Hey, folks, my FIL is trying to find an online or cheap paper manual for a Tektronix 7403 Oscilloscope. We tried googling, with no good results. Any ideas where this could be found?
Thanks!
You can try this link to a handful of suppliers. Unfortunately for you, mine is an old beast-a T535A. Perhaps Q. E. D. will venture along with a better link.
You can try contacting Tektronix technical support and if they can’t help you, I highly recommend The Manual Man. I’ve met him at a few Hamfests, and he’s a good guy. If a manual can be gotten for consumer, ham and test electronics, he can find it, if he doesn’t have it already.
danceswithcats, QED did indeed come in with a link 
. FIL will call Tektronix’ toll-free tech support number tomorrow.
After some more searching, Manuals Plus has a nearly identical one for $65, in stock. I don’t know what, if anything, is the difference between the 7403 and the 7403N, but at the very least, they appear to be similar enough to allow some interchangeability between the manuals.
My friend got an older model Tektronix oscilloscope at an auction. IIRC, he paid about 15$ at some online place for a .pdf file we printed out to figure out how the thing worked. I’ll see if he can remember where that was.
QED, yeah, we found that, too; problem is my FIL only paid $15.00 for the oscilloscope, so he doesn’t think it’s reasonable to pay that much for the manual. I tried to tell him that doing so would be like paying $80.00 for a 'scope that comes with a manual, but he said he wouldn’t pay $80.00 for one that doesn’t work. Oh, well. But thanks for trying to help!
Nanoda, yes, if your friend could remember, that’s exactly the type of thing we’re looking for!
danceswithcats, on a side note, my husband was surprised you have an oscilloscope; he didn’t think you were that geeky.
Wait, the 'scope doesn’t work? Is he trying to repair it? In that case, he’s looking for the service manual, which is going to cost quite a bit more. Some Tek 'scopes did have the schematics included with the regular manual, but all the service, troubleshooting and alignment procedures were only included in the service manual, which was almost always sold separately.
Although I didn’t progress to the level of a Ham ticket like QED, my Dad started me out on the road to geekiness by having me help build Heathkit projects in the basement. Some kids learn how to throw a football really well, others learn how to perform dynamic convergence adjustments on a color TV. 
Why dontcha, ya big goof?
Seriously, I don’t think you’d have any problems passing the written exam. At least pick up one of the ARRL study guides and take a look at it. I really ought to get back into it (damn internet!); it’s a great hobby.
My FIL says he never knew that there was a separate service manual from the user manual; when he worked at Westing House (as an electronic engineer), he says all the 'scopes came with one manual that was kind of a combination service/users manual. BTW, Q.E.D., you have probably encountered my FIL at hamfests in the area. He goes to all of the big ones, and his BRATS ham group hosts one every year.
danceswithcats, I never got my ham license, either, but MIL, FIL and hubby all have one.
Yeah, Tek 'scopes generally have separate user and service manuals, for reasons best known only to them. Most of the 'scopes I used at EWC were Tektronix - we had a couple B&K and Leader units, as well - and most of them had little or no service information in the user manuals, other than a schematic. I can’t recall whether any of the B&K or Leader 'scopes did, or not.
I think the Tek 935 had the service manual included with the 'scope, but the company might have simply purchased it separately. I do know that to acquire the service manual for a 485 'scope I picked up at a hamfest with a dead power supply would have cost me about $150. Eventually, I gave up on it.
Well, the one he bought has a working power supply, but for some reason, he needs to know what voltage it’s supposed to be putting out. I think he’ll probably end up giving up on it, too.
This 7403 manual was offered for $ 9.95 in march of this year by this eBay seller (it did not sell). Your cheapest option would proably be to work out some kind of deal with them if it’s still available.
astro, thanks! We will definitely be in contact with that seller to see if something can be worked out.