[sdiy] HP Counter Recommendation?

[John Loffink]

I went this route for awhile with an HP 5314A Universal Counter, but
this is not ideal for audio frequencies.  The update rate is slow (10
seconds!) for the best resolution (0.1 Hz), and that resolution is
questionably precise for measuring bass frequencies.  Think of adjusting
a VCO knob and waiting 10 seconds before your next adjustment - it is
painfully slow. 

For audio frequency measurements you should consider a multimeter from
Extech.  These have the best resolutions I've seen on a multimeter, and
have modern circuitry that doesn't just count the zero crossings, so all
frequency measurements are updated at 1/4 second intervals.

John Loffink
jloffink at austin.rr.com 

The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site
http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com/

The Wavemakers Modular and Integrated Synthesizer Web Site
http://www.wavemakers-synth.com/


> For the money you're talking you may not get a choice.
> The good news is lemons are few and far between with
> the old HP gear. I just got a 5328A for real cheap
> because it has a bad digit on the display, which I can
> fix. The 5316 is a good little counter as well. You
> want to look for a box that has scope-like controls on
> the input. The 5382, for example, has minimal input
> features. I like to have more options on the input.
> 
> One suggestion I have for any box you get: if you have
> access to any known good gear (or a cal lab!) have
> your box checked for basic accuracy. It'll take 2
> minutes and let you know your timebase is doing its
> job.
> 
> --tr
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- Glen <mclilith at charter.net> wrote:
> > I've been thinking of getting one of those HP
> > frequency counters that I see
> > on eBay. However, I'm not that familiar with the
> > different models. I
> > wouldn't want to unknowingly get a model that was
> > considered a "lemon" for
> > some reason.
> >
> > I want one of the "Universal" counters. I'm not
> > interested in GHz
> > bandwidths or anything like that. I just want an
> > accurate and precision
> > instrument for signals under 100 MHz. In fact, I
> > would use the counter
> > mostly in or near the audio range. In such cases,  I
> > expect I would be
> > using period measurement more than actual frequency
> > measurement, for the
> > added precision that would provide. Being able to do
> > frequency ratio
> > measurements would also be a nice feature to have.
> >
> > So which models of HP Universal Counters should I be
> > considering? I should
> > also mention that my budget is really small. I
> > absolutely couldn't afford
> > to spend more than $100 at the moment. (Yes, I
> > realize how small that
> > amount is compared to new HP gear prices, but I'm
> > looking for an older eBay
> > bargain here.)
> >
> >