VHS Equipment Review Project - Part Three

Hi all,

Here is another list of equipment for review.

As has been discussed elsewhere, the motivation is to clear VHS of long unused equipment in preparation for a possible move to a new space as our lease expires in March.

As before, here are the objectives:

  • 7 days for review
  • Pick an item
  • If you know about it, let people know
  • Express your opinion on Keep, Bin, Sell or claim it
  • Equipment that is retired by the community should leave VHS completely on the 7th day.
  • Members who chose to “adopt” retired equipment are responsible for its removal and ultimate disposal. If it is present on the 7th day, it will be donated to freegeek.

The List:

  • Yamaha Professional Series Power Amplifier PC 5002M

  • Hewlett Packard 16700A Logic Analysis System

  • Four partly cannibalized PC Towers

  • Unknown Equipment Case, empty

  • Heathkit Sine-Square Audio Generator - Model IG-5218

  • GW instek Function Generator GFG-8216

  • Hewlett Packard 16500DC Logic Analysis System

  • Hewlett Packard OmniBER 717 (Failed Self Test)

  • Hewlett Packard 1630D Logic Analyzer

  • Hewlett Packard 8591A Spectrum Analyzer 9kHz - 1.8 GHz

  • Donated 3D Printer - shattered bed

As before, I’ve posted a list in the wiki with pictures, here: area:retirement [Vancouver Hack Space]

4 Likes

The GW Instek Function Generator is the only item above that I’d like to see us keep.

The Heathkit audio generator I expect is made fully redundant by the GW device.

Our Rigol scope removes the need for pretty much all the HP equipment IMO, and if we really want a dedicated LA we can invest in a much more useful Salae Logic instead (or an open source equivalent + Sigrok).

The Yamaha PA doesn’t seem like something VHS needs to have around? I’m no audio person, but just don’t know what we’d need it for (like actually need, that justifies a 61kg piece of dedicated equipment).

2 Likes

I’ll adopt the Heathkit Sine-Square Audio Generator - Model IG-5218…
If that is the correct process…

2 Likes

I agree on keeping the function generator, we do need one good one.

Also agree on getting rid of all the logic analysers - Modern technology has surpassed them cheaply, and our Rigol is likely better than either of the 80s monstrosities we have.

I believe one of them might have been owned by @LoialOtter - Please consider picking it up, if you want it! Even better, just come to VHS whenever you need a logic analyser and use our Rigol! I think I was the last person to use any of the big ones we have, maybe 2 years ago (and spurred on the crowd funding of our scope)

3 Likes

Question on the 3d printer; is that the one that was created from mine (the Prusa Air)? If it is, I’d like to claim the major components if it is no longer serving a purpose; if not ignore this.

2 Likes

How do we feel about this? On one hand I feel we should have one good spectrum analyzer around. On the other hand the 1.8Ghz upper limit is quite limiting for anything to do with wifi or bluetooth.

But since we don’t have a better one, I vote we keep it. I have some upcoming LoRaWAN projects (915Mhz) and would like to try this out, especially after watching this recent video.

VHS doesn’t need this, but it’s probably worth a few hundred dollars. I’ll volunteer to put it on craigslist (after the one week discussion period for this thread). Whatever I can get for it will go to Donatio.

4 Likes

@mike the middle working printer is the one made from your Prusa Air

1 Like

I will look after the donated 3D printer, unless @mike wants it

1 Like

@lukecyca

This power amp is listed for at least a couple of thousand on two sites.

$2,200 at Canuck Audio Mart

And

$3,000 Ebay Listing This is for a pair for parts. So $1500 for one for parts i.e. not functioning

If we do get that kind of money I think funds from the sale of this item should go to directly purchasing a piece of equipment.

3 Likes

All yours. I only wanted it if my donation was entirely unused; glad to hear that it is working.

2 Likes

I will look at the 4 cannibalized towers and mule them out with the monitors for our refurbishment program. What we can’t use from them, will properly dispose of them.

3 Likes

@wander someone please sell the spectrum analyser rather than recycle it, has value on eBay etc.

1 Like

Let’s keep the following:
(1) Spectrum Analyzer (Ham and RF Workhorse): used in May 2017.
(2) Yamaha Professional Series Power Amplifier PC 5002M: should keep it, else sell to highest bidder
(3) GW instek Function Generator GFG-8216: used in Dec 2017
(4) Hewlett Packard 16700A Logic Analysis System: volunteer to adopt if working, else will keep HP 16500DC
(5) Hewlett Packard OmniBER 717: disassemble, hack, or give away.

If someone has used any of the above pieces of equipment, please put when you used it last (approximate) or when you are planning to use it.
Thanks!

@Rebel_without_Clause has indicated to me that he would like to hack the donated 3d printer with different print heads. I don’t have an issue with this. Unless someone really thinks it should stay as a PLA/ABS/Nylon printer I say go for it.

1 Like

Thank you @SteveRoy!
Anyone who has hacked 3D printers previously (custom pottery/ceramic print heads, etc. or printhead positioning), please share your experiences, Thank you!

Also please share your pottery-ceramics experience, Thanks!

Do we want to see if we can fix one of the towers as a hot spare for the laser cutter/others?
(The other option is that we buy something new from Freegeek.)

It would be better to ask that question as a separate topic.

Would it be possible to tag and set aside unwanted items for my proposed yard sale? It’d would be nice to have a couple of high value items.

2 Likes

Okay, here is the list as it stands:

Yamaha Professional Series Power Amplifier PC 5002M Sell (lukecyca)
Hewlett Packard 16700A Logic Analysis System Retire (Rebel_without_Clause)
Four partly cannibalized PC Towers Retire (chadleaman)
Unknown Equipment Case, empty Retire
Heathkit Sine-Square Audio Generator - Model IG-5218 Retire (packetbob)
GW instek Function Generator GFG-8216 Keep
Hewlett Packard 16500DC Logic Analysis System Retire
Hewlett Packard OmniBER 717 (Failed Self Test) Retire
Hewlett Packard 1630D Logic Analyzer Retire
Hewlett Packard 8591A Spectrum Analyzer 9kHz - 1.8 GHz Keep
Donated 3D Printer - shattered bed Retire (Rebel_without_Clause)

Here is the bargain I am making as the member do-ocrating this event:
If any of the retired equipment is still in VHS when the run to freegeek happens on the 7th day (this Saturday), it is going to freegeek.

I’m also going to ask folks who are championing the equipment to think seriously about it. Are we committing to testing, documenting and making use of it? Or is it going to sit on the shelf?

Folks who have already championed equipment:

Vetted Equipment

Voltbox AC Power Supply
Champions: @lukecyca, @rsim , @Jarrett

PowerBright VC-750W Step Up & Down Transformer
Champions: @lukecyca, @rsim , @Jarrett

Oscillator Model K8202 400V AC Power Supply
Champions: @lukecyca, @rsim , @Jarrett

2 Likes