Re: Tektronix 453 Power Indicator Bulb needed
The problem with replacing the small light bulbs with LEDs is that one is almost never a drop-in replacement. You can do it, but have to make some changes to accommodate the differences in supply voltage/current source, AC vs DC, variableness, mechanical fit and mounting, wiring, and light pattern, for example. It's often just easier and simpler to put in new bulbs and be done with it, even though more technically advanced, permanent solutions are available.
I once made an LED graticule illumination assembly to try out in 7K scopes. I found some sort of omni-directional "white" LEDs from a light string, and tacked them into bases from some burned out bulbs, so they could socket the same way, on the original circuit board. I made some simple mods to the driving circuits, and it lit up nicely, with variable and everything. It was hard to tell they weren't the original bulbs in there. Then I tried a screen shot with a digital camera. The resulting pictures showed the traces OK, but hardly any illumination - the LED's whitish phosphor spectrum was not aligned with the camera's response, so even though it was OK visually, it didn't technically work for a common application. Sometimes the particulars of the LED color matter. For just visual lighting or indicating, this would not be a big deal.
Ed
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Re: Self Governance of TekScopes.
As Dennis said, the "elders" (should) generally provide enough negative feedback - remember, it's a control system keeping the output near a setpoint - that serious moderating shouldn't be required. Off-topics can be interesting and informative, but it usually becomes clear to most of us when something's gone too far out, or too far along, so should fade away. Subtle hints or explicit statements usually suffice, but sometimes some people don't know when to quit, or haven't looked at enough of a thread to see the flow and feedback, and realize it's time to end. Then the "let's wrap this up already" feedback has to get more intense. It's totally at Dennis's discretion to intercede and shut down any conversation at any point, but he shouldn't have to, if we all act rationally, pay attention to the feedback, and think about the appropriateness of what we plan to say.
Ed
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Re: Tektronix 453 Power Indicator Bulb needed
At 01:40 PM 6/19/2018, Rolynn wrote: A 386 lamp has a MTBF of 15,000 or 40,000 hours depending on what data sheet you look at.
How many hours do you operate your 453 in a lifetime? I have owned my 453 for about twenty years, and have lost track of the number of hours that I've used it. I have never had to replace a lamp. Dale H. Cook, GR/HP/Tek Collector, Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA
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Re: Tektronix 453 Power Indicator Bulb needed
At 11:33 AM 6/19/2018, Toby wrote: I get that, but the lamp is still a consumable that will wear out again. How much extra work would a LED specifically be? I value what I do to my own electronics in terms of my bench labor rate. What the LED conversion would cost in terms of my shop labor rate would probably pay for replacing the lamp several times over. People who work on electronics for a hobby, rather than for a living as I do, may value their shop time differently. Dale H. Cook, Radio Contract Engineer, Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA
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Re: Tek push-button lettering using pressing iron transfer of laser printed text on non-sticking paper
There's a kit out there to make your own dry transfer decals. It gets
fairly involved, but I used it to make some labels for a 465 I was
restoring. It worked fairly well, but it was such trouble that I
tracked down an ALPS printer to make decals.
Making black legends is trivial compared to making replacement white
legends. I think the ALPS printer is the only way to do that for mere
mortals except for screen printing.
Paul
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On Tue, Jun 19, 2018 at 12:39:20PM -0700, thespin@... wrote: I have an ALPS MD1000 I have dedicated to decals. I might buy some water slide decal paper and try this for the cal button on my 576 curve tracer.
!DSPAM:5b2954b114781281216699!
--
Paul Amaranth, GCIH | Rochester MI, USA
Aurora Group, Inc. | Security, Systems & Software
paul@... | Unix & Windows
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Re: Tek push-button lettering using pressing iron transfer of laser printed text on non-sticking paper
I think you can buy protective lacquer that will not cause the printing to bloom or smudge. Scotch Magic Tape is pretty tough but I wonder of the lacquer is better. I've used ink jet decal material to make new labels for a J-36 bug key made by Lionel. The original labels were made of cellulose and are usually shrunken and disintegrating, if they are there at all. I used a lacquer I bought were I got the decal paper. Put the decals on a piece of white plastic sheet and coated them. This was several years ago, they look original and have not degraded. However, they are not touched constantly like a key top.
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On 6/19/2018 12:17 PM, Reed Dickinson wrote: Hi Gang:
I generated script on my computer that most closely matched the script on the 485's I work on then print the result on laser approved decal paper.? I run the paper through the laser printer several times to ensure adequate fusing.? The paper is available at Kinkos, Office Depot or other suppliers.? I use the kind that transfers when wet.? I cover the tops of the decals on the buttons with Scotch tape and carefully trim the edges with a sharp scalpel after the decal is fully dry.
Reed Dickinson
reed714@...
--
Richard Knoppow
dickburk@...
WB6KBL
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Re: Tek push-button lettering using pressing iron transfer of laser printed text on non-sticking paper
I have an ALPS MD1000 I have dedicated to decals. I might buy some water slide decal paper and try this for the cal button on my 576 curve tracer.
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Re: Tek push-button lettering using pressing iron transfer of laser printed text on non-sticking paper
Hi Gang:
I generated script on my computer that most closely matched the script on the 485's I work on then print the result on laser approved decal paper. I run the paper through the laser printer several times to ensure adequate fusing. The paper is available at Kinkos, Office Depot or other suppliers. I use the kind that transfers when wet. I cover the tops of the decals on the buttons with Scotch tape and carefully trim the edges with a sharp scalpel after the decal is fully dry.
Reed Dickinson
reed714@...
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Re: Tektronix 453 Power Indicator Bulb needed
On 2018-06-19 1:40 PM, ROLYNN PRECHTL K7DFW wrote:
I get that, but the lamp is still a consumable that will wear out again.
==========================================================
A 386 lamp has a MTBF of 15,000 or 40,000 hours depending on what data sheet you look at.
How many hours do you operate your 453 in a lifetime?
You do make an excellent point, although I expect they are somewhat more sensitive to environmental conditions, temp, vibration, shock and so on. That said I'm not planning on operating mine on an active volcano either. --Toby
Rolynn
Tek Bvtn and Sunset 1966-1971
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Re: 576 Curve Tracer: Trace moving off screen and jittering when pressing CAL/Zero
That is exactly what I did with mine, pretty much to the letter. Glad that it worked for you too.
Craig
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I removed some circuit boards to get access to the switch board. I then took a syringe with a curved
tip
and sucked a small amount of deoxit inside the syringe. I stuck the tip of the syringe into the back
of
the switch, pulled air in, and slammed down on the plunger to try and mist the deoxit into the
switch
as deep as I could. This worked well.
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Re: Tek push-button lettering using pressing iron transfer of laser printed text on non-sticking paper
Jeff,
Ed (Breya) nailed it and indeed some printers drivers also have the option.
In the case where your printer driver has it, you don't even need to use CutePDF writer.
But it's so handy and freely available that it doesn't worth the trouble to look elsewhere (if you're a Windows user).
By the way, either using CutePDF writer, or your own print driver (with Mirror capability) there's an additional setting that all should be wary about.
You need to change the setting for "True Type Font" from "Substitute with Device font" to "Download as Softfont"
This is what will assure that the printer driver will actually use the "UniversCondensed" font to render the text on the page and not some internal font that is "similar".
I've been always puzzled by why this option usually defaults to "Substitute with Device Font" on pretty much every printer driver,! A setting which basically ruins any page composition, if you're using any non-conventional font.
Rgrds,
Fabio
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On Tue, Jun 19, 2018 at 08:06 am, Jeff Urban wrote:
How do you get the printer to print backwards ? (or is that in the font ?)
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Re: Tek push-button lettering using pressing iron transfer of laser printed text on non-sticking paper
Thanks JJ,
I`ll try to find it nearby, at some local artist's store.
I may very well change my approach for the buttons of my 7623A.
Those buttons (of my 7623A) are not faded (maybe only one) but they're all stained yellow and I liked very much the way those buttons of the 465 got after sanded and polished.
A nice and light gray was hiding under that ugly yellowish stain.
Now that I have a good, reliable and repeatable way of re-labeling them. I may very well risk cleaning them all and re-label them.
Rgrds,
Fabio
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On Tue, Jun 19, 2018 at 09:49 am, JJ wrote:
Fabio, The white stuff is Liquitex - an acrylic paint medium used by
artists to mix colors. Comes in assorted thicknesses and finishes. I used
the medium matt finish. They all dry clear. You can also put a coat over
the transfer to seal it. Some people use Mod Podge - water based sealer.
Excellent results as well. Any art supply store will carry them. Amazon has
it. Very popular stuff!
Try it on a piece plastic to get some experience using it. You get hooked
transferring everything in sight! Have fun!
JJ
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Re: Up to date capacitor list for Tek 2465A and 2465B scopes (2018)
There are several ways it could be done. Either a list of modern parts from one or more OEMs for each model, to a database for as many replacements for Tek parts as possible and maybe hosted on another website where you would enter the Tek part number to find a possible replacement. Common items can be replaced but Tek specific would still have to come from someone's boneyard.
Michael A. Terrell
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-----Original Message----- From: Brian Cockburn <brian.cockburn.1959@...>
Sent: Jun 19, 2018 9:47 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [TekScopes] Up to date capacitor list for Tek 2465A and 2465B scopes (2018)
Michael,
That sounds like a great idea. Is it reasonable to assume that a given part, like a 47uF 35V electrolytic, would have a single modern replacement recommendation? Or would it perhaps be necessary to use the Tek part number as the 'index' into the set of new part pages?
Either way, there could be a wiki page for each part, with notes associated with it like the ref-des for various models and any gotchas.
Then each model could have a list, by ref-des, of the parts that are candidates for replacement, with each line then clicking-through to the part page. The lists could perhaps even be partitioned into obvious areas like SMPS, PS, Vert, Trig, TB, etc. The only downside to this (general wiki pages) would be that it wouldn't be simple to get a BoM for the replacements for a model. That sort of stuff requires a more data base like back end I expect.
Cheers, Brian.
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Re: Tek push-button lettering using pressing iron transfer of laser printed text on non-sticking paper
Ed,
It was sort of an amateur (and anxiety driven) approach.
The fact is that I printed that sheet on my work's laser printer (on a Friday) and didn't know then if the toner would even stick to the buttons.
I didn't think then of adding any cross-hairs or other alignment aids.
I took the sheet home on the weekend and first trials worked so well and transferred so effortlessly that I kept going and found a way to align the labels I had at hand.
Sure enough, it took me some trials and some failed batches, but I wouldn't stand waiting another week to try again.
I think that printing a rectangle border of the size of the buttons would help to cut 4 flaps that would fold and match edge-with-edge, creating a small hollow box that could be put together with adhesive tape, and the button would just drop in.
It would certainly improve the process.
Rgrds,
Fabio
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On Tue, Jun 19, 2018 at 09:13 am, Ed Breya wrote:
Fabio mentioned some difficulties in aligning the text onto the button faces.
How about maybe adding guidelines or some kind of extra markings around the
texts to help cut out the physical transfer pieces? If the cruciform cutouts
can be made nicely registered to the text positions, then the edges could
squared up when wrapped over the buttons, assuring proper alignment.
Ed
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Re: Tektronix 453 Power Indicator Bulb needed
I get that, but the lamp is still a consumable that will wear out again. ========================================================== A 386 lamp has a MTBF of 15,000 or 40,000 hours depending on what data sheet you look at. How many hours do you operate your 453 in a lifetime? Rolynn Tek Bvtn and Sunset 1966-1971
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Re: Tek push-button lettering using pressing iron transfer of laser printed text on non-sticking paper
Fabio, The white stuff is Liquitex - an acrylic paint medium used by
artists to mix colors. Comes in assorted thicknesses and finishes. I used
the medium matt finish. They all dry clear. You can also put a coat over
the transfer to seal it. Some people use Mod Podge - water based sealer.
Excellent results as well. Any art supply store will carry them. Amazon has
it. Very popular stuff!
Try it on a piece plastic to get some experience using it. You get hooked
transferring everything in sight! Have fun!
JJ
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Show quoted text
On Tuesday, June 19, 2018, Fabio Trevisan <fabio.tr3visan@...> wrote: Hi JJ,
On the video, it really seemed easy and the result awesome.
I have some trouble to identify what was that white glue he applied.
I don't know if it's something that is common use to people who does hand
craft stuff, or if it's just a "chic" version of white glue (Vinyl Glue)
commonly used to glue wood and paper.
Does it stick well to plastics?
Bearing in mind that the buttons are non-porous plastic, and small, will
it eventually form a film that will peel off from the button's edges?
Will the film retain its transparency over time? Because it will remain
under the letters and we can't get rid of the film without removing the
letters themselves.
On Mon, Jun 18, 2018 at 05:07 pm, JJ wrote:
I've used the cold transfer method - it works a lot better than heat
transfer for transferring images. There are many youtube videos on the
method. The process can be used on just about any medium - wood, plastic,
metal:
Check out "TheCrafsman" - very cool and entertaining:
Enjoy,
JJ
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Re: Up to date capacitor list for Tek 2465A and 2465B scopes (2018)
On 19 Jun 2018, at 15:11, M Yachad <yachadm@...> wrote: How would I define that Excel file as modifiable online by any group member, without the necessity to download it, and then upload it again?
Sort-of cloud-editable Google Sheets () is fairly good for that. Overleaf () is good too, though you define tables in LaTeX rather than a spreadsheet per se. Office365 might do it too; it would directly support Excel but maybe requires a paid Office365 account? However, these all have the limitation of requiring that you know the link in order to see the document. Or does anyone have any better ideas? The TekWiki wiki would be ideal, assuming would-be editors can get appropriate accounts.
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Re: Up to date capacitor list for Tek 2465A and 2465B scopes (2018)
Men
I'll take on this project, to develop a multi-user reference parts list.
I would like to upload an Excel file, with the relevant data - my recommendations to start with (all referred parts have been tested and confirmed suitable by users who have bought my Ebay kits over the past 3 years). However I would like any interested member to be able to go in and modify that file on line, so that it is a reflection of all the members.
How would I define that Excel file as modifiable online by any group member, without the necessity to download it, and then upload it again?
Sort-of cloud-editable
Or does anyone have any better ideas?
Menahem
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I understand that the Tek2235 wants a 154-0861-00 CRT, which seems to be made of Unobtanium.
Are there any known substitutions?
Are there any _available_ known Substitutions?
Thanks in advance!
73
-georgeK KB1HFT
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Re: 576 Curve Tracer: Trace moving off screen and jittering when pressing CAL/Zero
I removed some circuit boards to get access to the switch board. I then took a syringe with a curved tip and sucked a small amount of deoxit inside the syringe. I stuck the tip of the syringe into the back of the switch, pulled air in, and slammed down on the plunger to try and mist the deoxit into the switch as deep as I could. This worked well.
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Dale H. Cook
Fabio Trevisan
Michael A. Terrell
ROLYNN PRECHTL K7DFW