Category Archives: Electronics

Phase Linear 2000 Pre-Amp Overhaul

Posted on October 6, 2014 by retrovoltage

I had a Phase Linear 2000 on the bench for a repair recently. It was running okay, but had some pops and clicks and the controls weren’t all that smooth. Time for an overhaul before anything worse cropped up! This … Continue reading →

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What do you get from a $25 multimeter?

Posted on October 4, 2014 by retrovoltage

Fred Clift wrote over on his blog about why it’s worthwhile to pick a more expensive multimeter. He’s comparing a $200 Fluke to a $6 Harbor Freight multimeter, which really is a no-brainer. I’m not sure the Harbor Freight model … Continue reading →

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New Toy: HP 130C Oscilloscope

Posted on September 29, 2014 by retrovoltage

I’ve been looking for a nice balanced input oscilloscope to use as a bench audio scope for a bit, and I do enjoy some vintage test equipment…so I recently ended up with an HP 130C oscilloscope. This early ’60s tube … Continue reading →

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Steampunk USB Vacuum Tube Flash Drives

Posted on September 26, 2014 by retrovoltage

I ran across these very cool steampunk-inspired USB flash drives drives built around a vacuum tube while looking for some tube shields. They look like they’re really well built and are a clever use of an old vacuum tube. I … Continue reading →

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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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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 →

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

Posted on September 18, 2014 by retrovoltage

This page is outdated, but I’m keeping it up for SEO reasons. Here’s the current version:

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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 →

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