Author Archives: retrovoltage

NordeMende Globetraveler 7/601 Rebuild

Posted on September 23, 2014 by retrovoltage

This rare and valuable example of late 1960s German engineering came through my shop recently, the NordeMende Globetraveler 7/601. Marketed as the Globetrotter in Europe, RCA already marketed a radio called the Globetrotter in the United States and so the … Continue reading →

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Test Equipment Round-Up – September 20th, 2014

Posted on September 20, 2014 by retrovoltage

I always keep an eye on eBay for plug-ins for my HP 143 oscilloscope and even if they don’t turn up, it’s always interesting to see what else is in the category. Some of these are pretty interesting – there’s definitely … Continue reading →

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Marantz 2245 Stereophonic Receiver Rebuild

Posted on September 19, 2014 by retrovoltage

An iconic piece of kit from the golden age of hi fi just came through my shop: the Marantz 2245 Stereophonic Receiver. This fantastic receiver is in pretty good cosmetic shape, but its owner reported that it started acting up – it’d take … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Electronics, Hi-Fi, Projects, Stereo, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Getting Started With Vintage Radio and Electronics: Basic Tools for the Hobbyist

Posted on September 18, 2014 by retrovoltage

A few people have asked me variations of  “What tools do I need to fix my first radio?”, “What do I need to put together this soldering kit?”, and such. It’s not as simple as you might think. There’s a … Continue reading →

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New Toy: LogiMetrics 921A RF Signal Generator – Refurbished by KISS Electronics

Posted on September 17, 2014 by retrovoltage

I just had an unexpected run-in with Murphy’s Law and found myself needing a modulated signal generator in short order. Bad news when my modulated signal generators decided to die right when I went to perform an alignment! My Leader Standard … Continue reading →

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New Toy: Keithley 2015 THD Multimeter

Posted on September 12, 2014 by retrovoltage

I picked up a new piece of gear for the shop recently, the Keithley 2015 THD Multimeter. It was a fantastic deal – a refurbished and calibrated unit for about 10% of the MSRP. These have been manufactured for about … Continue reading →

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Parts of a Vintage Radio – Middle Tube Era

Posted on September 8, 2014 by retrovoltage

Photos with parts diagrams of a vintage tube radio – the Crosley 10-139, from about the middle of the tube era. Click each photo for full size.  

Posted in Commentary, Photos, Radios and Tubes, Resources, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

HP 1405A Plug-In Mystery: Which Is It?

Posted on September 1, 2014 by retrovoltage

I’m fixing up an HP 143A Wide-Screen Mainframe Oscilloscope, which has a very big selection of plug-ins to provide a variety of functions. The oscilloscope has symmetrical vertical and horizontal circuits, so it can be used as an X-Y amplifier … Continue reading →

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Wanted: Vintage HP 1400-Series Vertical Amplifier Plug-Ins for Oscilloscope

Posted on August 21, 2014 by retrovoltage

I’m looking for plugins for my HP 143A Wide-Screen Mainframe Oscilloscope which I’m in the process of restoring. I’d love to run it as a 15″ high speed X-Y display, and to do so needs matched vertical amplifier plugins in … Continue reading →

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New Toy: HP 143 Wide-Screen Oscilloscope Mainframe Restoration – [Part 1]

Posted on August 14, 2014 by retrovoltage

At the risk of becoming a test equipment collector, I am picking up a few pieces of vintage test equipment that need some work, but will be very useful pieces of shop gear as well as interesting pieces of history … Continue reading →

Posted in Collections, Electronics, Hardware, Projects, Test Equipment, Toys, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments