Author Topic: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.  (Read 28900 times)

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Offline VK5RCTopic starter

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #75 on: October 08, 2016, 09:33:47 am »
Interesting re anodising,  I have not had a look at the panels up close with a microscope but the lettering does seem extremely tough. 
I must be patient,  the 545 was a 20min drive away,  so stuff does come up from time to time. :-)
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Offline med6753

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #76 on: October 08, 2016, 11:23:26 am »
That scope is beautiful! Nice job!  :-+ :-+
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Offline pelule

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #77 on: October 08, 2016, 11:51:55 am »
Nice job!  :-+ :-+
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Offline richnormand

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #78 on: October 08, 2016, 05:05:10 pm »
Excellent job indeed! Congrats. :-+

One thing that intrigues me is that mine has a small compartment (6" x 4" about 3/4" deep) on top with a door that pops out in the right hand side of the right cover (over the timebase controls). It's perfect to put in bnc adapters and such. Your does not seem to have that. I can post a pix if interested.

Second this is that I located my watt-meter. You were worried about overall power consumption at one point. I could hook it up to mine if you have not resolved that issue.

Keep up the good work. What will be your next restoration project? :-BROKE



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Offline VK5RCTopic starter

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #79 on: October 08, 2016, 10:53:11 pm »
@richnormand , interesting re the little storage box, I have seen some photos with a lid in that area and wondered (till now). Would be useful. There do seem to be a lot of variances in these units, e.g. varied HV diodes can be either silicon or tubes, the LV rectifiers - at least two different versions.
If you could measure your power consumption it would be interesting.
Later today I will fire mine up and put up the true power, VA etc.
When having a good look at the unit, measuring the DC power consumption, (by measuring voltages across the current limiting resistors on the "low voltage" 150-500v supplies) the consumption figures look ok. i wondered whether it is due to the issue that I am running at 235v and I think it was really made to run at 115v.
I have run it as long as an hour without trouble - so i am reasonably happy things are 'ok' - it is an old unit so things will pop up from time to time.
I have a bit of old gear and on the first of the month I try to switch on all my gear for 10-15mins (not all at the same time), my postulate is that might keep ageing electrolytics a little happier for longer and also if something doesn't work, I find out before I need to use it.

Re next project,  is either
1 An HP 5221 with one dead digit (MSD), real problem is the nixes in them are really hard to find, but i am not sure it is the nixie or the driving circuit yet.
2 My 5245L, if I recall the plug in was a bit dodgy and I have ordered an "AS IS" 5261 plug in, so I might have a bit more of a go at the 5245L and its plug ins.
I am seriously running out of room so have to be careful with purchases!  :-+

I have to tell a funny story, while showing my completed 545 to my 19yo daughter, she went out to my 'shack' rolling her eyes as only a 19yo can, when she switched it on, and as the tubes started to glow etc , she actually said 'wow that's cool' . She would deny it now, but for a second or two she was interested. My 12yo just  said "are you going to sell it?"

Regards Rob
Whoah! Watch where that landed we might need it later.
 

Online tautech

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #80 on: October 08, 2016, 11:07:30 pm »
Kids  ::) I'm sure they all think we're nuts, until they need something fixed.  :-DD

Then it's bata time....what will they do in return?  >:D  :-DD
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Offline VK5RCTopic starter

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #81 on: October 08, 2016, 11:23:19 pm »
As the only male in a household including 3 teenage daughters ……… no comment :scared:
Power data,  on start up then full power, with calibration unit on.
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Offline richnormand

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #82 on: October 09, 2016, 12:51:58 am »
@richnormand , interesting re the little storage box, I have seen some photos with a lid in that area and wondered (till now). Would be useful.


I have to tell a funny story, while showing my completed 545 to my 19yo daughter, she went out to my 'shack' rolling her eyes as only a 19yo can, when she switched it on, and as the tubes started to glow etc , she actually said 'wow that's cool' . She would deny it now, but for a second or two she was interested. My 12yo just  said "are you going to sell it?"

Regards Rob

My daugther first word was "scope". She loved to play with it and see the traces.... :). That was sooooo many years ago...
« Last Edit: October 09, 2016, 01:00:39 am by richnormand »
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Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #83 on: October 09, 2016, 03:38:59 am »
The good thing about the 5221 is that the tubes are socketed, so isolating the issue should be relatively simple.

-Pat
If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 

Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #84 on: October 09, 2016, 03:41:23 am »
Rob -

You need to build a nice vacuum tube amp for the 19 YO.   >:D

-Pat
If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 

Offline VK5RCTopic starter

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #85 on: October 09, 2016, 05:11:00 am »
Pat  the way she treats phones, she needs something WAY more robust. I now consider myself an expert on replacing iPhone screens, my eldest's tally is 2 iPhone screens, one back cover, one went swimming and one laptop LCD screen!!!!! I am not kidding.
She would need an amp made of those ICs that can handle being fired in a missile and a fully potted PCB with hostile environment input,  output and mains protection, actually come to think of it - this is a marketing opportunity for her and her friends who seem to have similar electronic handling skills. (HiHi)
Rob
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Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #86 on: October 09, 2016, 05:57:43 am »
Rob - that is a dreadful trail of electronic destruction that she's left in her wake, but I was thinking more along the lines of a big honking home stereo amp, with a heavy power transformer, choke and two beefy output trannies.  Not exactly portable.  Though I suppose for the younger generation, the home stereo has by and large gone the way of the dinosaur and the dodo so something like that probably wouldn't be of much interest to her, would it?

As for portables, bear in mind that proximity fuzes with vacuum tubes were fired from naval guns in 5" AA shells in WWII, so it's quite possible to make tube gear that's at least slightly more robust than an iPhone...   :-+

-Pat
« Last Edit: October 09, 2016, 05:59:18 am by Cubdriver »
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Offline Cyberdragon

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Re: Restoration / Repair of Tektronix 545 - Finished.
« Reply #87 on: October 10, 2016, 09:44:36 pm »
Iphones are crap for durability. Androids can be waterproof and shatter resistant. You can get high impact screen protectors that can withstand hammering though.
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