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Vintage Test Gear and Workshop Equipment For discussions about vintage test gear and workshop equipment such as coil winders. |
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4th Oct 2018, 12:13 pm | #1 |
Pentode
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Cardigan, Ceredigion, UK.
Posts: 100
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HP 3310B Function generator
Hi, has anyone here had any experience with an HP 3310B function generator? I've got one as a shed find it looks very cute and its just what I want, but its faulty. As the tunnel diodes (which fortunately plug in) are OK I thought it would be worth repairing so I got the manual. A copy dated Oct 73 is widely available but its abysmal! The circuit diagrams are a joke. They are incomplete, don't join up different scales, randomly labelled and the voltages shown on the scrap of the output amplifier show it as being saturated. (attached) Surely HP manuals are better than this? After-all Tektronix manuals are a model of clarity. If any member of this forum has any experience/knowledge of this function generator in particular with regard to better documentation, could you let me know. Thanks , John.
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4th Oct 2018, 2:32 pm | #2 |
Heptode
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 675
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Re: HP 3310B Funtion generator
Hi John,
I do not have the above function generator, but here are my comments nonetheless: - KO4BB has a good quality manual on its web site, it is 27MB: http://www.ko4bb.com/getsimple/index..._3310AB_OS.pdf You still need to paste together schematics pages, HP used to make beautiful quality manuals with "mile long foldouts", very usable in paper form. So it is the scanning, not the manual! - Start by checking the power supply. - I have not measured a tunnel diode yet, but I understand it can easily be destroyed by "regular" diode check measurements, it has a region where the characteristics have negative resistance, so be careful with them. You really should measure them on a curve tracer. Good luck, Peter |
4th Oct 2018, 3:26 pm | #3 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,870
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Re: HP 3310B Function generator
Tunnel diode? In a low frequency function generator?
That's very unlikely. David
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Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done |
4th Oct 2018, 3:56 pm | #4 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Bristol, UK.
Posts: 2,062
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Re: HP 3310B Function generator
A1 has 2 tunnel diodes, CR21/22 (+/-5 level detector) and 2 hot carrier CR3/4
A3 has a couple of norton diodes, CR21/23 A5 has 3 hot carrier diodes, CR9/10/11 #### and a partridge in a pear tree #### dc |
4th Oct 2018, 5:59 pm | #5 | |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 1,733
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Re: HP 3310B Function generator
Quote:
I had trouble with the power supply in mine (Q20 was short circuit), I think the previous owner did too as it had been repaired before. Also note that the power supply PCB has internal tracks (one of them had to be replaced with a link as a plated through-hole was damaged). Looking at my pictures I have spotted a pair of Sprague type 109D wet tantalum capacitors, these are known to leak causing corrosion, so I will need to check & replace them at some point. David |
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4th Oct 2018, 6:07 pm | #6 |
Pentode
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Cardigan, Ceredigion, UK.
Posts: 100
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Re: HP 3310B Function generator
orbanp1 Thanks for the reply, it appears to be an excellent quality down load and after I've stuck all the drawings together I should be able to sort it. As for testing the tunnel diodes I followed a video on U tube, search under Testing tunnel diodes, the video is by w2qew and its#204. This gives a good insight into how they work and they are really curious to play with. Thanks again for the download, John.
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4th Oct 2018, 6:18 pm | #7 |
Nonode
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Walsall Wood, Aldridge, Walsall, UK.
Posts: 2,868
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Re: HP 3310B Function generator
Hi!
You have to take meticulous care with tunnel diodes, and an accidental test–prod slip or testing these incorrectly can easily destroy them! The best thing I can suggest is to begin with all the power–supply voltages, then carry out a performance check to see exactly how much of this unit is operational, and what isn't. You do need a good, reliable dual–beam oscilloscope and a high–quality DMM to fault–find this instrument – I'll download the manual and study it over the next day or two – keep us posted! Chris Williams
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4th Oct 2018, 8:06 pm | #8 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,870
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Re: HP 3310B Function generator
Tunnel diodes indeed! I didn't expect those in a lowish frequency func gen. Quite surprised.
I've used 3310s on lots of occasions but never had to go inside one. They just worked. I did have to do some re-design work on its great great grandson the 3325A when its frac-N synthesiser control chip went obsolete. David
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Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done |
4th Oct 2018, 8:48 pm | #9 | |
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Warsaw, Poland and Cambridge, UK
Posts: 2,677
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Re: HP 3310B Function generator
Quote:
It's nice to see its great-great-grandfather the 3310. Chris
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4th Oct 2018, 9:56 pm | #10 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 3,687
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Re: HP 3310B Function generator
Always wanted a 3310. The mention of tunnel diodes has made me change my mind
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