Members ggm1960 Posted March 9, 2011 Members Share Posted March 9, 2011 After years of procrastination I'm hoping I'll get motivated enough to take on some guitar/keyboard/bass amp repair as a part time job at home. The primary things I need are a good 'scope, multimeter and signal generator. I've got a wore out old Tektronix 2215 that I'm going to replace with one of the newer, smaller, lighter digital LCD models and the Fluke bench meter I have seems to work just fine but I need to find the best bang for buck signal generator I can find so.........what's on your workbench? What else might I need for music gear repair that I don't have? Perhaps I should also get a decade box. I don't plan on designing anything, just repairs. Mostly amps, synths/keyboards would be more iffy depending on the availability of schematics and parts. As you probably know, some companies are easy to work with in that regard while others can be a nightmare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted March 9, 2011 Members Share Posted March 9, 2011 Well you probably don't need a super heavy duty signal generator...just something that generates tones of a predictable level, right? I have a signal generator app for my Android that is surprisingly useful...if you're an iPhone Dude, there's probably "an app for that" as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted March 9, 2011 CMS Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 I've got a wore out old Tektronix 2215 that I'm going to replace with one of the newer, smaller, lighter digital LCD models Old? Wore out? What did you do to it? It's newer than any of the scopes I have around here. They tend to last forever, though admittedly, if you ever need to get it serviced or want to have it calibrated, you can probably get a new scope cheaper (but it won't be a Tektronix). But if you're going to be working on analog gear, don't get a digital scope. They're great for capturing a burst of data when working on a digital thingamabob, but they don't work nearly as well as an analog scope for viewing repetitive waveforms, which is what you'll encounter when fixing things like amplifiers. I need to find the best bang for buck signal generator I can find so.........what's on your workbench? On my workbench? A Wavetek Model 110. It's probably 45 years old. You'll want something that can generate a good square wave in addition to low distortion sine waves. In my tool kit (and it often finds its way to the workbench or the control room, I have an NTI Minirator MR2 Pro. AT the moment, there's a Hickok 270 on eBay for $25 that will do the job. Item #390295254858 Get some Dale power resistors and make yourself a couple of 8 ohm dummy loads for power amplifiers. Cables, lots of cables, and an analog VOM is also handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted March 9, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 9, 2011 I have a signal generator app for my Android that is surprisingly useful...if you're an iPhone Dude, there's probably "an app for that" as well. Hmmm yeah. That's a good way to think. I don't have an iPad/Pod/Phone yet but getting one might be a great addition to my troubleshoot bag. Maybe there's some software I could put on an old laptop..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted March 9, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 9, 2011 Get some Dale power resistors and make yourself a couple of 8 ohm dummy loads for power amplifiers. Cables, lots of cables, and an analog VOM is also handy. Yeah for sure I'll need to put together a dummy load or two. Cables: check, got miles of those! I've still got an analog VOM from tech school days and a Radio Shack digital portable as well. Thanx for the input Mike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted March 9, 2011 CMS Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 All the test gear I have is used. I bought the 2215 from my employer's inventory disposal store so between trips to the cal lab it probably hadn't been turned off for 25+ years. It works but the traces are flakey. Probably a combination of dirty pots and bad caps. Before that I had a Tektronix 455 but it died a few years ago. All of my bench gear except for the NTI stuff and my Fluke DMM came from hamfests. I doubt that I have more than $100 invested in it, but that old stuff just keeps on working. I have an HP 400H AC voltmeter and 200CD oscillator, too. real tubes! And a Triplett 630NA analog multimeter, and a pocket-sized Triplett, too. You need more old test equipment to fix your old test equipment. Does Tektronix even make an analog 'scope anymore?? I doubt it. You'll probably have to go with one of the "off" brands like BK or Hitachi if you want to buy a reasonably new one. But they're really cheap from eBay sellers. It's the shipping that'll kill you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members philbo Posted March 10, 2011 Members Share Posted March 10, 2011 A lot of wave editors will generate single & multitone signals; maybe not as handy as a sig gen but very versatile. Cooledit is one. I use that for precise tones. I have an old sig gen I built years ago that does sine, pulse & square waves and it does a pretty good job. If you're interested I'll sell it to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted March 10, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 10, 2011 I have an old sig gen I built years ago that does sine, pulse & square waves and it does a pretty good job. If you're interested I'll sell it to you. I appreciate that phil but I think I'm gonna go all out and invest in some new equipment, software or a combination of both. I've got a couple of amp repair jobs lined up and I'll get started using the gear I already have as soon as I clear off some space on, and around, my work bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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