[time-nuts] HP 8642a Fan Fixed

[Doug Millar]

         My saga about the dead fan in the 8642a sig gen.
         I am stunned. I did a little more checking and observation 
of the area around the fan.. The fan had quit and is buried in 
between power supplies and looks impossible to dig out. Glad I 
didn't. On the back there is a cover that goes over an alignment 
board accessory. I took that off and found another screwed on panel 
that connects to  basically an assembly that slides out with the fan 
on it! There was even a plug on the end of the DC wire. I was stunned 
that the HP engineers had thought, "what happens if the fan goes 
out?" and provided an easy way to replace it. Took the fan down to 
the local parts place, plunked down $12 and came home happy. Fan is 
in and humming away. Signal generator is back on line with a new 
lease on life and its owner with a new respect for HP engineering. I 
have never seen a slide out drawer for the fan in another piece of 
test gear. ever.
          BTW the FOUR volume schematic repair manual set goes for 
about $400. That would have been an expensive fan!
         There concludes the tale.
                 Doug Millar
                 Should we be considered "certified" time nuts? or 
just "certifiable"?