What Clarke Hess does

Clarke-Hess Communications Research Corp. is a privately held precision electronic test and measurement equipment manufacturer founded in 1969 and headquartered at 3243 Route 112, Medford, New York. The company designs and builds a focused portfolio of DC and low-frequency precision instruments, including the Model 5600 Phase Standard, Model 6000A Phase Meter and Model 2600 Phase Angle Voltmeter (phase measurement), Model 2335A Wideband Power Analyzer (DC to >1MHz), Model 7600 Distortion Analyzer, Model 8200/8210 Transconductance Amplifiers (precision current up to 100A), Model 515 High-Accuracy AC Reference Source, and supporting accessories such as Model 610/650 Current Shunts and Model 5002 Phase Verification Bridges. The underlying technology combines DSP-based digital signal processing with carefully designed analog front ends to achieve phase accuracies on the order of 5 millidegrees, power accuracies of ±0.1% to 500kHz, and transconductance stabilities of 40ppm.

The business model is hardware sales of one-time-purchase precision instruments priced via quote, with no disclosed recurring revenue component. Clarke-Hess serves three primary customer segments: national standards laboratories (NIST, NPL, PTB, Australia's National Laboratory, LCIE), military and government agencies (NASA, U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Sandia), and commercial/industrial firms (Boeing, Honeywell, Rockwell, Fluke, Philips, GE, Duke Power, Southern California Edison, Consolidated Edison). Go-to-market relies on a nine-country international sales representative network across Asia-Pacific and Europe, direct sales from the New York headquarters for North American accounts, technical-paper publications, and exhibiting at the National Conference of Standards Laboratories (NCSL). Phase-accuracy traceability to NIST, NPL, and PTB and 55+ years of brand reputation are the principal competitive differentiators. The company is led by President Kenneth Salz (formerly President of North Atlantic Instruments) and Vice President of Engineering Dante Alessi (joined 2005).

Name

Clarke Hess

Legal name

Clarke-Hess Communications Research Corp.

Website

https://clarke-hess.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clarke-Hess is a privately held Medford, NY-based manufacturer of DC and low-frequency precision electronic test and measurement instruments (phase standards, phase meters, power analyzers, transconductance amplifiers, distortion analyzers), serving national standards laboratories, military agencies, and aerospace/industrial primes worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Test and Measurement Equipment

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Calibration Services & Standards (Calibration labs, reference standards, traceability services) (IMAGAFAH), Metering, Calibration & Flow Measurement Verification (EUAEAHAM)

Keywords

• Precision electrical measurement
• Phase angle measurement
• Power analysis instruments
• Electronic test equipment
• Calibration instrumentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Medford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Precision Measurement Instruments: Sale of precision electronic test and measurement instruments including phase standards, phase meters, power analyzers, transconductance amplifiers, and distortion analyzers. Products are sold as one-time purchases with no recurring revenue model indicated.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Clarke-Hess designs and manufactures precision electronic test and measurement instruments for DC and low-frequency applications, including phase standards, phase meters, phase angle voltmeters, wideband power analyzers, distortion analyzers, transconductance amplifiers, and AC reference sources. These instruments are sold primarily to national standards laboratories, military and aerospace agencies, and commercial/industrial electronics firms for calibration, verification, and precision measurement applications.

Product overview

Clarke-Hess Communications Research Corp., founded in 1969, is an electronics test and measurement company specializing in dc/low frequency precision instrumentation. The company offers a portfolio of precision measurement instruments including the Model 5600 Phase Standard (digital phase angle standard), Model 6000A Phase Meter and Model 2600 Phase Angle Voltmeter (phase measurement devices), Model 2335A Wideband Power Analyzer (power measurement from DC to 1MHz), Model 7600 Distortion Analyzer, Model 8200/8210 Transconductance Amplifiers (100A, 100kHz precision current generation), Model 515 High Accuracy AC Reference Source (reference excitation for LVDT/Synchro/Resolver transducers), and supporting accessories including Model 610/650 Current Shunts and Model 5002 Phase Verification Bridges. The products are used by national standards laboratories, military agencies, and commercial/industrial firms worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Model 5600 Phase Standard Digital Phase Angle Standard providing two digitally controllable sine waves with relative phase adjustable in 0.0001 degree steps over ±999.999 degrees, across 1Hz to 1MHz frequency range and amplitudes from 50mV to 120V. Targeted at national standards laboratories for primary phase calibration and verification.
• Model 2600 Phase Angle Voltmeter DSP-based Phase Angle Voltmeter for phase angle, in-phase, quadrature, fundamental, and total component measurements, with optional built-in reference generator. Targeted at Synchro/Resolver and LVDT/RVDT applications requiring third-channel differential measurements.
• Model 6000A Phase Meter Precision Phase Meter measuring phase difference between two input signals from 5Hz to 1MHz with 0.001 degree resolution and automatic range selection. Used for line frequency and broadband phase measurement applications.
• Model 2335A Wideband Power Analyzer Wideband Power Analyzer measuring true rms Voltage, Current, and Power over DC to more than 1MHz, with harmonic analysis and Total Harmonic Distortion capabilities. Serves power measurement applications in computers, aircraft, telephone, power supply, electric locomotive, transformer, ferrite, fluorescent lamp, ultrasonics, and motor control industries.
• Model 7600 Distortion Analyzer Distortion Analyzer using digital techniques with analog front end, covering 10Hz to 600kHz with automatic range selection for amplitude and distortion measurements. Used for low-distortion measurement and verification.
• Model 8200/8210 Transconductance Amplifier Precision Transconductance Amplifiers producing output current proportional to input voltage. Model 8200 covers DC to 100kHz and Model 8210 covers DC to 10kHz, with ranges from 2mA to 100A. Used for precision current generation in calibration and test applications.
• Model 515 High Accuracy AC Reference Source High Accuracy AC Reference Generator providing reference excitation for LVDT and Synchro/Resolver transducers with 0.1% voltage accuracy, 0.001V resolution, up to 12VA output power, 360Hz to 20kHz frequency range, built-in load sensing, and galvanically isolated outputs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Model 6000A Phase Meter achieves 0.020° accuracy and 0.001° resolution over 5Hz to 1MHz
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)coreOthersPhase accuracy traceable to NIST standards. NIST is a primary customer and standards reference point for Clarke-Hess instruments.
• NPL (National Physical Laboratory, UK)coreOthersPhase accuracy traceable to NPL standards in England. Primary national standards laboratory reference for Clarke-Hess products in the UK.
• PTB (National Laboratory of Germany)coreOthersPhase accuracy traceable to PTB. German national standards laboratory using Clarke-Hess phase standards.
• National Laboratory of AustraliacoreOthersAustralian national standards laboratory using Clarke-Hess instruments for precision calibration.
• LCIE (French National Laboratory)coreOthersFrench national laboratory using Clarke-Hess precision measurement instruments.
• Sandia National LabscoreOthersU.S. National Laboratories using Clarke-Hess transconductance amplifiers for precision measurement applications.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Vitrek (formerly Clarke-Hess 2335A compatible ecosystem): Specialist in high-voltage measurement and electrical safety testers; comparable niche-T&M positioning and adjacent product overlap with Clarke-Hess's precision power and phase instrumentation.
• Kikusui Electronics: Japanese T&M and power electronics instrument maker with overlap in power measurement and AC reference source categories relevant to Clarke-Hess's precision AC reference and power analyzer lines.

Broad incumbents

• Yokogawa Test & Measurement: Established provider of precision power analyzers and electrical measurement instruments used in industrial and laboratory environments. Directly overlaps with Clarke-Hess's wideband power analyzer and electrical calibration offerings.
• Rohde & Schwarz: Global T&M incumbent with strong positions in oscilloscopes, power analyzers, and signal generators that overlap with Clarke-Hess's phase and power instrumentation, while serving a much broader customer base.
• Keysight Technologies: Large incumbent test and measurement company offering electrical bench instruments, signal analyzers, and power analyzers that overlap with Clarke-Hess's phase, power, and distortion measurement portfolio, though at broader scope and scale.

Direct peers

• North Atlantic Instruments: Specialty precision instrumentation vendor historically focused on synchro/resolver and angle-position measurement, closely adjacent to Clarke-Hess's Phase Angle Voltmeter and LVDT/Synchro/Resolver application space.
• Newtons4th (N4L): UK-based specialist in high-precision power analyzers and electrical measurement instruments, directly comparable to Clarke-Hess's Model 2335A wideband power analyzer in target customers and applications.
• Hioki E.E. Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of electrical measurement instruments including power meters, phase detectors, and precision analyzers serving similar industrial, utility, and laboratory customers as Clarke-Hess.
• Fluke Calibration: A division of Fluke Corporation focused on precision calibration instrumentation for electrical, temperature, pressure, and flow metrology. Directly comparable as a supplier of high-accuracy calibration standards and bench instruments to national laboratories and industrial calibration labs.
• Stanford Research Systems: Manufacturer of high-precision test and measurement instruments including lock-in amplifiers, spectrum analyzers, and signal generators. Comparable as a specialty niche T&M vendor serving research and standards-grade measurement applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clarke-hess

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clarke Hess