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8970b....
Ah, I got asked to look into production difficulties with those in the mid 90's and I found the IF gain steps were not perfectly additive due to some leakage in the 20MHz IF. A fix was easy and all of a sudden units on the line started being in the middle of their accuracy tolerances. While doing this, I noticed it used an MC6809 chipset... ooo -err rather obsolete, and life-bought. Stocks were dwindling, and the 8970 was going to be needed by customers long-term.
I used to have all the design notes from the original 8970 team sitting on my desk. Fascinating readiing. I think they're landfill somewhere outside Edinburgh now.
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That's not the news I want to hear! Waaaaaaaa!
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So I cooked up an idea for a replacement noise figure box. Built a breadboard that covered a couple of benches and did some marketing figures. Management bought the idea and we staffed up a project which turned into the 8970 replacement. As the company split, it went out as the Agilent Noise Figure Analyser family. The receiver was partially DSP and did true RMS noise level measurement (better than diodes if the noise PDF is uncertain) built in graphics and coverage to 26GHz. I did the matching smart noise sources as a 1-man project. I understand sales have been over a quarter of a billion bucks. My share was nothing beyond the salary.
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I am speechless. Don't get me started on Agilent/Keysight! Especially storing all the historic stuff in a wooden building in California and having it all destroyed in the recent bushfires!
Sorry about the OT stuff, guys.
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Originally Posted by Synchrodyne
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Originally Posted by hpcollector
First Post!
Synchrodyne, I have an ex ZLC Marconi Hydrus down here in CHCH if you ever want to see one in the flesh. :^).
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Welcome to the forum and thanks for the offer – you might hear from me next time I plan to be in Christchurch! |
No worries mate! Time it for the local VRS meeting - first Thursday every odd month IIRC.
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Do you have to get it back from ZLC yourself, or was it brought back for disposal by the NZPO when ZLC was decommissioned?
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It got handed down to me by another enthusiast who was running out of space and wanted it to go somewhere safe.
All the units are stored in one of those glass fronted upright shop chillers, in a 20ft container. No rack unfortunately. Have spares and also, I think, documentation.