In article , Leonard
Martin wrote:

I agree. In fact I did just that 5 years ago! But the HP 5328A I bought
back in 2000 died a couple of weeks ago. That has made me think that
maybe surplus test equipment, especially this model, just doesn't have
much life left in it. In addition, I have had disappointing experiences
buying other test equipment on the main emporium for such, eBay.

So after that experience I would kind of like to buy a NEW basic and
sturdy counter (no fancy menus, please) for $300 or less. In addition to
maybe getting longer life than the 5328A gave me I would like to get a
counter with a smaller footprint on my workbench.

Leonard-

Your price range dictates buying used. Stick with the higher-end brands
like HP and Fluke if you want reliability, even with older models.

Four or five years ago I purchased a used HP 5334B with the high frequency
and crystal oven options. The only problem has been one that may be
common to your 5328 - an open thermal fuse in the crystal oven. (It turns
out to be unnecessary according to an HP engineer on one of these
newsgroups.) I have a rubidium oscillator to set the timebase using an
oscilloscope, and it is impressive how stable it is. It has been about
three years since I adjusted it, and it is still less than 0.1 Hz off at
10 MHz, or 0.01 ppm.

If you are willing to trade reliability for the smaller footprint and
lower price, there may be some other brands to consider. Two that come to
mind are Startek International Inc. of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and
Optoelectronics, also of Ft. Lauderdale. (I found both web sites with
Google.)

Fred