some of our digital phones have a LCD. On occasion
we will have to replace one that has gone black. I think it's caused by
the hot sun hitting the display. So it's probably a really bad idea to
leave your DMM near a window where it might be exposed to the sunlight.
I just wonder how the car makers keep the LCDs in the instrument cluster
from getting overheated.

> -Chuck

 

[Chuck Harris]

Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover" wrote:

Thanks for the info. Some possibilities are.. The precision resistors
don't come in high wattages so the V dividers can't handle more than
300V. On AC, I've noticed that cheap hand-helds also have limited AC
range. I guess there's a problem with getting the rectifiers to handle
high voltages. And the diode V drops cause non-linearity that makes the
meter inaccurate at lower V.

They seemed to be able to do 1200V on the HP3438A, which is a distant
predecessor to the 3478A. (3-1/2 digits, led, HPIB, autoranging, smaller
too!)

If HP or some other company offers a V divider probe, then 10:1 division
would up the maximum measurement to at least a kV. But I think 750V is
kind of pushing it. I have a 'heavily used' Fluke 23 that the HVAC guy
gave me at work. It powers up and displays but any input doesn't cause
any reading - just 0. I think he used it on 480VAC or something high
like that and it burned out. I hate to throw it out because someday I
might find another with a bad LCD display and I could make one good one
out of two bad ones.

Crack it open, if it was blasted with HV, the problem should be obvious.
Not necessarily fixable, but obvious. The basic meter circuits will be
protected by a pair of diodes (head to tail, in parallel). There is usually
a sacrificial part, or 3, before the diodes.

Speaking of LCDs.. Some of our digital phones have a LCD. On occasion
we will have to replace one that has gone black. I think it's caused by
the hot sun hitting the display. So it's probably a really bad idea to
leave your DMM near a window where it might be exposed to the sunlight.
I just wonder how the car makers keep the LCDs in the instrument cluster
from getting overheated.

Heat turns them black while hot, but they should return to clear once they
cool. The car manufacturers are obviously using a LCD technology that
handles heat gracefully. Undoubtedly a byproduct of the military.

I have found that dropping an LCD display can turn it black. What happens
is the seal cracks, and provides a polarization shift that the polar filter
shows up as black.... still toast, though.

-Chuck

 

[Gary Schafer]

If you don't mind an older unit look at the HP 3456A. It was "the"
standard in its day. It is 6 1/2 digit and very accurate. HP doesn't
support it any longer but then if you are paying a hundred to two
hundred for a meter you wouldn't want to send it to HP for repair
anyway. Their repair cost would far exceed that price.

The 3566A can be found for around $100.00 to $150.00. They are
strictly a bench meter though. Quite large and heavy.

The HP 3455A is also nice but not quite the accuracy as the 3456A but
the AC measurement frequency goes higher.

Another meter to look at it the Fluke 8840A. It is 5 1/2 digit. Very
nice. Only problem is they usually don't come with the AC converter
board in them. (option 9)

The fluke 8502A is another good one to look at. It is older but very
accurate. Have to watch what comes in it though as the AC converter
and even ohms board were options.

The Fluke 8506A is equivalent to the HP 3456A but better AC than the
HP.

If you can live with 4 1/2 digits the HP 3466A is a bargain. They can
be had for well under $100.00. .03% accuracy on DC.

Another good inexpensive 4 1/2 meter is the Fluke 8050A. They are also
..03%. Can be had for under $50.00. They have some nice features like
offset with one button and will read DB relative etc. Only bad part is
it is not auto ranging.

I also picked up a Keithley 197 for well under $100.00. It is the same
as the 197A but has no back light and less battery life if you use it
on battery. Other wise they are the same. 5 1/2 digit .015%.
Not quite as stable as the Fluke meters or the HP. The keithley takes
awhile to stop drifting but it is not bad. You would never know unless
you compare it to a meter like the HP3456A.

These are all older meters but they can be picked up at a very bargain
price. If they break you will have to fix them yourself. In that case
you may find a spare for parts. Those are cheap too.

You can look on Tuckers web site and find the specs on most all these
meters.

73
Gary K4FMX




On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 18:36:08 -0700, "Watson A.Name - \"Watt Sun, the
Dark Remover\"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote:

I've been checking Ebay for a HP bench DMM, good quality, at least 5-1/2
digits. I've seen the 33401A 6-1/2 digit which seems to be in the $600
to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to $300.
I also see other models, some older and not so old. I had my eye on the
33401A, but they're $1137 new, so the auction price is 2/3 the price of
a new one, w/o calibration and usually w/o manual or accessories.
(manals on CD seem to be about ten bucks). The 33401A seems to be a
recent and common model still in demand. So I started looking at the
others, but there are several others such as the 3478A, 3468, etc. The
3478A is a 5-1/2 digit with four-wire resistance, which is what I want.
I'd like to know what you have, or would consider a good choice. What
are the pros and cons, especially the cons. Should I pay for
calibration, or pay extra for a cal'd DMM? I know that some of them
have GPIB and/or RS-232, but I'm not trying to automate, at least not
yet.

I've got another Q about automation that I may bring up later. For now
tho.. Thanks.

 

[Watson A.Name - \"Watt Su]

"Gary Schafer" <gaschafer@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:uvon719oghpt43keqtkga569f87f5vi62o@4ax.com...

If you don't mind an older unit look at the HP 3456A. It was "the"
standard in its day. It is 6 1/2 digit and very accurate. HP doesn't
support it any longer but then if you are paying a hundred to two
hundred for a meter you wouldn't want to send it to HP for repair
anyway. Their repair cost would far exceed that price.

The 3566A can be found for around $100.00 to $150.00. They are
strictly a bench meter though. Quite large and heavy.

The HP 3455A is also nice but not quite the accuracy as the 3456A but
the AC measurement frequency goes higher.

Another meter to look at it the Fluke 8840A. It is 5 1/2 digit. Very
nice. Only problem is they usually don't come with the AC converter
board in them. (option 9)

The fluke 8502A is another good one to look at. It is older but very
accurate. Have to watch what comes in it though as the AC converter
and even ohms board were options.

The Fluke 8506A is equivalent to the HP 3456A but better AC than the
HP.

If you can live with 4 1/2 digits the HP 3466A is a bargain. They can
be had for well under $100.00. .03% accuracy on DC.

Another good inexpensive 4 1/2 meter is the Fluke 8050A. They are also
.03%. Can be had for under $50.00. They have some nice features like
offset with one button and will read DB relative etc. Only bad part is
it is not auto ranging.

I also picked up a Keithley 197 for well under $100.00. It is the same
as the 197A but has no back light and less battery life if you use it
on battery. Other wise they are the same. 5 1/2 digit .015%.
Not quite as stable as the Fluke meters or the HP. The keithley takes
awhile to stop drifting but it is not bad. You would never know unless
you compare it to a meter like the HP3456A.

These are all older meters but they can be picked up at a very bargain
price. If they break you will have to fix them yourself. In that case
you may find a spare for parts. Those are cheap too.

You can look on Tuckers web site and find the specs on most all these
meters.

Thanks for all the good info. I found a single 3478A on Tucker's
website and it was $795 so I don't think I'll be back there soon.

In the last wk I've seen the 3478A go for anywhere from $75 to $220 on
ebay, most are well over a hundred. I'm still waiting for another one
to come for bid at a reasonable price. Right now someone has one for
sale, but this is like his first sale, and I don't think anyone wants to
put very much money up for bid because he may be just a fraudster.

Not to go off topic, but last year, auction fraud was one of the top ten
frauds - usually in the top 3 - reported to the consumer sentinel.
<http://www.consumer.gov/sentinel/2004%20Reports/sentinel%20top%20compla
int%20categories.pdf> It never hurts to be a little overcautious.

73
Gary K4FMX

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 18:36:08 -0700, "Watson A.Name - \"Watt Sun, the
Dark Remover\"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote:

I've been checking Ebay for a HP bench DMM, good quality, at least
5-1/2
digits. I've seen the 33401A 6-1/2 digit which seems to be in the
$600
to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to
$300.
I also see other models, some older and not so old. I had my eye on
the
33401A, but they're $1137 new, so the auction price is 2/3 the price
of
a new one, w/o calibration and usually w/o manual or accessories.
(manals on CD seem to be about ten bucks). The 33401A seems to be a
recent and common model still in demand. So I started looking at the
others, but there are several others such as the 3478A, 3468, etc.
The
3478A is a 5-1/2 digit with four-wire resistance, which is what I
want.
I'd like to know what you have, or would consider a good choice.
What
are the pros and cons, especially the cons. Should I pay for
calibration, or pay extra for a cal'd DMM? I know that some of them
have GPIB and/or RS-232, but I'm not trying to automate, at least not
yet.

I've got another Q about automation that I may bring up later. For
now
tho.. Thanks.

 

[Chuck Harris]

Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover" wrote:

You can look on Tuckers web site and find the specs on most all these
meters.


Thanks for all the good info. I found a single 3478A on Tucker's
website and it was $795 so I don't think I'll be back there soon.

I wonder why tucker let me have mine for so cheap? Cheap isn't usually
their thing. When I was buying and selling a lot of surplus, I would use
5 to 10 cents on a tucker dollar as a guide for what I should bid at
DRMO auctions. Their catalogs used to be a true gem to have.

In the last wk I've seen the 3478A go for anywhere from $75 to $220 on
ebay, most are well over a hundred. I'm still waiting for another one
to come for bid at a reasonable price. Right now someone has one for
sale, but this is like his first sale, and I don't think anyone wants to
put very much money up for bid because he may be just a fraudster.

I think the odds of this guy being a fraud are reasonably large. His
presentation is very polished, and is full of contractual terms that aren't
likely to have occurred to a first time seller. I would think it is more
likely that he has sold a lot on ebay, but has changed his account name
for some reason.

If I were truly interested in this unit, I would contact him, and ask him
why the low seller number... and what was his previous id. His answer might
allow you to bid.

-Chuck

 

[Watson A.Name - \"Watt Su]

"Chuck Harris" <cf-NO-SPAM-harris@erols.com> wrote in message
news:XaadnS2pNrLC3OHfRVn-rw@rcn.net...

Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover" wrote:

You can look on Tuckers web site and find the specs on most all
these
meters.


Thanks for all the good info. I found a single 3478A on Tucker's
website and it was $795 so I don't think I'll be back there soon.

I wonder why tucker let me have mine for so cheap? Cheap isn't
usually
their thing. When I was buying and selling a lot of surplus, I would
use
5 to 10 cents on a tucker dollar as a guide for what I should bid at
DRMO auctions. Their catalogs used to be a true gem to have.


In the last wk I've seen the 3478A go for anywhere from $75 to $220
on
ebay, most are well over a hundred. I'm still waiting for another
one
to come for bid at a reasonable price. Right now someone has one
for
sale, but this is like his first sale, and I don't think anyone
wants to
put very much money up for bid because he may be just a fraudster.

I think the odds of this guy being a fraud are reasonably large. His
presentation is very polished, and is full of contractual terms that
aren't
likely to have occurred to a first time seller. I would think it is
more
likely that he has sold a lot on ebay, but has changed his account
name
for some reason.

Yeah, I hear you.

If I were truly interested in this unit, I would contact him, and ask
him
why the low seller number... and what was his previous id. His answer
might allow you to bid.

Trouble is that he could tell me 'I used to be joeblow' and if I tried
to find out anything on Ebay, I would just get a 'no longer a valid ID'
or something like that. He could've been a crook but w/o info from
Ebay, no one will know.

But he could have had previous experience on another site like Yahoo
Auction. He might be experienced, but new to Ebay. But your scenario
seems to be a lot more likely.

One othe thought. He could've been an employee of another experienced
seller and has decided to go out on his own.

One thing that I've noticed about Ebayers is that the IDs they use
seldom reflect their business or real name.

> -Chuck

 

[JW]

On Thu, 5 May 2005 21:13:12 -0700 "Watson A.Name - \"Watt Sun, the Dark
Remover\"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote in Message id:
<117lrm6i0n5mg96@corp.supernews.com>:

"JW" <none@dev.nul> wrote in message
news:45tj71d34g8k8j523tp39qus819hi4ed1c@4ax.com...
On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 18:36:08 -0700 "Watson A.Name - \"Watt Sun, the
Dark
Remover\"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote in Message id:
1178cr4831jmcea@corp.supernews.com>:

I've been checking Ebay for a HP bench DMM, good quality, at least
5-1/2
digits. I've seen the 33401A 6-1/2 digit which seems to be in the
$600
to $800 range, and the 3478A 5-1/2 digit which seems to be up to
$300.
I also see other models, some older and not so old. I had my eye on
the
33401A, but they're $1137 new, so the auction price is 2/3 the price
of
a new one, w/o calibration and usually w/o manual or accessories.
(manals on CD seem to be about ten bucks). The 33401A seems to be a
recent and common model still in demand. So I started looking at the
others, but there are several others such as the 3478A, 3468, etc.
The
3478A is a 5-1/2 digit with four-wire resistance, which is what I
want.
I'd like to know what you have, or would consider a good choice.
What
are the pros and cons, especially the cons. Should I pay for
calibration, or pay extra for a cal'd DMM? I know that some of them
have GPIB and/or RS-232, but I'm not trying to automate, at least not
yet.

If you can forgo HP, these come up for auction now and then at a good
price:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=58275&item=751359
9656&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

This one is priced ridiculously high; I've seen them to go for $100 to
$150 with GPIB. I purchased one on Ebay for $145, and I'm quite happy
with
it.

When i saw the price on the one in the URL I was kind of hoping that
they would be available for a more reasonable price. One thing I'm
concerned about is availability. If they're a lot less common than the
HPs, then I'm guessing that they might be in greater demand, and hence
command a higher average price. And then there are the manuals and
stuff. I see the manuals (on CD) for the HP 3478A going for under ten
bucks. Maybe more for the originals on paper. Are the manuals for the
PM2534 going for about the same, or do I have to pay $50 for them? I'd
really like to have them. I got the manual for my old Fluke 8600, and
when it blew a +-15V regulator chip, I was really glad to have the
manual and be prepared.

I had the same concern when I bought my PM2534, but at that price I
couldn't resist. Anyways, after getting the meter I posted that I was
looking for one, and a kind soul scanned and emailed me one within a few
days. It didn't come with a four wire probe but the service/operators
manual showed the pinouts, so I was able to build my own. If you do end up
getting one, shoot me an email and I'll send it to you. It even has the
schematics. My email address is jwalling at comarkcorp dot com.

I also saw a few models of Keithley DMMs I thought might also be good
choices. I'm wondering why the two names Philips and Fluke are
associated. I'm guessing that since Philips is sucn a huge
international organization, that they're actually the manufacturer, and
Fluke markets them in the U.S. and possibly calibrates and services
them, possibly for the whole world. Fluke is an older, well respected
org, but nowhere near as big as HP or Philips.

IIRC, I think they collaborated for a few years back in the 80's. The
sticker on the top reads "Fluke and Philips the T&M alliance".

 

[Bob Parnass]

On Fri, 06 May 2005 07:46:02 -0400, Chuck Harris wrote:

My only regret is I forgot that the HP3478A has a reduced measurement
range. It is only 300V full scale! Why did they do that?

That's one of the main things I didn't like about my HP3478As.
I found the (relatively) small LCD display difficult to see.

My favorite bench meter is the Fluke 8506A, followed by
the HP3456A. They are full rack width instruments, but
the bright red LED displays make them way easier to see
than the HP3478A. The Fluke 8506A's super large LEDs
are especially easy to see.

I confess to using a handheld Fluke 87 III more than
any of them. It does what I need, has large LCD digits,
and its small size lets me use it anywhere. If I could
keep only one DMM, it would this one.

--
=========================================================================
Bob Parnass, AJ9S GNU/Linux User http://parnass.com

 

[Gary Schafer]

On Sun, 08 May 2005 11:51:09 GMT, Bob Parnass
<not-for-mail@fake.invalid> wrote:

On Fri, 06 May 2005 07:46:02 -0400, Chuck Harris wrote:


My only regret is I forgot that the HP3478A has a reduced measurement
range. It is only 300V full scale! Why did they do that?

That's one of the main things I didn't like about my HP3478As.
I found the (relatively) small LCD display difficult to see.

My favorite bench meter is the Fluke 8506A, followed by
the HP3456A. They are full rack width instruments, but
the bright red LED displays make them way easier to see
than the HP3478A. The Fluke 8506A's super large LEDs
are especially easy to see.

I confess to using a handheld Fluke 87 III more than
any of them. It does what I need, has large LCD digits,
and its small size lets me use it anywhere. If I could
keep only one DMM, it would this one.

I am like you Bob, I have a Fluke 87 lll that I use most of the time
too. Very handy and dependable. When I need higher accuracy I fire up
the HP 3456A. Setting power supplies in test equipment or calibrating
other meters etc. It has some nice math functions that are handy
sometimes too. Another thing that is nice abut the 3456A that people
don't think about too often is the input impedance. It has 10 to the
10th input resistance through the 10 volt range.

The Fluke 87 lll and similar meters are 10 meg ohm input resistance on
all ranges.
The high input resistance on the 3456A and those type meters are handy
some times. I have a Fluke voltage reference that requires a high
input meter in order to read it. Or you other wise must use another
reference and a null meter. Most references can not be read with a 10
megohm meter.

The ohm meter on the 3456A will read to 1 gig ohm. Handy sometimes.

Warm-up drift is excellent on the 3456A.

73
Gary K4FMX

 

[Jim Adney]

If you really want 5-1/2 digits, I have some 34650s which are that
wide, but they are more expensive and don't have the frequency counter
capability. They also consist of a display and your choice of plugons.

How about these? They are available with a variety of VOM plugons with
various capabilities. I haven't sold one of these before, but I have
them all fixed up and calibrated. They are old, but they seem to work
quite well once I get the bugs out.

The price would depend on the plugon that you wanted with it. What
kind of measuring capabilities are you after?

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

 

[Watson A.Name - \"Watt Su]

"Chuck Harris" <cf-NO-SPAM-harris@erols.com> wrote in message
news:XaadnS2pNrLC3OHfRVn-rw@rcn.net...

Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover" wrote:

You can look on Tuckers web site and find the specs on most all
these
meters.


Thanks for all the good info. I found a single 3478A on Tucker's
website and it was $795 so I don't think I'll be back there soon.

I wonder why tucker let me have mine for so cheap? Cheap isn't
usually
their thing. When I was buying and selling a lot of surplus, I would
use
5 to 10 cents on a tucker dollar as a guide for what I should bid at
DRMO auctions. Their catalogs used to be a true gem to have.


In the last wk I've seen the 3478A go for anywhere from $75 to $220
on
ebay, most are well over a hundred. I'm still waiting for another
one
to come for bid at a reasonable price. Right now someone has one
for
sale, but this is like his first sale, and I don't think anyone
wants to
put very much money up for bid because he may be just a fraudster.

I think the odds of this guy being a fraud are reasonably large. His
presentation is very polished, and is full of contractual terms that
aren't
likely to have occurred to a first time seller. I would think it is
more
likely that he has sold a lot on ebay, but has changed his account
name
for some reason.

If I were truly interested in this unit, I would contact him, and ask
him
why the low seller number... and what was his previous id. His answer
might
allow you to bid.

-Chuck

Well, a few minutes before it ended, I bid on a HP 3478A DMM, and no one
else bid on it, so I won, for $75.00. It's from Teoutlet, which is
Tucker. I gotta wait for them to contact me for some reason, because
they have to charge me for sales tax because I live in Calif. It's
something less than six bucks, With shipping, it'll come to somewhat
under a hundred. At that price, I could buy another and have a spare.
;-)

So now I gotta get some manuals, and I'd really like some 4-wire test
probes. I've never seen them, but knowing HP and the likes, a new set
will probably cost a lot.

But here's the question I hinted at a while back, that I was gonna ask.
I think I might've run across something like this when I did a search
for Keithley stuff on Ebay. What I wonder is how do I automate a test
jig. I took a double pole, 6 position rotary switch and mounted it and
some terminal strips to a piece of wood. I can then connect my DMM to
the wipers, so I can then run wires to the different test points on the
jig and then just turn the rotary switch to whatever place I want to
measure. I would guess that there is something similar, but all
electronic from somewhere. I don't remember ever seeing anything like
it from HP or Fluke. I think Keithley may have something like it, tho.
A bunch of relays with driver transistors could be connected to a
parallel port and controlled by a program on a PC.