Agilent Gear Rocks - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: GAD
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 08:16:51 am
content: I'm sure this is not news to anyone here, but I just had to share some recent experiences.I've used a Fluke 175 handheld meter for 10 years and love it. I decided to build a proper electronics lab at home and decided to buy a Siglent SDM3055 bench multimeter.I hated it, and returned it.I then got a Fluke 8808a from eBay.It doesn't work. Grumble. I love the dual display, but it just doesn't work.I finally said "f-it" and bought an Agilent 34401A and I could not be more thrilled with it. I also bought an Agilent 33120A that I love as well. The menus don't bother me at all, probably because I spent far too much time with gear that behaved that way back in the '80s and '90s. Both units just exude quality and work better than I could have hoped. Documentation is excellent and available and they just freaking work.These are on my desk right now:In fact, I was so blown away by these two that I also bought one of these:Somebody stop me before I buy again!

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 08:41:22 am
content: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/search2/?params=eJwtjksOgzAMRK9SddPNLGKb77InQZBYgooSFGirSjl8TcXO8_xkTx_e_eI15FumfM1DOiZGBS5BBHEQgRRgBxIwgwpQC2pAFcicGkJgMxktzKvBDWqQAwtsU0FQgls0dn4b46fz8bnOuqs9OtBreKjfu7jM35PEtHdhSpaCbv4klpLO-m97IO2THw1KUTi6X5Ku_ZR-8-c-0A..Good luck, there seems to be many threads on their repair.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 12:11:44 pm
content: Congratulations and welcome to the "Agilent" clubOne of the beauties is that these instruments can be repaired if needed but usually they just don't fail and stay within calibration for a long time.Once in a while you find the new generation bumpers on ebay as well, making your instruments look like they are new.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 12:48:42 pm
content: Quote from: GAD on January 14, 2016, 08:16:51 amMade the same experience just with AWGs instead of DVMs. Had Siglent (SDG1020) and then Rigol (DG1062z), and both pretty much sucked. I also had two Siglent scopes (SDG1102CNL, later SDS2204). I always ended up going back to the big brands. The AWG is now a Keysight 33522B, and the Siglent 2204 has been replaced with a R&S RTM1054.Agilent/Keysight makes great gear, and will most likely last you for at least a decade (even a lot of the original stuff HP made is still working). They're pretty much my to-go manufacturer for everything T&M except mid-range/high-end scopes (where LeCroy is very hard to beat) and spectrum analyzers/RF generators (where I prefer R&S as it often performs a bit better).It will be also take a very long time before I can be convinced to invest any money in gear from Chinese B-brands again.

author: generic_username
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 01:47:19 pm
content: wow did you buy it used from ebay or brand new, if later I think you spent quite a fortune on it?I really like the stuff HP/Agilent/keysight make as at work we still have some HP Equipment that does a great Job and is over 20years old.

author: Len
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 04:58:15 pm
content: Quote from: generic_username on January 14, 2016, 01:47:19 pmNothing that says "Agilent" on it is brand new.

author: TheSteve
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 07:54:26 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on January 14, 2016, 08:41:22 amEasy now - with posts that like we might start to all think you're biased or something

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 08:05:02 pm
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on January 14, 2016, 12:48:42 pmJust wondering where the Siglent 2204 went... Is it now strapped to the front of a garbage truck next to a pink teddy bear?I second the topic title though. A while ago I overloaded one of my HP6012A power supplies by more than 30% repeatedly but it didn't break a sweat!

author: ConKbot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 10:49:16 pm
content: You might wanna buy a replacement encoder to keep on standby for that 3631 power supplyWe got tons of them at work where the encoder shit the bed, and its damn near impossible to adjust them. Goes up when you want it to go down, etc.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2016, 06:15:44 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 14, 2016, 08:05:02 pmWell, it was scheduled to be part of an art installation but it seems it has developed some startup issues, so the currentownersufferer is currently trying to figure out what went wrong. He said if he can't get it to work he'll just remove the innards and install the guts of an Chinese "tablet TV" he's laying around, and turn it into a portable "Scope TV"

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 15, 2016, 06:46:34 am
content: I am also a bit of an HP fan, esp some of the slightly older gear that doesn't have too many ASICs and they actually released the schematic. I think there are a huge number of 33401s out there and some are quite aged so stuff will break down, some of the caps and zeners have gone but there is a lot of help if needed.Re new gear , a recent purchase AC6802A came with a Keysight label on the front but the boot up screen said Agilent. On a slightly older bit of gear 33461, the front says Agilent but after a software update the boot screen says Keysight!!!! I like the abbreviation HPAK

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2016, 10:07:26 am
content: Quote from: Wuerstchenhund on January 15, 2016, 06:15:44 amHe could send it to Dave for a teardown...

author: macboy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2016, 02:01:04 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on January 14, 2016, 08:41:22 amBiased much?The 34401A is the single most popular bench multimeter ever. I'd hazard to guess that they've sold millions in the 20+ years they have been on the market. The numerous threads on repair attest to the popularity and the repairability of the instrument, and they are a treasure trove of reference material.

author: Wuerstchenhund
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2016, 04:47:01 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 15, 2016, 10:07:26 amUnlikely, since the current owner isn't exactly a fan of Dave

author: Melt-O-Tronic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2016, 07:23:02 pm
content: Well they were unhelpful douchebags when I tried to order a replacement through-hole fuse for my 66309D. After a few phone calls and some emails back and forth, I finally gave up and found it elsewhere. Essentially, since they didn't already have me on record as having bought gear from them (I got the 66309D on eBay), I was dog shit to them.Maybe my tiny order wasn't worth their while. When shopping for a new scope later, I really wanted a DSOX3000 series, but I just couldn't get past that infuriating experience.I'm sure that will raise some hackles here, but that was my experience.

author: macboy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2016, 12:55:14 am
content: Quote from: Melt-O-Tronic on January 16, 2016, 07:23:02 pmI got my hands on some 2nd-hand E3620A power supplies. It turns out there is a service bulletin for them concerning cracks caps on some front panel buttons, and my units were affected. Dropped them a line, exchanged some details (serial numbers, shipping address, etc.), and I had replacements delivered by FedEx the next day. No charge. That was my one experience with their service.

author: LAOS_15
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 17, 2016, 03:56:25 pm
content: I am new to this blog but I have frequently used agilent and BK precision equipment as a grad students and researcher at a few colleges. In general, dealing with agilent's support has been mostly positive but every once in a while its not as it should be. The later seems to occur when the service is a big issue or a really old piece of equipment that they have to do more work on.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2016, 05:46:06 pm
content: In Germany, Keysight is only selling replacement parts to businesses and not to private people.My experience with Agilent / Keysight has been very positive, even when I needed parts for older equipment.Even if a part was no longer available, they made it happen.And when one of my 34461A displays ended up with a big scratch on the polycarbonate display cover, the first response was that the display cover was not available as a replacement part. After I told them that this was not acceptable to me, they just made it available as a replacement part and I got it in a few days.

author: Melt-O-Tronic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2016, 05:02:00 am
content: That reminds me; one of the never-ending string of excuses for not selling to me was that my address is not commercial. Uhhhh, I work from home. So that makes me unworthy? This was for a fuse.They easily spent 100 times the cost of the fuse in labor over 2 weeks trying to make certain that I was thoroughly disgusted with Keysight.

author: TheSteve
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 20, 2016, 05:39:31 am
content: I did a warranty claim with Keysight and it seemed a little odd they had to "verify" my address but it went without an issue even though it was my home address. No idea what they verified...