Setting up a workshop with vintage gear

[Bufo Bill]

Hi, I like valve era gear, both hifi and test gear. I would like to combine the two by setting up a room as a workshop, to work on and repair gear for my own pleasure. So far I have an HP 180A/1801/18** Scope, (up next for repair) and I am collecting a TF144H Signal generator from a member here. I would like to know what other valve gear could I cram in to make a functional workshop? HT supply maybe? Let me know your thoughts; suggestions of make/model also welcome (I am aware this gear is not common but it will be fun to look it up). I am on a budget here, so stuff I have a chance of securing for low hundreds tops.
Cheers from Bill.

[Sinewave]

The best way to kit your workshop out is by thinking about what it is you actually will be needing, rather than looking to stock pile things.

[paulsherwin]

Are you sure you want to equip your workshop with vintage valve test gear? Obviously lots of people like to collect and use this stuff, but not many would rely on it. Workshop technology has come a long way over the last century.

[Superscope]

Well, if it's Vintage Test Gear you want for your workshop, there will have
to be an Avo Meter in there somewhere.

A Model 7 probably for testing Valve Gear, although I'm no Valve expert.

These are still very plentiful and quite cheap.
You shouldn't pay more than about £15 for a good one, but prices are starting to creep up.

What Paul said previously, is spot on, but I think an Avo Meter might be an exception.




Ian

[Lucien Nunes]

I would echo Paul's comment. When I was a keen and slightly over-ambitious teenager, one of my early mentors, whose technical advice I have always trusted, pointed out that test-gear needs to be at the very least an order of magnitude more stable and reliable than the equipment under test, otherwise it can stymie your best efforts at fault-finding.

If you expect to be able to get your test gear up to a really excellent standard in every way, then crack on. Otherwise, have it, use it, enjoy it, but don't rely on it to fix other things. Otherwise you can find yourself setting up the pattern generator geometry using a known good TV, or calibrating your VTVM to the VU meters on your cassette deck, or some other upside-down-ness going on.

[Sinewave]

Though, I can suggest getting a DAB radio, coffee machine and OKI/Metal soldering iron.

[PETERg0rsq]

The problem with restoring test equipment is you usually need better test equipment to test and calibrate it with!

It can also get very adictive!

[Bufo Bill]

Thanks for the responses everyone, real food for thought. I suppose what I am trying to achieve is after consideration perhaps a bit much. My thought was to combine the gear I love with the slightly more practical consideration that we all face with our vintage gear, viz. it needs repairing every now and again! The AVO might be interesting to pursue, maybe if I can get to a swap meet or auction perhaps. I should point out I have modern multimeter, soldering iron, and am by no means averse to owning modern gear as well. My enjoyment partly comes from just looking at this stuff as well as using it, but I increasingly get a sense of pleasure of fixing something, that first "click" of the power button and the response of the equipment in question. I would like to ask what you fellows find essential for bringing an item "back from the dead" as it were? Should I post this in the general discussion area? Thanks for your advice.
Bill.

[Radio Wrangler]

You'll need three of everything, then you can work out which one is sulking.

(provided you get in quickly before a second one joins it in a group-snit)

David

[paulsherwin]

It's also true that the more sophisticated test gear is, the more maintenance it needs. Just because you can buy (say) a 1950s professional oscilloscope for a few quid doesn't mean it will be usable - this stuff cost tens of thousands at today's prices when new, and buyers were expected to pay for lots of highly skilled maintenance to keep it working. Even a simple Avo 8 needs professional recalibration every few years.

[John Caswell]

All of my test gear is solid state, even though I fix a lot of valve stuff.
Main reasons are size, heat, stability & reliability and generally they are an order or two better than the equipment I fix.
I would not like to think how large and how hot an audio spectrum analyser would be. I also think I would probably spend more time fixing the test gear than repairing equipment

John

[David Simpson]

Bill, you are not far from Golborne up the M6 near Warrington, or the NVCF down in Birmingham, or Hack Green nr Middlewich in Cheshire. All places which hold sales of decent 2nd hand test equipment, as well as vintage radio stuff.
I used to know Wolverhampton like the back of my hand, having spent a few years at RAF Cosford up the A41, back in the 60's & 70's.

Regards, David

[Chrispy57]

Hi Bill,
in the spirit of your original post, I can only offer a few suggestions from personal experience to perhaps offset a bit of the over-cautious negative advice you've been given so far.

Farnell E350 Stabilised Voltage Supply, 0 - 350V in 7 switched 50V ranges, 100mA, V and I both metered, plus 4 heater voltages at 2A and 3A.

Signal Tracers, HeathKit IT-12 or T-3 Visual Aural Signal Tracer.

Hunts CRB or CRB3 Capacitance Analyser & Resistance Bridge - the latter can be used to "reform" your old suspect capacitors as well. You sound like the kind of guy that would enjoy using a "magic eye" instrument.

These are all pretty straight-forward to maintain and there's plenty of instructional videos on their use and maintenance on YouTube, eg Mr. Carlson's Lab channel.

At the end of the day you are looking to do something for your own pleasure and satisfaction - it's not life-support equipment or weapon systems!

Good luck with your hunting for some nice kit.

Cheers
Chris

[Oldtestgear]

It is possible to set up a nice workshop using vintage test gear. Of course it is a slippery path as you will probably need more test gear to fix the bits that are faulty.
Be prepared to wait for the right kit at a sensible price as all types of test equipment seem to be getting very expensive over recent years.

Good luck & do not be put off by the doom mongers, even if they might be right!

Phil

[Bufo Bill]

Thanks so much for the help and encouragement guys, it means a lot that people here are always ready to help and advise.
Chris, that Farnell E350 sounds amazing, just what I would like. Will look out for all the stuff that you mentioned.
The fact that I may have to rely on new gear is also good - more presents for me! Just have to work out how to slip them under the radar he heh . . .
Cheers from Bill.

[factory]

I was still using one of the newer looking Farnell E350 power supplies at work only a couple of years ago, much less likely to cause more PCB track damage when fault finding than the modern high power Glassman supply (most often set to over 280V at 5A).

David

[Radio Wrangler]

With test gear, don't be in a hurry, keep your eyes open and see what turns up. It helps if you get to know your way around what is good for what, so you can see when it's worth pouncing.

There are bargains to be had by those in the know who happen to be in the right place at the right time.

David

[Chrispy57]

Hi Bill,
here's a photo of the Farnell E350 PSU so you know what you're looking for in the sales. Pretty sturdy, as you can see, supporting a heavy Variac without complaining!

Cheers
Chris

[Bufo Bill]

Chris, that picture sums up what I love about this stuff: well built, does something useful, and looks like something you would see in Victor Frankenstein's front room!
Cheers, we are obviously cut from the same cloth!
Bill.

[woodchips]

I think some comments a are bit negative. Seems to me that most problems in older stuff is power supplies, don't need much in the way of stable things to fix them. Similarly oscillators that don't, or don't properly, just a scope needed.

It was the 80's when everyone stopped designing workable test equipment, arrived at the download another software patch, but you don't sound like that.