Equipment in the Engineering Department @ WB4IUY

My workbench is taylored more towards analog/RF repair, with the ability to generate in range of 1 ghz synthesized or 40 ghz analog multiplied. RF Measurements and analysis to 40 ghz are possible, counting to > 1 ghz, DC or AC to approx 50 KV.

HP 180 Scope, 1801A & 1821A Modules, and Scopemobile

I've had this scope since about 1995, when I got it used in an estate sale. It's a great dual channel scope and came with loads of accessories.

Power Supplies

There are several different power supplies in use here at WB4IUY. A modern Bertan HV Power Supply is used for HV generation chores. It'll make up to 1000 vdc @ 1 amp, and has a digital display for both voltage and current.

A Mastech HY3003D-2 Dual output Variable DC Bench Supply can deliver up to 30vdc per channel @ up to 3 amps. It has digital diplay of voltage and current for both outputs.

The 3rd unit is an old Lambda LA-100 rack mount DC supply. It is pretty serious, and can crank out up to 50 amps. I installed an additional fan to keep this monster cool!

A Pyramid 30A DC supply is a lower duty cycle linear supply I use on the bench. It has been modified to be variable from 9vdc to about 15 vdc.

Heathkit Signal Tracer

This oldie but goldie has been around for many years. No workbench is complete without an audio signal tracer. I've actually got two of these, and they both work fine. The little magic eye tube is a neat feature, but I've never found any real use for it... it just looks cool in the dark :-)

Cushman CE-6030 Spectrum Analyzer

This is the most used tool on my workbench. It is loaded... tracking generator, built-in scope, programmable signal generator with sub-audible tone generation, ability to work splits, etc. I love this machine!

Polarad 40 ghz Spectrum Analyzer

Wow...this thing came over on the Mayflower! It weighs a ton, and is a real back-breaker. Despite all this, it's a cool spectrum analyzer and supposedly works up to 40ghz (I can only test it up to about 6ghz).

Wavetek 3000B Service Monitor

This is a nice service monitor. I've used it up through about 450mhz, and it's a great tool for transmitter & receiver alignment.

Substitution Boxes

These are your basic substitution boxes for resistance and capacitance. Very handy when building test circuits or modifying existing stuff.

Tube Testers

When you like old tube radio gear, you've gotta have a way to test their tubes! The first unit is a Hickok KS-5727-L1, basically a re-badged 536 mutual conductance tester built under contract for Western Electric. It's a great tester, in good shape, and will test most everything.

The second unit is a Conar tube tester. It's simple, easy to use, fairly accurate, and tests most 'modern' tubes.

RF Power Measurement Tools

Here are the various wattmeters in use in the workshop. Some have external loads, others have tem built-in. The first is a typical Bird Model 43 with remote sensing & various slugs.

The next is a military TS-1285/URM-120 RF Power Meter & Slugs. It's good from 1mhz - 1 ghz, and has been a real workhorse.

The 3rd unit is a military ME-82/U 50-600mc Wattmeter/Dummy Load. It handles up to 120 watts and has a self contained dummy load.

The last unit is a killer little 40 watt microwave wattmeter & dummy load combo, and operates from 600-1.85ghz. I like these self-contained wattmeter & load units.

Various Dummy Loads

'Hey, use that dummy load, you dummy!'... hehehehe... I hear that on the air from time to time, and it's good advice. I have a variety of these I use around the shacks and shop. They vary in size, duty cycle, and power handling capacity from the little 3w 10% loads, to 2kw 50% units. Here are a few pics of those.

HP 431-B Microwave Power Meter

I was fortunate to find this sweetheart in a pile of junkers... complete with manuals, several sensors, and a handful of parts units. I returned it to like new conditin, and it now has a safe spot on my workbench.

Boonton 210 RF Voltmeter

This old vacuum tube RF voltmeter is solid as a rock and looks like new. It had never seen much service when I found it. It has the high impedance probe, and I use it when poking around in interstage transmitter stuff to check for correct gain and such.

B&K Frequency Counter

I've had this counter since at least 1986, and it's been tough. I've accidentally transmitted into the input wihtout harm, and it has run for week on end when I'd forget to turn it off. Since it's in the vicinity of Studio B, I also use it to watch the output frequency of my old vintage transmitters. I also have an external 1ghz prescaler, but it's currently on the fritz...

Signal Generators

Here are the generators I use on my workbench. There is an old military TS-497B/URR Signal Generator I've had for years...tough as nails and keeps on running. There is a RF Signal Generator SG-4160B and Audio Generator AG-2601A by Lodestar. I also have a HP-618C Microwave Signal Generator that's good up to around 6ghz.

Heathkit AA-1 Audio Analyzer

This is an oldie but goodie! It's a handy piece when I need to sweep an audio board in a repeater project for linearity, check a circuit for frequency response, etc. It's not a modern device by any means, but it works great in most typical hobbiest-type applications.

Multi-Meters

Here are the primary multi-meters used on my workbench. You'll see a Fluke 8050A Benchtop DMM (most used piece!), a Military MilliOhm Meter used for exact measurement of small resistances, a HP VTVM, and an old Heathkit VTVM. The VTVMs (Vacuum Tume Volt Meter) are great when you need a very high impedance meter that doesn't react with the circuit under test. The old Heathkit VTVM is more of a nostalgic piece for my bench than anything else, though it does work OK.

MFJ Antenna Analyzer

Debbie bought this for me sometime around 1995. I've used it for most every antenna I've worked with below 150mhz, and I love it! Easy to use, quickly sweeps a range of frequencies and shows reflected energy. This baby makes tuning an antenna a snap, and can also be used as a grid dip oscillator!

MFJ Analyzer Related Posts on WB4IUY.BLOGSPOT.COM

- MFJ Analyzer Repairs

Sadelco Test Receiver

This is a basic, fairly sensitive, tunable broad band received. It was once used in the cable industry, but I find it helpful for a quick, down-and-dirty way to check multiplier chains and such.It works from 50mhz to around 400mhz.

B&K 520 Transistor Tester

I've had this transistor tester since sometime around 1995. I've used many others over the years, but this model has been my favorite for easy of use and ability to often test in-circuit. I first used one of these many years ago when working in the 2-way industry, and latched onto this one when I found it.

LCR Meters

The first meter is a B&K 875 LCR Meter, and it's a great tool for measuring Capacitance and Inductance. It also has a built in Ohmeter, but I seldom use that function.

The next meter is a YFE YF-150 Capacitance Meter. It is a great hand-held capacitor testor that I acquired from my friend Ronnie WA4MJF.

James Millen Frequency Meters

These old frequency meters are mostly a display item, as there are much better ways to measure resonance these days. These were manufactured by the James Millen Company back around 1947. One would hold these near a tuned circuit, watch the current of the circuit in question, rotate the knob until a dip in current in the circuit was noticed, and this would be the approximate frequency or resonance. Just a cool piece of history, they are!

General Radio 1000-p6

This is a General Radio 1000-p6 Crystal Diode Modulator. It provides amplitude modulation of a RF carrier, and is good from 20-1000 mhz. It is mostly a display item due to it's vintage status, but will probably be utilized in a homebrew AM transmitter project.

Tubes, Tubes, Tubes, Tubes, and stuff...

Since I collect old tube gear, I've picked up loads of tubes for my own inventory over the years. I've collected these from estate sales, tv shop buyouts, hamfests, etc. I have thousands of tubes. Miniture glass 7 & 9 pin receiving tubes, metal tubes, metal octals, nuvistors, transmitting tubes, regulators, rectifiers, etc. You never know what you'll need in that next restoration project...

Likewise, when you repair old stuff, build new projects, etc...you've gotta have other goodies. Over the years I've accumulated a decent pile of resistors, caps, diodes, transistors, chips, switches, lamps, you-name-it. I like to scrounge, so when I have something that's not worth repairing, I often dismantle and categorize the parts for future use. Old circuits never die, they just morph into new ones!