[ARC5] Minimum test equipment

[J. Forster]

The 8601A was designed in the late 60s, I think. If it uses IC's, they
would be SSI. I don't think the unit has any PLLs. Most likely it is a
fixed and variable oscillator being mixed and then a LPF. I'm sure the
book is available on-line. Check the block diagram.

-John

===============


> John -
> Yes you are correct  my beef is that it is "modern" technology  and I
> would think that  it would be able to lock in on the 1Khz step
> increments, with the adjustment thumb wheel.  In particular trying to
> hit 915Khz is a pain on the low end, amazingly the high end anything >=
> 10, of both the low and high bands I can adjust and hit 1Khz.  Yes it
> does drift,  I should have been more descriptive on my observations.
>
> Hutch
>
> On 2/21/2012 5:56 PM, J. Forster wrote:
>> Errrr....  The HP 8601A is a Sweep Generator, not a Signal Generator. It
>> is designed to be the source for the 8407A Vector NMetwork Analyzer. IMP
>> it's a nice little generator.
>>
>> However, stability of all Sweep Generators in poor. The only exception
>> is
>> the step-sweep synthesizers.
>>
>> -John
>>
>> ===============
>>
>>
>>> All -
>>>
>>> Ditto !  Very stable instruments - they make the HP8601A's look bad,  I
>>> have 2 HP8601A's in working condition and the the (LM-13's and the
>>> BC-221-AK's) 2 each are by far more stable even on the low end.   The
>>> HP's drift all over the place;  I set the FREQ MTRS to calibrate
>>> setting, can hardly get the HP8601A's output signal to lock on to the
>>> cal signals and Zero beat.
>>>
>>> Hutch
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2/21/2012 11:19 AM, Kenneth G. Gordon wrote:
>>>> As John said, a BC-221 and a good VOM are a good starting point.
>>>>
>>>> I have two BC-221-AKs and use them routinely to align receivers by
>>>> setting
>>>> one at the top end and one at the bottom end of the band I am
>>>> aligning.
>>>>
>>>> One interesting thing about the BC-221: they were designed over 70
>>>> years
>>>> ago, and are STILL valuable and useful to this day. There are always
>>>> several
>>>> for sale on eBay at prices ranging from the totally ridiculously high
>>>> to
>>>> amazingly low. The three versions which include modulation are the
>>>> most
>>>> useful of the many models. These include (if I remember correctly) the
>>>> AK,
>>>> AL, and AM models.
>>>>
>>>> ALL LMs include modulation, and those usually sell on eBay for even
>>>> less
>>>> than the '221 since many sellers don't know what they are.
>>>>
>>>> Yet, IMHO, a decent scope is possibly the very best tool any
>>>> electronic
>>>> shop
>>>> could have.
>>>>
>>>> And for alignment of receivers, a sweep generator is indispensible.
>>>>
>>>> Ken W7EKB
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>>
>
>