[Gasification] gas chromatograph acquired: advice needed

Fri Dec 7 07:28:58 EST 2007

Greetings Jim and list members.

Jim your 5880a needs a "dumb terminal" (CRT and keyboard with no CPU) often,
this old style technology can be mimic-ed with "hyper terminal" in windows
or a 3rd party version of software that works the same (Z-modem is an
example)  (even XP has hyper term).

The key to getting them (the 5880a and personal pc) to talk to each other is
the trick, this is a simple process of understanding communication protocols
of that era, once you have that, it's simply trial and error of permutations
of communication method.....

The most widely used format is RS-232, with 4 wires, but up to 9 wires are
needed by some hardware. other methods of interconnection are RS-434, 422,
344, and telco "dumb modem",  I won't get into the details on list, (unless
asked to) but it is relatively simple to get them to talk to each other...

 Regards,

 Greg Manning,

 EDS Inc, S2 network engineer, retired
 Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

-----Original Message-----
From: gasification-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:gasification-bounces at listserv.repp.org]On Behalf Of jim mason
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 3:32 PM
To: Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification
Subject: [Gasification] gas chromatograph acquired: advice needed

yesterday i found a gas chromatograph locally for the attractive price
of free.  it is a mid 80s HP/Agilent model 5880A.  the machine itself
is on ebay here for $400.  these are not very desired machines.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Hewlett-Packard-HP-5880A-Gas-Chromatograph_W0QQitemZ2501
80878257QQihZ015QQcategoryZ48720QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

i'm curious if anyone here has experience with the 5880, or the later
and more typical 5890 series II.  for infrequent gasification based
samples, is this a machine i should bother to figure out and set up?
or would such be an inevitably large ditch that i should avoid by
acquiring a newer model despite the money.

after some net time last night, i figured out that our machine, the
5880A does require a keyboard that we do not yet have.  more
accurately, a "terminal".  the computing architecture in the 5880A is
considered a mainframe with a separate terminal.   the terminal is
here on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-5880A-GC-TERMINAL-GAS-CHROMATOGRAPH_W0QQitemZ22014637
7200QQihZ012QQcategoryZ48720QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

it seems that the old HP GC's start to become desired in the next
generation that has an integrated keyboard.  these are collectively
called the 5890 generation.  there is then 6898 and a 7898 gens after
that, bringing us close to today.

the 5890 range on ebay from 1500-5000.  here's an example on the low end
side.
http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-5890A-Series-II-Gas-Chromatograph-5890-w-19256A-FPD_W
0QQitemZ220178726586QQihZ012QQcategoryZ11816QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZVie
wItem

here's another with an auto sampler:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-5890-5890A-II-Gas-Chromatograph-w-7673-autosampler_W0
QQitemZ330195161074QQihZ014QQcategoryZ48720QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZView
Item
ones with more detectors can get more expensive.

capillary columns for the 5880A are available and look like this.  i
am not sure yet if these are the same for the later 5890 units.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Agilent-J-W-GC-DB-624-Columns_W0QQitemZ190179749421QQihZ
009QQcategoryZ48720QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

for small scale work with infrequent sampling, the earlier 5880A units
may prove to be adequate.  the inexpensive nature of these would be
very attractive to other diy and small scale gasification enthusiasts.
 figuring out how to configure these for such uses would be much
appreciated by others workers in the domain.   the stove folks in
particular.

i still cannot find a manual.  but i'll continue on that one. saturday
we can dig into it.

jim

On Dec 5, 2007 11:35 PM, jim mason <jimmason at whatiamupto.com> wrote:
> that would be very good.  i now know what i have learned on wikipedia,
> which is limited.  we'll be here on saturday.
>
> in general, the 5880A appears to be a machine of not much contemporary
> use still.  the 5890 is the oldest HP/Agilent unit with continued
> activity.  ours is hte one before this.
>
> but really, a GC is a heater, column and a detector.  maybe newer
> fancier ways of putting these items together are not terribly huge
> improvements for basic work.
>
> there is a column in the machine, but i am not sure what the detector is.
>
> it seems this GC needs an external keyboard/terminal, which is not
> there.  but ebay has them for 100 dollars.  new capillary columns are
> available on ebay too.
>
> there is no auto sampler, and i'm not sure how you inject the sample
> manually without one.
>
> so yes, please come take a look at this roger.  it could be junk, or
> close to ok.  i can't really tell.
>
> j
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Dec 5, 2007 11:21 PM, Roger Carr <Carr at slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
> > Jim,
> >
> > I've done a lot of gas chromatography, some with HP machines.  I
> > would be happy to consult
> > with you on this, though I leave town on December 13 for 3 weeks in
> > the tropics.
> >
> > Chow,
> >
> > Roger
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >this morning jess and i stumbled across a HP gas chromagraph at a
> > >machine and electronics shop down the road.  this is a building full
> > >of an incredibly array of junk/treasure.  the proprietor has a bad
> > >auction acquistion problem.  yet another cautionary tale that caused
> > >me to return to the yard and continue throwing things out.
> > >
> > >nonetheless, he had a gas chromagraph that appears recoverable, and he
> > >gave it to us.  it was originally housed at chevron research.  there
> > >are lots of spare parts and boards for it.  but it is not a turnkey
> > >unit.  it will require some expert interventions to get it going.
> > >
> > >it is a series 5880A gas chromagraph.  manufactured 1984.  serial
2417A96264.
> > >
> > >the workshop this saturday would be a good time for dedicated poking
> > >at it.  who would be interested in exploring the innards of a gas
> > >chromagraph machine?
> > >
> > >j
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
> > >jim mason
> > >website: www.whatiamupto.com
> > >current project: mechabolic (http://www.mechabolic.org)
> > >announce list:
http://lists.spaceship.com/listinfo.cgi/icp-spaceship.com
> > >_______________________________________________
> > >Mechabolic mailing list
> > >Mechabolic at lists.spaceship.com
> > >http://lists.spaceship.com/listinfo.cgi/mechabolic-spaceship.com
> >
> >
> > --
> > )'(       )'(       )'(       )'(       )'(       )'(       )'(
> > )'(       )'(       )'(
> >
> > Roger Carr
> > 2645 Shasta Road
> > Berkeley, CA 94708
> >
> > Tel:  510-486-0481
> > Cell: 510-735-5407
> > Email:  Carr at SLAC.Stanford.edu
> >
> > )'(       )'(       )'(       )'(       )'(       )'(       )'(
> > )'(       )'(       )'(
> >
> > Notre imagination vole.  Nous sommes son ombre sur la terre - Vlad
Nabokov
> >
> > Driving 100,000 miles at an average of 50 mph takes 2000 hours, or
> > one work-year.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Mechabolic mailing list
> > Mechabolic at lists.spaceship.com
> > http://lists.spaceship.com/listinfo.cgi/mechabolic-spaceship.com
> >
>
>
>
> --
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
> jim mason
> website: www.whatiamupto.com
> current project: mechabolic (http://www.mechabolic.org)
> announce list: http://lists.spaceship.com/listinfo.cgi/icp-spaceship.com
>

--

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
jim mason
website: www.whatiamupto.com
current project: mechabolic (http://www.mechabolic.org)
announce list: http://lists.spaceship.com/listinfo.cgi/icp-spaceship.com

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
jim mason
website: www.whatiamupto.com
current project: mechabolic (http://www.mechabolic.org)
announce list: http://lists.spaceship.com/listinfo.cgi/icp-spaceship.com

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