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Part 3/3 AUTRONIC-EYE: 1952 CLASSIC CAR ACCESSORY "FINALE" - GM Chevrolet Vacuum Tubes [4K]

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CAUTION: when operating, this unit puts out 1000+ Volts on a wire which is literally hanging outside of the case of the amplifier unit. Do not attempt to do anything you see in this video; it is for entertainment only. You are at your own risk. Just watch and enjoy looking at this old tech, the GM-Guide Autronic-Eye from 1952.
Let's troubleshoot this vacuum tube Autronic-Eye for this 1953 Classic Car. In Part 2 our test of the Autronic-Eye failed and we had a set back. Let's see what happens next.
High Tech for your car in 1952. Let's take a look at this classic car optional accessory from 1952. It is used to automatically dim the car's headlights due to the lights from on-coming cars. It does this with a high voltage Photomultiplier Vacuum Tube.
Due to the available technology at the time, the voltage required for this design to work is very high.
This system was originally introduced by GM on Cadillacs and Oldsmobiles in 1952, then to the broader General Motors lines in 1953. This design was replaced as newer technologies were developed but was discontinued in the early 1970s in GM cars except for availability for Cadillacs up until the late 1980s as "Guide-Matic". Each Eye unit was designated for certain models of GM car; this one is designated for a 1953 Chevrolet.
This came from GM's Guide Lamp division. Guide Motor Lamp Company, formed in 1906, formerly made acetylene lamps for early cars and then moved into electric lighting soon afterward. They were early innovators in headlight technology and the development of dual filament headlamps for "dipping", or lowering the beam.
NOTE: This is not instruction, it is for entertainment for people like me who enjoy watching projects and the experiences gained. Do not attempt to do anything in this video. If you attempt to do any of the things in this video you are at your own risk. I am using special tech-bench safety equipment not detailed here so don't take for granted you can just plug these old items in safely without them being checked and repaired correctly. Check out the link below to Mr Carlson's Lab video below.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND REFERENCES:
[note: am in no way representing how these folks have shown doing these things - I don't even know if they would approve.]
Thanks to XrayTonyB for information on the modern capacitor leakage tester here:
‪@xraytonyb‬
• Capacitor Leakage Test...
Link to PCB site from the Antique Wireless Association:
www.antiquewir...
Thanks to shango066 for championing the approach of "fix it first", before mass re-capping. See shango066 for many examples of that approach.
‪@shango066‬
Awesome discussion of bench safety including variacs and isolation transformers by Mr Carlson's Lab (highly recommended):
• Tech Tips Tuesday, Iso...
‪@MrCarlsonsLab‬
Modification method for a commercial Tripp Lite isolation transformer for tech-bench use by Todd Harrison, his channel is called ToddFun:
• ToddFun.com: Isolation...
‪@ToddFun‬
People who may find this video interesting are those interested in antique or classic cars, vacuum tube electronics, tube radios, tube televisions, 1950s technology, repair or restoration of vintage electronics, phototubes, obsolete technology, Chevrolet, Cadillac, General Motors history
Camera: Canon G7X Mark III
Mic: Rode Micro
Video Editing Software: Power Director
Video Editor: just me

Опубликовано:

4 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 11

@hestheMaster Год назад

One day hopefully your friend will be able to demostrate how this device works. You put a lot of work into it and to make it as safe as possible . It was great watching all the steps needed to repair it.

@PracticallyFixed Год назад

Thanks Steve. It was an interesting set of challenges he sent me and some new things for me as well. Thanks again for the kind comment.

@seanbatiz6620 2 месяца назад

First time seeing/hearing your bench test of one of these Autronic Eye units! It is interesting seeing/hearing its system components in action. I’ve acquired back ‘round oh, 2017, an amazingly restored, CORRECT, complete system for this fantastically SciFy option, for one of my ‘55 Buick Super 56R 2 Dr Coupe HT cars, thru that ‘one’ dude that restores/sells this units. His first name is John.. last name eludes me at the moment; Oldenburg?. For whatever reason, of all of the massive amount of original literature I’ve methodically collected for ‘55 Buick’s, there seems to have been only a small timeframe of THIS option having been available for GM’ Buick division specifically, in 1955, as there’s only tiny bits of “Buick” even being mentioned in GM’s Guide Autronic Eye literature directly, for that year; and that info primarily refers to just mounting hardware part no. references. The semi-large foldout xerox copies of installation instructions John supplied with my unit, that includes Buick installation for 1955 (all were 12VDC by ‘55), sadly has water damage to the original this copy was made from. So far, I haven’t had any luck in sourcing another example of that info, anywhere online. This Autronic Eye unit I have, is still currently CAREFULLY packed away, waiting for the one of my Super’s it’ll be installed in, to be restored enough for it. Only thing I can figure, is of the extremely limited drivers’ side fender-well space available of Buicks’ from ‘54 - ‘56, that created major complications for dealer techs then, in getting these mounted properly. Edit: just checked and yes, his name is John Oldenburg.. extremely knowledgable person for just about everything Autronic Eye!!! Does amazing restoration work of these units!

@madmanmapper Год назад

A customer of mine has a Cadillac with one of these. He probably won't want me to fix it, but this is still fascinating.

@jimnewman5596 Год назад

This was a great video series, I'm glad you figured out it was a simple grounding issue. It would be nice if it's properly installed on that old Chevy.

@PracticallyFixed Год назад

Thank you for the compliment and for watching Jim. I think you could tell what a relief it was and how excited I was when it worked! I felt it was unusual and may have been of interest to folks. Thank you again.

@ElectromagneticVideos Год назад

So lucky its want the tube but just a missing ground! Congrats on getting it going - what a cool device!

@PracticallyFixed Год назад

Thanks for watching and the interesting comments about the technology. As a friend of mine from long ago would say "Cause Code One: Operator Error." We were lucky on that photomultiplier tube, but its better to be lucky than good I guess. Thanks again.

@ElectromagneticVideos Год назад

@@PracticallyFixed "Cause Code One: Operator Error." How true that is everywhere. I shudder to think the number of products that get returned because the purchaser didnt read instructions or understand what the device was intended for. In this case - trying to make a 70 year old device work on a workbench and not in its intended installed setting and with inexact schematics - is a lot harder than just simple operator error. I always find that getting the first of anything working the first time is hard. The second and subsequent times are easy because you have learned all the tricks and overcome any instruction manual misunderstandings. Sometime I would like to get an old photomultiplier tube and get it going. They are such amazing vintage devices. Not sure if they are even in production any more, although maybe for some exotic applications.

@aftershock2222 Год назад

I’ve always been intrigued by the Autronic eyes. Just what is that high voltage long wire? Where is it kept? Thanks.

@PracticallyFixed Год назад

Hi. The high voltage wires run from the amplifier unit, the box which mounts on a fender well under the car's hood, through the firewall to connect to the photomultiplier tube head with the lens, which mounts on the dash inside the car. The way this model was constructed, that wire is attached and left with an unprotected connector for the installation process. The photomultiplier tube requires high voltage to operate. Later models which may have used a photoresistor probably had much lower voltages, but I do not know any details about those. There is no antenna as this is not a radio. Consider also the Philco Predicta Tandem TV (1958-1960) which had the TV screen mounted remote from the actual TV chassis with a 25ft cable running between them. That cable would have a HV conductor with about 10,000 Volts, potentially running across the floor of a living room. Times have certainly changed. Thanks for the comment.