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The document discusses Sylvania color picture tubes and their different price lines, as well as equipment for electronics training and testing.

The three different price lines that Sylvania offers for color picture tubes are the top-line Color Bright 85 XR, the economy Color Screen 85 line, and the middle-line Color Bright 85 RE.

The Compu-Trainer included in the NTS Electronics & Computer Technology course is a fully operational computer logic trainer loaded with integrated circuits that introduces the student quickly to computers.

60G

AUG.1971

Tail -Light Alert For Your Car

Technician's Special
Experimenter's Delight

'e R-E's Tone-Burst Generator To Test


Antplifer-Speakers-Rf Circuits-Industrial Electronics
14

Ways T

I-

www.americanradiohistory.com

GTE Sylvania has the lines


that lay it on the line.
Only GTE Sylvania gives you

choice of three different price lines in

color picture tubes.


And GTE Sylvania tells you and your customer exactly what you are getting
in each line.
That makes Sylvania tubes easier to sell.
You can tell your customers the advantages of the top -line color bright 85 XR.
You can show them where the savings come from in the
economy color screen 85 line. And you can tell them exactly what they're getting for their money in the middle line co/or bright 85, RE.
The way we see it, if we lay it on the line with you, you
can lay it on the line with your customers.
Instead of just handing them a line.

cEiD SYLVANIA
color bright 05 XR

color bright OE RE

color scrcca

yes

yes

yes

Other manufactured rare


earth phosphors

no

no

yes

All sulfide phosphors

no

no

no

inhibiting glass

yes

no

no

yes

some

some

Reused glass

no

some

some

Regunned

no

no

some

OEM

OEM

slightly wider

Sylvania rare earth


red phosphors

X -ray

New glass

Screen blemish specs

than OEM

White field uniformity

Cut off; purity currents;


beam shield leakage

OEM

OEM

than OEM

slightly wider
than "RE"

OEM

slightly wider

slightly wider

than OEM

www.americanradiohistory.com

There is no substitute for training


on real electronic equipment.
It's just as easy to train on the type
of equipment technicians actually use
and service.
And it's a lot more practical. Take TV
Servicing, for instance.
You'll have it all over the man whose
only experience has been on a TV re-

ceiver designed strictly for training


purposes.
NTS Project- Method courses in Electronics combine the latest, professional
equipment with easy -to -grasp lessons,
texts and manuals. You build your equipment a stage at a time, and then use
the equipment on projects that duplicate
actual servicing problems.
It's like getting on -the -job experience

at home.
Here's just some of the equipment
you get to keep, and what you will learn.
You'll get all the details when you receive the NTS full -color catalog.

watt AM
transmitter
receiver TotanialmAk
5

....

14,:

Exclusive
Compu -Trainer''

NTS COLOR AND


B &W T.V. SERVICING
You receive a color TV with
many unique features, in-

cluding built -in self- servicing equipment so you can


make all normal test operations. You also build an AMSW radio, solid -state radio,
F.E.T. Volt- Ohmmeter, and
electronic tube tester. You
learn trouble- shooting, hi -fi,
multiplex systems, stereo
and color TV servicing.

NTS ELECTRONIC &


COMPUTER
TECHNOLOGY
One of the 10 important kits
included is this remarkable
Compu -Trainer''-an NTS
exclusive. It's a fully operational computer logic trainer loaded with integrated
circuits. It introduces you
quickly to the how, what,
and why of computers. You

also receive a F.E.T. Volt Ohmmeter and a 5" wide


band oscilloscope.

Solid state
B &W TV

NtS

Mail
coupon
today for
free, full -

74 sq. in.

picture
(cabinet
included)

circuitry, making your TV


training the most modern,
most advanced available.

GUIDE.

Two exciting courses in the


big -paying fields of transmitting and receiving. Either one
qualifies you for your FCC
First Class Radio -Telephone
License. NTS trains you in
Radio Fundamentals, 2 -Way
Radio Communications, Mi-

crowaves, Radar, Citizens

Band, and more. You receive


14 kits to build: an amateur
phone 6 meter VHF transceiver, plus NTS' exclusive 6

NTS INDUSTRIAL &

AUTOMATION
ELECTRONICS
Let NTS put you into the age
of electronic controls. Systems automation is rapidly
becoming the emphasis of
modern industry. NTS training equipment includes a 5"
wide band oscilloscope. You
also get the new exclusive
NTS Electro -Lab
corn plete workshop. Build five
industrial controls to regulate motor speed temperatures, pressure, liquid level
and much more.

-a

7
Please rush Free Color Catalog and Sample Lesson, plus information
on course checked below. No obligation. No salesman will call.

catalog
that details every
training
program
we offer.
No obligation. No
salesman will call.

National Technical Schools


4000 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90037

CLASSROOM TRAINING AT LOS ANGELES

APPROVED FOR VETERANS


Accredited Member: National Association of Trade
& Technical Schools; National Home Study Council.

NATIONAL

COMMUNICATIONS
AND F.C.C.

ELECTRONICS

You can take classroom training at Los Angeles in sunny


Southern California. NTS occupies a city block with over a
million dollars in facilities devoted exclusively to technical
training. Check box in coupon.

TECHNICAL

NTS ELECTRONICS

transistor solid -state radio


and a fully transistorized
volt- ohmmeter.

color

The B &W TV receiver features the latest in solid -state

Oscilloscope

SIM

5,,

SCHOOLS

Master Course in Color TV Servicing


Color TV Servicing (For advanced
Technicians)
Master Course in B &W TV & Radio
Servicing
Master Course in Electronics

4000 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90037

Communications

Practical Radio Servicing


FCC License Course
Master Course in Electronics
Technology
Industrial and Automation Electronics
Computer Electronics
Basic Electronics
Dept. 206-081

Age

Name

Address
City

World -wide training since 1905

[l

Check if interested in Veteran Training


under new G.I. Bill.

AUGUST 1971

State

Zip
Check if interested only in Classroom
Training at Los Angeles.

www.americanradiohistory.com

NEW &TIMELY
Volume 42 Number 8

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

... FOR

LASER TRACKING

Hugo Gernsback Award

SYSTEM

Winners Announced
MILWAUKEE,

WISC.- Vernon

W. Greunke of Cedar Bluffs,

Nebraska. has been chosen


by Career Academy for the
97 Hugo Gernsback Scholarship Award of $125.00.
This award is given annually
to worthy students in the
electronics field from several
1

VIEW, CALIF.GTE Sylvania announced the


delivery of an aircraft tracking system that uses an inMOUNTAIN

visible laser beam to help


assess the inflight performance
of the new DC -10 jet transport.
The system will assist engineers in evaluating avionic,
aerodynamic. and acoustic
functions of the aircraft during Federal Aviation Agency
certification tests by providing
precise data on the aircraft's
location up to 60,000 feet.
Completely self -contained
in a transportable van near
the runway, the system is
controlled by a single opera'tor from the control con-

sole. A low- powered infrared


laser beam, originating from
the van. illuminates a reflector mounted on the flying aircraft. The reflected beam is
returned to detectors in the
van that determine automatically azimuth, elevation, and
range at rates of up to 100
measurements
per second.
This data is recorded on
magnetic tape for computer
The new system
analysis.
will dramatically reduce the
data analysis time and cost

required

in

other

HARBOR,

MICH.-

The Heath Company has announced a one -evening assembly, kit version of the

home study schools.


Mr. Greunke is a printer
on his home town newspaper.
the Fremont Tribune. He
says he sees the need for increased electronics training
for anyone in his trade.
A Viet Nam veteran, Vernon's hobby is stereo and
recording. His
multi -track

Electro -Voice Stereo -4 Decoding System.


The decoder is used in
conjunction with an existing
stereo system and a second
stereo amplifier and speaker
system. to provide four -channel stereo listening for any
tape, record, or FM- stereo
broadcast that has been encoded using the Electro -Voice
matrixing process.

What would you put into your dream workshop? We're assuming an unlimited budget and all the space you might want.
We offered this proposal to two of our top authors; and they've
come back with two detailed articles. Jack Darr has drawn up
his image of a Technician's Special starting on page 36. while
Peter Sutheim has looked into an Experimenter's Delight starting on page 41. Compare your dreams with their dreams.

.1

D.C. -CREI
has announced its 1971 Hugo
Scholarship
Gernsback
Award winner, Terrence A.
Gregg of Phoenix. Arizona.
Mr. Gregg is twenty -six years
old, married. with three children, and is a former member of the USAF.
Along with his studies in
electronics, Terrence works
for Goodyear as a maintenance and calibration technician, and is enrolled at Phoenix
WASHING I ON,

College in a program leading


to a degree in Electronic Engineering. His hobbies are
photography, astronomy, and
of course, electronics.

tracking

TWO DREAM WORKBENCHES

systems. states Kenneth L.


l3rinkman, GTE Sylvania's
director of the Electro- Optics
*
Organization.

4- CHANNEL DECODING KIT

BENTON

August 197

MEN WITH IDEAS IN ELECTRONICS

ALL ABOUT PROBES

courses will enhance his leisure time enjoyments while


adding useful skills to his re*
pertoire.

Must reading cover story


starts on page 23. You'll be
surprised at what you didn't
know.

Electronic Airport
Horizontal Elevator
FLA. -An electroncontrolled automatic
passenger transfer system, a
type of "horizontal elevator,"

TAM PA,

ically

operating at the recently


opened Tampa International
Airport. The shuttle system,
built by the Westinghouse
Electric Corporation, is said
to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world.
Electronic equipment on
the cars and along the wayside provide automatic controls that operate the system.
Two -way
audio-frequency
is

(continued on page 6)

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

Radio-Electronics.
F

O R

E N

T H

August 1971

A S

C T R O N

L E

C S

Over 60 Years of Electronics Publishing

2 DREAM WORKBENCHES
Technician's Special

36

Experimenter's Delight

41

Jack Darr

Peter Sutheim

AUDIO- STEREO -HI -FI


Lights! Music! Action!
Automated light show that really moves

50

Tape Timing Nomograph


How much tape can you move, how fast

52

If you could build your ideal workbench


what would it look like? Compare your
choices with those of two popular authors.
... see technicians bench on page 36
... see experimenters bench on page 41

Larry Steckler

Rudolph

F.

Graf

GENERAL ELECTRONICS
4
. David Lachenbruch

Looking Ahead
Current happenings with future overtones
Home Appliance Electronics
Use Your VOM As A Dwell Meter

Ways To Use Tone -Burst Generator


How to use this new kind of test instrument

16
75
32

Jack Darr

Henry Zave
Torn Annes

58
IC Potpourri
More regulated power.supplies using the A722

Walter Jung

Tail -light monitor tells you when a brake


light has failed to operate. It could keep
you out of a nasty accident.
.. see page 60

82

Equipment Report
Heat /skit frequency counter

BUILD

OF THESE

46

24 Alarm Circuits
More circuits to try and use

R. M.

Tail Light Monitor For Your Car


60
Know when a brake light goes out as soon as it happens

Marston

Graf & WhalPn

OMEN

rrillN

TELEVISION
14

Equipment Report
Leader LBO -54B oscilloscope

Probes For Faster Troubleshooting


23 .
COVER STORY -Use the right probe to do the oh

Robert

64

Service Clinic
Vertical sweep circuit wrap -up

G.

Middleton

Know what a tone -burst generator is?


See how they can be used to do all
kinds of electronic troubleshooting.
see page 32

Jack Darr

...

DEPARTMENT,
Coming Next Month
Correspondence
New Books

76
22
90

New Products

New

Literature

New & Timely

70
74
2

RADIO- M:I.1 ?l"rRRONICS. August 197. Vol.

A_,

Technotes
Try This One

No.

Published monthly by Gernsback Publications. Inc., at 200 Park Avenue South. New York. New York 10003.
Editorial, Advertising, and Executive offices: 200 l'ark Ave, S.. New York. N.Y. 10003. Subscription Service: Boulder. Colo. 80902.
Second -class postage paid at New York City and additional mailing office. Printed in U.S.A. One -rear subscription rate: U.S.
and possessions. Canada. 57. Pan- American countries. $8. Other countries, $8.50. Single copies 608.
107I by Gernsback Publications. Inc. All rights reserved.
POSTMASTER: Notices of undelivered copies (Form 3579) to Boulder, Colo. 80302.

www.americanradiohistory.com

84
81
83

Noteworthy Circuits

Radio -Electronics

Yt

is indexed
in Applied Science & Technology Index and Readers
Guide to Periodical Literature

LOOKING AHEAD
Volume 42 Number 8

RADIO- ELECTRONICS

FOR

MEN WITH

IDEAS IN

ELECTRONICS

August 1971

by DAVID LACHENBRUCH
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

The new TV sets

The 1972 model year will be a year of evolution-not


revolution -in television receivers. The trends which
started in the 1971 models will be consolidated. These include: (1) The substitution of square- cornered 19 -, 21and 25 -inch color picture tubes for the older type 18 -, 20and 23 -inch ones. (2) Continued momentum of solid- state,
and generally modular, circuitry. (3) The proliferation of
various automatic and pre -set tint controls. (4) Further
moves into electronic varactor -diode tuning in high -priced
sets. Prices of color sets are generally higher across-theboard as the result of increased costs of everything from
components to shipping.
One color tube size has virtually disappeared -the 20incher, now almost universally replaced by the 21 -inch.
And in all sizes from 19 inches up, the black matrix tube
strongly predominates. Panasonic has introduced the first
19 -inch color tube with 110-degree deflection in this country, making possible a shallower set. Sony is adding a 17inch Trinitron color set to its line of 2-inch and 9 -inch
versions. In the solid -state sweepstakes, RCA has taken a
strong lead, with 37 color models-about 65 percent of its
line- containing no tubes except the picture tube. RCA
says that every new color set it introduces from now on
will be all- solid- state, with tube -type sets eliminated in the
next couple of years. Most other domestic manufacturers
are gradually increasing the solid -state content of their
color sets, and both Sony and Hitachi are all -solid -state in
color. Motorola has introduced a new version of its all solid -state Quasar color chassis which uses eight circuit
panels in place of the former 10, but with only two new
ones. One of these is a transformerless power-supply module, used interchangeably on 19 -inch and 25 -inch sets.
Tuning ease continues to be a highly promoted feature-from Magnavox's TAC to RCA's AccuColor to
Motorola's Instamatic. Philco -Ford has coined the word
"Philcomatic" to cover all of its automatic- tuning features
and added a light to indicate when the channel is tuned
closely enough for AFC to take over. Wireless remote control is getting increased emphasis in both color and
monochrome sets. RCA has a completely new remote control system using a 20- channel varactor tuner, which
changes vhf and uhf channels in complete silence. Other
varactor remotes, generally using only one motor, are featured on Panasonic, Sylvania and Motorola sets. Seeking to
make remote tuning as popular a feature on TV as automatic transmission is on automobiles, Motorola is using a
simple remote control which adds only $50 to the retail
cost of a color set, as compared to the normal $100 or $120
for the traditional full- feature remote. Motorola's unit controls only channel- change, on -off and volume, the company
claiming that its Instamatic takes care of all picture adjustments automatically. RCA has the distinction of offering
15 -inch
the lowest priced remote -control set in history
black- and -white with wireless remote on -off and channel
change at a suggested list price of only $129.95. (We'll
report next month on any other newsworthy new sets introduced after press time.)
I

-a

Color VTR standards


A set of standards for half -inch open -reel color video
tape recorders has been recommended by the Electronic

Industries Association of Japan and quickly adopted by


most Japanese VTR manufacturers. The EIAJ standard for
monochrome VTR's has already been widely accepted (Radio- Electronics, May 1970), and the color version, which
is compatible with it, is certain to gain the same acceptance. The new specs are designed for industrial- educational -institutional VTRs, but could also influence future
home videocassettes. Ampex announced that its Instavideo
cartridge VTR -already compatible with EIAJ's monochrome standards-would also embrace the color specifications, to make possible interchangeability of tapes when
removed from the cartridge. The new color standards are
expected to give a big lift to the color VTR market.

Videocassettes stalled
More has probably been written in the consumer magazines and newspapers about the home videoplayer than any
other non -product in years. The articles all told about the
coming "revolution" in television which would make possible the viewing of uninterrupted first -run movies, how-to do-it lessons, sports events and so forth. Most of the articles enthusiastically reported that these home videocassette
units would be on the market in 1972. Now we're almost
into 1972 but that big revolution doesn't seem to be in
sight. One home VTR -Cartridge Television Inc.'s Cartrivision system
still scheduled for 1972 in very limited
production, but all the others have been postponed or
shelved. Some were plagued with technical problems, but
the biggest problem of all seems to be uncertainty. In spite
of all the optimistic statements about the huge home videocassette market, few manufacturers have convinced themselves that the time has come to take the multi- milliondollar plunge into production.
Too many uncertainties still remain. The biggest ones:
( ) Given the high costs of materials such as magnetic
tape or film plus the costs of program production, royalties, etc., will the public be willing to pay the necessary
price to buy or rent videocassettes-particularly when everyone is used to receiving television programs free? (2)
Which of the more than 20 mutually incompatible home
videoplayer systems will become the "standard" -and what
will happen to the non -standard systems? These nagging
questions have served to delay the mass introduction of the
home videoplayer.
It may be just as well. The battle between the 33 and
45 rpm records and between the various audio tape cartridges were penny -ante stuff compared to the potential
compatibility battle between a number of non -compatible
and expensive home videoplayers, and the portion of the
public buying systems which turned out to be orphans
would be substantial losers. With manufacturers now exercising extreme caution about plunging into this field, it's
possible that the standards problem will be worked out
before there is wide -scale production. Some videocassette
systems are coming on the market -the CBS EVR system
is being produced by Motorola in the U.S. and is scheduled
to be manufactured by about 10 more firms outside the
U.S. Sony is getting into production of its cassette -type
magnetic tape system. Ampex still has its cartridge Instavideo tape recorder -player targeted for early 1972. But
these are no longer described as home systems-rather
(continued on page 12)

-is

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

www.americanradiohistory.com

features greater protection range,


many new options
for security systems.

1# o11/111g

/L

yecgT,nllulllAN

New CA1A CRIME ALERTO


Even 22 feet away, this new ultrasonic intrusion alarm
can detect a burglar and take appropriate action. Like
letting out a high -pitched scream or turning on a lamp
floodlight, horn or bell. The built -in audible signal may
be switched off and the accessory outlet used to give
warning at some remote location without alerting the

intruder.
Increased detection sensitivity isn't all that's new about
the CA IA. It's got four different operating options that
give it greater flexibility and allow it to make use of
more accessories for a variety of security systems.
Option REMOTE RESET, lets you activate and deactivate
the alarm from a remote location. Lockswitch RS1 is
recommended.
Option AUTOMATIC RESET, alarm automatically stops
after two minutes of operation. Accessory timer CAT
100 must be used.
Option INSTANT RESET, lets alarm trip only when
intruder moves. When movement stops, the alarm stops
and is instantly and automatically reset, ready to signal
the next movement. Accessories like the weatherproof

MALLORY
.Batteries

Capacitors

Option MANUAL RESET, after the intruder has been


detected the alarm remains on until manually turned
off and reset.

variety of remote alarms which plug into any 120 VAC


outlet without additional wiring are available for use
with the CA1A.
A

New CA1DC CRIME ALERTo


This model operates on both 120 VAC and 12 to 18 VDC.
Automatically switches to batteries if AC power fails.
Has remote reset, automatic reset and manual reset
described above. Audible alarm may be switched off.
Normally open isolated relay contacts may be used for
accessories such as DC bell 60007. Three Mallory M915
batteries are recommended for standby power. AC
accessories not recommended for use with CA1DC.

Price for either CA1A or CA1DC $99.95.


Accessories at additional cost.

Write for bulletin 9 -616 which describes the Mallory


full line of security systems.

MALLORY DISTRIBUTOR PRODUCTS COMPANY


division of I'. R. AIAiJ.0I1}. K CO. INC.
Ros 155H. Incliartialxclis. Indiana 4C3206; Tclcphc>n: 317.6305:353
a

Controls

CRIME ALERT', DURATAPE'

Circle

AUGUST

horn 87600, bell 60006 and rotating red light RRL1


are ideal for use with this option.

Resistors

Semiconductors

Switches

Timers

Vibrators

on reader service card

1971

www.americanradiohistory.com

New &Timely
(continued from page

2)

state electronic devices. The


signal that activates the emergency brake comes from an

communications link wayside


controls to the vehicles on
each system leg. The wayside

minicomputer

carried

on

each car as part of the nor-

mal stopping control recalculates the required deceleration rate every six inches.

IN THIS ISSUE

If you built the tune-burst


generator we described last
month, you're looking for
ways to use it by now. Turn
to page 32 for an article that

shows you 14 ways to use


your new equipment.

equipment
initiates
commands that signal the car to
go, stop, make an emergency
reverse
stop,
open
doors,
power and close doors.
Failure safety is provided
by a combination of conventional railroad -type fail safe relays and modern solid-

electronic timing circuit using


magnetic sensors mounted on
the cars that sense small vertical
interruptor
plates
mounted at specific points
along the roadway. Passing
each point where a plate is
mounted causes
an interruption which triggers a
down -counter and a cascaded
series
of failsafe latches
(solid -state relays that require ac signals to be activated) operating in conjunction with the down -counter.
If the sensors pick up the
next vertical plate before the
timer has finished its count,
the vehicle is going too fast
at that point and a signal
goes to the railroad relay to
release
the
spring -loaded
emergency brake.
A
special -purpose
sub-

Radio -Electronics
HUGO GERNSBACK (1884 -1967)

founder
M. HARVEY GERNSBACK,
editor -in -chief and publisher
LARRY STECKLER, editor

SMALLEST TV CAMERA ever


built was described by its
chief designer, James
H.
Meacham of the Westinghouse
Defense & Space Center in
Baltimore, in a paper presented at the Nat'l. Aerospace
Electronics Conference. Performance of the pocket size
9
oz. camera meets that of
conventional cameras. Meacham said "Camera systems
built recently have not fully
utilized the expanding integrated circuit technology to
achieve the size and reliability
advantages inherent in this

approach. To mate the latest


technologies in the image sensors and packaging ideas, we
developed a subminiature TV
camera for testing as a fea-

200 Park Ave. South

New York, N.Y. 10003


(212) 777 -6400

President: M. Harvey Gernsback


Secr(taly: i(' tilla Baer
ADVERTISING SALES

Maxine C. Lipp, editorial assistant


Vincent P. Cicenia, production manager

(213) 659 -3810


420 Market St. San Francisco,
94111, (415) 981 -4527

Barbara Rosefelt, production assistant

SOUTHEAST
E. Lucian Neff Associates
25 Castle Harbor Isle
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33308
(305) 566 -5656

Scott, W2PWG
senior technical editor

Jack Darr, service

editor

Queen, editorial associate


Matthew Mandl, contributing editor
David Lachenbruch, contributing editor
James A. Gupton, Ir.,
photographic electronics editor

H. Matysko, circulation

Cover design by Marius Trinque


Cover photo by Phil Koenig

(continued on page 12)

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: Send all subscription orders


and correspondence to RADIO- ELECTRONICS, Subscription Department, Boulder, Colo. 80302
MOVING? For change of address, allow six weeks, furnishing both the old and new addresses and if possible
attaching label from a recent issue below. Otherwise
please print clearly your name and address exactly as it
appears on your label.

EAST

I.

F.

IMILWnuKl:E,
Wisc. -For
nearly two years Delco Electronics, a division of General
Motors. has been developing
the
Phystester(TM) Ignition
Interlock System, a device
that may someday help keep
drunk or impaired motorists
from operating their vehicles.
Students at the Medical College of Wisconsin took part
in a scientific evaluation of
the system which is aimed at
the largest single cause of automotive fatalities and disabling injuries, crashes involving drivers who have
significant levels of alcohol in
their blood.
The PhystesterTM works
by displaying a random 5 -digit
number on a miniature scoreboard when the driver turns
on the ignition key in his car.
The driver then has a short
time to punch into the keyboard the exact number which
was displayed. If he does this
in the time allowed. the car
will start. If he fails the "test",
the driver has two more
chances to start the vehicle, al-

sibility prototype."

RADIO- ELECTRONICS is published


by Gernsback Publications, Inc.

Stanley Levitan, Eastern Sales Mgr.


N.Y.C. (212) 777 -6400
MIDWEST /Texas/Arkansas /Okla.
The Ralph Bergen Co.
6319 N. Central Ave.
Chicago, Ill. 60646
(312) 792 -3646
PACIFIC COASTJMountain States
1. E. Publishers Representative Co.,
8560 Sunset Blvd., Suite 601
Los Angeles, Calif. 90069

Robert

Experimental
Ignition
Interlock
System

ATTACH LABEL HERE

name

(please print)

Calif.
address

city

state

zip code

Mail to: RADIO -ELECTRONICS


SUBSCRIPTION DEPT., BOULDER, COLO. 80302

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

www.americanradiohistory.com

It's strange, but while tubes are on the way out


tube- testers are needed more than ever. 'I hat's

because the home electronic sets today use scphisticated tubes in sophisticated circuits -and sample
Shorts and Emission tests don't take into account
the actual operation of the tube. Now B & K offers
the Model 747 Dyna -Jet Solid State 100% Dynamic
Mutual Conductance Tester-the
last tube -tester you'll ever have
to buy.

Diodes, low- and high-voltage rectifiers are tested


with proper voltages and loads to determine their
emission capability.
And, of course, you'll still want to test for shorts,
leakage and gassy tubes. The B & K Model 747
makes this easy with a one -button "Shorts" test
and a one -button grid -leakage and gas
test. And it "quick tests" 82% of the
tubes you'll test. And gives you
functional pin- straighteners to fit
any tubes you'll ever run into.
And to help you predict a tube's
reserve, the 747 has a built -in
"Life" test. Filament voltage is reduced 10% when the "Life" test
switch is set on.

The lent

Triodes, nuvistors, tetrodes,


Jt
pentodes and all other
multi -element tubes can
now be tested under AC
operating conditions for 100%
dynamic mutual conductance.
Intermittents, low gain and other tube
problems that would be obscured in an
emission test, show up in this tester's
dynamic mutual conductance tests.

e - le e f

guil ever
have to

A special

bu -all'

Dynamic test has been designed into the

All -in -all, the B & K Model 747 Dyna -Jet


Tube -Tester has all the features you've wanted

the features you'll ever need in a tube -tester.


And it's small, lightweight and very good -looking.

K Model 747 to test high- voltage regulators.


This test puts one signal on the regulator grid and
another on the plate- actually operating the tube

See it at your B & K distributor, and you'll see why


it's the last tube -tester you'll ever have to buy!

with the correct plate current. Too much or too


little current can either destroy the tube or produce an unreliable reading.

Model '74'7
100% Dynamic Mutual Conductance
Dyna -Jet Tube-Tester
Price $249.95

&

Product of
DYNASCAN
CORPORATION
1801 W. Belle Plaine

Chicago, Illinois 60613

There is a
difference in test
equipment
ours works!

Ci:c l.

un rrudrr.srrcic -e card

AUGUST 1971

www.americanradiohistory.com

NRI "hands -on" training

in

Communications,
Electronics and Computers
can give you as much
as 2 years of on- the -job
Television,

experience.

EARN YOUR FCC LICENSE

- OR

YOUR MONEY BACK

NRI Communications training programs will qualify you for a First Class Commercial
Radiotelephone License issued by the FCC. If you fail to pass the FCC examinations
for this license after successfully completing an NRI Communications course we will,
on request, refund in full the tuition you have paid. This agreement is valid for the
period of your active student membership and for six months after completion of your
training. No school offers a more liberal FCC License agreement.
RADIO- ELECTRONICS

www.americanradiohistory.com

There is no substitute for training


on real electronic equipment.
It's just as easy to train on the type
of equipment technicians actually use
and service.
And it's a lot more practical. Take TV
Servicing, for instance.
You'll have it all over the man whose
only experience has been on a TV re-

ceiver designed strictly for training


purposes.

NTS Project- Method courses in Electronics combine the latest, professional


equipment with easy -to -grasp lessons,
texts and manuals. You build your equipment a stage at a time, and then use
the equipment on projects that duplicate
actual servicing problems.
ft's like getting on- the -job experience

at home.
Here's just some of the equipment
you get to keep, and what you will learn.
You'll get all the details when you receive the NTS full -color catalog.

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You receive a color TV with
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F.E.T. Volt- Ohmmeter, and
electronic tube taster. You
learn trouble- shooting, hi -fi,
multiplex systems, stereo
and color TV servicing.

NTS ELECTRONIC &


COMPUTER
TECHNOLOGY
One of the 10 important kits
included is this remarkable
Compu -Trainer " -an NTS
exclusive. It's a fully operational computer logic trainer loaded with integrated
circuits. It introduces you
quickly to the how, what,
and why of computers. You

also receive a F.E.T. Volt Ohmmeter and a 5" wide


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catalog
that details every
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No obligation. No
salesman will call.

CLASSROOM TRAINING AT LOS ANGELES


You can take classroom training at Los Angeles in sunny
Southern California. NTS occupies a city block with over a
million dollars in facilities devoted exclusively to technical
training. Check box in coupon.

APPROVED FOR VETERANS


Accredited Member: National Association of Trade
& Technical Schools; National Home Study Council.

SCHOOLS

Two exciting courses in the


big -paying fields of transmitting and receiving. Either one
qualifies you for your FCC
First Class Radio -Telephone
License. NTS trains you in
Radio Fundamentals, 2 -Way
Radio Communications, Mi-

crowaves, Radar. Citizens

Band, and more. You receive


14 kits to build: an amateur
phone 6 meter VHF transceiver, plus NTS' exclusive 6
transistor solid -state radio
and a fully transistorized

NTS INDUSTRIAL &

AUTOMATION
ELECTRONICS
Let NTS put you into the age
of electronic controls. Systems automation is rapidly
becoming the emphasis of
modern industry. NTS training equipment includes a 5"
wide band oscilloscope. You
also get the new exclusive
NTS Electro -Lab
complete workshop. Build five
industrial controls to regulate motor speed temperatures, pressure, liquid level
and much more.

-a

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Please rush Free Color Catalog and Sample Lesson, plus information
on course checked below. No obligation. No salesman will call.

National Technical Schools


4000 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90037
Master Course in Color TV Servicing
Color TV Servicing (For advanced
Technicians)
Master Course in B &W TV & Radio
Servicing
LI Master Course in Electronics

4000 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90037

Practical Radio Servicing

n
Ll

Communications

FCC License Course


Master Course in Electronics

Technology
Industrial and Automation Electronics
Computer Electronics
Basic Electronics
Dept. 206-081

Age

Name

Address
City

World -wide training since 1905

AUGUST

COMMUNICATIONS
AND F.C.C.

ELECTRONICS

color

NATIONAL

NTS ELECTRONICS

volt- ohmmeter.

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Oscilloscope

--

Check if interested in Veteran Training


under new G.I. Bill.

1971

State

Zip--

Check if interested only in Classroom


Training at Los Angeles.

www.americanradiohistory.com

NEW &TIMELY
Volume 42 Number

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

...

LASER TRACKING

Hugo Gernsback Award

SYSTEM

Winners Announced
WIsc.- Vernon

MILWAUKEE,

W. Greunke of Cedar Bluffs,


Nebraska. has been chosen
by Career Academy for the
1971 Hugo Gernsback Scholarship Award of $125.00.
This award is given annually
to worthy students in the
electronics field from several
home study schools.

Mr. Greunke

MOUNTAIN

VIEW,

CALIF.

GTE Sylvania announced the


delivery of an aircraft tracking system that uses an invisible laser beam to help
assess the inflight performance
of the new DC -10 jet transport.
The system will assist engineers in evaluating avionic,
aerodynamic. and
acoustic
functions of the aircraft during Federal Aviation Agency
certification tests by providing
precise data on the aircraft's
location up to 60,000 feet.
Completely self- contained
in a transportable van near
the runway, the system is
controlled by a single operaior from the control con-

sole. A low- powered infrared


laser beam, originating from
the van. illuminates a reflector mounted on the flying air-

HARnOR,

MICH.-

printer

multi-track

recording.

Scholarship
Gernsback
Award winner. Terrence A.
Gregg of Phoenix. Arizona.
Mr. Gregg is twenty -six years
old. married, with three children, and is a former member of the USAF.
Along with his studies in
electronics, Terrence works
for Goodyear as a maintenance and calibration technician, and is enrolled at Phoenix

His

will dramatically reduce the


analysis time and cost
in other tracking
systems, states Kenneth L.
data

College in a program leading


to a degree in Electronic Engineering.
His hobbies
are
photography, astronomy, and
of course, electronics.

required

GTE Sylvania's
Brinkman.
director of the Electro- Optics
*
Organization.

Electro -Voice Stereo -4 Decoding System.


The decoder is used in
conjunction with an existing

The Heath Company has announced a one -evening assembly, kit version of the

is a

on his home town newspaper.


the Fremont Tribune. He
says he sees the need for increased electronics training
for anyone in his trade.
A Viet Nam veteran, Vernon's hobby is stereo and

D.C. -CREI
WASHINGTON,
has announced its 1971 Hugo

craft. The reflected beam is


returned to detectors in the
van that determine automatically azimuth, elevation, and
range at rates of up to 100
measurements
second.
per
This data is recorded on
magnetic tape for computer
analysis.
The new system

4- CHANNEL DECODING KIT

BENTON

August 1971

FOR MEN WITH IDEAS IN ELECTRONICS

stereo system and a second


stereo amplifier and speaker
system, to provide four -channel stereo listening for any
tape, record, or FM- stereo

broadcast that has been encoded using the Electro-Voice

matrixing process.

ALL ABOUT PROBES


courses will enhance his leisure time enjoyments while
adding useful skills to his re-

Must

pertoire.

know.

reading

cover story

starts on page 23. You'll be


surprised at what you didn't

Electronic Airport
Horizontal Elevator
FLA. -An electroncontrolled automatic
passenger transfer system, a
type of "horizontal elevator,"

operating at the recently


Tampa International
Airport. The shuttle system,
built by the Westinghouse
Electric Corporation, is said
to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world.
Electronic equipment on
the cars and along the wayside provide automatic controls that operate the system.
Two -way
audio- frequency

TAMPA,

is

ically

opened

TWO DREAM WORKBENCHES


What would you put into your dream workshop? We're assuming an unlimited budget and all the space you might want.
We offered this proposal to two of our top authors; and they've
come back with two detailed articles. Jack Darr has drawn up
his image of a Technician's Special starting on page 36, while
Peter Sutheim has looked into an Experimenter's Delight starting on page 41. Compare your dreams with their dreams.

(continued on page 6)

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

www.americanradiohistory.com

Radio -Electronics.
F

O R

T H

August 1971

A S

C T R O N

C S

Over 60 Years of Electronics Publishing

2 DREAM WORKBENCHES
Technician's Special

36
41

Experimenter's Delight

Jack Darr

Peter Sutheim

AUDIO -STEREO
50

-HI -FI

52

Tape Timing Nomograph


How much tape can you move, how fast

If you could build your ideal workbench


what would it look like? Compare your
choices with those of two popular au-

Larry Steckler

Lights! Music! Action!


Aritomated light show that really moves

Rudolph

F.

thors.

Graf

... see technicians bench on page 36


... see experimenters bench on page 41

GENERAL ELECTRONICS
4

Looking Ahead

David Lachenbruch

. ,

Cu,-rent happenings with future overtones

16
75

Henry Zave

32

Tom Annes

58
IC Potpourri
More regulated power supplies using the A722

Walter Jung

Home Appliance Electronics


Use Your VOM As A Dwell Meter

Ways To Use Tone -Burst Generator


How to use this new kind of test instrument

Tail -light monitor tells you when a brake


light has failed to operate. It could keep
you out of a nasty accident.
see page 60

82

Equipment Report
Heatlikit frequency counter

BUILD
24 Alarm Circuits
More circuits to try and

Jack Darr

...

01NF OF THESE

46

R. M.

60

Graf & Whalen

Marston

use

Tail Light Monitor For Your Car


Know wizen a brake light goes out

as soon as

it happens

TELEVISION
14

Equipment Report
Leader L80 -548 oscilloscope

23 ,
Probes For Faster Troubleshooting ,
COVER STORY -Use the right probe to do the job

Robert

64

Service Clinic
Vertical sweep circuit wrap -up

G.

Middleton

Kncw what a tone -Durst generator is?


See how they can be used to do all
kinds of electronic troubleshooting.
see page 32

Jack Darr

...

DEPARTMENTS
Coming Next Month

Correspondence
New Books

76
22
90

New Products
New

literature

New & Timely

70
74
2

r y L't

Radio -Electronics is indexed


in Applied Science & Technology Index and Readers
Guide to Periodical Litera-

Technotes

ivy This

RADIO- ELE('TRONICS. August 1971, Val. 12. Ao. R


Published monthly by Gernsback Publications, Inc., at 200 Park Avenue South. New York, New York 10003.
Editorial. Advertising, and Erecutive offices: 200 Park Ave. S.. New York. N.Y. 10003. Subscription Service: Boulder. Colo. 80902.
Second -class postage paid at New York City and additional mailing office. Printed in U.S.A. One -year subscription rate: U.S.
and possessions, Canada. $7. l'an- American countries, $8. Other countries, $8.50. Single copies 60P
1971 by Gernsback Publications. Inc. All rights reserved.
POSTMASTER: Notices of undelivered copies (Form 35791 to Boulder, Colo. 80302.

www.americanradiohistory.com

One

84
81
83

Noteworthy Circuits

f'

0
o

ture

LOOKING AHEAD
Volume 42 Number

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

by

FOR

MEN WITH

IDEAS IN ELECTRONICS

August 1971

DAVID LACHENBRUCH
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

The new TV sets


The 1972 model year will be a year of evolution-not
revolution
television receivers. The trends which
started in the 1971 models will be consolidated. These include: (1) The substitution of square- cornered 19 -, 21and 25 -inch color picture tubes for the older type 18 -, 20and 23 -inch ones. (2) Continued momentum of solid-state,
and generally modular, circuitry. (3) The proliferation of
various automatic and pre -set tint controls. (4) Further
moves into electronic varactor -diode tuning in high -priced
sets. Prices of color sets are generally higher across-theboard as the result of increased costs of everything from
components to shipping.
One color tube size has virtually disappeared -the 20incher, now almost universally replaced by the 21 -inch.
And in all sizes from 19 inches up, the black matrix tube
strongly predominates. Panasonic has introduced the first
19 -inch color tube with 110- degree deflection in this country, making possible a shallower set. Sony is adding a 17inch Trinitron color set to its line of 12 -inch and 9 -inch
versions. In the solid -state sweepstakes, RCA has taken a
strong lead, with 37 color models-about 65 percent of its
line-containing no tubes except the picture tube. RCA
says that every new color set it introduces from now on
will be all- solid- state, with tube -type sets eliminated in the
next couple of years. Most other domestic manufacturers
are gradually increasing the solid -state content of their
color sets, and both Sony and Hitachi are all- solid -state in
color. Motorola has introduced a new version of its all solid-state Quasar color chassis which uses eight circuit
panels in place of the former 10, but with only two new
ones. One of these is a transformerless power -supply module, used interchangeably on 19 -inch and 25 -inch sets.
Tuning ease continues to be a highly promoted feature-from Magnavox's TAC to RCA's AccuColor to
Motorola's Instamatic. Philco-Ford has coined the word
"Philcomatic" to cover all of its automatic- tuning features
and added a light to indicate when the channel is tuned
closely enough for AFC to take over. Wireless remote control is getting increased emphasis in both color and
monochrome sets. RCA has a completely new remote control system using a 20- channel varactor tuner, which
changes vhf and uhf channels in complete silence. Other
varactor remotes, generally using only one motor, are featured on Panasonic, Sylvania and Motorola sets. Seeking to
make remote tuning as popular a feature on TV as automatic transmission is on automobiles. Motorola is using a
simple remote control which adds only $50 to the retail
cost of a color set, as compared to the normal $100 or $ 120
for the traditional full -feature remote. Motorola's unit controls only channel- change, on -off and volume, the company
claiming that its Instamatic takes care of all picture adjustments automatically. RCA has the distinction of offering
15 -inch
the lowest priced remote- control set in history
black-and -white with wireless remote on -off and channel
change at a suggested list price of only $129.95. (We'll
report next month on any other newsworthy new sets introduced after press time.)

-in

-a

Color VTR standards


A set of standards for half -inch open -reel color video
tape recorders has been recommended by the Electronic

Industries Association of Japan and quickly adopted by


most Japanese VTR manufacturers. The EIAJ standard for
monochrome VTR's has already been widely accepted (Radio-Electronics, May 1970), and the color version, which
is compatible with it, is certain to gain the same acceptance. The new specs are designed for industrial- educational -institutional VTRs, but could also influence future
home videocassettes. Ampex announced that its Instavideo
cartridge VTR -already compatible with EIAJ's monochrome standards -would also embrace the color specifications, to make possible interchangeability of tapes when
removed from the cartridge. The new color standards are
expected to give a big lift to the color VTR market.

Videocassettes stalled
More has probably been written in the consumer magazines and newspapers about the home videoplayer than any
other non -product in years. The articles all told about the
coming "revolution" in television which would make possible the viewing of uninterrupted first -run movies, how-to do-it lessons. sports events and so forth. Most of the articles enthusiastically reported that these home videocassette
units would be on the market in 1972. Now we're almost
into 1972 but that big revolution doesn't seem to be in
sight. One home VTR -Cartridge Television Inc.'s Cartrivision system
still scheduled for 1972 in very limited
production, but all the others have been postponed or
shelved. Some were plagued with technical problems, but
the biggest problem of all seems to be uncertainty. In spite
of all the optimistic statements about the huge home videocassette market, few manufacturers have convinced themselves that the time has come to take the multi- milliondollar plunge into production.
Too many uncertainties still remain. The biggest ones:
(1) Given the high costs of materials such as magnetic
tape or film plus the costs of program production, royalties, etc., will the public be willing to pay the necessary
price to buy or rent videocassettes -particularly when everyone is used to receiving television programs free? (2)
Which of the more than 20 mutually incompatible home
videoplayer systems will become the "standard" -and what
will happen to the non -standard systems? These nagging
questions have served to delay the mass introduction of the
home videoplayer.
It may be just as well. The battle between the 33 and
45 rpm records and between the various audio tape cartridges were penny -ante stuff compared to the potential
compatibility battle between a number of non -compatible
and expensive home videoplayers, and the portion of the
public buying systems which turned out to be orphans
would be substantial losers. With manufacturers now exercising extreme caution about plunging into this field, it's
possible that the standards problem will be worked out
before there is wide -scale production. Some videocassette
systems are coming on the market-the CBS EVR system
is being produced by Motorola in the U.S. and is scheduled
to be manufactured by about 10 more firms outside the
U.S. Sony is getting into production of its cassette -type
magnetic tape system. Ampex still has its cartridge Instavideo tape recorder-player targeted for early 1972. But
these are no longer described as home systems-rather
(continued on page 12)

-is

RADIO- ELECTRONICS

www.americanradiohistory.com

features greater protection range,


many new options
for security systems.

New CA1A CRIME ALERT


Even 22 feet away, this new ultrasonic intrusion alarm
can detect a burglar and take appropriate action. Like
letting out a high -pitched scream or turning on a lamp
floodlight, horn or bell. The built -in audible signal may
be switched off and the accessory outlet used to give
warning at some remote location without alerting the

intruder.
Increased detection sensitivity isn't all that's new about
the CA1A. It's got four different operating options that
give it greater flexibility and allow it to make use of
more accessories for a variety of security systems.
Option REMOTE RESET, lets you activate and deactivate
the alarm from a remote location. Lockswitch RS1 is
recommended.

Option AUTOMATIC RESET, alarm automatically stops


after two minutes of operation. Accessory timer CAT
100 must be used.
INSTANT RESET, lets alarm trip only when
intruder moves. When movement stops, the alarm stops
and is instantly and automatically reset, ready to signal
the next movement. Accessories like the weatherproof

horn 87600, bell 60006 and rotating red light RRL1


are ideal for use with this option.
Option MANUAL RESET, after the intruder has been
detected the alarm remains on until manually turned
off and reset.

variety of remote alarms which plug into any 120 VAC


outlet without additional wiring are available for use
with the CA1A.
A

New CA1DC CRIME ALERT


This model operates on both 120 VAC and 12 to 18 VDC.
Automatically switches to batteries if AC power fails.
Has remote reset, automatic reset and manual reset
described above. Audible alarm may be switched off.
Normally open isolated relay contacts may be used for
accessories such as DC bell 60007. Three Mallory M915
batteries are recommended for standby power. AC
accessories not recommended for use with CA1DC.

Price for either CA1A or CA1DC $99.95.


Accessories at additional cost.

Option

Write for bulletin 9 -616 which describes the Mallory


full line of security systems.

MALLORY DISTRIBUTOR PRODUCTS COMPANY


a division of I'. R. MALLORY
Ros

Batteries

Capacitors

AUGUST

1971

A:

CO. INC.

IriA, Indiannpoliv, Indiana 4(320(3:'l'clophone: 3I7-6.16-5353

Controls

CRIME ALERT.

DURATAPE'

Resistors

Semiconductors

Switches

Timers

Vibrators

Circle l on reader service card

www.americanradiohistory.com

New &Timely
(continued from page 2)

communications link wayside


controls to the vehicles on
each system leg. The wayside

state electronic devices. The


signal that activates the emergency brake comes from an

minicomputer
on
carried
each car as part of the normal stopping control recalculates the required deceleration rate every six inches.

Experimental
Ignition
Interlock
System

IN THIS ISSUE

If you built the tone -hurst


venerator we described last

month.

you're looking for

ways to use it by now. Turn


to page 32 for an article that
shows you 14 ways to use
your new equipment.

equipment
initiates
commands that signal the car to
go, stop, make an emergency
stop, open doors, reverse
power and close doors.
Failure safety is provided
by a combination of conventional railroad -type fail safe relays and modern solid-

electronic timing circuit using


magnetic sensors mounted on
the cars that sense small vertical
interruptor
plates
mounted at specific points
along the roadway. Passing
each point where a plate is
mounted causes an interruption which triggers a
down -counter and a cascaded
series of failsafe latches
(solid -state relays that require ac signals to be activated) operating in conjunction with the down- counter.
If the sensors pick up the
next vertical plate before the
timer has finished its count,
the vehicle is going too fast
at that point and a signal
goes to the railroad relay to
release
the
spring -loaded
emergency brake.
A
special- purpose sub-

Radio -Electronics
HUGO GERNSIIACK (1884 -1967)

founder
M. HARVEY GERNSBACK,
editor -in -chief and publisher
LARRY STECKLER,

editor

Scott, W2PWG
senior technical editor
editor
service
hack Darr,
associate
editorial
I. Queen,
editor
contributing
Mandl,
Matthew
editor
contributing
Lachenbruch,
David

Robert

F.

james A.

Gupton, Jr.,

photographic electronics editor


Maxine C. Lipp, editorial assistant
Vincent P. Cicenia, production manager
Barbara Rosefelt, production assistant
H. Matysko, circulation
Cover design by Marius Trinque
Cover photo by Phil Koenig

SMALLEST TV CAMERA ever


built was described by its
H.
chief designer, James
Meacham of the Westinghouse
Defense & Space Center in
Baltimore, in a paper presented at the Nat'l. Aerospace
Electronics Conference. Performance of the pocket size
9 oz.
camera meets that of
conventional cameras. Meacham said "Camera systems
built recently have not fully
utilized the expanding integrated circuit technology to
achieve the size and reliability
advantages inherent in this

approach. To mate the latest


technologies in the image sensors and packaging ideas, we
developed a Subminiature TV
camera for testing as a fea-

Wisc. -For
nearly two years Delco Electronics, a division of General
Motors, has been developing
the Phystester(TSf) Ignition
Interlock System. a device
that may someday help keep
drunk or impaired motorists
from operating their vehicles.
Students at the Medical College of Wisconsin took part
in a scientific evaluation of
the system which is aimed at
the largest single cause of automotive fatalities and disabling injuries, crashes involving drivers who have
significant levels of alcohol in
their blood.
The Phystester`TM' works
by displaying a random 5 -digit
number on a miniature scoreboard when the driver turns
on the ignition key in his car.
The driver then has a short
time to punch into the keyboard the exact number which
was displayed. If he does this
in the time allowed, the car
will start. If he fails the "test ",
the driver has two more
chances to start the vehicle, alMILWAUKEE,

sibility prototype."

RADIO- ELECTRONICS is published


by Gernsback Publications, Inc.
200 Park Ave. South
New York, N.Y. 10003
(212) 777 -6400

President: M. Harvey Gernsback

Secretary: fiertina Baer


ADVERTISING SALES

(continued on page 12)

Send all subscription orders


RADIO-ELECTRONICS, SubscripColo. 80302
address, allow six weeks, furnew addresses and if possible
attaching label from a recent issue below. Otherwise
please print clearly your name and address exactly as it
appears on your label.

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE:
and correspondence to
tion Department, Boulder,
MOVING? For change of
nishing both the old and

EAST

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N.Y.C. (212) 777 -6400
MIDWEST /Texas/Arkansas /Okla.
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RADIO -ELECTRONICS

www.americanradiohistory.com

It's strange, but while tubes are on the way out


tube- testers are needed more than ever. That's
because the home electronic sets today use sophisticated tubes in sophisticated circuits-and simple
Shorts and Emission tests don't take into account
the actual operation of the tube. Now B & K offers
the Model 747 Dyna -Jet Solid State 100 % Dynamic
Mutual Conductance Tester-the
last tube - tester you'll ever have
to buy.

Diodes, low- and high -voltage rectifiers are tested


with proper voltages and loads to determine their
emission capability.
And, of course, you'll still want to test for shorts,
leakage and gassy tubes. The B & K Model 747
makes this easy with a one -button "Shorts" test
and a one -button grid- leakage and gas
test. And it "quick tests" 82% of the
tubes you'll test. And gives you
functional pin -straighteners to fit
any tubes you'll ever run into.
And to help you predict a tube's
reserve, the 747 has a built -in
"Life" test. Filament voltage is reduced 10% when the "Life" test
switch is set on.

The legt

tube-lei ter
yotill ever
have to
vy '

Triodes, nuvistors, tetrodes,


pentodes and all other
multi -element tubes can
now be tested under AC
operating conditions for 100%
dynamic mutual conductance.
Intermittents, low gain and other tube
problems that would be obscured in an
emission test, show up in this tester's
dynamic mutual conductance tests.

K Model 747 Dyna -Jet


Tube -Tester has all the features you've wanted
-all the features you'll ever need in a tube -tester.
And it's small, lightweight and very good -looking.
All -in -all, the B

A special Dynamic test has been designed into the


B & K Model 747 to test high -voltage regulators.

This test puts one signal on the regulator grid and


another on the plate-actually operating the tube
with the correct plate current. Too much or too
little current can either destroy the tube or produce an unreliable reading.

&

See it at your B

& K distributor, and you'll see why


it's the last tube -tester you'll ever have to buy!

Model 747
100% Dynamic Mutual Conductance
Dyna -Jet Tube -Tester
Price $249.95

Product of
DYNASCAN
CORPORATION
1801 W. Belle Plaine
Chicago, Illinois 60613

There is a
difference in test
equipment
ours works!

Circle 2 on reader service card

AUGUST

1971

www.americanradiohistory.com

NRI "hands -on" training in

Television, Communications,
Electronics and Computers
can give you as much
as 2 years of on- the -job
experience.

EARN YOUR FCC LICENSE

- OR

YOUR MONEY BACK

NRI Communications training programs will qualify you for a First Class Commercial[
Radiotelephone License issued by the FCC. If you fail to pass the FCC examinations
for this license after successfully completing an NRI Communications course we will,
on request, refund in full the tuition you have paid. This agreement is valid for the
period of your active student membership and for six months after completion of your
training No school offers a more liberal FCC License agreement.
RADIO-ELECTRONICS

www.americanradiohistory.com

Experience is still your best teacher


.. , here's how you get it with
unique NRI training at home

NRI Achievement Kit

is

educator -ac-

claimed and the original "starter" kit in home study training. Imitated but never duplicated, this kit is designed and
personalized for you and your training objective. It has one
purpose to get you started quickly and easily.

Ask any teacher, job counselor, engineer, technician


or prospective employer about the need for practical
application of theory in Electronics. He'll tell you
Electronics is as much a "hands -on" profession as
dentistry or chemistry. That's how you learn at home
with NRI. You prove the theory you read in "bite size" texts, by actual experimentation with the type
of solid- state, transistor and tube circuits you'll find
on the job today
not hardware or hobby kits. You
introduce circuit defects, analyze results, discover
quickly the kind of trouble- shooting and design techniques that will make you employable in Electronics.

Train with the leader

NRI

"Bite-Size" Texts

average an easily-digested
40 pages of well -illustrated, scientifically prepared subject
matter in the course of your choice. Questions in each book
are carefully hand -graded and returned to you with helpful
instructional notes. You get unlimited personal help from the
day you enroll.

NRI lab equipment is designed from chassis up for


effective, fascinating training
not for entertainment. The fact that end results are usable, quality
products is a bonus. In Communications, for example,
you build and analyze, stage by stage, your own 25watt phone /cw transmitter. It's suitable for use on
the 80 -meter amateur band, if you have an interest
in ham radio. In TV -Radio Servicing your practical
training gives you your choice of monochrome or color
TV sets. All training equipment is included in the low
tuition you pay nothing extra. Discover for yourself the ease, excitement and value of NRI training.
Mail postage -free card today for new NRI Catalog
. .
. or use the coupon below. No obligation. No
salesman will call on you. NATIONAL RADIO
INSTITUTE, Washington, D.C. 20016.

APPROVED UNDER NEW GI BILL


If you have served since January 31, 1955, or are in service
now, check GI line on postage -free card or in coupon.
MAIL THIS COUPON IF CARD IS GONE

NATIONAL RADIO INSTITUTE

3-081

Washington, D.C. 20016


Please send me your new NRI Catalog. understand
no salesman will call and there is no obligation.
I

Name

Designed-For-Learning Equipment
Like this phone -cw transmitter (Kit #7 in the Communications course) is engineered from chassis up to demonstrate
principles you must know. NRI does not use modified hobby
kits for training, but the finest parts money can buy, pro fessionally and educationally applied.
AUGUST

1971

Age

Address
City

State

Zip

Check for facts on new

GI Bill
ACCREDITED MEMBER NATIONAL HOME STUDY COUNCIL

J
11

tingle
TRACE-5" FULLY
TRIGGERED
OSCILLOSCOPE
AT A PRICE YOU CAN'T
AFFORD TO

MISS!

HOME APPLIANCE
ELECTRONICS
by JACK DARR
SERVICE EDITOR

SCR's AND POWER


"WILL AN SCR WORK WITH A POWER
transformer ?" Meaning, can it be
used to cut down the voltage, control
the output, etc; as it is with electric
drills and similar things? This is a question I get with some regularity (and
one which I blushingly admit that I
blew, the first time!) The right answer
is pretty simple, and based, as usual,
on one of the fundamentals of electronics. To start with, a short story.
Long, long ago, like about 1927,
I traveled through the Midwest, specifically around Keokuk, Iowa and environs. At that time, there was a big
power plant, on the Mississippi. This
generated ac power for quite a large
area; however. it was at a frequency

of 25 cycles per second!


This was a sort of island of 25-

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Address all inquires to

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Circle 6 on reader service card


16

cycle power, surrounded by the present standard 60 -cycle power. Special


motors,
radio
sets.
synchronous
clocks, etc. were built for use in the
25 -cps zone. If one of the radios was
moved into the 60 -cps zone, it worked
nicely. (Not the clocks, etc, of
course.) However, this was a one -way
street! If you took a 60-cycle radio,
using a power transformer, into the 25cycle zone. it worked fine for about
20 minutes. Then the power transformer blew up!
People wanted to know why? So
did L since I was in the middle of my
course at radio school, and none of
our textbooks had the answer! Eventually, I found out. The power transformers designed for the 25 -cps zone
had large heavy iron cores; those used
on 60 -cps had much smaller cores.
Put a 25 -cps transformer on 60 -cps,
and it ran very cool. Put the smaller
60 -cps transformer on 25 -cps, and it
promptly overheated.
This was caused by the design of
the transformer windings. The lower
frequency transformers had to have
high -inductance windings, and lots of
iron. When the lower -inductance 60cps transformers were used on the 25there simply wasn't
cps current,
enough impedance across the line to
hold the current within safe limits.
The smaller cores saturated, up went
the current and the temperature and
away we went.
Finally I get to the point! What

TRANSFORMERS
is an SCR? A half -wave rectifier, with
a gate, to control its conduction. So, if
we connect the thing in series with a
"Universal -wound" motor, able to run
on either ac or dc, we can use it as a
simple speed control. With a single
SCR, the motor will not run up to full
speed, unless the switch is arranged so
that the SCR can be shorted out in the
"High" position. If the SCR is in the
circuit at all, the motor runs on half wave dc pulses.
Now, if we try to use an SCR as

voltage control, in the primary of a


power transformer designed for 60 -Hz
operation (now we're back to the
a

present, so I have to go back to saying


"Hz ") What are we feeding the
primary of this transformer? 30 -Hz
current! One "set" of half-waves does
not pass through the SCR at all. So,
the 60-Hz sinewave becomes a series
of pulses at a basic frequency of 30
per second. If we vary its firing point,
we get more or less of each half-cycle,
but the frequency remains the same
30 Hz.
So! We're back in Keokuk in the
1920's, the transformer overheats, and
out it goes, if left on long enough to
break down. So, the answer to the
first part of the question is "Definitely
NO!" You can NOT use a single SCR

with

power transformer.
However, there's a second half;
now, "What can we use to control
transformers ?" The answer is simple.
Use TWO SCR's, in parallel, one reversed. You'll find a circuit for this in
the General Electric SCR Manual p.
104, 3d Edition. Now, we're clipping
off a part of each half-cycle, but both
of them get through, so that our basic
frequency is 60 Hz.
The G -E Hobby Manual has
circuits and full explanations on a
simpler device, which is actually the
same thing. This is called a "Triac"
and is, in effect, two SCR's back to
back, with a single common gate.
These can be controlled by a device
called a "Diac ", which is a `two -way
SCR with no gate ", and which can be
controlled by pulses, etc. There are
light -operated Triacs, called
even
"LASCR's ". Circuits for the use of
these are included in the Hobby Manual.

R -E

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

NEW IR -18M solid -state 12-speed

chart recorder kit

.-

solid -state
15 MHz frequency

5eoAD!

counter kit

solid -state
frequency
scaler kit

t'..._.,c..,..

Wow

00
0

NEW IB -102 175 MHz

kit

solid -state color TV kit

NEW IB -101

t.....................

NEW GD -29 microwave oven

NEW GR -371MX 25" square- corner

_
NEW IM -105 solid -state
VOM kit

NEW 10 -102 solid -state


5" scope kit

Seven new Heathkitimprovement ideas for home or shop


N EW! Heathkit IR -18M 10" chart recorder kit provides 12 different
chart speeds... instant pushbutton selection from 5 sec / in. to 200
min /in. Digital logic delivers accuracy unobtainable with ordinary
gear trains. Two input ranges permit accurate measLrements from
0 -1 & 0-10 mV full scale. Hi -Z input minimizes loading. 3- terminal
floating input. Light- operated modulator eliminates problems of a
mechanical chopper...operates at 240 Hz to reduce 60 Hz noise. Internal temperature -stabilized reference voltage eliminates troublesome reference battery. Coarse & Fine zero controls allow fast,
accurate pen positioning. Other features: versatile pen holder that
accepts virtually any writing instrument & hinged top for easy paper
loading. For the best value going in a chart recorder, order your
IR -18M now. Kit IR -18M, 15 lbs., 149.95*

last Hz in seconds.

NEW

NEW! 10 -102 solid -state 5" scope ideally suited for general purpose
service & design work. Features wide DC -5 MHz response, 30 mV /cm
sensitivity and 80 ns rise time. Switch -selected AC or DC coupling
for greater versatility. Frequency- compensated 3- position attenuator. FET input provides hi -Z to minimize circuit loading. Recurrent,
automatic -sync type sweep provides five ranges from 10 Hz to 500
kHz with vernier. External horizontal and sync inputs are also provided. One volt P -P output provides an accurate comparison voltage
source. Additional features include a big 5" CRT with high visibility
trace; 6x10 cm ruled graticule that can be replaced with a standard
camera mount; solid -state zener -regulated supplies for extra display
stability and 120/240 VAC operation. An excellent all- around scope
that belongs on your bench now. Kit 10 -102, 29 lbs., 119.95*

!
GR -371 MX 25" solid -state ultra -rectangular color TV. Check
out the competition for standard features like these: 25" square corner Matrix picture tube for the biggest, brightest, sharpest color picture ever... high resolution circuitry plus adjustable video peaking
...Automatic Fine Tuning...pushbutton channel advance..."InstantOn "...Automatic Chroma Control...factory assembled 3 -stage solid state IF and VHF & UHF tuners for superior recepticn, even under
marginal conditions...adjustable noise limiting & gated AGC...adjustable tone control... hi -fi sound output to internal sneaker or your
hi -fi system. Plus your choice of installation in one of the three
beautiful Heath cabinets or custom wall mounting capability. And
the exclusive Heath self- service features let you do all normal adjustment & servicing, saving hundreds of dollars in service costs. If
you want the finest, this is it...order your 371MX now. Kit GR- 371MX,

125

lbs.

579.95*

N EW

! GD -29 microwave oven... the most modern way to prepare


food. Cooks up to 70% faster with better vitamin retention. Cooks on
glass, ceramics, even paper plates. low profile design lits under cupboards easily, yet has one of the largest oven capacities in the industry. Operates anywhere on standard 120 VAC current. Kit includes
specially prepared cookbook. Kit GD -29, 97 lbs.
379.95*
Roll- around cart gives oven easy mobility, Model GDA -29-1, 24.95*

N EW! IB -102 Scaler and IB -101 Frequency Counter combination


give you frequency measurement capability to 175 MHz at low, low
cost. IB -101 counts from 1 Hz to over 15 MHz. Hz/ kHz ranges & over range indicator let you make an 8 -digit measurement down to the
See these kits at your local

NEW !

IM -105 solid -state portable VOM...an extremely rugged, highly accurate, low cost meter for hundreds of applications. High impact
Lexan. case and ruggedized diode & fuse protected taut -band meter

movement will suffer extreme abuse and still maintain specifications. 95 wide viewing area provides high resolution. 3% DC accuracy; 4% AC accuracy; 3% DC current accuracy. Temperature
compensated. 8 DCV ranges from 0.25 to 5000 V full scale 7 ACV
ranges from 2.5 to 5000 V full scale...6 DC current ranges from 0.05
mA to 10 A full scale...5 ohms ranges from xl to x10k with center
scale factor of 20...5 dB ranges from -10 to +50 dB. Other features
include DC polarity reversal switch; front panel thumbwheel ohms
zero; self- storing handle and fast, easy assembly. A lot of meter at a
little cost...that's the new IM -105. Order yours now. Kit 1M -105, 7
lbs., 47.95*

Heathkit Electronic Center.. . or Send for Free Catalog

CALIF.: Anaheim, 330 E. Ball Road; El Cerrito, 6000 Potrero Avenue; La Mesa, 8363
Center Drive; Los Angeles, 2309 S. Flower St.; Redwood City, 2001 Middlefield Rd.;
Woodland Hills, 22504 Ventura Blvd.; COLO.: Denver, 5940 W. 38th Ave.; GA.: Atlanta, 5285 Roswell Road; ILL.: Chicago, 3462 -66 W. Devon Ave. Downers Grove,
224 Ogden Ave.; MD.: Rockville, 5542 Nicholson Lane; MASS.: Wellesley, 165 Worcester St.; MICH.: Detroit, 18645 W. Eight Mile Rd.; MINN.: Hopkirs, 101 Shady Oak
Rd.; Mo.: St. Louis, 9296 Gravois Ave.; N.J.: Fair Lawn, 35 -07 B-oadway (Rte. 4);
N.Y.: Jericho, L.I., 15 Jericho Turnpike; New York, 35 W. 45th Street; OHIO: Cleveland, 5444 Pearl Rd.; Woodlawn, 10133 Springfield Pike; PA.: Philadelphia, 6318
Roosevelt Blvd.; Pittsburgh, 3482 William Penn Hwy.; TEXAS: Dallas, 2715 Ross
Avenue; Houston, 3705 Westheimer; WASH.: Seattle, 2221 Third Ave.; WIS.: Milwaukee, 5215 W. Fond du Lac.
Retail Heathkit Electronic Center prices slightly higher to cover shipping, local
stock, consultation and demonstration facilities. Local service also available
whether you purchase locally or by factory mail order.

Circle

AUGUST

5 -digit cold- cathode readout...extremely low input triggering...all solid -state with 26 ICs, 8 transistors. NEW IB -102
Frequency Scaler can be used with virtually any counter on the
market to extend your measurement capability well into the VHF
range...at a price far below the cost of a 175 MHz counter. 10:1 and
100:1 scaling ratios give resolution down to 10 Hz...1:1 ratio provides
straight -thru counting for frequencies in range of counter. Exclusive
Heath input circuit triggers at very low levels at 100 MHz less than
30 mV is needed. A handy Test switch gives a quick, accurate check
of proper operation. All solid- state; fully regulated supplies; convenient carrying handle /tilt stand. Extend your frequency measurement
capability now with these two new kits. Kit IB -101, 7 lbs.....199.95*
99.95*
Kit IB -102, 7 lbs.

HEATH COMPANY, Dept. 20 -8

Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022


Enclosed is $
Please send model (s)
Please send FREE Heathkit Catalog.

Schlumberger company

plus shipping.
Please send Credit Application.

Name

Address

City

State

Mail order prices;

lip

F.O.B. factory.

Prices & specifications subject to change without notice.

I-

CL -411

on reader service curd

1971

17

www.americanradiohistory.com

Cleveland Institute of Electronics

of success in obtaining a
Government FCC License
The Cleveland Institute of Electronics hereby warrants that
upon completion of the Electronics Technology, (with or without
Lab), Broadcast Engineering, or First -Class FCC License course,
you will be able to pass the FCC examination for a First Class
Commercial Radio Telephone License (with Radar Endorsement);
OR upon completion of the Electronic Communications
course you will be able to pass the FCC examination for a Second
Class Commercial Radio Telephone License;
AND in the event that you are unable to pass the FCC test
for the course you select, on the very first try, you will receive a
FULL REFUND of all tuition payments.
This warranty is valid for the original completion time allowed
for the course selected.

.tom,
Dr. G. O. Allen

President

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

18

www.americanradiohistory.com

You can earn more money


if you get an FCC License
...and here's our famous CIE warranty that

you will get your license if you study with us at home


with your present income?
The most practical thing you can do about
it is "bone up" on your electronics, pass the
FCC exam, and get your Government license.
NOT SATISFIED

The demand for licensed men is enormous.


Ten years ago there were about 100,000 licensed
communications stations, including those for
police and fire departments, airlines, the merchant marine, pipelines, telephone companies,
taxicabs, railroads, trucking firms, delivery
services, and so on.

Today there are over a million such stations


on the air, and the number is growing constantly. And according to Federal law, no one
is permitted to operate or service such equipment without a Commercial FCC License or
without being under the direct supervision of a
licensed operator.
This has resulted in a gold mine of new
business for licensed service technicians. A
typical mobile radio service contract pays an
average of about $100 a month. It's possible
for one trained technician to maintain eight to
ten such mobile systems. Some men cover as
many as fifteen systems, each with perhaps a
dozen units.

Coming Impact of UHF


This demand for licensed operators and service
technicians will be boosted again in the next
5 years by the mushrooming of UHF television.
To the 500 or so VHF television stations now
in operation, several times that many UHF
stations may be added by the licensing of UHF
channels and the sale of 10 million all-channel
sets per year.

Opportunities in Plants
And there are other exciting opportunities in
aerospace industries, electronics manufacturers, telephone companies, and plants operated
by electronic automation. Inside industrial
plants like these, it's the licensed technician

who is always considered first for promotion


and in -plant training programs. The reason is
simple. Passing the Federal government's FCC
exam and getting your license is widely accepted
proof that you know the fundamentals of
electronics.
So why doesn't everybody who "tinkers"
with electronic components get an FCC License
and start cleaning up?
The answer: it's not that simple. The government's licensing exam is tough. In fact, an
average of two out of every three men who
take the FCC exam fail.

There is one way, however, of being pretty


certain that you will pass the FCC exam. And
that is to take one of the FCC home study
courses offered by the Cleveland Institute of
Electronics.
CIE courses are so effective that better than
9 out of every IO CIE -trained graduates who
take the exam pass it. That's why we can afford
to back our courses with the iron -clad Warranty
shown on the facing page: you get your FCC
License or your money back.
There's a reason for this remarkable record.
From the beginning, CIE has specialized in
electronics courses designed for home study.
We have developed techniques that make learning at home easy, even if you've had trouble
studying before.

In a Class by Yourself
Your CIE instructor gives his undivided personal attention to the lessons and questions
you send in. It's like being the only student in
his "class." He not only grades your work, he
analyzes it. Even your correct answers can
reveal misunderstandings he will help you clear
up. And he mails back his corrections and
comments the same day he receives your assignment, so you can read his notations while
everything is still fresh in your mind.

It Really Works
Our files are crammed with success stories
of men whose CIE training has gained them
their FCC "tickets" and admission to a higher
income bracket.

Mark Newland of Santa Maria, Calif.,


boosted his earnings by $120 a month after getting his FCC License. He says: "Of 11 different
correspondence courses I've taken, CIE's was
the best prepared, most interesting, and easiest
to understand."
Once he could show his FCC License, CIE
graduate Calvin Smith of Salinas, California,
landed the mobile phone job he'd been after
for over a year.

Mail Card for Two Free Books


Want to know more? The postpaid reply card
bound -in here will bring you free copies of
our school catalog describing opportunities in
electronics, our teaching methods, and our
courses, together with our special booklet,
"How to Get a Commercial FCC License."
If card has been removed, just mail the coupon
at right.

...

2 NEW

CIE CAREER
COURSES

teaches you the


1. ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY with LABORATORY
fundamentals. With a 161 -piece laboratory you apply the principles
you learn by analyzing and trouble- shooting electronics equipment.

ARE EARNING MORE MONEY


From Tugboat
to Television
"When I started my
CIE electronics training, I was working in
the engine room of a
tugboat. Before finishing, I passed my First

Class FCC License


exam and landed a job
as a

Broadcast Engineer

KDFM -TV in Beaumont.

I was able to
work, complete my CIE course and get two
raises
all in the first year of my new
career in broadcasting. The course was
interesting and well written. " -Richard L.
Kihn, Anahuac, Texas.

at

...

New Job with

40% More Pay


"CIE has taken me
from a dull low-pay job
with little chance for

advancement to one
with challenge and a
good future. I'm now

an Engineering Specialist with National Radio

Company, Inc. testing


prototype equipment. CIE training gave
me the electronics technology I needed to
pass the exam for First Class FCC License.
I'm already earning 4O':; more than I could
without my CIE training. " -Joseph E.
Perry, Cambridge, Mass.
NEW REVISED G.I. BILL BENEFITS: All CIE

courses are approved for full tuition reimbursement under new G.I. Bill. If you served
on active duty since January 31, 1955, OR
are in service now, check box on reply
card or coupon for G.I. Bill information.

Cleveland

Please send me without cost or obligation:


Your illustrated 44 -page book, "How To
Succeed in Electronics."

Your book on, "How To Get


FCC
I

CIE
A U G

U S T

9 7

Accredited Member

1776 East 17th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44114

National Home Study Council

Commercial

License."

am

especially interested in:

Electronics
Electronic
Technology
Communications
Broadcast
D Industrial
Electronics
Engineering
First Class
Electronics
Engineering
FCC License
Electronics Technology
with Laboratory
Name

(PLEASE PHINT)

Address
City
State

Cleveland Institute of Electronics

Institute of Electronics

1776 East 17th Street, Cleveland, O. 44114

... Covers

steady -state and transient


network theory, solid state physics and circuitry, pulse techniques,
computer logic and mathematics through calculus. A college -level
course for men already working in Electronics.
2. ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

THESE CIE MEN PASSED THE


FCC LICENSE EXAM ...NOW THEY

Zip

Age

p Veterans

& Servicemen: check here for


latest G.I. Bill information.
RE -93

Circle 8 on reader service card


21

www.americanradiohistory.com

year for overseas members. I will be


pleased to send further details to your
readers regarding our Club. Just write
to me at the address below. Thanks
for your interest and help in the past.

orrespondence
ii

CYRIL BOGOD

"Dickens",
26 Forrest Road,
Penarth, Glam,
Great Britain
AMATEUR ELECTRONICS CLUB NEWS

CALL BUTTON SAFETY DEFENDED

You may be interested to hear


that the subscription to our British
Amateur Electronics Club Newsletter
has not been raised since we started in
May 1966
is still only $2.00 per

In the April 1971 issue of Radio Electronics there is a New & Timely
item (page 14) about elevator touch
buttons which is untrue and misleading. I have been in the elevator

-it

IMPOSSIBLE? BARGAINS IN SURPLUS ELECTRONICS AND OPTICS


SPECIAL SALE ON DIODES AND TRANSISTORS
The recession in the electronics industry is the gain of the
electronics enthusiast. Discrete components are now available at
prices that are a fraction of the large volume price. Every unit
listed is a brand new device, with full lead length, and in original
manufacturers boxes. Guaranteed to equal or exceed manufacturers specif !cations.
Zener Diodes, 5% Tolerance, Mtgs.

1N746A
1N747A
1N748A
1N749A

3.3 Voit

IN750A

4.7
5.1
5.6

List 51.71 each.

3.9
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1N 751A

1N752A
1N753A

6.8 Volt

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1N756A

36

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ITEMS

82.50
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5400

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READOUTS... READOUTS,.. READOUTS!


-TIl 7 Segment r

C.'n

,i

40 nullamps are 5 volts edrii,!


liamps Operates directly
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nector
Burroughs 5441 Nixie Tube with Socket
Burroughs 5750 Nixie (wires directly into p.c.)
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80

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S7.25
2 SI 50
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PNP Sihcun Ainp Sw, H,,1, 200 MC ..... ...............
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100200, P 0.3 Warts
10 for SI 50, 1001or SIO 00
Well TO .5
Same as Above. but
IO las 0150, 100 for 51000
10 tot S2 00. 00 lie S I5 00
_..........
Sem. t OIS PNP TO S...

51 or

/De

7489 04 Bit Random Access


Memory
7488 256 Bit Rom ASCII to
EBCDIC

BCD to Decimal NIXIE


Diver Decoder
8 Bit Shift Register

Hi Poti.id Silicon
Hi Power
60 Nast G

to 16 L,n0 Decoder

Multiplexer
B, Directional Counter BCD
Output
74193 B. Directional Counter 4 -8Ir
BMX,/

TRANSISTORS
253055 875 wart

DIODES
154004 400 Ply. I Amp
Epoxy F.W. Bridge Reia,f nit 400 DIV,

74192

BCD to Ovcrin:i Decoder

Drive;
7483 413it Binary Full Adder
74145 BCD to Decimal Decoder
Driver

7491

100 for S225.00

for S1.00
10 for 52.50
Mix or Match

Segrn.,rn Dennh;r

20i' discount on all orders fue 100 or more Integrated circuitspostpaid, with FREE air snail On orders over S5000. INe stave to

Watt

6.2

Specify Number:

Dr n.t

7445

7441

9.1
10
12

1N758A
1N759A

BCD to

ITEMS

7.5
8.2

IN757A

ITEMS

7447

54.75

55.75
57.50

PAGE CATAkOG- Free with any order or send 5025

- TEXAS INSTRUMENTS LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LED's), Use as


logic readouts, either on panel or
right on carols. Infinite life.
10 for $7.00.
2 for S1.50
SUPER SPECIAL

00
51.00
S1

41.

SURPLUS TTL INTEGRATED


CIRCUITS. BRAND NEW IN ORIGINAL

MANUFACTURERS CARTONS
& F has one of the worlds
largest inventories of surplus
integrated circuits. All are
B

meeting all manulactur


ers original specifications. and
in factory packaging. The low
prices should speak for [hens'
selves. Manufactured by Texas

Instruments.

National,

Signetics or Phdco, no choice. All packages are 14 16 lead silicone


Dual Im Line Pak. Write for additional RTL and DTL lines not
listed
ITEMS

ITEMS @ SOd
7400
7401

Oued
Ouad

-Input NAND

2Input Open Collector

NAND
7402
7404
7405
7408
7409

Oued 2 Input NOR


Hex Inverter
Open Collector Hex Inverter

Quad 2 Input
Quad 2.Input AND. Open

Collector
7410 Tapia 3 Input NAND
Triple 3'Input AND
7420 Dual 4.Input NAND
7421 Dual 4 -Input AND
7430 8 -Input NAND
7440 Dual 4.lueut NAND Buller
7450 Dual 2 Wide 2 -Input
Expandable
7451
Dual 2.W,de 2 Input AO.I
7453 4 Wide Expandable 2.Input

2.Input A -O.1
-Input Expander

7454
7460

4 -Wide

7406
7416
7407
7417
7426

30 Volt Hex Driver Inverter


15 Vat Her Driver Inverter
30 Volt Hex Driver
15 Volt Hex Driver
Open Collector H Volt
NAND Ouad 2.Input

Dual

ITEMS

S1.00 (cont.!

ITEMS

7411

A0 -I

Fhp -Fiap
J K Maste, Slave FI,pFlup
Dual J K Fl,p -Flop
Dual D Fiso -Flop
Ouan 21nput Exclusive OR
Monost:drle M. tv,hrApr
(One Shot)
74122 Orle Shot
8162 One Stmt

7470
7472
7473
7474
7486
74121

51.75

DECADE MODULE KITS


Seven segment readouts, with counter 'decoder. driver unit
This is a nice looking seven segment numerical readout. as shown
above. It is provided with a 7490 counter, 7447 decoder and
printed circuit. to allow construction of a counter with
minimum of work. Units can be cascaded of course. At an unheard
$9 -75
of low price
S11.75
L1
Same as above but with 7475 patch option Al.
LI

Same

as

above, but with 74192

BiDirectional lup -down)


12.75

counter (option BI
1995,,

Same as above, but with 74192 and 7475 latch (option c)


of applications do not require (tpuons, if in doubt order the basic unit)

Nixie Output Decade Counter similar to

7494
7495
7496

Full Adder
Decade Counter
4 -B1t Shift Register
a Bit

R,ght,lern Shill Reg.

5Bd Shrfr Register


74151 8 -Bit Data Selector with
Strobe

$100

ITEMS

S2.00'

BCD to 7 Segment Decoder


Driver
7492 Divide by 12 Coroner
7493 4.Brt Binary Counter
74180 8 -Bit ODD -EVEN Parity
Generator /Checker
7448

segment. but Nixie

$11.75

with option (A) above


Same with option IBI above
Same with option ICI above

12.75
13.75

Same

14.75

Lowest cost decade counter. Uses 10 incandescent bulbs.


7490 counter, 74145 decoder driver.
Complete wi t h printed
56.50
circuit
No options available.

LOGIC AND NIXIE POWER SUPPLIES

7442 BCD In Decimal Decoder


7443 Excess 3 to Dec,nr al Decoder
7444 Excess 3 Gray to Decimal
Decoder
7475 Quad B,. Stable Latch
7480
7490

Output

Q 5 volt, 5

ampere
supply 1% line. 1%
load, 0.1% ripple.

Built by Bluline for

integrated

circuit

applications. Fantastic value, brand


new.
S29.50
5 volt 3 ampere supply, with 170 volts at 50 Ma for Nixies,
529.50
similar to above. except 170 volts is unregulated.
5 volt 3 ampere supply. built by Powertek. Low profile for
$25.00
easy buildin to instruments.

ALL ITEMS POSTAGE PAID


Charges Welcome: BankAmericard

IN THE U.S.A,

- Masrercharge - $ 10.00 min.

B. & F. ENTERPRISES
Phone: 1617) 5322323
P.O. Box 44, Hathorne, Massachusetts 01937

business for over sixteen years and I


know how these buttons work-and
it's not from heat.
The February 1971 issue of
Elevator World Magazine explains the
operations of these touch buttons and
the degree of safety to be expected
from them. The magazine states, that
"there is no such animal as a `heat
actuated call button'. . . . All call buttons in use in skyscrapers (or elsewhere) can be destroyed at some high
degree of heat, and can, at the time of
disintegration, create a call within the
system. `Electronic' or other types of
`touch' buttons are not activated by
any amount of heat until the fixture
parts collapse. It is inconceivable that
any button of current design can be
activated by the `heat of a finger'.
How do `touch' buttons work if not
by heat? They contain a vacuum tube
wherein a person placing a finger on
the button surface, provides a ground
potential, completing a firing circuit,
or, the button surface may have minimal movement wherein a `touch' does
constitute operational pressure."
Although elevators should not be
used in a building where there is a
fire, several other safety factors are involved in this dictum.
DAVID N. AMIDON
Pasadena, Calif.
GRATEFUL AWARD WINNER

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you


for making the Hugo Gernsback
Scholarship possible.
It is deeply appreciated and will
he put to good use toward my tuition
at Bell & Howell Schools.
ROBERT E. RICHARDSON

Janesville, Wisc.
SERVICE

MANUAL NEEDED

have been searching for a service manual for a Model MX2930/ USM 105 dual -trace oscilloscope preamplifier. This is a Navy
surplus unit made by Hickok and I
understand the model number of the
oscilloscope it was used with is
AN /USM 105.
Hickok does not have a manual
nor does Navy Publications. I hope
your fellow readers can help me locate
one.
Thanks for the twenty -five years
of help and enjoyment I have received
from your magazine.
I

LEE TATE

2812 Stratford Drive


Greensboro, N. C.
CRT CHANGE NOTE

Tom Richmond wrote an interesting and informative article, "Change


Color Pix Tubes Faster," in the May
(continued on page 26)

Circle 9 on reader service card

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

22

www.americanradiohistory.com

COVER STORY/ COVER STORY/ COVER STORY/ COVE

using the right

R OBES
PROBES ARE INPUT- COUPLING DEVICES FOR ELECTRICAL OR

Without the right probes your test equipment


is worthless. See how to use the righ
JO"

and speed your troubleshooting


by ROBERT G. MIDD4TON

electronic instruments. We often refer to small signal- injector devices as probes, also. A probe may consist only of a
test lead or a section of coaxial cable. On the other hand, a
probe may consist of a large assembly of signal -processing
equipment. In this article, we are chiefly concerned with
the probes used on electronic service benches.

Vtvm and tvm probes

Many kinds of probes can be used with a vtvm or tvm


(transistor voltmeter). The more basic types (depicted in
Fig. 1) can also be used with a vom, although the component
values must be changed in accordance with the input impedance of the vom. Similarly, component values that are
suitable for a vtvm are usually unsuitable for a tvm. A probe
that operates properly with one brand vtvm may operate improperly with one of another brand. Again, it is the input
impedance of the instrument that is of basic concern.
The simplest type of "probe" is a pair of open test
leads, as shown in Fig. -a. Open leads can be used with a
vom, vtvm, or tvm. However, we will find that direct leads
may give an abnormally high dc voltage reading when used
with vtvm or tvm. This possibility is explained at a later
point. Open test leads are suitable for measuring dc voltages
in low -impedance circuits, as in power supplies. Open leads
are usually satisfactory for measuring resistance values, although there are some exceptions, as will be explained. They
are also suitable for measuring low- impedance circuits, as in
60 -Hz heater and power- supply circuits.
1

AUGUST

23

1971

www.americanradiohistory.com

Next, the direct cable (coaxial


cable) arrangment in Fig. 1 -b is similar to open test leads, with one important exception. Since the "high" conductor is shielded, a direct cable does
not pick up stray fields. This fact can
be important in measuring high- resistance values of semiconductor junctions. For example, Fig. 2 shows a resistance measurement being made with
a pair of open test leads on a semiconductor diode. When the vtvm is
operated on its Rx I -meg range, the
reading error is very obvious -as the
technician's hands are moved, or as
HIGH

o TO
o METER

ra

GND

HIGH

TO

METER

CND

b
PROBE

- --

L--J

TIP

TO

METER

GND

r----,

PROBE

GND

-J

TO
METER

lu
L

- -_ -J

TO
METER

CURRENT

LEAD

-BASIC PROBES for vtvm and


tvm. Open test leads -commonly called
FIG.

prods (a) -are used to measure de voltages in low -impedance circuits. The direct cable probe (b) is not affected by
stray fields. Isolating and high -voltage
probes (e) have a series resistor in the
"high" input lead. A 1 -meg resistor-in
vtvm isolating probes -provides a high
input impedance and greatly reduces the
effective capacitance of the cable. In a
high -voltage probe the resistor may be
1000 megs or more. Rf probe (d) is for
high- frequency, high -impedance circuits.
Series resistor must be a part of the calibrating circuit. Clamp-on current probe
(e) permits measuring current without
opening the circuit. The current-carrying
lead acts as a one -turn primary for the

current transformer.

FIG. 2- ERRONEOUS READINGS may


develop when open test leads are used to
measure resistance with a vtvm or a tvm.

the leads are moved on the bench, the


ohms reading changes considerably,
due to stray -field pickup. A shielded
cable eliminates this error.
Now, let us consider the arrangement depicted in Fig. 1 -c. This is a
shielded cable with a series resistor at
the input end. An isolating probe employs a -meg series resistor, and is
commonly used with a vtvm for dc
voltage measurements. The series resistor provides high input impedance,
so that circuit disturbance is minimized. For example, if we use open
test leads or a direct cable to check the
grid -bias voltage in a high- frequency
oscillator circuit, the reading is likely
to be badly in error. On the other
hand, if we use an isolating probe, the
reading is almost certain to be very
accurate. The isolating resistor cuts
down the input capacitance of a direct
cable from a typical value of 75 pF to
1.5 pF.
Many vtvm probes consist of a
combination direct and isolating
probe, with a slide switch to short out
the series resistor when measuring resistance values. Note that if we forget
to set the switch on its Dc position
when measuring dc voltages, the readings will be incorrect, even in low -impedance circuits. For example, a true
value of 5 volts will be indicated as
5.5 volts under this condition, using a
typical vtvm. Most vtvm's have a 1meg resistor in the isolating probe, although a few instruments use other
values. Therefore, an isolating probe
from one vtvm will not necessarily
match another vtvm. This precaution
holds true also for tvm's that are designed for use with an isolating probe.
A high- voltage dc probe is similar to an isolating probe, except that
the series resistor has a very high
value. This resistance value must provide correct voltage division in combination with the internal multiplier of
the voltmeter. Therefore, a high -voltage dc probe for one vtvm or tvm will
not necessarily match another similar
instrument. Note also that high -voltage dc probes designed for use with
vom's cannot be used with either a
vtvm or tvm, because the series resistor has too low a value.
Next, let us consider the measurement of ac voltages. Although
vtvm's and tvm's are used with direct
cables for measuring ac voltages in
low- impedance circuits and at low frequencies, an rf probe is generally
needed for tests in high- frequency and
high- impedance circuits. As we saw
previously, a direct cable has substantial input capacitance. This capacitance tends to load high- impedance
circuits, and to bypass high frequencies to ground. Accordingly, rf
probes such as depicted in Fig. 1 -d are
1

widely used in these applications. This


probe is basically a half -wave detector,
with a series resistor feeding into the
cable. In turn, the input capacitance
of the probe is only a few picofarads.
The series resistor in an rf probe
not only isolates the detector from the
cable capacitance, but also serves a
calibrating function. The series resistor must have a value with respect
to the internal multiplier of the voltmeter such that correct voltage division occurs. Accordingly, an rf probe
for one voltmeter may not match another voltmeter. Figure 3 shows the
voltage division that is involved. A
half -wave rectifier is a peak rectifier,
and a dc vtvm or tvm would read the
peak voltage value, if it were not for
the series resistor in the rf probe. This
type of probe always indicates ruts
values of sine waves. Therefore, the
series resistor must have a value with
respect to the voltmeter multiplier
such that 70.7% of the rectified output voltage is fed to the dc vtvm.
Note also that a semiconductor
type of rf probe has limited low -frequency response. The reason for this
limitation is that the series coupling
capacitor cannot have a value much
greater than 0.0511F. Otherwise, surges
that occur when contacting B -plus
RMS
VOLTAGE

PEAK -TOPEAK
VOLTAGE

POSITIVE
PEAK
VOLTAGE

-;_0.707
OF PEAK

0-AXIS

NEGATIVE
PEAK
VOLTAGE

FIG. 3 -A SINE WAVE. Output of a


half -wave rectifier equals the peak voltage. Resistor in rf probe reduces this
value to 70.7% so meter indicates rms.

FIG. 4- VACUUM -TUBE DIODE in rf


probe provides better low- frequency performance than does a solid -state diode.

FIG. 5 -A CURRENT PROBE for ac measurements. Current- carrying lead slips

through slop into hole in probe tip.

RADIO-ELECTRONICS

24

www.americanradiohistory.com

lines with the probe will damage the


semiconductor diode. Since the reactance of a capacitor increases as the
frequency decreases, an rf probe is not
suitable for use in power and audio
circuits. This disadvantage is overcome by use of an rf probe with a
vacuum tube diode, instead of a semiconductor diode. Figure 4 shows the
arrangement of this type of rf probe.
Since a vacuum diode is rugged, a
large value of series capacitance can
be used, with resulting good low-frequency response.
Alternating currents at frequencies through the video range can
be measured without opening the circuit under test, if a clamp- around current probe is used. One of the simpler
types (Fig. 5) uses the basic circuit
depicted in Fig. -e. The probe utilizes
a ferrite core which can be opened to
clamp around a wire carrying alternating current. This wire serves as a
one -turn primary, and the output
from the secondary winding in the
probe is fed to the ac voltmeter. Electricians generally use this basic arrangement. However, electronic technicians are concerned with smaller
current values, and usually require a
probe amplifier.
A current -probe amplifier is
merely a stable class-A transistor amplifier. The amplifier is calibrated in
this example to provide 1 millivolt
output for each milliampere of current in the wire under test. Therefore,
when measuring small alternating -currents with this type of probe, it is advisable to use an audio vtvm or tvm.
That is, an audio voltmeter has much
higher sensitivity than a conventional
service-type ac voltmeter.

EI

R2
t R2

X2
E2= E1

E1

xcl+xc2

E2

CI

E2=E1 CI+C2
b

FIG. 6- VOLTAGE DIVIDERS. Resistive


type (a) is good for de and at low frequencies. Stray and cable capacitances
cause distortion at high frequencies. Capacitive voltage divider (b) uses reactance of series capacitors to drop voltage
at high frequences. Waveform distortion
increases at low frequencies.

rs coPE
COAX

9 MEG

VERT

_INPUT

OUTPUT
TO

AMPL

80pF
LOW- C
PROBE

PROBE

MEG

GND

c-

20pF

TIP
o
l l.1pF

He'

Oscilloscope probes

AUGUST

RI

An oscilloscope is a voltmeter
that shows the rise and fall of a voltage in time. Since a scope is a voltmeter, we can use the same open leads
or direct cable as previously described
for vom's, vtvm's, or tvm's. Open
test leads have the disadvantage of
stray -field pickup, which distorts
screen patterns. A direct cable avoids
stray -field pickup, but has the disadvantage of high input capacitance,
which loads or detunes resonant circuits and loads high -impedance circuits in TV receivers and other devices.
Therefore, a scope employs a
low- capacitance probe as standard
equipment. This is a probe that exploits a trade -off between input capacitance and signal amplitude. The appearance of a low- capacitance probe is
the same as that of an rf probe used
with vtvm. However, the probe circuitry is quite different. To understand
the operation of a low-capacitance

E2=E1

E2

In view of the characteristics of


resistive and capacitive voltage dividers, it is not surprising that a combination of the two basic divider circuits provides distortionless voltage
division at both high and low frequencies. The arrangement used in a
low- capacitance probe is shown in
Fig. 7. Let us consider the trade -off
that is involved in this example. An
input capacitance of 80 pF plus 20 pF
(total of 100 pF) is changed to an
input capacitance of 11 pF. At the
same time, the signal amplitude is reduced to 0.1. In other words, the input capacitance has been reduced by a
factor of 10 (practically), while the
signal amplitude has also been reduced
by a factor of 10.
The basic requirement for distortionless reproduction of waveforms
is that the two time constants in the
low- capacitance probe must be equal.
We observe that 9 times 11.1 is the
same (practically) as 1 times 100.
Note that since the 1 -meg resistor is
inside the scope (Fig. 7), the external
low- capacitance probe must use a 9meg resistor to obtain 10 -to -1 signal
ratio. If this same low -C probe were
used with another scope that has some
other value of input resistance, the
signal' ratio would not be 10 -to -1. It is
important to use a decimal (10 -to -1)
low -C probe to simplify calibration.
Another "standard equipment"
type of scope probe is the demodulator variety. A circuit of a typical
demodulator probe is in Fig. 8. Although a demodulator probe is somewhat similar to an rf probe, its circuit
is designed to operate as a detector, so
(continued on page 78)
270pF
PROBE

'TIP

INPUT

Iv

PULSE

OUTPUT

VERTICAL

INPUT
TO
SCOPE

O.I V
PULSE

9 MEG
I

220K

MEG

T1OOpF
GROUND

FIG. 7-LOW -C PROBE combines the best


features of resistive and capacitive voltage dividers. Cable and scope input capacitances (a) are reduced by a factor of
10 as is the amplitude of the signal fed to
scope. In equivalent circuit (b) probe and
scope time constants are equal.

probe, let us consider the two voltage


dividers in Fig. 6. A resistive voltage
divider operates well at low frequencies, but its stray capacitance and
the input capacitance of the scope
cable distorts high- frequency waveforms. Again, a capacitive voltage
divider operates well at high frequencies, but distorts low- frequency
waveforms (due to the increasing capacitive reactance at low frequencies).

1971

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:
RF RANGE
500 kHz TO 250 MHz
MODULATED -SIGNAL
RANGE
30 TO 5000 HERTZ
INPUT CAPACITANCE (APPROX.) . . 2.25 pF
EQUIVALENT INPUT RESISTANCE (APPROX.):
AT 500 kHz 25K
MHz
23K
5 MHz
21K
1

10 MHz
50 MHz
100 MHz
150 MHz

4 5K

200 MHz

MAXIMUM INPUT:
AC VOLTAGE

18K
10K

5K
5K

20V RMS, 28V PEAK

FIG. 8- DEMODULATOR PROBE has a


very low input capacitance to avoid detuning resonant circuits. Its short time
constant insures that the scope waveform
presentation is accurate.

25
www.americanradiohistory.com

CORRESPONDENCE

(continued from page 22)

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Culver City, Calif.

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MORE ON CAPACITOR LEAKAGE

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1971 issue. It could be very helpful


and timesaving to the hobbyist and
beginning TV technician. I'd like to
make one suggestion to your readers,
though. Do not draw a grease pencil
circle around the dots in the center of
the screen for convergence. The grease
could become embedded in the microscopic pores and valleys of the antiglare etching on the face of some new
tubes, resulting in a permanent smudge.
Instead, I find it convenient to stick a
piece of masking tape on my dot -bar
generator to use to mark the center of

lip

DELTA
PRODUCTS,

INC.

P.O. Box 1147, Grand Junction, Colorado 81501, (303) 242 -9000

Reading your article on the dooropener gadget and the capacitor leakage, I recalled that about 15 years ago
I came across the same type of problem in the twin noise squelch circuit
where there was 1.5 megs involved.
After trying a few paper capacitors I
tried oil- impregnated capacitors. That
was the end of the problem. Now,
when I work on something with more
than 1 meg, I put in an oil- impregnated
capacitor. I will have to try Mylar next.
HIRAM BROWN

New York, N.Y.

Thanks for the comments. Working on the old battery- powered radios,
a long time ago, I became very "sensitive" to problems of capacitor leakage.
Especially true in coupling capacitors
feeding the audio output stage. In
those, I didn't have to resort to oilfilled types, since the originals were
200 or 400 working volt papers. The
600 -V paper type usually had practically no leakage. Later, we used Mylar
for the same reason.
You might be amused by one that
happened to me not too long ago.
When I started, mica capacitors were
considered as the absolute last word;
never leaked, etc. So, I developed a
habit of not checking them. I also
developed a peculiar distortion in my
old faithful audio generator. For two
years at odd intervals I checked its
circuits, without results. Then, I noted
a mica capacitor connected across the
bias resistor. (Since this was a phaseshift oscillator, this did have quite an
effect.) Yep. Disconnecting this capacitor showed that it was regrettably
very leaky! When replaced, the sinewaves were perfect as before. Now I
suspect all capacitors until proven
innocent!
Thanks again!
JACK DARR

Service Editor
Circlr 10 oit rearler service card

26
www.americanradiohistory.com

RADIO- ELECTRONICS

THE

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ER

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,eem.a:.a

04,

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TOR

Another "Instrument to Believe In"


rNSTRUMENTS
37-27 Twenty- Seventh Street, Long Island City,

N.Y. 11101

CORP.

(212) 729 -7410

Circle l I on reader service card

AUGUST 1971

27
www.americanradiohistory.com

10 Reasons why
RCA Home Training is

your best
investment
for a rewarding
career
in electronics:

Performing transistor experiments

on programmed breadboard -using

oscilloscope.

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

28

www.americanradiohistory.com

LEADER IN ELECTRONICS
TRAINING

When you think of electronics, you immediately think of RCA ...a name that
stands for dependability, integrity, and
pioneering scientific advances. For over
half a century, RCA Institutes, Inc., a
subsidiary of RCA, has been a leader in
technical training.

RCA AUTOTEXT TEACHES


ELECTRONICS FASTER, EASIER,
ALMOST AUTOMATICALLY

Beginner or refresher, AUTOTEXT,


RCA Institutes' own method of programmed Home Training will help you
learn electronics more quickly and with
less effort, even if you've had trouble
with conventional learning methods in
the past.

WELL PAID JOBS ARE OPEN TO


MEN SKILLED IN ELECTRONICS

RCA Institutes is doing something positive to help men with an interest in electronics to qualify for rewarding jobs in
this fascinating field. There are challenging new fields that need electronics
technicians...new careers such as computers, automation, television, space
electronics where the work is interesting and earnings are greater.

WIDE CHOICE OF CAREER


PROGRAMS

Start today on the electronics career of


your choice. On the attached card is a
list of "Career Programs", each of which
starts with the amazing AUTOTEXT
method of programmed instruction.
Look the list over, pick the one best
suited to you and check it off on the card.

SPECIALIZED ADVANCED
TRAINING

For those already working in electronics


or with previous training, RCA Institutes offers advanced courses. You can
start on a higher level without wasting
time on work you already know.

PERSONAL SUPERVISION
THROUGHOUT

All during your program of home study,

tution under the Federally Insured Student Loan Program.

10

HANDS -ON TRAINING

To give practical application to


your studies, a variety of valuable RCA
Institutes engineered kits are included
in your program. You get over 250 projects and experiments and as many as 22
kits in some programs. Each kit is complete in itself. You never have to take

VETERANS: TRAIN
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1

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apart one piece to build another. They're


yours to keep and use on the job.

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Please send me FREE illustrated career


catalog. understand that I am under no
I

MONEY BACK AGREEMENT

obligation.

Take RCA's Communications Career


program -or enter with advanced standing and prepare immediately for your
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you of your money back if you fail to
pass the FCC examination taken within
6 months after completing the course.

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You get a selection of low-cost tuition plans. And, we are an eligible insti-

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RCA Institutes is an accredited member


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Licensed by N.Y. State -courses of study
and instructional facilities are approved
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your training is supervised by RCA Institutes experts who become personally


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over any "rough spots" that may develop.

RCA INSTITUTES IS FULLY

Veterans: Check here CI

RC,'
Construction of Multimeter.

Temperature experiment with transistors.

Construction of Oscilloscope.
A U G U S T

9 7

31

www.americanradiohistory.com

Fig.

Fig. 4 -a

Fig. 4 -b

FIG. 2 -TONE BURST AND SYNC PULSES, lower and upper traces, respectively.
The leading (positive- going) edge of sync
pulse is usually used to sync scope.
FIG. 4 -a -TONE BURST switched between
two levels without reaching zero. (b)TEST SIGNAL for an audio compressor.
(c)- COMPRESSOR OUTPUT when fed
with a tone burst like that in Fig. 4 -b.

Fig. 4 -e

Ways To Use R -E's


Tone -Burst Generator
14

Here's a new way to test all kinds of electronic equipment


with a new kind of test instrument
by TOM ANNES
TESTING WITH TONE BURSTS IS
nique that is starting to come

TECH -

into use.
This technique consists of subjecting a
piece of equipment to an ac transient or
tone burst and observing the results on
an oscilloscope.
There are two basic methods of
generating tone bursts. The first method
is to use a voltage -controlled oscillator.
Turning the control voltage on and off
causes the oscillator to turn on and off
to create a tone burst. This technique is
used to give tone burst capability to
some models of commercially available

function generators.
The second method is to use a gate
to control the output of existing oscillators and waveform generators. This
technique was chosen for a future construction article in this magazine. The
reasons for this choice are: (1) it can
be used to gate any type of waveform
generator that you may have on hand,
even a noise generator; and (2) it is a
more versatile unit yet lower in cost.
Controls and their uses
Let us now learn the controls and
shows the front panel
their uses. Fig.
of the instrument we built last month.
(Radio-Electronics, July 1971, page 22.)
The center knob selects the voltage level
on the input waveform where gate open1

FIG. 1- TONE -BURST GENERATOR you


studied and built last month. Now, you
are ready to try its multitude of uses.

ing and closing takes place. It also serves


as the power switch. Below this is the

switch. This little slide


switch selects which slope (positive or
negative going) is used for gate switching.
The two knobs on the right control the
period between the start of successive
bursts. The one on the far right is the
vernier. The bar knob selects the range.
This control also has a SINGLE -BURST position. In this mode of operation, the generator produces only one burst and then
stays off until reset. Resetting is done by
applying a ground or a positive pulse to a
BNC jack on the rear panel.
The two controls on the left control
burst width. They are set in the same
TRIGGER SLOPE

manner

the period control. The


position overrides all other
controls and close circuits (closes) the
gate. If the PERIOD switch is set to
SINGLE BURST, the output will be turned
off if the WIDTH switch is in any position
other than STEADY ON. This gives good
on -off control for setting levels.
The status of the gate is indicated
by the red and green traffic lights on the
front panel. In actual operation, the intensity of these lamps give an indication
of the time on. time off ratio of the gate.
Figure 2 shows the time relationship of the sync pulse and the tone
burst.This pulse is available at the back
panel for oscilloscope triggering. Setting
the oscilloscope to trigger on the positive slope will start the sweep at the start
of the tone burst.
The other controls on the rear
panel are an INTERNAL- EXTERNAL SYNC
selector switch, a SYNC INPUT jack, and
a PEDESTAL NULL control. This PEDESTAL
NULL control is used to balance out any
change of do output voltage between
gate open and gate closed condition.
1. Compression amplifiers
Compression amplifiers, also known
as regulated- output amplifiers, have several characteristics that are very easily
checked with tone bursts. They are:
1. Attack Time: The time required
for the compression circuits to take hold
and reduce the gain.
2. Overshoot: The amount the amplifier output momentarily exceeds the
reference or regulation level.
3. Settling Time: The time required
for the output to stabilize after the amplifier is subjected to signal that exceeds
the regulation level by some specified
amount.
4. Recovery Time: The time required for the amplifier gain to recover
after removal of a signal that exceeds
the regulation level by some specified
amount.
as

STEADY ON

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

32

www.americanradiohistory.com

Fig.

Fig. 4 -d

Fig. 6 -b

6 -a

-d- EXPANDED

TRACE simplifies
measuring the overshoot and settling time.
FIG.

FIG. 5 -DUAL -TRACE DISPLAY shows


output of burst generator at the bottom
and the output of a tuned filter at the top.
Sweep speed is 20 rnsec /cm.

a- RISETIME

of compressor ampliexpanded trace. IbIFURTHER EXPANSION of filter output


trace simplifies Q measurements.
FIG.

6-

fier can

be read on

Fig. 5

To make these tests, the amplifier


must be subjected to a tone burst that is
switched between two levels rather than
on and off. To produce a tone burst that
switches between two levels, use the
hookup in Fig. 3. The potentiometer
bridged between the input and output
may be any value from about 1000
meg. Output is taken beohms and
tween the wiper arm and ground. The
output level between bursts is adjusted
by the wiper position: however. it
doesn't appreciably change the burst amplitude. If a fixed resistor is added at the
point marked "X ". the maximum output
between bursts will be reduced. This
makes adjustment of the potentiometer
easier for lower levels. The output at the
wiper arm should work into a reasonably high impedance. (A 50 -ohm load
would look like a short circuit to a 1meg potentiometer.) Keep the leads between the potentiometer and the tone
burst generator short.
The waveform in Fig. 4 -a is of a
1

SYNC PULSE
TO OSCILLOSCOPE

OSCILLATOR

OUTPUT

TONE BURST
GENERATOR
INPUT

OUTPUT

IK TO
I

MEG

j-..,,,,,,,,.
X

1
TO EQUIPMENT

UNDER TEST

3- GENERATOR HOOKUP for developing a burst that switches between


two levels. Output is from arm of pot.
FIG.

AUGUST

tone burst that switches between two


levels rather than going to zero between
bursts. This type of waveform is needed
when checking amplifier recovery characteristics. It can only be generated by
gating -type tone -burst generators. Fig. 4-kHz input signal to a comb is a
pression amplifier under test. There is a
20 -dB signal reduction between bursts.
Sweep speed is 0.2 sec /cm.
The output of the compression amplifier is shown in Fig. 4-c. The voltage
between bursts increases 12 dB over the
level directly following the burst. The
recovery time is about 0.7 second for
full recovery of gain. Quite often, recovery time is considered as the time required for the amplifier to recover 63%
of the gain it lost. The trace in Fig. 4 -d
is the waveform in Fig. 4 -c expanded to
IO msec /cm to show the burst. Overshoot and settling time are easily measured. The attack -time was so fast that
even the first cycle was held down in
amplitude.
2 & 3. Bandwidth and Q
Tune -hur,t testing is a very rapid
and accurate method of measuring the
bandwidths of tuned filters and amplifiers. Since the results are displayed on
an oscilloscope. the effects of adjustments are immediately apparent. This
permits more rapid and accurate adjustments to equipment.
The basic concept used in this technique is the relationship between the
risetime and the upper 3 -dB point of a
pulse amplifier. This is expressed by the
1

relationship: Frequency = 0.35/T


where T, (risetime) is the time required for the amplitude of a pulse to
rise from 10% to 90% of its final value.
If we look at a tone burst as a
pulse -modulated carrier. then we can
measure the risetime of the burst after
passing through an amplifier and compute the bandwidth. Remember that we
are talking of a modulated carrier. This

1971

means that the calculated value is the


bandwidth each side of center or carrier
frequency. This value has to be doubled
to get amplifier bandwidth.
The lower trace of Fig. 5 shows the
input to a tuned filter resonant at 4 kHz.
The upper trace shows the output.
Figure 6 -a is the upper trace of Fig.
5 greatly expanded. This permits an accurate measurement of the risetime of
the output. which is 11 milliseconds. Dividing this into 0.35 (a rounded -off approximation) gives us 31.8 cycles as the
bandwidth each side of center frequency. Doubling this gives us a bandwidth of 63.6 cycles.
To measure the Q of a tank circuit,
connect the tank circuit across the vertical input of the oscilloscope. Couple
the tone burst output to the tank circuit
with a
or 2 turn loop and a current
limiting resistor per Fig. 7. Use the largest value resistor you can and still get
adequate vertical deflection on the oscilloscope. This minimizes loading.
Tune the oscillator frequency to
give maximum amplitude. Adjust the
burst width to a value great enough to
permit the amplitude of the burst to
reach a steady value. Make the period
long enough to let the voltage decay to
zero between bursts. Count the number
of cycles and estimate the fractional part
of a cycle to reach the 63.2% point.
Multiply this number by r (3.1416) to
1

find the Q.

The 63.2% point doesn't fall on a


graticule line, this alternate method is
more convenient: Count the number of
cycles to the 50% point and multiply by
1.45 to find the equivalent number at
the 63.2% point. Then multiply by 7, to
find the Q.

Figure 6 -b is Fig. 6 -a expanded for


this Q measurement. The 14th positive
peak falls exactly on the horizontal center line or 50% point. However, there is
only 3/.a cycles to the first positive peak.

33
www.americanradiohistory.com

Fig.

Fig. 9 -a

FIG.

Fig.

9 -b

-OFF- RESONANCE WAVEFORM

resulting from feeding 4.2 -kHz burst into


a 4 -kHz tank. Ringing on burst has a period of 5 msec whose frequency equals the
difference between the tone burst and the
excitation frequencies.
FIG. 9 -a -BURST INPUT LEVEL raised
just to clipping point. (b)- LENGTHENED
BURST causes amplitude distortion as the
B+ drops under sustained signal.
FIG. 10 -PULSE GENERATOR OUTPUT
gated into ovlse pairs by the tone -burst
generator. Pulses are 10 nsec wide.

Tone -Burst Generator


Thus

133/4

cycles to the 50% point. Q

13.75X1.45Xir

-62.6.

The bandwidth measurements of


the resonant filter and the Q of the resonant circuit should jibe because they are
the same circuit and components. The
bandwidth of a resonant circuit equals
Frequency /Q. At 4 kHz center frequency, the bandwidth figures out to be
63.8 cycles for a Q of 62.6. This is less
than % off from 63.6 cycles, the bandwidth calculated from risetime measurements. Close enough to prove the validity of these techniques.
Whenever a tuned circuit is excited
by a tone burst that is not at its resonant
frequency, the results will be something
like Fig. 8. The damped ringing has a
period that corresponds to the frequency
difference between the tone burst and
the resonant frequencies. In most cases,
this method of measuring how far you
1

SYNC PULSE
TO OSCILLOSCOPE

OSCILLATOR

OUTPUT

TO SCOPE
VERTICAL INPUT

EXCITATION LOOP

TANK CIRCUIT UNDER TEST

-L

FIG. 7
-C TANK CIRCUIT as set up for
Q measurement. R should be as high as
practical to reduce circuit loading.

Fig. 10

are off resonance is easier and more accurate than trying to read the oscillator
dial.
Quite often, an oscilloscope with
triggered sweep and calibrated sweep
speeds may not be available. These measurements may still be made with the
lower -cost service scopes by making use
of the following points. All time measurements may be made by counting the
number of cycles between the points of
interest (e.g. 10-90% points for risetime
measurements) and multiplying by the
period of cycle.
Period equals /frequency.
If the scope sweep cannot be synchronized
to start with the tone burst, measure the
fall time rather than the risetime of the
burst. With Q measurements, count
the number of cycles to decay to 36.8%
amplitude rather than rise to 63.2%.
1

4. Music power rating


There are several methods of rating
the power output of audio amplifiers.
The oldest and most common is to list
the maximum rms power delivered to a
load, without distortion exceeding a
specified amount. Some manufacturers.
in order to make their products look
better, started using the peak power
method. This method computed power
from the peak rather than the rms voltage of a sine wave. thus giving the amplifier a power rating twice that of the
true rms power rating.
Another power rating system has
now come into use. This is the music
power rating. This power rating system
is based on the fact that many amplifiers
can deliver more power than the rms
power rating. However. they cannot sustain this power output level; the power supply voltage sags off under the heavy
drain of full output. This power is usually about 20% to 50% greater than the
rms power rating.
To measure this power rating, inject
into the amplifier a short duration tone

burst. (3 to 5 cycles of 1 kHz every 20


msec) While observing the amplifier
output on an oscilloscope, increase the
amplitude until 5% distortion is indicated. Measure this voltage with the
oscilloscope and compute the rms power
as if the amplifier were able to maintain
this power.
In practice, distortion at maximum
power levels is usually caused by peak
clipping. Since distortion increases very
rapidly after clipping starts, the point of
discernible clipping can be called the
maximum power point.
Figure 9 shows the results of tests
run on an amplifier rated at 25 watts
rms or 35 watts music power. The 25volt output was terminated in a proper
load of 25 ohms. A short I -kHz burst
(Fig. 9 -a) was used to adjust the output
level to 35 watts where clipping was just
discernible. The tone burst was then
lengthened to 100 msec once every second. The oscilloscope trace in Fig. 9 -b
shows how the output goes to pot. This
amplifier is normal. It just requires a
tone burst to check it out. Vertical scale
is 20 volts /cm; horizontal scale is 10
msec /cm.

Pulse bursts and pairs

This tone -burst generator, though


designed for home construction, has a
very good transient response. The rise
and fall time is about 170 nanoseconds,
without any overshoot or ringing. This
makes it well suited for gating pulse
generators.
The gating of a pulse generator
produces pulse bursts, a signal form
needed for testing some types of pulse
equipment. However. if the number of
pulses in a burst are reduced to two, you
have a pulse pair generator (Fig. 10).
This is a must have type of signal when
working with pulse- spacing decoders.
The spacing between pulse pairs is
adjusted by the tone -burst generator period controls. But, the pulse generator
period control adjusts the spacing of the

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

34

www.americanradiohistory.com

Fig.

Fig. 13

11

FIG. 11 -UPPER TRACE is S0 -kHz input


to a detector; lower trace is output.
FIG. 12- SINEWAVE decaying at an exponential rate is used to determine writing rates of scope and photo films.

FIG. 13 -VOICE -COIL VOLTAGE of a flinch loudspeaker showing room /speaker


resonance at approximately 255 hertz.

INSIDE VIEW OF BURST GENERATOR


(top right) shows how instrument will
look if you followed the construction details and layout given last month.
Fig. 12

pulses in the pair. NOTE: If the spacing


of the pulses in the pair must be varied
over a large range, the tone -burst generator width control may have to be adjusted to maintain two pulses. Triggering
slope should be set to trigger when the
pulse voltage is returning to zero volts. For
example, on a positive pulse. trigger on
the negative -going or trailing edge. If
you trigger on the positive or leading
edge. the last pulse in the burst would
end the hurst and make a spike of itself.
S.

Detector circuits

Another use for this versatile instrument, is checking detector circuits.


Figure 11 shows the performance of a
detector circuit under test. The upper
trace shows the tone burst fed to the detector. The lower trace shows the detector output. Frequency response can easily be determined by measuring the fall time of the recovered signal and computing bandwidth. Falltime is used
rather than risetime because it is longer.
6. Frequency division
On occasion, there is the need for a
frequency divider. The timing circuits in
this tone burst generator are very stable.
This feature permits frequency division
of at least 100. Whenever an input signal is being gated. the burst- repetition
frequency is a subharmonic of the frequency in the burst. The sync pulse
available on the back panel is at the
burst -repetition frequency.
In actual practice, the input frequency may be anything up to 5 MHz
or higher. The divided output frequency
is controlled by the period controls.
They can be set to anything between
Hz and 100 kHz. The width controls
may be set to anything less than the period controls.
7. Photographic writing speed
When photographing single -sweep
displays on an oscilloscope, it is necessary to know the writing speed of your
oscilloscope, camera and film combined.
1

Writing speed is defined as the fastest


spot velocity that can be recorded on
film on one trace. This is usually given
in centimeters per microsecond.
One way that this can be measured
is to photograph a decaying sine wave,
the frequency and amplitude of which is
high enough that only the peaks of the
first few cycles show up on the film. Inspect the photograph to determine the
first two peaks that have a discernible
line between them. Measure the vertical
distance between these peaks and compute the writing speed. Writing speed
equals it DF. Distance (D) is in centimeters and frequency (F) is in megahertz.
This decaying waveform is produced across a resonant tank at the end
of a tone burst (Fig. 12), and displayed
by triggering the scope on the negative
or trailing edge of the sync pulse out of
the tone burst generator.
8. Loudspeaker testing
Whenever a steady audio tone is
fed to a loudspeaker or any other transducer. resonances enter the picture.
These resonances are caused by reflections in the room or baffle. When a
loudspeaker is excited by a tone burst.
the first cycle will be unaltered by reflections. As the burst progresses in time.
the effects of reflections will show up.
This permits the identification of resonance conditions and enables you to do
something about them.
In actual practice, the tone -burst
generator itself is used to drive the
speaker. A resistive matching pad must
be used between the speaker and the
tone -burst generator output. The voltage
directly across the voice coil is fed to
the oscilloscope. NOTE: Do not try to
feed the speaker from an amplifier
directly. The very low output impedance
of the amplifier will swamp out these
resonance conditions you are seeking to
locate.

AUGUST 1971

9. Speaker impedance
It is possible to measure the free space impedance of a speaker or other
transducer in the presence of reflections.
This is done as follows: Feed the tone
burst through an attenuator pad to the
speaker under test. This pad must have
20 dB or more loss. (With this much
loss, the speaker will think it is being
fed from a source that has an impedance very close to the impedance of the
pad.) Make two voltage measurements.
First, measure the voltage out of the pad
without the speaker connected. Next,
connect the speaker to the pad and measure the voltage of the first cycle of the
burst. Now, take these voltages, along
with the pad impedance, and plug them
into the formula

- E. - E,
Z, = Speaker impedance
- Pad impedance
E. = Open- circuit voltage
Z.

X ZP

Eo

E,

Voltage across the speaker

Note that the voltages end up as ratios.


This means that you don't have to have
an accurately calibrated scope for this
measurement. However, the impedance
of the pad must be known. It should
also be close to the impedance of the
speaker under test.

10. Echos

The tone -burst generator is an ideal


source of pulses in any type of echo research or experiment. Because these pulses or bursts are phase coherent, very
accurate reflection times may be measured. This is done by cycle matching
(comparing the phase of the cycles in
the returned pulse to the outgoing
pulse). Typical applications would include things like ultrasonics, sonar,
acoustical radar and round -trip time and
return -loss measurements in communication land lines.
(continued on page 85)

35
www.americanradiohistory.com

Sencore SM158 speed aligner

Lectrotech SMG-39 sweep- marker -gen

2 DREAM WORKBENCHES
1. Technician's Special
I

Leaser LBO 31M scope

DIDN'T

EVEN KNOW THAT THE

EDITOR

was in the room until he kicked my feet


off the desk. "DARR!" he said in his
usual quiet voice. "WAKE UP! Get up
and get that silly wastebasket off your

foot!"
"Yes, sir! Yes Sir!" I said, snapping
to attention, and trying to kick my foot
loose from the wastebasket, where it had
wedged.
He glared at me. "Sleeping again,
eh ?"
"Oh, no, Sir!" I assured him. "I just
think better with my eyes shut."
"Do you also think better when you
snore ?" he snarled. "Attend me! I have
something right in your line, since you
like to dream on the job "
"What is it, Sir ?" I asked humbly.
"We want an article on your Dream
Workshop! What would you want if you
could have everything you could desire?
If you had carte blanche to get any-

Eico HVP-5 hi- voltage probe

.2111111111110111111111111111111.111111j

Knight

KG -640

multimeter

thing?"
"Oh. Sir!" I gasped, overwhelmed.
"Anything ?"
"ANYTHING!" he roared quietly.
"We want to tell our readers what an
absolutely perfect shop would be like.
One that will do everything. in the least
possible time. Think you can do it ?"
"Oh, yes, sir! Indeed I can! When
do you want it, Sir ?"
"YESTERDAY!" he said. "Now
GET TO WORK!" and he left, closing
the door behind him, quietly as usual. I
picked up the pieces of broken glass and
threw them into the wastebasket after I
got my foot loose. It was only a small
pane of glass anyhow and it never took
me long to put in a new one after his
visits. After all. in my office, three levels
below the street, I don't need much outside Iight.

Peeping through the hole in the


door to be sure he was really gone, I
assumed the thinking- position again,

EMC 116 solid -state vom

Heathkit

IG -57A post- marker sweep gen

closed my eyes, and meditated. Oh, boy!


After all these years they were going to
give me all of the test equipment I'd
wanted. Wonderful! As I began to
choose the equipment, in my mind,
things got quieter and quieter. There
never was much noise this far below
ground anyhow, but today it seemed
quieter than usual. My mind drifted off
into a sort of rosy haze, and
ZZZZZZZZZ!
What would I want in a Dream
Workshop? First, test equipment that
would measure everything I wanted to
read, and do it quickly and easily. Let's
see. The first category would be . , .

Quantity instruments
This means test instruments that
will read the basic quantities we must
check. Voltage, current, resistance, and
power. The first one would be a high impedance ac /dc volt -ohmmeter, either
a vtvm or tvm (Transistorized Voltmeter. Probably referred to from now
on as simply tvm).
These must be able to read dc voltages from very small values, for transistor work, up to very high values, for
tube sets, color TV, and so on. They
should also be able to read currents
(dc) for the all- important tests for correct cathode current in color TV horizontal output tubes. power transistors,
auto -radios, etc. Incidentally, I'd like to
have a separate 0-500 dc milliammeter,
in a box, for the output -tube testing.
This would free the tvm for taking other
readings that I'd like to make at the
same time. Also very handy for monitoring TV sets after repairs in that circuit.
For the important high -voltage tests
on color TV I'd like to have a high -voltage probe to work with the tvm. This
would be a straight "multiplier" type, so
that I could also read the focus voltage

Kikusui 5121 scope

RADIO-ELECTRONICS

36
www.americanradiohistory.com

11

-100

AYrttl

,IX,,p,,N_wPNtipt;fJ

IX

RCA WR-508A chro-bar gen

Pomona crt adapters

B &K

1246 color gen

R -E's service editor knows what his dream workbench


would look like. How does it compare with yours?
on a lower range. Alternate: one of the
special "high- voltage- probe" type meters,
for just this job.
Before I get out of this category,
I'd also want a good vom, 20,000 ohms
per volt or more, for portable work, car
radios. on the bench and outside.

The Wattmeter, with variations


I want a permanently -installed
bench wattmeter. This is a true dynamometer -type wattmeter and very accurate. It should be connected through its
own isolation transformer, rated at least
300 watts. to a special outlet on the
bench. When I start an analysis on anything powered by ac, the first thing I
want to know is "Is it drawing too much
power? (Short or high leakage); or is it
drawing too little power ?" (open- circuit
somewhere) or is it just right? (Dc
power supply ok; go and look for
trouble somewhere in the signal -cir'cuits!)
A portable unit is also handy; for
house calls, or any kind of field work.
Also handy for cooking suspected inter mittents on the bench.
For wiring tests, heavy appliance
testing. industrial electronics work, and
that sort of thing, the "mini-vom" with a
clamp -on ammeter is very useful indeed.
For the final instrument in this
class, an 0-5 ac ammeter, in a box, is a
must for checking circuit breakers for
proper trip and hold current. and so on.
This too, can be connected in series with
the input ac line, and used to monitor
sets suspected of intermittent power supply trouble.

The

"Most Important Quantity"

Before we leave "quantities" that


we must be able to read, I'd want the
most important instrument of all, for
reading the most important quantity of
all -the signal. This, of course, means a

Lafayette 99 -5076 vom

good oscilloscope. I'd like one with a


really wide bandwidth, so that I could
see the burst. color -bar pattern, horizontal and vertical sync, and all of the
things that no other piece of test equipment will read.
I'd like one with the calibrated attenuators; one step, one variable, so that
I could read p -p signal voltages on any
kind of waveform, as quickly as possible. This will let me check every kind
of stage for gain, distortion, signal input
vs signal output, and in general tell me
whether there really is any trouble in
this stage, or shall I go on to another.
This scope should have a full set of
probes; direct,
low -capacitance, and
crystal- detector, so that I can get the exact waveform in any type of circuit,
without disturbing it too much. The triggered -sweep types are very nice, since
they're able to lock in the waveform you
want much faster, but a good scope,
properly used, will give you good results
in any case.

"Parts testers"
Now that I can read all of the
quantities, I want things that will test the
parts that make these "go off-value "; resistors, capacitors, tubes, transistors, etc.
Resistors will be taken care of very
nicely by the ohmmeter function of the
tvm /vom. For the rest, I'll want a really
good capacitor tester.
I want one that will read capacitance from a few picofarads up to at
least 5,000 microfarads (for those monstrous filter capacitors in transistor
power supplies). Surprisingly enough.
electrolytics are the only capacitors that
really need a "value" or size reading!
They're the only ones that can change
value. All you need to know about a paper or ceramic capacitor is "Is the thing
open or not ?" These can't change value.
However, they can leak; they all

Leader LFC-924B field level meter

SERVICE EDITOR

I want a really sensitive "insulation- resistance" test, which will catch


leakage of several megohms minimum.
Also, I want a dc leakage test for electrolytics, under the full working voltage,
as well as a power- factor test. The last is
often the cause of those "obscure faults"
that plague us so much; so, I want to be
able to catch these too.
can. So

The coil- checker


Coils aren't often "checked" in the
of reading

service shop, in the sense


their actual inductance value,
all we need to know are
things; is the coil open, or

etc.

About

the simple
shorted, or
(in two -winding transformers) is it leaking from primary to seconnary? Most of
these can be checked very accurately
with the ohmmeter. A signal -test for
tuned coils will catch the rest of the defective units.
The one very important "coil" that
we need to check is the flyback transformer! For a reliable test on this, I'll
want one of the "resonant" flyback-testers. These things operate something like
a grid-dip meter, and can actually read
as little as one shorted turn in a flyback!
Used with the proper technique,
these can also check yokes for shorts.
The low -Z yokes are harder, but even
these can be checked for balance. (I
wish someone would build a really good
"yoke- checker" substitute; a variable inductance that we could hang in there as
a substitute for suspected yokes!)
Oddly,
enough, an
actual
inductance -meter is seldom needed in the
service shop. When we need a 180 -0H
choke, for instance, we go and buy one!
As I said, defective ones are usually easy

to find.
The other important "coils" -power
and audio transformers,
are easily
checked with the wattmeter or ohmmeter.

Triplett 6028 digital vom

AUGUST 1971

by JACK DARR

Sentore BE156 dc bias supply

37

www.americanradiohistory.com

RCA WR 514A sweep chanalyst

Delta 3000 fet -vom

Other important parts


Tubes and transistors are very important "parts ". So, we need good
checkers for both. A tube- tester should
be able to check all of the different
types of tubes. It must read "quality ",
mutual conductance or emission (or
both). Possibly more important, it must
have a good. accurate test for gas, leakage. and grid- emission. (The last causes
some strange and wonderfully obscure
symptoms if we don't know it's there!)
It should also have provisions for
up- dating the socket -panel, to take care
of new types. (Although. for the
life of me I don't know where they'll go
from here. unless they start putting
bases on both ends of the things!)

The CRT tester


A good picture -tube tester, able to
check and. if needed, rejuvenate either
b/w or color picture tubes. is a necessity. I'd want one that would help me to
match emission of all three guns by
shooting only the weak gun(s) until
they all read within tolerance. so that I
know that this tube can make a good
b/w picture.
It should have provisions for socket
adapters, so that you can check the oddballs that are coming along; the Trinitron one -gun tube. the 3 -in-line types
such as 15SP22, and any other new base
arrangement. You need one with a variable heater voltage, too. Some of the
new color CRT's have 12 -volt heaters;
some of the older b/w tubes have 2.5
volt heaters, and so on.

The

transistor tester

I want a good transistor tester, too.


It should be able to check transistors
both in- circuit and out. The in- circuit
test is very handy for quick -checking
through unknown sets. I've found one
thing with all of the in- circuit testers so
far; if they say GOOD!" in-circuit, it
usually is. If they say "BAD" in- circuit,

you're going to have to take it out any-

Heathkit IT-18 transistor tester

B &K

801 capacitor analyst

how; so recheck it after it's out. It may


not be bad after all. But the out- of -circuit tests are reliable.
It should be able to read the beta
of all types of transistors, from the tiny
rf specials up to the big power- output
types. Also, I want to check FET's, one
and two-gate, UJT's, Diacs, Triacs.
SCR's and all types of diodes from signal types up to power rectifiers. (For
another impossible request, I wish they'd
make one that would light up a light
saying "Silicon" or "Germanium! ")
It must provide an accurate test for
what I think is the most important of
all-leakage. (Usually I,.,,,,, but others
as well.) In actual service, I have found
more obscure problems due to very minute leakage than any other single defect.
Sometimes as little as 10 A is enough
to cause big troubles. Shorted transistors
can be caught with the ohmmeter; no
problem.
It would also be very nice if we had
a reliable "balance" test, for transistors
and diodes too, for those applications
where matched -pairs of either are
needed.

Signal sources
Now that I've got all of that fine
equipment for measuring signals and
things, I want some good standard
sources of test signals. I'd like to have
signal generators that would give me test

signals of every possible kind, audio, rf,


TV, i.f., color -bar. etc. With these I can
make the most useful test of any, on
electronic equipment; feeding in a duplicate of its actual signal, then measuring
its output to see if it's working or not!
The oldest of these, and still the
best "all- around" item, is a standard rf
signal generator. This should start at
about 100 kHz, and go on up to at least
the TV i.f.'s, and higher on harmonics.
Modulated and unmodulated signals, of
course, and the audio modulation should
be available alone. for audio testing. If
the rf output can be swept, it will be

B &K 1077 -B

tv analyst

Eico 242 PET tvom

very handy for aligning AM and FM.


For audio work, I'll need a good
audio signal generator; one with a good
clean sinewave output, at about 5 volts
or more. Frequency range should be from
say 25 up to 25,000 Hz. It should also
have a good square -wave output, for making easy frequency- response tests on both
audio and video amplifier circuits. The
output should be through an attenuator
able to bring the signal down to 50 -mV
rms, or a little less, for testing sensitive
audio amplifier circuits, preamps, etc.
Incidentally, wouldn't it be nice, for
rf work, if we had some kind of black box attenuator, with an IC or two in it,
and a voltmeter, which could take the
output of an rf signal generator, and attenuate it down to about 1.0 /AV? This
should be accurate to within about 5 %,
and cost about $9.95. (Remember, I'm
dreaming this!)
For TV testing, I want a signal generator that I can connect right to the
antenna input of a color set and get a
test signal that will duplicate the normal
TV signal. The stable patterns will help
us to signal -trace the location of the
trouble in the set. This is no dream, of
course; I'm talking about a color -bar
generator. Incidentally. you'd be surprised how quickly you can find trouble
in a black-and -white set with these easily
recognizable signal patterns! Video,
sync, and several other problems are
much easier.
Another handy item. in this area. is
the "pattern generator". By this, I mean
the "flying -spot scanner" type of signal generator. It reproduces whatever pattern is on the slide in front of the
scanner tube; Indian -head test pattern,
crosshatch, bars. dots, and even color bars. One very handy use for these is
the isolation of tuner troubles; they have
both rf, i.f. and video output signals. If
the test i.f. signal goes booming through
from the i.f. input, but won't get
through from the antenna terminals at
rf, you have tuner trouble!

Sentore

PS 148 scope /vectorscopr

RADIO- ELECTRONICS

38

www.americanradiohistory.com

Triplett

Lectrotech V6 -8 color bar gen

The field- strength meter


For the final instrument in the rf
signals group, I want a good field
strength meter. It must be able to read
vhf and uhf signals with reasonably
good accuracy. This is useful for several
things besides positioning antennas. You
can check signal levels in MATV and
CATV systems, or make sure that the
FM antenna is delivering enough signal
for good FM stereo reproduction. Last,
but certainly not least, you can use the
FS meter as a darn good signal- tracer
for checking your way through a TV
tuner!

The sweep generator


Now that we've tested everything in
the set, and gotten it working, the last but- not-least step is checking its alignment. Especially in color TV, a sweep generator is essential! You can see the
i.f. curve, bandpass transformer response, etc, and tell whether your circuits are delivering the right amount of
signal at the right places!
Of course, I want one of the new
models; crystal -controlled markers for
all i.f.'s, all trap frequencies, and at least
one high and one low channel signal frequency. Sweep variable from practically
nothing up to 10.0 MHz, a SWEEP -CENTER Or "fine- tuning" control to center the
curve, both 4.5 MHz and 10.7 -MHz
crystal markers for TV /FM sound i.f.'s
and sound -detectors, and, above all, a
"post- marker- adder" system.
This last is very important. With it,
the sweep signal goes through the i.f.'s,
but the markers do not. So, you get no
marker distortion, and markers so sharp
that they're actually hard to photograph!
(I know!) All of this, plus at least a
dual -voltage variable bias supply should
be in one box! This gets rid of all that
mess of cables, grounds, metal plates
and so on, that we used to use with the
original system. The multiple, simultaneous markers make alignment work a
breeze.

Simpson 150 amp-clamp

AUGUST

10

clamp -on ammeter

Analyzers
Now, I've about gone through all of
the standard test equipment. Here are a
few specialized units that can be real
time -savers on the tough -dog jobs that
we all love so well! These could be
called "analyzers ", since they can be
used to make a complete check of the
characteristics of their circuit, with the
set in operation.
One of these is a "Horizontal sweep
analyzer ". It can be plugged into the
horizontal output stage, and read all of
the important currents, voltages, etc. you
need. Also very handy for monitoring
the sweep stage after repairs have been
finished.
Next is a "CRT analyzer" for color
TV picture tubes. This is not a picture tube tester. It is plugged into the circuit,
by taking off the CRT socket and inserting the Analyzer between it and the
tube. By switching, everything but the
high voltage can be measured under actual operating conditions! You can even
read the focus voltage. Most important,
by pushing a button, the current in any
circuit can be read.
This is useful; by reading all three
cathode currents, you can tell whether
the tube is being driven hard enough.
Or, in rare cases, being over-driven;
about 500 microamperes per gun should
be the maximum current! It will also
check for "current where there shouldn't
be any ": screens, and most of all, the
focus. Any current here indicates a
gassy tube, usually.

The Vectorscope
The "Vectorscope" is another one
of the instruments that will do something the rest can't. It will show you the
actual phase-angle of the demodulators,
and help you set up these tricky circuits
for best performance. Very handy for
checking out the popular automatic
chroma control circuits we're seeing in
the later sets.
Actually, this instrument is a color-

Olson TE -216 multimeter

Pomona adapters & rack

1971

Heathkit

IG -18

audio gen

bar generator with its own scope. The


color -bar generator can also be used to
do convergence, signal -tracing and all of
the other tests as well.

Service data

There's one "test instrument" that I


want, and that every service shop MUST
have, nowadays. This is a complete set
of SERVICE DATA! A complete set of
Sams Photofact folders, and the specialized manuals, plus as much factory service data as I can get. (On many occasions, you need both, for one reason or
another.) This may not fill up the 16
filing cabinets that it does in Radio -Electronics' Service Test Lab, (Even this is
incomplete!) but it will be invaluable in
today's mysterious PC -board chassis,
with their multiple connecting cables,
transistors and so on. You've got to
know where things are before you can
find and check them!
To go with this, a full set of Reference Guides; Tube, Transistor Characteristics books, Transistor Replacement
Guides, transformer and capacitor catalogs (You'd be surprised how handy
these can be at times!) and a couple of
catalogs from the bigger mail -order
houses. These can do double duty, as a
source of unusual parts, and as reference books!

The

little things

Next, there's a category of little


things; physically small, and inexpensive,
but very, very useful. These could be
called "time- savers ". Each of them is
used to make some particular job a heck
of a lot easier, meaning faster. Figure it
out; a gadget that costs $3.00, and saves
you 10 minutes on each job, will pay for
itself in two jobs, if you're getting the 15
cents a minute for bench time that you
should be! There are so many of these
that I'll just have to list them, to save
space.
1. Hand- tools; pliers, cutters, screwdrivers, etc. of all kinds, sizes and

G-C H3-358

multitester

39

www.americanradiohistory.com

a'
Eico 330 rf gen

B &K

1460 triggered sweep scope

shapes. You need the right tool for each


job.
2. Soldering irons. At least three.
One tiny -pointed -tip 30-watt for PC
board work, one heavy -duty, like the
100 -watt solder -gun, for the big jobs,
and most useful of all, an "unsoldering
iron ", or "solder- sucker ", for taking out
multiple -joint things like transistors,
transformers etc.
3. The "specials"; nut -holding nut drivers; screw -holding screwdrivers; extra long nut -drivers for going deep into cabinets to get tuners out, and so on. Locking
pliers, also handy hemostats, etc.
4. Extension cables. CRT extension
cables for all tubes; yoke extensions deflection and convergence, HV extensions, tuner cables, and a full set of the
Molex multi -contact cables used so often
now in the popular "Stereo- Theater -TV"
combinations.
6. Test socket adapters. Plug into
tube sockets, for taking readings without
pulling the chassis. Good time -saver for
diagnosis. Cathode -break adapters, for
all types of horizontal output tubes. You
can read the cathode current without
pulling the chassis. Very handy for
house calls! Saves pulling the chassis.
7. Resistor and capacitor sub -boxes.
All sizes of R and C, with selector
switches. An "Electrolytic Substituter" is
very useful, for bridging good capacitors
across suspected filters.
Ac- powered variable
8. Bias -box.
dc source, for alignment work, clamping
agc lines, etc. Tube or transistor TV
sets.
9. A group of testleads, short and
long, with an alligator clip on each end.
Should be in as many different colors as
possible. These are invaluable for making temporary connections, jumpering
things, clipping in small parts for tests,
and on and on.
10. A good test -speaker. Put it in a
box of some kind, with long leads and
alligator clips. 16 -ohm type best "all
around ", but can be of any impedance

0.

r.

...r

Sencore SS105 sweep ckt checker

as long as you're careful.


11. A BIG resistor, preferably 100watt. (Lots of these in surplus stores.)
Used for load -checking on powerful amplifiers, power- output tests, distortion
tests, etc. Must have slider, so you can
set it to match the output load- impedance of transistor amplifiers.
12. Power supplies. A dc power
supply, well- filtered, with adjustable output, and metered for output voltage and
current. Up to 16 volts dc at about 2 -3
amperes. For auto -radio and tape -players. Can be used to power any kind of
transistor radio.
13. Variable ac transformer,
or
Variac. (With this, the adjustable-output
feature of the dc power supply can be
left out, saving money. Plug the dc
power supply into the variable transformer, and adjust the line voltage until
the dc output is exactly what you want.
This device is absolutely essential
for initial testing of big transistor power
amplifiers. Bring the ac line voltage up
very slowly, monitoring the collector
current, to be sure that the replaced
transistors are going to stay inside their
safe ratings. It can also be used with ac
ammeter for checking hold and break
currents of circuit -breakers.
14. The Test Jig, for color TV.
This isn't a "little item ", of course, but
it's a time and money saver! Picture
tube, deflection and convergence yokes,
and cabinet. Leave the big cabinet at the
home, and bring in only the chassis.
Many of these have built -in by voltmeters for continuously monitoring the
high -voltage during test. With adapter
cables, any make or model of color TV
can be tested on the same jig.
15. Chemicals. Spray-cleaners, coolants, cements, insulation- varnishes, corona dopes, oils, greases, tape -headcleaners,
and so on.
16. Small parts. A set of racks or
bins, cabinets, etc., for keeping those
very small parts is very handy. Nuts,
(continued on page 88)

1DM -810

IDTN

Leader LDM -810 grid dip meter

Knight

KG -646

multimeter

ammiame
,.qom
lm I
0
]li

Heath

Lectrotech CRT analyzer

PAID DIP

Leader LCG-388 color bar gen

10 -101

vectorscope

RCA Senior VoltOhmyst

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

40
www.americanradiohistory.com

2 DREAM WORKBENCHES
2. Experimenter's Delight
One man's idea of how he would build
his dream shop-if the dollars were unlimited
by PETER SUTHEIM
MAYBE IT'S JUST

RESULT OF HAVING

lived with them for the past 10 years. but


I prefer small workshops and small kitchens. By all means choose a room as
large as you like for yours, but keep the
workbench, the active work area and
most of the commonly used tools, instruments and parts in one corner. Use
the rest of the room for storage, think space, calisthenics or whatever, but don't
spread your shop all over the place so
you have to keep walking around.
As a writer, I like to have my desk
and office -type facilities in the same
room as the workbench. But I haven't
often been able to do that. Once I had a
whole room with space for a small
lab /shop, a desk. and a bed. Since I
sometimes think best horizontally, that
was a great asset. And when company
came, people could crash there for the
night. So you, too. may want to have
space for a bed or couch. or at least a
reading /relaxing
comfortable
good
chair, maybe something old and leathery. A couple of extra tables, possibly a
drafting table, lots of shelves and cabinets, too.
And as long as we're talking about
a dream workshop, I'd like to include a
wood -burning fireplace and direct access
to a small garden. In any case, the space
ought to have the possibility for good
ventilation, since you'll sometimes be using solvents, spray paints and other toxic
chemicals. Make good use of windows
for the natural light they provide. Put
your bench near a window -it's much
more pleasant that way -but avoid seating yourself where you cast a shadow on
your work.

The

facilities

btnef

o
0

%ble

U S T

9 7

Sumt-

hciht

or

'f

h'sr
]=1Qn

..

La.me

5
.E

ROOM FOR SLEEPING is included in this experimenter's shop.


Also note the power tools, important where prototypes are made.

A workbench can be made of anything that's sturdy. A quick and dirty


one is a slab of '/4 -inch (good- one -side)
fir plywood laid on stacked concrete
blocks, sawhorses, crates or large cardboard cartons.
Tempered (or even untempered)
Masonite makes an excellent surface for
the bench. It isn't gorgeous, but it's durable and cheap enough so you can replace it when you get tired of the
gouges, drill holes and stains of grease
and battery acid. Best way to apply it is
to screw it down along the edges every
18 inches or so. using No. 6 x 1/2 -inch
flathead woodscrews, countersunk. Nails
tend to lift out, and glue or contact ce-

ment makes the Masonite hard to replace. Of course, you could always glue
a new piece right on top of the old. Bevel the exposed edges of the Masonite
slightly to reduce chipping.

Electrics
One of the most important facilities
is, of course, electric power. Your shop

deserves to have at least one 20 -amp


line all to itself. If you plan to include a
room air conditioner in your shop, it
should come off a different line, otherwise your meters and scope traces will
go crazy every time the compressor
starts. You should have easy access to
the fuse or breaker box for when you

FLOOR -TO- CEILING SHELVES divide this workshop into two


distinct areas. Cabinets can be arranged to provide access from
either side.

shelve
GJ,7rC6eAGk

ERFa
74.b/e

or

pruFfi;?3

Table

fF- --

--

--___

--

f.-

Fl.or-taceil,nJ she /Ve s or c.26feefs

L-Sectilrn

BED
CouC y

The heart of the operation, clearly,


is going to be a workbench. I prefer a
36- inch -high surface (waist height on an
average man), which is right for working standing up. For working seated, a
24- inch -high stool, with or without back,
as you prefer. Some people prefer a
desk -height bench (29 to 30 inches) and
conventional ( I 8-inch ) chairs, but I find
that inconvenient for standing. You may
want to design a bench with sections at
both levels.
I like L- or U-shaped benches. They
are more versatile and convenient than a
single, long. straight bench. Sitting or
standing at a corner, you can reach an
amazing number of things without stepping. When you plan your work area, f a o //
you might consider whether you'll ever oraeA
want to have your son or daughter or an
assistant working with you, and allow
space enough for two or more to work
if you do.
A

300;Li

rm dia;

rywr;?ter
Des

g ookcasei______
41

www.americanradiohistory.com

S'

_--

SNELVfs

--_

'

---

" 3o"

---.-_

t---

TWO WORKBENCH APPROACHES that fit well in


limited quarters. Note that

shelf space is provided


over the entire length of
the working area.

goof. If that's impractical because the


box is in a locked basement, you might
consider running your workbench power
through a fuse or breaker one size
smaller than the protection that comes
earlier in the line. Put the new protection
near your bench. If you short the power line, the fuse or breaker near your bench
will go first and you'll never have to
worry about the one that's hard to get at.
Have lots of outlets. A strip of
them running along the back or front
edge of the bench, or both, is handy;
otherwise several four -receptacle boxes.
Another interesting possibility is to fasten a strip of outlets along the front
edge of a shelf over your bench (Fig.

1). This is convenient for instruments

FIG. 1 -RUN ELECTRICAL


OUTLETS across the front
strip of shelves for easy access.

standing on or under the shelf, and also


for tools like drill and soldering iron.
But whatever way you arrange it, it's
nice to have at least a couple of outlets
at the front of the bench so the cord for
your soldering iron or gun doesn't need
to cross over everything else; ditto the
drill.
I like to provide a master switch
for all the bench outlets. It's convenient
and a safety matter besides. The switch
is mounted in a box with a bright red
light, and everybody in the household
knows where it is. There could be times
when all power to the bench needs to be
shut off fast-for example when someone puts himself across the power line
and can't let go. A lock switch would
prevent unwanted people from using
your bench. I've thought of providing a

,-.......
separate, unswitched outlet for a soldering iron or drill only, which would
make it unnecessary to switch on the
whole bench and all the instruments for
a simple repair job.
Bring a good ground to your bench
and make it available on a binding post
or metal strip. If your house has good,
relatively recent wiring, the ground wire
or BX armor or conduit is about as
good a ground as you'll find, except for
rf. If the wiring is old, run a heavy wire
from the nearest cold -water line or from
a copper pipe driven into moist ground.
Good lighting is extremely important. You can get very discouraged
working at a poorly lighted bench,
sometimes without knowing exactly why.
An industrial -type dual -40 -watt fluorescent fixture (about 50 inches long)
hung 4 to 5 feet above the bench is a
marvelous light source -bright but even
and diffused. It will nicely cover a 6 -foot
by 3 -foot work surface. One or two
high- intensity lamps or gooseneck desk
lamps are useful for lighting insides and
undersides of things you're working on.
Paint walls and ceilings a light color,
preferably white, or light yellow if
you're using fluorescent lamps.

Sto rage
It's good to have two fairly wide
(10 to 12 -inch) shelves running the
length of your bench along the wall, the
lower one 12 inches above the bench,
the next one 12 inches above the first.
On the bench itself and on the first
shelf, you can put instruments. The upper shelf is good for less-often -used instruments or other kinds of storage. The
lower shelf puts a lot of things at about
eye level.

You will never have enough cabinets, shelves and drawers. Equip yourself with enough plastic- drawer cabinets
to keep well sorted all the hardware, resistors, capacitors, semiconductors and
other small parts you will accumulate.
These should not be on the workbench,
because bench space is better used for
other things. You can always pull out
individual drawers and lay them on the

bench as you need them. I've found an


ideal arrangement is to have all the
small parts cabinets behind me within
easy arm's reach -things like 1/2 -watt resistors and small ceramic and electrolytic capacitors being nearest and
easiest to get at. That is why the floor plan drawings show shelves generally
within arm's length of the workbench.
An experimental concept with interesting possibilities is the circular workbench shown in Fig. 2. The instruments
and other things you want in front of
you are clustered in the center in a one or two -layer rectangular array, providing the possibility of up to four "workstations"- especially nice if you're into
teaching electronics to neighborhood
youngsters. for instance. Instruments
that are likely to be used together
should, of course, be grouped on one
side of the central square. The main difference of this arrangement is that it
opens possibilities for a very different
floor layout, in which you are not always working against a wall or window.
Some of you might prefer being able to
walk around the bench. Fig. 3 shows a
possible floor plan for this type of
bench.
Tools can be hung on pegboard
mounted on the wall, or stored in cabinets. Hanging tools in definite places,
whether enclosed by a cabinet or open
on the wall, seems to be the most orderly way to store them. Another good
idea is a tool caddy
single portable
thing with a lot of holes, trays and recesses, even a couple of drawers, that
keeps everything easily accessible but
neat and carryable. Many experimenters,
incidentally (including me) refer to
keep a fairly complete set of hand tools
ready to go in a tool box, for those
away games that all electronics people
seem to get called on for.

-a

Instrumentation
Certainly one of the most useful
all- around instruments is the volt -ohmmilliammeter, or vom. There used to be
kind of a tough choice between the portable, passive vom, which needed only a
small internal battery for the resistance measuring function, and the vacuum tube voltmeter (vtvm), which needed to
be plugged into the power line but had a

far greater input resistance. Today that


choice is eliminated by a type of instrument that combines the best features
of both: the "fetvom "
vom that uses
field -effect transistors in its input stage.
often in combination with ordinary
bipolar transistors as well.
Typical of such instruments is the
Heathkit IM -16. At $46.95 (kit), it is
not terribly much more expensive than
the old vtvm, yet offers all the advantages of transistor operation. The unit
can be powered from a 9 -volt battery or
from the power line. It has a low ac and
dc range of 0.5 volt, but has no current
(milliampere) ranges. A more elaborate
instrument, Heath's IM -25 (kit, $85),
offers current ranges, ac and dc voltage
ranges down to 0.15 volt full -scale, and
a 10- megohm input resistance even on
ac volts (the 1M -16 has 1- megohm ac

-a

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

42

www.americanradiohistory.com

input). The more expensive instrument


can do a number of audio measurements
that would otherwise require a separate
ac vtvm.
Allied /Radio Shack "Knight -Kit"
offers two similar instrument kits at approximately similar prices. The Knight
deluxe unit has a mirror -scale meter
movement.
Sencore offers three such instruments, at $69.95, $84.50 and $169.50
(all factory- wired). The most expensive
unit has a 7 -inch mirror -scale meter,
pushbutton range selection, and can be
battery- or powerline- operated. The
cheaper meters are battery only.
B & K, EICO, RCA, Simpson, Triplett and Weston each make one or more
similar instruments at prices ranging
from $59.95 (kit) to $230 (wired). The
most elaborate is probably the $230
Simpson 2795, which includes capacitance- measuring ranges and temperature
ranges (with optional accessory probe).
All these instruments are relatively
delicate, comexpensive, somewhat
paratively bulky, and some of them will
give misleading readings in the presence
of a strong rf field. For these reasons,
you may also want to equip yourself
with an inexpensive vom, one of the
myriad Japanese -made instruments at
prices ranging from under $10 to about
$30. Many of these are sensitive, accurate, ruggedly built and yet small and
light enough to be carried around in a
pocket or toolbox. An experimenter will
find many occasions for using more than
one meter at the bench -for example,
monitoring voltage and current in a circuit simultaneously.
If you're willing to go down the
specialization trail a little further, you'll
certainly get good use from limited range lab -type meters, of which Weston
is probably
the best -known maker.
They're expensive ($45 to over $200),
but supremely accurate (some to within
% ). One such meter can serve as a calibration standard. For example, the
Weston 901 series do milliameter has
A full
seven ranges from 10 mA to
scale, with I/a% accuracy. With a few multiplier resistors of the same order of precision. (costing a few dollars each), you
have a highly accurate voltmeter as well.
Perhaps more generally useful.
Weston makes a number of bench -type
multi -range meters in cases with binding
posts on top for the various ranges.
These can be quickly wired into a
power-supply line to monitor current or
voltage in an experimental circuit. For
example, the 2931 "Bench Tester" dc
voltmeter can be obtained with ranges
of zero to 1.5, 15 and 150 volts, with a
1,000-ohm /volt sensitivity, for $45.
These have 2% accuracy. Ac voltmeters,
dc ammeters and milliameters, dc galvanometers and null indicators are also
available in this series.
If you are willing to settle for about
5% accuracy, you can make such meters
yourself by starting with a few inexpensive dc milli- or microammeters
and adding appropriate shunts or multipliers to give you whatever you want in
the way of current- or voltage-measuring

K/orCbe-04
rR t4e row? cl
I

FIG. 2- WORKBENCH IN THE ROUND


provides multiple work areas in a
limited space. Drawers could be added
below the table top.

devices. Such meters are generally available for a few dollars each; for another
few cents you can set them up to cover
the desired voltage or current range very
quickly according to formulas in. say,
the Radio Amateur's Handbook (1971
edition, pp 527 -529). You can make up
3 or 4 such meters for the cost of one
moderately priced vom, and thus monitor simultaneously a number of currents
and voltages.
Another type of meter (for which
you'll probably not find a great deal of
use) is the clamp-type ammeter. It measures ac amperes by induction
pincers-like pair of claws opens and then
closes around a conductor carrying the
alternating current you want to measure.
The claws are actually part of the core
of a current transformer. The huge ad-

-a

FIG. 3- WORKSHOP BUILT AROUND a "Workbench in the


round. Tools can be hung on pegboards on the walls.

AUGUST

vantage of this type of meter is, of


course, that you don't have to interrupt
a circuit to measure the current flowing
in it. Needless to say, it works only with
ac, since the transformer effect doesn't
happen with direct current.
If you plan to do a lot of high -quality audio work, you will definitely want
an audio vtvm. This kind of instrument
measures only ac volts, but does so over
a very wide range of frequencies and
amplitudes. Frequency response of one
typical unit (the Heathkit IM -38, kit,
$41.95; IMW -38. wired, $57.95) is
within 1 dB from 10 Hz to 500 kHz. Its
lowest full -scale range is 10 mV (0.01
volt) rms, and its highest is 300 volts.
The low range is low enough to measure
directly the outputs of many microphones, tape heads and phono car-

Wor%Cncltpp

./I

Tn

7'Yte

r'vrt d"
$ ilewes
or
Ca6 Inet$

i.
I

1971

43
www.americanradiohistory.com

tridges. Furthermore, the ranges are set


up in standard. convenient "root decade" manner, in 10 -dB steps. Zero db is
the standard 1 mW in 600 ohms, or
0.775 volt, which correlates exactly with
the standard VU meters used throughout
the American professional audio industry. A similar unit. with the additional
advantage that it can he used as a 38 -dB
scope preamp, is the RCA ac vtvm WV76A, $99.
Considerably more expensive units
are available, such as the H -P 400E,
which offers slightly greater accuracy,
full -scale ranges down to
mV (.001
volt) and generally more rugged construction. The famous Ballantine log scale meter is unusual in that its scale is
linear in dB, thanks to a special
logarithmic meter movement, which reduces range switching and improves accuracy. There's also the Simpson 715.
Other meters you'll want: a line voltage
monitor
(RCA
WV -120A,
$19.50. or the WV -503A for 240-volt
lines. same price). This is simply a moving -vane ac voltmeter with a suppressed
zero. It plugs into a wall outlet and
without further ado keeps indicating the
line voltage, to 2% accuracy. How
about a wattmeter to indicate the power
taken by various devices? The Simpson
390 ($70) is accurate to within 3%. has
4 ranges indicating up to 3.000 watts (ac
only). If you want 1/2 % accuracy (and I
can't imagine why you would), and the
ability to use the instrument on both ac
and dc. Weston makes a 905 for $327.
Should you want to make a permanent record of line voltage. Amprobe
offers a line of recording ac voltmeters
and ammeters, which have a primitive
but effective moving -paper recording arrangement. Prices start at $135. All can
be used as ordinary indicating meters
also, though not at the same time.
1

Digital meters
One of the most exciting advances
in instrumentation in recent years has
been the digital meter. which indicates
(or. in the jargon of the field. "provides
a readout ") quantities in illuminated digits rather than in terms of the position
of a pointer along a scale. One obvious
advantage of this is ease of reading-the
quantity appears before you. 28.35 volts,
decimal point and all. without parallax
or the possibility of reading the wrong
scale. Digital readouts appear. in most
cases, instantaneously. without pointer
swing or bounce. In digital vom's. less
range -switching is required than with
conventional instruments. Accuracies of
0.1% on dc are typical. Input impedance is 10 megohms on moderate dc
ranges, can be 100 megohms on low
(0.1 -volt) ranges.
A particularly attractive device is
Heath's EU -805A "Universal Digital Instrument" -which is exactly what it

It can be a digital voltmeter, an


events counter, a frequency meter (out
to 12.5 MHz!), a ratio meter, a timeinterval meter, and a few other things.
Its price is a rather staggering $1250
(assembled only), but that is probably
says.

considerably less than you'd have to lay


out for separate instruments to perform
all those operations. For example, a
Simpson 2726 6 -digit frequency counter
alone costs $575 (good to 32 MHz).
If you think you can make do with
just a digital vom (which does everything done by a conventional vom plus a
vtvm or fetvom), you have quite a wide
range of features and prices to choose

from. One of the most compact and


least expensive. surprisingly, is made by
Weston -the model 1241, $289, but it is
for dc volts and resistance measurements
only. The model 1240, $394.50, also
measures ac volts and amps. The cheapest all around digital
this writing seems to

multimeter

as

of

produced by
United Systems Corp., 918 Woodley
Rd., Dayton. Ohio 45403. It is called
Digi -ec model 262 digital multimeter
be

and costs $375. It measures ohms. dc


and ac volts, and dc amps (including of
course microamps).
Two newer Heath instruments are the
TB-101 frequency counter. which gives

direct eight -digit frequency readout up


to 15 MHz and higher (kit, $199.95),
and a companion piece. the IB-102 frequency scaler. which extends the range
of the counter to 175 MHz (kit,
$99.95).
The digital- instrument field is growing and changing so rapidly that information is out of date almost as fast as it
is printed. For most experimenters. a digital counter or multimeter is definitely
a luxury. but it is not completely frivolous. any more than a drill press is when
compared to an electric hand drill. The
enormous improvement in accuracy, repeatability and speed may justify the
greater cost to you.
Briefly. other types of meters you'll
find useful: some sort of transistor
checker. There are many. In kit form,
Heath's IT -I8 at $24.95 represents an
excellent value -probably the most convenient for rapid sorting of "bargain"
transistors by dc beta. It can also check
current -gain in- circuit, test diodes in- or
out -of- circuit. A more elaborate unit is
the Heathkit 1M -36 ($61.95, kit; IMW36. wired. $92.50). It uses a bridge -type
circuit and is probably more accurate.
but its top -scale beta figure of 400 is
outreached by some transistors. Both
units suffer from the defect of treating
transistors only as dc amplifiers. AC signal characteristics can differ substan-

tially,
A more versatile unit. which applies
ac as well as dc tests and also checks
FET's, unijunctions. SCR's etc. is the
Eico model 685 ($59.75, kit; $139.95

wired).

Also check out the Sencore


model TF 17. $109.95. and the B & K
model 162, $99.95. These three instruments are all similar, but differ
slightly in size, shape. features, etc., as
well as price.
If you do any rf work at all. a griddip meter is a wonderful device. You
can choose from the Eico model 710
($34.95 kit), whose greatest feature is
that it works down to 400 kHz. This is
rare among grid- dippers, but useful if

you want to apply it to i.f. strips or the


AM broadcast band. Allied Radio
Shack's G -30 kit costs $29.95. Heath
makes the "Tunnel Dipper" -which
works just like a grid -dip meter but uses
a tunnel -diode oscillator and works from
a single 1.5 -volt AA cell.
As a ham or CB'er, you'll want to
have an SWR meter handy. and possibly
also a relative power or signal strength
meter. Both are available from Heath or
Allied Radio Shack in kit form.
Serious audio work usually demands a harmonic distortion meter. The
Healthkit IM -58 ($65) is quite a bargain.
While not as refined as more expensive
units, and not very useful below about
0.2% distortion, it will fill many needs
on an audio bench. There is little if anything that could be called "moderately
priced" in harmonic distortion meters. If
price is no object, General Radio makes
one for around $900, and Hewlett -Packard has a couple in a similar range.
If you feel intermodulation measurements are important. there are meters for that too. Again, the only other
instruments are very much more expensive. and don't offer much more to
the experimenter /hobbyist.
You may want an audio sweep generator, to mm frequency response curves
with a minimum of effort and a max imum of repeatability. A chart recorder,
of course. is a must for making graphic
records of frequency response. distortion
and other amplifier characteristics.
Another exceedingly useful instrument is an impedance bridge. which
can be used to measure or matching resistance, capacitance and inductance.
One of the best buys in the field is still
the old Heathkit IB -28 (kit. $89). A
more precise instrument with a wider
range is the Simpson 2785, $350.
We might mention a few important

Tools For The


to 8 ordinary screwdrivers of various
tip sizes and lengths (some of those
might be the screw- gripping type)
3 or 4 assorted Phillips drivers
Slip -joint pliers (2 sizes)
Diagonal cutters
End cutters
Grippers (hemostats), straight and curved tips
5" needlenose pliers
5" curved needlenose pliers
Tip -cutters or fingernail clippers
K. Miller wire -cutter /stripper ("yellow handled stripper -nippers")
Crimping and bolt- cutting tool
Assorted nutdrivers
Ratchet wrench with sockets from 3fe"
to 1/2" or bigger
Dual -heat (100/250W) soldering gun
Soldering pencil with 371/2 W element
and chisel -tip (iron-plated)
Solder -aid tool
De- soldering "solder sucker"
Constant-temperature (controlled -heat)
6

iron
or 3 adjustable wrenches
Variable -speed electric hand drill with
2

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

44

www.americanradiohistory.com

accessories to meters: some sort of calibrator, which need be nothing more


than a new mercury cell, or a simple
device made with a 1% or 2% tolerance
Zener diode. A dummy load for audio
amplifier power measurements, consisting of a set of four 8 -ohm (preferably noninductive)
50 -watt
resistors,
which can be used singly or connected
in parallel to give 4 -, 8- or 16 -ohm
loads. An rf probe for your vtvm or fetvm
(something you can easily make yourself, otherwise buy inexpensively from
almost all makers of those instruments).
You may also want an rf dummy
load -which can be as simple as a
Sprague 10 -watt 50- or 75 -ohm noninductive wirewound resistor (or some
series or parallel combination to give
the right resistance with a higher dissipation rating). A ready -made unit in
kit form which will dissipate up to 1 kW
for short periods is the Heath "Can tenna", model HN -31, $10.95. It consists
of a noninductive load resistor immersed in a gallon of oil.
Resistance and capacitance substitution boxes are useful in many ways
when you breadboard a circuit. Eico
makes the 1140 (kit, $17.95; wired,
$27.95), which gives you various values
of C or R alone, or series or parallel
combinations of R and C, at a single
pair of terminals. You might prefer to
have a number of simpler, cheaper
boxes. Lafayette offers a capacitor box
with 9 values, each 600 volts, for $2.25,
complete with clip leads. A similar unit
offers 24 resistance values for $3.49. A
third unit offers R or C for $4.95. Heath kit also produces sub-box kits. Sencore
makes two ingenious units: models 36
and 75 "Component Substitutors ". At
$19.95 and $69.95 respectively they put
a variety of components across a pair of
clipleads- capacitors (including elec-

)ream Bench
/a" chuck capacity
High -speed drill bits in 64ths
to 1/2" (with '/8" shank), and /or
numbered drill sizes
Center punch
12- or 16 -oz hammer
Countersink bit
Hand reamer
Hole saws in various sizes
Assorted chassis punches
Bench vise
Several 2 ", 3" and 4" C- clamps
"Nibbler"
Drill press
Sheet -metal brake
Tinsnips
Small lathe & accessories
Leather, plastic or rubber mallet
Riveting tool & rivets
Hacksaw
Jeweler's (coping) saw
Various files, especially 1/4" & 3/s" rattails
Calipers
Tap wrench & taps, esp. 4-40, 6 -32, 832, 10 -32 threads
Dies for 4 -40, 6 -32, 8 -32, 10 -32 threads

from'

AUGUST

trolytics), resistors, a rectifier, etc.

Signal generators

Another extremely valuable category


of instrument is the signal generator
or, more recently, the function generator.
Every experimenter's shop ought to be
equipped with at least an audio generator
and a simple rf generator. If you expect
to do a considerable amount of work
with high- quality audio, you will want an
audio oscillator, or generator, that offers
low harmonic distortion, low hum, high
stability and flatness of output, and is,
preferably, metered, so that you can
monitor the output level. Several modestly priced units are available now in
kit form, with distortion as low as 0.1%.
The type in which frequencies are selected by switching offers some convenience and easy resettability, but there
are many applications where you'll find
the more usual continuous- dial -plusrange-switch easier to use. Square -wave
output is a convenience for some kinds
of audio testing and other work, but not
absolutely necessary. There are accessory
square -wave shapers that can convert
sine waves to square wave and can be
used with any sine generator.

Oscilloscopes
A good, calibrated scope is perhaps
the most useful single instrument an experimenter can have. One of the best
scope bargains is still the Heathkit I0-21
(kit, $61.95). It is light and compact,
but not calibrated; with the help of an
ac vtvm, the single continuously -variable
vertical gain control can be voltage -calibrated to within about 10% resettability.
The scope is reasonably flat from 2 Hz
to 200 kHz. Vertical and horizontal deflection amplifiers are identical. which
makes the scope unusually useful for
phase measurements. It is one of the
easiest scopes for a young beginner to
use because it has so few controls and
"extras ". Its price is so low that you
might consider purchasing one even if
you have a more elaborate scope. It can
serve you well in less demanding applications, or carried along on "away
games ".
Somewhat more versatile are the
Eico 435 (kit, $119.95 ) and the Heath kit 10-10 ($99.95). Both work down to
dc; the Eico goes to 4.5 MHz while the
Heath goes to 200 kHz (again with identical vertical and horizontal amplifiers).
Both have 3 -inch screens and are similar
in size to the "minimum" scope described above.
At this level the field blossoms into
a fantastic profusion of makes and models. There are more 5- inch -screen scopes
with free -running sweep priced between
about $90 and $200 -$270 than we can
possibly enumerate here. Check the
catalogs. Scopes in this category are
made by Sencore, B &K, Heath, Lectrotech, Eico, Knight (Allied Radio Shack),
RCA, Leader, Kikusui and others.
The triggered -sweep scope, once a
laboratory luxury, has now come low
enough in price to bring itself into the
serious experimenter's range. If you're

1971

unfamiliar with it, the principal advantages of such a scope come from a more
sophisticated horizontal sweep circuit, in
which the sweep is calibrated in terms of
the time required to move once across
the screen. Furthermore, the sweep can
be triggered by the event you want to
observe, which makes it much easier to
observe transient phenomena. It also becomes unnecessary to resynchronize the
sweep manually every time you change
the frequency of the waveform you are
observing-something that saves a lot of
time and annoyance in certain audio
work. The accurate time and amplitude
calibrations make possible many kinds
of voltage and time or frequency measurements.
Surely one of the best buys in the
field is the Heathkit I0-14 (kit, $275).
It's no beginner's kit, but if you are sufficiently far advanced to require such a
scope, you presumably know enough not
to be snowed under in building it. A
wired version (IOW -14) is available for
$399. A relative newcomer in low- priced
triggered -sweep scopes is Leader: the
Model LBO-501 costs $339 factorywired. The Heath and Leader are close
competitors in terms of price and features, but there are significant differences- you'll have to check out the
manufacturer's literature. There is also a
Leader LBO -301, a very compact portable with a 3 -inch screen, all solid -state
circuitry, and with about the same features as the 501. Its price is in the same
bracket.
Moving higher in price brings you
into the realm of lab scopes, among
which there is a vast choice including
such delectable features as dual -trace or
dual -beam displays, plug -in deflection
and sweep units with different purposes
and features, vertical -channel frequency
response to 10 or 15 MHz and beyond,
storage facilities, etc. Analyzing and
comparing all these elegant capabilities
is beyond the "scope" of this article;
send for catalogs from Hewlett-Packard,
Tektronix, Dumont, Hickok and others.
My inclination would be to splurge
on an oscilloscope (possibly even two
oscilloscopes, a fancy one and a little
one) and, if necessary, get more modest
instruments of other kinds, upgrading
later as desired. Even for just audio
work, response to 5 MHz and triggered
sweep are useful, most especially if you
do any tone -hurst testing. If you expect
to work a lot with speakers, comparing
their audio input with their acoustic output via a microphone, a dual -trace scope
is a tremendous help. (An electronic
switch is useful with a conventional
single -trace scope, but imposes its own
bandwidth limitations on the scope.)
Incidentally. several instrument companies make dual -trace scopes, but they are
usually costly.

Power supplies
No experimenter's workbench is
complete with several kinds of variable,
and preferably regulated, power supplies. First in line is a variable trans (continued on page 77)

45
www.americanradiohistory.com

-to -build
burglar alarms
Q 4easy
alarm circuits. One is
steam operated, the rest are light
activated
Six more

by R. M. MARSTON
And the alarm circuits continue. Here
are six more to try, use and enjoy.
There's one more water -triggered alarm,
and five light- operated alarms. The more
advanced versions of the light- operated
alarm can be used as smoke detectors in
a fire protection system. You'll find the
details further on.
Water and many other liquids are
reasonably conductive, and act as moderately low -value resistances. These liquids thus cause the alarm to operate if
they come into contact with both of the
metal probes simultaneously.
A simple development of the water operated alarm is the steam- operated
alarm of Fig. 14. This circuit is similar to
that of Fig. 13 (July issue). The commonemitter amplifier is made up of super alpha- connected transistors Q1 and Q2.
The circuit is thus far more sensitive
than the water -operated alarm, and will
in fact operate with a resistance of less
than 10 megohms connected between its
probes. This sensitivity is sufficient to
enable the alarm to be operated by a jet
of steam directed across a pair of closely
spaced probes.
In both of these circuits, CI is used
to suppress any ac pick -up from long
connecting leads, which might otherwise
cause the circuits to operate erratically.
Both circuits draw typical standby currents of only 1 A when the probes are
open circuit. The sensitivity of the circuits can be reduced, if required, by wiring a preset resistor across Cl, as shows
dotted in Fig. 14.
Both of these circuits have a number of uses in the home and in industry.
They can be used to sound an alarm
when water reaches a preset level in
baths, reservoirs. tanks, or other containers, by placing one probe at the bottom of the container and the other at
the preset level. They can be used to indicate the start of flooding in cellers,
etc., by etching two parallel strips on a
printed circuit and using these as the
probes; this printed circuit is then placed
face upwards on the cellar floor, so that
flood water shorts the two probes as
soon as its depth exceeds the thickness
of the printed panel.
Similar printed probes can be used

to indicate the onset of rain by placing


them face upwards out of doors, so that

the first few drops of rain short out the


probes and sound the alarm. These
probes can also be used to indicate the
presence of steam, since steam will condense on the printed panel and will consequently short out the probes.
In all of the above applications,
several sets of probes can be wired in
parallel and used with a single alarm
unit, so that one alarm can he used to
monitor several different points simultaneously.

Light- operated alarms


Light -operated alarm systems have
a number of important applications in

the home and industry. They can be


used to sound an alarm when light enters a normally -dark area, such as the
inside of a store -room or a wall safe, or
they can be used to sound an alarm
when an intruder or object enters a prohibited area and breaks a projected
light -beam. They can also be used as
smoke-sensitive alarms.
Seven light- operated alarm systems
are described on the following pages.
All of these circuits use an LDR (light dependent resistor) as a light -sensing
element. This LDR is a cadmium sulphide photocell. and acts as a variable
resistor that presents a high resistance
(typically hundreds of thousands of
ohms) tinder dark conditions, and a low
resistance (typically a few hundred
ohms or less) when brightly illuminated.
All the light- operated circuits given
here are highly versatile types, and will
work well with almost any general purpose cadmium sulphide photocells
with face diameters in the range i/s to
1/2"; no precise LDR types are thus specified in these circuits. Notes on LDR selection are, however, given where applicable.
One of the simplest types of light activated alarm circuits is that shown in
Fig. 15. Here, the SCR is wired in the
self -latching mode, and has its gate current derived from the voltage divider
formed by LDR and R1 -R2. In this circuit the LDR is mounted in a normally dark area, such as a store room or a
wall safe, so that the LDR normally
presents a very high resistance. Under

this condition negligible current flows


into the SCR gate and the SCR and
alarm are off.
When light falls on the LDR its resistance falls to a fairly low value. If the
resistance falls to less than 10,000 ohms
or so, enough current flows into the
SCR gate to turn the SCR on, and the
alarm then goes on and self -latches.
Most LDR's have a resistance of less
than 10,000 ohms when exposed to lowintensity room lighting or to the light of
a torch, so this circuit will operate and
lock-in as soon as the LDR is exposed
to a moderate degree of illumination.
Figure 16 shows how the sensitivity
of the circuit can be increased so that
the alarm turns on when only a very
small amount of light falls on the LDR
face. Here, the SCR is again wired in
the self -latching mode, but in this case
the SCR gate current is derived from
the LDR -R1 potential divider via emitter- follower Q1. This emitter -follower
enables the SCR to be driven on when
the LDR resistance falls to a value as
high as 200,000 ohms, as when the LDR
is exposed to only very small amounts
of light. Potentiometer R I enables the
sensitivity of the circuit to be varied
over a wide range. This circuit, and that
of Fig. 15. draws a typical standby current of only a few microamps when the
LDR is tinder the `dark' condition.
Another simple type of light- activated alarm is the interrupted -light -beam
alarm circuit shown in Fig. 17. Here, the
SCR is wired in the self -latching mode
and has its gate current taken from the
voltage divider formed by R l and the
LDR. Normally, the LDR is brightly illuminated via a light -beam formed by a
remotely placed lamp and lens system.
The LDR acts as a low resistance under
this condition, and insufficient voltage is
developed at the R -LDR junction to
turn the SCR on. The alarm is off.
When a person or object interrupts
the light beam, the resistance of the
LDR rises to a fairly high value and
enough voltage is developed at the
RI -LDR junction to turn the SCR on,
so the alarm goes on and self -latches.
This simple interrupted -light -beam
circuit draws a typical standby current
of only 340 A when operated from a
4.5 -volt supply. The LDR can be any
type that offers a resistance of less than
1

RADIO- ELECTRONICS

46
www.americanradiohistory.com

14.

+4.5 TO I3.5V
Cr

"+

ALARM

PROBE

MEG

RI
i

el

SCR

2N3702

r;1

LOAD DI

QI

METAL
PROBES

BATT

R3

13.2

PARTS LIST

-3300

ohms, 1/2 watt


-220 ohms, 1/2 watt
R3-1000 ohms, V2 watt
R4- potentiometer, 1 megohm
C1 -.05 F, ceramic
R1
R2

Ql,

Q2-2N3702

SCR-C106F1
Metal probes
Alarm device
Circuit board

D1-1N4001

15.

+4

-`

,}.

BAT T

SCR

LOIID

5 TO 13.5V

SI
RESET

ALARM
LDR
(SEE
TEXT)

DI

R3

1N4001

47052

RI

22052

k a g

SCR

PARTS LIST

CI06F1

-220 ohms, 1/2 watt


R2 -1000 ohms, 1/2 watt
R1

R2

R3-470 ohms,

1/2

D1-1N4001

watt

R2

LDR -see text


SCR- C106F1

R1

s
LDR

S1

-spst

IK

normally closed

Alarm device
Circuit board A

16.

+4.5

TO 13.5V +VE

SI

RESET

+
LOAD
I

S1
1

SCR

D1

R4
1

47052

DR

R4

2N2926(0)

Q1

R1

R2
I

BAIT

r\

13

R
R3

R2

R1 WIPER

PARTS LIST

Rl- potentiometer, 500,000 ohms

R2, R3 -1000 ohms,

-470 ohms,
D1-1N4001
LDR -see text
R4

1/2

1/2

watt

watt

AUGUST 1971

Q1-2N2926(0)
SCR- C106F1
Sl -spst normally closed

Alarm device
Circuit board B

47
www.americanradiohistory.com

17.

+4.5

TO 13.5V

SI

BATT

S1

RI

*D'

121C

R2

1N4001

LOAD

SCR

RESET

ALARM

47011

Di

R2

SCR

C106F1

LAMP

LDR

Rle

ohms,

R2-470 ohms

I/2

LDR
(SEE
TEXT)

LENSES

D1- 1N4001
LDR-see text
SCR- C106F1
S1 -spst normally closed

PARTS LIST

R1- 12,000

LIGHT BEAM

watt

Alarm device
Lenses
Light source
Circuit board A

18.

+4.5

TO

I3.5V

SI

t
Si

RI

RESET

500K

LOAD Dl

ol

Rl

R4

Q1
b

g
a

DI

2N2926(0)

1
SCR

ALARM

IN4001

R4
47011

R2
IK

1
LDR

SCR

CIO6Fl

R1

WIPER

BATT

R3

LDR
(SEE
TEXT)

R2

WO.

R3
IK

Z
PARTS LIST
R1- potentiometer, 500,000 ohms
R2, R3 -1000 ohms, '/2

R4-470 ohms,

'/2

D1-1N4001

watt

LDR -see text

Alarm device
Light source

Q1-2N2926(0)
SCR-C106F1
Sl -spst normally closed+

watt

Lenses

Circuit board

+4.5

19.
ALARM
DI

(SEE
TEXT)

R2

LDR

IK

400I

Q1

I35V

SI
RESET

R2
LDR

TO

R6
47011

R3
QI

Q2

50011
SENSITIVITY

R3

2N3702

SCR

C106F1
R4

RI (SEE TEXT)
SET BALANCE

I
R4

R5
IK

Z
PARTS LIST
R1

-see

text

R2, R4, R5-1000 ohms. '/2

R3- potentiometer, 500


R6-470 ohms,
D1-1N4001
LDR -see text

1/2

watt

*LIGHT SOURCE AND LENSES

Q2- 2N3702
SCR -C 106F
S1 -spst normally

AS IN FIG. 6

Circuit boards

Ql,

watt

ohms

closed

Alarm device
Lenses
Light source

C and A
Points A, B. C on circuit board C (at left) connect to circuit board A as set up in circuit 5
(June issue)- Point A connects to B+ on
board A; Point B connects to the SCR gate on
board A; Point connects to B- on board A.

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

48

www.americanradiohistory.com

1000 ohms under the illuminated condition, and more than 3000 ohms under
the "interrupted" condition; most general
purpose LDR's will satisfy these needs.
Another version of the light -beam
alarm is shown in Fig. 18. This circuit is
similar to that of Fig. 17. except that
emitter-follower QI is wired between the
RI -LDR potential divider and the SCR
gate. This emitter -follower enables RI to
be given a higher value than in the case
of the earlier circuit, so that this circuit
operates at a lower standby current and
can use a less sensitive LDR. Rl, now a
potentiometer. sets the circuit sensitivity
so the circuit can be activated by quite
small decreases in light level if required.
The circuits in Figs. 17 and 18 perform as useful intrusion detectors. They
are inexpensive and easy to construct.
The lamps that activate them can be
powered from either ac or dc. A disadvantage of each circuit, however, is
that it can be 'disabled' quite simply by
directing a bright light on to the LDR
face; if this light has a greater intensity
than that of the normal light -beam, an
intruder can then walk through the
beam without sounding the alarm. This
vulnerability can be overcome in a number of ways.
One system that overcomes this
particular vulnerability problem uses a
code -modulated light -beam, and employs
a code- sensitive detector in its alarm section. The circuit can not be disabled by
shining a light on the alarm's photocell
because the alarm is sensitive only to the
correct code signals. Modulated- lightbeam systems are widely used. They,
however, have now been made obsolete
by the development of glass -fibre light
tubes or 'light pipes ". Skilled intruders
can use these pipes to divert the coded
beam away from its original protective
its effective
path without breaking
source -to- detector link: they can then
pass through the original protected area
without activating the alarm system.
Another way of overcoming the
vulnerability problem is to use an alarm
circuit that sounds if the intensity of the
photocell light varies from a preset
value, as when the light-beam is broken
or a bright light is shone on the LDR
face. A practical circuit of this type is

shown in Fig. 19.


Here, the LDR is wired in a bridge
circuit formed by R1- R2 -R3 -R4 and the
LDR, and QI -Q2 are used as a bridge balance detector and SCR driver. Pot
R1 is adjusted so that the bridge is balanced when the LDR is illuminated normally via the light -beam and R3 enables
the sensitivity of the circuit to be varied
over a reasonable range.
To understand the circuit operation,
assume initially that R3 is replaced by a
short, so that half the supply voltage appears at the R2 -R4 junction, and that
RI is adjusted for balance, so that half supply voltage appears at the LDR -R 1
junction. Under this condition, zero
voltage is thus developed between the
base and emitter of QI or Q2. Both of
these transistors are thus cut off, so zero
current flows into the SCR gate via their
collectors. The alarm is off.
Suppose now that the light -beam is

AUGUST

interrupted, so that the LDR resistance


rises. Under this condition, the voltage
at the LDR-R I junction falls to a value
lower than that on the R2 -R4 junction,
and a forward voltage appears between
the base and emitter of Ql. If this forward voltage exceeds 650 mV or so, Ql
is driven on. and its collector current
feeds into the SCR gate, and the alarm
circuit then turns on and self -latches.
Suppose. on the other hand. that
the light -beam is not interrupted, but
that a light with an intensity greater
than that of the beam is shone on the
LDR face. In this case the LDR resistance falls, so the voltage at the LDR-R1
junction rises to a value greater than
that on the R2 -R4 junction. A forward
voltage thus appears between the base
and emitter of Q2 under this condition.
If this voltage exceeds 650 mV or so,
the transistor is driven on and its collector current feeds into the SCR gate and
drives the alarm on. The alarm thus operates if the light intensity on the LDR
face changes sufficiently to cause the
LDR -R I junction voltage to vary by an
amount in excess of 650 mV or so.
In the practical circuit of Fig. 19. R3
is wired in series with the R2 -R4 voltage divider, and enables a preset forward bias voltage to be simultaneously
applied to the base- emitter junctions of
both QI and Q2, so their sensitivity can
be controlled. If, for example, a preset
bias of 500 mV is applied to each transistor. the LDR only has to produce an
additional change of 150 mV at the
LDR -RI junction in order to turn one
or other of the transistors on and thus
activate the alarm. The circuit can thus
be adjusted for a high degree of sensi-

tivity.
The LDR used in this circuit can be
any type that gives a resistance in the
range 200 to 2000 ohms when it is illuminated by the light beam. RI should
have a maximum value approximately
douhlc that of the LDR resistance under
the above condition. The sensitivity of
the circuit varies by a certain amount
with changes in supply voltage, and is
greatest at the higher voltage levels. If
the circuit is to be operated at very high
sensitivity levels, the supply voltage
should be stabilized.
First. adjust RI so that roughly half
the supply voltage is developed at the
LDR -R l junction when the LDR is illuminated. Then, adjust R3 so that
roughly 400 mV is developed across R5.
Now reset R I to give a minimum voltage reading across R5. Readjust R3, if
necessary, so that this reading does not
fall to less than 200 mV or so. When the
RI adjustment is complete, the bridge is
correctly balanced. R3 can then be adjusted to set the sensitivity of the circuit
to the required level. If R3 is set so that
zero voltage is developed across R5, a
fairly large change in light level will be
needed to operate the alarm, and if it is
set so that a few hundred millivolts are
developed across R5 only a small
change in light level will be needed to
operate the alarm.

Smoke alarm
Another useful type of light- activateo circuit is the smoke -operated alarm.

1971

Figure 9 shows a practical example of a


circuit of this type. Here, the LDR is
again illuminated via a projected light beam, and is connected in the bridge circuit formed by the LDR and R1- R2 -R3.
Potentiometer Rl is adjusted so that the
bridge is normally just out of balance in
such a way that QI is conducting, but is
not conducting sufficiently to drive the
SCR on, i.e.. so that the voltage on the
LDR -R1 junction is a few hundred millivolts less than that on the R2 -R3 junction. Thus, the alarm is normally off.
When smoke enters the light beam,
the intensity of the light on the LDR
face inevitably falls by a small amount,
so the

at the
Q1 is

LDR resistance rises. The voltage


LDR-R junction then falls and
then driven on sufficiently to actiI

vate the SCR. The alarm turns on and


self-latches. By adjusting R1, the circuit
can be set to give any desired degree of

sensitivity.
A minor snag with the circuit of
Fig. 9 is that its precise operating point
characteristics of Ql are temperature dependent. The circuit is thus not suitable
levels. or in conditions where the circuit
is affected to some degree by variations
in operating temperature, since the V,,,
for operation at very high sensitivity
may be subjected to large temperature
variations.
These snags are largely overcome in
the sensitive smoke alarm in Fig. 10.
Here. the LDR is again illuminated via a
light beam. and is connected in the
bridge network formed by the LDR and
Rl- R2 -R3. In this case, however, the detector circuit comprises QI and Q2,
which are connected as a differential
amplifier. An outstanding feature of the
differential amplifier is that its operating
points are not greatly affected by variations in ambient temperature, since
both transistors are subject to the same
thermal changes. and thus tend to counterbalance one another in such a way
that their operating points remain constant.
In use, R I in this circuit is adjusted
so that the bridge is close to balance
when the LDR is illuminateed normally
and so that Q2 is passing a collector current slightly less than that needed to operate the SCR. The alarm is thus off under this condition.
When smoke enters the light -beam,
the LDR resistance rises and causes the
voltage on the LDR-R1 junction to rise.
The collector current of QI thus decreases and differential action causes Q2
collector current to increase to a level
sufficient to activate the SCR; so the
alarm turns on and self- latches. Since
the operating point of the circuit is not
greatly affected by variations in temperature, the circuit can be reliably operated at high sensitivity levels, or in
areas that are subject to wide temperature variations. ( concluded next month)
The following alarm parts are available from Photolume Corp., 118 E 28
st., N.Y., N.Y.
Kit RE671-PC consisting of 1 -panel of 4
alarm circuit boards; 1 -panel of 3 component- mounting strips; 100 plug-inconnectors
$6.25 postpaid.

Kit

...

RE671 -T

consisting of 1 SCR; 1 di.


transistors 12 npn, 2 pnp) and 1
photocell
$3.75 postpaid.
ode;

...

49

www.americanradiohistory.com

The musical selections are chosen


first, recorded, and the necessary mixing and editing done to produce an
audio program. The audio is then reviewed and rough outline made of the
types of slides and visual effects
needed to create the desired moods
and pacing throughout the show.
After the preliminary planning, a
detailed script sheet is prepared that
correlates visuals, narrative and music.
Visual and effect changes arc keyed to
specific heats in the music on this
script.
Using the scripts as a guide, the
necessary visuals and a tape-punching
schedule are prepared. The controller
tapes are punched using the punching
schedule as a guide. This is the most
laborious part of programming, but
with good organization of the punching schedule, several different people
can alternate on the job. The punched
tapes are then "proof read" against
the punching schedule.
The last step in the programming

4.0i#

li1'

-#41-.4.4j

bring all slide trays and sequential


reprogrammer to their starting positions and they are spliced into contin-

Problem of synchronization
For a light show to have maximum effectiveness, the various slide
changes and the activation of lighting
devices must be made in exact syn-

tones are added later, it is impossible


to have the control tones in exact sync
with the recorded music unless the
tape recorder being used allows simultaneous monitoring and recording
from the same head.

Although this feature is available


in some professional machines used
for multiple track recording it is not
included in all tape recorders. Many
people who have used stereo recorders
with simple slide -tape synchronizers
have noted this lack of proper syn-

.ryti.

by RUDOLF F. GRAF
GEORGE J. WHALEN

This chart relates tape length, recording time and recording speed.
It will also help you determine rewind time
very useful bit of

-a

information.

You will find this chart particularly


valuable if you edit your own tapes
for home slide shows, parties,

amateur theatricals, meetings, etc.


It is especially handy for figuring
tape requirements if you record
recitals or other public perform-

14,4:,sff11

.,..i111
,,....alai

ances.

Paper

tape

program-

mer contains all the


switching information
to operate light and
sound systems in sync.

synchronization of the
punched tapes with the audio portion
of the show. The punched tapes are
placed on the controller, the slide
trays are placed on the projectors, and
the control tone multiplexers are set in
the programmer mode. The tape
recorder is started with the audio
tracks played back through the pre monitor heads while the control tracks
are set on record.
As the audio portion of the program is played back. a skilled operator
"plays" the controller pushbutton
switches on the manual console, in a
fashion similar to playing a piano, except that the script is used in place of
sheet music.
This generates control tones that
are recorded on the control tracks of
the audio tape while at the same time,
all of the slide projectors and other
devices operate exactly as they will in
the finished show. A second person
who is familiar with the script watches
the show and if a mistake is seen, the
tape recorder is stopped and any necessary corrections or alterations arc
made. When the show is completely
programmed, the tapes are punched to

Use a ruler to find out


how long 7000 feet of tape
will play at 33/4 ips

chronization with the music. Since the


audio tape is recorded first with the
music and narration and the control

is the actual

Tape-

uous loops.

chronization. It is usually caused by the


recorded control tones being added to
the tape some distance behind the actual associated audio material. This
occurs because the record head of most
machines is located about I -inch behind the playback head. When the audio
and control information are played
back together. the control tones are
delayed by some fraction of a second.
This
when
inherent
delay,
coupled with the time it takes for a
high -wattage projector lamp to come
up to full brightness after it first receives electricity. and the various
slight electromechanical delays in the
control system, make it necessary to
place the control signals slightly ahead
of the audio information on the tape.
Assuming that the control signals
are placed in the proper location all
relay closure times and lamp delays
can be compensated for so that the
lamp reaches full brilliance at the exact moment desired.
Edmund
Light
The
Show
Theatre is open every weekday from
8:00 AM to 5:30 PM. It is open Friday evenings to 9 PM and all day Saturday from 8 AM to 9 PM.
R -E

The chart works for all mono and


stereo recorders that employ capstan drive (constant speed). En-

gineers call this kind of chart


a nomogram or alignment chart.
Simply interconnect the known
values on two of the scales with a
straight edge and read the answer
on the third scale.
If you don't know the recording
or rewind speed of your machine,
here's how you find it. Use a tape
of known length and measure rewind time with a watch that has a
sweep second hand.
For example: If 100 -foot length of
tape rewinds in 40 seconds, your
rewind speed is 30 inches /second.
Now that you know your rewind
speed, you can use this information to measure the lengths of
tapes that are to be spliced or have
been edited. You can now quickly
determine playback time of any
tape of any length.

Rewind each tape segment before


splicing them together and add
together all the rewind times. Since
you know your rewind speed, you
RADIO -ELECTRONICS

52

www.americanradiohistory.com

Timing NOMOGRAM
-

-15,000

15/64

200

-100
15/32

9600
7200

4800

3600

---

2500
2400

1800-

1200-560450350900

600

10,000

9000
8000
7000
6000

5000

4000
3000
2500

2000
1500

1000

900
800
700

600
500

400

-50
-30
-20
HOURS

-5
-4
-3

1-7/8

-2
3- 3/4

-1
-50

REWIND

-30
-20
-15
-10

10

MINUTES

-5
-4
-3
-2

15

300

250

250

200

200

150

150

-1
-50

100

-30
-20

LENGTH OF RECORDING
TAPE IN FEET
can use the chart to find the total
length of your tapes before splicing. Use this length together with
your known playback speed to read

total playback time from the center


scale of the chart. Thus you can
determine in just a few minutes
the exact playback time of any of
your material. You can also use
this chart to find the amount of
tape to be snipped or added for a
desired playback time.
The examples above are for single track one -direction recording.
AUGUST

RECORD
7 -1/2

300

15/16

-15
-10

20

-15
-10

30

30

40
50

SECONDS

60

60

100

-5

120
150

RECORDING
OR

200
240

REWIND TIME

300
For total time on 4 -track monophonic recorders multiply time by
4.
For total time on 2 -track monophonic and 4 -track stereo recorders multiply time by 2.
For total time on 2 -track stereo
recorders read answers directly.

1971

400
500

480

600

TAPE SPEED
INCHES /SEC
53

www.americanradiohistory.com

You can advance

(-) rantbain

cflaa!

ci

ngi.urr

bas

ti
It[t Li

C[-

)i!If5 E,tiqi iffPtiiQ

4..t4rztQ.

...

_._..-I
,

R#W.A

P`

54

www.americanradiohistory.com

A D

L+

E L

EC

O N

C S

from

electronics technician to
ELECTRONICS ENGINEER!

Advance beyond the technician level. Become an engineer. If you are a high
school graduate and have a good aptitude for electronics and mathematics,
you can earn the Degree of Associate in Science in Electronics Engineering
mainly by

STUDYING AT HOME

Investigate now the Grantham college-level program in electronics engineering, offered (by
correspondence) to working technicians while they remain on their jobs. Grantham lessons
place heavy stress on fundamental concepts of logic and mathematics ( taught so you can
understand them), and build from there in a systematic manner, covering physics, circuits,
and systems. The lessons are easy to understand because they are carefully written, with step by -step explanations and consistent review and regrouping of ideas.
Now is the time, not only to protect yourself from unemployment, but also to prepare yourself for the greater demand in engineering which is sure to come. You can't become an engineer in a few short weeks; it takes many months. You can be upgrading yourself in your
present job while the economy is "slow ", and then be ready to move into engineering when
the national economy gets going again. Yes, now is the time to prepare, so that you will be
ready to take advantage of opportunity when it presents itself.

Upgrading in your career begins when you begin studying the very first lessons of the
Grantham ASEE Degree program in Electronics Engineering. You may very well move up
from electronics technician to electronics engineering technician upon completion of the first
100 lessons (out of a total of 400 in the entire program) Upon completion of the program and
ctronics engineer.
receiving your ASEE Degree, you are then ready to work as an electronics
.

GRANTHAM
that
the college

ENGINEERING
comes to you"

1505 N. Western Av, Hollywood, CA 90027


`Accreditation and G.I. Bill Approval
Grantham School of Engineering is accredited by the
Accrediting Commission of the National Home Study, is
approved under the G.I. Bill, and is authorized under the
laws of the State of California to grant academic degrees.
Not For Beginners
The Grantham educational program in electronics
engineering is not for beginners. Every point is
explained just as carefully as if you were a beginner,
but this program is designed, written, and taught for
and to experienced technicians; beginners are not
accepted for enrollment. As a technician, you already
know the "hardware" side of electronics, and you can
upgrade from technician to engineering technician, and
then to engineer, while you continue your employment
in electronics.

For complete details, mail postcard or coupon.

Grantham School of Engineering


1

RE -8 -71

505 N. Western Ave., Hollywood, Calif. 90027

Gentlemen:
_ years. I am interested
I have been in electronics for _
in the Grantham degree program in Electronics Engineering- Please send me your free bulletin.
.

Name
Address

City

AUGUST 1971

State

Zip

57

www.americanradiohistory.com

IC Power Supplies
more uA723

circuits
High-potver regulated supplies
can also use IC regulators. The
secret is to provide "booster"
transistors to handle the load

TO

GET

HIGH -CURRENT

SUPPLY

handle a much larger current output. A


booster stage can be used with either the
low or high voltage regulator configurations, and enables either type of
regulator to deliver up to 500 mA.
Schematically the circuit is rather
simple. A silicon pnp power transistor
(Q1, a 2N4918) is connected as shown
in Fig.
to raise the power capability of
this 12 -volt circuit to 500 mA. An additional resistor (R,,) is needed from base
to emitter of QI, and the base control
current for Q1 is delivered from pin 7

WE

turn to Fig
a A723 regulator with a
booster stage. The use of external
booster transistors removes virtually all
restrictions on the IC's power handling
capacity, as it now only has to supply a
small amount of base current to the
booster transistor which handles the
bulk of the power dissipated in the regulation process. The beauty of this approach is that it allows us to retain all
of the previous good regulation features
of the IC control amplifier and yet still
1

QI

2N49I8
TI

IN4001

TREAD F-41X

by WALTER G. JUNG

RI

1000

I.212

C4
100

IRC BWH
6

101

;R2

ICI

OUTPUT
2V AT 500mA
LINE AND LOAD

.4 7K

723

Cl 7.

REGULATION

<.05%

000
F

25V

R3

C2
02
DISC

68K

?13-C

.001 DISC

STANDBY SWITCH
117 V AC

S2

C 5

NOTES:

TANTALUM

IC PINS FOR TO -5 PACKAGE


STANDBY- OPERATE
2. STANDBY SWITCH OPTIONAL
FIG. 1 -HIGH- CURRENT regulated power
3. HEAT SINK FOR QI MANDATORY.
supply uses external booster transistors to
SEE TEXT.
I.

carry load.

2N49I8
TI
STANCOR RT-201 OR
EQUIVALENT

1N4001

DI

TI

R1

10012

1.2S1

IRC BWH
8
R2

R4
3.3K

723
2

R3
5.1 K

C2
DISC

117 VAC

C5
TANTALUM

C3
.001 DISC

IK

NOTES:
I. IC PINS

10I

ICI

2.2K
CI
1000

C4
100F
OUTPUT
5V AT 500mA
LINE AND
LOAD

REGULATION
<_.05%

STANDBY SWITCH
S2
o

FOR TO -5 PACKAGE

STANDBY4---+ OPERATE
2. STANDBY SWITCH OPTIONAL
FIG.
ANOTHER
3. HEAT SINK FOR 01 MANDATORY

2-

SEE

TEXT

ply of Fig.
500 mA.

1.

VERSION of the sup This one delivers 5 volts at

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

58

www.americanradiohistory.com

chassis mounting hole. Secure the transistor to the chassis with the screw and
insulating washer provided and use silicone grease on both sides of the washer
The same transformer is used in
this 12 -volt regulator but the input filter
is raised to 1000 AF to keep input ripple
down with the increased current drain.
And the current limiting resistor is lowered to correspond to the increased output current.
Many of the above comments on
the 12 -volt version apply also to the 5volt 500-mA regulator shown in Fig. 2.
The booster transistor connections and
current limit change are the same as for
the I2-volt version. The main difference
is the substitution of a different power
transformer. This permits lowering the
input voltage, minimizing the voltages
across Q1 and improving efficiency. Ql
of course. should be mounted as before
(see Fig. 3).
We can also carry this booster technique one step further and come up with
a 2- ampere regulator. To do this we add
one more pass transistor. increase the
filter capacitance, substitute huskier rectifier diodes. a larger power transformer
and lower the current limiting resistor
value once more.
A circuit of a 5 -volt, 2 -amp regulator with the changes mentioned above
is Fig 4. The additional booster transistor is Q2, a 2N3055 which is driven in
turn by the 2N4918. A complementary
Darlington connection is used to minimize voltage drop across the pair. Since
Q2 can dissipate quite sizeable power in
this application a large heat sink is man-

of the IC. In this manner the bulk of the


output current is handled by Q1 and the
IC handles only the smaller base current
of Q . To illustrate what this does for
us, let's look at some typical numbers. If
we assume a dc current gain of 50 for
Q1 at a current of 500 mA, the IC need
only provide 10 mA to drive Ql. At
lower load currents, even less than this.
So we can see how this hookup reduces
the strain on the IC, minimizing its temperature rise due to the lower power dissipation.
At 500 mA QI definitely needs a
heat sink for prolonged operation. Figure 3 shows a simple method of heat
removal using the chassis as a sink. Solder Q1's leads to the circuit board and
position the metalized face over a
MICA

INSULATOR
POWER

WALL OF
CHASSIS

TRANSISTOR
SUCH AS Q

WITH
COMPONENTS

PC BOARD

FIG. 3-RECOMMENDED HEAT -SINK arrangement for power transistors in Figs.


t & 2.

Q2

2N3055

IN4998

TI
STANCOR RT -202 OR

EQUIVALENT

R2

R3, R4

6812
D3

IN 4001

2N49I8

RI

-Ml1r

R3;

.560 IRC BWH

R4

22012
C6

R6
2.2 K

I000 F

10

ICI

723

OUTPUT

R5

5 VOLTS AT
2 AMPS

3.3 K

R7
5.I K

C2

II7VAC

I50F

.02
DISC

NOS. FOR TO-5 PACKAGE


2. HEAT SINK FOR 02 MANDATORY WAKEFIELD NC623A OR EQUIVALENT
CHASSIS AREA.

SUPPLY
I7VAC

Power supply systems


In this section well talk about using
the power supplies we've developed thus
far in various practical combinations. As
we discuss these combinations we will
also evolve another type of power supply -the tracking supply. This is the final circuit in this section. and the one
most suitable for those electronic projects on the experimenter's workbench.
We'll go as deeply into this one as possible so you can get the maximum out

of it.
By themselves any one of the circuits we've talked about up to now have
been entirely usable as they stand. You
can pick the voltages and current rating
you need and build that supply. But suppose you need two supplies, such as
12 volts. You could just build 2 supplies (as in Figs.
or 3, Radio-Electronics, July 1971) and connect the output in series as shown in Fig. 5 and
use them as a 12 volt supply. This
would certainly do the job, but there
might be a simpler way.
If we review all of the circuits we
have talked about so far we can note
they have one thing in common. They
are all positive leg regulators-they
regulate the output voltage by a variable
resistance in the positive leg of the circuit. This is either QI, Q2 or the IC itself. (see Fig. 6).
The next section in the continuing
series of articles will look into negative leg regulators and will examine regulated
power supplies using other IC types. R -E
1

\I

)1
TANTALUM
C4
.001 DISC

A-

-ree,

FIG. 4 -STILL HIGHER POWER is available from this supply-5 volts at 2 amperes.

C3

NOTES:
I. IC PIN

datory. Use the type recommended or


one with equivalent performance for
best results, and don't skip the silicone
grease under the mounting washer
The short -circuit -current limit resistor is a two- resistor parallel combination
because of wattage considerations. A separate rectifier and filter capacitor (D3C2) is used to supply voltage to the IC.
This is done to minimize input ripple
feedthru which would otherwise be high
due to the ripple across CI at high current outputs. The extra filtering of C2
(which is isolated from Cl's ripple by
D3) smoothes the voltage at pin 8 of
the IC and minimizes the effects of input
ripple on the output.

+12V DC

4ywA

.-J
'1

FIG. 5 -FOR DUAL SUPPLIES just combine two of the circuits you have built.

44

PS4

6- POSITIVE -LEG REGULATORS


have been described so far. The regulator
is in the positive leg of the supply.
FIG.

OF

Fig OR Fig 3
I

COMMON

II7VAC

OUTPUT

OF

Fig IOR Fig 3

REGULATOR
REGULATED

SUPPLY
12VDC

AUGUST 1971

and
washer!
You

your

ultrasonic clothes

59

www.americanradiohistory.com

FOR YOUR CAR

Tail Light
FINISHED ALARM is a little box with a
red warning indicator on its front. Mount
it on the dashboard of your car.

RELIABLE AS AUTOMOTIVE LAMPS ARE,

a safety device that lets you know,


immediately, if one of your brake lights
burns out. Use it to make your driving
a less hazardous journey
by

RUDOLF

F.

GRAF & GEORGE

J.

WHALEN

INSIDE THE CASE you can see how all components are located
on an ordinary piece of perf board. Flea clips and point -to -point

wiring complete the unit.

they still do burn out at unexpected


moments. Perhaps the most dangerous failure is the loss of a stop
light, since it robs you of two important signalling functions: it reduces
the warning provided the driver behind you that your car is braking: and
it sharply curtails your turn signalling
capability. Of course, the degree of
severity of the failure is related to the
number of lamps in your car's rear
end signalling system. If your car has
only one stop light for each side, a
lamp failure is an open invitation to a
rear end collision!
The most insidious factor in stoplight failures is that the filament opens
quietly, and in a position that cannot
be seen from the driver's seat. Occasional checking at a service station
with the aid of the attendant may help
but it is no guarantee that a stoplight
won't fail two minutes later, after
you've driven away. You can watch
your ammeter (if you still have one of
these "old fashioned" instruments in
your car) as you step on the brake,
but that still doesn't tell you whether
only one or all shop lights are ok.
The Brakelight Monitor gives
you with a dependable indication that
your stop lights are functioning properly. Should any of your lights become inoperative for any reason, a
light will go on in the monitor to alert
you to check your brakelights.

How it works
The most important part of the
circuit is a tiny reed relay to which a
second winding consisting of 6 turns
of No. 14 enamelled wire has been
added. This added winding is connected in series with the lead that goes
from the stoplight switch to the lamps,
so that full lamp current flows
RADIO -ELECTRONICS

60

www.americanradiohistory.com

justed by R1, to be just enough to


close the reed contacts. Hence, the
magnetic field produced by the stoplight current flow though the added
winding is summed with the field of
the existing winding, every time you
step on the brakes.
If any one of the lamps is inoperative (either because it is burned out,
or because of poor electrical contact)
there will be proportionately less current through the 6 -turn winding, and
the reed relay will not close. Now for
the rest of the circuit.
Capacitor C2 and resistor R2 together with Darlington transistor Q1
form a 1- second time-delay circuit.
The collector of Q1 is connected
through indicator lamp LM1 to the
positive 12 -volt supply. At the instant
the brake pedal is depressed and 12
volts is applied to R2, the delay circuit
is started. After one second, indicator
lamp LM will go on unless the reed
relay is closed. If it closes, the base of
transistor Q1 is connected to ground,
the delay is cancelled and the transistor cannot turn "on ". As you can see,
current flow corresponding to "good
lamps" automatically disarms the circuit controlling the indicator lamp.
The directional light circuit
causes your lights to flash, but the delay circuit keeps the FAILURE lamp
OFF during the short period of time
that the circuit is open to give your

Monitor

through this winding enroute to the


stoplight filaments. This lamp current
produces a magnetic field which is
directly proportional to the current required by the filaments. In a two -lamp
stoplight system, this would be from 4
to 5 amperes
rather respectable
amount of current -which produces a
fairly strong magnetic field, which is
added to the magnetic field generated
by the existing winding on RY1. The
latter winding's field strength is ad-

-a

(Magnacraft W101 MX -2 or equal)


LM1 -pilot lamp assembly, 12 volts, 100
ma (IDI B2990D1 or equal)
x 21/4" x 1%" (Premium PMC
1002 or equal)
3-termainal barrier terminal strips (2)

1/4

-20 F.
equal)
C2-10 AF,

50 volts (Sprague TE 1305 or

C1

Case

25 volts (Sprague TE 1204 or

equal)

pert board
spacers (2)
Miscellaneous hardware

(GE or equal)
volts dc, 250 -ohm coil reed relay

-12

RY

-4"

2 x 31/4
'/2 -inch

Q1- 2N5306

WIND 6 TURNS NO. 14 ENAMELED WIRE


OVER EXISTING REED RELAY COIL.
TIN ENDS AND CONNECT IN SERIES WITH
STOPLIGHT CIRCUIT AS SHOWN.

BRAKE
PEDAL

LAMP ON

LAMP OFF

BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE


BRAKE LIGHT OK

ip
R2

RI

IOOK

25K

OI

LMI

2N5306

STOP

LIGHT
SWITCH

RYI

BREAK
EXISTING
LEAD

FROM +12
VOLTS

20F
50V
R3
I

L_

LEFT
REAR

STOPLIGHT

EXISTING
WINDING

RIGHT REAR

CIRCUIT
TAILLIGHT CIRCUIT
(DO NOT DISTURB)

OO K

C2
IONF

125V

_L
JCAR
CHASSIS
(

RY

Construction details
The unit is housed in a 4" x
2'/s" x 15/s" aluminum miniature
case. The failure indicator lamp is
mounted on one face of the U-shaped
channel, and the barrier terminal strip
is mounted on the rear face. The leftmost terminal goes to positive 12 volts
through the brake light switch. The
center terminal goes to the stop lights,
and the third terminal goes to chassis
ground. All electronic components are
mounted on one side of a 2" x 31/2"
piece of perf board. Flea clips are
used for ease of assembly as shown on
the accompanying illustration. The
perf board is held in place by two 3/4"
screws which go through a half -inch
spacer that keeps the board a proper
distance from the chassis to prevent
shorts.

Calibration procedure

PARTS LIST

R1- potentiometer, 25,000 ohms (Mallory


MTC 253L4 or equal)
R2, R3- 100,000 ohms,
watt, 10%

blinking action. If the delay circuit


were not incorporated the brakelight
monitor would flash every time you
signal a turn. It is possible that directional lights flash only for a very brief
period of time as may be the case when
you have a defective flasher or use incorrect bulbs. In either case, the oFF
period would be beyond normal limits.
Thus if the circuit is interrupted for
more than one second, the brakelight
monitor will flash regularly (or occasionally) whenever your blinker lights
are on, thereby warning you of a defect in your directional light circuit.

-)

MAGNECRAFT REED RELAY WIOI MX -2


(12 VOLT DC, 25O12 COIL), WITH
ADDED WINDING, AS SHOWN

AUGUST 1971

Circuit sensitivity is adjusted only


once. Step on the brakelight pedal so
that the stop lights go on and simultaneously adjust potentiometer R1 from
full resistance (lamp oN) until the
reed relay just closes and the indicator
lamp goes off. To simulate lamp failure, reach into the trunk, unplug one
stoplight assembly from the frame of
the car and keep it from touching the
metal body of the car. Now, when
you step on the brake pedal again, the
indicator light will go on after one
second, signalling that the lamp circuit
is not operating properly. If the indicator does not go on, increase R1
slightly until LM1 just goes on. Then
re- insert the lamp assembly previously
removed. Pump the brake pedal once
again. This time the warning lamp
should not go on, indicating that all is
ok. For proper operation of the monitor it is necessary that the fields of
both windings aid each other. If it is
not possible to calibrate the monitor
by adjusting the potentiometer over its
full range, simply reverse the lead connection to the 6 -turn winding so as to
reverse the direction of its magnetic
field. This will solve your problems
and proper adjustment will then be
possible.
R -E
61

www.americanradiohistory.com

Basic laser
experiment
by U.S. BUREAU OF RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH

Reflection of light is explored


with the aid of the laser

Photo courtesy RCA Princeton Labs

Explanation:
Light and the manner in which it is reflected are of prime
importance in geometrical optics. There are two types of reflection: (I) diffuse reflection, in which light striking a rough
surface is randomly scattered in many directions, and (2) spec ular (i.e. mirror -like) reflection, in which the incident light is
reflected from a smooth surface in accordance with the law of
reflection (i.e., the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, as shown in Fig. 1). As discussed in most physics

Normal

e,

Reflected Photon
Flux

Incident Photon
Flux

F.
SPECULAR

AND DIFFUSE REFLECTION SETUP

Hold a piece of white paper in front of the mirror. The


light will now be diffusely reflected and no beam will be seen
re- entering the display tank. The point at which the light
strikes the paper will be visible through a wide angle, because
of this diffuse reflection. When the paper is removed, the reflected beam will again be visible in the display tank. The
point at which the laser beam strikes the mirror will not be
readily apparent from the side since the light is being specularly reflected. Whatever light is seen from the side is caused
by diffuse reflection from small random mirror imperfections
and to scattering of dust on the mirror surface.
The second part of this experiment illustrates the Law of
Reflection which shows that the angle of reflection always
equals the angle of incidence. Arrange the apparatus as shown
A.

Fig.

LAW OF

REFLECTION

texts, the behavior of light at an interface between two media


is governed by both the law of reflection and the law of re-

fraction.
Materials:
Laser
Display tank and
display fluid

B.

Support for tank


Mirror on pivot mount
White paper
Protractor

Experimental procedure:
Arrange the experiment as shown in Fig. 2 with the display tank near the laser and a mirror on a pivot mount arranged to reflect the beam back into the tank. Note that near
the mirror the reflected beam has approximately the same intensity as the incident beam. You might, however, see a loss of
intensity as the incident and reflected beams traverse the fluid.
This is due to scattering of the beam by the fluid molecules,
the process which makes the beam visible from the side.

C}

Fig. 3

in Fig. 3 -a or Fig. 3 -b so the laser beam enters the tank and


is reflected off the upper surface of the display fluid. Using the
surface of the fluid as a reference, measure the angles of incidence and reflection with a protractor. Now change the angle
of incidence and measure angles again. At some angle termed
R -E
the critical angle, the light will not be reflected.
Circle 15 on reader service card

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

62
www.americanradiohistory.com

Now Ungar gives you the better gun to tackle the most critical soldering jobs ...
the kind of jobs demanded by today's saph:sticated electronics.
Here's why it's better You get total electrical isolation -We grounded the gun
with a 3 wire NEMA plug and cord ...so your sensitive I.C.s and densely packed
compcnents are safe from static electricity and stray currents. (It's also safer for
simple idea that protects both you and
you too.) The Isclated- Grounded TiD

-a

your circuitry.
But we didn't stop there. We desined an entirely new soldering gun for you.
Instead of the usual heavy, trans'.ormer you get reliable advanced circuitry.
It makes this new can a feather -'igrt five ounces! Now you can accurately
pinpoint solder in hard -to- get -to -spcts without hand fatigue.
Next we added versatility. Yati get two heat ranges (500 and 900 F
approx.) ali with the same gun. And, you have a choice of three thread -on
replaceable tips that won't give or bend in constant use select the shape
that fits your needs best. For greater accessibility, you can easily
lock the tip to ths exact angle heeded for your job.
A few other standard bonuses you get only with Ungar's new
trigger -activated #6760: a virtually shatter -proof case- U. L.
listed
guarantee of excellence on each and every gun
and separata:y replaceable parts. But don't just take our
word fcr it. T ry one ... or ask another pro who has one. Then
make up your own mind.
Prove for yourself that in the age of solid
state, Unbar really outguns the heavyweights.

-a

Division of
Eldon Industries inc.

R-Es SERVICE CLINIC


vertical sweep

This can be (and often is!) due to misadjusted vertical height and linearity
controls!
If they are set so the raster is considerably overscanned, they will cause
flattening of the oscillator waveform, at
the point where it should be sharply
peaked (where the sync fires it). The
waveform won't approach the firing
point as rapidly as it should. The sync
can then make it fire early, or late, and
the whole thing looks like poor sync.
You can cause this condition deliberately by overscanning the raster and
checking the vertical hold action. For
best sync. set the controls so the raster is
overscanned by not more than half an
inch at the top and bottom.

HERE'S THE FINAL SECTION TO OUR REVIEW

of vertical sweep circuits. Combined with


the earlier Service Clinics you have a

complete wrapup.

wrap -up
Vertical sync, fake sync, leakage
can all mess up the vertical hold
By JACK DARR
SERVICE EDITOR

Vertical sync
In the first part. we mentioned sync
troubles. In this circuit, the vertical sync
is fed to the bottom end of the saw-former capacitor, the .039 F, as a negative -going pulse. It is then fed on through
the .l -F coupling capacitor to the grid
of the output tube. If the VERTICAL.
HOLD control is properly set. the oscillator will be running just a little bit
below the correct frequency. and the
sync pulses will cause the oscillator to
"fire" at exactly the right time.
The most important thing about the
vertical sync is its amplitude. The sync
pulses must be high enough to fire the
oscillator or you'll have a condition of
weak- sync -lock, jitter, etc. This kind of
problem is usually caused by a weak
sync- separator tube. low dc voltages on
that stage and leaky vertical integrators.

Other troubles
A slight leakage through the 0.l -F
coupling capacitor also causes a similar
symptom. If this leakage gets worse, it
flattens the peak of the waveform and
causes foldover at the bottom of the
screen. (Since the beam sweeps from top
to bottom of the screen, remember that
the top of the waveform represents the
bottom of the TV screen!)
The best way to make sure that
there is, or isn't, sync trouble; is to kill
the vertical oscillator by pulling the
tube, grounding a grid, etc. Then check
the sync amplitude at the sync -injection

"Fake -Weak- Sync" problems


In some cases you'll see what looks
for all the world like weak sync. In fact.
the vertical lock will be pretty bad. although you'll see the characteristic jerk
or snap of the picture as the blanking bar rolls past the bottom of the screen.

.0068

47K
680
ZpF

.0082

82K

680
pF

.I`

FIO

_L

Ii26GF7

VERT
OUTPUT
TRANS

KV

470K

.047

VDR

3.3 MEG

IK

B+

INPUT

.039

.0015

150K

This column is for your service


problems -TV, radio, audio or general and industrial electronics. We
answer all questions individually by
mail, free of charge, and the more interesting ones will be printed here.
If you're really stuck, write us.
We'll do our best to help you. Don't
forget to enclose a stamped, self -addressed envelope. Write: Service Editor, Radio -Electronics, 200 Park Ave.
South, New York 10003.

OUTPUT

2.7 MEG
I

+405V

YOKE

LOOK

/26GF7

HEIGHT

24

750K

2.2 MEG

VERT
HOLD

SYNC IN

HERE
VERT LIN

+405V

+1150V

50F

5.6K

2.2K

- - - - - -n

6JE6
SUPP

GRID
1.8 K

-GAMPL

120A
BLUE AMPL
3052

Fig.

CONVERGENCE
BOARD

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

64

www.americanradiohistory.com

point. Watch for two things; loss of amplitude, and any sign of video in the
vertical sync. The last can be due to incorrect operating point in the sync-separator, a defective integrator, etc. It will
cause vertical jitter, due to the varying
voltages of the video. Vertical sync
should always be very "clean."

Oddball troubles
In color sets you can get some very
odd vertical troubles due to the many
uses we make of the vertical stage. As
you can see in Fig. 1, we are taking off
a dc voltage of about +30 volts, from
the 1800 -ohm resistor in the cathode.
This is fed to the suppressor grid of the
horizontal output tube to prevent snivets
on uhf. It has nothing to do with the
vertical output stage; it's just a handy
source of 30 volts dc. However, if the
6JE6 tube has a bad internal short, the
1800 -ohm resistor burns up and all of a
sudden we've got vertical output troubles.
Actually, because of the peculiarities of this circuit, this won't kill the
vertical sweep completely as you'd expect with that cathode open. It does not
open completely. You always have a
parallel path to ground through the convergence board! Instead of losing all the
sweep, you lose about half of the height.
People get very flatheaded and nothing
you can do will help in the vertical controls.
When you run into this kind of
problem check the cathode circuit of the
output stage. One key clue is the cathode voltage. Because of the higher resistance now present, this will be well above
normal, usually from 75 to 100% more.
If either the 2200- or 1800 -ohm resistors
open you'll have the 5600 -ohm resistor
and those two small controls left in the
dc path to ground. This increased resistance raises the cathode voltage and the
increased negative bias on the grid cuts
the gain of the stage. (Positive voltage
on cathode is the same as the negative
voltage on grid)
If that 50-AF electrolytic capacitor
across the 5600 -ohm resistor opens
you'll see very little effect in the vertical
size and linearity, but your vertical convergence will go way off. This is a coupling capacitor, feeding convergence
waveforms to the convergence board.
If the 50 -F capacitor shorts, you'll
upset the total resistance in the cathode
circuit. All you'll have left in the higher resistance branch will be those two little
controls on the convergence board, usually about 100 ohms or so. The bias
voltage will drop and the picture will
usually stretch at the top beyond range
of the controls. Once again, a simple resistance test from output cathode to
ground will catch this.
Broken wires in the cable from
chassis to convergence board; wires in
this cable pinched under clamps or
shorted to ground; open controls on the
convergence board
can affect your
vertical output stage and sweep. If you
find mysterious cases of vertical troubles, don't forget to check out that cathode circuit of the vertical ouptut tube!
As a word of comfort before we

-all

go, the majority of your troubles will be


easy ones-bad tubes (or transistors)
leaky capacitors, burnt resistors, and so
on. As long as you know how the thing
works and how they hooked it up this
time, you'll be ok. Parts -values will be
changed between this and others, of
course, but the purpose will still be the
same.

NO COLOR, NO PICTURE
The picture on a Zenith color set
looks very funny. When I turn the color
control off, I get no picture at all! I'm just
starting in color, and I've never seen this
one before! -D. A., Babbitt, Minn.
The "picture" in a color set is

made up of two parts; the color and


the video. Color signals are applied to
the grids of the CRT, video signals to
the cathodes. In this case you have obviously lost the video signal completely!
Check the video output amplifier.
More likely cause, check the video
driver transistor. Incidentally. if you
find one of these with a negative black
and white picture and some really odd
colors, this transistor is probably in its
socket backward!
TRANSISTOR COLLECTOR

CONNECTIONS
I've got a .silly one! I replaced a bad
output transistor on a little import set, and
now it won't work. I can't read any collector voltage on the transistor case; got
plenty On the supply lead! No smoke, just
no sound at all. -R.Q., Waco, Texas.

Oh, ho, ho! You have just been

/e%Jjjatc

zonked by the same thing I was, not


too long ago! This is a bolt -on transistor, right? And, the original had a
lot of insulating goop, under the transistor, and all over the screws, right?
Well, when they say "insulating ", they
aren't kidding!
Take out the mounting screw that
makes the collector connection. Clean
off ALL of that insulating goop, and
then put a small outside -star lock washer under the screw-head. Tighten
it, and then take a resistance reading
between the supply lead and the transistor case. I did, and with the first
hookup, I had the biggest fattest open
circuit you ever saw! Screw was tight,
too.
HEAT -UP DISTORTION

I've got a stereo amplifier that distorts badly after it's been on for about 5
minutes. I replaced some of the output
transistors, and I've checked the heat sinks to make sure that none of the leads
were shorted. What could cause this?
L. J., Little Neck, N.Y.
Two things. This could be an
overheating condition that slowly

warms up the junctions of the power


transistors and starts them clipping,
etc. This could be due to insufficient
heat -sink area, allowing the cases to
get too hot, and the junctions with
them.
There are two possible cures for
this. One is larger heat sinks, or the
addition of a small forced -air fan to
the chassis. Might try spraying cool-

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Circle 12 on reader service card

AUGUST 1971

67

www.americanradiohistory.com

ant on the transistors after the distortion shows up, and see if this clears
it up. If so, better cooling would be
the answer.
For the other, I would recommend replacing all of the original
transistors. Use either matched pairs
of high -quality replacement transistors, or "complementary- pairs" such
as
HEP -246
HEP -245
and

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complementary- symmetry output circuit.
In some cases, you might get rid
of this trouble by using a slightly
larger transistor. Many of the import
amplifiers use the small "cigarette -filter- sized" output transistors, and run
them hot enough to smoke! Replacement transistors such as those mentioned above, and others. have larger
cases. and can be run at a higher level
of power dissipation without overheating.
Check all transistors for leakage.
This can cause a severe distortion, and
overheating makes it get worse.

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COOK'S INSTITUTE
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VOM TESTING
I blew the 1-ampere fuse in my corn.
After I replaced it, 1 can't get any readings on the do colts, ac colts or ntA ranges.
The ohmmeter works, though. -C. F.,
Tracy, Calif.
If the ohmmeter still works you
didn't blow the meter movement.
That's good! Evidently the protective
diodes saved it.
You can trace the paths from the
input jacks to the meter. From the
fact that several functions are out,
you have an open circuit in one that is
common to them all. Set the meter on

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Circle 13 on reader service card

TESTER
OWNERS

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I need a pair of replacement transistors for a Craig Pioneer Series R tape player. in fact. I need two snatched pairs.
Originals are 2S13473. Found one listing
in a replacement guide, but the cases
aren't the same, so they teon't cork.
C.P., Ilephzibah, Ga.
The 2SB473 transistors are in the
"TO -66" case, which looks like a
small TO -3. Syl'ania's "ECG-131-

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Name
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MATV PROBLEMS
orcrhauling an old installation
of a MATV system and l're got troubles.
There are 4 antennas feeding a mixeramplifier, tchicli in turn feeds a broadband line amplifier. This feeds a distribution system with 13 outlets. Stations are
30 miles away.
The pictures aren't good enough;
quite a bit of snow, and weak sync, etc.
flow can 1 get a better picture ? -S.K.,
Washington, Pa.
"Signal -trace" it. and I mean that
quite literally. Get a field- strength meter and start at the antennas. At this
distance you should have something
like 400 to 500 iLV minimum on each
antenna. Now check the signal level at
the mixer- amplifier output. Should be
quite a hit more, around 1.000 V per
channel.
Then check the signal at the input of
the
You
line -amplifier.
shouldn't have too much loss unless
your interconnecting cable is over 100
feet long. (If you don't have any signal, check the coax!) Output of this
amplifier. too. should he at least 1,000
pV per channel. or more.
Your distribution system should
not introduce too much loss. From
your description. I'd say that your
TV's are probably running on about
50 to 75 V! There should he a minimum of 500 pV. or more. at the antenna terminals of each set.
Somewhere in there. you've got a
weak tube or tubes, or a faulty dc
power supply. or something like that.
The signal -levels will tell you where.
REPLACEMENT TRANSISTORS

Don't let your


tube tester
become
obsolete

ing at one of the switch contacts,


when the surge that blew the 1- ampere
fuse happened. This can make them
open, from dirt or carbonization. In
most cases, they can be cleaned up
and made to work again.

Zone

the 2.5 -volt dc scale and disconnect


the meter itself. (To keep from
slamming the 50 -A movement with
the other ohmmeter battery.)
Now follow the circuit path from
the + jack to the + terminal of the
meter, as shown in the diagram. The
"X's" indicate switch contacts. if this
cirpath has continuity, follow the
cuit. It's somewhere in there.
The most likely possibility is arc-

MP" is a matched pair that will replace these. You can also mount the
"flat- case" HEP -243, etc. transistors in
the TO-66 mounts, if you can locate
one in a germanium type. which the
originals are.
SLOW WARMUP VERTICAL
I have a real headache in the vertical
oscillator of a Zenith 27KC20 chassis.
When it's turned on, the picture rolls.

RADIO- ELECTRONICS

68

www.americanradiohistory.com

FROM

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INTEGRATOR

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The vertical hold control must be turned


full ccw to stop it. After about an hour,
the picture rolls again, and the vertical
hold control must be turned cw from
time to time to stop it. Holds after that,
but vertical lock very weak.
I've replaced the integrators, and
checked all capacitors. What do I do
now ? -N. M., Carbondale, Pa.
You've done the right things so
far; you just stopped a little quick.
This type of "very slow- drift" trouble
shows up mostly in resistors. If one of
the resistors is changing value with

heat, it will cause this kind of problem. Not necessarily "internal" heating, as in a plate -load resistor carrying
current (this shows up in about 10 to
15 minutes) but simply "radiated"
heat from other parts; resistors. tubes,
etc., and conduction through the
chassis.
Quick- check. Turn the set on
(this is when the trouble is worst, it
seems). Let it warm up, and start rolling, then stop the picture with the
hold control. Now, carefully spray circuit- coolant onto each resistor in the
circuit. one at a time. The most likely
ones are circled in the figure.
Whenever you hit one that makes
a change in the rolling, etc., replace it.
Don't stop though! If you find one
bad one, there can always be another
one just like it. Check them all to save
being called back on the job.
Incidentally, although it doesn't
look as if it would, high power- factor
or loss of capacitance, or both, in that
100 -MF electrolytic in the vertical output cathode circuit can also upset vertical sync, especially the "lock" action!
Disconnect it and check it, to make
sure.
NEGATIVE PIX

I've been working on an RCA CTC7


AUGUST

color chassis. The picture looks very odd.


Colors look funny and unnatural, though
they're close. I've checked the video
stages all the way through, and they
seem to be ok. Don't have a scope. All
voltages close to normal. I'm lost! What
next ? -D.Y., Cleveland, Ohio.
Analyze! One thing that can
make colors "look funny" is either a
loss of the "video (Y component) or
a negative picture. Try a few calibrated- eyeball tests. Turn the color
completely off. See if the B/W picture
is either very weak (or even completely missing) or negative.
If so, go and check the video de-

tector diode. Since


seem to be ok, this
likely suspect. If the
almost open, it can

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Circle 14 on reader service card

the video stages


is now the most
diode is leaky or
cause just such

symptoms.
PS: While you're there, check
the video output, cathode capacitor on
the contrast control.
SUBSTITUTE FOR

12R5

The vertical output tube, a 12R5,


went out in this GE 14P1215 portable
TV. Not having one, I replaced it with a
12CA5. Worked for about 5 minutes, then
a white band showed on the bottom of
the screen. .,Vot too long after this the
12CA5 went out. All adjustments react
normally, but the tube won't hold up.
-A.E., Neptune City, N.J.
This looks like one of those cases

of "same basing but different characteristics" in the two tubes. The 12CA5
has a maximum power dissipation of
only 1.5 watt, the 1285, 4.5 watts.
Normal cathode current in this set is
about 40 mA, which is above the rating of the 12CA5. I'd advise using an
exact replacement tube.
If you still get the foldover, check
the 12R5 coupling capacitor. This
causes most of this type of trouble. R -E

1971

rui send you 2 FREE BOOKS

describing the opportunities


in Electronics.
My TOLL -FREE Number is

800- 321 -2155

Or Ohio, call 800 -362-2105).


For details about the famous CIE
home study courses in Electronics, s =_e our ad on pages 18 -21.
Cleveland

Institute of Electronics

1716 East 17th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44114

69
www.americanradiohistory.com

NEW PRODUCTS
More information on new products is available from the manufacturers
of items identified by a Reader Service number. Use the Reader Service
Card on page 91 and circle the numbers of the new products on which
you would like further information. Detach and mail the postage -paid card.

MAINTENANCE IN A CASE, model


)90, features portable test equipment for
electrical, temperature and rotational
speed measurements. Seven devices and
accessories include the vom, the hand lu l(! t.i( lion 'ter 'generator, tr
perature
i

ACCESSORIES FOR PC BOARDS, Circuit Zaps. Line of copper component


patterns and accessories for custom and
prototype production of PC boards. Circuit Zaps available in four design
groups. Each pattern is precision -etched
on a 5 -mil glass epoxy base material and
backed with pressure -sensitive adhesive.
The patterns are placed on either pre-

punched or unpunched circuit board in


any desired schematic or component layout. Patterns offered include TO -type,
with 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 leads; dual in14
and 16 leads; reline with
sistor /diode types, conductor pads and
both single and dual component pads.
International Rectifier Corp., El Segundo, Calif. 90245.

soldering. Tip requires no filing or shaping during its life. Weighs less than 7 oz.
including line cord. $8.55 plus cost of
tip. -Ersa of Germany, Edsyn, Inc.,
15954 Arminta St., Van Nuys, Calif.
91406.
Circle 33 on reader service card
COLOR TV YOKE, P/N OCY -95, fits
19 ", 23" and 25" rectangular color picture
tubes. One yoke replaces 35 original equipment models. Exact replacement for
Merit DIDF -145C, T / \I Y -109, Stancor
DY -95AC, and Triad 1C- 312 -2. Used by

Circle

31 on reader service

card

MIDGET RATCHET KIT, model 6320,


consists of screwdriver handle CMH -3,
miniature stainless -steel 20 -tooth ratchet
with 18 working arc, and extention
shaft plus 17 snap -in drive tips. Twelve
Allen Hex type adapters, two slotted-

probe, ac ammeter adapter, line separater, leads, shunt, with a black plastic
carrying case. Weight is 10 lbs with
5221.00.- Triplett Corp.,
equipment.
Bluffton, Ohio 45817.
Circle 36 on reader service card
FIELD STRENGTH METER, model
747, solid -state portable, capable of measuring the signal levels of all uhf, vhf
and FM channels, plus mid -band and
super band CATV channels. Designed
for the professional TV system installer,
the meter tunes from 50 to 260 MIIIz and
470 to 890 NIHz. Accuracy is 1.75
dB; 50 to 260 MHz; and 3 dB, 470 to
890 MHz over temperature range from
.

major manufacturers including Admiral,


Dumont, Emerson, Alotorola, RCA. Sears,
etc. Complete schematic and all manufacturer's part numbers enclosed with each
unit. 858.95.- Oneida Electronic Mfg.
Co., 843 N. Cottage St., \leadville, Pa.
16335.

Circle 34 on reader service card

FET VOM, model 3000 kit. Input im-

head adapters, two Phillips head adapters and one '" square drive adapter.
Brochure detailing several kits of tools
and adapters in the line also available.
Kit 6320 is 812.95.- Chapman Mfg. Co.,
Route 17 at Sawmill Rd., Durham,
Conn. 06422.
Circle 32 on reader service card
GUN,
Ersa
Sprint.
SOLDER
Lightweight 150 -watt soldering iron and
gun for home or shop, designed for fast
spot soldering. Ten -second warmup. Normal operating power consumption drops
to approximately 80 watts for continuous

pedance, 10 megohms 1%; frequency response 20


Hz to 20 kHz
1V on 0.3V scale,
20 Hz to 100 Hz
1`I or better on
all scales. Ranges:
ac -de volts, 300 mV
th ,
to 1000 volts full
scale. 10 ohm center scale to 10 megohms center scale. IC operational amplifier. Two stage transistor current regulator
and Zener diode on ohms. $74.95. -Delta
Products, Inc., Box 1147, Grand Junction,
Colo. 81501.
Circle 35 on reader service card

20 F to 100 F. Provides simultaneous


readings in microvolts and dBmV, with a
range from 10 \' ( -30 dBmV ) to 1.0
volts ( +60 dBmV ). Fully integrated with
single input for entire spectrum and
single knob tuning. $450.00.-Jerrold
Electronics, 401 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 1910.5.
Circle 37 on reader service card
IC AMPLIFIER AND PREAMP, Sinclair
IC -12, on one silicon monolithic clip. Mid-

band distortion 0.1% with harmonic distortion at any frequency and power less than
RAD O-EL ECTR ON CS

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Update your RadiolTVskHs


with these aids
Completely up -to -date, written by experts and
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COLOR -TV FIELD -SERVICE


GUIDES
Invaluable

TRANSISTOR AUDIO
AMPLIFIERS

1 -2 -3 -4 SERVICING
TRANSISTOR COLOR TV

By Jack Darr

By Forest H. Belt
and Associates
MVO

for

Aift

servicing Color -TV


in the customer's

>.

home. Each volume


contains 80 diagrams covering over
3,000 chassis

sensibly

organized with

detailed chassis layout charts on one page


and specific adjustment procedures on opposite page. Indexed for instant reference.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.

2
3

No. 20796 -$4.95


No. 20807-$4.95
No. 20847 -$4.95

-2 -3 -4 SERVICING AUTOMOBILE STEREO


1

By Forest H. Belt
&

Associates

Gives you a good, working knowledge of transistor circuits found in


audio equipment of all
sizes. Shows how the
circuits work normally,
what changes take place
when trouble occurs, and how to
service the solid -state equipment. An invaluable guide for all who service transistor circuits. No. 20838 -$5.50

Details the simple 1 -2 -3 -4


servicing method and steps that get
transistor Color -TV sets fixed easily and right
every time. No. 20777-$4.95

STUDY GUIDE
FOR CET
EXAMINATIONS

UNDERSTANDING
OSCILLATORS

By J. A. Wilson,

M.

By Irving

Gottlieb

CET and

Dick Glass, CET


comprehensive review of the material
covered by the CET
A

Explains the simple


1

-2 -3 -4

servicing meth-

od, shows how easy it


is to apply the method to

automobile stereo, 1m multiplex, and tape cartridge systems. Clear, easy-to -read illustrations,
charts and schematics to make servicing easy.
No. 20737 -$3.95

(Certified Electronics Technician) examination. It's almost


a "must" for gaining a CET designation, for passing a state or local licensing
exam, or as a "brush -up" in applying for a
position in the electronics field. Includes question- and- answer sections and a 50- question
test in each chapter. No. 20834-$5.95

99

101 QUES-

ELECTRON IC *4+,;...
PROJECTS E41CTqoivrC

TIONS AND
ANSWERS
ABOUT CB
ANTENNAS

By Herbert

Friedman

Aft recrs

E.

as

well

those experienced in elec-

tronics. Covers sixteen groups of


projects, including audio, photography, automotive, remote controls, lamp and motor control circuits, etc., many of which can be
built inexpensively. No. 20818$3.50

SECOND -CLASS
hchdbool,

Hicks

RADIOTELEPHONE
LICENSE
HANDBOOK,
4th Edition
By Edward
M. NoII

An

as

...

By David

By Jim Ashe

intriguing, easy -tofollow book for hobbyists

CITIZENS
BAND RADIO
HANDBOOK.
4th Edition

want to
know about oscillators
how they work, their many personalities and variations, strong and weak points,
how they are used in practical applications,
how to service them. A most useful text for
engineers and technicians. No. 20837 -$4.50
What you

Best overall guide to the selection


and installation of the proper antenna for your Citizens band radio.
An ideal guide for beginners, it
also answers questions about how
to improve performance and range
of already operating equipment
and to repair and maintain CB antennas. No. 20749 -52.95

Now that two -way radio is available to any citizen, this revised
edition answers the many problems
and questions of all who use, or
plan to use, CB equipment. Covers
how to obtain a CB license, operating procedures, equipment, ac-

cessories, circuit analysis, servicing data, trouble- shooting hints,


etc. No. 20839 -54.95

Information needed to pass the 2nd


class FCC radiotelephone exam.
Questions and answers are based
on the FCC exam for Elements I,
II and Ill. Also covers communications theory and practices, solid state two-way equipment. FCC
Rules and Regulations, operating
practices and procedures, reference date, etc. No. 20824 -$6.50

r
HOWARD W. SAMS & CO., INC.
Order from your Electronics Parts Distributor,
or mail to Howard W. Sams & Co., Inc., Dept. RE -081
4300 West 62nd Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268.
Send books checked at right. $
enclosed.
Please include sales tax where applicable.
Send FREE 1971 Sams Book Catalog.

You'll find everything


you want to know about
Radio or TV
in the modern Sams
Technical Library.
Send for our free catalog.

Name

(Please Print)

20796

20834

20807

20837

20847

20818

20838

20749

20777

20839

20737

20824

Address
Howard W. Sams & Co., Inc.
4300 W. 62nd St., Indianapolis, Ind. 46268

City

State

L
Circle 61 on reader .service cure(

AUGUST

1971

Zip

J
71

www.americanradiohistory.com

RELIABLE, GUARANTEED

ELECTRONIC

IGNITION SYSTEM

for less than

S25

up to rated output. Output, 6 watts


rms at 8 ohms. Integral heat sink is an
aluminum extrusion. 1C -12 comes with a
printed circuit board pre -drilled for the
required external components. $12.00.
Audionics, Inc., 8600 S.E. Sandy Blvd.,
Portland, Ore. 97220.
Circle 38 on reader service card
1%

ick

see

dee

electronic
ignition system
Here is a completely assembled
electronic ignition system that
you can install on your car in
twenty minutes and get better
performance
improved gas
mileage. Saves tune -ups by increasing plug and point life.
Guaranteed by America's foremost manufacturer of electronic
ignition systems. Install tomorrow's ignition system on your
car today. Sold at better automotive supply stores everywhere.
Write today for literature.

COLOR TV CONTROLS. Replacement


controls of major TV manufacturers are
packaged and indexed in standard inventory boxes containing 10 controls.
The color controls are for convergence,
audio, focus, color sensitivity, age delay,
brightness, vertical and horizontal cen-

one set to the next to give motion. The


rate of shift is determined by the major
beat of the music. Organ operates from
transistor radios to professional sound
equipment without adjustments for music
volume. Unit enclosed in walnut -stained
cabinet,
solid -state
construction.
$79.95. -REO Enterprises, Box 1292,
Escondido, Calif. 92025.
Circle 41 on reader service card
ANTENNA, "Brand X" model AC -802
For black- and -white or color uhf -vhf reception and FM, this antenna has a 96"
boom. Made of aluminum elements, high

svnsorT

RESEARCH & MFG. CO.


CONSHOHOCKEN, PA. 19428
Circle 62 on reader service card

SAVE TIME

& MONEY

WITH

VEROBOARD

impact insulators and crush -proof mast


clamp, the antenna features snap-out elements. $26.95.- Antenna Corp. of America, Box 865, Burlington, Iowa 52601.
Circle 42 on reader service card
tering, horizontal frequency and vertical
linearity. Vest- pocket cross -reference for
all TV manufacturers included with each
box. Each manufacturer has own separate sets of boxes of controls.- Workman
Electronic Products, Inc., Box 3828,
Sarasota, Fla. 33578.
Circle 39 on reader service card
SPEAKER SYSTEMS, Decorator Series.
Three variations of the Model 6. Hand designed speakers feature grilles of either
walnut (6DW), antique brass screen
(6DS), or antique brass mesh (6DM).

KITS
This introduc-

tory

BK -6

kit

will familiarize
engineers, technicians or exper-

imenters with

the unique Vero


method of cir-

cuit construc-

tion, which eliminates the need for etching, drilling and tools.
The BK-6 Kit consists of six Veroboards,
two with a 0.2 x 0.2 matrix and four with
a 0.156 x 0.1 matrix, both having a 0.052
diameter hole. Price $5.95.
VERO MODEL
InMC -10 Kit
tegrated circuit
breading kit de.
signed for dual

STEREO SECURITY LOCK,


model 21, locks auto stereo unit to its
mounting bracket. Installed without alteration or rewiring of the tape player, this
CAR

The Model 6 will still by available with


its conventional grille. From $144.95 to
$156.95, depending on region of U.S.
KLH Research & Development Corp., 30
Cross St., Cambridge, Mass. 02139.
Circle 40 on reader service card

lock features a tumbler mechanism and


special key for owner. Recommended for
use also with auto and truck CB radios,
and mobile telephones. $5.95. -Bolen Industries, Inc., 789 Main St., Hackensack,
N.J. 07601.
Circle 43 on reader service card

RADIO CONVERTERS, models KC4007,


4008, 4009, 4010. Build an integrated circuit solid -state converter to use with
standard AM radio for vhf reception
from 118 -164 MHz reception. Kit

COLOR ORGAN, MACH 111, coordinates sound, light and motion. Turns on
colored lights with presence of low,
midrange and high tones from the music.

line inte-

grated circuits.
gr
Contains single
sided 18" long
board, plug in
single and double sided Veroboard, plain
glass board all pierced on .1" x .1" centers.
Also includes connector, pins, tools and
design sheet. Price $29.95.

VERO ELECTRONICS INC.


171 Bridge Road, Hauppauge, N.Y. 11787

Phone 516 234 -0400

Contains three sets of red, green and


blue lights. With only one set of lights
on at a time, the light will change from

Circle 63 on reader service card

KC4007 for aircraft bands; KC4008 picks


up ham, government, space research
bands; KC4009 for marine, mobile, fire
and police frequencies; KC4010 for police
and fire communications. $10.95 each.-

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

72
www.americanradiohistory.com

RCA IC Kits, 415 So. 5th St., Harrison,


N. J. 07029.
Circle 44 on reader service card
BURGULAR /FIRE ALARM, "Sound O$". Security alarm operates on 4 D -size

exact tape location and extremely low internal friction. Temperature and humidity do not affect the stability of this
metal cassette. Fits any standard cassette
machine. Comes in 60 -, 90 -, or 120 -minute lengths. Five -screw design permits
easy tape editing. Price begins at
$3.95. -Auricord Div., Scovill, 35 -41
29th St., Long Island City, N.Y. 11106.
Circle 46 on reader service card

batteries. Dual horns are triggered when


illegal entry is attempted. Doubles as fire
alarm: excessive heat in the room automatically sets off alarm. Time -delay

LOUDSPEAKER
SYSTEM, Hegentan
I.
source
Point
loudspeaker system
uses a hemispherical

radiation pattern to
produce balance between direct and reverberant
sound.
The two-way coax ially mounted units
each have one 63z"
full -range high corn pliance driver and
one 1" domed super- tweeter. Overall frequency response
is 30 Hz to 20 kHz; power handling capacity is 25 watts. 5 kHz crossover frequency, and 8 ohms impedance. Floor
standing speakers are teak vinyl finished
with black grille. $180.00 per pair.
Hegeman Labs., Inc., Glen Ridge, N.J.

switch allows option for immediate reaction or 15 second delay time for turning
off unit on entering. Transistorized,
solid -state circuitry. Additional entrances
can be protected by adding switches in
series with the original device. $44.95.
Airflyte Electronics Co., Security Div.,
56 Hook Rd., Bayonne, N.J. 07002.

Circle 47 on reader service card


MICRO-TWEEZERS, Ereurettes. Made

Circle 45 on reader service card

METAL CASSETTE, designed to eliminate static charge problems developed in

of non -magnetic stainless steel, this assortment of twelve micro-tweezers is de-

plastic calm ties. Metal housing contains


two machined bearing tape guides for

signed for use in microelectronic assembly, to be used under a microscope.


Overall length of 35" maximum. Available with heavy or fine tips, smooth or
serrated, Teflon or Kynar coated. Free
160 page catalog available.- TechniTool, Inc., 1216 Arch St., Philadelphia,
Pa. 19107.
Circle 48 on reader service card
CCTV CAMERA, model CTC -4000.
Solid -state fully automatic vidicon closed
circuit TV camera. The only operating
control is lens focus. The CTC -4000 features silicon transistor circuitry, an FET
input providing high signal -to-noise ratio, even under poor lighting conditions.
Resolution exceeds 450 TV lines. Camera
automatically compensates for scene illumination over a range of 4000 to 1. Pro-

$8.95

The NEW

PLUS SHIPPING

IC -12

Nearly three years ago Sinclair introduced


the IC-10, the world's first monolithic integrated circuit amplifier and preamp. IC technology has progressed rapidly and we now
introduce the successor to the IC-10, the new
IC -12. The IC12 offers many advantages in
terms of performance over the IC -10 and any
other monolithic device in its price and
power range. A minimum of external components is required, distortion remains very
low, and RMS power output is improved. The
IC -12 is supplied with a comprehensive applications manual and a circuit board for use
in audio applications. The IC -12 may be used
with batteries or with the Sinclair PZ.5 or
PZ -6 power supplies.
Freq. response: 5HZ to 100KHZ 1 db. Depending upon external components and

circuit.

DELUXE COLOR ORGAN CIRCUITS!

UP TO 35,000 WATTS
A.P.M. SYSTEMS CORP., MANUFACTURERS OF THE FINEST
COLOR ORGANS IN THE WORLD, NOW OFFER YOU THE MOST
ADVANCED AND POWERFUL COLOR ORGAN CIRCUITS.
AVAILABLE IN 3 AND 4 CHANNEL KITS FEATURING:
Solid State (easy to assemble printed
Electronically balanced circuitry
circuit).
permits one step tuning.
All UL listed components.
Wires to any popular sound system in
3 channel

circuit - 2,670 watts - easily

converted to handle up to 26,250 watts.


4 channel circuit - 3,556 watts - easily
converted to handle up to 35,000 watts.

SEND TODAY
FREE color brochure
with each kit order.

the same manner as a speaker.


2 year unconditional guarantee on
all parts.
Easy to assemble kit form.

PLEASE RUSH ME MY A.P M. COLOR ORGAN KIT. AS INDICATED BELOW:


o choice.
Check one boa to Ruben* manner
of IaYmmt.
3 Channel Kit - 537.95
4 Channel Kd - 554.95
enclose lull payment_ Ship kit postpaid.
26.250 watts - 52 00
3 Channel Plans
enclose 55.00 deposit. Shp kit C.O.D.
4 Channel Plans
35.000 watts - 52.00
for balance plus postage.
Color brochure on water sw ls and hying
walls
5.50

Cheek boa to M.:bea

Name

A.P.M. SYSTEMS, INC.


1551 Almaden Rd.
San Jose, Calif. 95125

AUGUST

residen
add 5%
sales tea

The IC -12 is available from authorized dealers or from Audionics, Inc.

AUDIONICS, INC.
8600 NE Sandy Blvd.

Portland, Oregon 97220


Name
Address

Calltorma

THD: Typically 0.1 %, less than 1% all audible frequencies up to rated output.
Power Output: 6 watts RMS into 8 ohms at
28 -30 vdc.
Gain: 90 db.
Idle Current: 8 mA.
Operating Voltage: 6-30 vdc.
Noise: -70 db or better.
Heatsinking Required: None, extruded aluminum fin is integral part of design.
Package: Standard 16 Pin Dual in -line.

Add

City b Sute

Z p

A.P.M. SYSTEMS, INC. Dept. M15


P.O. Box 9159, San Jose, Calif. 95117

State

City

Zip

PLEASE SEND ME:

_IC -12's @

$8.95 ea.

$1.00 shipping

_PZ -5 Power Supplies @ $13.95 + $1.50


shipping ea.
_PZ6 Regulated Supplies @ $23.95 + $1.50
shipping ea.
FREE information

re

Circle 64 on reader service card

1971

73
www.americanradiohistory.com

ELECTRONIC

duces usable pictures with as little as 2


footcandles of light and can handle up to

TECHNICIANS!

traviolet light source. An exposure glass,


clamps, developer, etchant, trays, resist

AN-

Raise your professional standing


and prepare for promotion! Win
your diploma in

All

'HOTO RESIST
OE

VElOPER

b2

ENGINEERING
MATHEMATICS
from the Indiana Home
Study Institute
We are proud to announce two great
new courses in Engineering Mathematics
for the electronic industry.
These unusual courses are the result of
many years of study and thought by the
President of Indiana Home Study, who
has personally lectured in the classroom
to thousands of men, from all walks of
life, on mathematics, and electrical and
electronic engineering.
You will have to see the lessons to appreciate them!
NOW you can master engineering
mathematics and actually enjoy doing it!
WE ARE THIS SURE: you sign no
contracts-you order your lessons on a
money -back guarantee.
In plain language, it you aren't satisfied you don't pay, and there are no
strings attached.
Write today for more information and
your outline of courses.
You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!

60,000 lux. An F1.6 1nnn lens included.


Closed
Circuit TV
$199.50. -GBC
Corp., 74 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y.
10011.
Circle 49 on reader service card
SPRAY CLEANER,
.1/ASK- N -GLAS,

#840.

Antistatic

remover, drill and complete instructions


are also included. $10.80. -Injectorall
Electronics Corp., 4 North Road, Great
Neck, N.Y. 11024.
Circle 52 on reader service card
PORTABLE TEST COLOR JIG, model
P -1 comes completely assembled, weighs
30 lbs., matches all U.S. color sets. Basic
test instrument without color bar, meters,

glass and
plastic
aerosol spray for

cleaning
picture
television
tubes,
masks, glass and
portable
cabinets.
Non -abrasive, nonstaining, leaves antistatic coating that
itisTIG
will not attract dust
POtR41
or dirt. Each 8 -oz.
can includes lintfree polishing cloth. -Chemtronics, Inc.,
1260 Ralph Ave., B'klyn., N.Y. 11236.
ANO GLASS

The INDIANA
HOME STUDY INSTITUTE

BEN

Dept. RE -8, P.O. Box 1189, Panama City, Fla. 32401

AND

Circle 50 on reader service card


Circle 65 on reader service card

/A\ ILABLE

NOW

Johnson's new
Duo -Scan'
puts it all

MAGNETIC PICKUPS, V -15 Phase /VAT and V -15 Phase IV -ATE. Cartridge
models with replaceable floating stylus
with Dustamatic brush. Stylus system
redesigned from earlier model to provide
lower moving mass for better frequency

or special circuitry. Color picture tube


necessary
and
cables
included.
$149.95.- Pix -O-Scope, Inc., 3311 Shelby
St.. Indianapolis, Ind. 46227.
R-E
Circle 53 our reader service card

NEW
LITERATURE

together.

All booklets catalogs, charts, data


sheets and other literature listed here
with a Reader's Service number are
free for the asking. Turn to the
Reader Service Card on page 91
and circle the numbers of the items
you want. Then detach and mail the
card. No postage required!
HAND TOOLS CATALOG, No. 72, lists com-

Low band and high band


channels in any combination
Auto -scan with push- button
"lock -out" plus manual
Base and mobile operation
with built- in'power supply

JOHNSON
tat

Waseca, Minnesota 56093


Circle 66 out reader service card
J

response and greater tracking ability.


Stylus size for IV -AT is .0007 Spherical,
for the IV -ATE .0004 z .0007 Elliptical.
The tracking force for both is 3 1
grams. Nominal frequency response 20
to 18,0()0 Hz.-Pickering & Co., Inc.,
IO1 Sunnysidc Blvd., Plainview, L.I.,
N.Y. 11803.
Circle 51 on reader service card

PRINTED CIRCUIT, model 650. This


photo -etch printed circuit kit enables beginners and professionals to prepare
PC's. Kit uses photosensitive method
with no need for darkroom. Materials are
included to make negatives from magazine circuits. Kit 650 contains two photosensitized 3" x 4" copper clad boards, a
photographic test negative and an nl-

plete line of screwdrivers, nutdrivers, scratch


awls, 4 -in -I tools, window anti -rattlers. All items
are illustrated. -Upson Tools. Inc., Box 4750,
99 Ling Rd.. Rochester. N.Y. 14612.

Circle 54 on reader service card


WARNING DEVICE BROCHURE, describes
DeltAlert, Deltanorn, and Super DeltAlert
Package, all warning signal security systems. In-

cludes ideas on effective use of the devices, diagram of the circuit operation. circuit description,
and complete specifications. -Delta Products,
Inc., P.O. Box 1147, Grand Junction, Colo. 81501.

Circle 55 on reader service card


Write direct to the manufacturers for information on itetn listed below:
PARTS AND KITS CATALOG, No. 212,
Spring/Summer 1971. Buying guide of electronic
parts, accessories and kits for the builder, hobbyist, fix -it man, or experimenter. 116 pages of
tubes. transistors. cables, tools, connectors, wire,
plugs, adapters, antennas and test equipment.Allied Radio Shack, 2725 W. 7th St., Fort Worth,
Texas 76107.
R -E

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

74
www.americanradiohistory.com

USE A

VOM

AS A DWELL METER

If you have a vom, you have


most of the essentials of an automobile tune -up dwell meter. The construction of a simple probe, which is
plugged into the meter, will allow the
vom to be used to check the dwell
angle at which the distributor points
are set.
As shown in Fig. 1, the probe
consists of a set of test leads, a capacitor, and a silicon rectifier. Observe
the polarities shown.

Observe the proper polarity, the


the coil to the distributor, and the
red lead to the hot wire going from
black lead to the ground. If your car
has a positive ground polarity, reverse the leads. Start the engine and
DWELL METER

%'OM AS

No.
of
cylinders
4

car's correct dwell angle by a constant


determined by the number of cylinders (see table) to determine the
proper reading for your car. Set the
points until the proper reading is
established.
The use of a dwell meter for
tune -up allows longer use of a set of
points and gives a much better tuneup than the feeler gage method of
setting points. Since points erode in
a rough pattern a feeler gage cannot
establish a precise dimension on used
points. The dwell meter, however,
checks the percentages of electrical
opened and closed time in order to accurately determine the dwell angle.
-Henry Zave
R-E

Dwell

Multiply

angle
From tune up manual

by

Desired
meter
reading

0.0111

0.0166
0.0221

6
B

EXAMPLE:
0.66

0.0221

30

read the decimal equivalent of the


SET VOM ON
HIGH OR MEDIUM
OHMS RANGE

cam dwell angle on a 1 -, 10 -, 100,


etc., scale of the vom. Multiply the

"ANNOUNCING MY 3R0 GRAND OPENING!"

"I opened
.05,400V

my first

Allied Radio Shack store

130V,
500 mA

with a small investment

DIODE
BLACK

"The

RED

TO GND

TO HOT

WIRE

FIG.I

-in

PLUG
WIRES

RED

DISTRIBUTOR

BLACK
1

FROM COIL

IGN

COIL
SPARK
PLUG

RED

BLACK

now

I own 3"

Obtain the proper dwell angle for


your car from the owner's manual,
or other tune -up literature. Switch the
vom to the high- or medium -resistance
range and short the black and red
test leads together. Set the OHMS

HOT WIRE

smartest move
ever
made
June, 1968 opened
my first retail store in Portsmouth, N.H. Things happened
fast and with the profits from
that store
opened a second,
in Dover, N.H., in July 1969.
My 3rd Grand Opening? June
1, 1971, in Holyoke, Mass. Believe me when say the Allied
Radio Shack plan is the greatest thing going in consumer

44.,
rA

,-P.40

electronics."

Tony Esposito

$30,000 PUTS YOU IN BUSINESS

FOR YOURSELF!

Allied Radio Shack is a division of Tandy Corp. (NYSE) and the nation's biggest consumer
electronics retailer-over 950 stores from coast -to -coast and in Alaska! We offer a unique
franchise opportunity to energetic men and women who want a retail business of their own.
Within weeks you can be the outright owner of a store too. You get the full benefit of
our 50 years of experience, right away. Here's your chance to be your own boss, to be
an important part of the community you select for your store, to achieve real success,
real status.

*
*
*
*

OUR PLAN IS SUCCESS -DESIGNED

PROFITS!
PRESTIGE!

SECURITY!

It covers everything from your Grand Opening to everyday


operations. A full -color annual catalog, dynamic sales flyers and local newspaper ads keep the customers coming!
You benefit from creative merchandising, continuing assistance, plus the convenience of dealing with a single, reliable vendor.

YOU'RE IN A CLASS BY YOURSELF

There's no other operation like ours . . no one else can


sell the same brands "right across the street." You'll be
selling Allied Radio Shack's own nationally famous products including 100's of exclusives not sold elsewhere:
Allied and Realistic audio and CB products, Knight -Kits,
Archer antennas and parts, Radio Shack batteries, PortaVision Concertape, many others. All priced "right" for
healthy gross profits for you.

INDEPENDENCE!
MA

CALL COLLECT
OR WRITE . . .
Bernabei
Vice President
Allied Radio Shack
2617 West 7th Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76107

TANnV <.()HPIIHATION COMPANY

Locations available from coast to coast!


I

SEND ME FULL FRANCHISE DETAILS

Dept.

FR. 8

A. A.

knob for full scale, just as in


normal use. Connect the leads to the
car as shown in Fig. 2.

ZERO

AUGUST

Phone (8171

3367163

Name (print)
I

Phone

Street
Lty

1971

State

Zip

MI J
I

75
www.americanradiohistory.com

only MASTER
offers you
32 choices ,

COMING
NEXT

MONTH

Choose
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want it. The perfect tool at an unbeatable
price ... as low as $75! Send for your
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MASTER

SEPTEMBER

1971

TV Antenna Accessories

Bob Middleton takes a close look at


all those extras -hardware, booster
amplifiers, lead -in, etc.
you
must use every time you install an

-that

antenna.

HEAT TORCHES

All About Resistors


Complete picture of what resistors
are, how they work, and the electronic
rules that apply to them. As a device
they may seem simple -but they
aren't.

Racine, WI 53403

Circle 67 on reader service curd

UNEXCELLED! THE UI/M ANTENNA

Build

R -E's

Waveform Generator

You get both square -waves and pulses


from this solid -state instrument. Use
two small circuit boards to make it

UHF -VHF -FM

COLOR

work.

Combination
UHF- VHF -FM Antennas

Sweep Alignment Techniques


Jack Darr tells how to use sweep
alignment to SERVICE tv sets. As he
so carefully details -this is vital to
good color reception.

t .iurtcot ptttim4KC.
Tuned and engineered featuring a LOG PERIODIC
VHF section incorporating a PATENTED MAGNETIC
WAVE design for UHF. Discriminate between desired signal and unwanted noise. An absence of
minor lobes and extremely high front to back ratio
are characteristics of these antennas. Mechanical
features include all new fittings and special alloy
aluminum tubing for added strength. Six models

available.
Write or phone for complete information.

PLUS:

Home Appliance Electronics


Kwik -Fix Troubleshooting Charts
Designing Solid -State Amplifiers
IC

Potpourri

S s. A ELECTRONICS, INC.
210 W. Florence

St.

Phone (419) 693 -0528

Toledo, Ohio 43605

Circle 68 on reader service card

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

76
www.americanradiohistory.com

EXPERIMENTERS DREAM BENCH

(continued from page 45)


former (Variac), which can vary the
ac line voltage from zero to 10 or 15
percent above normal, thus converting
almost any other kind of power supply
into a variable one. Great for getting
odd voltages from transformers, testing
amplifiers, transmitters, etc., at reduced
voltage. Such a transformer is especially
convenient if it has its own switch, fuse,
ac voltmeter, and a couple of outlets as
well as a pair of (insulated!) binding
posts. Such transformers are widely
available for $10 or so on the surplus
market. That's the cheapest way to get
one. Mount it on a board or panel, in a
box or old chassis or what -have -you,
and that's a start. Refinements, like a
meter, can come later. At the other end
of the expenditure range is a complete
thing like the Superior Electric UC1MB
"Voltbox": 0 -140 volts to 10 amps,
line /load metering with built -in meter,
receptacles, binding posts. fuse, linecord
and all that for $122.50. Others are
available at in- between prices.
Next most important are variable
dc power supplies. For occasional powering of simple small- signal transistor
circuits in the breadboard stage, something as inexpensive as the Radio Shack
Micronta 22-008 ($7.95) will work as a
battery -eliminator, giving a choice of
four voltages at moderate currents. Several low- priced variable supplies are
available, some regulated, some not.
Check out the Eico 1020 (kit, $25.95;
wired, $34.95), Heathkit IP -18 (kit,
$21.95), or the Heath EUW-17 (wired
only, $32). A somewhat more elaborate unit, which provides regulated,
low -ripple dc from 0 to 30 volts, 0 to
500 mA, and separate voltmeter and
ammeter, is Eico's 1032 (wired, $59.95).
RCA makes a useful series of variable,
regulated and metered supplies. The
WP -700A delivers 0-20 volts at up to
200 mA, for $48. A dual unit, consisting
on two WP- 700A's in the same housing,
with independent meters, output terminals and controls, is called the WP -702A
and costs $87. Two other supplies in the
series provide higher maximum output
voltages or currents, each for about $60.
Heath's top -of-the -line is an excellent buy in a sophisticated power supply for solid -state experimental work.
It's the IP -27 (kit. $79.95)/IPW -27
(wired, $125.) It provides voltages from
0.5 to 50 at currents from zero to 1.5
amperes, current -limiting overload protection, metering, a floating output (either negative or positive output terminal
(or neither) can be grounded to the
chassis. If you still do enough tube work
to make it worth while, the Heathkit IP17 provides 0 to 400 volts dc at up to
125 mA, 6- and 12 -volt ac filament
(heater) supplies, and up to 100 volts
negative to ground at low current as a
bias supply.
You will probably also want a 12volt high- current source as a battery
eliminator and charger. There are many
to choose from: Heath, Eico, Electro,
Lafayette, Schauer, Terado, and others.
Battery eliminators generally have better

AUGUST

(less ripple and lower output


impedance), but chargers often can supply a higher maximum current.
An inverter (to supply 115 Vac
from a l2 -Vdc source) can be useful in
field or mobile work. Prices range from
about $30 in kit form for a 200-W unit
to over $600 (for a -kW unit, factory
wired)
The inventory of instruments can
go on and on almost forever. There's an
enormous variety of commercial instruments and gadgets available, and if
you add to that the more specialized instruments that you can design for yourself or build from magazine articles,
there's hardly any limit. The whole thing
is a little like trying to define infinity by
thinking of a very large number: no
matter how large a number I call out,
you can always call out a bigger one. If
we've missed a particular favorite of
yours, it's not because it isn't useful; it
may be that we just didn't think of it, or
decided to draw our limits in such a way
that that instrument was excluded.
We've emphasized instruments for the
serious hobbyist /experimenter. as contrasted with instruments for the service
bench or research lab. or instruments
for highly specialized applications. If
your work takes you frequently into automotive areas, you will want a timing
light, dwell meter, ignition analyzer or a
complete engine analyzer. If you're
heavily into remote -controlled models,
you'll want to tip your assortment of instruments in that direction. And so on.
But the range of equipment outlined
here should enable you to do almost anything in electronics. Often a particular
instrument merely makes a certain job
easier, faster or more accurate; it's not
that the job is impossible without it. For
example, an oscilloscope is an almost indispensable tool; but an intermodulation
distortion meter is not-you can do a
filtering

very good job of measuring IM with an


audio oscillator and a scope, but not as
conveniently. That's something to think
about before you blow a lot of bucks on
a very specialized device that you won't
need very often.
The same goes to some extent for
your parts and tool assortment. If radio
control is very much your bag, you will
want a supply of resonant-reed relays;
otherwise, you'd be smarter not to tie up
the money. putting it instead into a larger quantity or variety of something
more universally useful, like resistors,
capacitors or transistors.
A final suggestion: It isn't necessary
for everyone to own everything. A certain amount of sharing and cooperation
can greatly cut down the cost of electronics as a hobby. To see expensive instruments collecting dust on a shelf is as
frustrating as to see long lines of large,
costly automobiles jammed end to end,
each carrying only a driver. That's a
very inefficient, uneconomical use of resources. Two or more of you could certainly get together and own some of the
more exotic instruments in common,
taking joint responsibility for their care.
This could make it possible for you to
have access to equipment that you alone
couldn't afford to own.
R -E

1971

Melted solder
disappears up
hollow tip
into tube

The ENDECO Desofdering Iron


Removes Soldered Components
in seconds...without damage!
Endeco melts solder; removes last trace

by vacuum. Leaves terminals and


mounting holes clean. Resolders PC
boards better than regular iron. One hand operation. Temperature controlled
for continuous use. Standard tip furnished, 5 other tip sizes. Pays for itself.
$20.65 net. Smaller size available. See
your distributor or write:

ENTERPRISE
DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION
5127

E.

65th

Indianapolis, Ind. 46220

Circle 69 on reader service card

CAMEI

I'll send you 2 FREE BOOKS


describing the opportunities
in Electronics.
My TOLL -FREE Number is

800- 321 -2155

(in Ohio, call 800 -362 -2105).


For details about the famous CIE
home -study courses in Electronics, see our ad on pages 18 -21.

Cleveland Institute of

Electronics

1776 East 17th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44114

77

www.americanradiohistory.com

used only to check for the presence or


absence of signal. In turn, a demod-

USING THE RIGHT PROBE

(continued from page 25)

ulator probe from one scope can be


used satisfactorily with another scope.

that i.f. signals can be displayed on a


scope screen. Note that a comparatively small value of coupling capacitance is used (270 pF). This capacitance, along with the 120,000 ohm shunt resistor, provides a short
time constant. Thus, the detected signal can rise and fall rapidly, as required to reproduce the main outline
of a composite video i.f. signal. The
220,000 -ohm series resistor is basically
an isolating resistor, and does not usually have a calibrating function.
Note in Fig. 8 that a demodulator probe has a low value of input capacitance (2.25 pF in this example).
This is helpful when checking in
tuned circuits, to avoid disturbing the
alignment. Because of the diode characteristics, the input resistance of a
demodulator probe is considerably
lower than might be supposed at first
glance. The input resistance also decreases as the frequency increases. At
500 kHz, the input resistance of the
demodulator probe is 25,000 ohms,
but at 200 MHz the input resistance
has dropped to 2,500 ohms. At TV
i.f.'s, the probe input resistance is approximately 10,000 ohms, which will
load the circuits appreciably. Therefore,

FIG. 9-SIGNAL -INJECTOR PROBE disassembled to show the electronics. Arrow


points to blocking oscillator.

SIGNAL
OUTPUT

.01
O SC

20K

2N33I

)
ATTENUATOR

l=

-"

.01

T.

.06

rl

--(

TO BATT.

10- BLOCKING

FIG.

demodulator probe is generally

Next, let us briefly consider current probes for scopes. The clamparound current probe illustrated in
Fig. 5 can be used to good advantage
with a service -type scope. To check a
horizontal -deflection current waveform, we merely connect the probe to
a scope, and clamp the probe around
the "low side" lead to the horizontal deflection coils. In turn, the sawtooth
deflection waveform is displayed on
the scope screen, without any disconnection and reconnection of the
circuit.
A signal- injection probe (also
called a signal- tracing probe) is basically an oscillator that operates at
about 2 kHz. Since a complex waveform is generated, strong harmonics
are also produced, which are useful
for quick checks of radio and TV circuitry. Fig. 9 shows the internal appearance of this type of probe, and a
typical circuit arrangement is depicted
in Fig. 10. This is a blocking-oscillator, which develops a pulse-type
output (some others use a transistor
multivibrator to develop a similar output signal). Some injection probes
provide a simple attenuator, and others apply the full output in all tests.
The chief advantage of this device is
its compactness and convenience.
When applied in audio circuits,
the fundamental output from the in-

OSCILLATOR

used in some signal -injector probes.

is

THE BETTER DEAL FROM BROOKS

FREE $1 BUY WITH EVERY 10 YOU ORDER


SARKES TARZIAN TUNER

41m

ab

latest Compact
Model good for
all 41 me TV's.
It RAND

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ASST 1 WATT
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some In

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stability, definition & smoothness
of operation. An opportunity -to
improve and bring your TV Re5795
ceiver up- to-date.
Best

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TRANSISTOR $2.95
UHF TUNER
TypE Used in an TV sets
TRANSISSTANDARD TUNER

TOR (GUIDED GRID)


S1'
4 Channel closed circuit
COLOR POWER TRANSFORMER
Good for most sets 226R150 f6.95

Price-

$30.75
1.ISt
5 ASSORTED GLOBAR

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TORS 01 -60V
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78

www.americanradiohistory.com

resistance, the multiplier in the probe


must have a value of 599,820,000
ohms. In other words, we will use a
600 -megohm multiplier resistor in this
example. Note that the 3 -volt scale
will employ a multiplying factor of
10,000. It is not practical to use some
other scale on the vom, because an
awkward multiplying factor would be
involved.
Another type of probe used with
a vom is called an rf diode probe. A
typical arrangement employs the circuit shown in Fig. 12. In this example, the probe is suitable for operation at frequencies from 100 kHz to
100 MHz. It can be used to measure

jector probe is utilized, and normally


produces a 2 -kHz note from the
speaker(s). In rf or i.f. circuits, the
appropriate harmonic is picked off by
the tuned circuits. A 2 -kHz note is
normally heard from the speaker, and
in TV receivers we will normally see
random "blobs" or noise streaks on
the picture -tube screen. By working
back step -by -step in a defective receiver, a defective stage that "kills" the
signal can be quickly located. Then,
more sophisticated instruments can be
used to pinpoint the defective part.
The chief probe used with a vom
is the high -voltage dc type of probe,
as mentioned previously. The only
difference between the vtvm and vom
types is in the value of the multiplier
resistor. For example, a vom probe
may have a multiplier resistance of
600 megohms, while a vtvm probe
may have a resistance of 1090 megohms. As an example, let us consider
a probe used to measure up to 30,000
volts on the 3 -volt range of a 20,000
ohms -per -volt vom. Ohm's law is applied as follows:
Since a 20,000 ohms -per-volt
vom is being used, its input resistance
on the 3 -volt range is 60,000 ohms;
the multiplier resistance is operative in
series with this resistance, as shown in
Fig. 11. Therefore, to obtain a 3 -volt
drop across the 60,000 ohms of input
CANADIANS: Ordering is easy

HIGH VOLTAGE
INPUT

TO

METER

600 MEG
(FOR 20K

FIG.

11

-HIGH- VOLTAGE

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IN

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and

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TAPPING
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and ISO 6/32 HEX NUTS
150 - ASST. 8/32 SCREWS
and 150 -8/32 HEX NUTS
150 - ASST. 2/56 SCREWS
and 150 -2/56 HEX NUTS
150 - ASST. 4/40 SCREWS
and 150 -4/40 HEX NUTS

FIG. 12 -RF DIODE PROBE is used at


high frequencies. This one can measure
up to 20 volts rms.

- try

ASST.

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in"

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valuat,le parta.

Incl.

Transistors

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selected sizes

100- ASSORTED
METS best sizes

5
5"
S"

5"
7"
7"

90 TV DEFLECTION YOKE
for all type Tts Mel schematic ..

51

S2

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for all type TV's lncl aehematle

..

TV CIRCUIT BREAKERS
2
Rated 4.2 TO 5.0 AMPS, etc.

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For SII round color CRT's

90 COLOR YOKE For an


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300'
600'
600'
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1200'
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1800'

$12.95

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TURE METER It_ < 1i;
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SO

"COMBINATION SPECIAL"

RUBBER GROM-

AUGUST 1971

$3

RCA 110 FLYBACK


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plus 110 DEFLECTION YOKE

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$1.79

60 minutes .89
00 minutes 1.54
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CASSETTE
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for all type TVs MO schematic ..

Your price ..
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TV ALIGNMENT TOOLS
Most useful assortment #1
4
TV ALIGNMENT TOOLS $1.49
For Color TV #2
TV COLOR ALIGNMENT $2.79
6
TOOLS 5t,,.t popular type ...
S1
5
PNP TRANSISTOR
general purpose. TO.5 case
5
NPN TRANSISTORS
$1
general purpose. TOS case
UNIVERSAL TV ANTENNA 5198
flack of set Mounting

standard

RCA's design of Large


Coil produces
assuring adequate width
tncl Schematic Diagram
application for any TV
List price $13.00

f1

- ASSORTED RIVETS
most useful selected sizes

uses

5/40 SCREWS

for $1
for $10

100

70 FLYBACK TRANSFORMER
S2
for all type TV Mel schematic ..

ASST. RUBBER BUMPERS

500

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Condensers, Resistors.
)teat Sink..
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110 TV DEFLECTION YOKE for


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and 150 -5 /40 HEX NUTS

ASSORTED WASHERS
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other

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COMPUTOR
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-ell for s

_Ilirt

for all

ASST. SELF
SCREWS #6. #8. ere.

150

After the apprentice discovers what a


full set of probes can do for him at
the bench, he will wonder how he ever
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R -E
aid to modern troubleshooting.

Latest type

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INS?

WESTINGHOUSE FM TUNER 52.99 RCA 110 FLYBACK TRANSFORMER


(12DTS Tube)

no display.
The best way to become familiar
with meter and scope probes is to
work with them. Most meters and
scopes are accompanied by instruction
manuals, which give application data.

PROBE

DC

o
HI

...

$1

VOM

circuit normally follows this arrangement.

Leaves messages for other for replay . . . Built in


Respeaker /microphone for talk -into convenience
cords up to 3 minutes of messages . . . Illuminated
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Capstan Drive;
volume
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BRAND NEW SOLD AS IS

- ASSORTED HEX NUTS


2/56. 4/40. 5/40, 6/32. 8/32

60K

/V)

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INPUT
RESISTANCE

WESTINGHOUSE ALL TRANSISTOR HOME /OFFICE


MESSAGE CENTER

300

transmitters.
Conclusion
Probes add greatly to the usefulness of electrical and electronic test
equipment. The chief precautions are
to use the correct type of probe with
each instrument, and to select a probe
that processes the signal as required.
For example. we cannot signal -trace
an i.f. amplifier with a scope unless a
demodulator probe is used. If we
make a mistake and try to use a low capacitance probe, we will obtain no
display on the scope screen. Similarly,
if we try to use an rf probe instead of
a demodulator probe, we will obtain

up to 20 volts rms. When used with

we do the paperwork

WESTINGHOUSE FM TUNER
Transis. $ 3.99
#470 -V- 0151)01 .
for

the 50 -A current range of specified


vom's, rms sine-wave voltage values
are indicated directly on the 50-volt dc
scale of the vom. Typical applications
include checking the flatness of output
from a signal generator, making relative field -strength measurements with a
dipole antenna, and neutralizing CB

Sl
$1

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boy 10 For $5ROUND SPEAKER

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eg

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A new series of TransZorb transient voltage suppressors-capable of


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All TranZorbs are available in the
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Priced from $3.25 each in 100 -piece
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stantaneous clamping capability thereby affording complete protection to


systems incorporating IC's and other
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Push button selected controls, stop & start indicator lights. Overrun of famous blender manufacturer. Used for controlling speed of drills, saws,
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Stock No. 135002 ready to use. 3.95 ea. 2/7.00
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The General Semiconductor Industries TransZorb can actually dissipate over 10,000 watts of peak power
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Circle 72 on reader service card

"Poor Chester! After he built this


solar -cell radio he discovered the sun
can't get through the atmosphere to
operate it."
RADIO -ELECTRONICS

80

www.americanradiohistory.com

TECHNDTES
A Ford

NOISY FORD 6TBB RADIO


model 6TBB radio came in with no reception

on the lower end of the band; only two local stations could
be heard on the high end of the dial. Loud hissing and
frying noises were heard across the band.
Sometimes by twisting the circuit board the radio would
act normal. The converter transistor tested OK. We still felt
the converter transistor was at fault since no stations could
FROM 1ST
I,F TRANS

GE-11
I.F.

AMPL

262 kHz
2ND IF.
TRANS
NC

35OpF

AUDIO
OUTPUT

Clever Kleps 30

DET

Push the plunger. A spring-steel forked


tongue spreads out. Like this COHang it onto a wire or terminal, let go
the plunger, and Kleps 30 holds tight. Bend it, pull it, let
it carry dc, sine waves, pulses to 5,000 volts peak. Not a
chance of a short. The other end takes a banana plug or a
bare wire test lead. Slip on a bit of shield braid to make a
shielded probe. What more could you want in a test probe?

NC

IN82A
_L
11.4V

11.6 V

R22

POOR CONNECTION

IK

TO RF

COIL

be heard on the low end of the dial. A new GE -11 transistor


was installed and the auto radio played perfectly all day.
The very next morning the frying and hissing condition
started up again. Bypass and filter capacitors tested OK.
With the radio in the noisy condition, we started at the rf
section and began to resolder all connections on the circuit
hoard. The radio began to play when we reached the first i.f.
amplifier section. We found a poor connection at one end of
R22, a 1000-ohm resistor. -David Held
NO BRIGHTNESS -EMERSON COLOR

$147
RYE INDUSTRIES INC.

Available through your local


distributor, or write to:
rJ

S T R

128 Spencer Place, Mamaroneck, N.Y.10543


In Canada: Rye Industries (Canada) Ltd.
Circle 73 on reader service card

10 CHANNELS
SONAR -SCANT'

SETS

The probable cause of this complaint is a leaky capacitor (C110) in the tuner. When leaky, this 27 -pF capacitor lowers the 140 -volt supply applied to the second
video amplifier and the brightness control, thereby affecting
the operation of the third video amplifier.
Replace Cl I0. It is located at the top side of the
tuner between the mixer output terminal and ground.
Emerson Field Service Bulletin

FM MONITOR RECEIVERS

N
FR.2516

picture that

10

AUTO

SELECT

SCAN

MANUAL

.F-

MODEL.

ZENITH 20Z1C37 TV CHASSIS

When a Zenith TV Chassis 20Z1C37 has

t.

out

vr
MIN

SQSCL.CN

Ofl

VOWI

PRIORITY

iN

is narrow and blooms, with the high- voltage regulator inop-

erative, replace the defective 6HS5 regulator and open 220 ohm cathode resistor. Re -check high voltage. -B. J. Brown
-A, LOW BRIGHTNESS
An RCA CTC 31 -A color chassis had very low brightness. In fact only the outline of the TV program could be
seen. The brightness control had no effect on the picture.
The high voltage measured 25kV. This led us to believe
the trouble was in the video section since there was plenty of
high voltage to the CRT. Replacing the 12HG7 video tube
did not clear up the dark picture. Voltages on the video
CTC 31

amplifier were higher than normal.


A resistance check indicated an open contrast control.
Undoubtedly, the video amplifier had arced over and burned
a spot in the 100 -ohm contrast control. Since then, three
other color chassis have come in with the same trouble. In
some cases, the contrast control can be rotated to the extreme end of rotation and a bright picture can be seen. Be
sure and replace both tube and contrast control.Homer
Davidson.
R -E
AUGUST 1971

NOBODY CAN TOP THESE FEATURES!


ALL OTHER SIGNALS*
* PRIORITY CHANNEL -LOCKS OUT
MOBILE CALLBACKS'
* CARRIER DELAY -YOUBYHEAR
* MANUAL SELECTION SLOW SCAN TECHNIQUE*
4 proves professional performer with the most advanced tech iology it design, circuitry and solid state electronics assures

flawless performance you can hear with extreme :larity

SONAR -SCAN will search and automatically lock a signal on any


-0 crystal
Noise free squelch
o- 10 pro-programmed channels
Narrow band
controlled channels Adjustable scan sensitivity
117 'JAC or 12 VDS, negative ground oily
operation
FR -25-7 (150- 173MHz)
Comes complete with AC and DC power cables,
mour ing bracket less crystals -Cystals $5.00 ea.
FR -2416 (25- 50MHz)

$15995

EXCLUSIVE WITH SONAR and PATENT PENDIN3

SONAR RADIO

Send in'ormation or Model FR- 2516/17


SONAR-SCAN.
Dept. 400

CORPORATION

Name

7: Wortiran Avenue

Address

Brooklyn N.Y. 11207

City

www.americanradiohistory.com

.....................
State

Circle 74 on reader service card

Zip

EQUIPMENT REPORT

NEW AND FULLY TESTED -LEADS


GOLD OK SOLDER.
ORDERS
$5 OR MORE WILL BE SHIPPED PREPAID.
ADD 350 HANDLING AND POSTAGE FOR SMALLER
ORDERS. CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ADD SALES TAX.

ALL

IC's ARE

ARE
FOR

PLATED

WITH

Heathkit Frequency Counter, Model IB -101


For manufacturer's literature, circle No. 18 on Reader Service Card.

SUMMER SALE
TTL dual in line

7400, 7401. 7402, 7404, 7405, 7410, 7420,


7430, 74-40, 7450, 7451. 7453 -...all 3 for
7441 BCD decimal decoder driver
7442 BCD decimal decoder
7473 dual JK flip flop
7474 dual type D FF
7475 quad latch
7476 dual JK FF
7480 gated full adder
7486 quad exclusive or gate
7490 decade counter
7491 8 bit shift register
7493 4 bit binary counter
74192 up down preset decade counter
74193 up,, down preset binary counter
8200 parity gen /checker
8242 4 bit comparator (open collector)
8280 preset decade counter
8520 25 MC divide by "N" 2 to 15
LU322 10 MC dual JK flip /flop (Signetic)
NI283 Signetic 8 bit scratch pad memory
8H21 75 MC dual JK flip /flop (Signetic)

$1.00

LINEAR IC's (dual in line)


741C compenstated operational amplifier
Fairchild w /gold plated leads
710 voltage comparator
711 dual comparator
NE525 memory sense amplifier
7524 dual sense amplifier

1.50
2.00
.65
.65
1.50
.75

1.00
1.00
1.50
1.75

1.75
2.00
2.00
1.00
.90
2.00
2.00
.50
3.00
1.25
A

.75
.75
.75
1.50
1.50

DIGITAL COUNTER MODULE 30MC unit


includes board, SN7490, SN7475 quad
latch, SN7447 7 segment driver
and RCA
"numitron" display
tube W /decimal. 1" x 4.5"
module will mount on 1"
centers.
kit $12 -wired and tested $15.

BABYLON ELECTRONICS
5942G Don Way, Carmichael, CA.
95608
916 966 2111

Circle 75 on reader service card

KEEP 'EM QUIET...


and CLEAN 'EM, TOO

with

..

QU/ETROLE

When you use


Quietrole, you can
be sure of clean, quiet
operation, because you
are using the number one cleaning and
lubricating spray pack available.
Safe for any set, color, or
IRO
black and white. Absolutely
no harmful aftereffects of

any type.
In bottles too, if you prefer.
QUIETROLE
the choice of

...
better servicemen everywhere.
Product of

Q U/ETROL E

COMPANY

Spartanburg, South Carolina


Circle 76 on reader service card

FREQUENCY

COUNTER, WITH

DI-

gital readout is one of those dream instruments most of us have often


wished we could own, but could rarely
afford. This kit solves the cost problem-it goes for $199, and does just
about everything the more expensive
units will.
There's a 5 -digit readout with Hz
and kHz ranges. Overrange indicators
warn you when you're off scale. An
automatic decimal locator puts the decimal point where in belongs. A low drift, temperature- compensated 1MHz crystal time base oscillator
provides a stable time base.
A frequency counter has almost
unlimited uses, depending only upon
the imagination of the user. For example, we were aligning the multiplex
circuits of an FM stereo tuner and
wanted to set the SCA trap to precisely 67 kHz. We had an audio oscillator whose calibration was accurate
within four or five kHz. It was a
simple matter to connect the counter
across the oscillator output and adjust
for precisely 67 kHz. A similar procedure was used to make sure that the
38 -kHz multiplex oscillator was exactly on frequency.
We also used the unit to help service a small broadcast receiver. The
problem with this receiver was that
the oscillator would not track properly
across the broadcast band. We decided
to connect the counter to the i.f. output (with a BC station tuned in).
This immediately spotted the trouble.
Instead of being 455 kHz as it was
supposed to be, the i.f. was actually
only 400 kHz. We connected an i.f.
signal generator and realigned the i.f.
to 455 kHz. We then readjusted the
oscillator circuit. The tracking problem had disappeared. A final use we
found for the frequency counter was
in checking the calibration of a communications receiver. This receiver
used a double- conversion system with

crystal -controlled high- frequency oscillator and a very precise tunable second oscillator as the main tuning control. This precision oscillator tunes
from 6 to 6.5 MHz, regardless of the
shortwave band to which the receiver
is tuned.
The frequency calibration is supposed to be accurate within a quarter
of a kHz. However, dial calibration
was off as much as 1.5 kHz at some
points. We connected the frequency
counter to the oscillator output and
tuned the precision oscillator thru its
full tuning range, nothing the discrepancies between the dial reading
and the frequency counter readout
for every kHz marker on the receiver
dial. Then, by careful adjustment of
the slotted end plates on the oscillator
tuning capacitor, it was a simple matter to get the dial readings to coincide
with the frequency counter readings.
We're sure readers will find many
other uses for this handy unit and we
would like to hear about the ways you
R -E
use frequency counters.
SPECIFICATIONS

Frequency Range:
Hz to >15MHz
Accuracy:
1

count

time base stability

msec or
Gate Times:
automatic reset
1

sec; with

INPUT CHARACTERISTICS

Sensitivity:

MHz -<100 mV rms


Hz to
MHz to 15 MHz -<250 mV rms
after 30 minutes operation
1

Trigger Level: automatic


Impedance:
I

megohm shunted by

<20

pF

Maximum Input:
ac only, 200 V rms; (dc coupled)
Hz to
kHz. (Derate 48 V per
1

frequency decade.)

RADIO-ELECTRONICS

82
www.americanradiohistory.com

TRY THIS ONE


CONSTRUCTING AND USING
A SHORTING STICK

Most electronics technicians realize the limitations of such protective


devices as interlocks and bleeder resistors. In some circuits a blown fuse can
keep the circuit's capacitors from dis-

charging properly. TV picture tubes


can hold lethal charge. Transformers
with bifiler windings and pulse -forming networks can also shock or kill the
unwary technician.

PLASTIC HANDLE

Cut the case from your exhausted 9 -volt batteries with a hacksaw and salvage the terminal strips.
They make excellent no -cost battery
clips for future transistor projects.
Arinas Kajander

plastic rod. Lucite, Plexiglas, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, or some


other high-dielectric strength material
can be used for the handle. Wood is
not a desirable material for this application. Cement a plastic disk or funnel
on the front of the handle to act as a
flash shield. Solder a length of multi strand insulated copper wire with an
attached alligator or battery clip onto
the metal rod next to the handle.
The shorting stick is used by
grounding the clip and discharging the
components, with the power off.
Never take a chance, always discharge
a circuit before touching it.-Kenneth
R. Scott

RAWL PLUGS HOLD


TOOL HANDLES TIGHT

The annoyance of small files and


other tools continually loosening and
dropping out of their handles, is eliminated by removing the file and driving
a Rawl plug into the hole in the
handle, then forcing the file tang back
into the plug.
This expands the plug and the
lead in it will make a tight fit and hold
the file firmly, indefinitely. -H. Muller

CHEAP BATTERY CONNECTORS

MAGNET HELPS START


HEX -HEAD SCREWS

A very useful tool for starting


hex -head screws on TV and radio
chassis is made from a worn-out nut-

The shorting stick is a safety device, which if used properly, can eliminate much of the danger. It is easily
constructed from materials found in
most shops. Bend one end of a stiff
wire, such as brazing rod or other
heavy gauge wire, into a "hook"
shape. Cement or thread the other end
into a hole, drilled in the end of a

ti

NUTDRIVER/
MAGNET
driver by installing a small round
magnet in the hollow shank. Miller
Service
R-E

This year
why not invite
your overseas friends
over here?

EIGHT

NSTRUMENTS IN ONE

Out -of- Circuit


Transistor Analyzer
Dynamic In- Circuit
Transistor & Radio Tester
Signal Generator
Signal Tracer Voltmeter
Milliammeter
Battery Tester
Diode Checker

Transistor Analyzer

--

Model212

$22.50
Factory Wired & Tested
Easy -to- Assemble Kit
$14.95
YOU DON'T NEED A BENCH FULL OF EQUIPMENT TO TEST TRANSISTOR RADIOS!

facilities

All the

you need to check the transistors themselves


and the radios or other cirhave been ingeniously engineered into the compact,
6-inch high case of the Model 212. It's the transistor radio troubleshooter with all the
features found only in more expensive units. Find defective transistors and circuit

cuits in which they are used


troubles speedily with

single, streamlined instrument instead of an elaborate

hook -up.
EMC, 625 Broadway, New York 12, N.Y.
Features:
Checks all transistor types
high or low
Send me FREE catalog of the complete
power. Checks DC current gain (beta) to
value-packed EMC line, and name of
200 in 3 ranges. Checks leakage. Unilocal distributor.
versal test socket accepts different base
configurations. Identifies unknown tranRE -8
NAME
sistors as NPN or PNP.
Dynamic test for all transistors as signal
ADDRESS
amplifiers (oscillator check), in or out of
circuit. Develops test signal for AF, IF,
or RF circuits. Signal traces all circuits.
70NE- STATE_
CITY
Checks condition of diodes. Measures (battery or other transistor -circuit power supply voltages on 12 -volt scale. No external power source needed. Measures
circuit drain or other DC currents to 80
milliamperes. Supplied with three exterELECTRONIC MEASUREMENTS CORP.
nal leads for in- circuit testing and a
625 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10012
pair of test leads for measuring voltage
and current. Comes complete with
instruction manual and transistor listing.

ur
t.

EMC

"HELEN"
AUGUST

1971

83
www.americanradiohistory.com

NOTEWORTHY
CIRCUIT

TV TECH SPECIALS
90 Degree Color Yoke
Repl. Y 109 -DY95 AC

$8.95
Magnavox Yoke #361290
equiv. to DY92 AC
$8.95
20 Assorted Controls
$3.95
10 1N34A Diodes
$1.00
20 -1 Amp. 1000 PIV (Epoxy) ...$3.95
20 -2 Amp. 1000 PIV (Epoxy) ...$4.95
6500 PIV Focus Rect..... 3 for $2.00

RCA COND. AXIAL LEADS


50 Mfd. 50 V
4 for
500 Mfd. 50 V
4 for
1000 Mfd. 50 V.
4 for
40 Mfd. 150 V.
4 for
80 Mfd. 150 V
4 for
100 Mfd. 250 Volts
4 for
2 Mfd. 450 V
6 for
4 Mfd. 450 V
6 for
10 Mfd. 450 V
6 for
16 Mfd. 450 V
6 for
30 Mfd. 450 V.
6 for
10 Mfd. 600 V
4 for
20 Mfd. 600 V.
4 for
RCA COND. CANS
50 -30 mfd. 150 V
3 for
300 Mfd. 150 V.
2 for
125 Mfd. 350 V.
3 for
80 Mfd. 450 V.
4 for

$1.00
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$1.89
$1.98
$1.49
$1.69

$1.98
$2.29
$2.98
$2.29
$2.69

NOVEL STEREO RECORDING METER

rectified and used to charge CI to the


peak positive value. The forward resistance of the diodes depends on the
current level so the attack time -depending on the difference in amplitude
of two successive peaks -has a minimum value of around 25 sec. The
decay time, around 2 seconds, is approximately equal to the product of
R3 and the betas of Q 1 and Q2. The
two Zener -diode networks shunting
the meter give it a logarithmic response as in Fig. 2. Sine -wave re-

A number of interesting circuits


and features are included in the design
of a high -quality stereo tape recorder
described in a construction article in
Wireless World (London, England).
One of these is the unusual metering
circuit shown in Fig. 1. The circuit is
designed so the meter reads the peak
value of whichever of the two channels is greater at a given instant.
The recording preamplifiers (not
shown) are designed for OdB (25 mV

4.7V, 400mal
3.3V, 400mW

$1.29

TO CHAN-A

$1.59
$1.98
$2.39

PREAMP

50

+IOV
560K

CHAN -A
INPUT

SEND FOR FREE CATALOG


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I00K

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.47

I00
GAIN

20051

R2
100

100S

CHAN -B
INPUT

tools of all kinds

oen...
x eenn,

--

._.Rrecision instruments
essential shop items

10052

Fig.

or 250 mV) inputs from a mixer or


other source having individual level
controls so balanced signals are fed to
the recorder. The incoming signals are
fed to the ganged RECORD GAIN controls and then to the preamps and the
metering circuit through a MONO+6dB
a50

III.II
IIIII
............
IIIIII/1111

i40 1111111111111111IM
z

cr 30

27
16

F
w

10

4.

NINIIP1111
iiisllimmu1111mi

002

10

INPUT (mV

NC

rms

OdB

6dB
I2dB
18dB

"Dept.
Englewood, Colorado,
Gen

80110

CI

.02

02

R3

BC I08(2)

2.2K

20

sponse of the meter is flat within I/2


dB from 10 Hz to 10 MHz.
To calibrate the meter, set R1
and R2 wipers to ground, feed in a
signal and adjust 121 for a 2 -12A reading and then adjust R2 to raise the
reading to 3 A.
Additional switch circuits (not
shown) are included so the meter can
be used to indicate bias and playback
levels.
R -E

Your Fair Share


Slums You Care

Fig. 2

National Camera

TO CHAN -8
PREAMP

... convenient
one -stop shopping
from your desk.

QI

IN914

I00K

Diversifi
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6V

RECORD

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.01

IN914

CHAN-A

TV TECH SPECIALS
P.O. Box 603
Kings Park, L.I., New York 11754

ror,.t3

I0K

1i4CA3052

Minimum Order $15.00

Unusual
tools, hardto-find items.
Send for
free catalog!

+20V

selector switch.
Two sections of a CA3052 IC
amplify the 0 -dB signal to 1 volt rms.
The positive peaks of these signals arc
STEREO

THE
UNITED WAY

Circle 78 on reader service card

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

84

www.americanradiohistory.com

USING THE TONE -BURST GENERATOR

(continued from page 35)

11. External timing


The switching of the gate may be
synchronized with something other than
the gated signal. This is easily done by
feeding a timing signal into the SYNC INPUT jack on the rear panel. The INTERNAL EXTERNAL SYNC selector switch on the
rear panel must be switched to the EXTERNAL position. Input impedance will be
about 5000 ohms.
This mode of operation is handy
for gating signals that are random or
sporadic in nature. The gating of a
noise generator to create noise bursts is
a good example.
The tone -burst generator can be
used as a pulse generator by feeding dc
into its input and triggering or gating externally. The pulse width of the output
equals the on gate -time and the time between pulses equals the setting of the PERIOD control. The pulse amplitude and
polarity are controlled by the do voltage
fed in.

12. Power -line transients


Controlled power line transients are
useful when developing or testing linenoise filters, regulated power supplies,
ac-dc converters, etc. Figure 14 shows
how the tone -burst generator and a highPOWER

AMPLIFIER

INPUT

OUTPUT

burst generator. This feature enables external equipment to control the burst-repetition rate. An example of such a use
would be the generation of standard
time ticks.

STEP -DOWN
TRANSFORMER
BUCK -BOOST

TRANSFORMER

Dbo60Q"
AC POWER IN

TO LOAD

FIG. 14- CONTROLLED TRANSIENTS on


power line can be developed by using
tone -burst generator in conjunction with
a high -power audio amplifier.

power amplifier are used to superimpose


transients on the power line. Stepdown
transformer T1 feeds burst generator input. The burst is amplified and fed to
power line through buck -boost transformer T2. Transformer T2 may not be
needed if the amplifier output is transformer coupled.

Standard time ticks are tone bursts


kHz
of about 5 cycles of 400 Hz or
audio every second. These are often
used for time -reference marks on data
recorders. Radio station WWV is a good
source. However, the need may arise for
time ticks of a different length, frequency or repetition rate than those
available from WWV. The tone -burst
generator can fill this need very nicely.
To generate time ticks with the
burst generator, set the PERIOD control
to SINGLE BURST. Into the RESET jack,
feed in a reset pulse at the desired repetition rate. Feed the signal to be converted into ticks into the input. Use internal sync. The cycle count in the tick
is controlled by the WIDTH controls.
NOTE: The reset pulse just arms the
circuits, so to speak. The signal to be
gated actully starts the burst. In order to
prevent a time jitter of the ticks, the reset pulse and the signal to be gated must
come from the same frequency source.
1

TheSdudS4 Ae't
This new "baby" in the Nelson- Hershfield
line of amplifiers was born with a ten watt

power package for outstanding performance.


The UA1O will serve eighty loudspeakers for
office, provide paging and background music
for supermarkets, sound reinforce church and
auditoriums, or distribute sound to a fifty
classroom school.
No need to waste power - The SOUND SAVER
boasts a list of superior features including
ingetrated circuit design, transformerless balanced 25 or 70 volt output, full range bass
and treble control and short circuit protection. Be a SOUND SAVER. Write, wire,

Slow repetition rates


Burst repetition rates of less than 1
burst per second is possible. This is done
by placing the PERIOD control in the
SINGLE BURST position. A positive pulse
at the desired repetition rate is fed into
the reset jack. The tone bursts generated
will still be phase coherent because the
gated signal itself switches the gate.

This article shows some of the


many applications of the tone -burst generator. These are by no means the only
things that can be done with this versatile instrument. As more people learn
about them, their scope of application
R -E
will greatly broaden.

or call,

WEST CAMPBELL AVE.


PHOENIX ARIZONA 55015

348

r ANOTHER SUPERB

O's o n

VALUE

from

Electronics
ONLY

$1
DELUXE
TRANSISTOR
CHECKER

Nibi\
IC

602 264

Circle 79 on reudcr.ccrrice card

Another test instrument you'll want


to build is a function generator. The
complete article on this solid -state
instruments appears in the October
1971 issue.

PHONE.

1.48

self-contained, self -powered dynamic transistor checker. Test may be


made l'in circuit" or out of circuit. IdenCompact,

tifies and checks

PNP and NPN types, plus


power. Complete with instruction manual,
service tips and transistor drawings.
Olson Electronics, Dept. LT,
260 S. Forge St., Akron, Ohio 44308
I
enclose $12, plus $1 for postage
and handling. Send me the TE -199
Transistor Checker.

13. Single burst operation


For some uses, it may be desirable
for the operator to initiate bursts on
command. This is done by placing the
switch in the SINGLE -BURST position. Every time the RESET jack is
grounded, a single burst will be initiated
by the internal sync circuits. This
grounding is best done with a hand -held,
push- button switch connected to the RESET jack with a cable.
A positive pulse of at least 1 volt
into the RESET jack will reset the tone-

Watt

14. Standard time ticks

Summary

Ten

Amplifier

"

PERIOD

Send

the

me

the

next

Olson

Catalog,

obligation.

FREE

seven

issues

of

without cost or

IName

Address

"I wish my dad would build one for


me!"

AUGUST 1971

City
State

Zip

Circle 80 on rcuder service curl(

J
85

www.americanradiohistory.com

MARKET

ADVERTISING
INDEX

CENTER

RADIO- ELECTRONICS does not assume


responsibility for any errors which may
appear in the index below.
READER SERVICE CARD NO.

ELECTRONICS
ELECTRONIC CATALOG.
bargains. EDU -KITS, Department
lett, New York 11557
FREE

Tremendous
C -263G.

Hew-

DISCHARGE Ignition, Photoflash. Free catalog


parts, kits. TRANSPARK, Carlisle, Mass. 01741

RADIO and TV Tubes 360 each. One year


guaranteed. Plus many unusual electronic bargains. Free Catalog. CORNELL 4217 -E University, San Diego, California 92105

250 WATT Linear. 10 -15 Meters. Plans $1.00.


ROBERTS, Box 403, Whiting, Indiana 46394
SAVE MONEY ON PARTS AND TRANSMITTING- RECEIVING TUBES, FOREIGN -DOMESTIC.
SEND 250 FOR GIANT CATALOG. REFUNDED
FIRST ORDER. UNITED RADIO COMPANY,
56 -R FERRY STREET, NEWARK, N.J. 07105

INTEGRATED CIRCUITS-Factory Prices. Catalog 10e. SILLING COMPANY, Box 6257, Seattle,

Washington, 98188

RECEIVING & Industrial Tubes, Transistors, All


Brands -Biggest Discounts. Technicians, Hobbyists, Experimenters- Request FREE Giant
Catalog and SAVE! ZALYTRON, 469 Jericho
Turnpike, Mineola, N.Y. 11501

MAGNETIC Reed Switches, for burglar alarms.


Complete unit and magnet. Concealed $1.75,
Standard $1.50. RADAR ELECTRONIC, Box
4301, Hayward, Ca. 94543

64

Audionics, Inc.

73

Sencore test equipment, discount prices,


Free catalog and price sheet. FORDHAM RADIO, 265 East 149th Street, Bronx, NY 10451

9
2
75

B & F Enterprises
B & K (Division of Dynascan Corp.)

22

B & K,

TUBES, Transistor, Tapes. Get original Manufacturers' Parts. TV, Radio. American, Japanese,
Dealer Discount. MARCUS, 43 -35 44th Street,
Long Island City, N.Y. 11104

KIT con-

-PC Board 12707


2 -7476 IC's
1

Silicon diodes
2-Set of instructions

USED Equipment, RCA, Tektronix, etc. Free list.


TECHSYSTEMS, Box 2421, Allentown, Pa. 18001

AUDIO

desired. Example, two will


count to 99, three to 999.
$6.95
ER900

TRIGGER

DIODES.

of the best and cheapest methods to


trigger SCR's and macs ..4/$1.00
LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LED's)

Infra red
Visible
Photo detectors for each

$1.50
$1.50
$1.00

TRIACS
_PRV
100
200
300
400
500
Send

1A

.40
.70
.90
1.10
1.50

10A

15A

.70I1.00
1.10
1.35
1.60
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11.40
11.80
12.20
12.60

13

-all

RENT 4 -track open reel tapes


major labels
brochure. STEREO -PARTI, 55 St. James
Drive, Santa Rosa, Ca. 95401

-free

ff

RECTIFIERS
TRIACS
DECADE
COUNTER KIT

7474 DUAL FLIP FLOP


7475 QUAD BISTABLE

72

69

7476 DUAL

1K MASTER SLAVE 1K FLIP FLOP


DECADE COUNTER
DIVIDE BY TWELVE
4 BIT BINARY

$1.00
$1.85
$1.85

COUNTER

$1.85

7481 16 BIT MEMORY


ELEMENT
$2.00
Silicon Power Rectifiers
12A
PRY
3A
30A
100
.09
.24
.40
.12
200
.28
.60
.16
400
.35
.90
.20
.50
600
1.10
800
.28
.70
1.40
.35
.90
1000
Terms FOB Cambridge, Mass.
Send check or Money Order. Include
Postage. Average Wt. per package
r/r lb. No. C.O.D.'s. Minimum Order

$3.00

69. 77
68
68
15

Delta Electronics
Delta Products

80

Edmund Scientific Co.


Electronic Chemical Co.
EICO, Electronic Instrument Co.
EMC, Electronic Measurement Corp
Enterprise Development

90
80

26

..

12
83

77
54 -57

Cover

II

Heath Co.

65
82

Indiana Home Study Institute


International Crystal

66
62

E.F. Johnson
Judson Research

74
72

Kikusui Electronics

16

11

Leader Instrument

27

Mallory Distributor Products

17

Cover

74

III

67

Master Appliance

-NIXIE

TUBE and SOCKET

-7490

-7475

-7441

78
79

National Camera
National Radio Institute
National Technical Schools
Nelson-Hershfield Electronics

80

Olson Electronics

85

76

Quietrole

82

73

RCA Institutes
Rye Industries

68

61

Sams, & Co., Howard W.


Sansui

Controlled Avalanche or
Epoxy Rectifiers

PRV

76

AMP.

100
200

400

.06
.07
.09

600
800
1000

.11

.15
.20

LINEAR CIRCUITS

709C operational Amp ..$ .70


741 operational Amp .. $1.00
SE 501 Video Amp
$1.00
723 Voltage regulator ..$1.25
Silicon Control Rectifiers

....

PRV

3A

50 1.25
100 .30
200 .50
300 1.60
1

400 1.70

7A

600 .90

20A

.281 .601
.85
.38
.60 11.10
.68 11.30
.75 11.50
1

5001.801
1

70A

3.50
6.50_

85

8511.701

1.20

& A Electronics

74

Schober Organ
Sencore, Inc.
Sonar Radio

12

83

28 -31
81

76
71
13

14

Cover IV
81

Telematic

77

TV Tech Aids

67
84

15

Ungar, Division of Eldon Inds.

63

63

Vero Electronics

'72

14

Workman Electronic Products

69

9.50

1.90 11.00
1

TIS 43 General purpose Unijunctions


$ .50
2N3819 General purpose N- Channel
FET'S
$ .45

MARKET CENTER

ALES
Tel. (617) 547 -4005

Circle 84 on reader service card

86

www.americanradiohistory.com

86-89

Fair Radio Co.


85
86

84
8-11

PRV

for our latest catalog featuring Transistors and Rectifiers; 325 Elm St, Cambridge, Mass.

Somerville, Mass. 02143

18 -21,

Grantham School of Engineering


GTE Sylvania

Specially priced at $9.95

$1.70

LATCH

Cleveland Institute of
Electronics
Coletronics
Cook's Institute of Electronics
Engineering

82
78 -79

CONSISTING OF:

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$ .85

DECODER

Babylon Electronics
Brooks Radio & TV Corp.

CREI, Division of the McGraw -Hill


Continuing Education Company

FMP, Dept. 3, P.O. Box 476, Exeter, NH. 03833

7441 BCD DECIMAL

These

biodirectional trigger diodes are one

81
71

terminate microphones properly, while allowing


cable extensions to 500 feet without performance
deterioration. Switchbox-handles -to
three recorders, for dubbing, editing, and mixing. WRITE: Aids to Recording, RUSSOUND/

NIXIE TUBES
Similar to Raytheon 8754
with socket & data sheet
$4.75

7490
7492
7493

- HI -FI

ENTHUSIASTS -IMPROVE
RECORDING
RECORDINGS Inexpensive impedance converters

When assembled by enclosed instructions, this


kit will count pulses from
0 -9 in BCD. These boards
can be connected in series to count as high as

70

10

TTL IC SERIES

Allied Radio Shack


65 -66
Allied Radio Shack, Franchise Division 75
A.P.M. Systems
73

JAPANESE NEW PRODUCTS MONTHLY! $1.00


Refundable. DEERE, P.O. Box 9308, No. Hollywood. Calif. 91609

INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
SEMICONDUCTORS
BCD COUNTER
sisting of:

PAGE

CONVERT any television to sensitive big- screen


oscilloscope. Only minor changes required. No
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plans $2.00. RELCO -A25, Box 10563, Houston,
Texas 77018

84

Lakeside Industries
Music Associated
Park Electronic Products
Polypaks
Solid State Sales
Surplus Center

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

87

Valparaiso Technical Institute

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

U.S. GOV'T ELECTRONIC SURPLUS


Nationally Known -World Famous SURPLUS CENTER offers
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ENJOY THE "MUSIC ONLY" FM PROGRAMS

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MUSCULAR

$4.39
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20 -Relay

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5234 N. Clark St.
Chicago. Ill. 60640
Phone: 312 -271 -3339

DYSTROPHY

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NON -COMMERCIAL RATE (for individuals who want to buy or sell personal items) 60 per word
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FIRST WORD and NAME set in bold caps at no extra charge. Additional bold face at 10 per word.
Payment must accompany all ads except those placed by accredited advertising agencies. 10%
discount on 12 consecutive insertions, if paid in advance. Misleading or objectionable ads not
accepted. Copy for Oct. issue must reach us before Aug. 1.
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1r;;r

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phone 201 -744 -3387

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ited advertising

SIGNATURE
MAIL TO: RADIO- ELECTRONICS, CLASSIFIED AD DEPT.,
200 PARK AVE. SOUTH, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10003

less placed

Money Bock Committee.

SURPLUS CENTER
-"-L1--"r"--"- "

AUGUST

DEPT.

RE-081

Starting with

Issue

RAME
ADDRESS

agency

28

STATE

ZIP

LINCOLN, NEBR. 61501

1971

87

www.americanradiohistory.com

TECHNICIANS SPECIAL

(continued from page 40)

BENCH

bolts, terminal lugs, plate caps, knob


springs, and all of the many little things
we need. (Don't spend a dollar's worth
of time looking for a 2 -cent part! Keep
it where you can grab it.)
17. My pet gadget. A couple of
precision resistors. say a 1.0 megohm
and a 1,000 ohm, on a small terminal
strip. Used for quick- checking of ohmmeter accuracy if you have doubts
about a resistance reading!
18. A "record- player stand". Adjustable metal stand, with clamps, for
holding any kind of record-changer for
servicing.

Mechanical work
We do a surprising amount of "mechanical work "; sheet -metal work, carpentry, and so on! For this kind of
work, I want a minimum set of power
tools, to make things easier.
The most useful is a 1/4-inch electric
drill, preferably a variable -speed type. A
full set of GOOD bits, up to 14 inch by
16ths. A set of "masonry bits" for drilling holes in cement, brick and masonry
walls. A set of "power woodbits" which

beat the
old-fashioned
"hand- fired"
brace and bit all hollow! Small grinding
wheels, wire- brushes, and other things
can also be powered by the drill.
For audio installation work, antenna work, and that kind of job, you
will also need a medium -sized saber saw.
These have fine and coarse blades for

PEP'S

$1

Dollar Sale

Money Back guarantee

Amp Silicon Rectifier


choice of package
Bullet- Miniature Glass-

._ Tr.DA1

e_nl Ir _

WORKING
AREA

WORK FLOW ARRANGEMENT is the key to this shop's layout.


Large arrows show work flow of new sets into storage area to
work area and on to storage area for delivery.

wood, etc, and can be used with hacksaw blades to cut tubing, metal angles,
and anything like that, in a much
shorter time.
For shop work, a stout vise is absolutely necessary. You've got to have
something to hold things while you drill
holes in them. saw off pieces, etc. You
can clamp the drill. with the grinding wheel accessory, in the vise, and use it
to sharpen hits, screwdrivers, grind off
parts, etc.

For big soldering jobs, one of the


little propane torches is very useful.
There are also small oxygen- propane
torches which will do light welding, or
even cutting!
For use with the power tools, and
for other uses, I'll want a good 100-foot
extension cord, with a trouble -light on
the end, and a dual outlet. For safety,
this should have a third -wire and a
grounding plug; for prevention of shock
while working on grounded towers, under houses, etc.

ANOTHER APPROACH to work flow layout. Note one corner of


the shop has been set aside for book -keeping purposes.

$1

10 -200V -$1.00

Metal
5 -800V
units $1.00
4 -1000V units $1.00
3 -1200V units $1.00

-$1.00
-$1.00
-$1.00

8 -100V
6 -500V

OP AMP 709C
1

15 AMP TRIACS
PRESSFIT
5 -50V
7 -$1.00
7 AMP SCR 5 -100v

3 AMP Epoxy Package


10 -100V units $1.00
5-400V units $1.00
2 -1000V units

CTOPA(.R -IM

AMP BULLET
RECTIFIERS

$1.00

Flange package

IC's
Linear OP AMP
709C $.75 ea.

10 -$1.00
AMP GLASS

STORAGE

STORAGE - IN

OUT

RECTIFIERS
50 -1000V
20 -$1.00
SILICON CONTROL RECTIFIERS
PRV
1 Amp
3 Amp
7 Amp
50
.20
I
.25
.30
100
.25
.30
.35
200
.40
.45
.50
300
.60
.70
.80
400
.85
.95
500
1.00
I
600
1.30
I

.75'

--

PRV

100

200
300
400
5- 00
PRV
50V

_600V
800V

TRIACS
6Amp
.75

lAmp 13Amp
.40
.50
.65
.75
1.00
1.10
1.30
1.40
1.60
1.80
I

1.00
1.25
1.80
2.10

10Amp
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1.00
1.40
1.90
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2.75

FULL WAVE BRIDGES


2Amp
3Amp
5Amp

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100V_ _ 1.50
200V
400V

--

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1.85

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3.10

1.75

2.00
2.50
3.00

1.50
1.75
2.00
2.25
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3.25

15Amp

1.20
1.80

2.20
2.60

13.10
110Amp
1.70
1.95
2.20
2.45
2.95
3.45

PARK ELECTRONIC
PRODUCTS

99 N. Salem, N. H. 03073
Tel. (603) 893 -0276

P. O. Box
NO SALES

TAX

WE PAY POSTAGE

WORKI NG
AREA

BENCH

BOOK -KEEPING

AREA

Circle 85 on reader service card

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

88

www.americanradiohistory.com

Made for leading


2- speed; pause control; 7" reel;
50- 15,000 Hz; 0.25% wow and flutter; with record /play and erase heads. Without case. Send
m.o. or check for $19.50 to: AAE, 218 Columbia
Street, Utica, N.Y. 13502. Add $2.50 for prepaid
shipping and insurance.
STEREO TAPE TRANSPORT.

TRADE Stereo Tapes. $1.25 each postpaid. Minimum: three. TAPETRADE, Box 2181. LaJolla,
Calif. 92037
FIRST BREAKTHROUGH IN RECORDING TAPE.
Originally made by America's leading tape
manufacturer 2400' MYLAR, 7" reel, $2.29;
1800' MYLAR, 7" reel, $1.69; 1200' ACETATE,
7" reel, $.79. Write for quantity prices. AAE,
218 Columbia St., Utica, N.Y. 13502

Protect and Preserve

INVENTIONS
& PATENTS

manufacturers;

Your Copies of
Radio -Electronics
durable Library
Cose
will protect an
entire
year's
copies
from
dust and wear.
At the same
time, it will
enable you to
conserve valuable space and reduce book-

QUICK CASH
. for Electronic EQUIPMENT,
COMPONENTS, unused TUBES. Send list now!
BARRY, 512 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10012,
212 WALKER 5.7000

EDUCATION/
INSTRUCTION

case clutter.

With Maroon simulated leather back, and


black sides, the attractive case should be
a handsome addition to your library. (16 -k
gold lettering is used to give maximum
legibility.) Each Library Case also includes
gold transfer so you can print the year on
it. To order, send your check with the order

MEMORIZE, Study: 1971 Test Answers" for


FCC First and Second Class License.
"Self -Study Ability Test." Proven. $9.95. COM
MAND, Box 26348 -E, San Francisco, Calif.
94126

-plus-

TUNER REPAIRS-Complete Course De12 Repair Tricks, Many Plans. Two Lessons, all for $1. Refundable. FRANK BOCEK,
Box 3236 (Enterprise), Redding, Calif. 96001
TV

tails,

SURPLUS

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$78.40
Airplanes, Typewriters, Boats,
Clothing, Camping, Sporting, Photographic,
Electronics Equipment. Wide Variety, Condition.
100,000 Bid Bargains Direct from Government
Nationwide. Complete Sales Directory and Surplus Categories Catalog. $1.00 (Deductible First
$10.00 Order From Our Separate Included Catalog.) SURPLUS SERVICE, Box 820 -REL, Holland,
Mich. 49423
.

USED: COND.:
RECEIVER
152 -172 MC .. $14.95 $22.50
T -278 TRANSMITTER
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-938 CABINET
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BOX

RADIO -ELECTRONICS
Please send me
Library Cases at $3.50 per Case. (Payment
must accompany order.)
Orders outside U.S.A. not accepted

FAIR RADIO SALES


Box 1105 LIMA,
OHIO

1016 E. EUREKA

45802

COUNTING SYSTEM
"DIP" COUNTING

GIANT SALE ON NEW TTL


TEXAS & NATIONAL ICs

SYSTEM
LI

Guaranteed! W /Spec Sheets


10% Discount!
Any 3

Any 2

Next month we will conclude this article


with a look at "white space," mobility
of test gear and sets for repair, test equipment layout, bench width and other concluding points of interest.
R.E
AUGUST 1971

10 V. Discount,

INFRARED IAA) "


INFIt:\RFD SEV511R'

VISIBLE "LEIi"
VISIBLE SENSOR

.88
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REGULATOR

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400 .95 1.25 1.50 1.75 2.50
600 1.25 1.50 1.95 2.15 2.95
10( Catalog on Fiber
'ICs', Sems, Parts
Te rrns:
Rated: net 30. cod's 2U%.
Phone Orders
\Ills. (517) 24i- 3529,

200
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119

POLY PAKS

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1000

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-AMP FULL WAVE


RECTIFIERS
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1u51,

NIXIE TUBE
BURROUGHS

LIGHT EMITTING DIODES

Shop layout
The Ideal Service Shop is like those
ideal capacitors we read about in the
textbooks. No leakage, no inductance.
just pure capacitance, and it. like the
ideal capacitor. doesn't exist. We can
try, though. The ideal shop would provide three major areas, to give a continuous. uninterrupted "work-flow ".
The three major areas are "Storage in", unfixed sets waiting for repair:
"Working Area "; the shop itself, bench
and parts storage, and "Storage- Out ",
finished work ready for delivery.

,\
Iiu

Description
Tye*
Sala
5N7400N Quad NAND gate ....5.45
5N7401N Open coll. out
.45
SN7402N Quad NOR gate
.45
SN741ON Triple 3 in. gate
.45
O SN7420N Dual 4 in. gate
.45
SN7430N 8 input gate
.45
SN7440N Dual 4 in. buffer ...
.4S
SN7441N BCD -Nixie driver
1.95
SN7473N Dual J.K flip flop
-88
SN7474N Dual "D" flip flop
.88
SN7475N Quad latch
1 95
SN7476N Dual J -K flip flop
88
SN7490N Decade counter
2.25
WRITE for "IC "' bargain catalog
.

zip

state

Send For Our BIG CATALOG No. 71

The shop
Now. have gotten to the final, and
perhaps the most important instrument
in the bunch -the shop itself! I want a
shop where the working-space is so arranged that it will let me work with the
least expenditure of effort. and the least
loss from wasted time. I can speak as an
expert in this line, since I believe I have
made all of the possible mistakes!
I have also had the opportunity to
run some actual experiments, and make
tests, in this area. From these. I have
worked out some basic principles. You
can adapt these to your own shop, and I
believe they'll be of a lot of help; they
certainly were to me.

Clip 8 Mail with your check to:


JESSE JONES BOX CORP,
Box 5120, Philadelphia, Pa. 19141

RE-

Modules. etc. Write

JEEPS Typically from $53.90

form, below:

.M. MOTOROLA GOVERNMENT

SECOLAB. Science Fair Projects, amazing


KITS, transistor devices. P.O. Box 78G, Arlington, Mass. 02174

GOVERNMENT
SURPLUS

elegant,

An

INVENTIONS Wanted. Patented; Unpatented.


GLOBAL MARKETING, 2420 -AE 77th Ave., Oakland, Calif. 94605

2Amp

5.05
.06
.07
.09
.12
.16
.22

!r I
In. (rate
2
Halt :Adder
913 Register
315 IS al 3 In. Cate
1

`Dual in line contains


two 709', in one came.

3Amp

EPDXY

5.08
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SILICON
.15
.22
.28
RECTIFIERS
.39
.59 Any 3 - 10%e Discount'

FETS, UJTS, VARACTORS, NIXIES


5
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1
1

2
2
2
2

Varactor duales. Ill. 20. ;if), 10. 50 pc. .$1.00


"PUT" Programmable unijunct i"n
1 00
2N489 l'nijunction TO -5 transistor
1.00
2N3370 FET, N channel TO -18, metal .. 1.00
2N2608 PET, P channel TO-IS, metal .. 1.00
2N2646 l'nijanction, plastic
1 00
2N3819 PET, N channel, plastie
00
ER -900 Trigger diodes, sers, (Hays ..
1.00
2N3277 PET, I' channel, metal TO-5 .. 1.00

...

Circle 86 on reader service card

89

www.americanradiohistory.com

KEEP PACE WITH SPACE AGE! SEE MOON SHOTS- LANDINGS, SPACE FLIGHTS, CLOSE-UP!

FREE
GIANT
CATALOG!

CHANNEL COLOR ORGAN BARGAIN!

3-

Create tremendous variety of


unusual & beautiful lighting
effects with this low -cost

top-quality 1500 -Watt unit

(500 W. per channel). Compare with others selling for

Itas pilot
individual sensi

twice the price.

light.

Iglus

tivity controls

and channel
indicator lights. Can operate
ten 150 W. "spots" or 200
l'se.s reg.
lights.
t-hrlstnlas
to audio source w'RCA -type phone
2>r. lbs. Thermal setting plastic

house current -attaches


plug.
x 01" x 2

5'/"

case.

Stock

-ft. cord. Including complete instructions.

No.

$44.50 Ppd.

71.223EH

PSYCHEDELIC LIGHTING HANDBOOK


100

information

packed

pages! Fully explains latest


lighting
psychedelic
in
equipment. techniques, decelupments. Covers all facets
light -show
of
p,ychedehc
production including strobes.
projectors.
Is lack
li gilts.
crystals. organic .slides. mirrors, color organs, polarized
se-e
Music rnl r
:i gin boxes.
Vision, etc. 814" a 11" looseleaf paper for 3 ring binder.
$3.00 Ppd.

Stock No. 9100E11

LONG -WAVE BLACK LIGHT FIXTURE


Extremely versatile. compactb' designed, lung wave
angstroms) black

rM5j,..
a.

(3200 -40110
.

light (ultraviolet) fixture

eliminates harmful shorter


stave ultraviolet rays. Use to
fungi,
minerals.
identify
"I bacteria -check for surface
fiaws, oil and gas leakageperfect for displays with flu ore +cent paper, paints, chalk.
crayons. trace powder. Incl. adjustable aluminum reflector.
push -pull switch, conneelinit plug. Mount vert.. hertz..
'.

?wi

on corner.

or

I0"

L..

1.-

$12.50 Ppd.
$4.75 Ppd.

Stook No. 70.364EH


No. 60.124EH .. REPLACEMENT

BULB
1st LOW -COST VACUUM PUMP!
,Nothing like it! Top -quality
rf

lbs. with included


mach more wy larger cup.
Stock No. 71,301EH
40

No. 71.3000H

hand -held pump produces &


maintains 25" of vacuum.
Has instant release tab. 1/a"
diants. stainless gauge (030 "). 1011's of uses- .siphon
noxious fluids. evacuate hell
jars and castings. clean. retrieve, lift sterile objects,
\f agdeburg
demonstrate
bleed
fuel
hemispheres.
lines. check leaks. etc. Lifts

"T" Lifter

(21/2"

diam.

cup)

to the fun of building


your own see -through motorized model of revolutionary pistonless type engine
only engine experts
think economically modifi-

CIRCUIT

able to meet new pollution


st audards.
Replaces piston.

crank assemblies
wills rotating dises (sections
removed for firing chambers). Smaller than conventional: fewer parts. greater reliability. same speed w /less horsepower. Feat: flashing
plugs. rubber fan belt. stick -shift on -off switch. Req.

410w

-1.5V ball.

(not incl.).
(4./2"

5" x 9 ")

$6.75 Ppd.

NEW! ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTER KIT!


Solve problems. play gables.
weather with this
working model of

predict
set slog

brains.
electronic
giant
Amazing new fun Gas' lu
learn all about computer
logic.

Programming
decimal,
binary

systems.
Laws of Sets -even do your
awn programming after coinDieting simplified 116 page

instructive booklet. Includes step -by -step assembly diagrams. Circuits easily changed. Readout frosts illuminated
runt rol panel. Req. 2 "I)" ball, (not incl.). Best model
we've seen- for home, school. industry.
No. 71.434EH
(I1" x I2yz" x 4 ")
$31.50 Pod.

LOW COST TREASURE FINDER


Discover the fun and profit
of treasure hunting inexpensively.
Light as a
feather (Ill oz.) solid -state
metal detector finds hidden
coins. jewelry. precious minerals. Distinguishes
minfrom metal objects.
beach,
for school,
campground or backyard.
Requires pA' transistor ban.
-works with any common AM transistor radio thus eliminating lastly extra circuitry. weight, dangling wires.
Adjustable multi- purpose plastic handle reduces immediate arca metal -adds to efficiency. No tuning needed.
Stock No. 71,395EH
$14.95 Ppd.

(treat

CHROMATIC "MACHINE -GUN" STROBE


Red,

Green &

barrage

Blue light

Ilse eyeballs every


seconds with
this low
cost top -quality mechanical
strobe than can ruts cuntinunusly without fear of
horning up. Dazzling effect
over Sun ft. sq. area. Created
by rotating color wheel In
front of Io5W, 1211V reflec-

hours

1st QUALITY OPAQUE UNDER $200


Terrific Buy! Top Quality!
Projects brilliant. sharp 4'_
ft. sq. image from 8' us ill

(12 ") fixsurprisingly


give
bright blackllght. Mirror finished retlectar makes instant starting 8-watt. highintensity bulb look like
Up
to
5.000
411 -wetter.

Relatively small

of

safe.

long -wave

black -light to really


rum -on parties, light &
theatrical shows, psychedelic
decors. holiday decorations.
Shockproof end -caps remove for safe, easy replacement of
bulb and starter. Stands upright or horizontal. .Alum, case.
Stook No. 7I.274EH
$14.95 Ppd.
DELUXE OUTDOOR /INDOOR MODEL
Stock No. 7I.299EH
$19.95 Ppd.
(30011A1

INVISIBLE BLACK -LIGHT SPRAY

You can't see it under normal light, but under black light, wow! It gives an
eerie bluish -while glow to
hundreds of things you'll

think of for startling luminous

effects.

costumes.

Create

party

decorations.

Spray
messages
hidden
Ilse on plastic,
around.
metal. Styroglass. wood
foam, papier mach. even fresh flowers! Washes oft with
any dry-cleaning fluid. Net contents: 13 oz. (enough to
cover a 7 ft. Christmas. tree wills plenty left over,
Stock No. 71.276EH
$3.50 Ppd.

MAIL COUPON FOR GIANT FREE CATALOG


148 PAGES- 1000's OF BARGAINS
Completely new 1971 edition. New items,
categories. illustrations. Dozens of electrical and electromagnetic parts, accessories.
Enormous selection of Astronomical Telescopes, Unique lighting items. Microscopes.
Binoculars. Magnifiers. Magnets. Lenses.
Prisms. Many war surplus items. Mall
ninon for catalog .'l!ll"

EDMUND SCIENTIFIC CO.


300 EDSCORP BUILDING

BARRINGTON, N.J. 08007

5 "x5" color. tt&w


lustrat imw. Retains all u
ginal colors. pr,porti,ti
ISnlargcs drawings, co
ItevoluUmctr
etc.
maps.

up to

peanut -size quartz Hstss.,


lamp (50 hr. life 1. "ouu.,
ana.ctiguudie lens (f3.5, s"
F. 1,.) unique internal re,v,tire field
....
dcctiug system give maxim,
focus. l'an be used upside down. '(,,rho- esule -I, .'s ft. cord.
$89.75 Ppd.
Stock No. 71,272EH (Wt. II% lbs.)

ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPE KITS


Grind your own mirror for

powerful telescopes. Kits


contain fine annealed pyrex
mirror blank, tool, abrasives, diagonal mirror. and
eyepiece lenses. Instruments
you build range in value
front $75 to hundreds of
dollars.
414" DtAAtNTER- " Thick
Stock No. 70.003EH

DIAMETER -1" Thick


8" DIAMETER-IV' Thick
Stock No. 70.005EH
ID" DIAMETER -I?.a Thick

ORDER BY STOCK NUMBER

$10.75 Ppd.

Stock No. 70,004EH

$13.95 Ppd.

Stock No. 70.006EH

$52.50 FOB

$21.50 Ppd.

WAR SURPLUS ELECTRIC GENERATOR


Brand

Model.

new Signal Corps


1'p to 90 volts by

turning crank. Coe in high


Charge
Impedance relays.
ground & bring up night
crawlers for bait or sl tidy.
Alnico Magnets alone now
,mrth more titan original $15
No. 50.225EH

EDMUND
SCIENTIFIC CO.

WI Oit9-

6"

ssov't cost.

STATE

SOLUTIONS,

by

These reference texts are a course


electrical problem solving. Circuit
theory and application format shows
step -by -step solutions to specific problems, after reviewing a particular aspect
of circuitry. Volume 1 on Elementary
Methods covers ac and dc situations,
from simple series circuits to series -parallel RLC circuits. Volume 2, Network
Theorems, demonstrations how to apply
such methods as delta to wye, and wye
to delta transformation, Thevinen's Theorem. Norton's Theorem, loop currents,
nodal analysis, superposition, and Mill man's Theorem. Volume 3, Transistor
and Tube Circuits, reviews transistor
and tube constants, decibels, and tuned
circuits and covers such topics as transistor and tube audio amplifiers, power
amplifiers. and r.f. and i,f. amplifiers.
in

erals

tures

(without gauge /lifter)

AND

126 pages, $3.95; Vol. 3, 92 pages, $3.55.

cylinder,

No. 71,424EH

PROBLEMS

Gerard Lippin. Hayden Book Co., 116 W. 14th


St New York, N.Y. 10011. In 3 softcover 6 x 9
in. volumes. Vol. 1, 190 pages, $3.95; Vol. 2,

tor tloodtattII (inc1.1 -elcoff as colors fluctuate. Turns


menl, scent to tissait on
.lore windows. posters. parties into flashing. Pulsating
productions. Convection cooled. Rugged wrinkle finish metal
case. Adjustable hanger bracket. Reg. house current.
$32.75 Ppd.
(9" x 9" x 6 ")
No. 71,423EH

$12.00 Ppd.
5.50 Pod.

BLACK -LIGHT MIGHTY MITES

NAME
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CITY

AMAZING NEW WANKEL ENGINE KIT!

Thrill

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JERSEY 08007
BARRINGTON, NEW

SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER

MONEY -BACK GUARANTEE

Cincle SI oit read er service ctrrcl

90
www.americanradiohistory.com

ELECTRONIC

Edition, by

HANDBOOK, 2nd
Hemingway. Tab Books, Blue

DESIGNER'S

T. K.

Ridge Summit, Pa. 17214. 294 pages, 5.% x 8-%


in. Hardcover, $9.95.

A guide for the practicing circuit


designer, this new edition brings in the
latest developments in transistor circuit
design. Handbook gives detailed coverage of the transistor used as a switch
and as a small -signal amplifier, as well
as circuit operating principles and consideration of transistor parameters in
practical design, along with several unusual circuits. Intended to show reader
how to design his own circuits: specific
circuits are analyzed in detail so that,
armed with underlying design techniques, the reader can apply them to developing his own specific circuits.
SEEING BEYOND THE VISIBLE, edited by A.
Hewish. American Elsevier Publishing Co., 52
Vanderbilt Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. 150
pages, 5 -% x 8? in. Hardcover, $6.00.

This is a collection of essays embracing the theme of the electromagnetic spectrum and the way in which its
component radiation bands are used by
scientists. The contributors are professors of astronomy, chemistry, electronic
and electrical engineering, and physics,
who each discuss one aspect of our attempts to peer out at the Universe and
into the atom -optical and radio astronomy, X-rays and crystallography,
microwaves and radar, masers and lasers. Illustrated with photographs and
diagrams, this book can be understood
by the layman and student. -MCL
GUIDE TO LOW -PRICED CLASSICAL RECORDS,
by Herbert Russcol. Hart Publishing Co., 510
Sixth Ave., New York, N.Y. 831 pages, 51/2 x
8 in. Softcover, $2.95.

Recordings of over 300 composers


are covered with some 1,500 works appraised and over 3,000 records briefly
evaluated. Concluding chapters cover
R-E
anthologies and the "new music."

RADIO -ELECTRONICS

INT(RNA

i1

three in one...
INTERNATIONAL'S
6024 FREQUENCY METER
SECONDARY FREQUENCY STANDARD

SIGNAL GENERATOR
POWER METER

PRACTICAL
CB RADIO

SERVICING
A reference

manual for CB'rs,


servicemen and students
This book covers virtually every
servicing problem faced by CB

The 6024 packs three test instruments into one


small package for fast, professional servicing on all
makes of Citizens Radio transceivers. You have at
the flick of a switch, a SECONDARY FREQUENCY
STANDARD, range 26.965 to 27.255 MHz with
Counter Circuit, ;zero to 2500 Hz; SIGNAL GENERATOR, 26.965 to 27.555 MHz and DUMMY LOAD/
POWER METER, up to 5 watts.

radio enthusiasts, technicians,

servicemen, and students. It provides all the theory and detailed


procedures needed to repair and
maintain equipment in a professional manner. Ideal tool for spottesting and troubie shooting.
Complete with tables and charts.
$4.75 postpaid

WRITE FOR CATALOG

Order your International 6024 today!


Complete with connecting cable, dummy
load, rechargeable battery and charger.

$34500

INTERNATIONAL
CRYSTAL MFG. CO., INC.
10 NO. LEE

Circle 82 on reader service card

OKLA. CITY. OKLA. 73102

1OW you can measure resistors accurately

t,
CIRCUIT P
1I solid
state
devices

in

.q

..

yen
FE21 HI -LO

with 41i4 -inch


meter $99.50

Ir

`UNCTION

FE20 HI -LO

with hi- voltage probe and large


six -Inch meter
$129.50

WITH THE NEW HI -LO FIELD EFFECT MULTIMETERS


USES ONLY .08 VOLTS TO POWER OHMMETER TO PREVENT TRANSISTORS FROM
CONDUCTING AND UPSETTING READINGS
Look at these extra features to see why the Hi -Lo meter belongs on your want list:
9 DC current ranges from 100 microamps to 1
Unbelievable specifications of 15 megohm input
amp
AC
megohms
on
impedance on DC anc 12
never a worry
Automatic built -in battery test
Laboratory accuracy cf 1.5 percent on DC and
about rundown batteries, just push the switches
3 percent on AC
under the rreter and read.
volts full
9 DC voltage ranges from as low as
Standard .6 amp fuse to protect the ohms and
scale to 1000 volts
milliamps scales if voltage or overload is accidentally applied. No more need to return the
3 hi-voltage ranges of 3 KV 10 KV and 30 KV
meter to factory for repair
just replace the
9 DC zero center ranges trom .05 volts to 500
fuse.
volts
a must for delicate transistor bias
Special proue with 100K isolation resistor in
measurements
probe to prevent AC pickup or to prevent loading
7 resistance targes from WOO ohms full scale to
oscillator circuits. Leave in normal position for
1000 megohms
most tests.
.

voltage of .08
volts -prevents transistors from conducting z nd misreading
circui'. Resistor will
now -ead 10K as it
should. Also prevents
any damage to transistor_
Low

i//

S E N C O F=

Here is why you


should have both HI
and Lo battery voltages for correct in-

circuit resistance

measurements in
solid state circuits:

INC. 3200 Sencore Drive

Circle 83 on reader service card

www.americanradiohistory.com

Higher vol-age of 1.5


volts causes semiconductors to conduct to read proper
front -to -back ratio or
conductivity of transistors. Meter would
not be complete without hi -ohms reading.

Sioux Falk. South Dakota 57107

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