Repairable? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2013, 03:15:11 am
content: What do you think of this HP 3312A fixer upper?http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-3312A-Function-Generator-/151151970539?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23315c08ebApparently no mod and will not switch modes.

author: Seg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2013, 03:36:14 am
content: http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/test-equipment-pr0n-the-hp-3312a/Vintage HP, discrete components, service manual online. You probably won't find an easier, more beautiful piece of equipment to fix...

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2013, 04:07:24 am
content: HP 200's are more of a joy to fix, so long as the bulbs are not burnt out. They rarely die of natural causes. Good luck!

author: amc184
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2013, 04:36:34 am
content: Yeah, it probably will be. It's got a really good service manual, it's beautifully built and it's nice to service (I've got one myself that I've replaced a few things in). There are a few things that would be very hard to replace directly, like the canned transistor packs, but it should be mostly okay.The problem I see though is the price, USD75 isn't cheap enough for a broken one, I think I remember paying about USD125 for mine not so long ago, you could probably get a working one for around USD100 if you're really patient.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2013, 10:33:22 am
content: If you're not dead set on an HP, this one looks like a pretty good deal to me:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Function-generator-Beckman-Industrial-FG2A-2MHz-Brand-New-w-Operators-Manual-/141107952905?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20dab07d09

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 07, 2013, 10:50:58 am
content: Couldn't find a service manual in the few seconds I spent on Google, is one available? The price is lower, but the build quality and specs (in working condition) are worse. 2 MHz vs. 12 MHz, for starters.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2013, 10:56:20 am
content: Quote from: alm on November 07, 2013, 10:50:58 amAh, I missed that the HP was 12MHz.

author: madshaman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2013, 11:11:50 am
content: I've dealt with this seller; decently reliable. Too bad there's no best offer as I'd offer $50-65.Thing with eBay is that if you're patient enough, what you want will come along at the right price.

author: Dawn
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2013, 06:18:20 pm
content: OK for the price if that's where it stayed. That gen under the Beckman name is early 90's the latest and made by Goodwill now GW telcom/Instek. It's just a rebrand of the 30xx series that they dispensed the reduction drive and added a 35/50mhz mhz counter to as the 3016D and then proceeded to add a sawtooth generator and a few other things to them. The older ones, like their Korean clones suffer from a very delicate reduction drive that one bump and the pot unswages from the the shaft collar. Try and get a replacement even back then from any OEM that rebranded from BK to Elenco in the states. It's based on a decent, but very old opamp design that has to be periodically aligned. Stay clear of the Korean versions (& Chinese Knockoffs) that tried to push the limits on the gen to 10mhz where it barely makes it to 8 and with a very distorted waveform. These have pretty poor amplitude leveling over 1 mhz, but with a scope and distortion analyzer can be adjusted to pretty impressive performance regarding sine wave distortion or square wave symmetry every few years. Decent performers if you're not needing something with demanding specs. The counter versions are a pain too. 10 second gate time for most ranges and the leveling causes dropouts depending on the sensitivity of the counter. I have had an Elenco branded GFG-3016D for about 25 years from Taiwan and it's been a good performer, but I wouldn't give more the 25-30 USD for a working one. Save your money for either something of quality or one of the DDS models.Quote from: Stonent on November 07, 2013, 10:33:22 am

author: Mr Simpleton
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 07, 2013, 08:44:46 pm
content: This brought back some memories... I fixed one at the office!It was the MOV just across the mains input. Two swift cuts, MOV out of the way... and I think it's still in use today

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2013, 03:26:55 am
content: What about the 3324A are those any good? I am still deciding on a function gen since I decided to to get arb with my DS1074Z