#11

Out of Production Hardware / Re: Protrack I fixed

Last post by jvthorsley - March 27, 2026, 06:54:12 AM

Hi
If you have a PC with Windows XP installed you could run Workstation 3.5 for free.
I think if its still there on this Forum from when Curtis did the Tech Support you can download it for free.
And it tells you what password to use.
When you get a Scanner run the diagnostics from Workstation 3.5 and it will tell you which Relays might need replacing.
I found because the pads on the Scanner PCB are small & fragile best to cut the the failed Relay legs and then carefully extract the legs from the PCB with soldering iron and tweezers.
And a quick look on Ebay looks like you can still buy the USB upgrade kit for your ProTrack for 95 US $.

#12

Out of Production Hardware / Re: Protrack I fixed

Last post by snowygrouch - March 27, 2026, 01:25:35 AM

Hi,
Thanks thats useful to know, I do have the manual but must have just skimmed the part for the scanner and not seen  that.

#13

Out of Production Hardware / Re: Protrack I fixed

Last post by CWSmith - March 26, 2026, 11:03:02 AM

The ProTrack with Scanner does have a built-in compare feature that does not use software. I believe the Users manual describes that process.

#14

Out of Production Hardware / Protrack I fixed

Last post by snowygrouch - March 25, 2026, 12:47:24 PM

Just some useful info which might help others.

Purchased known broken Protrack I from ebay, turned on by cycled on/off and never powered up fully.

Strip, inspect and test revealed following faults.

PSU

1) The large power resistor in the PSU was totally dead and had gone to about 50x rated resistance.
2) Capacitors were actually ok, but I replaced them all anyway for longevity, as its a switched mode PSU
these have to be top spec low ESR, and it was actually quite difficult finding replacements good enough,
I had to go Nippon-Chemicon to get good enough results.

All ancilliary boards:
1) Although they were ok I replaced all the tantalums, sadly thanks to the metals market
these now cost a fortune, but for longevity I replaced anyway.
2) I replaced all electrolyic caps, although the originals were not too bad.

Main Board:
1) The main failure was one of the two DC-DC converters for the obsolete CDI 215`s which are on the board back-to-back, one was totally dead with a burned plastic package. The other was ok but I replaced both.
At very embarrassing expense I located pin-compatible new parts, which I have several of spare
as I bought a small batch, as I didnt have time to design PCB adaptor boards to mount
new available cheap DC-DC converters which all have different pinouts.

2) Several of the small electrolyic capacitors near where the voltage regulators are
screwed onto the side casing were dead and leaky, luckily board corrosion was not serious.
I replaced all the electrolyic capacitors on the main board.

3) One of the voltage regulators behind the failed DC-DC converter gave slightly suspicious
results and so was replaced, although I do not think it had actually failed.

The machine now functions as expected and appears to be in perfect order.

The only actually failed parts were the big power resistor on the PSU,
the DC-DC converter on the main board, and the leaked electroyics on the main board.

QUESTION FOR THE FORUM:

I would like one day to add the scanner unit to compare chips, but this appears to need software,
a quick search suggests the license for this costs about 8x the entire price I paid for the Protrack,
is there surely not an obsolete version which I can download, or buy at a sensible cost ?

#15

Current Software - Huntron Workstation 4.X / Re: Workstation 4.3 does not r...

Last post by admin - March 06, 2026, 09:48:03 AM

Hi James,

What you are seeing would be the case for anyone using this DMM.
The reason this is not implemented in Workstation is because there is no diagnostics software from Keysight to point to. This may have been added as an option in the event that Keysight created software to perform this function.

- JB

#16

Current Software - Huntron Workstation 4.X / Re: Workstation 4.3 does not r...

Last post by jvthorsley - February 19, 2026, 01:12:30 AM

Please let me know if anyone else has observed this.

#17

Out of Production Hardware / Re: shortracket 90

Last post by Al1234 - February 05, 2026, 10:03:57 AM

thank you. looks like I was looking for this info a while back, too. Well, the Shortrack 90 been on the shelf since.  I do have a homemade probe for the current sense mode of toneohm 950. I finally purchased the OEM made current sense Probe for the toneohm. I can fit the homemade one on the shortrack to see if it works. that probe has a resister in it as well which connects 1 of the inductors leads to a third pin on the connector side of the toneohms 950. I'll try and report back.

#18

Out of Production Hardware / Re: shortracket 90

Last post by admin - February 04, 2026, 04:08:02 PM

Hi Al1234,

Unfortunately, any production information related to the Shortrack 90/ Probe is no longer available as it has been out of production so long.

I will point you back to this thread, Huntron Shortrack model 90. Apologies for not being able to help further.

#19

Out of Production Hardware / Re: shortracket 90

Last post by Al1234 - February 01, 2026, 04:58:25 PM

Hi, I realize this forum is about out of production huntron hardware, and I appreciate being able to post this. and I am still asking for and hopping to get the shortrack 90 lead schematics.
I have taken all if not most of the ICs off and lifted the diodes. the reverse reading with red lead on the negative was reading about 525 ohms before. this has gone away and reads OL now. but placing the leads the other way around, red lead on the positive supply, still reads about 730 ohms (seems like a diode somewhere), but as before, when I use the toneohm 950 with resistance setting at 20k, it sounds the alarm, what is concerning is toneohms alarm changes tone to higher pitch when I attempt to twist and bent the board a little, I don't think I mentioned this in the past posts. and same suggestion, when reading resistance the resistance meter doesn't change around when board is bent or twisted, but I think this is because the resistance reading needs time.

#20

Out of Production Hardware / Re: shortracket 90

Last post by jvthorsley - January 30, 2026, 04:58:06 AM

Hi
Might be necessary to unhook the Diodes on one side one at a time until your ProTrack shows a less suspect trace.
Also suspect Tantalum Capacitors & Electrolytics.
Although when a Tant Cap fails you can usually smell it!