[time-nuts] Bad batch of HP10811's

[Greg Burnett]

As can be seen in the seller's pictures, those oscillators did not have HP's
final model/serial number label. As such they would never have left the
Santa Clara factory through normal marketing channels. Instead they were
likely purchased at a HP (or Agilent) employee scrap auction or part of a
scrap lot sold to dealers.

It used to be that such scrap was either destroyed or sold strictly for
employee-only personal use, not to be introduced to the outside market,
because HP didn't want inferior/non-standard product introduced to the
outside world, for obvious and good reasons.

But beginning about 10 years ago, HP began dumping scrap to outside dealers
without regard for the above policy. I once saw some poor fellow pay $2200
for a HP prototype 3580A at a HP/DoveBid auction -- it never dawned on him
that he was buying something sub-production. That particular unit was very
"proto-trappy" inside, not anything like a production unit, and frankly
worth maybe $40. I felt very sorry for him, but there was nothing I could do
after the fact.

Buyer beware! Look carefully for signs of pre-production or non-production
stuff and bid accordingly.

Best, Greg

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick Karlquist" <richard at karlquist.com>
To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement"
<time-nuts at febo.com>
Cc: <time-nuts at febo.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 4:40 PM
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Bad batch of HP10811's


The one that is 80 Hz low sounds like it may have a cold oven.
The one that is 500 Hz low must be one of the special units
made to test short term stability by having a 500 Hz beat
note.  I don't see any way a bad crystal would ever leave the
factory, and I have never heard of a crystal going bad in the
field.

Rick Karlquist N6RK


Mark Amos wrote:
> Time-nuts,
>
> Seems like a bad batch of HP10811's was dumped on e-bay over the
> holidays...  Some (at least
> 2) won't tune up to 10MHz: one won't adjust above 9,999,530 and the other
> peaks around
> 9,999,920 after warming up for a day or so.  It seems to stay on frequency
> (albeit the wrong
> one...)
>
> I did some preliminary checks (internal reference voltages, OK, etc.)  I'm
> thinking that it
> must be a bad crystal to be this far off.
>
> C'est une cause perdue? (I.e. did I buy a "parts" unit?)
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> time-nuts mailing list
> time-nuts at febo.com
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>
>



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