Electronics Lab

Here's short video of the VTA component testing lab, showing some vintage HP test equipment.

Devices shown:

HP 5245L counter
HP 5326A counter
HP 8016A word generator
HP 8010A pulse generator
HP 410B VTVM
HP 415D SWR meter
HP 1607A logic state analyzer
HP 4955A protocol analyzer
HP 6202B DC power supply
HP 130C oscilloscope
Eico 955 in-circuit capacitance tester
Global Specialties PB-503 Proto-Board

The stuff on the scope display is a binary value readout being fed to it XY-style from the 1607A. Clearly I forgot to adjust the horizontal scale before I shot the video. The 5245L is counting clock pulses from the 8016A, and the 5326A is just running in test mode. There's also a very nice Data I/O 29B EPROM programmer with the GangPak 8-chip batch module, hidden in the shadows next to the word generator. The clear media boxes on the shelf are full of tubes...dekatrons, beam switching tubes, argon lasers, klystrons, no boring radio tube chaff.

Unfortunately, the coolest equipment in the room isn't shown in the video. There are two HP minicomputers on the shelf beneath the 4955A: a 2114B and a 21MX-M series (2108B to be specific).

With a few exceptions, the equipment in my lab was manufactured between about 1955 and 1975. Older stuff won't do what I need it to do, and the newer stuff is definitely not of the same apocalypse-rated construction as the vintage models. Vintage HP is truly the pinnacle of the lost art of electronics, immaculately engineered both inside and out. HP printed circuit boards are things of beauty.

The HP of the Cold War era is now long gone, torn apart and mutated into little more than a glorified inkjet cartridge distributor. The zombified, telecom-saturated husk of the HP test equipment division lives on as Agilent, but equipment of this caliber will never be built again.

Visit our website at http://www.decadecounter.com/

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Hewlett
• Packard
• HP
• test
• equipment
• meter
• counter
• oscilloscope
• analyzer
• electronics
• nixie
• tube

[pacsman2008]

Hi what is the Digital Lab I used it in High School in 1977???

[hp2114b]

Are you talking about the breadboard console sitting on the desk? It's a Global Specialties PB-503 Proto-Board. They can still be bought new for about $300-$350.

[spinaltap211]

If you have it, could you please make a video for the EICO 955 manual? i inherited one from my grandfather, and he kept the manual to every other thing he bought except for this.

[ArtyFart]

cool

[paliver]

I need the service manual or at least the schematics of a HP5326B (the A or C would help also i think)...

Thanks!

[Diametrac]

Great collection of electronics. I assume you get a lot of fun out of it.

Thank you for posting!

[ObiTrev]

You seem to be an advent collector of old electronic equipment. So I ask you this. Where would you sugest I find a good quality "Fishers" Record player with tape deck and radio tuner. My Grandmother had one, and sold it, so now I can't play the records my father gave me. I would greatly appreciate it, but if there is a better choice then that will be much ablidged.

[jaa93997]

vintage

[whoisondrugs]

Sweet!