To learn electronics in a very different and effective way, and gain access to Mr Carlson's personal designs and inventions, visit the Mr Carlson's Lab Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab
I Absolutely reccomend joing the patreon and learning. Even if you are an intermediate electronics tech like me, you will learn some very useful information. --VE3KJX
Not too dissimilar to my first scope about 55 years ago age 12. It had 5 or 6 tubes in it and was made by RCA. Full of original wax caps and old parts but it worked. One of the sweep settings needed a new cap to work. I polished the rust of the front panel with steel wool and the old bakalite knobs were cracked and broken so I replaced those. I could connect to a radio speaker and see audio, I could build oscillators, amplifiers and see signals. A mic and amp was non stop fun I had a few germanium transistors in those days. Years later I got something a lot better. I owned a Phillips and Tek scope then. The Phillips was vastly superior to the Tek. I got my first digital scope a LeCroy in the early 80's. It too was lightyears ahead of Tek. It did cost more than a new car but was worth it. I measured and captured millions of lightning strikes with it. I have owned several LecCroys since. I have abandoned LeCroy after buying a new scope for $24K that had tin lead edge connectors in it (prototype pcbs). Their service policies were terrible even though I had spent well over 150K with them over the years. My current scope is a Rhode & Swartz which has great features and some unusual limitations, and they are overpriced. Now for a few hundred you can get a great scope from China. Tek no longer owns the world like they did in the CRT days. Now a good scope costs less than a Tek scope probe.
Nicely laid out inside, of course you may need to access under the two boards. It seemed to wake up as it soaked. Nice video Paul, I look forward to seeing it restored, cheers!
When using your soldering gun, I have noticed it looks like you make your own soldering tip from a short piece of bare copper wire. But there is more than just a piece of wire because the entire wire heats evenly unless the "tip" is slightly narrower than the rest of the copper with a file. If not already done, it might make an interesting video. Also, is there a Q&A area? John S. -retired Broadcast engineer, Florida
Thanks for sharing, Paul. The device is over 80 years old and still usable! Please describe the component to the left of the B.E.D. resistor you are discussing at 4:43 . . . is this some type of capacitor? Do they have a long lifespan vs. paper/wax capacitors ?
So what kind of bandwidth did that thing have? i imagine not alot with all discreets and no IC's and all the increased stray inductances. Maybe 500kHz?
I would bet five dollars to a donut that the usable B.W. is in the audio range -- up to 20 KC (Khz) maybe could push it to 100? if that old free running sawtooth can go that high.
You have some of the most fascinating electronics. I really enjoy seeing the old radios and test equipment. Thanks for showing these things off. I would never see any of this, otherwise.
Thanks Professor Carlson for taking us along with this "oscillograph". Nothing like having then testing this piece of electronic history from the days gone by. Makes you wonder how many "benches" this was on!!
Now that was interesting - and I'd love to see your demonstration of using a compromised piece of equipment to troubleshoot other equipment. I am also looking forward to the rebuild of this great piece of history - I'm sure we can learn a lot about how "modern" scopes work in that series.
Lovely little waveform indicator :) I'd definitely love to watch you restore it, even though for obvious reasons it's no use for any measurements. By the way, I've got a little Polish tube oscillograph from 1960/70s named Mini 4 and even though I'm not gonna use it, I'll keep it for sentimental reasons. It was the first thing resembling a scope in my lab, back in 2004 or so. Oh, and I did a vectorscope / curve tracer conversion on another '70s junk scope named ST310A (ST315 is similar and more common if you're curious), completely redesigning the electronics and using your designs for curve tracer & Wien bridge oscillator. It's so nice and indeed it helps in my lab :). I'm gonna add a vector clock to it, and it has X-Y inputs on BNC jacks and 1/4" TRS for stereo audio in when I want to show people some oscilloscope music.
Thank you. A neat piece of equipment. I worked on vacuum tube, hybrid tube and transistor equipment and solid state/optical cable equipment. A lot of changes in the last 70 years. Thanks again.
I would love to see you use this in its current state to troubleshoot another piece! I am still hesitant to work on or use older tube equipment that I know isn’t functioning properly for fear of really damaging some hard to get parts. Thanks for the great content!
There are so many pieces of vacuum tube equipment that will be thrown away and destroyed that you can get and save from the dump and learn by doing. Get to it! ;-) God Bless!
@@jamesharrison2041 I don't know... Wet feet and concrete floors and vintage tube gear and a beginner..... Might be an ender! All kidding aside be very careful and get to it.
Probably camera perspective, but lately it looks like you're less than a quarter inch from getting nailed from the terminals on the isolation transformer...
In the later 1980s I was gifted a 1949 Hallicrafters S-40a by a friend who had bought a new Yaesue HF set... The S-40a needed only a new power cord For safety's sake I worked until the early part of Desert Storm.... When it stated making wax... Smoking.... Caching FIRE! I passed it to to a repairman friend Bought a R.S. DX-390 on sale for $150 Which lasted until about the Columbia disaster... Ending the NASA Radio club retransmission from STS and ISS... The S-40a was my second one I had one, on loan, from mid-1960s... Vietnam news from Europe! Today I have a Sangean ATS-818 and an ATS-818CS Both found on eBay for $36 and $42 ppd. MINT After my DX-390 got too DAMP! In my bathroom! LESSONS! J.C. Age 72.. Retired camera repairman.. Mechanic! 73's...
Beautiful sine wave....!!! I used a National Camera CRT Motion Annilyzer In my years as a camera repairman 1976 -1986.... Darkroom Aids, Chicago... It told one WAY more stuff than a solid state digital shutter tester Ever could. One just had to know how the read the trace Focal plane and leaf shutters.... I miss all that.... FILM! My DDR Dresden Exakta 35mm SLRs... Carl Zeiss Jena lenses.. J.C.
I've seen that newer, better RCA CRT tube, somewhere.... A FAA avionics inspector guy at Tampa's Vandenberg Airport Grass strip FBO.. Had a similar box in his hut.... I'd leave it be Upgrade the other bits... J.C.
This piece of equipment will be a fun project to see how it responds to a re-cap. I love that unique smell of old tube equipment. I'm working on a Heathkit HW-100 and HP-23a power supply.
Fascinating! I grew up with tubes and thought they were great learning tools. I see this oscillograph from 1938 and I have to say WOW! So cool :) Thank you for the look at this great piece of equipment.
Soy técnico reparador de la vieja escuela, y la verdad, al ver éste aparato siento el olor característico de la electrónica a bulbos (válvulas) de aquellos artefactos. Tiempos bellos, tiempos en los que era todo un desafío encontrar las fallas de las radios, las TVs. Gracias por traer a mi mente recuerdos entrañables
For being from 1938 that chassis on top and underneath are really clean obviously that spent its life in a dust free environment. Getting life out of it with the old caps and even one burned resistor is actually amazing and a testament to how that equipment was built. Thanks for sharing Paul.
I too have a LOT of test equipment in my lab. 3 Benches full and 2 store rooms as well. I have mostly Tek, HP and Fluke but lots of Heathkit, RCA, Eico and others as well. I have a few new Digital scopes and a Rigol Spectrum analyzer However, I prefer using my older gear mostly. It's hard to beat a Tex 465B, HP 410B VTVM and an HP 8640B sig gen. Though, when I am aligning a more complex receiver like an R390, I can get the same results, more or less, with my older, Heathkit O-10 scope, at least for power supply and low freq stuff., RCA Voltohmyst and Eico sig gen scope etc One problem is it seems like one piece or another of my test gear is always in need of repair, or cal check. The old problem of a guy with a watch can tell you the time, a guy with 2 watches is never quiet sure...lol Thank goodness for Ce standards and GPDO technology. I enjoy your video's and it's nice to know I am not alone in my test equipment fetish. I also enjoy watching your videos as if its part of shop talk, even if it is cyber initiated. 73 WA4AOS
Thank you Mr Carlson…a fascinating video featuring an interesting oscillograph. I enjoy your mini talks and your delightful accent…what part of Canada are you from? (I’m in the south of England). My own very first oscillograph was ideal for checking audio circuits working up to about 1MHz or so. It was just post Second World War I think and used a 6K25 Thyratron in the time base…I’ve still got several of those in my shack (my UK callsign is G3XFD, my Irish callsign is EI5IW). In the past I’ve found some interesting little scopes at Amateur Radio Mobile rallies (I think they would be classed as ‘swap meets’ or something similar in North America) and have several 1CP1 one inch scope tubes which featured in Practical Wireless magazine (I was Editor for almost 25 years until retirement in 2013)) using the Mullard/Philips basic workshop project scope. A fascinating little tube, the 1CP1 (Loctal base) was used as a waveform indicator by the the old British Post Office Telephones (now BT) in telephone exchanges to monitor the dialling tone, which was generated by little 440Hz (approx) frequency output motor generators! Most of the scope tubes had phosphor trace burns due to thousands of hours continuous working…but they could still be used! Thanks for your excellent tutorials…I’m a great fan! Best wishes, Rob G3XFD.
How's about not just recap etc it, but also inset the CRT further back ? As for troubleshooting. It can help to describe the response on Y plate, response from Y amp (it inverts the signal), distortions due to capacitor and diode failures in power supplies, detecting power supply ripples under various loads (including use your variac to overvolt and undervolt a transformer with its effects, bottom bend distortion, top bend distortion and etc...
Thomas Edison Jr? Your amazing! I wish that I had you as teacher in my younger day. Better late than never. I love the way you explain things. Your love for electronics is undeniable. Your child like passion for this trade is quite evident. I been following you channel for a while now and really appreciate all the time and energy you put into your vids. Thank you
You said the CRT reminded you of a Sci-Fi movie... I thought the same "There is nothing wrong with your test equipment... Do not attempt to adjust your oscillograph... We are controlling transmission... We control the Horizontal deflection... We control the vertical deflection" . . . and well, you know the rest LOL 🤣😁😜
Would be a nice restoration. When it's completed how about a demo of how older test equipment can be used in troubleshooting. Always great videos Mr. C!
have you ever considered taking an old radio and replacing the inside with modern electronics so you can get all the performance of modern equipment while maintaining the old look? in the car world they call it "resto-mod" where you replace the engine, brakes, etc so you get modern performance while keeping the old look.
AhaHa I know JUST the 'aroma' you mean - prob means dangerous hydrocarbons/PCB'S (not the circuit boards!) so easy on that stuff ;) And hey I just thought 'oscillograph' was the old fashioned word for oscilloscope - or does it tend to mean uncalibrated, like this guy? Ahh the olde-worlde Body-Tip-Spot resistor code - you DO know your stuff! ;) Meows from London - Pete G & William S Stereocat
It's beautiful. If I ever own an oscilloscope I hope it would be one like this. I love the brass toggle switches and the lovely industrial/artistic design. The CRT needs to have a 3D printed bezel that looks something like a Dalek eye. Don't hate me 😄, no disrespect intended.
@@MrCarlsonsLab: I'm literally laughing out loud! You're a good sport. I hope to have an "eyeball QSO" with you. Soon. I'm not a "young dude" anymore. I can hook you up with a few cartons of cigarettes; but, at this late date, they'll probably cost more that those you can buy there.
That sure was looked after, at least once the CRT was replaced... Delicate thing sticking out like that just waiting to get bumped or have something fall on it!
Is there a comparable RCA model ? I think Canadian General Electric had some sort of arrangement north of the border that anti-trust in the U.S. might have prohibited south of the border. For instance a F-127 made by C.G.E. is a copy of an RCA Victor 811-K or 812-K. A C.G.E. E-98 and E-106 sure look like RCAs of the time period. And a friend of mine had an old late 1930s-mid 1940s Hotpoint refrigerator that had a builders plate that was "RCA Victor Co. Ltd - Montreal" on it even though Hotpoint was a GE subsidiary in the U.S.A. RCA did had Whirlpool as it's own appliance division in the States later on. So it may well be that that GE may have an RCA doppelganger.
Greetings: I think you will agree that the existing SYNC function is similar to the more modern horizontal TRIGGER function. If this oscillograph has no external trigger input I would add one as well as add a LINE (mains) trigger input. They can be relatively simple as external filters (e.g. video H/V sync separator, etc.) can be added separately. I hope you do not think these mods are too advanced for this vintage gear.
Maybe an enterprising repair tech found a CRT 902 used in the RCA 151-2 variant and just substituted it into this particular piece of equipment to get the larger display. I noticed the 25 Hz AC frequency. Niagra Falls project used 25 Hz which set the standard for parts of northern US and parts of Canada at that time. I noticed in the manual, the 25 cps version is 1.5 pounds heavier ... more iron in that power transformer!!!!
Very interesting. I noticed that this was rated for '25 cycles' mains power. I'd never heard of that frequency being used for mains before, was cool to read about it. Will the fact that power in Canada is now 60Hz affect anything to do with the operation of this scope? Would the higher frequency make the transformer more efficient maybe (or less efficient, not sure!)? Cheers
Holy crap, your lab looks amazing. Are you aware the electronic music producer Heinbach by any chance? He makes electronic music out of vintage equipment like this, you should check him out.
I sometimes question the practice of supplying a piece of equipment with reduced voltage. The trivial assumption is that everything should just experience less stress at reduced supply voltage, but in some circuits it may not be so. A comparator that expects certain voltage levels may erroneously trigger some part of the circuit to go into some high current mode when dealing with undervoltage. A voltage reference may be insufficiently biased and thus signal another high current mode somewhere else. Or a capacitor that was meant to charge quickly to keep a driven active element conducting for a minimum time, now charges slowly and keeps the active element on much longer , overheating it. I know this is just hypotheticals and conjecture, but sometimes, it may happen.
I just picked up an RCA version (also Canadian) with an oversized CRT just like yours. I wonder if they made them like that as that is the second one like that. It has a metal covering over the CRT filled with some kind of felt to provide shock protection. I can send a picture if you like.
Yes, I would love to see this one restored and used to troubleshoot gear as old as it is! I find tube equipment to be easier to understand and more fun to work on. The new stuff is harder to grasp and too often like smoke and mirrors. In the old days people must have thought "modern" tube gear was like smoke and mirrors so I guess we're even now.
Somebody please send this man some electric power tools. This guy has the equivalent of 9 PHDs in applied electrical technology and theory and we have to watch him use Fred Flintstone’s hand tools. Ahhhhhhh!
Thank you very much . Please fix this beautiful little old radio . Some this pretty should work an be safe for those in the future . because sooner or later someone like me that thinks all old radios should work an be safe . The only reason I can think one should be left in the original way it came from the manufacture would be as a educational piece to teach a person such as myself how dangerous it came when new . But on this radio please make safe so I can hear it play . Thank you sir I love your channel . Once again thank you very very much . Your saving history an making it safe . I always think no matter how silly that they are a time machine an I’ll be listening to 1955 again . Lol beautiful old radio . I think that about all old radios and tvs basically anything that’s old an electric . Lol
Plagurized audio style after Steve MRE meals. Originality would be far better. And then there is that classic ego sign of a huge microphone. No, the bigger the mike does not mean you are getting a better video. On the contrary.
A company I used to work for always gave the first instance of a product serial number 103 so buyers wouldn't think they were getting the very first one.
To learn electronics in a very different and effective way, and gain access to Mr Carlson's personal designs and inventions, visit the Mr Carlson's Lab Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab
E
What a Kool 1938 electronics
Mr carlson you fix interesting electronics
Mr Carlson's I subscribed too you and I like your videos I hop you had a good THANKSGIVING
в каком он хорошем состоянии 👍🙂
I Absolutely reccomend joing the patreon and learning. Even if you are an intermediate electronics tech like me, you will learn some very useful information.
--VE3KJX
That burned resistor must have decided that resistance was futile!
Yeah - it got ASSIMILATED !!!!
It got deleted.
@@beakytwitch7905 Was it a BorgWarner part?
I'm looking forward to the rebuild. Love to see how it works when it is restored. Thanks.
Not too dissimilar to my first scope about 55 years ago age 12. It had 5 or 6 tubes in it and was made by RCA. Full of original wax caps and old parts but it worked. One of the sweep settings needed a new cap to work. I polished the rust of the front panel with steel wool and the old bakalite knobs were cracked and broken so I replaced those. I could connect to a radio speaker and see audio, I could build oscillators, amplifiers and see signals. A mic and amp was non stop fun I had a few germanium transistors in those days. Years later I got something a lot better. I owned a Phillips and Tek scope then. The Phillips was vastly superior to the Tek. I got my first digital scope a LeCroy in the early 80's. It too was lightyears ahead of Tek. It did cost more than a new car but was worth it. I measured and captured millions of lightning strikes with it. I have owned several LecCroys since. I have abandoned LeCroy after buying a new scope for $24K that had tin lead edge connectors in it (prototype pcbs). Their service policies were terrible even though I had spent well over 150K with them over the years. My current scope is a Rhode & Swartz which has great features and some unusual limitations, and they are overpriced. Now for a few hundred you can get a great scope from China. Tek no longer owns the world like they did in the CRT days. Now a good scope costs less than a Tek scope probe.
Thanks for sharing your story John!
My first scope was part test gear and part gym equipment, it was so heavy just lifting on and off the bench was a workout !
Those LeCroy scopes were the gold standard for a few years.
That looks beautifully built. The old saying they don't build them like they used to applies. Looks built to military specs.
Nicely laid out inside, of course you may need to access under the two boards. It seemed to wake up as it soaked. Nice video Paul, I look forward to seeing it restored, cheers!
When I was growing up in the UK we knew those resistors as BTS - Body Tip Spot!. Just a minor cultural difference!
I think it is indeed a rare man who wants to make trouble-shooting more "Challenging." I tip my hat.
I’m not surprised it kind of works even I find it hard to destroy valve gear and I have really tried !
When using your soldering gun, I have noticed it looks like you make your own soldering tip from a short piece of bare copper wire. But there is more than just a piece of wire because the entire wire heats evenly unless the "tip" is slightly narrower than the rest of the copper with a file. If not already done, it might make an interesting video. Also, is there a Q&A area?
John S. -retired Broadcast engineer, Florida
By the looks of the tube socket it looks like the original "CRT" was supposed to be a tuning eye tube like a 6U5/6G5 tube.
Nope-CRT's that small used that type of base.
Thanks for sharing, Paul. The device is over 80 years old and still usable!
Please describe the component to the left of the B.E.D. resistor you are discussing at 4:43 . . . is this some type of capacitor? Do they have a long lifespan vs. paper/wax capacitors ?
So what kind of bandwidth did that thing have? i imagine not alot with all discreets and no IC's and all the increased stray inductances. Maybe 500kHz?
I would bet five dollars to a donut that the usable B.W. is in the audio range -- up to 20 KC (Khz) maybe could push it to 100? if that old free running sawtooth can go that high.
Sure would be fun to see compromised troubleshooting
For fact: in Russia oscilloscope is still called an oscillograph
This is the precursor to the 1939 iOsciloscope.
molto interessante , cablaggio ordinato:, scrivo solo italiano , non ha qualche cimelio da vendere?
Hope the lab been staying dry!
It's very stormy out there!
You have some of the most fascinating electronics. I really enjoy seeing the old radios and test equipment. Thanks for showing these things off. I would never see any of this, otherwise.
Glad you're enjoying Jay!
Would love to see this restored, and used for troubleshooting.
Mr Carlson: "Let me know if you guys want me t-"
Me: Yes
"Well, what about this o-"
"Yes please"
Always interesting stuff in your videos, thank you so much for bringing us those beautiful rare things!!! Watching you from Italy ^^
Thanks for watching!
Thanks Professor Carlson for taking us along with this "oscillograph". Nothing like having then testing this piece of electronic history from the days gone by. Makes you wonder how many "benches" this was on!!
Mr Carlson in his version of hilarious mode tonight. Very enjoyable.
Testing compromised equipment with compromised testing equipment is definitely at an advanced level.
...I'd refer to that as: "ASKING FOR TROUBLE!!"
Yeah, a lot of troubleshooting is hard enough, without limiting yourself to 50yr old tech.
Exciting and relaxing to watch at the same time!
So cool to see you here! Makes perfect sense though, given your love of test equipment 🙂 I agree, relaxing indeed.
That's a beautiful antique. Older electronic equipment has more of a design charm than the streamlined modern variants.
Thank you sir! That’s my brain fed just enough to keep it going until bedtime. 👍 from me. 🇬🇧
Now that was interesting - and I'd love to see your demonstration of using a compromised piece of equipment to troubleshoot other equipment. I am also looking forward to the rebuild of this great piece of history - I'm sure we can learn a lot about how "modern" scopes work in that series.
Lovely little waveform indicator :)
I'd definitely love to watch you restore it, even though for obvious reasons it's no use for any measurements.
By the way, I've got a little Polish tube oscillograph from 1960/70s named Mini 4 and even though I'm not gonna use it, I'll keep it for sentimental reasons. It was the first thing resembling a scope in my lab, back in 2004 or so.
Oh, and I did a vectorscope / curve tracer conversion on another '70s junk scope named ST310A (ST315 is similar and more common if you're curious), completely redesigning the electronics and using your designs for curve tracer & Wien bridge oscillator. It's so nice and indeed it helps in my lab :). I'm gonna add a vector clock to it, and it has X-Y inputs on BNC jacks and 1/4" TRS for stereo audio in when I want to show people some oscilloscope music.
What a great looking and cleverly designed scope! Sad truth is, it's almost impossible to find any "Made in Canada" electronics nowadays.
Cant wait for the restoration on this one, very unique. Thanks.
Hey Mr. Carlson, have you ever done a biography of yourself? I don't see a video for that yet. I would be very interested to know your bakcground.
Thank you.
A neat piece of equipment.
I worked on vacuum tube, hybrid tube and transistor equipment and solid state/optical cable equipment.
A lot of changes in the last 70 years.
Thanks again.
"Troubleshooting electronics is too easy." -Mr. Carlson 2021
Very nice video 👍 I've seen old electronic parts, thanks for sharing..
Will be a patron soon!! I have been watching and learning with you for years! Thanks again!
I would love to see you use this in its current state to troubleshoot another piece! I am still hesitant to work on or use older tube equipment that I know isn’t functioning properly for fear of really damaging some hard to get parts. Thanks for the great content!
There are so many pieces of vacuum tube equipment that will be thrown away and destroyed that you can get and save from the dump and learn by doing. Get to it! ;-) God Bless!
just'''' go out there and get your feet wet'''''''but be chausses & safe like paul recomends'''
@@jamesharrison2041 I don't know... Wet feet and concrete floors and vintage tube gear and a beginner..... Might be an ender!
All kidding aside be very careful and get to it.
@@jamesharrison2041 james harrison, I'm wondering if you meant cautious? Spell much? Hmmm 😒
@@ronrodgers6531 im sorry'''i was having a blond moment'''''
i'm here to say only one thing - WOW! GREAT JOB!
Probably camera perspective, but lately it looks like you're less than a quarter inch from getting nailed from the terminals on the isolation transformer...
Yes, just the angle that's all.
I think there definitely is a market there for a new aftershave Mr C's ode cologne vintage Electrical smell aftershave.
"Aaaah a good 1970s scent, with a strong phenolic circuit board component and a slight leaky PCB capacitor note."
In the later 1980s I was gifted a 1949 Hallicrafters S-40a by a friend who had
bought a new Yaesue HF set...
The S-40a needed only a new power cord
For safety's sake
I worked until the early part of Desert Storm....
When it stated making wax...
Smoking....
Caching FIRE!
I passed it to to a repairman friend
Bought a R.S. DX-390 on sale for $150
Which lasted until about the Columbia disaster...
Ending the NASA Radio club retransmission from STS and ISS...
The S-40a was my second one
I had one, on loan, from mid-1960s...
Vietnam news from Europe!
Today I have a Sangean ATS-818 and an ATS-818CS
Both found on eBay for $36 and $42 ppd. MINT
After my DX-390 got too DAMP!
In my bathroom!
LESSONS!
J.C.
Age 72..
Retired camera repairman..
Mechanic!
73's...
Beautiful sine wave....!!!
I used a National Camera CRT Motion Annilyzer
In my years as a camera repairman
1976 -1986....
Darkroom Aids, Chicago...
It told one WAY more stuff than a
solid state digital shutter tester
Ever could.
One just had to know how the read the trace
Focal plane and leaf shutters....
I miss all that....
FILM!
My DDR Dresden Exakta 35mm SLRs...
Carl Zeiss Jena lenses..
J.C.
Cool to see such an old piece of electronic equipment still working.
I've seen that newer, better RCA CRT tube, somewhere....
A FAA avionics inspector guy at Tampa's Vandenberg Airport
Grass strip FBO..
Had a similar box in his hut....
I'd leave it be
Upgrade the other bits...
J.C.
Stop keep saying about the smell, I'M JEALOUS!
I LOVE THAT SMELL!
Great video, fascinating!
This piece of equipment will be a fun project to see how it responds to a re-cap.
I love that unique smell of old tube equipment. I'm working on a Heathkit HW-100 and HP-23a power supply.
Fascinating! I grew up with tubes and thought they were great learning tools. I see this oscillograph from 1938 and I have to say WOW! So cool :) Thank you for the look at this great piece of equipment.
Soy técnico reparador de la vieja escuela, y la verdad, al ver éste aparato siento el olor característico de la electrónica a bulbos (válvulas) de aquellos artefactos. Tiempos bellos, tiempos en los que era todo un desafío encontrar las fallas de las radios, las TVs. Gracias por traer a mi mente recuerdos entrañables
For being from 1938 that chassis on top and underneath are really clean obviously that spent its life in a dust free environment. Getting life out of it with the old caps and even one burned resistor is actually amazing and a testament to how that equipment was built. Thanks for sharing Paul.
I think the tech that replaced the CRT may have had access to brushes and a vacuum.
A bit of a confession here, I usually watch all of the ads just so you get credit, however I had to skip the 7-minute Microsoft ad sorry
This looks like a mash-up of "The Outer Limits" and "The Way Back Machine".
Well it didn't blow up or give you a big shock so that's good😂❤️
Hell yer plus the rebuild 😃😄😁😆😅 5 Smiles.
I too have a LOT of test equipment in my lab. 3 Benches full and 2 store rooms as well. I have mostly Tek, HP and Fluke but lots of Heathkit, RCA, Eico and others as well. I have a few new Digital scopes and a Rigol Spectrum analyzer However, I prefer using my older gear mostly. It's hard to beat a Tex 465B, HP 410B VTVM and an HP 8640B sig gen. Though, when I am aligning a more complex receiver like an R390, I can get the same results, more or less, with my older, Heathkit O-10 scope, at least for power supply and low freq stuff., RCA Voltohmyst and Eico sig gen scope etc
One problem is it seems like one piece or another of my test gear is always in need of repair, or cal check. The old problem of a guy with a watch can tell you the time, a guy with 2 watches is never quiet sure...lol
Thank goodness for Ce standards and GPDO technology.
I enjoy your video's and it's nice to know I am not alone in my test equipment fetish. I also enjoy watching your videos as if its part of shop talk, even if it is cyber initiated.
73 WA4AOS
Another excellent video, and the transitions as you were taking the cover off were a nice touch.
Thank you Mr Carlson…a fascinating video featuring an interesting oscillograph. I enjoy your mini talks and your delightful accent…what part of Canada are you from? (I’m in the south of England). My own very first oscillograph was ideal for checking audio circuits working up to about 1MHz or so. It was just post Second World War I think and used a 6K25 Thyratron in the time base…I’ve still got several of those in my shack (my UK callsign is G3XFD, my Irish callsign is EI5IW). In the past I’ve found some interesting little scopes at Amateur Radio Mobile rallies (I think they would be classed as ‘swap meets’ or something similar in North America) and have several 1CP1 one inch scope tubes which featured in Practical Wireless magazine (I was Editor for almost 25 years until retirement in 2013)) using the Mullard/Philips basic workshop project scope. A fascinating little tube, the 1CP1 (Loctal base) was used as a waveform indicator by the the old British Post Office Telephones (now BT) in telephone exchanges to monitor the dialling tone, which was generated by little 440Hz (approx) frequency output motor generators! Most of the scope tubes had phosphor trace burns due to thousands of hours continuous working…but they could still be used! Thanks for your excellent tutorials…I’m a great fan! Best wishes, Rob G3XFD.
Thanks for taking the time to write, and share your story Rob!
I learned about transformer windings today.
How's about not just recap etc it, but also inset the CRT further back ?
As for troubleshooting. It can help to describe the response on Y plate, response from Y amp (it inverts the signal), distortions due to capacitor and diode failures in power supplies, detecting power supply ripples under various loads (including use your variac to overvolt and undervolt a transformer with its effects, bottom bend distortion, top bend distortion and etc...
I kind of like the protruding CRT.
An oscilloscope reporting on somethings problems but it turns out to be it's own problems is a bit on the nose.
Love the vintage equipment, as soon as my bench is ready I will be joining patreon.
Look forward to seeing you there Brian.
Thomas Edison Jr? Your amazing! I wish that I had you as teacher in my younger day. Better late than never. I love the way you explain things. Your love for electronics is undeniable. Your child like passion for this trade is quite evident. I been following you channel for a while now and really appreciate all the time and energy you put into your vids. Thank you
Next up, Mr Carlson shows you how to build a digital storage adaptor for this oscillograph using 12AX7 valves. 😊
I probably have enough 12AX7's to do that too.
You said the CRT reminded you of a Sci-Fi movie... I thought the same "There is nothing wrong with your test equipment... Do not attempt to adjust your oscillograph... We are controlling transmission... We control the Horizontal deflection... We control the vertical deflection" . . . and well, you know the rest LOL 🤣😁😜
That there is a thing of beauty. Sure don't build stuff like this anymore.
No. Thank christ....
Would be a nice restoration. When it's completed how about a demo of how older test equipment can be used in troubleshooting. Always great videos Mr. C!
Fun fact: in Russian oscilloscopes are still called "oscillographs".
...WHO CARES?!!
@@daleburrell6273 I do!
@@ericrawson2909...that's YOUR problem-!!!
Interesting! Is that just because of how it's translated? (I don't know anything about the Russian language.)
@@McTroyd spelling is осциллограф pronounced like oscillograph. I didn't think I would be learning that today!
18:00 The "faster moving signal" of course is a flyback trace. Maybe there isn't any flyback blanking on this simple design?
have you ever considered taking an old radio and replacing the inside with modern electronics so you can get all the performance of modern equipment while maintaining the old look? in the car world they call it "resto-mod" where you replace the engine, brakes, etc so you get modern performance while keeping the old look.
The old O'scopes are surprisingly useful.
please do a video of using compromised gear to repair compromised gear then using the repaired gear fix the test equipment used haha
AhaHa I know JUST the 'aroma' you mean - prob means dangerous hydrocarbons/PCB'S (not the circuit boards!) so easy on that stuff ;)
And hey I just thought 'oscillograph' was the old fashioned word for oscilloscope - or does it tend to mean uncalibrated, like this guy?
Ahh the olde-worlde Body-Tip-Spot resistor code - you DO know your stuff! ;)
Meows from London - Pete G & William S Stereocat
PCBs=Polychlorinated Bi-Phenols oil mostlused in pole-mounted transformers to dissipate heat.
@@jamesmdeluca Yup! Also used in SMALLER transformers etc 'back in the day' I gather
It's beautiful. If I ever own an oscilloscope I hope it would be one like this. I love the brass toggle switches and the lovely industrial/artistic design. The CRT needs to have a 3D printed bezel that looks something like a Dalek eye. Don't hate me 😄, no disrespect intended.
Thanks for the nostalgic trip.
Glad you enjoyed it
stuff was built so much better back then.
You can get an original RCA 913 1" CRT for that for about twenty bucks (U.S. -- "That's aboat three hundred Canadian, eh?")
LOL, "Aboat" that much! Bacon?
@@MrCarlsonsLab: I'm literally laughing out loud! You're a good sport. I hope to have an "eyeball QSO" with you. Soon. I'm not a "young dude" anymore. I can hook you up with a few cartons of cigarettes; but, at this late date, they'll probably cost more that those you can buy there.
古董电器， this video the nice
Yes do that thing with that broken thing. 🤪
That sure was looked after, at least once the CRT was replaced... Delicate thing sticking out like that just waiting to get bumped or have something fall on it!
Is there a comparable RCA model ? I think Canadian General Electric had some sort of arrangement north of the border that anti-trust in the U.S. might have prohibited south of the border. For instance a F-127 made by C.G.E. is a copy of an RCA Victor 811-K or 812-K. A C.G.E. E-98 and E-106 sure look like RCAs of the time period. And a friend of mine had an old late 1930s-mid 1940s Hotpoint refrigerator that had a builders plate that was "RCA Victor Co. Ltd - Montreal" on it even though Hotpoint was a GE subsidiary in the U.S.A. RCA did had Whirlpool as it's own appliance division in the States later on. So it may well be that that GE may have an RCA doppelganger.
Something exists:
People post 1958: lets add -graph to it.
Protectograph,
Mimeograph,
Telegraph,
Phonograph,
Etc. Etc.
Greetings:
I think you will agree that the existing SYNC function is similar to the more modern horizontal TRIGGER function. If this oscillograph has no external trigger input I would add one as well as add a LINE (mains) trigger input. They can be relatively simple as external filters (e.g. video H/V sync separator, etc.) can be added separately. I hope you do not think these mods are too advanced for this vintage gear.
Maybe an enterprising repair tech found a CRT 902 used in the RCA 151-2 variant and just substituted it into this particular piece of equipment to get the larger display. I noticed the 25 Hz AC frequency. Niagra Falls project used 25 Hz which set the standard for parts of northern US and parts of Canada at that time. I noticed in the manual, the 25 cps version is 1.5 pounds heavier ... more iron in that power transformer!!!!
paul'''how many MHZ do you guess that is''''james.
Hi James. It would be only in the kHz range.
its a pity that we still don't have smell O vision they sum thing about old electronics and the way they smell :)
That would quickly become an expensive option in porn.
@Mr Carlson's Lab :Anna's log was great... I don't like Di's 'G' it all though.
What's your Favourite & why?
Very interesting. I noticed that this was rated for '25 cycles' mains power. I'd never heard of that frequency being used for mains before, was cool to read about it. Will the fact that power in Canada is now 60Hz affect anything to do with the operation of this scope? Would the higher frequency make the transformer more efficient maybe (or less efficient, not sure!)? Cheers
Holy crap, your lab looks amazing. Are you aware the electronic music producer Heinbach by any chance? He makes electronic music out of vintage equipment like this, you should check him out.
I sometimes question the practice of supplying a piece of equipment with reduced voltage. The trivial assumption is that everything should just experience less stress at reduced supply voltage, but in some circuits it may not be so. A comparator that expects certain voltage levels may erroneously trigger some part of the circuit to go into some high current mode when dealing with undervoltage. A voltage reference may be insufficiently biased and thus signal another high current mode somewhere else. Or a capacitor that was meant to charge quickly to keep a driven active element conducting for a minimum time, now charges slowly and keeps the active element on much longer , overheating it.
I know this is just hypotheticals and conjecture, but sometimes, it may happen.
Excellent! Thanks for exciting vid.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Paul, Did you ever post the restoration of this 1938 GE oscillograph? Very interesting
I just picked up an RCA version (also Canadian) with an oversized CRT just like yours. I wonder if they made them like that as that is the second one like that. It has a metal covering over the CRT filled with some kind of felt to provide shock protection. I can send a picture if you like.
Paul, I have the original RCA No. 151oscillograph with the original 1-inch CRT. Did a cap change is running fantastic for its age.
Nice find and a great bit of kit Paul! TFS, GB :)
Yes, I would love to see this one restored and used to troubleshoot gear as old as it is! I find tube equipment to be easier to understand and more fun to work on. The new stuff is harder to grasp and too often like smoke and mirrors. In the old days people must have thought "modern" tube gear was like smoke and mirrors so I guess we're even now.
You are like some sort of Wizard with electronics, very cool. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving:)
Somebody please send this man some electric power tools. This guy has the equivalent of 9 PHDs in applied electrical technology and theory and we have to watch him use Fred Flintstone’s hand tools. Ahhhhhhh!
Thank you very much . Please fix this beautiful little old radio . Some this pretty should work an be safe for those in the future . because sooner or later someone like me that thinks all old radios should work an be safe . The only reason I can think one should be left in the original way it came from the manufacture would be as a educational piece to teach a person such as myself how dangerous it came when new . But on this radio please make safe so I can hear it play . Thank you sir I love your channel . Once again thank you very very much . Your saving history an making it safe . I always think no matter how silly that they are a time machine an I’ll be listening to 1955 again . Lol beautiful old radio . I think that about all old radios and tvs basically anything that’s old an electric . Lol
Plagurized audio style after Steve MRE meals. Originality would be far better. And then there is that classic ego sign of a huge microphone. No, the bigger the mike does not mean you are getting a better video. On the contrary.
Looks like something out of an early 1950s SciFi movie like The Man From Planet X. :-)
A company I used to work for always gave the first instance of a product serial number 103 so buyers wouldn't think they were getting the very first one.