Took a gamble on a used spectrum analyzer from Ebay

Found a Rigol DSA815 for $400. Seller said it was 'untested.' Figured I'd lose the money. But I needed a spectrum analyzer for a side job troubleshooting a busted transponder. Hooked it up, calibrated it, and it works perfectly. Anyone else ever score on sketchy used test equipment?

2 comments

2 Comments

shane24419d ago

Yo, did you buy that from the same guy I got my old HP 8590L from? Paid like 350 for it and he said 'parts only' on the listing. Turned out the only issue was a dirty fan and a loose ground wire inside. Fixed it in 20 minutes and it's been my go-to for years now. People sleep on 'untested' gear way too much. Half the time it's just someone who doesnt know how to use it or is too lazy to plug it in. My rule is if the shipping doesn't cost more than the item I'll take the risk. Best score I ever had was a Keysight LCR meter for 200 bucks that retails for like 3k. Seller thought it was broken but it just needed a firmware update.

abby_chen19d ago

Nah different seller but same kind of story. People throw out the "parts only" tag like a catch all. Half the time it's just dust, a loose wire, or some dumb software glitch. I snagged a Tektronix scope for 150 bucks once. Seller swore it was dead. Plugged it in and it booted right up. Must have been sitting in a basement for years.