What do you think about the Tek TM-503?

[Watson A.Name - Watt Sun, Dark Remover]

What do you think about the Tek TM-503? I see the pieces, like the
PS, for saie in the PS auctions, maybe because the owners piece out
the things and sell them separetely? I dunno. I know that it's a
nice and compact, 3-in-1 unit. How's the performance?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2578360750&ssPageNa
me=MERC_VI

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###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
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Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
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@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@

 

[mike]

What do you think about the Tek TM-503? I see the pieces, like the
PS, for saie in the PS auctions, maybe because the owners piece out
the things and sell them separetely? I dunno. I know that it's a
nice and compact, 3-in-1 unit. How's the performance?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2578360750&ssPageNa
me=MERC_VI

The TM503 is a mainframe. It's major limitations are about 15W/hole
power availability and difficulties getting that heat out.
The plug-in performance is SEVERELY constrained by these limitations.
For example, the PG502 runs on ~15W. At the time, the closest
competitor from HP used 250W. Most of the design effort for TM500 stuff
went into squeezing 100lbs. into a 5lb. sack, not into performance.

If you need to assemble 3 instruments into a semi-portable test set,
the TM-500 system can be very handy...as long as you can live with the
specs on the various products. Some of them are quite good, others are
crap.

If you buy a used mainframe, check it out before you plug in any
instruments.
There's a small discussion of why here:
http://nm7u.tripod.com/homepage/te.html

mike

--
Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below.
laptops and parts Test Equipment
Honda CB-125S
TEK Sampling Sweep Plugin and RM564
Tek 2465 $800, ham radio, 30pS pulser
Tektronix Concept Books, spot welding head...
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/

 

[Harvey White]

What do you think about the Tek TM-503? I see the pieces, like the
PS, for saie in the PS auctions, maybe because the owners piece out
the things and sell them separetely? I dunno. I know that it's a
nice and compact, 3-in-1 unit. How's the performance?

I've got a 504 with a counter, DMM, and two function generators. It
works nicely enough for me, although the power transformer hums a bit
much at times.
Harvey

 

[Jim Yanik]

What do you think about the Tek TM-503? I see the pieces, like the
PS, for saie in the PS auctions, maybe because the owners piece out
the things and sell them separetely? I dunno. I know that it's a
nice and compact, 3-in-1 unit. How's the performance?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2578360750&ssPageNa
me=MERC_VI

TM503 is just a mainframe with 3 slots for adding TM500 series plug-ins,it
contains several unregulated +/- supplies.
The instruments are a DM502A 3 1/2 digit DMM (Useable,but not great)
DC503A Counter-timer(not bad,not great)
and a PS503A power supply;2 0-20V 0.5A(1A in hi-power MF)tracking
adjustable supplies and a +5V regulated fixed supply. You get more current
available if you use a TM504 or TM506 mainframe,they have the "hi-power"
slot.

 

[Watson A.Name - Watt Sun, Dark Remover]

TM503 is just a mainframe with 3 slots for adding TM500 series plug-ins,it
contains several unregulated +/- supplies.
The instruments are a DM502A 3 1/2 digit DMM (Useable,but not great)
DC503A Counter-timer(not bad,not great)
and a PS503A power supply;2 0-20V 0.5A(1A in hi-power MF)tracking
adjustable supplies and a +5V regulated fixed supply. You get more current
available if you use a TM504 or TM506 mainframe,they have the "hi-power"
slot.

Thanks for all the info, everyone. I have a much better idea of what
and why these are out there.

--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@

 

[Jim Yanik]

Thanks for all the info, everyone. I have a much better idea of what
and why these are out there.

I forgot to mention that there's the option of -dedicating- or customizing
a TM50x slot to a particular plug-in,and for using the rear interface
connectors.There's a plastic clip that goes over the interface connector to
block PIs that don't match the one you selected.That PI will have a narrow
notch in it's PCB at the edge connector,the notch placement varies for each
model PI.The Rear interface is more commonly used on the TM506,though,but
can be used to pass signals from one PI to another without external cables
or using the front panel connectors.There was a manual-type book listing
all the TM500 PIs and their rear interface connections.

The clips often were damaged when someone tried to insert a wrong PI into
the dedicated slot.