VOLTMETERS ARE READILY AVAILABLE. I BOUGHT MY DIGITAL AT SEARS. MINE IS THE EL-CHEAPO. THE ONES THEY HAD IN THE HIGHER DOLLAR RANGE DIDN'T HAVE THE VOLTAGE RANGES MINE DOES. MY ANALOG CAME FROM RADIO SHACK.
THIS IS ANOTHER "MUST HAVE" ITEM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TEST EQUIPMENT | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| AT MINIMUM, YOU MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, OR YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT RESTORATION. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| VARIAC | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| YOU SIMPLY CANNOT START OLD ELECTRONICS WITHOUT ONE. YOU CAN USE A DIM BULB TESTER IF YOU DON'T HAVE A VARIAC. MINE WAS GIVEN TO ME MANY YEARS AGO. IT IS INTENDED FOR USE AS A PANEL MOUNT. I HAD THE OLD EICO CABINET YOU SEE HERE. I MADE A FRONT FROM METAL SAVED AFTER I CUT OUT THE SIDE OF A FURNACE I WAS INSTALLING. THE PAINT WAS STRIPPED AND THE PIECE CUT TO SIZE. I CUT AND DRILLED THE OPENINGS AND ASSEMBLED. WIRING WAS EASY. THE VARIAC IS FUSED ON BOTH HOT AND NEUTRAL SIDES AND IS ALSO GROUNDED. THE "x 10" DESIGNATION SHOWS THE MARKINGS ON THE KNOB TO INDICATE THE VOLTAGE IT'S SET AT. I DID THIS TO FREE UP A METER WHEN SOFT STARTING. THIS IS A "MUST HAVE" ITEM. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| VOLT METERS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| I USE BOTH ANALOG AND DIGITAL METERS WHEN I DO A RESTORATION. DURING THE SOFT START, I LIKE TO MONITOR B+ VOLTAGE AS I GO ALONG. IF THE B+ IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE VARIAC SETTING, I CAN CONTINUE. IF THE VOLTAGE IS LOW, OR NONEXISTANT, I KNOW THERE'S A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS CORRECTED. THIS IS ESPECIALLY CRITICAL WITH HOT CHASSIS SETS. A VOLTAGE DOUBLER GOING SOUTH IS NOT A GOOD THING. VOLTMETERS ARE READILY AVAILABLE. I BOUGHT MY DIGITAL AT SEARS. MINE IS THE EL-CHEAPO. THE ONES THEY HAD IN THE HIGHER DOLLAR RANGE DIDN'T HAVE THE VOLTAGE RANGES MINE DOES. MY ANALOG CAME FROM RADIO SHACK. THIS IS ANOTHER "MUST HAVE" ITEM. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| ISOLATION TRANSFORMER | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| THIS IS ALSO MANDATORY. IT IS ALSO MANDATORY IF YOU ARE WORKING ON A HOT CHASSIS SET. ALL THIS DOES IS ISOLATE THE CHASSIS FROM EARTH GROUND. WHEN YOU USE AN ISOLATION TRANSFORMER, YOU CAN SAFELY TOUCH THE CHASSIS. IT WON'T PROTECT YOU FROM B+ OR HIGH VOLTAGE. THIS IS AN ITEM THAT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE. THEY ARE READILY AVAILABLE FROM SOURCES SUCH AS ANTIQUE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY. CHECK SWAP MEETS, eSnipe AND OTHER SOURCES. ISOLATION TRANSFORMERS AND VARIACS ARE THE TWO MOST CRITICAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT FOR RESTORATION. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| OSCILLOSCOPE | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| I HAVE AN OLD ONE, BUT I DIDN'T GET TEST PROBES OR INSTRUCTIONS FOR IT. IT ALSO NEEDS RECAPPED. YOU CAN TRACE ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS WITH A SCOPE AND THE SCHEMATIC. I SHOULD RECAP MINE AND FIND WHAT I NEED FOR IT, BUT I GET ALONG FINE WITHOUT IT. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| NEXT PAGE MAIN PAGE RESTORATION PAGE | ||||||||||||||||||||||