Just a lovely piece of work! Amazing that it can be brought back to life after all this time. I doubt that our iPhones/tvs/PCs etc. will be able to work 60 years from now.
What a great quality signal general generator. I can NOT find cheap test equipment, I have to buy off EBAY and pay HIGH prices for them. I was very lucky to have a few guys send me some test equipment free for just the price of shipping. I agree with you the EBAY sellers are asking insane prices for an example you can't touch any oscilloscope working for less than $100, even a 10 MHZ scope is going for that much money. Try to find a Tektronix 454 100 MHZ scope for less than $300 and even a 453 50 MHZ scope is going for 100 bucks. You are very lucky to get those bargains I have to resort to buying on EBAY. I replaced all the slotted self tapping screws on my EICO 324 and my EICO 950 with Phillips screws, I just took a screw to my local true value hardware store and got a bunch stainless screws. I like Phillips screws better, the screw driver dies not slip and scratch the panel. I have an EICO 324 signal generator and the wave form is not a sine wave, I have seen YT videos of a guy showing the nice clean sine wave form coming out of a LEADER model 17? not too sure of the model but I think the newer signal generators have better wave forms than my EICO 324.
Hi Goat, It seems no matter what Ham Radio Flea market I go to I find this stuff. Have several in NH and a couple in MA that I go to. Gotta get there early and make sure you poke your nose into every nook and cranny. Often it is on my 3rd or 4th pass that things turn up. It's not just E-bay with crazy prices. I was at the Nearfest flea in NH and there was a guy with an old 10 MHz Heathkit scope. He wanted $250.00. I told him he needed to stop taking recreational Pharmaceuticals. Another guy wanted $175.00 for a 20 MHz scope that looked like it had been stored in a mud puddle. I went back to them later with three scopes all of which I paid less than 30 bucks for. One 30 MHz very clean unit was $15. Rubbed them under their noses and told them have a nice time taking theirs back home. By the way, the harmonics are not really an issue if your using it to align old radios. In fact using the harmonics allows you to double the frequency on the dial. But then you probably know that. The only issue is when trying to use an old fixed level counter like the Heathkit. But you can build a simple L/C circuit to filter the harmonics and then use the Heathkit. I should do a video on that. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the info and the rely. I have a Lodestar 5270 that was given to me and it seems to work good on my EICO 324 so maybe a waveform with harmonics will be okay on it. I juat need to add a BNC jack to it for the frequency counter, I have a 10pf silver mica capacitor that I think will do the job adding that to the UN-attentenuated high side of the output. I live in Connecticut and I no longer drive long distances, poor eyesight and OLD age. I would love to come up to NH, the last time we went up there was back in 2006. Thanks, I enjoy your videos. BTW there is a ham radio auction coming up toward the end of April, it is the RASON auction, mostly ham stuff but they do have some other goodies. 73's Bill N1NCW
Thanks for this nice and educational video. Your info provides me key data, preventing me from buying a "repaired" E-200 from a local flea market. I'm restoring a 1956 Philips Tube Radio and just realized 468 KHz IF stage would require alignment, as well the entire receiver. I will look for alternatives. Congratulations for your channel!
Great video! I may be asking a noob question, but why can't you adjust the trimmer capacitor to dial in the lower end of, for example Band C at 455khz, and just take the larger error at the top end where it's not so critical? Or is it that trimmers always should be adjusted for the top end?
Nice units. I just picked up a E-200C on eBay for $17 plus shipping. Replaced the electrolytics and two paper caps. The rest of the caps are ceramic. Without adjustment the dial is dead on.
HI Robert, good score. As you saw this thing was full of paper caps. And EVERY one of them was leaky. The silver Mica ones were OK. Only had to touch up one band due to having to remove the coil to fix a contact on the switch. Didn't bother showing that as I am going to do a video on how I fix wafer switches at some point. No I have to find a 200C to be a companion to the 200.
I saw my first one on Paul Carlson's channel. I love the old equipment. This was listed as "Steampunk" for I guess ornamental use. It looks like yours except for the fact the modulation control is labeled in % modulation. It has the newer 6AU6/6U8/5Y3 tube compliment. I powered it up through an isolation transformer and it was right on frequency. The filter caps have high values and ESR so I am recapping it. Resistors all check OK. Another thing I liked was it was factory 3 wire power corded. Sure it's not as stable probably as my B&K but still fun to use on the old radios that find a home here.😉
Thanks for the video on the Precision E-200. I found it very useful. I picked one up at a Hamfest a few years ago for $5 or $10 and just let it sit here. Needing a signal generator for an alignment, I dug it out and starting researching it, like you did. I changed over to BNC connectors last nite, and wondered why the low output side was so strong. It's because the resistor was buried in that old mic connector. I would not have known this if it weren't for your video. Now I'll have to unsolder that cable coming out of the shield again. 😢 But that will have to wait until after the alignment. I'll also recap it in the near future. 73 Paul AA1SU
I just ended up with one of these. Of course I paid $50 exactly like you said not to do. Until we can get back to hamfests I guess we are stuck with eBay and $50 seemed like a deal there. I was surprised to find a 4 pin tube inside of the E-200-C. I would have thought that by the time they got around to the "C" model 4 pin tubes would have been long gone. Thank you for your insights, I am definitely early in the learning process and your video will be helpful as I go through mine to get it back into good operating shape.
Just thought I would mention that the old plug for power that you showed taken out can sometimes trip a ground fault breaker all by itself, what happens is the plastic or rubber changes as it ages and becomes ever so slightly conductive, just enough so to trip a ground fault breaker!! this is another reason to get rid of the old plug!! I had to change one on an old Collins transmitter because I had the problem of my house breaker tripping and could find no problem what so ever with the transmitter until I ohmed out the line cord by itself then the plug by itself and found a little over a megohm resistance!!
Hi John. A lot of the "Glue" used on circuit boards to hold components does the same thing over time. Becomes conductive and causes all kinds of issues. Also don't forget the "safety" caps. These can trip GFI breakers also. The AC line filters on R390 radios were famous for tripping GFI's. Lots of gotchas in old gear.
Good thing you mentioned R-390 !! I currently have an R-390A! have had it for about 35 years, I will have to check the condition of the line filter, thanks for mentioning this!! John A Bellas KC2UVN
I have an E-200 I picked up on EBay . I have yet to do the cap job. It’s the older version. Fuses in the plug. Keeps blowing only one fuse. It came with a 6J5GT as opposed to a 6C5. I replaced the tube according to the original schematic with a 6C5 and it blows fuses. I’m wondering if it was modified for the 6JJ5. It never blew a fuse with the 6J5GT.
Signal generators don't seem to have a mid range option. At the one end you have the types that you have been restoring and the modern solid state versions such as the Instek and B&K. Basically the same design with the analog tuning dial. They sell in the $25 to $50 range for the older ones to around $150 for the modern equivalents new in the box. Then you have the used HP stuff that is 20 to 30 years old that goes in the $500 to $1000 range depending on the age and condition. I use an HP 8656B which is a pleasure to use but I keep my old Eico and Heathkit generators around for the old tube receivers. I've always been a bit shy about exposing the HP front end to the dangers of high DC voltages even with large blocking cap in place.
HI Doug, we are cut from the same bolt of cloth. I use my Older gear on old AM radios and keep my HP 8657A away from H.V. Besides, it is fun to use the old gear to fix old gear. Thanks for watching.
In your opinion what would be the best cable for this unit. I will be changing to BNC connectors and looking at RG316, but wanted your opinion. Thanks.
I agree ebay prices are way too high, but when you live out in the middle of nowhere like I do it's often about the only way to get the equipment you want. That being said I have gotten some pretty good deals on occasion there.
One question: How is it that signal generator has BNC outputs? I was under the impression BNCs weren't invented until the 50's. And most similar equipment of newer vintage does not have BNC output. They usually have that weird old threaded output jack to connect a probe or clip leads.
I'm a new subscriber, it's going to take me a while to go through the videos. I have an Ecco signal generator I'm satisfied with for now. But I would be interested in a more modern one. Do you have a modern signal generator you would recommend in the price range you mentioned?
Hi Ray, Keep your eyes open for something from Hewlett Packard with a digital display in the frequency range you need. I have an 8657A that works like a charm. These turn up at Ham swap meets and are great generators.
The one dislike at the time I viewed this video, must have been an ebay seller. :) Way to high and what makes it worse is people pay their prices. Not me.
I do have one troll that follows me around. Turned up first on my video about The CREE Led. Now I feel bad when I don't get a thumbs down from him. It means he isn't watching. :-)
Very good video. Nice unit. I have a different take on that big power X-former. I remember that in the '40s and well into the '50s, many localities still had 25 cycle power systems from the lines. That required more iron in the X-formers & chokes than 60 cps. Many used a 25 cps components, since they worked fine at 60 cps. You may be able to find the power specs for that E-200, they probably would say "25/60" cycles. Anyway, interesting job, thanks for sharing. .............Dick
Hi Dick, all the copies of the instructions I have seen say quote "use only 110-120 volts 50/60 CPS unless specifically supplied for other voltages/frequencies." I would think that 25 CPS ( HZ ) would require larger filter caps also. Interesting theory though. Thanks for watching and for stopping by. 73 Vern N1CKX
Hi Ronald, E-Bay prices are usually just plain stupid. If a unit is in perfect condition and fully restored, then the price would be justified. I have seen clowns asking over $80.00 for units that are rusty and missing all the knobs and dial pointers. Just plain stupid. Find where the Ham Radio Flea markets are held in your area and keep looking. Thanks for watching.
There are only three ham fests locally (ATL) in my area (50 mile radius) during the next six months. I work full-time and it would take me a lifetime to wait for steals at a hamfest one at a time. I also don't have time to spend my weekends at flea markets (plus I hate flea markets) and factor in fuel. I shop carefully on Ebay and have gotten some good deals. No five dollar specials mind you. If you already have a complete test bench then you can take your time and pick up deals where you find them. I'll gladly pay more to have the item show up at my door. I want to restore radios, not shop for test equipment for the next ten years. Love your videos, keep em coming, Doc
