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Old 18th Jan 2021, 10:43 pm   #1
John_BS
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Default The joys, snares and delusions of collecting?

In the mid-80's I bought a Tektronics 453 Mod127C (TV trigggering) from BBC redundant plant. For many years I used it, admired it, nurtured it etc, but had no thoughts of aquiring another. Fast forward a couple of decades, and I must have bought another, although I can't remember when or where.

But this seemed to have given rise to the germ of an idea: to become an "authority" on this wonderful example of engineering excellence.

So, here's a short potted history of a growing obsession.
1. Variants.

a) early examples with nuvistors where FET's would subsequently be used.

b) re-design with FET's and other circuit changes (s/n 20,000 on)
- Mod 127C (above), Mod 210H (with IBM photo-anodised onto front panel and supplied with longer probe leads) - both a) and b) variants found with this mod.

2. "in the same family". 454 - 150MHz version with travelling wave tube and a whole host of "T coil" tweaks. Used Nuvistors and was never updated to FET's

3. "Second generation"

c) 453a with larger 8x10 tube (originals 6x10 graticule) and smaller control knobs & schematic overhall etc.

d) ditto 454a 150MHz version

I bought non-working examples of all these off Ebay and restored/calibrbrated them, with the intention of holding one example of each: this would mean that if anyone had a problem or query, I could fire up the corresponding model and assist with trouble-shooting.

Then an old joke of Steve Wright came to mind: "I have a very extensive sea-shell collection...... you may have seen it? I leave it scattered over all the beaches around the world...."

This, I decided, was an excellent philosophy to apply to collecting, which avoids a host of items sat idle and unused for most of the time: pass most on for others to use. They're still "your" collection; just residing and being used and useful somewhere else.

I have now decided that holding one example of all variants is no longer appropriate, so over the coming months I'll be offering some 'scopes on the forum. Money will go via gift-aid to charity. If anyone has a 453 or 454 problem, please drop me a line before it's (possibly) too late!

John
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Old 20th Jan 2021, 8:32 pm   #2
G6Tanuki
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Default Re: The joys, snares and delusions of collecting?

I can sort-of appreciate your philosophy in 'passing-on' stuff from your acquisitions - but I've never really got the "must have one of every variant of a particular model ever produced" thing - it seems a bit OCD, though widespread in all sorts of spheres [record/CD-releases, sneakers, books, comics, Lego, handbags, cars, stamps, coins....] I believe the people who follow this trend are known as 'completists'.

My mindset is very much on the lines of "Do I need it? Can I use it? Does it work as well as it would have originally? Would I pay the going-rate in real-money for someone-else to store it for me?" and if the answer to any of these is no then it doesn't deserve house/shack/office-room.
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Old 20th Jan 2021, 9:01 pm   #3
Nickthedentist
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Default Re: The joys, snares and delusions of collecting?

Quote:
Originally Posted by G6Tanuki View Post
My mindset is very much on the lines of "Do I need it? Can I use it? Does it work as well as it would have originally? Would I pay the going-rate in real-money for someone-else to store it for me?" and if the answer to any of these is no then it doesn't deserve house/shack/office-room.
Very rational and partner-friendly. But not many of us here are like that
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Old 20th Jan 2021, 9:06 pm   #4
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Default Re: The joys, snares and delusions of collecting?

Agree with Nick collectors are rarely rational including myself.

Cheers

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Old 20th Jan 2021, 9:31 pm   #5
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Default Re: The joys, snares and delusions of collecting?

Currently I own 17 scopes that I remember. please don’t offer me anymore I have issues and the wife is far from happy. The wife is even more unhappy about my new found interest in television.

Chris
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 4:57 am   #6
Graham G3ZVT
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Default Re: The joys, snares and delusions of collecting?

Hi John,
I have a very early nuvistor 453. At s/n 100007, I have postulated it might have been made on the first day of production at Guernsey, What do you think?

Can you tell me what Mod127C entails?
I am guessing it means the delay time vernier pot is calibrated in terms of TV line numbers??
I have been using mine to measure and compare odd/even field blanking signals from my 405 line "studio" and it is very stable and well behaved for this task.

This thread documents the work I did to it. I see you contributed to it.
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=158107
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 9:17 pm   #7
John_BS
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Default Re: The joys, snares and delusions of collecting?

Quote:
Can you tell me what Mod127C entails?
I am guessing it means the delay time vernier pot is calibrated in terms of TV line numbers??
No, there's an additional board which incorporates a sync seperator circuit: I think the BBC were involved with the design. I can post more details if anyone is interested.

I think you may be right regarding Guernsey production. There is some archive footage somewhere showing manufacturing, and you can identify 453's in various stages of assembly.

Tek serial numbers can cause some confusion: when, for instance, they state "from s/n 20,000 up..." the reference is to US Beaverton serial numbers, identified by a "B" suffix. Other manufacturing locations:-

100000 series: Guernsey
200000 series: London, UK
300000 series: Japan
700000 series: Holland.
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 9:35 pm   #8
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Default Re: The joys, snares and delusions of collecting?

Quote:
I believe the people who follow this trend are known as 'completists'.
I've not heard that definition before, but it makes sense. For a stamp collector this would fit nicely (sets of stamps, awful to have one missing..). But I sort of fell into the "example of each variant" with the genuine desire to be able to understand problems associated with that particular model. In other words, it's not cosmetic. I wouldn't, for instance be interested in aquiring "one of every colour scheme", which is an affliction which besets some collectors of Hacker Radios. Having said that, the IBM logo is very much cosmetic, and not used (by me) as a sole criteria for retention.

John
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 9:40 pm   #9
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Default Re: The joys, snares and delusions of collecting?

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Originally Posted by ChristianFletcher View Post
Currently I own 17 scopes that I remember. please don’t offer me anymore..
Chris
Oh dear; do you have one which will trigger on 0.1 div peak-to-peak?

John
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Old 22nd Jan 2021, 12:30 pm   #10
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Default Re: The joys, snares and delusions of collecting?

If I look over to My Keysight which happens to be in use it today looking at a I2C bus it is happily triggering on mains noise at 50mv with my LED lighting riding along on the top, I have no doubt one of my old TEKs will do better. The keysight has a stupid touchscreen which is really only usefully for looking at waveforms covered in jam. It also takes a considerably long time to boot than any other scope I have owned must be a minute at least.

Note I’m certainly no expert on oscilloscopes I just have found them cheaply and repaired them once they are working I lose interest. I like to look at audio waveforms on analog scopes and they are easy to operate and easier on the eye, but most of what I do is digital. I probably use a scope more like a logic analysers than a scope for my day job. The scope I’m using is pretty much entry level but was quite highly specified about 5 years ago. Amazing how cheap scopes from Rigol and siglent are for very little money simply mind blowing. There is no love like you first scope! She was lovely, Telequipment great big CRT could make an old man cry!

I think my most interesting scopes are the high voltage differential scopes I acquired when designed traction power controls. Although I have one of those valve Tek storage scope that uses that memory phosphor stuff I forget the technical detail but the fact it works is amazing and they work great. Sounds like have a jet engine parked in my workshop and gives off similar amount of heat. From memory it’s a Tek459. I think that’s my favourite scope but haven’t used it in years. I couldn’t get it up the stairs to my lab.
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Last edited by ChristianFletcher; 22nd Jan 2021 at 12:58 pm. Reason: Because I’m an idiot
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