Wow! It's so wonderful to know that a woman is seriously involved in doing electronics, and seems to me that women working with electronics are rare (based on my assumption). I thought your name "Bernice" belongs to a man. DIdn't had a clue with "Rupunzell" who was actually a feminine character..
Oops. Sorrrrry! Apart from not taking a hint from your user name (people pick all kinds of nics) I also missed noticing your name in posts several times. Apparently I'm blind.
Well, now I feel even more jealous. *Another* thing there were virtually none of in Australia in the pre-Internet era, was women active in technology. At least not in my rather information-starved no-net circles.
Added: pics below are my small collection of equipment manuals. A vertical bookshelf at left, and along a top shelf. Mostly HP & Tektronix, a few others. 90% for equipment I have, plus a few random ones for stuff I don't have, and missing manuals for some gear I do have.
Most of my tech and general books are in another building; I keep the equipment manuals here in the workshop. Though the space isn't enough and keeps getting wedged due to too much stuff piling up. I'm too ashamed to turn the camera around and show the other side of the room atm.
My showing off comment was a joke and brought about by how impressive the setup was. Disappointed that I was misunderstood.
Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
Don't be envious or jealous of my techno material things or access to this techno stuff., they are things that all of us will loose eventually in time as everything on this earth will at some point return to the COSMOS.
Enjoy them in the here and now, save and preserve them for those in the future that can and will appreciated them for the knowledge and wisdom they contain and can offer to those who are willing to listen and spend the time and effort to understand.
Your lab and library is no small collection. It is GREAT to see technical libraries like this as it says much about the individual and their passion for what they do in life.
If more individual who are interested in this electronics stuff would spend some time with instruments and their service manuals from that golden age, I suspect there would be a much greater appreciation for just how cleaver, creative and rational some of the solutions these folks came up with for technically challenging problems that remain a fixed aspect of electronics design. There is no need to reinvent the wheel when there are examples of absolutely excellent wheels made. Be humble, learn from wisdom of the past and adapt them to current needs. This also goes a very long way towards building circuit literacy and expression of creativity via circuit design.
The very best circuit and systems designers are more creative artist than just engineering types.
Of the home labs that has surprise me, Bo Lojek, professor at University of Colorado, also works at Atmel.
http://blog.atmel.com/2013/11/08/the-home-lab-of-bo-lojek/
This comment by Paul Rako wrinkled my brow as it does apply to more than a few folks I know,
"It does not disturb me that Lojek has a stack of early Tektronix mainframe scopes. What bothers me is I have several friends that have the same sort of stack."
There are a few of us who have been in this business, I am not an EE just a lowly RF tech, loving it more than anything else in my life.
There are a few of us who have been in this business, I am not an EE just a lowly RF tech, loving it more than anything else in my life.
When it comes to anything to do with knowledge of electronics there is no such thing as "lowly"...
I admire people like you as I am simply a hobbyist with a thirst to learn, and i learn a lot from this forum and people like you who contribute.
Thank you AF6LJ.
You're not and never will be lowly, what matters is you're following your passion and know you're doing something constructive and helpful with your time on this earth.
Bernice
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I got involved with this form just under a year ago when a post appeared about why Tektronix no longer made excellent O'scopes. I took that moment to try and share some historical information and maybe promote interest in restoration, preservation and continue use of instrumentation from that golden era...which has resulted in a rather curious experience for me in many ways.
.......
Bernice
tek-7603-scope-w-7a18-amp-7b53a-timebase-restoration
hp-6114a-precision-power-supply-restoration
3410A ac-microvoltmeter restore
.......
I got involved with this form just under a year ago when a post appeared about why Tektronix no longer made excellent O'scopes. I took that moment to try and share some historical information and maybe promote interest in restoration, preservation and continue use of instrumentation from that golden era...which has resulted in a rather curious experience for me in many ways.
.......
Bernice
Hello Bernice, These posts were before you joined so I thought you might enjoy the links below.
tek-7603-scope-w-7a18-amp-7b53a-timebase-restoration
hp-6114a-precision-power-supply-restoration
3410A ac-microvoltmeter restore
Hello Bernice, These posts were before you joined so I thought you might enjoy the links below.
tek-7603-scope-w-7a18-amp-7b53a-timebase-restoration
hp-6114a-precision-power-supply-restoration
3410A ac-microvoltmeter restore
As soon as I can find the power cord (or maybe I just won't wait) I plan on doing a teardown of my Tek 321A
Not only does it still work it works quite well.
As soon as I can find the power cord (or maybe I just won't wait) I plan on doing a teardown of my Tek 321A
Not only does it still work it works quite well.
One of those Tektronix specific power cords with the right angle connectors with totally non-standard pin configuration. Tek 321A originated from the Tek 315, their first great small portable designed by Dick Ropiequet, John Kobbe and Jim Morrow who introduced the idea of coaxial controls. This was the beginnings of the Tek 300 series and Tek's effort to make smaller O'scopes.
Bernice
Hello Bernice, These posts were before you joined so I thought you might enjoy the links below.
tek-7603-scope-w-7a18-amp-7b53a-timebase-restoration
hp-6114a-precision-power-supply-restoration
3410A ac-microvoltmeter restore
GREAT stuff to see instrumentation like this being restored to pristine condition.
Suggestion, it might be a good thing for this forum to add a section that related directly to restoration, repair and calibration of specific instruments. This can aid others who are interest restoration, repair, maintenance and calibration of these classic instruments from that golden era.
Some time ago, a repair was done on a Tek 620 monitor. There was no service manual on hand and a web search returned a page that illustrated what another has done to repair a similar problem with a section of that problem area. Turns out the problem-failure is a result of a design Ooops. In return, I made some suggestions to the keeper of that web page, he added it to the web page;
http://golddredgervideo.com/kc0wox/tek/620/
Bernice
It is a very cool scope, I do have that power cord, the AC version. The temptation is strong to get the Ten, or is it a Dozen size D rechargeable batteries for it, Just for fun.
Some time ago, a repair was done on a Tek 620 monitor. There was no service manual on hand and a web search returned a page that illustrated what another has done to repair a similar problem with a section of that problem area. Turns out the problem-failure is a result of a design Ooops. In return, I made some suggestions to the keeper of that web page, he added it to the web page;
http://golddredgervideo.com/kc0wox/tek/620/
I'll PM a pix to you in this regard. The electronics is part of my overall interest in science & technology & the humanities. There are too many involved in electronics that are narrowly focused on a specific area of electronics or similar technology, yet there is far more than just what they are focused on including art, literature, biology, cosmology, physics and all other aspects of humanity. Consider this: EGO = 1/knowledge
It is a very cool scope, I do have that power cord, the AC version. The temptation is strong to get the Ten, or is it a Dozen size D rechargeable batteries for it, Just for fun.
Battery powered = floating.
Consider what can be done with a floating O'scope.
Yes, put in 10 D cells and try it.
Bernice