To learn more about electronics in a different way, "a very effective way," check out my Patreon page. "This is where I share more of my knowledge." I also share many of my designs and inventions there as well. Join the community! Click here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab
Did you say what that tube was from the last video? I just watched it today and I know what that is and didn't see it mentioned in the comments. Of course I'm behind on watching when you ask something I know. ;)
You see how much they want on FleeBay since you released this video? LOL There is one brand-new never used for $750+$33 shipping. I'm tempted, but no, I'll stick with my DVMs 8-(
thought that they could of made a ground box like a old square capacitor that can screw into the frame from the other side....like a home outlet you plug in your copper ground wire....to remove you push down the clamp in the hole
I like his show a lot too but he has too many instruments he will never use. I keep on thinking that one day they are going to fall and nobody will ever find him.
I think that this is the best way for me and a whole lot of others. I think two. Have a new understanding a different way about interacting with electrical components I want more of that Because you also do it. without any music going on and all that crazy stuff.in the background I appreciate it. The way you go about your teaching is fun I also have a a whole list of inventions. You would be the perfect person for me. We could make electric trip free as you know, it should be for everyone.
For those of you new to this channel, be advised - this is, by far, the best electronics channel on UA-cam. Mr. Carlson is extremely skilled and a gifted teacher. His work is absolutely impeccable.
Mr Carlson you are The Electronics Engineer "Engineer "... Great to watch , so absorbing ,even for us non engineers ,with little (very little ) knowledge. But learning much from watching you. Many thanks ...
I repaired many of those ME-26D/U meters while working as a electronic technician for the government. They were heavily used to align radio equipment. A very good meter in the day.
@TheGordy1950 If you repaired those, do you remember what the most common problems were? I used that meter when I was in the army as a Radar repairman. The meter needed to be larger and have a mirror behind the needle. Other than that, it was just another VTVM. And as he showed, the aging resistors went out of tolerance and it lost its accuracy. I think it would be interesting to convert a VTVM from tubes to FETs. That would eliminate the heat, which is the cause of drift.
This meter is an old friend. I used the ME-26D/U in the 80's to repair radio equipment in the Army. Anytime we got any new equipment we were told it came from the Navy when they got new equipment. I do remember using this meter to adjust for peak voltages in tuning circuits. I never thought I would see one again. Thanks for sharing.
I love watching these. Despite his clear love and respect for these devices, admiring their design, he repeatedly calls components and the entire appliance "this thing". I believe that's entirely appropriate. Yes, here is a piece of historical interest, perhaps with some strange beauty behind it, but its ultimate purpose is as test equipment. It's to be enjoyed, sure, but it is also to be used. A wonderful balance always comes across in these videos, between hushed reverence and a plan for the device to be put to work. This thing is a means to an end. I raised an eyebrow at the health of a capacitor that's the same age as me, as it's in far better condition.
Using a desoldering pump "case" as the case for that "non contact signal injection thing" - probe is a brilliant idea! Finally those annoying "hand desoldering things" have a purpose!
I am a chemical engineer with no intention of ever repairing anything like you do. But I have watched almost all of your videos. I find them very interesting.
The best safety device on Earth is a well educated mind. I was well aware of the fact that bringing any part of my body into contact with both sides of any voltage source makes the body a part of the circuit, and that voltages much over 30 could be at least painful, and at most fatal. Relying on loads of safety features is like expecting your brakes would never fail. Nothing beats the "Three Cs": Care, Caution and Common sense.
Bill, I also remember the old Left-Hand Rule when working/probing with live tube gear ! Put your left hand in your pocket !! Never put your left hand if you are right handed, anywhere on the chassis or near any ground potential ! If you were to slip while probing and hit some HV B+, your heart would be in the path of the current as you become part of the circuit !!!
@@joed2392 Yeah, I learned that the hard way when I was maybe 12. My dad did more damage to my butt than the current did to my heart. Then, when my mother got hold of my dad for allowing me to play at his workbench, we were both grounded fro a while. With the power off, of course!
@@WCM1945 Yup, there's nothing like coming to on a cold terrazzo floor. And still not being able to see anything but bright blue stars !! And my parents screaming call the ambulance......!! 800v at 400ma will be seared in my brains Forever More !! lol
This was one really nice meter. You can see the difference between domestic and military. Just that power cord alone shows the difference. Such a thick, well insulated cable
I own several of these meters. In my opinion these are the best VTVM ever made. I also have the coax cable line section adapter that allows you to connect it in line with a coax cable and then you remove the pointy tip from the probe and then lock it into the adapter. I did at least one video on these, maybe two. To me no bench is complete without one of these. Two of the meters I have came from NASA. They have custom aluminum NASA serial number tags on the top. Nice piece of electronics history. Of interest, have you ever seen the probe tube new in the box. I have a couple and the Eimac tube boxes are HUGE. You could stick a couple hundred of the tubes in the box they used for only one tube. I wouldn't be sure the capacitor was actually leaking. It may have just been moisture making the aluminum can oxidize slightly. If I'm not mistaken all the US military caps are hermetically sealed. If you ever need to replace the AC probe "twinax" cable and have trouble finding it I have a whole roll of it. Took me a while to find a full roll at a reasonable price but eventually got a 100 foot roll on ebay cheap. If you need some just ask, would be happy to send you some.
Hi Mike I also watched your video a couple months back. Update : It's not the probe tube but the 0B2 Voltage regulator tube that can contain radioactive material. Thanks to douro20 for the correction. ---------------- I believe the reason why the probe tube boxes are so large and packed so well is because (per the service manual 2nd or 3rd page in) the tube contains radioactive material! Here's an excerpt: ------ WARNING: RADIATION HAZARD - Tube type 0B2 used in this test set contain radioactive material. This tube is potentially hazardous when broken; see qualified medial personnel and the Safety Director if you are exposed to or cut by broken tubes. Use extreme care in replacing this tube and follow safe procedures in its handling, storage and disposal. -Never place radioactive tubes in your pocket. -Use extreme care not to break radioactive tubes while handling them. -Never remove radioactive tubes from cartons until ready to use them. ----- So, there ya go I'd guess that's probably why. :) When I saw your video I went to ebay and found a ME 26 "B"/U for about $15! :) The service manual is listed as applicable for the ME-26(*)/U (where * is A-D) Have yet to restore and calibrate it but looking forward to getting around to it as am able. :) Thanks to you and Mr Carlson here for the great info on this meter! :)
This has to be one of your best videos yet. Lots of interesting content. I consider myself one of your anonymous students. I fixed an HP 35660A Spectrum Analyzer that had both a bad switch mode power supply and a faulty RAM chip using some of the things I've picked up from you. And that was quite a feat for me since I'm an amateur. So, thanks for that. Waiting to see the next Vedolyzer installment. I plan on subscribing to your Patreon when I have the time to really get into it.
Paul, I am SO pleased that you like analog multimeters. Tell you why: When digital meters came out, many wanted to throw their analog meters in the trashcan; feeling that they were worthless "now". So I told my technicians that they must always have an analog and a digital meter when at work; because there are a number of instances where an analog meter is MUCH better than a digital meter. IE: when aligning a device using a voltmeter; for if you use a digital meter it will drive you crazy; with untold numbers coming and going at the same time. Also, when testing digits (not tones) coming from a telephone when dialing. A digital meter is worthless in this case. Lastly, in MOST cases exact voltages are not necessary, so an analog "multimeter" is fine. And on and on. Thus KEEP that analog meter folks. You will USE it. Promise! So thanks again Paul for keeping these awesome "Gems", in an era where "digital" rules supreme.
Had one of these fine meters in the shop I worked for twenty plus years ago. Absolutely loved it . It even had the military inspection approval tag from a long gone military electronics depot..
Well @ 3:17 time, you proved that you are not only a genius when it comes to electronics; but you have a genius way of saying things, that knocks me out. I am sure others feel the same. LOL!
I never had any schooling say for to be electronics engineer. But working, building with a engineer a unlink station you and him are just a like. You show and tell. My buddy would tell me to build it. So sure wish could make a trip up to Canada and visit you. Sure enjoy your shows. I have pushed your shows to new Hams to learn electronics.
There exists an updated calibration procedure for both the ME-26D/U and the HP-410C which is contained in Army Technical Bulletin TB 9-6625-2114-2, dated 2009. The calibration procedure has been tweaked to reflect more modern methods and includes performance checks at each step.
Mr. Carlson, love your videos but more than anything, i love your "studio" where you start your videos. i want all your tubes and dials and buttons on my walls, all looks sick!!! what startrek or dunno what else old scifi movies. YOU ARE THE ONE! nobody can beat you. no jokes now, i would love to have more time to actually learn all that you know, you explain em nicely, very clean language, i understand everything! awsome, thank you!
@Chuck Kirchner Indeed! They even make 'dedicated' drivers for them... Snap-On makes two sizes; and saw others along with a ton of Dsus (and Dzus knock off) fasteners on Amazon a year or so back.
It's true, everything you said about alignments is spot on. Digital multimeters are quite functional and have their place for many reasons, but the old analog meters with the needle shows you much more than any graduated bar graph. Anyway thanks for a very informative and intuitive video ... very interesting, well thought out and thoroughly explained.
Another thing good about the old analog dial & needle meters, is you can see a trend in changing values. Example, the double deflection test of capacitors, as in the ones in PSC motors. With a digital meter, all you see is flashing numbers too fast to read. In a old meter, you can see the needle deflect and go back down. I love my old "bench meter".
Joseph Patton some new meters have a line that acts the same as a needle. I’ve only seen it on Flukes. But it’s been awhile since I used an analogue meter to test caps, all my meters check capacitance now, even the cheap ones.
Oh my gosh, that vacuum tube probe..... Little piece of fastener trivia, the screws that hold the back panel are called Dzus Fasteners. They are used extensively in the military.
Years ago I was calibrating the CRT on a video game cabinet I'd finished rewiring but I didn't have a mirror to see the back of the cabinet. Like an idiot, I proceeded without one. So while I was peering around the front of the cabinet to watch the display, I strained to reach around back for the VR I needed to adjust and I grabbed the horizontal output transistor instead. That was... memorable.
I remember that meter. A friend of mine acquired two of them back in the 70's at a hamfest. He gave me one of them. It is a great meter. I don't remember what happened to it, but after several moves, I had to get rid of most of my old equipment. I wish I would have kept this one.
Nobody's UA-camr like you Mr Paul. you're not only an engineer or a teacher but you're also an inventor, and I really like your invention. Thank you so much for your help and hard work to make this things happen.
I remember using one of these in the U.S. Navy. A VTVM is an essential tool. I'm working on an old Heathkit IG-5237 FM Stereo Signal Generator. Calibration procedures call for setting a voltage level on the output of a 19khz Pierce oscillator. My DMM is useless for this procedure. My VTVM works great! It pretty much agrees with P-P on my oscilloscopes after conversion to RMS.
Back in a Time when manufacturers took pride in they're products. HP use to hold some Serious Integrity and Top Shelf Performance. They ( HP ) and outfits like Tektronics lead the field in Test Gear for sure. In the right hands that Older Gear can still be counted on to perform every bit as well compared to most of the New Crap .
I agree completely, this is why I own many older Tek scopes. For some "fine low noise measurements," you cant beat them, even with modern day scopes. This is the stuff that isn't taught today. "Everything has it's place."
Awww. Watch all your videos and suddenly found this one wich I must have missed some time in the past , now I watched it and my life is complete again. Thanks for the video, it was a lot of work for you to get this nice old meter into spec. Nice.
A warm probe :-) what every deviant desire's hahahahaha Thank's paul. Well you opened the door, who am I not to walk thru. ;-) Hope you have a great day.
Judging by what happened with Kara in Detroit: Become Human, I don't think deviants would appreciate someone just randomly plugging stuff into them. :)
Can't wait for that small triode audio amplifier project you mentioned in the trivia part!! Please make that a long full time video with loads of detail 😎😎😎
I love this video! Since i own one of the exact same model, I can use the info to do a checkup on mine. I was also lucky, I got mine from a guy that bought 3 of these from an army surplus auction it was still packed in its box with labels from the last army signal corp calibration in 1983!
omg ---> a new Mr Carlson's Lab vidjah runs to the kitchen ,.. fetch me a beer aaaand some potatoe chips ---------> ready to watch the video lets do this
I can remember learning to repair that multimeter at Ft. Gordon in 1970. I also repaired quite a few of them when I was stationed at ARADMAC in Corpus Christi TX as well as many more as a civilian in the instrument shop at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania.
There is that distinct possibility! After instrument shop, I left Tobyhanna for a time because under the VRA program, (veterans readjustment act), I would not be able to get a promotion beyond a WG-5, I had to leave so I could be rehired outside that program. When I came back I was in the fledgling SATCOM area of Radio shop as a WG-5 step 2. There I worked my way up to a journeyman level of a WG-12 step 5. @@MrCarlsonsLab
Thanks Paul! Before I take something apart or start desoldering wires, I take photos from different angles. I have no idea what those are - maybe some heated audio amplifier IC's?
I'd like to find one of those meters as clean as that one ! I would see some of the HP version at Hamfest's now and then, but in pretty rough shape. Great job on resistor builds !! Way back when.... I had to really closely match resistors values. I would grab a meter and break out the swiss triangle file and start notching the resistor, till it was on the money ! Then coat it with some coil dope, to keep moisture out ! Keep the Great videos coming !!! PS: I'm still working on the 80meter QRP rig, I'll send you one to check out. Maybe have a QSO, one winter eve !
I definitely agree with replacing aging old capacitors. In order to maintain the proper value and state of capacitors they would have to be in a very temperature stable environment and 10 times out of 10 they're not. I find using "New Old Stock" replacements stupid in that regard, yeah you might get that "original sound" out of your amplifier, but you won't be having any enjoyment out of it when the cap shorts and your beloved amplifier goes up in smoke taking the impossible to find power transformer with it. With new top quality and dead reliable Nichicon and other well known brands producing capacitors for bargains it's worth replacing them. With every video I watch even about devices and equipment I don't have much interest in, I always learn new valuable lessons about electronics. You always pay great attention to detail about how every little mechanism and circuit works where others would look over them. I don't mind these longer videos you produce because every minute is packed with details and insights that are worth learning! You're a great mentor/teacher and your lessons are appreciated by all of your viewers, thank you!
You always have very informative videos. I have one of these meters I have been thinking about restoring and really helps. Thanks for all the work you put into this channel. Dennis
Excellent video Paul... I doubt I'd have the patience to do the alignment the way it has to be done, especially on an analogue meter... My first meter was an analogue jobby, until I got it to explode measuring an extremely high voltage to which should have been low... I was next spoiled with a digital meter and never looked back... lol 10/10
Mr Carlson, I have noticed that you often make comments about wires that have been hooked into terminal lug holes, leaving the impression the this was somehow a Bad Thing. For those of us who worked in military or high-reliability electronics back in the day, you should be aware that this hooked loop was MANDATORY for connection reliability, especially in the presence of vibration, as in aircraft. Solder is not like peanut butter you slobber on the terminals. In fact, the mantra was that "with proper loops and crimping, the circuit should work properly without any solder!" This DVM, being a mil-spec unit, is a fine example of properly hooked-and-soldered wiring. Note also that only enough solder is applied to cover the connection. It was a requirement that you should be able to see the wire outlines in the connection (and individual wires, properly tinned, for stranded wires). I suspect that these requirement still hold for military equipment, although of course much less point-to-point wiring is still used. Keep up the good work! I enjoy looking at circuits from the Golden Age of Vacuum Tubes! Larry Miller
Exelent vid as always! What I like about this channel, it's about REAL electronics, not plugging a couple of wires into an Arduino (or whatever it's called), then spending 3 hours trying to get a program to run just to see a light flash!
One other benefit to the lock nut on the trimmers when they were used in a military environment. Every piece of equipment would be sent to a calibration lab on a periodic basis. The calibration technician would make the adjustments needed to calibrate the meter, then lock the calibration in. The last step was to add a tamper seal, usually with the following note, 'Calibration Void if Tampered with,' also on the seal would be the initials of the technician, the date and information about when to have the device calibrated again.
Hi Paul. I got one of those from Army Mars back when I was a member. Mine had the spare tubes in the back too. I never took mine apart so thanks for the look see and especially the AC tube. Mine came with a sticker that said it didn't meet spec at 700 MC. I still have it. I like that it doesn't need a battery for resistance measurements.
Awesome video Paul. I had the same exact Sentinel meter, and I have spare parts for it as well. I have a spare transformer, pots, A/C probe, tubes, precision resistors, gauge, etc. Your channel has been such a wealth of knowledge so if you need any of these parts let me know, they just sit on the shelf otherwise.
@@willievivanco1 what were you looking for? I have some parts left.. Also depends on where you live, I'm in the US and shipping outside of the US can be expensive
Thanks for another great video. That is a really nice meter. It was also interesting to see a case where resistors were actually a problem in a circuit where they weren't obviously being overheated. I got the feeling even you were a little surprised by that. That capacitor tester is something I need to build. As fast as it is to use, it's almost worth testing any new ones you're going to use just to be sure. New ones are generally good, but it would be a lot easier to find the rare bad one before it goes into a circuit than have to hunt it down afterwards when you'd assume it was good.
Hi Crim. Thats what I use it for. It's also interesting to test caps while they are being removed from circuit to see what circuits have higher degradation. There is a trend, which is very interesting.
Brings back memories of the old ME-26 as a calibration/repair technician with the U.S. army back in the early Seventies (Vietnam Era). We called that AC probe a donkey dck.
I always love your videos, I will be giving it a big thumbs up,however I felt like analysis of the circuit was skipped this time. It’s one of the things I appreciate the most. It helps me learn better how circuits work. Thank you
Very well done video and demo of your released projects (TOOLS !), i love them. Without doubt the best tube-tech channel on UA-cam :) Paul, your video's made my interest for (vintage) tube radio's grow even more. And because of my growing excitement about these devices I have bought and put together my own workbench with vintage gear I plan to recap, test and then ultimately use to restore some old tube radios: some 50's era Philips, Nordmende and even a 1930's British-built FERGUSON model 771 AC. My tools include some nice Heathkit pieces: IM-11 VTVM C-3 Condenser Checker IO-12 Laboratory Oscilloscope and my devices under test will be powered by an proper isolated Philips Variac and home-built lamp limiter, much after your example :) Thanks again so much for all the nice video's and projects. Best regards from Holland. - Raoul van Saanen
Those look like WeCo Fetrons: Solid state (FET) replacements for vacuum tubes used by many Telcos to reduce power consumption and increase reliability in many systems. I "converted" many, many "N" carrier systems from tube to Fetron as a telco tech back in the '70s. An example would be a KS-21066...
I own quite a bit of those (huge) Hewlett Packard test equipment, and this is by far the cleanest I have ever seen 😲 looks like it was made yesterday! And as usual a super great video Paul 👍
Just a quick comment about the test clips: All black clips, cables etc. get their color from carbon black (basically just really fine coal dust). That stuff is relatively conductive (way more than other pigments) and you can actually measure the difference between the leakage of a white and a black cable.
Very nice! I like the "dzus clip" fasteners on the back as well, any fastener that is captive and doesn't require wearing out my wrist is alright with me. I like the solder pump ncsi probe too, I'll have to build one!
It is a Nuvistor or similar vacuum tube which works on low voltages is what will be in the probe, Guys that device Mr Carlson invented is classified and you need to be a Patreon sub member MrCarlsonsLab to have access to the plans and how it works.
At 600 volts. The spark seems so small. The arc. Yet it could kill ? I expected to see sone big Clive sized sparks there. Ya that thing is amazing. Less than 4 volts vs 600. ? I haven’t looked at how it does that yet. How to make my own. But I’m a patron so I get to anytime. ! I think just learning how you came up with that one item is to take a huge stride in understanding electronics and the nature of electricity overall. Honestly the case alone mystifies and challenges me. Lol. If I only copy one thing of yours Paul I hope I can successfully copy that piece of sorcery. Oh wow that induction emitter is amazing too. Lmao. Wow !!!! F sakes man. Another beauty here.
The shock you'd get from something like that tester certainly wouldn't fry you to death or anything so dramatic. The spark is small because it's current limited. That's not the major danger. What you need to fear is what would happen if the shock went through your chest. From the moment you're born till you die the muscles of your heart beat in sync with each other, but there's nothing that keeps them in sync. They simply never go out of sync, normally. Unfortunately, electricity does exactly that. It really doesn't take much, and if even one of them get out of sync with the others, you're dead. Simple as that. 5 minutes to live at the most.
If you have a hollow-shaft 1/2 inch nutdriver, you can drill right through the handle. It works with a long shaft screwdriver to adjust the locking pots,
Just picked up a Sentinel ME-26B/U. Previous owner left a lot of screws out, took all of the rear variable potentiometer locking nuts off, and there's two burnt pcbs inside. Tubes look ok but there are no shields, just the bases they go on. Hopefully it's not a lemon.
To learn more about electronics in a different way, "a very effective way," check out my Patreon page. "This is where I share more of my knowledge." I also share many of my designs and inventions there as well. Join the community! Click here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab
Could you please taught me electronics from basic to intermediate through direct conversation tier
On your patreon page
Did you say what that tube was from the last video? I just watched it today and I know what that is and didn't see it mentioned in the comments.
Of course I'm behind on watching when you ask something I know. ;)
You see how much they want on FleeBay since you released this video? LOL There is one brand-new never used for $750+$33 shipping. I'm tempted, but no, I'll stick with my DVMs 8-(
I just became a patron of Mr. Carlson. You just can't beat this channel!
thought that they could of made a ground box like a old square capacitor that can screw into the frame from the other side....like a home outlet you plug in your copper ground wire....to remove you push down the clamp in the hole
As a Broadcast Engineer, I must say this is the best channel on UA-cam!
I like his show a lot too but he has too many instruments he will never use. I keep on thinking that one day they are going to fall and nobody will ever find him.
Agreed!
@@latengocomoburro Believe it or not, he really has a use for every one of those devices he has in his lab. Each one has a purpose.
I think that this is the best way for me and a whole lot of others. I think two. Have a new understanding a different way about interacting with electrical components I want more of that Because you also do it. without any music going on and all that crazy stuff.in the background I appreciate it. The way you go about your teaching is fun I also have a a whole list of inventions. You would be the perfect person for me. We could make electric trip free as you know, it should be for everyone.
@@latengocomoburro to the fuel because the schedule you
Your videos should be mandatory viewing for every technician course.
For those of you new to this channel, be advised - this is, by far, the best electronics channel on UA-cam. Mr. Carlson is extremely skilled and a gifted teacher. His work is absolutely impeccable.
Mr Carlson you are The Electronics Engineer "Engineer "...
Great to watch , so absorbing ,even for us non engineers ,with little (very little ) knowledge. But learning much from watching you.
Many thanks ...
Been doing hobby electronics since I was a kid (50’s) and I still learn something from every one of your videos.
Thank you very much for all your hard work. I love your videos!
You're very welcome Glenn!
I repaired many of those ME-26D/U meters while working as a electronic technician for the government. They were heavily used to align radio equipment. A very good meter in the day.
@TheGordy1950
If you repaired those, do you remember what the most common problems were? I used that meter when I was in the army as a Radar repairman. The meter needed to be larger and have a mirror behind the needle. Other than that, it was just another VTVM. And as he showed, the aging resistors went out of tolerance and it lost its accuracy. I think it would be interesting to convert a VTVM from tubes to FETs. That would eliminate the heat, which is the cause of drift.
... or any day! I love the rediculously overbuilt design!
This meter is an old friend. I used the ME-26D/U in the 80's to repair radio equipment in the Army. Anytime we got any new equipment we were told it came from the Navy when they got new equipment. I do remember using this meter to adjust for peak voltages in tuning circuits. I never thought I would see one again. Thanks for sharing.
My favorite channel! Well done sir 👍
Im a 24 yr old in Hollywood who just getting into these neat electronics and the video is a great help in understand the items even more in depth.
Thanks for your feedback!
I love watching these. Despite his clear love and respect for these devices, admiring their design, he repeatedly calls components and the entire appliance "this thing". I believe that's entirely appropriate. Yes, here is a piece of historical interest, perhaps with some strange beauty behind it, but its ultimate purpose is as test equipment. It's to be enjoyed, sure, but it is also to be used. A wonderful balance always comes across in these videos, between hushed reverence and a plan for the device to be put to work. This thing is a means to an end.
I raised an eyebrow at the health of a capacitor that's the same age as me, as it's in far better condition.
Using a desoldering pump "case" as the case for that "non contact signal injection thing" - probe is a brilliant idea!
Finally those annoying "hand desoldering things" have a purpose!
LOL, I Agree!
I am a chemical engineer with no intention of ever repairing anything like you do. But I have watched almost all of your videos. I find them very interesting.
Thanks 👍
Same
Beautiful piece of gear. And so clean. I saw and operated beautiful equipment as a U.S. Navy Radioman, 1964 to 1976.
The best safety device on Earth is a well educated mind. I was well aware of the fact that bringing any part of my body into contact with both sides of any voltage source makes the body a part of the circuit, and that voltages much over 30 could be at least painful, and at most fatal. Relying on loads of safety features is like expecting your brakes would never fail. Nothing beats the "Three Cs": Care, Caution and Common sense.
100% Bill!
Bill, I also remember the old Left-Hand Rule when working/probing with live tube gear ! Put your left hand in your pocket !!
Never put your left hand if you are right handed, anywhere on the chassis or near any ground potential ! If you were to slip while probing and hit some HV B+, your heart would be in the path of the current as you become part of the circuit !!!
@@joed2392 Yeah, I learned that the hard way when I was maybe 12. My dad did more damage to my butt than the current did to my heart. Then, when my mother got hold of my dad for allowing me to play at his workbench, we were both grounded fro a while. With the power off, of course!
@@WCM1945 Yup, there's nothing like coming to on a cold terrazzo floor. And still not being able to see anything but bright blue stars !! And my parents screaming call the ambulance......!!
800v at 400ma will be seared in my brains Forever More !! lol
@@joed2392 Sounds like the plate supply of a 1/4 kW transmitter...
This was one really nice meter. You can see the difference between domestic and military. Just that power cord alone shows the difference. Such a thick, well insulated cable
I own several of these meters. In my opinion these are the best VTVM ever made. I also have the coax cable line section adapter that allows you to connect it in line with a coax cable and then you remove the pointy tip from the probe and then lock it into the adapter. I did at least one video on these, maybe two. To me no bench is complete without one of these.
Two of the meters I have came from NASA. They have custom aluminum NASA serial number tags on the top. Nice piece of electronics history.
Of interest, have you ever seen the probe tube new in the box. I have a couple and the Eimac tube boxes are HUGE. You could stick a couple hundred of the tubes in the box they used for only one tube.
I wouldn't be sure the capacitor was actually leaking. It may have just been moisture making the aluminum can oxidize slightly. If I'm not mistaken all the US military caps are hermetically sealed.
If you ever need to replace the AC probe "twinax" cable and have trouble finding it I have a whole roll of it. Took me a while to find a full roll at a reasonable price but eventually got a 100 foot roll on ebay cheap. If you need some just ask, would be happy to send you some.
Thanks for stopping by Mike! I looked at some of your video's as well. They are a great meter.
Hi Mike I also watched your video a couple months back.
Update : It's not the probe tube but the 0B2 Voltage regulator tube that can contain radioactive material. Thanks to douro20 for the correction.
----------------
I believe the reason why the probe tube boxes are so large and packed so well is because (per the service manual 2nd or 3rd page in) the tube contains radioactive material!
Here's an excerpt:
------
WARNING: RADIATION HAZARD - Tube type 0B2 used in this test set contain radioactive material. This tube is potentially hazardous when broken; see qualified medial personnel and the Safety Director if you are exposed to or cut by broken tubes. Use extreme care in replacing this tube and follow safe procedures in its handling, storage and disposal.
-Never place radioactive tubes in your pocket.
-Use extreme care not to break radioactive tubes while handling them.
-Never remove radioactive tubes from cartons until ready to use them.
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So, there ya go I'd guess that's probably why. :)
When I saw your video I went to ebay and found a ME 26 "B"/U for about $15! :)
The service manual is listed as applicable for the ME-26(*)/U (where * is A-D)
Have yet to restore and calibrate it but looking forward to getting around to it as am able. :)
Thanks to you and Mr Carlson here for the great info on this meter! :)
This has to be one of your best videos yet. Lots of interesting content. I consider myself one of your anonymous students. I fixed an HP 35660A Spectrum Analyzer that had both a bad switch mode power supply and a faulty RAM chip using some of the things I've picked up from you. And that was quite a feat for me since I'm an amateur. So, thanks for that. Waiting to see the next Vedolyzer installment. I plan on subscribing to your Patreon when I have the time to really get into it.
Paul, I am SO pleased that you like analog multimeters. Tell you why: When digital meters came out, many wanted to throw their analog meters in the trashcan; feeling that they were worthless "now".
So I told my technicians that they must always have an analog and a digital meter when at work; because there are a number of instances where an analog meter is MUCH better than a digital meter. IE: when aligning a device using a voltmeter; for if you use a digital meter it will drive you crazy; with untold numbers coming and going at the same time.
Also, when testing digits (not tones) coming from a telephone when dialing. A digital meter is worthless in this case. Lastly, in MOST cases exact voltages are not necessary, so an analog "multimeter" is fine.
And on and on. Thus KEEP that analog meter folks. You will USE it. Promise!
So thanks again Paul for keeping these awesome "Gems", in an era where "digital" rules supreme.
Very good restoration
This was literally the first multimeter I was trained on and used when i joined the army way back in 1983.
'way back in 1983'?.
mcz681, I trained as a 35B on the ME26 at Ft Gordon, GA in 1972.
love the electronic trivia as a technician its a good refresh etc
So so awesome!!!! Just purchased this meter and can't wait to restore and calibrate. Thanks for your amazing shared talents!!
Cool free thinking, a joy to watch.
Had one of these fine meters in the shop I worked for twenty plus years ago. Absolutely loved it .
It even had the military inspection approval tag from a long gone military electronics depot..
Was hoping for something like this. Great Paul. Yup. I’m like 30 seconds in and already see the action packed in this one right here.
Two hours of quality. Quality equipment too.
Well @ 3:17 time, you proved that you are not only a genius when it comes to electronics; but you have a genius way of saying things, that knocks me out. I am sure others feel the same.
LOL!
That capacitor is just like me. Born on the same year, although there is a bit of leakage, still functioning well... :-)
to me, this is an electronic art masterpiece, thank you for bringing this to us!
I never had any schooling say for to be electronics engineer. But working, building with a engineer a unlink station you and him are just a like. You show and tell. My buddy would tell me to build it.
So sure wish could make a trip up to Canada and visit you. Sure enjoy your shows. I have pushed your shows to new Hams to learn electronics.
This looks like brand new inside. Beautiful!
There exists an updated calibration procedure for both the ME-26D/U and the HP-410C which is contained in Army Technical Bulletin TB 9-6625-2114-2, dated 2009. The calibration procedure has been tweaked to reflect more modern methods and includes performance checks at each step.
Super, thank you very much for producing and posting
You're very welcome Karl!
Always like seeing military grade electronic equipment, thanks Mr. Carlson Go Navy.
Mr. Carlson, love your videos but more than anything, i love your "studio" where you start your videos. i want all your tubes and dials and buttons on my walls, all looks sick!!! what startrek or dunno what else old scifi movies. YOU ARE THE ONE! nobody can beat you. no jokes now, i would love to have more time to actually learn all that you know, you explain em nicely, very clean language, i understand everything! awsome, thank you!
Those rear half turn Fasteners are called Dzus fasteners for those that are curious we use them extensively on race car access panels
They use them a good bit on some light aircraft as well... for stuff that needs to be frequently accessed; engine cowlings for instance.
.... But pain in the ass when time panel the Zeus fasteners are holding get destroyed during a wreck.
But yeah, we still use them.
@Chuck Kirchner Indeed! They even make 'dedicated' drivers for them... Snap-On makes two sizes; and saw others along with a ton of Dsus (and Dzus knock off) fasteners on Amazon a year or so back.
It's true, everything you said about alignments is spot on. Digital multimeters are quite functional and have their place for many reasons, but the old analog meters with the needle shows you much more than any graduated bar graph. Anyway thanks for a very informative and intuitive video ... very interesting, well thought out and thoroughly explained.
Another thing good about the old analog dial & needle meters, is you can see a trend in changing values. Example, the double deflection test of capacitors, as in the ones in PSC motors. With a digital meter, all you see is flashing numbers too fast to read. In a old meter, you can see the needle deflect and go back down. I love my old "bench meter".
Joseph Patton some new meters have a line that acts the same as a needle. I’ve only seen it on Flukes. But it’s been awhile since I used an analogue meter to test caps, all my meters check capacitance now, even the cheap ones.
I use an AVO 8 for some measurements for exactly that reason
Oh my gosh, that vacuum tube probe.....
Little piece of fastener trivia, the screws that hold the back panel are called Dzus Fasteners. They are used extensively in the military.
And airplane cockpit LRU units.
Years ago I was calibrating the CRT on a video game cabinet I'd finished rewiring but I didn't have a mirror to see the back of the cabinet. Like an idiot, I proceeded without one. So while I was peering around the front of the cabinet to watch the display, I strained to reach around back for the VR I needed to adjust and I grabbed the horizontal output transistor instead. That was... memorable.
I did a similar thing when messing with an old neon transformer(12,000 VAC secondary). Not recommended.
I remember that meter. A friend of mine acquired two of them back in the 70's at a hamfest. He gave me one of them. It is a great meter. I don't remember what happened to it, but after several moves, I had to get rid of most of my old equipment. I wish I would have kept this one.
Nobody's UA-camr like you Mr Paul. you're not only an engineer or a teacher but you're also an inventor, and I really like your invention. Thank you so much for your help and hard work to make this things happen.
Thanks for your kind words Roy!
@@MrCarlsonsLab You're very welcome sir.
I remember using one of these in the U.S. Navy. A VTVM is an essential tool. I'm working on an old Heathkit IG-5237 FM Stereo Signal Generator. Calibration procedures call for setting a voltage level on the output of a 19khz Pierce oscillator. My DMM is useless for this procedure. My VTVM works great! It pretty much agrees with P-P on my oscilloscopes after conversion to RMS.
Thanks as always paul!
Alex.
More Mr Carlson's Lab, how can you go wrong.
Back in a Time when manufacturers took pride in they're products. HP use to hold some Serious Integrity and Top Shelf Performance. They ( HP ) and outfits like Tektronics lead the field in Test Gear for sure. In the right hands that Older Gear can still be counted on to perform every bit as well compared to most of the New Crap .
I agree completely, this is why I own many older Tek scopes. For some "fine low noise measurements," you cant beat them, even with modern day scopes. This is the stuff that isn't taught today. "Everything has it's place."
Awww. Watch all your videos and suddenly found this one wich I must have missed some time in the past , now I watched it and my life is complete again. Thanks for the video, it was a lot of work for you to get this nice old meter into spec. Nice.
How can you give a thumb down to this guy! Just an absolute pleasure to watch!
Amazing Inventions!
😉👍
Learned Alot Thank You! 😊 👍
A warm probe :-) what every deviant desire's hahahahaha Thank's paul. Well you opened the door, who am I not to walk thru. ;-) Hope you have a great day.
Judging by what happened with Kara in Detroit: Become Human, I don't think deviants would appreciate someone just randomly plugging stuff into them. :)
Thanks for another great video, it was well worth 2 hours of my day to learn so much!
You have the best videos. Thank you so much for taking the time to educate us in such an informative way.
Glad you like them Grady!
Sorry life, you'll have to wait. Mr Carlson has posted a new video, I'll be back in about 2 hours.
It's always worth it might I add!
Mr Carlson has more test gear than the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Australia, it;s unbelievable !
Can't wait for that small triode audio amplifier project you mentioned in the trivia part!! Please make that a long full time video with loads of detail 😎😎😎
i love the new approach of combining your highly skilled knowledge with the concept of lower the requirements for your video (courses) ;-) thanks
I love this video! Since i own one of the exact same model, I can use the info to do a checkup on mine. I was also lucky, I got mine from a guy that bought 3 of these from an army surplus auction it was still packed in its box with labels from the last army signal corp calibration in 1983!
omg ---> a new Mr Carlson's Lab vidjah
runs to the kitchen ,.. fetch me a beer aaaand some potatoe chips ---------> ready to watch the video
lets do this
@Noel Conway. How come YOU get CHIIPS? I only get a beer (when I'm good).
Beer and chips are foods from the gods. At dinner time it's Beer, chips and pizza.
Just came to the channel. A very clean unit. Thanks for the video.
I can remember learning to repair that multimeter at Ft. Gordon in 1970. I also repaired quite a few of them when I was stationed at ARADMAC in Corpus Christi TX as well as many more as a civilian in the instrument shop at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania.
You may have worked on this at one time.
@@MrCarlsonsLab I may have, I repaired hundreds of them as well as ME-30's.
This one did visit Tobyhanna
There is that distinct possibility! After instrument shop, I left Tobyhanna for a time because under the VRA program, (veterans readjustment act), I would not be able to get a promotion beyond a WG-5, I had to leave so I could be rehired outside that program. When I came back I was in the fledgling SATCOM area of Radio shop as a WG-5 step 2. There I worked my way up to a journeyman level of a WG-12 step 5. @@MrCarlsonsLab
looks like something you might find in the radio shack on a navy ship. radios and radar etc. very cool, nice job as always.
Thanks Paul! Before I take something apart or start desoldering wires, I take photos from different angles.
I have no idea what those are - maybe some heated audio amplifier IC's?
I'd like to find one of those meters as clean as that one ! I would see some of the HP version at Hamfest's now and then, but in pretty rough shape. Great job on resistor builds !!
Way back when.... I had to really closely match resistors values. I would grab a meter and break out the swiss triangle file and start notching the resistor, till it was on the money ! Then coat it with some coil dope, to keep moisture out ! Keep the Great videos coming !!! PS: I'm still working on the 80meter QRP rig, I'll send you one to check out. Maybe have a QSO, one winter eve !
I watch this channel while i woodshed guitar.
I definitely agree with replacing aging old capacitors. In order to maintain the proper value and state of capacitors they would have to be in a very temperature stable environment and 10 times out of 10 they're not. I find using "New Old Stock" replacements stupid in that regard, yeah you might get that "original sound" out of your amplifier, but you won't be having any enjoyment out of it when the cap shorts and your beloved amplifier goes up in smoke taking the impossible to find power transformer with it. With new top quality and dead reliable Nichicon and other well known brands producing capacitors for bargains it's worth replacing them. With every video I watch even about devices and equipment I don't have much interest in, I always learn new valuable lessons about electronics. You always pay great attention to detail about how every little mechanism and circuit works where others would look over them. I don't mind these longer videos you produce because every minute is packed with details and insights that are worth learning! You're a great mentor/teacher and your lessons are appreciated by all of your viewers, thank you!
Thanks for your kind words Aidan!
Those devices at the end of the video are Fetrons used mainly by the phone company on repeaters and other units.
I was going to guess Teledyne can relays. They were often used in aerospace equipment. Hmmm. Could be either.
Average person= curious about electricity
Mr. Carlson= shocked the taste out of his mouth, became electronics shaman
I used this meter extensively in the army. We used tube pullers to remove them by pulling straight up.
You always have very informative videos. I have one of these meters I have been thinking about restoring and really helps. Thanks for all the work you put into this channel.
Dennis
Very nicely done Paul. Those are really good meters. I have the 410A. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by Buddy!
Excellent video Paul... I doubt I'd have the patience to do the alignment the way it has to be done, especially on an analogue meter... My first meter was an analogue jobby, until I got it to explode measuring an extremely high voltage to which should have been low... I was next spoiled with a digital meter and never looked back... lol 10/10
Mr Carlson,
I have noticed that you often make comments about wires that have been hooked into terminal lug holes, leaving the impression the this was somehow a Bad Thing.
For those of us who worked in military or high-reliability electronics back in the day, you should be aware that this hooked loop was MANDATORY for connection reliability, especially in the presence of vibration, as in aircraft. Solder is not like peanut butter you slobber on the terminals. In fact, the mantra was that "with proper loops and crimping, the circuit should work properly without any solder!"
This DVM, being a mil-spec unit, is a fine example of properly hooked-and-soldered wiring. Note also that only enough solder is applied to cover the connection. It was a requirement that you should be able to see the wire outlines in the connection (and individual wires, properly tinned, for stranded wires).
I suspect that these requirement still hold for military equipment, although of course much less point-to-point wiring is still used.
Keep up the good work! I enjoy looking at circuits from the Golden Age of Vacuum Tubes!
Larry Miller
Exelent vid as always! What I like about this channel, it's about REAL electronics, not plugging a couple of wires into an Arduino (or whatever it's called), then spending 3 hours trying to get a program to run just to see a light flash!
I worked as a marine engineer. I had to use analog test equipment. Still use them.
One other benefit to the lock nut on the trimmers when they were used in a military environment. Every piece of equipment would be sent to a calibration lab on a periodic basis. The calibration technician would make the adjustments needed to calibrate the meter, then lock the calibration in. The last step was to add a tamper seal, usually with the following note, 'Calibration Void if Tampered with,' also on the seal would be the initials of the technician, the date and information about when to have the device calibrated again.
Haha I just realized I posted a VTVM fix story on your patreon community page a day before :D
Hi Paul. I got one of those from Army Mars back when I was a member. Mine had the spare tubes in the back too. I never took mine apart so thanks for the look see and especially the AC tube. Mine came with a sticker that said it didn't meet spec at 700 MC. I still have it. I like that it doesn't need a battery for resistance measurements.
Awesome video Paul. I had the same exact Sentinel meter, and I have spare parts for it as well. I have a spare transformer, pots, A/C probe, tubes, precision resistors, gauge, etc. Your channel has been such a wealth of knowledge so if you need any of these parts let me know, they just sit on the shelf otherwise.
Thanks for your very kind offer Dacke!
you have some for sale dacke?
@@willievivanco1 what were you looking for? I have some parts left.. Also depends on where you live, I'm in the US and shipping outside of the US can be expensive
That meter look never use and like you said very well built ,nice find.
Thanks for another great video. That is a really nice meter. It was also interesting to see a case where resistors were actually a problem in a circuit where they weren't obviously being overheated. I got the feeling even you were a little surprised by that. That capacitor tester is something I need to build. As fast as it is to use, it's almost worth testing any new ones you're going to use just to be sure. New ones are generally good, but it would be a lot easier to find the rare bad one before it goes into a circuit than have to hunt it down afterwards when you'd assume it was good.
Hi Crim. Thats what I use it for. It's also interesting to test caps while they are being removed from circuit to see what circuits have higher degradation. There is a trend, which is very interesting.
Wow what a meter! Really really great job with the repairs/ preventive maintenance.
Brings back memories of the old ME-26 as a calibration/repair technician with the U.S. army back in the early Seventies (Vietnam Era). We called that AC probe a donkey dck.
I always love your videos, I will be giving it a big thumbs up,however I felt like analysis of the circuit was skipped this time. It’s one of the things I appreciate the most. It helps me learn better how circuits work. Thank you
You are a very brilliant young man. great video.
Very well done video and demo of your released projects (TOOLS !), i love them.
Without doubt the best tube-tech channel on UA-cam :)
Paul, your video's made my interest for (vintage) tube radio's grow even more. And because of my growing excitement about these devices I have bought and put together my own workbench with vintage gear I plan to recap, test and then ultimately use to restore some old tube radios: some 50's era Philips, Nordmende and even a 1930's British-built FERGUSON model 771 AC.
My tools include some nice Heathkit pieces:
IM-11 VTVM
C-3 Condenser Checker
IO-12 Laboratory Oscilloscope
and my devices under test will be powered by an proper isolated Philips Variac and home-built lamp limiter, much after your example :)
Thanks again so much for all the nice video's and projects.
Best regards from Holland.
- Raoul van Saanen
Thanks for sharing Raoul. It reads like your bench will be fantastic!
Thank you ! Mr. Carlson, for the great Video!
Those look like WeCo Fetrons: Solid state (FET) replacements for vacuum tubes used by many Telcos to reduce power consumption and increase reliability in many systems. I "converted" many, many "N" carrier systems from tube to Fetron as a telco tech back in the '70s. An example would be a KS-21066...
I own quite a bit of those (huge) Hewlett Packard test equipment, and this is by far the cleanest I have ever seen 😲 looks like it was made yesterday! And as usual a super great video Paul 👍
Thanks Adrien!
Just a quick comment about the test clips: All black clips, cables etc. get their color from carbon black (basically just really fine coal dust). That stuff is relatively conductive (way more than other pigments) and you can actually measure the difference between the leakage of a white and a black cable.
You are awesome Mr.Carlson!
This man has wonderful content! Love your videos sir! Great audio and video quality! Thanks!
Very nice! I like the "dzus clip" fasteners on the back as well, any fastener that is captive and doesn't require wearing out my wrist is alright with me. I like the solder pump ncsi probe too, I'll have to build one!
It is a Nuvistor or similar vacuum tube which works on low voltages is what will be in the probe, Guys that device Mr Carlson invented is classified and you need to be a Patreon sub member MrCarlsonsLab to have access to the plans and how it works.
very good and love your work from Gary in the UK .
At 600 volts. The spark seems so small. The arc. Yet it could kill ? I expected to see sone big Clive sized sparks there.
Ya that thing is amazing. Less than 4 volts vs 600. ? I haven’t looked at how it does that yet. How to make my own. But I’m a patron so I get to anytime. !
I think just learning how you came up with that one item is to take a huge stride in understanding electronics and the nature of electricity overall. Honestly the case alone mystifies and challenges me. Lol.
If I only copy one thing of yours Paul I hope I can successfully copy that piece of sorcery.
Oh wow that induction emitter is amazing too. Lmao. Wow !!!!
F sakes man. Another beauty here.
The shock you'd get from something like that tester certainly wouldn't fry you to death or anything so dramatic. The spark is small because it's current limited. That's not the major danger. What you need to fear is what would happen if the shock went through your chest. From the moment you're born till you die the muscles of your heart beat in sync with each other, but there's nothing that keeps them in sync. They simply never go out of sync, normally. Unfortunately, electricity does exactly that. It really doesn't take much, and if even one of them get out of sync with the others, you're dead. Simple as that. 5 minutes to live at the most.
That thing is mint! I did not see any calibration stickers. I wonder if it was sitting inside its original packing for 40 or 50 years.
If it wasn't, it was very well preserved.
If you have a hollow-shaft 1/2 inch nutdriver, you can drill right through the handle. It works with a long shaft screwdriver to adjust the locking pots,
Just picked up a Sentinel ME-26B/U. Previous owner left a lot of screws out, took all of the rear variable potentiometer locking nuts off, and there's two burnt pcbs inside. Tubes look ok but there are no shields, just the bases they go on. Hopefully it's not a lemon.