Category Archives: Test Equipment

1951 EMC 211 Service Tube Tester Refurbish

Posted on July 30, 2016 by jwk

From Rain City Audio: I don’t often work on test equipment, but sometimes I take a tube tester or similar for service. This one in particular is a 1951 EMC Model 211 tube tester, a quick and simple emissions tester … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Projects, Test Equipment, Vintage | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Bad Caps in Everything

Posted on July 20, 2016 by jwk

I just had a bit of a scare with my Audio Precision analyzer. The 2004-era Dell OptiPlex GX270 which drives the AP hardware decided it would refuse to power up – just flashing the “ON” light for a fraction of … Continue reading →

Posted in Computers, DIY, Electronics, Test Equipment | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Bose® Active Equalizer Test Platform

Posted on April 13, 2016 by jwk

This project is going to take a while since I’m slammed in the shop, but I’m in the process of converting a Bose® 901 Series I Active Equalizer to  a test platform. With sockets for the transistors, and clip connections … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Bose, DIY, Electronics, Stereo, Test Equipment | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Retro 1956 Cyclometer VTVM – Hycon Model 615

Posted on February 19, 2016 by jwk

A pretty cool, very rare piece of test equipment turned up on eBay recently: a 1956 Hycon model 615 AC/DC VTVM. This was a precursor of today’s digital, using analog servo circuitry to drive the numeric digit display. These were … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Gadgets, Test Equipment, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

What’s On Your Workbench?

Posted on December 20, 2015 by jwk

People ask me what kind of gear I use at Retrovoltage and at Rain City Audio for projects. So, here we go: While it’s by no means the best-equipped workbench out there, it has a good mix of lab- and service-grade … Continue reading →

Posted in Collections, Commentary, Test Equipment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Collector or Bargain-Hunter? There are Craigslist deals out there.

Posted on December 12, 2015 by jwk

If you’re like me and have a liking for vintage electronics, you’ll know that they turn up in a lot of places. Craigslist tends to be a pretty good spot for radios and even piles of tubes from time to … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Test Equipment, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mailbag: What’s the best multitester for vintage radios?

Posted on November 2, 2015 by jwk

I recently got this question in the mailbag, and it seemed like a good one to answer: What’s the best multitester for vintage radio repair? That’s actually a tougher question than it seems. The short answer? Well…it depends a bit, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, DIY, Electronics, Gadgets, Test Equipment | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Hands On with the FLIR One for Android

Posted on October 9, 2015 by jwk

Several months ago I ordered a FLIR One for Android, a small attachment which adds infrared thermal vision capabilities to most Android smartphones and tablets. After the backlog of pre-orders finally cleared out, I got my hands on mine today! … Continue reading →

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

Adding Capture to a Vintage Scanning Electron Microscope

Posted on August 31, 2015 by jwk

Applied Science over at YouTube has a great video about adding a capture capabilities to a vintage scanning electron microscope, including some great videos of that instrument in action. Check it out:

Posted in Commentary, DIY, Electronics, Test Equipment | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

New Test Equipment Day!

Posted on August 19, 2015 by jwk

I’ve added a new analysis system to my stereo bench…the Audio Precision System One. Amplifier measurements just got a whole lot more precise.

Posted in Commentary, Test Equipment, Tools, Toys | Leave a comment