Off-topic, but interesting (Fiorina fired)

[Scott Stevens]

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 23:33:38 +0000 (GMT)
ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote:

> > 
> > In message <m1Cz13b-000IxwC at p850ug1>
> >           ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote:
> > 
> > > But will the replacement be any better? I doubt very much HP will
> > > go back to being a top-class test equipment company who make very
> > > nice computers (and claculators) to use with said test equipment.
> > 
> > I don't even think Tek are as good as they were.. service manual
> > availability for the newer (TDS series) scopes is apparently
> > basically nil, and repairs
> 
> Agreed. The old Tekky manuals were excellent...
> 
> I can remember when even a radio came with a schematic tucked inside
> (OK, I rememebr good radios :-)). I have the user manual for a valved
> FM tuner that contains full alignment instructions. Modern manuals are
> a joke by comparison.
> 
> I can understnad -- just -- why consumer electronic devices don't come
> 
> with schematics. I can't understand why top-quality electronic test
> gear, which may well be used with people with consdierably more
> knowledge than the designer, don't. I've heard the argument that it's
> to protect proprietary designs, but was there really a problem in the
> 1960's and 1970's with people copying Tekky and HP designs? If so,
> I've not heard about it.
> 
> 
> > are generally done by swapping the entire board instead of the one
> > component that failed.
> > HP's test equipment division died when they stopped including proper
> > schematics in their service manuals. The same applies to Tek. I'd
> > like to see a TDS-series scope last as long as my Tek 466.
> 
> Of my 555....
> 
> -tony
> 

Your 555 will last a lot longer than his 466.  No portable Tek scope
newer than the Tek 453 was made without almost entirely unobtainable
custom ICs.  I have a 465M but have no illusions that it will be
servicible forever.   

I prefer the 7000 series for use, personally, because they're modular
enough that you can always repair/replace whichever component, be it a
plugin or the mainframe, that goes out.  Your whole investment isn't in
a one-piece system.  And the 7000 series line is the rightful descendent
of the tube-based 5xx series.  
But the old line, with the passive components point-to-point on fired
ceramic mountings, are built like Rolls Royce cars, to be servicible
forever.  I have a nice rackmount Tek scope from that era that I seldom
use, but know is and will always be there if I need it.

To back-comment to something said earlier, I have never been that
impressed with HP's scopes, particular in comparison to Tek scopes of
the same era.  HP made a lot of good gear, but their scopes weren't
notable in many ways.  I've known people who actively disliked the
old-line HP scopes, and not for subjective/political reasons.  I'd take
a Tek 547 over any analog scope from HP anyday.