Anyone recognise this ancient CRO?

"Bob Parker"

** Not the same one - I built the simpler May '66 version, with 2MHz bandwidth.

More compact, case less than half the size (5 x 7.5 x 8.5 inch) and used only 5 valves:

1x12AT7 Schmitt trigger, 2x6BL8 for horizontal sweep and 2x6GH8 for the vertical amp.

The shift, focus and astig pots were moved to the rear.

The 1S/cm time was left out as was DC coupling, illuminated graticule, filter choke and brightness pot.

But the Mu-Metal CRT shield was kept and it uses a custom Ferguson tranny ( with copper strap) for all voltages.

The overall DC voltage on the CRT was increased to 650V, making the trace quite bright and sharp.

I still have it and it still works with the original CRT.

It even got a recent up-grade with a BNC socket on the front !

.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison
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Still quite a respectable instrument. The BNC socket makes it a hell of a lot easier to connect a real probe to it. :)

Bob

Reply to
Bob Parker

** Others have mentioned seeing green CRTs used to make home brew TVs in the B&W days.

Well, soon as I got my new CRO working, I hooked up the vertical, horizontal and Z inputs to the vertical, horizontal and video circuits of a HMV 17 inch, console TV set.

Got a tiny green pic and my choice of negative or positive images - cool.

Current generation geeks have no idea ....

.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

One of the little games in our apprentice workshop was when somebody had got as far as finishing the power supply and had installed the tube, was to distract them while a small magnet was slipped inside the umetal screen leaving the victim trying to work out why he couldn't get a dot on the screen.

Reply to
keithr

This would have been the late 40s. TVs were fearfully expensive, people would just buy an antenna to try and make the neighbours believe that they had one.

Reply to
keithr

"Bob Parker

** Anyone for a bit of electronics nostalgia ?

All the bits for my EA, May 66 CRO were purchased at Sydney's Radio Despatch Service.

The power tranny was made by Ferguson at Chatswood.

The filter electros and polystyrenes were made by Ducon at Villawood.

The 9 pin sockets were made by McMurdo Australasia in Melbourne.

The wafer and slide switches were made by MSP in Ashfield.

All the valves were made by AWV in Rydalmere.

5W and 2W resistors and a switch pot were made by IRH at Kingsgrove.

However, the 3 inch CRT was made by Philips in Holland and the 12 pin socket for same was made by McMurdo in the UK. The Sato knobs came from Japan.

The steel case was made by my brother in law, a welder by trade.

.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

There may have been amature TV but Public TV did not start until 1956 in Australia. I Helped install a Training transmitter at Melbourne Tech (RMIT) in

1952 or 3. :-Z
--
John G
Reply to
John G

I remember seeing a demo at the exhibition buildings, which would have been 52 or 53.

may have even been part of the same package.

Cheers Don...

--
Don McKenzie 

$30 for an Olinuxino Linux PC: 
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Reply to
Don McKenzie

I tried doing the same thing in the early 1970s with a brand-name oscilloscope back in the PMG.

My own TV back then was an Astor 17", model ESJ if I remember correctly. I remember buying a new vertical output transformer for it from Radio Despatch Service.... Geoff Wood served me.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Parker

Wow! That was back when Australia had a manufacturing industry, before governments put a stop to that.

Sounds like you were at RDS about as regularly as I was, before Bill Edge, Geoff Wood and probably others went and did their own thing. I remember meeting Fred (with the glasses) working behind the counter of an East Hills service station one night after the demise of RDS. He looked miserable.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Parker

I've just received a pile of new photos of the CRO. You can see them at

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Strange that it's got a mixture of old and mostly newer components in it. The bloke's son says he saw it working in the 1960s... maybe that's when it was built, also using a few waxed paper caps he had in stock?

The CRT is an RCA 902, making it look more like the CRO could be a clone of the RCA 151-2 which also uses a 902 tube.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Parker

"John G"

** Keith's story relates to the UK in the late 40s.

It has no relevance to the post he put it under.

Wot an ass.

... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

"Bob Parker"

** Yep, Geoff Wood and Norm Edge were the main guys.

Also Arthur the pom and gorgeous Julie - the office girl who sometimes served lucky customers.

... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

and I'll almost bet the Astor 17" cost 199 guineas. that's the number I remember.

Cheers Don...

--
Don McKenzie 

$30 for an Olinuxino Linux PC: 
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Reply to
Don McKenzie

As phil has so helpfully pointed out, I wasn't living in Australia at the time.

Reply to
keithr

It probably did, which was a fortune back then. Luckily mine was second-hand though a bit knocked around. :)

Reply to
Bob Parker

I can picture Arthur and the rest like it was last week. Also the yellow "Dr To Radio Despatch Service" invoices and the cabinets full of valves. I don't recall Julie - I must have been one of the unlucky ones. :(

Bob

Reply to
Bob Parker

"Bob Parker"

** Australia had a decent semiconductor industry in the 1960s.

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Includes plants set up by STC, Anodeon, Ducon and Fairchild.

I still have some AY8171 and AY9171 silicon power devices in gold flashed TO66 packs from 1973.

... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

** There was " Neville " who was a bit fruity .......

Was Fred the tall, fair haired, solidly built guy ??

And the young guitar player with curly hair - what was his name ?

** Short, dark haired and very curvy .....

BTW:

Did you know that Norm Edge drove a tank in WW2 ?

Told me about it over the counter one day.

.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

My memory's kinda patchy for most of those blokes. As I recall, Fred was fairly short with wavy black but greying hair and black-rimmed glasses.

Sounds like you got to know the people behind the counter better than I did. I remember Norm Edge well but I never knew he was a tank driver(!).

The weird thing is that I think I still remember both of RDS's phone numbers: 211-0191 and 211-0816. Was that them?

Bob

Reply to
Bob Parker

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