Thanks for the input everyone. In summary, I got recommendations for: - HP 16500C (lesser a 16500B, but not a 16500A) (mainframe) - HP 16700/16900/17500 (mainframe, bigger-faster-stronger, still pretty expensive, can use 16500 cards) - HP 166x or 167x (portable, modern, look for hard drive) - HP 165x (portable, older, only buy cheap, look for hard drive) - HP 1630D, 1630G or 1631 (old, HPIB and HPIL interfaces, no special software needed, but you apparently need be able to control it with an external HPIB controller to get the most out of it) - Tek 1240 - Gould Biomation K100D (software in rom, HPIB interface, assuming you need HPIB literacy to use effectively) - Tek DAS9200 (be careful to get the right pods (several variations), etc) - Tek TLA710/TLA720 (PC attached, Linux capable)
General advice offered: - Look for hard drives or no special software required for longest life. Floppies required == bad. - Make really sure you get probes, and the right probes, for your kit. They're often not available separately for non-st00pid money. - There's a crazy array of ancillary features to consider: o-scope functions, processor assemblers/disassemblers, pattern generators, specialized inputs/outputs, timebases, embedded Unix machines, etc. Know what you might need. So I've got a lot of manuals to read, but the 16500C sure looks like a ton of bang per US$. You can even get an expansion chassis (10 additional slots) if you need to go to ludicrous speed on the number of probes/features. KJ
