Any Bench Freq. Counter ideas or opinions?

[Low_Boy]

I may have cooked my Fluke 1911A frequency counter or possibly old age has set in. It had been working good until this week I may have touched 13V with it. I do not even know if that would harm it but I was tuning up Cobra 148 GTL This afternoon and the counter has lost all its sensitivity. I can hook it to the SO239 and it reads perfect but I do not get anything else anywhere in the radio. I will need a replacement. Need Ideas that will not bankrupt me.

 

[nomadradio]

The fleabay chinesium solution could be the best bang for the buck, especially if you don't mind an LCD display.

73

 

[Low_Boy]

I was afraid of this. The price range on used ones is all over the place. Some are definitely overkill.

 

[Klondike Mike]

Can't get anymore bench than this, a HP5328A. I bought this piece of MIL-SPEC gear because the fleabay chinesium unit I bought was DOA. I've had it for a few years now and have no regrets. Listed for $8000 back in the eighties and it probably could withstand an EMP.

I would look for a unit that someone has tested and verified its operation. Of course, being a bench technician, you already have a 10Mhz Rubidium source that you could hook up to make sure it reads accurately. I posted a video on Youtube of my initial inspection of the unit I received.

 

[Big Kahuna]

I saw this ad the other day - I was looking at some of the stuff but really didn't need anything so passed but he was reasonable on pricing.

 

[Robb]

Paid $6 at a Hamfest for the 1911A because it didn't work that I now use. After recapping it an finding a LOT of bad solder joints, I managed to pull it from the scrap heap. Then fired up the 'ol rubidium oscillator and put it smack on 10mhz. Didn't even clean all of the switches . . .

Been using it ever since and has been extremely trustworthy.

It did have a lot of bad solder joints, and I think that is what you might want to check over before you toss it on the scrap pile. Especially the joints on that clear ribbon cable; it was the real fault I found in it.

 

[Low_Boy]

I should pull mine apart because for some reason I got a reading on it today while trying it out again. I thought it was the probe but no luck.

Now before I fix anything my lighted magnifier came apart so I have to fix that first so I can see what I am doing.

I like the pile Big Kahuna found.

 

[Big Kahuna]

I tried to get him to go $100 on a oscilloscope, counter, and multimeter but he wanted $150 and for vintage equipment that hasn't been tested that was steeper than I wanted to venture (and stuff I didn't really need).

 

[Low_Boy]

I don't do Facebook. I took my counter apart. Everything looked good inside. There were 10 or 12 Capacitors. They were all tantalian except 2 which I think were filter caps.

 

[cralt]

Dirty contacts on the buttons?
BNC worn out?
Hope you find something simple with it.

 

[Low_Boy]

Thanks cralt. It was a good counter until now.

 

[Low_Boy]

mike that thing is huge. It would not fit on my bench. LOL

 

[Klondike Mike]

mike that thing is huge.

That's what she said ...

 

[unit_399]

Low_Boy -
Stupid question, but did you check the attenuation button ?? maybe stuck on.

- 399