Old Tektronics Scope Iron...

[doctord02]

Howdy folks...

I've been canabalizing and stripping an old Tek 535 tube scope for parts and want to make use of the PT. Does anyone have any insight on the current ratings on the HV windings? It has 500V, 350V and 225V taps, as well as seven different heater windings. I know the heater windings are rated at 7 amps thru 4 amps...

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Dave

[Tom Phillips]

Dave,
You may find some information by brousing the Tecktronix sites that deal with old scopes.
Here is one site to get you started
http://www.reprise.com/host/tektronix/reference/default.asp
You can find a manual for the 535 at http://bama.sbc.edu/ (Free download) which may give some clues.
Regards,
Tom

[doctord02]

Thanks Tom. Of course both the Reprise.com and BAMA links were the first place I went when I found this old beast. Lots of scope info, but not much about the transformers. The schematics have the heater current ratings but not the HV taps.

On another forum someone posted this:

http://www.audiophool.cjb.net/Techno.html

And pointed me to the 1964 article on estimating ratings on unknown transformers, so it's at least a start...

[Steve Conner]

You broke up a Tek 535? Apparently it was the best tube oscilloscope ever made or something. Jim Williams is coming to get you! http://webevents.broadcast.com/cmp/wcs/detail.asp?event_id=9904

[Tom Phillips]

OK. Sounds like the 1964 article method is the way to go. I found my copy (Electronics Magazine 1964) after my first post and was going to send it along but I'm pretty sure that we are talking about the same article. My copy is in the form of two JPG files. I would like to find a better copy. I'll check out Technophool. Thanks for the link.

Tom

[doctord02]

You broke up a Tek 535? Apparently it was the best tube oscilloscope ever made or something. Jim Williams is coming to get you! http://webevents.broadcast.com/cmp/wcs/detail.asp?event_id=9904

Hah! Well, it certianly was the pinnicle of analog tube technology, thats for sure. The attention to detail and construction was a lesson in and of itself. But I have no guilt about salvaging this one, it was definitely fried, and is now single handedly supplying me with a ton of bits for experimentation. Beats being landfill fodder, which is where it was headed when I nabbed it.

[Tom Phillips]

...The attention to detail and construction was a lesson in and of itself.

I've got a 535A a 545 and the grandaddy of them all a 556 dual beam model. Every time I think about parting them out I look at that amazing construction and just can't do it. They all came home from Ham Fests and would have gone in the dumpster if I hadn't taken them. The 556 has been fired up and mostly works. Don't know about the others yet. Beautiful trace but it weighs well over 100 pounds and uses 800 Watts of line power.

Cheers,
Tom

[Satamax]

OK. Sounds like the 1964 article method is the way to go. I found my copy (Electronics Magazine 1964) after my first post and was going to send it along but I'm pretty sure that we are talking about the same article. My copy is in the form of two JPG files. I would like to find a better copy. I'll check out Technophool. Thanks for the link.

Tom

http://www.audiophool.cjb.net/Misc/XFMR1.JPG
http://www.audiophool.cjb.net/Misc/XFMR2.JPG

[Mark Black]

I've got one of those big old beasts too (don't remember the model - it's stashed on a shelf somewhere). They can double as a space heater!

If a guy was to part one out (I couldn't bring myself to either) the ceramic component-mounting strips look like they would come in handy...

They really do have lovely workmanship and design.

Mark

[doctord02]

One of the ideas floating thru my head is to build an amp using the basic chassis and shell of the Tek and using that same georgious construction; the ceramic standoff strips and killer Allen-Bradley mil-spec sealed pots and resistors... The shell is big enough to float a sealed 1x12 speaker cab inside...

And seeing as I have a bunch of dual triodes and pentodes from it, it may be fun to cobble up something out of the ordinary.

I'm actually planning on making a bench prototyping/experimenting rig out of the main powersupply/transformer mount panel... Hence the interest in the current capacity of the PT.

[Mark Black]

Interestingly the forum listed your reply ("last reply" field) as being by Satamax, and clicking on his name in that field brought me to your profile.

Weird!

I'm sure that will disappear now that I have posted.

The Tek would indeed make an interesting-looking amp, especially if you could somehow retain enough of the CRT and vertical amp circuitry so it displayed a waveform as you played. All the concentric controls would leave a lot of possibilities for function & tone stuff. Probably get a few stares at a gig...

Mark

[Tom Phillips]

Yep...that's the same file I have with the right side cut off during the original scan.
Thanks,
Tom

[Satamax]

Interestingly the forum listed your reply ("last reply" field) as being by Satamax, and clicking on his name in that field brought me to your profile.

Weird!

I'm sure that will disappear now that I have posted.

The Tek would indeed make an interesting-looking amp, especially if you could somehow retain enough of the CRT and vertical amp circuitry so it displayed a waveform as you played. All the concentric controls would leave a lot of possibilities for function & tone stuff. Probably get a few stares at a gig...

Mark

Huh, what have i done wrong :D ?

[doctord02]

Ah-ha, paydirt!

http://www.pmillett.com/Tek_xfmrs.htm

[Tom Phillips]

Thanks for the paydirt.
I have been to the Pete Millett site befor but didn't notice the transformer info.
Tom

[doctord02]

I thought that might be useful to others... The only reason I noticed it (and I was just randomly surfing... ) was he mentioned it was recently updated... otherwise I would never seen it.

Good info there. Now I think I'll have to thank Pete for the data...