97 Hickock generator vs Hewlett Packard signal generator. What's the real difference here?
Description
This article is from the Antique Radios And Phonographs FAQ, by Hank van Cleef vancleef@netcom with numerous contributions by others.
97 Hickock generator vs Hewlett Packard signal generator. What's the real difference here?
I saw a Hewlett Packard signal generator at a hamfest, and, at a
nearby table, a Hickock signal generator. I know that Hewlett Packard
is supposed to build top-notch test equipment, but the Hickock generator
was a lot less expensive, is smaller, and seemed to cover almost the
same ground as the HP generator. What's the real difference here?
Essentially, the "real differences" are that Hickock equipment was
generally low-price test equipment targeted toward service shops. HP
equipment was costly, and generally bought by research and engineering
organizations. As you note, the Hickock unit is smaller. Look inside,
and you will see home entertainment type construction, with light sheet
metal work, inexpensive components, etc. Inside the HP box, you'll find
things like huge aluminum castings, top quality components, and more
refined circuitry. The products may have performed similar functions,
but were designed with entirely different philosophies, and targeted
toward entirely different markets. One I would call "service grade,"
the other, "laboratory grade." Generally laboratory grade instruments
were used by highly skilled professionals in laboratory environments.
The service grade boxes were often hauled around in the back of a sedan
delivery or pickup and pretty well beaten up, and weren't expected to
last forever. The reason you see so much laboratory grade equipment in
the used market today is that it is thirty or forty years old and lived
all its life either in a laboratory environment or in storage in the
back of an test equipment pool area. Below are some of the brand names
generally associated with the two grades of instrumentation.
1. "Service Grade."
RCA (signal generators, oscilloscopes, meters, tube
testers).
Hickock (signal generators, tube testers).
Supreme (signal generators, multimeters, tube testers).
Radio City Products (signal generators, multimeters).
Eico (a broad line of manufactured and kit instruments).
Heathkit (a broad line, kits only).
Simpson (multimeters).
Triplett (multimeters).
2. "Laboratory Grade."
Measurements Corp. (Signal generators, grid dips),
Boonton Radio Corp. (Q-meters, other LC instruments).
Allen B. Dumont Laboratories. (Oscilloscopes).
General Radio (A broad line, including RLC bridges,
signal generators).
Weston instruments (meters of all types, standard
cells).
Hewlett-Packard (broad line of test equipment).
Tektronix (Oscilloscopes and related equipment).
Marconi (British. broad line of test equipment).
Philips (Netherlands. broad line of test equipment).
Leeds and Northrup (voltage and current calibration).
Guildline of Canada (voltage and current calibration).
Waterman (oscilloscopes).
James Millen (grid dips, frequency standards,
specialty oscilloscopes).
Wavetek (signal generators).
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