[SI-LIST] Re: refurbished VNA
- From: "Julian Ferry" <julian.ferry@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Ben Chia" <ussilab@xxxxxxxxx>, <si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 14:46:02 -0400
I've been buying new and used SI/microwave test instruments for 20+ years, and
I have never had a problem with used instruments. I would just suggest you go
with a company who has been around for a few years. And yes, many of the
instrument OEMs do offer used and refurbished equipment, and that can be a good
option. No matter who you buy from, initial calibration is critical.
I would actually say I have had more problems with NEW equipment than used.
Now, I've never had a problem getting the new stuff fixed or de-bugged by the
manufacturer, but there is sometimes a hassle factor.
I generally prefer to buy new instruments for lab work, where we often need
bleeding edge technology. In such an environment, experienced engineers or
technicians are more likely able to sort through technical challenges or
glitches, and a few days of down time is usually acceptable.
But for production environments, I sometimes prefer used equipment, if the
situation allows it. Bugs have been worked out, and any remaining problems are
known and understood. Plus it's often possible to get almost two pieces of
used equipment for the price of one new one, so it's more cost effective to
have a back up unit on hand to keep production running if the first needs
repair or calibration. And it's often faster and easier to get replacement
units from multiple sources with used instruments. If you are dealing with a
mature and stable technical environment in your lab, used instruments can offer
these benefits there as well.
That being said, it seems as if many of the improvements made recently in VNAs
have been in automating and simplifying repetitive tasks like calibration and
data handling, and faster processing times in general. So if thru-put is an
important issue for you, and you don't want to do automation in-house, then the
newest VNAs could be well worth the extra cost.
-----Original Message-----
From: si-list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:si-list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Ben Chia
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 11:41 AM
To: si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [SI-LIST] refurbished VNA
Hi All,
Does anyone have the experience of purchasing an used VNA from
any US equipment rental company? Any problem with the accuracy,
reliability and the port contacts?
Thanks,
Angela
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