[PSDR] New test equipment has arrived!

[Bart Kus]

The device on top is the HP 8672A and it seems to be fully functional.  
It can generate signals from 2GHz - 18.5GHz, with power levels from 
-120dBm to +10dBm, and with AM or FM applied.  It's fully GPIB 
controllable.  Here you can see it sending a 0dBm signal @ 18GHz into 
the top spectrum analyzer.  Anyone up for a 10GHz QSO? ;)

Speaking of the top specan, the face is now reconstructed and working 
well!  The main dial knob is not working yet, needs a #683 light bulb 
replaced.  A pack of 10 is in the mail.  The display section of the top 
specan is also buggered up.  Any RES BW < 3kHz has severe attenuation.  
I'll have to inspect the filters in there and figure it out.

The bottom specan's only remaining problem is a dim/fuzzy display. 
There's apparently a fix for this.  Last night I also thought the high 
range (2-22GHz) of the bottom specan was screwed up since it was showing 
signal levels 25dB down from what the calibrated power sensors were 
reporting.  Turns out nothing was broken, just the YIG tuned mixer was 
misaligned and needed to be corrected (there's a digital correction 
table inside the instrument).  When I pulled the memory board out of the 
bottom unit to help troubleshoot the top unit I cleared all that 
calibration data.

All of these need to be calibrated/performance tuned still.  I have a 
replacement atomic frequency reference on the way since the one that 
arrived last week is broken.  Took 15 minutes of heating time before it 
achieved signal lock.  And then it only locked for about 60 seconds, 
never to return.  The other parts missing for calibration are extension 
boards (custom bus extender PCBs for these model specans) and an active 
probe.  I think I have everything else to perform a good cal.

Ever onward,

--Bart


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