Just a little unboxing here. Um, here is how I think is going to be an example of how not to package something I Scored this bit of uh, uh, test gear on eBay a rather unusual one. We'll take a quick look at it, but um, the packaging is absolutely piss poor. it did only come from Sydney it's not like it had to come from overseas, but still I mean I don't feel any padding in there at all all I feel is um, just the top of the instrument and uh I don't think there's any padding on the front panel I think there's one main knob and lots of buttons and a CRT screen, but that's um, you know and on the bottom here.

um, if you take a look, we've actually got a foot sticking out. can you believe it? So when this thing gets dropped in the back of the truck and it will, um, get dropped in the back of the truck, bang straight on the foot. even if they put, um, he's already put, uh, there was a note on yeah up. even if it, you know there's an you know, even if they follow this which they probably won't and only send it shipped up like that when they dropping in the back of the truck, all the force is going to go through the damn foot on the back of this thing right into it.

I mean oh man, at least a couple of layers of bubble wrap or something for goodness sake. Anyway, let's get on to it. Um yeah, I've never had I don't think I've ever had a bit of test gear um, scent as badly as this one. At least some of them have.

you know, some foam, peanut or box with foam peanuts or something like that. So guys sent this. obviously has no clue. Oh oh look, oh no.

Oh yeah Okay no Okay I Stand corrected. Looks like there's a bit of foam on the front panel. Okay, there's a bit of paper at the back here. So here's the front of the instrument.

Here's the rear. Okay, but uh, still, there's there's nothing. I mean you know, so has at least protected the front panel. So maybe the how do? I what's the best way to open this? I think I should just, uh, cut straight along this thing perhaps? and uh, open it like that.

That's probably the best way to do it. Got to be careful when, uh, cutting these instruments open by the way, because is, uh, sometimes you can, um, uh, you know if you got your knife and especially if like, Customs open them or something. I've seen photos of where, um, they've used, you know, their um, uh, box, cut a knife or whatever and they've just sliced. You know they've just sliced it open like this and the front panel's right there and the blade goes right through onto the front panel and just scratches right across it or the top of the case or whatever.

So yeah, you've got to be you've got to be. um, pretty careful with that sort of stuff. Now here it is. Um, we've got here.

we go. Got a power cord with it and so yeah, what we have here is we have some just some, you know, crushed up paper at the back of it. That's okay, but there's nothing on the tops or the sides. and as I said, all the force goes through that foot that's bent down there.

I'm not sure if that's uh, existing in condition or not, but there is some foam on the front so he's at least done that. Okay, so I do take back what I said about the front panel. I Thought the front panel wouldn't be protected, didn't feel like it, but it is. so a bit of thought's gone into it.

but still a fail and we got some paper on the back side as well, but no paper on this side. so like you know, God Oh and look at that. there's a CD in there as well just to protect. The CRT screen looks like it hasn't cracked so it looks like this thing has made it and you saw a glimpse of what this thing is here.

So let's uh, let's hang on. this could be this, could get messy. Let me just uh, ditch the whole thing here and taada. We're left with a bit of whoa.

Yeah it's a bit crusty, but uh, it is a Stanford research there it is Stanford Research Systems highly uh, coveted uh test geare they go for uh, very. You know they go for quite high prices on um eBay anything with the Stanford research badge on it. The Model Sr430 multi-channel scalar. What's a multi Channel scalar.

It's actually a photon counter so it's um, well, it's used for Photon counting. It's used in the U the scientific um industry for uh, counting photons and I'm sure there's you know, a few other uses as well, but uh, that's I think one of its primary things. so it's known as a photon counter and I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with this thing. So if you've got any uh, good ideas, I've um, it was sold as uh working.

so I you know, um, it's going to be the subject of a tear down Tuesday but we'll Power It Up here just to make sure it works. It's really, it's really old and crusty I Got no idea where it's uh, come from but let's uh, let's pair it up. It did come from Australia as I said, so it should be 240. If there's a uh oh, here we go I know who it's come from.

it has come from It's Made in the USA of course USA USA USA but it comes from there you go. The University of New South Wales Physics Department tested in 2004 by J10 good on your J10 um retest date December 2009 Wow, that's a long uh calibration interval. Um, if that's even like a calibration tested or yeah, how you know, um, is it a certified lab? a I don't think so. um looks like we got a fan Grill here crushed in.

it's got varous inputs inhibit in subtract in, toggle out. Your guess is as good as mine how these worked I've never used a photon counter at all. good old uh I E port. It's got a printer port Rs232 real old school PC 8088 PC keyboard.

um cuz I presume like it runs a Doss or something like that and um, that folks is uh, all there is on the back so let's power it up and uh, see if this Photon counter actually works. So yeah, it doesn't have a switchable uh frequency. it's a universal um input I think uh, 220 240 half an Aamp? Yeah, it's just say use a different fuse. So here we go and here it goes: Will it release the Magic Smoke Don't hear anything Hey there it is, it's coming up Stamford Research Systems moldy channel scaler screen looks all right.

It doesn't look to be any burn in on that screen. It's really bright showing up great on the camera here and uh I have no idea how to use one of these things. never used one before. Soft buttons all work and uh got a nice big uh knob on the thing here I Like that, we're adjusting Ox 2 level whatever that is I don't know I got no idea how to use it.

Menu Display: What do we got? System Help: There we go. Help Button Select key for help Mode: Press the mode key to enter the mode menu. binwidth bins blah blah blah blah blah Display: Ah, got no idea your guess is as good as mine. Math Plot Recall: Trace All cursor blah blah blah Info about SRS has got like a self test.

Fundamental Constants: Ooh look at these fundamental constants. Oh lovely. You can program those in just in case the fundamental constants change. Um uh.

Return Status: uh Serial pole status No Test Here we go. It's got a test button. Return: It's got a test button Disc drive, printer, test knob, test keyboard test Keypad Test I Want like test the electronics more Rs232 Memory Screen calibrate levels so let's test the memory in this thing. Main Memory Six W Test we check blah blah blah.

Test Pass Pass Pass Beautiful I like it. Video Memory test Boom s a scan line went through there pass. uh what else have we got? Screen Test: Woohoo! Version 111 Serial number: 9,521 That's lovely. Calibrate unauthorized access oo No, you obviously need a uh, like a password or something I don't know, have to read the manual.

Maybe there's a service manual or something for it. Test Test Drive: Um I Believe it's like a Doss format or something like that. Test the knob. Oh look there we go.

I'm rotating the knob. Wow, that's exciting so well you know, seems to work the Uh Bnc's on it. look a bit bit crusty but uh, you know I've seen a lot worse than that, that's for sure. So there you have it.

Probably see a tear down of this. uh coming soon. see what's inside Model Sr430 multi Channel scalar Photon counter from Stamford Research Systems Haven't torn down a bit of Stanford research gear before I don't think even though I've had a few Um in my lab over the years. um I haven't uh I don't think I've actually torn down one on the video so we'll take a look Stanford Research Gear is uh known for their manuals.

In fact, in fact I still have I still have Tada check it out. a Stanford research um actually I've got two. this is um I've got uh, the manual uh I've got the service guide for the Model Sr780 Network signal analyzer which I used to have at uh work and I've also got the um uh, DS 360 low Distortion oscillator I think I may have copied that one myself I don't think that's original, but that's got all the uh all schematics and everything in there for the Uh low, Distortion oscillator and I've also got uh, the manual for the Um Sr560 low noise, uh, preamplifier and uh, that's got all the schematics and everything in there as well. theory of operation.

all sorts of great stuff like that so that's what. um, noise sources and H so that's what Stanford Research is uh, known for producing really good um service manuals. often you these are very, you know people resell these for crazy prices on eBay Some of them go for big dollars um, but you can probably you know find the PDF scan copy of them somewhere perhaps but they're known for uh producing um, uh, good quality um gear. usually old older technology like you know, through hole stuff but everything's like everything's repairable uses Comon off the shelf Parts all that sort of stuff usually and um, and the service manuals are very compr.

R hensive. So um Stanford research gear um if you can actually pick them up for a reasonable price on eBay um I paid a whopping 50 bucks for this thing. um, they still sell it uh currently for um I think $75,000 or something like that I just couldn't resist it I Got no idea what I'm going to do with it, but for 50 bucks I thought uh, it'll make a tear down anyway. um, even if it's not very exciting inside I don't know.

a photon counter? What do you expect? you expect? um just B basically um, because it's um I think it's just discrete digital inputs I'm not sure if it's actually got uh, preamps or not, it might um, things like that anyway. I have to read the uh, have to read up on it and uh, have a look. But anyway, um, expect to see a tear down of this one soon so there's a little quick unboxing. It did survive the trip, but yeah, just watch it when you get, uh, this sort of, uh, stuff, you know some well there's you, don't have control over it.

Bit of rust on the screws there, but yeah, it's not in great condition. it's one of the original models I Think there might be like a B model now or something like that. but um, yeah, it's a bit old, but gee, I don't know you got any good ideas. Any fun stuff I can do with this? that's simple and practical? Um, then leave it in the comments or on the Eev blog Forum Catch you next time.