TEKTRONIX TYPE 503 Electrical Troubleshooting And Repair! 

To learn electronics in a very different and effective way, and gain access to Mr Carlson's personal designs and inventions, visit the Mr Carlson's Lab Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab

It's a Tektronix day in Mr. Carlson's lab. Troubleshoot a Tek scope with another Tek scope and a Tek Capacitor tester plus check the sweep accuracy with still another piece of Tek equipment. I love it.

I marvel at the intelligence techs had back in the day to build such a beautiful piece of test equipment like that. You can just see the pride they had to do so.

I have this scope and I have one capacitor fail. Tied in another one leaving the failed one out of circuit and everything came back. Set it to the side for six seven months and foolishly just plugged it straight into the wall and now I think another capacitor actually failed. That was so happy when you posted this video. Thanks for everything Paul!

He must have had an air compressor like I did years ago and cleaned his equipment once and a while or may have used a cover. You are very lucky to find one this clean. Good luck, and thank you for the video, Mike in the USA

Amazing, Tek Type 503 can do 2[Mc/s], and the calibration on that thing! WoW!😵‍💫

I love how you use that beautiful old scope and nixietube voltmeter to repair it!

Over the years, Surplus Sales of Nebraska used to sell a lot of scopes from Los Alamos, (govt. surplus) nowadays nada. Wondered if people bought them for the tubes, transformers, etc.? I'm glad some people keep them from being butchered. Thank you Mr. Carlson.

Mr. Carlson, I want to thank you so much. I had studied and worked in electronics since my early childhood. Then 5 years ago I was diagnosed with a cancer that led to years of chemo and operations and ultimately forced retirement. Between the chemo and being 72 years old and out of the industry for a few years, your sessions have helped to bring my mind back to a functional state. Seems you've been doing some additional troubleshooting on me! I sit here and talk to the screen in anticipation of what you're going to say next. Thanks for the therapy! God bless you 🙏

Mr Carlson, you are immaculate. A true inspiration.

I have the exact same scope, with the exact same ‘no trigger’ problem. Thanks for giving me a huge head start on troubleshooting!

One trick for quickly spotting issues like the one you found here with the bad capacitor: put a DMM into AC voltage, and if you read anything substantial on a power rail you know you need to investigate further. Just need to be mindful of your DMM's bandwidth in that mode. Great video! Informative as always.

Thank you for your time and your to help others

I really enjoyed this video. I first used a Tektronix scope in 1970 while serving in the U.S. Navy. It was a big unit on a roll around cart. I don't remember the model. I was hooked. They're the gold standard of oscilloscopes, in my opinion.

Thanks very much for this video. I've got an old Navy surplus HP 108C scope that I can't figure out the issue. The trace just stopped, but sometimes when I turn it on and off a dot will zing past on the screen. If I pull out the vertical and horizontal plug-ins I should have a spot general in the center, but don't. I need to build it little oscillator to do the blanking test. Lacking a HV probe is also an issue, and PS checks were the first thing I looked at. I've got two Tek 442s one with a shorted transistor in the PS. So long as I that one working scope i know I can fix the other two. I primarily enjoy working on vintage audio equipment including R2R's and have more than 20 in collection. Two or three are all vacuum tube types. I'm going to recheck the PS again. I really enjoy doing the work and get the feeling you do too. And yes my bench looks cluttered. I built it inside a closet. I think we're mostly all that way. I'm sure every tech wishes they had the collection you have, just count the O-scopes.

Beautiful Oscilloscope.

Wow you don't look 72 I'd said alot younger. This diagnostic video is why I love watching your videos. I'm not much trained in electronics myself and I've maybe got 1% of your knowledge. I did manage to fix my own tek scope 2213 and some others. I'd like no more of the relationship between the faulty - 100 line and why that caused the triggering circuit issue despite it a paired to working at each point? Many thanks and keep up the good work.

Hi Paul, Awesome video and i like your channel the most and i recently got a 549 here in the Netherlands and this scope was build at Heerenveen and came to me very dirty and dusty and it took me weeks of cleaning every inch of this scope (removing and cleaning every knob and every tube ) and it has a property sticker Estec-Esa (Noordwijk) and two plug-ins Type 1A4 and Type O and looks brand new now and tested it on a function generator and till now everything works fine and i am very happy to have this awesome and beautiful scope.

Good channel. Calm and effective. Thank you.

Today, I met a guy which has Tektronix stuff. PCBs and manuals. If you're interested, I could get them for you. I bought 90s computer hardware from him. It wasn't expensive. Service- and user manuals and Tubes are there.

I have a Tek TDS540 digital scope, I think you have one too. And I also have a 1983 analog Leader 50mhz dual trace scope. I still use the leader extensively, especially on audio devices. Even with the Tek "Digital Phosphor" option, I still prefer the clean waveform the Leader displays without all the quantizing artifacts. Don't get me wrong. the 500mhz TDS scope is invaluable for precision measurements and High speed digital work. But for general work, I still reach for the analog Leader first.

Another amazing video sir. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I didn't even know I liked capacitors until I started watching your channel 😊😂

Possibly one of your BEST videos!!! So well explained and still enough detail without having to show actual "soldering" ;-) Also LOVE how you are testing the vintage gear with vintage gear! PLEASE keep making GREAT vids like this!!!

Awesome as Always...Really cool vid.. A bit more controllable than a extractor Fan :D

Paul, I have watched you for a few years now. I am interested in you getting back to the communication receivers that you started to work on a while back. I restore these big boat anchors myself. I have been in the business of repairing electronics for over 50 years now. I am 73 years young and still working on radios. Please try to work these kind of radios back into your schedule. Thank you Larry, from Centralia, Wa.

Tube SMPS .... 😲now that is something I've never thought I'll see, very unique experience, thank you! 👍

They said of Kelly Johnson (of Lockheed Skunkworks fame), "That damn Sweed can see air"! Well, I think Mr Carlson can see electrons 🙂

Ahh, the perils of RU-vid. I've watched Mr. Carlson for years, and I know how every single one of his videos begins. But, I just finished watching a video where the audio was considerably lower amplitude than it probably should have been. Was _not_ prepared for _"HI EVERYONE...!!!"_ 💥💀😅 Edit: 15:55 -- Nope. Last computer manual I saw told me not to eat the clock battery, in fact. 😁 Edit 2: Loved the appearance of the Tek 556. 👍

its always nice seeing tek equipment on the inside, so well organized circuitry and it just looks beautiful on the inside.

Paul i really liked this video it is a very special touch when you clue in your channel watchers on the possibility of production date

Thanks for the learning faultfinding.

When those Oscilloscopes were made most of the people using them fixed electronics which is why the scopes have features like the easy access to the inside, the engineers at Tektronix knew that and therefore knowing that those users would be inside those scopes made them easy to fix.

This Model Was In My School Electronics Classes Thank You, Sir

Working on those is like working on a piece of fine art. These really are the Rolls Royce of electronic testing gear.

Mr Carlsons lab you are good at restoring vintage shortwave receivers with ssb and alignment of vintage shortwave receivers with ssb 😅😅

Thanks. Excellent video, as usual. I’m always impressed with your ability to find vintage equipment that looks like it came off the factory floor. Great real world troubleshooting exercise too. It’s nice that you can bring this old gear back to working condition.

I noticed the Anatek dual supply in your stack. I recently picked one up. Nice piece of top notch Canadian equipment. I replaced all the small electrolytics in it and it now performs like a star!.👍 Did a couple of videos on it.

Seeing it still be this aligned after all that time so amazing. You fixed it so nice, thumbs up 👍👍👍👍

Paul, this thing looks to be brand new.

Great Video. Seeing again those scops from my past. The company of my Father built scopes in Germany up to around the 1956 till 1976 yeat in germany in theTettnang factory starting from tube versions in the 60th up to transistorized ones. Called P.E.K. Oscilloscopes (in Tettnang Bodensee next to Friedrichshafen) -- maybe you get in hand of some of those rare scops. I still have a 10MHz transistor P.E.K oscilloscpe based from that time. As a young boy I was running around in the factory and playing with these nice instruments. The also did the first tests with color versions of a color capable scope tube which I never saw again after that time.

Tek, wonderful build.

This is great. I picked up a 503 some time ago with the intent on using it for XY tracing - and apart from a house move, it has been living under the stairs ever since. They are not so common in my country so when I went to pick it up, I couldn't pass on the 556 next to it which was also looking for a home. Now after seeing both in the same Mr Carlson vid, I think it is time to make them work again... I think the 503 is mostly good but the 556 had some small impact damage on the front panel and there was a small chip on the tube edge - not ideal condition but will be interesting to see if it lives.

Considering how 'vertically-integrated' Tek was, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't manufacture their OWN electrolytic can caps! Heck, they even made their own NUTS and SCREWS!

Thank you for yet another great video! Love the old Tek equipment; just scream ‘Quality’. Have a few 70s and 80s Tek ‘scopes but never been inside any except for cleaning. They just work. I appreciate Collins Radio gear for the same reasons. In the rare event of failure they respond well to treatment 😊 Never knew Tek used a special solder. Now I’ll have to open mine up and look for the little spool!

Such a cool old scope, thanks for doing a video on it 👍 Amazing condition for a piece of 60 years old test equipment. Love the little roll of solder, it's quite the contrast to today's Apple products where they'll intentionally brick your device if you attempt to repair it.

Hi Mr. Carlson: Thank you so much for your amazing clips definitely one of the best in You Tube. I just to say something ...I am in Canada. Unfortunately the deals that you talk is non existent whatsoever... for instance picking up aTektronix 503 for 5 to 10 bucks in Ham Radio is just a dream. You Americans are really lucky 🎉😊

This was very interesting but you told us we would see 5 Short Wave Receivers go up against each other to see which one was best. As a ham I have been waiting patiently to see this. Could we please go back to restoring these old receivers?

This caliber of equipment sells itself. They don't make em like that anymore.

So you opened up that big Tektronix cage and fixed the Tigger

I just noticed how your current limited isolation transformer has lots of exposed contacts. I am shocked. I am also relieved that your insistence on safety has limits. ;-)

Amazing! Just 1 component failed after all these years!

The solder is silver bearing solder.

Vacuum tube SPS, that's genuinely insane 😄

Soldering a little cool are ya Mr Carlson?!? @49:28 😆

I enjoy. I have an tek 2225. And when i measuring rise time of a very fast edge signal grnerator at 10x magnifying mode it have horizontal jitter. Could you realise which part have issue.? Vertical swip or trigger part of the circuit?

Damn you're good!

Thanks to a good neighbor, he gave me a Tektronix 475, and I have no idea what probes i should get, and what it is capable of, or what vintage it is!

I want to see what kind of solder Carlson uses. You have to use a silver alloy that is not that easy to find. I have the original roll of solder that came with my 536 and I am hoarding it.

Hi I have an older tec scope and I was wondering if you resell some plug in modules.

hey paul, warren huart from produce like a pro just put out a really interesting video called "The Chandler Ltd Factory Tour" The person in question started in 2004 and is re-creating old 1960's Abby road technology and even trying to improve it, its a fascinating interview so i thought id point it out to you just incase you wasn't aware of that channel, I mentioned you in the comments.

Don't know if you'll answer but, what is the recommended solder to use with Tek equipment?

man i got hp 54504r thats needs repair pretty sure its the chip that has the built in battery that goes bad.. but love to know if you ever dont one of these models oscilloscope

👍

WHERE do you find such MINTY test equipment for sale?

Stearing wheel cover.. 😂 are those still a thing?!

My Tektronix 465B Ocilloscope could use your Magic Hands... I can't figure it out 😢

That warning is insulting, like people don't know that there is danger.

6 years ago, after nearly 5 decades on this earth, I decided I was tired of not understanding electronics and sat down to learn what I could. I discovered you early on in that journey, was fascinated, but understood maybe 5% of what was going on. Fast forward, and after many projects, video watching and reading I realized today I’m up to about 25%. This is, in no small part, thanks to your videos and the way you explain things. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I need to up my Patreon for you.

Mr. Carlson is a North American Treasure. I want to believe there are folks out there keeping us safe that at least know as much about signal as this guy.

This is positively nostalgic! In the summer of 1977, I worked at the EE department of University of Maine, calibrating all sorts of test equipment. I remember those manuals. they were the best! I also remember humourous 'doodles' in the schematics; one of a 'sled' sliding down an angled line - fun times!

The first thing that struck me when you opened the case was just how beautiful that instrument was... second was the service manual... but the thing that absolutely astonished me was that tiny roll of solder for those connectors... now I did work as repair tech work on C64's back in the day, so I have a little experience... but that scope has to be over the top the best I've ever seen... WOW!!! 🤯

IMO today's electronics fall under the category of "Planned Obsolence". Software updates that cause issues, followed by a patch to fix the issues, followed by "Your hardware is antiquated and is not compatible with this update. " Hardware companies love it. I think they are a bunch of dingle-berries!

We know it's going to be a fantastic video when the light gets dimm after flicking on testequipment on wheels, and it shows voltages on nixietubes! :P

Another fine example of electronics knowledge, diagnostics and quality repair work, thanks Mr C. Very nice scope and extra clean as well, even the CRT looked dust free. Great video and quality of not only camera work but content as well. 73

Where are you getting all this ancient stuff is such PERFECT condition? How is it possible?

Today you are lucky if the Motherboard comes with some extra screws to secure the M2 SSD in the slot...

I just bought a Tek 555 with the cart and all manuals at a garage sale for $20, thing weighs a ton! Tek scopes are definitely well built.

I love the lights dimming when the scope is powered , that is proper Sci-Fi

I have a Tektronix type RM 503 the power supply section stopped working after some use, and the Armstrong oscillator does not start oscillating on power up. I have already replaced the 6DG6A tube, 5651, C624, and R626. On power on, the anode of the new 6DG6A starts glowing cherry red after a minute and gets way too hot in my opinion so I switched back to the tube old tube which does not glow so hot. I have checked almost every part in the power supply section, and still can't find out why it does not work. -Looking for some help to get it working again.

Very cool! I have a Type 547 and 549 that I inherited and haven't gotten around to testing yet. This video definitely inspires me to do.. It's incredible how well they were built and the hand wired p2p wiring is always eye candy to look at. Cheers! 🍻

Not my birthday but what a nice treat to see this amazing scope, Tektronics is the best a great bench test scope sure enjoyed, super Thanks Paul well done mike

I noticed a glowing NE2 bulb on the top row of the circuit side of the Type 503 scope. Would you consider doing a video explaining and demonstrating how NE2 bulbs are used in circuit for more than an indicator light? Thank you for another very interesting video.

Oh thank you so much for another scope restoration from your hands, Paul. I love these so much. It is interesting how this Tektronix Type 503 is similar to a czechoslovakian Tesla BM510 (I own one and it is waiting for me to find time and restore it), or probably how similar the Tesla is to the Tektronix.

Paul, you have more scopes than I have components in my drawers 😜

I worked for Tek as a summer intern while in school. It was the foundation of my 50yr electronics career. The finest company I have ever seen. I found the great thing about working on scopes is that everything that happens in the circuitry is manifested in the display. You can look at the display and almost diagnose the circuitry without any other diagnostic tools (once you are very familiar with the circuitry). I used to test and repair dozens of 465's a night.

Mr. Carlson exponentially improved my saturday just now.

"Why do you have multiples of every tool?" Because sometimes you need a lathe to fix a lathe, a drill to fix a drill, or a scope to fix a scope. . .

Im gonna guess the reason why these 503's are so cheap is because no one wants them due to the low bandwidth and also that N-connector input.

When I got my Tektronix 576 curve tracer delivered by a semi-truck with a lift gate so I could get the scope cart with it, I plugged the unit in and ramped it up, after about 2 minutes wisps of smoke started coming out of the side. A resistor that was part of a voltage divider had popped it's solder joint. After I fixed that it has been great. The cart had about $1200 worth of test jigs in the drawer making the extra $550 to ship the scope cart, pay for itself and then some. After reading the old Tektronix manuals many of the recommend a visual inspection of the internal circuitry if the unit has been sitting idle for more than 6 months. That solder inside the Tektronix stuff is silver bearing lead free solder. Lead solder delaminates the metal from the white porcelain terminal blocks.

Sadly there are no electronics swapmeets anywhere around me. Looked on the auction site and someone is asking $500 for one. Of course.... 🤣 I don't know HOW Paul manages to find gear so clean that it looks like an unboxing video! I am truly Jealous! My first scope was a Hewlett Packard 122A, from my Jr. High Electric Shop Teacher. It was the most magical and significant gift at the time I have EVER received. It opened up my world of electronics for the rest of my life. 👍

Beautiful gear, interesting repair. I always liked Tek stuff, only had one scope that failed, filament on CRT went bye bye.

Dang,, now I really want to hear about the mysterious and interesting places that some of the units came from !!

wow , switch mode power supply using tubes

Thanks again. Great explanation. First time I see a SMPS using a tube.

Hi Mister Paul! :) I am always happy to see another of your videos, sir! :) I hope you are safe and well and stay awesome! :)

Really enjoyed this one, Paul. "Did you see the lights dim?"😅😅😅

After watching you repair this 503 it gives me hope on my 310A that I got free from work. Of course it has double the tube count so it is quite the space heater. Just imagine the 503 case with 33 tubes inside. It is more likely that a tube may be bad that an electrolytic cap but giving it the once over will be in not so distant future. The 310A came out one year earlier than the 503. That was a great video on a vintage Tek scope Paul.

vacuum tube SMPS is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I'm an amateur power supply designer and I've long wanted to incorporate some tubes in either my pass section or feedback. this only encourages me

Thanks from Italy Mr. Carlson's. Your repair for this oscilloscope helped me a lot to repair mine which is an RM 503. Thanks again. Hi Stefano.

I don't think anyone else does discreet components like that. So amazingly clean and easy to work on. There's a reason they cost what they did new.