An HP engineer who shall remain nameless once told me about an Easter egg he worked on for an HP multimeter. I think it was one of the rack mount two display (LED) models. Holding a certain key combination at power up would enter "lunar lander" game mode. This was present in firmware that shipped on production units. Eventually management forced it to be removed from later firmwares.
I have one. But B variant. I bought it for 1$ 2-3 years ago from scrapyard. Battery worked like a filter there. A capacitor was very small and wasn't enough to work alone without a battery: numbers just jumped on display. I added 2200uF and I replaced 2 buttons. I wasn't able to clean them. And I wasn't able to dismount them without damage. The plastic of case of those button is not thermal resistant at all. It started to melt immediately, when you just touch pin with iron. So, I bought a copy of these button on Ali. It is even better quality, then original one. At least their case is made from thermal resistant plastic. It is on my shelf now. Use it from time to time to feel connection with engineers from that time :). But I want to tell, that it is rather fast. When I need to check a lot of resistors, it is definitely faster, then my modern Unit 61E+. Thank you for the video, Sir.
I hated that DMM. Had to use it in college. Graduated and got a job with HP as a product support engineer. My portfolio of support products was this piece of crap. It could have been worse, my colleague got stuck with the HP 970. 😮
I had this on a bench in tech school in the 80s. Loathed using it. I preferred the VIZ VTVM on the bench to it. When I got my own Beckman 25XL it was far better. Both had the same number of digits but the Beckman was easier to read and the switches were less flaky. I guess a shit product need to happen to make everything else look good.
I like my Fluke 8050A meter better even without the small LCD not backlit. Got it used for ~40USD on eBay and its alignment is much simpler although I've never needed to align it.
Why, it works. For almost all troubleshooting one decimal place is all that is required for voltage measurements, it can do that. I have 5 1/2, 6 1/2 and 8 1/2 digit meters on my bench and in all honesty they are bench beauty queens that rarely get used. I tend to use a vintage meter similar to this but made by Leader with only 3 7 segment digits and a polarity display digit. Either that or a vintage B&K analog meter. For 99% of troubleshooting they do all I need.
GO from 3476 to 3478 and you have a vastly superior meter with the auto cal feature so you don't even take the cover off for cal. Mine is coming back from the cal lab today. They sell on the bay for 125$ plus or minus 60 or so. I payed minus for mine and it is worth the trouble to cal it. Kinda matches my HP counter of the same style. Has 4 wire ohms too.
I do admire your stick-to-itiveness. That thing is like a beautiful wife. Good to look at but high maintenance. (That could go for a handsome husband too.) Now please tell me how to calibrate my Fluke 8030A.
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An HP engineer who shall remain nameless once told me about an Easter egg he worked on for an HP multimeter. I think it was one of the rack mount two display (LED) models. Holding a certain key combination at power up would enter "lunar lander" game mode. This was present in firmware that shipped on production units. Eventually management forced it to be removed from later firmwares.
Many HP instruments have hidden "Easter Eggs" - you should hear the HP 3314A function generator perform the "Hallelujah Chorus"!
I have one. But B variant. I bought it for 1$ 2-3 years ago from scrapyard. Battery worked like a filter there. A capacitor was very small and wasn't enough to work alone without a battery: numbers just jumped on display. I added 2200uF and I replaced 2 buttons. I wasn't able to clean them. And I wasn't able to dismount them without damage. The plastic of case of those button is not thermal resistant at all. It started to melt immediately, when you just touch pin with iron. So, I bought a copy of these button on Ali. It is even better quality, then original one. At least their case is made from thermal resistant plastic. It is on my shelf now. Use it from time to time to feel connection with engineers from that time :). But I want to tell, that it is rather fast. When I need to check a lot of resistors, it is definitely faster, then my modern Unit 61E+. Thank you for the video, Sir.
I hated that DMM. Had to use it in college. Graduated and got a job with HP as a product support engineer. My portfolio of support products was this piece of crap. It could have been worse, my colleague got stuck with the HP 970. 😮
I had this on a bench in tech school in the 80s. Loathed using it. I preferred the VIZ VTVM on the bench to it. When I got my own Beckman 25XL it was far better. Both had the same number of digits but the Beckman was easier to read and the switches were less flaky. I guess a shit product need to happen to make everything else look good.
I like my Fluke 8050A meter better even without the small LCD not backlit. Got it used for ~40USD on eBay and its alignment is much simpler although I've never needed to align it.
wow and peace be upon you from me from java island small town
It is a cool looking meter and probably a collector's item, but it belongs in the dustbin of history.
Why, it works. For almost all troubleshooting one decimal place is all that is required for voltage measurements, it can do that. I have 5 1/2, 6 1/2 and 8 1/2 digit meters on my bench and in all honesty they are bench beauty queens that rarely get used. I tend to use a vintage meter similar to this but made by Leader with only 3 7 segment digits and a polarity display digit. Either that or a vintage B&K analog meter. For 99% of troubleshooting they do all I need.
@mikesradiorepair Hmm.. It is a pain to calibrate. But it is a cool meter for those who like it :-)
Does your adjustable resistor have mints inside?
No, it's his mints that have an adjustable resistor.
I think you could add some pepper and season your food with it. Grind, grind, grind....
GO from 3476 to 3478 and you have a vastly superior meter with the auto cal feature so you don't even take the cover off for cal. Mine is coming back from the cal lab today. They sell on the bay for 125$ plus or minus 60 or so. I payed minus for mine and it is worth the trouble to cal it. Kinda matches my HP counter of the same style. Has 4 wire ohms too.
What is that adjustable resistor device called? 😮
This would be a good little meter for the garage bench... oh wait.
Add battery power, go mobile.
I do admire your stick-to-itiveness. That thing is like a beautiful wife. Good to look at but high maintenance. (That could go for a handsome husband too.)
Now please tell me how to calibrate my Fluke 8030A.
Great to have a fully working crap instrument 😉
Now it’s ready to put in a shoebox.
esp. when you need to LEND one to somebody !!!🤣
at least until they started making printers, pc's and other consumer garbage, at least this thing still works and is in spec and usable
But it looks nice
I would have given up and thrown it in the trash!