Wavetek Model 801 50 MHz Pulse Generator: Testing vs. Scrapping - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Dumpsterholic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2023, 05:16:07 pm
content: Hi all:Just brought home this piece of late 1970's test equipment. Owner was asking $10 for it, along with BNC cables, fancy oscilloscope probes, power cord and user manual. It was last calibrated in 1999, and so far all I have done is to check if the power-indicator LED lit up, which it did.Now, my question is: Can anybody recommend a simple "go/no-go" test I could do? The manual was written for people who know what they're doing (which I don't), and includes a long list of calibration/test procedures which I don't really understand either....I do have an oscilloscope, and was tempted to just hook up a BNC cable from one the 801'ssix different outputsto one of the 'scope's inputs and see if I get a readout. But it occurred to me that I don't really know how to set up my Rigol 1054Z properly for this task, and thatbad stuffcould happen if I did something stupid. Any ideas?And also, assuming the thing is kaput, might there be any useful parts inside that would be worth salvaging? The owner ended up not even accepting my ten spondulicks, so it's all upside to me. Thanks for reading.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2023, 05:20:44 pm
content: I'd probably want to try and do some basic safety checks, check fuses, mains cables etc.However, bad things are highly unlikely to happen and a pulse generator is a pretty good way to learn about how to use a 'scope!

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2023, 07:27:31 pm
content: just start with the basics if you have ithttps://neurophysics.ucsd.edu/Manuals/Wavetek/Wavetek%20Model%20801%2050MHz%20Pulse%20Generator.pdfand lucky you you have an auto setup on the scope ...just power up the generator, if no smoke lollOutput an continuous pulse of 60hz at say 1 or 2v pk pk and check with an simple meter if you see some voltageif so use the scopefor the scope you have basics on youtube how to use them

author: Dumpsterholic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2023, 10:22:51 pm
content: Quote from: CJay on October 25, 2023, 05:20:44 pmPrecisely. For non-technical types, oscilloscopes can be rather daunting to understand and use. Ditto for function/signal/pulse generators. I do read textbooks on electronics (even user manuals for equipment I own!), and have watched many YouTube videos, but my mind just doesn't seem to catch on. It's kind of a chicken-and-the-egg, Catch-22 situation for people like me.

author: Dumpsterholic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2023, 10:32:50 pm
content: Quote from: coromonadalix on October 25, 2023, 07:27:31 pmThisis the kind of idiot-simple advice I was looking for. The people who wrote the user manual wouldn't provide suggestions like this; if they did, most of their users would probably feel insulted, as if they were being talked down to. But I'm not like most users....

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2023, 10:55:53 pm
content: If you can access an oscilloscope, just set the trigger to "auto" and set the pulse generator to a reasonable frequency and a pulse width at, say, 1/4 of the pulse period (1/frequency).You should be able to find the waveform on the scope by trial and error with the "time/div" horizontal control, followed by trial and error on the "volts/div" vertical control.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2023, 03:49:47 am
content: Quote from: Dumpsterholic on October 25, 2023, 10:32:50 pmeh be generous to tell us you knowledge / experiences before asking things on a forum ...and be respectful... if you are afraid of bad stuff happening as you wrote, ask professional people here as you did, and be warned that you may receive some unwanted answers, or go elsewhereyou posted in the "begginner section"If you are afraid to blow things, dont buy used stuff , "go no go tests" are not always the easiests to explain hereIf you know some DMM and or Scope basics, its almost impossible to blow them BTW do your own readings as you say ... still you have tons of youtube videos / tutorials onceagainand sometimes an user manual do provide some insights of how you can do some tests / verifications and how to output signalspipsqueak

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2023, 06:16:26 pm
content: Quote from: Dumpsterholic on October 25, 2023, 10:22:51 pmAgreed, the very best way to learn most things is to do it and no amount of YT vids will give you the experience of having messed about with stuff for yourself.Doesn't have to be productive, just play and watch what happens.You'll catch on pretty quickly.The only problem is that the more you learn, the more you realise there's so much you need to learn