Category Archives: Gadgets

Play Quake 1 on an Oscilloscope

Posted on December 29, 2014 by jwk

Pekka Väänänen must have been bored over the holidays, as he came up with a fantastic and fascinating new use for an oscilloscope and a laptop: playing a round of Quake on his Hitachi V-422 scope in X-Y mode.   After … Continue reading →

Posted in Computers, DIY, Electronics, Gadgets | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Boxed Kit Amps’ Gobo Stereo Amplifier Build and Review

Posted on November 26, 2014 by jwk

If you’re a subscriber to Nuts and Volts Magazine, check out my article in the December 2014 issue where I build, test and review the Boxed Kit Amps Gobo Stereo Amplifier, a great little desktop reference amp for any skill … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Commentary, DIY, Electronics, Gadgets, Hi-Fi, Projects, Stereo | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

HP 143A Wide Screen Oscilloscope Mainframe Restoration – Part 2

Posted on October 15, 2014 by jwk

Part 1 I’m continuing to work on getting my HP 143A ocsilloscope mainframe fixed up as a dual-trace X-Y display. A lot of the time has been spent on reading and researching, but I’ve picked up an important tool that will … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Gadgets, Test Equipment, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What do you get from a $25 multimeter?

Posted on October 4, 2014 by jwk

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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Steampunk USB Vacuum Tube Flash Drives

Posted on September 26, 2014 by jwk

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

Posted on September 18, 2014 by jwk

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 →

Posted in Collections, Commentary, DIY, Electronics, Gadgets, Resources, Tools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted on September 1, 2014 by jwk

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 →

Posted in Electronics, Gadgets, Photos, Test Equipment, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

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

Posted on August 21, 2014 by jwk

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 →

Posted in Electronics, Gadgets, Projects, Test Equipment, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

For Sale: The KN0CK and KF7LZE RTLSDR for HF Rev. 5!

Posted on January 28, 2014 by jwk

I’m happy to announce that Rev 5 of the KN0CK and KF7LZE RTLSDR for HF is now available for sale in its 5th iteration – now featuring Direct Sampling, while still keeping the familiar wide-band pre-amplifier! On account of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Gadgets, Hardware, Radio | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Coming Soon: KN0CK and KF7LZE RTLSDR Receiver Rev. 5!

Posted on January 6, 2014 by jwk

Edited 6/10/2014: Now for sale directly at KF7LZE.net! I’m proud to announce that in just a few days, Easy-Kits.com in cooperation with KN0CK will be releasing Rev. 5 of the popular RTLSDR Integrated Upconverter with a brand new design and … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Gadgets, Hardware, Radio | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments