After trying out my little T12 soldering station, my company bought the original and ´professional´ JBC soldering station as replacement for our old Wellers.
The speed, eficiency and work results of the JBCs are of course better than my cheap little T12, but also way ahead of the Weller.
If I would search for a final soldering station it´d be a JBC.
S-parameter Test Set HP 35677A (50Ω).
As a convenient accessoire for my HP3577A VNA.
Unfortunately over here the prices of most offers are higher than what I paid for the Analyzer in first place. Much too much for so little hardware and so much airware in a box imho.
And from cross the pond where the prices are way more reasonable the shipping and tax costs often surpass the item´s pricetag.
Also, the HP35676A Reflection Transmission Test Set would come handy. It´s price is even more exaggerated considered whats inside .... six(!) 0207 sized resistors and one small ceramic cap.
In case You have one or both of these two items to offer for reasonable cost please send a note.
Spectrum Analyzer
the recent Siglent SSA3000X and SSA-1000X-Plus series
Vector Network analyzer
plus
Spectrum Analyzer
the newly released SVA1000X series
The quite new SSA3000X series consists of two devices which only differ by the bandwidth limit, the 9kHz-2.1GHZ spanning SSA3021X (~1.300€) and the 9kHz-3.2GHz SSA3032X (~2.300€).
Both come with a internal Tracking Generator and Preamplifier. You can find reviews and teardowns on the net and the general view seems that these devices offer alot for their price tag. Recently Siglent added the upgraded SVA1000X-Plus models which feature a touchscreen display and some more functionality. Prices range by roundabout 200€ higher on both devices.
Also very recently Siglent introduced the SVA1015X and SVA1032X to the market. These are Spectrum Analyzers ranging from 9kHz to 1.5GHz (~1.750€) resp. 3.2GHz (~3.000€). The SVA1000X offer one big advantage and that is their upgrade possibility. They appear to be SSA1000X-Plus models with the addition of having built-in Vector Network Analyzer functionality that can be activated with an software key (but just above 100kHz/10kHz iIrc, due to it´s internal filter parameters).
Some more devices that show the general tendency of modern digital instrumentation beeing able to fulfill more than just one task.
On their chinese website they also show their first real time analyzers up to 7.5GHz. There certainly is something going on at Siglent.
The E5061B is a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) with an bandwidth of 100kHz to max. 3GHz.
There are many upgrade options available, like LF-upgrade for 5Hz-3GHz bandwidth, impedance analysis, S-parameters, etc. etc.
Unfortunately its 35k€++ ... made from Keysightium and Unobtanium, very rare and very expensive materials.
In june 2022 Siglent released their first High Resolution true 12Bit oscilloscope to our market. In size, funktionality and and GUI it resembles a lot of the exceptional good SDS2000X+ series. But it comes with two 12Bit ADCs, allowing for considerably higher signal resolution than its 8Bit predecessors.
While the SDS2104X+ is sailing just around 1k€ at the time, the SDS2000X-HD asks for almost 3x the price. Still though a seemingly excellent offer considering what the 12Bit TexasInstrument ADC cost alone, and compared to the LeCroys, the only other true 12Bit competition.