on the bench : RCA SOUND CARTRIDGE TAPE DECK 1YB29A “the missing link”

$31.00, Tax$2.95, Shipping$9.16, Handling$2.00, Additional Donation$0.89. Order Total$46.00

September 21 2021 from shopGoodwill.com

Apparently there is a incorrect link to photos that are not showing please stand by ! Google photos links may be dynamic ?

Now we live in a world where recording music for our enjoyment or for that fact buying albums, CD’s records or whatever is not needed. Now with streaming services available the accessibility and storage of music is all digital. Enjoyment of music is now possible with a smart phone or streaming device. Our stereo equipment may just consist of a blue tooth speaker ! Back in the day we liked to have the concert experience at home. with powerful amps and huge speakers.

Before digital became available to the masses, to construct a playlist, we recorded “mix tapes” a collection of favorite songs usually recorded on cassettes. Also it was possible to record music from someone else who purchased the album thereby saving us from purchasing the music.

Before record able Cd’s and cassettes the audiophiles preferred recording format was the reel to reel. Relatively expensive method of storing sound, the quality though could mimic vinyl records depending on the quality and recording speed (and $$$) of the deck. the reel to reel was also a favored method of musicians and recording studios to produce records from master tapes.

Those who follow the progression of magnetic tape recording recording formats, a little know format was the RCA sound cartridge system. You can look up the history by googling etc.,circa 1958. As most remember Phillips developed the compact cassette that most are familiar with. Some claim Phillips stole the format from RCA and refined it to a smaller more cost effective size.

I was fortunate to grab this RCA SOUND CARTRIDGE TAPE DECK 1YB29A from an auction in a great condition. Not a collector as such as I have enough stuff around , it was curiosity to see this machine. Would it work? As the size is much larger than a compact cassette, it was developed when reel to reel machines were still available. Thus it was a link from the progression from reel to reel decks to the compact cassette. There are variants of this model some in stereo.

the unboxing

inspection of the item hmmmm. that would date this item to about 60 years old !

I also lucked out that the unit had a tape cartridge included.

THERE’S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PICTURES !

Here is a comparison picture of a compact cassette from the net as i didn’t get any size reference from pictures I took

Front panel removed

INSTEAD OF THE TYPICAL VU METER WE HAVE A TUBE TYPE INDICATOR

NICE! WE HAVE INSTRUCTIONS RIGHT ON THE UNIT HOW TO CHANGE THE TUBES

WE ARE POWERED UP

PLAY/ RECORD HEADS

TAPE MECHANISM ENGAGED TO PLAY. I LIKE THE FACT THAT THE PRESSURE PADS A E PART OF THE MACHINE. SOMETIMES THEY ARE TROUBLESOME IN COMPACT CASSETTES

THE PINCH ROLLER HAS A CRAZY DOUBLE JOINTED SWIVEL WHEN ENGAGED/DISENGAGED (CAPSTAN REMOVED) ENGAGED/DISENGAGED FROM PLAY FUNCTION

TUBE TYPE AND DIAGRAM, PIECE OF BELT REMAINS AT THE TOP

SPEAKER

SPEAKER AND CASE HANDLE MOUNTING

NO DRIVE, THE BELT REMAINS, REVERTED BACK TO OIL

BELT REMAINS

CHASSIS VIEW

DUE TO THE AGE AND THE FACT THAT THIS UNIT WORKED I LEFT AS IS FOR REFERENCE AND SALE

MOTOR AND DRIVE SPOOLS, MOTOR HAS STEPPED PULLEY

THE HOOKED ROD LINKAGE IS THE SPEED SHIFTER TO SHIFT THE BELT TO THE DIFFERENT STEP PULLEY

TAPE COUNTER BELT IS OK

OTHER END OF TAPE COUNTER BELT

CAPSTAN FLYWHEEL PULLEY

CAPSTAN BRACKET

REMOVAL AND CLEANING, I HAPPEN TO FIND AN ACCEPTABLE BELT FOR REPLACEMENT. THAT’S ALL THAT WAS NECESSARY TO RETURN THE UNIT TO WORKING CONDITION

PRESSURE PADS

CIRCUIT COMPONENTS, ALL POINT TO POINT WIRING, ORIGINAL APPEARANCE

WAFER SWITCH COMPLETE WITH OXIDATION

DE OXIT TO THE RESCUE

TAPE CART INSTALLED, IT HAD OLD TIME RECORDINGS OF A FARMER TALKING TO VARIOUS PEOPLE AND SOME FAMILY RECORDINGS. CLEARLY SIMILARITIES TO THE COMPACT CASSETTE

DID A TEST RECORDING AND THAT FUNCTION WORKED

FINISHED AND RE ASSEMBLED, PICTURE FOR EBAY SOLD FOR A BIT OVER $70.00 USD I HOPE IT WENT TO COLLECTOR WITH THE SPACE TO DISPLAY IT.

THE SOUND CARTRIDGE

BTW THE SPEED WAS SELECT ABLE TO 3 3/4 OR 1 7/8, THE BELT WAS SHIFTED TO A DIFFERENT PULLEY BUT MECHANICAL MEANS TO GET THE DIFFERENT SPEEDS. SOUND QUALITY WAS MOSTLY ACCEPTABLE FOR VOICE AND MUSIC AS ON PAR WITH OTHER RECORDING DEVICES IN THIS SPEED RANGE. THE HIGHER QUALITY DEVICES OF THE AGE ALSO UTILIZED 7 1/2 OR 15 INCHES PER SECOND OF TAPE SPEED

WITH COVER, ALL CLEANED UP THE END

i HAVE MORE DRAFTS WAITING TO BE COMPLETED SO MORE OF “ON THE BENCH ” SERIES WILL BE COMING SOON

ON THE BENCH: Vintage Simpson Model 303 Analog Vacuum Tube Volt Meter – UNTESTED

Order Summary From shopgoodwill.com

Subtotal$14.99

Tax$1.90

Shipping $8.78

Handling$3.49

Additional Donation$0.84

Order Total$30.00

Ask around for a recommendation for a good multi meter and get plenty of suggestions. Most people like the digital auto readout that takes the guesswork out of changing knobs and settings to measure voltage and resistance. The name Simpson is synonymous with a high quality meter. Many techs from the day had one on the bench or in the field. namely the model 260 in a few variants. Just a rough check now, a current 260 new will be around $400.00 USD. they are know for reliability, ruggedness and accuracy. Because of the quality build, many, many of the 260 series can be purchased on the secondary market. That is if an analog meter is your game.

While digital meters can be inviting and easy to read they don’t show any transients quite like an analog meter. True, some digital meters have a bar graph display that will show changes, it’s not as telling as the sweep of the needle of the full analog meter. It’s better than digital when peaking measurements for calibration. Using the meter often the scales of the meter get familiar and are read with ease.

Presently I have a multi meter, another purchased used and refurbished the small Amprobe AM 2A meter also purchased from shopgoodwill.com for $18.03 delivered. It does the job after frying out a china sourced basic not more than a few dollars analog meter.

Without a long winded explanation of the benefits of a high impedance input meter for accuracy, another tech staple is the VTVM or irreverently know as the vommit meter. As the acronym implies, Vacuum Tube Volt Meter, has a vacuum tube on the input for accuracy. Mostly for bench use because of the need for 120 vac power, they are a must have if precision voltage measurement is required, especially for calibration of equipment to manufactures standards. Some calibration instructions will list a VTVM as a requirement and may even specify the brand.

The Simpson Model 303 Analog Vacuum Tube Volt Meter is a good example of a good all around fairly priced used multi meter, rugged and well built as we will see. Made to last these are excellent candidates for over haul.

First a couple of tips if you are following and will attempt repairs:

BAG AND TAG FASTENERS AND PARTS WHEN REMOVED AND THEIR LOCATION.

TAG CIRCUIT BOARDS AS TO THEIR PLACEMENT WHEN REMOVED

TAG WIRES AS TO THEIR CONNECTION POINT AND FUNCTION WHEN UNPLUGGED/DE-SOLDERED

TAKE PHOTOS BEFORE DIS ASSEMBLY, AND/OR KEEP NOTES OR A LOG OF PROCEDURES AND STEPS

PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY THE REPAIR MAY SPAN SEVERAL WEEKS AS PARTS ON ORDER OR OTHER JOBS ARISE.

DOWNLOAD/PURCHASE USER MANUAL. SCHEMATICS AND PARTS DIAGRAMS (ACTUALLY THIS CAN BE DONE PRIOR TO PURCHASE TO SEE WHATS INVOLVED)

NOTES ANY DIFFERENCES ON SCHEMATICS AND DIAGRAMS, MANUFACTURES CAN BE NOTORIOUS FOR NOT SUPPLYING AN “AS BUILT” OR ERRATA OR REVISION SHEETS. SOME SCHEMATICS MAY BE FOR A GENERIC MODEL.

HAVE THE PROPER TOOLS AND TEST EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE

CONSULT REPAIR VIDEOS AND FORUMS FOR INSIGHT AS TO WHATS INVOLVED AND COSTLY PARTS AND ITEMS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE

LETS GO

THE ARRIVAL

FIRST LOOK THE ACV INPUT HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A PUSHBUTTON SWITCH

THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS OBSESSED WITH THE SERIAL NUMBER, ETCHED IN SEVERAL PLACES ON THE METER

THE COAXIAL CONNECTORS OF THESE METERS ARE OF A PROPRIETARY SIZE, NOT READILY AVAILABLE, THERE ARE SEVERAL WORKAROUNDS RESEARCHED THROUGH THE INTERNET. EBAY OFFERS A CUSTOM REPLACEMENT SET IF YOU DON’T WANT TO MODIFY THE METER, AT A COST

WIRE WOUND PRECISION RESISTORS BANKS , ADJUSTMENT POTS, SELECTOR SWITCHES AND TRANSFORMERS

THE PUSH BUTTON IN THE PLACE OF THE ACV INPUT ??? TRACED THE SCHEMATIC, APPARENT IT IS A GROUNDING SWITCH PROBABLY FOR ZEROING THE METER DURING RESISTANCE MEASURMENTS

THE ROTARY SWITCHES ARE IN GOOD SHAPE AND WILL BE CLEANED WITH DEOXIT

BATTERY CLIP IN GOOD SHAPE NO EVIDENCE OF BATTERY LEAKAGE

ONE OF THE 2 TUBES , TO THE LEFT THE SELENIUM RECTIFIER THAT WILL BE REPLACED WITH A DIODE

REMOVAL OF THE FACEPLATE AND GLASS

METER ASSEMBLY IS EXCELLENT

REMOVAL OF METER MOVEMENT FROM THE CASE

THE TWO TUBES, HAVE NO WAY OF CHECKING THEM AT THIS TIME

POTENTIOMETER ADJUSTMENT BLOCK

BATTERY CLIP AND METER CONNECTIONS REMOVAL

REMOVAL OF THE STANDOFF FOR THE RESISTOR GANG

THE OTHER SIDE IS A STEPPED STANDOFF FOR THE RESISTOR GANG

SET UP AS SHOWN

DCV INPUT JACK, NOT ORIGINAL WIRINGING

HOLDING THE INNARDS, ROTATE AROUND THREADED THE GROUND PIN JACK IN THE FRONT TO REMOVE GUTS FROM THE CASE. OR UNSOLD ER ALL THE GROUND LUG WIRES (NO)

THANKS TO THE WIRING CABLES AND WRAPPING, THE GUTS STAY TOGETHER , SO MUCH FOR CONNECTORS AND FRAGILE RIBBON CABLES, ALL POINT TO POINT WIRING

THER ARE ONLY 4 CAPACITORS IN THE METER ALL TO BE REPLACED

CLEANING STORAGE AND BAGGED AND TAGGED ITEMS

THE BAKELITE CASE PARTS CLEANED

SOME OF THE PAINT WAS REMOVED DURING THE SOAKING PROCESS AS EXPECTED WITH VINTAGE ITEM

THE LETTERING WAS RESTORED WITH A PAINT PEN, SOMEONE DRILLED HOLES IN THE BACK TO ACCESS THE ADJUSTMENT POTS

TEST FIT OF THE CASE AND KNOBS

BECAUSE OF THE HEAT FROM THE TUBES, VENT TUBES ARE ON BOTH SIDES. NO HANDLE WAS INCLUDED

MAYBE OVERKILL, I BUFFED UP THE BAKELITE ON THE BUFFING WHEEL

METER MOVEMENT FINE, ZEROS PROPERLY

REPLACEMENT CAPACITORS FROM DIGIKEY

CHECKING ASSEMBLY

LEAVING THE RECTIFIER IN PLACE FOR PROPER SUPPORT, THE DIODE AND RESISTOR AFTER THE TRANSFORMER WAS HEAT SHRINKED INSULATED AND TUCKED AWAY

ONE THE THE CAPS REPLACED, NEW COMPONENTS ARE SMALLER THAN ORIGINALS

BATTERY IN PLACE

NOT SHOWN, WITH A DREMEL FITTED WITH A REAMER, I CAREFULLY MARKED OUT THE INCREASED DIAMETER NEED TO ACCOMMODATE THE 259 COAX CONNECTOR JACKS. MOST INFO ON THIS MOD SUGGEST THAT DRILLING HOLES WILL CRACK THE BAKELITE. THE CONNECTORS JUST FIT ! ALSO WITH THE SANDING DRUM MACHINED THE SURROUNDING THICKNESS TO ACCEPT THE DEPTH OF THE ATTACHMENT NUT.\ THREADS THE ATTACHING NUT WAS SLIGHTLY GROUND ROUND TO FIT THE CASE

THE CAPS REPLACED

CONNECTORS AND JACKS VIA ALI EXPRESS

SOMETIMES MYSTIFIED WITH THE MYRIAD OF REPLACEMENT CAPACITORS, HOPE THEY WORK

THE FINISHED METER LESS THE LEADS AND PROBES. AT FINAL ASSEMBLY IT WAS TESTED BY JUMPER WIRES, THE TUBE HEATER FILAMENTS GLOWED AND THE METER WAS ABLE TO BE CALIBRATED AS PER INSTRUCTIONS YEA! YES, WITH THE MALE CONNECTORS SCREWED ON THERE IS ENOUGH CLEARANCE FOR THE SELECTOR KNOBS TO BE ROTATED.

THE REAR, THE LINE CORD HAD BEEN SPLICED, NO PROBLEM FOR ME

LOOKING INTO THE PROCESS OF BUILDING MY OWN LEADS AND PROBES, HAVEN’T DECIDED YET AS THERE ARE AVAILABLE KITS ON EBAY SO I WON’T HAVE TO ORDER ALL THE PARTS I DON’T HAVE

ON THE BENCH : HORN BAROMETER

Order Summary

Subtotal $9.99

Tax $1.48

Shipping $8.12

Handling $2.99

Order Total $22.58

Usually barometers and such may come attached to wooden boards, a ships wheel or just a round wooden disk. Some are contained in a brass case as the previous post.

This one was mounted inside a circular horn. Makes for an interesting display either on the wall or shelf.

Don’t see too many of these a-round.

As usual a bit of cleanup and a repair to the mechanism.

I returned the metal to a polish finish from the original which also had some red tape affixed to the circular pat of the horn tubing.

The dial is approximately 3 1/4 inches and the horn diameter is about 4 3/4 inches

unboxing

dis assembly of the mechanism

some rust on the case to deal with, the mechanism is in good shape

rear case

the horn mouthpiece

the red tape on the tubing.

cleaning

the dial is in excellent shape after a cleanup

one side of the pivot had to be reset, it was knocked from it’s intended position. No idea how it got like than other from a sharp knock

An aneriod barometer, the silver circular chamber is sealed and pressure changes are linked to the to the pointer shaft through levers and finally a tiny chain the is wound around the indicator shaft. Cleaned and oiled all rotating and moving pieces.

re assembly, the circular part of the tubing was plated metal.

finished for now.

Some touch up polishing and cleaning to be completed, fasteners for the bottom of the case needed

on the bench: wempe barometer and clock

purchased from Goodwill online $43.88 , total with shipping and handling $63.00

parts needed 1 battery LR 1 , $2.85 total

arrival of the imstruments

in fairly good shape, the second hand on the clock is bent, no battery

mounted on a wooden base for hanging

bent second hand

on the side some major pitting in areas

pitting and corrosion present

a full circle dog handle, nice touch

removal from the board

rear of the clock

dis assembly of the lenses

all metal construction of the cases

removal of the case from the rear plate

removal of the clock from the case

rear of the clock and the time setting knob

battery contacts in good condition, need LR-1 battery none in stock

barometer lens

removal of the front cover

starting the cleaning

aligning the clock hands

cleaning , a combining of polishing compound and metal polish (Brasso)

making progress

better looking

reassemble the cases

bright and shiny

An old pump motor acquired from a lot, with a chuck attached and an arbor set up with buffing wheel. Clamped to bench, powered polisher/buffer wheel

remounted to base, didn’t refinish the board

elbow grease and polisher machine with the Brasso brought the finish back to high gloss.

No sign of the pitting and corrosion

done for now , battery ordered

arrival of the battery

clipped into place

The clock is running !!! Keeps perfect time !

Not bad for just a cleanup, aligning of the clock hands and a battery. Was going to sell it, but it’s such a beautiful piece I still have it. Wempe instrumentation is a bit scarcer than a Shatz or a Chelsea. The clock ,though it is battery powered vs. a windup with chimes is still very good quality moment.

on the bench … tymeter clock

box from Goodwill

VNTG Numechron Tymeter “TV Model” Clock

Order Summary

Subtotal

$27.56

Tax

$2.76

Shipping

$8.83

Handling

$2.99

Order Total

$42.14

bid and won on an old style clock

the “un boxing” !

old style rotating numerals cloak, some wear and cracking on the clear face plate. the clock, the clock works but the motor emits a grinding sound. in a quiet room very audible.

the back is clear plastic , apparently you set the time by putting your finger through he back and rotating the dials to the correct time

plastic style case

sort of a burl wood plastic color

removed the rear panel

you can see the rotating mechanism

the numerals are in good shape , several kits are available as stickers to renew the look , these are highly viable and still have good color

case interior with dial nightlight switch

front panel removed

case

some of the crazing of the plastic visible

wiring , switch bulb and socket, c7 bulb, checking wiring for splits and cracking

grommet dried out and cracked

1 rpm motor, very noisey

timer motor with first cog, the second wheel

motor mounting bracket

pulling the screw and axle from the hour wheel

each wheel (cog) has a spring detent that is slightly adjustable to aline the digits

hour wheel and axle

all of the wheels are removed

cast mounted bracket removed from base

wire nut connections

second wheel press fits to motor

fasteners and hardware

ready to be cleaned

I checked the paint on the wheels of the numerals, it didn’t flake away before cleaning. On some old devices the paint will simply flack away if distrubed

components cleaned

ready for assembly

plastic polish applied

reassemble of the wheels, checking the sizes of the hardware axles and screws

some silicone grease applied, the paint was flaked on the spring detents, left as is

installing the wheels

without the detents in place, spin test

installation of the detents

assembly of the time wheels

assembly

mounting of the motor

aligning of the digits

completed project

rear view

While the project was finished, the motor was very noisy, I tried to lubricate the sealed motor but it ended with failure. Most likely will sell for parts as the motor is not readily available for replacement.

The bulb will be replaced with a C7 LED filament bulb.

on the bench

The continuing series cataloging repairs, tear downs and random stuff.

Now on he bench is an Retro Oreck Air cleaner. some of you folks (sounds homey right ?) might remember these from it’s TV advertising. Some are probably already familiar with the Oreck name. I did a quick search on Oreck and those unfamiliar with it’s history may find it interesting reading more than the scope of this posting.

Another item is the fact of air purification. You can easily find yourself in a whirlwind of information on air purifiers and filters, air quality and health condition, all beyond the scope of this blog. I as more often than not acquire items on their merit of design and components rather than the best rated and reviewed results, even though the device is usually discontinued or no longer available. So on with the show…

At the time when these were offered for sale, comparatively speaking they were expensive (to my demographic). It’s advantage is that the air cleaner never required filters , so to speak. The electrostatic filter is the main filter element, basically sheets of metal separated and each other layer charged with a high voltage to trap particles in the air. This was later referred to as the “truman cell” filter and I’m stumped as to the reference of this marketing terminology. I’ve had some experience with electrostatic commercial units, basically a larger implementation of the truman cell. It also harks back to the day when it was legal to consume tobacco products at your pleasure and many restaurants , bars and lounges used a “smoker eater” to keep the air cleaner.

All components of the filter are removable and washable. It can be equipped with a charcoal filter, still available. The model purchased was the AIr 8 , they may be (as more research is needed) first generation of the Oreck air purifier and came in a few colors including the wood grain variety. One striking feature is it’s layout, unlike many other home air purifiers, is that it’s designed to a rather large footprint type device that would be on a tabletop, not like a floor model. The retro wood grain looks of this model disguises it to be a table top console device that would look good in a living room setting. It probably could be placed near an ashtray, cigar humidor, or a stand holding a collection of pipes (tobacco that is) but most of that has disappeared from our lives.

The fan design is similar to a elongated squirrel cage blower, cylindrical with axial vanes that allows a low profile. Since there is no input airflow to the center of the rotating vanes, like many squirrel cage blowers, it moves the air, by the design of the case, by just the outer edge of the vanes while rotating. Air flows from the rear of the filter assembly around the edge of the vanes and exiting up through the top of the device. Adjustable vanes allow some limited direction of the exiting air flow. The design also requires that airspace is clear over the top of the unit.

As with other Oreck devices manufactured in it’s time, it’s expensive price is justified in it’s design. Ironically to me is that some reviews (some misleading) classed this as a device needing frequent service as that the time Oreck had it’s chain of retail stores and repair centers. In my opinion the device is well built as we will see. some of the shortcomings of reviewers of the time placed it as a mediocre filter system, but again it doesn’t matter to me.

More technically the 120 volt powered device has a low voltage transformer feeding the high voltage supply for the electrostatic filter, The speed control slide switch selects the motor windings for 3 different speeds, a basic but effective system other than an electronic speed control system. A specialized slide switch of both two and three pole combination and wired to switch the fan windings, while supplying the power to the low voltage transformer. A separate high voltage supply, 120 vac in and high voltage DC out is for the ionizer, another controversial system of air rejuvenation, which operates by a simple switch. The high voltage output terminates in a needle located close to the fan blades to provide the ions to the air stream. The final switch is actually a latch to access the fragrance cartridge holder which springs open allowing insertion of the fragrance cartridge I think still available. I utilized some soldering iron foam cleaning pads and use scented essences as necessary. Another small circuit board on the front panel rear is the LED indicator assembly to indicated power, filter condition and power applied to the ionizer.

All of the components are easily removable and as with other older devices a good number of fasteners are used versus plastic clips of newer devices. The entire unit can be disassembled and cleaned, even the louver assembly is made so it can be taken apart, there are no plastic “welds” in the device. The case is of heavy thick plastic. Mine was missing the rubber feet, some chipped areas on the feet projections. The unit was also engineered for wall mounting but I can not find any reference to a wall mounting bracket offered through research. This device could be mounted on the ceiling if you were so inclined to fashion a bracket or mounting plate for it.

Noise wise the unit is very quiet on medium speed and practically silent on the low speed. Occasionally there is a slight sound from the bearings barely perceptible on the low speed. Noise form these devices is very subjective to the user.

Lets take a look…

unboxing… I didn’t know this would be as popular as it has become

The “before” picture. Unit powered up but the fan blades were jammed for some reason.

first glance, top removed, motor mount cracked

The right side

left side bearing assembly plate, easily removable

a bit of dust and dirt expected when buying on the used low price market. Some buyers actually like to bring the item back to original condition rather than buy a totally refurbished item,. Plus you get the best part… to take it apart and see the design ! It’s a learning experience !

The fan motor mount may have gotten jostled around during shipping as the seller said it worked.

ground wire from the ionizer just sitting in there ?

cracked motor mount, was eventually glued back to normal.

slide switches and LED display board, the control panel also slides out from the case.

another view of the control panel pulled form the case

broken motor mount

The stud for the ionizer chipped, later epoxied

repair of the motor mount

fan motor removed (right)

the brass bushing pressed on the motor shaft provides coupling to the fan blade assembly

not a through cleaning yet reassembled for testing, fan now rotating.

case together, run testing

days later full disassembly for cleaning appears that the high voltage ionizer supply does not output the high voltage. The high voltage for the electrostatic filter is good.

As stated practically all of the components can be broken down for cleaning.

three separate windings for this motor, would be hard to find a replacement 120 vac

ball bearings

mates to the grommet on the fan blade end

detents for positive switch position

The “after” picture. ionizer power supply replacement on order. All bearings were cleaned and greased also.

order from Ali Express, a replacement, not the exact replacement for the high voltage power supply

This one terminates in a carbon brush end instead of a needle. Not sure of the voltage of the original one , this one definitely more compact. No pictures of the repair just connected to the 120 vac and ran the output to the original bracket that held the needle termination. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001652041536.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.357b4c4dKRyOVm

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001652041536.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.357b4c4dKRyOVm

After almost a month of running practically full time, the fan blade assembly was starting to slip and squeak on the bushing at the motor drive. Previous I used a piece of heat shrink on the outer section of the shaft. That did not last Then tried a vacuum cap to bush up the diameter for a tighter fit. Nope still a no go.

Finally I repeated the heat shrink application , this time covering the entire shaft with the heat shrink even over the bushing then applying heat. The ridge on the bushing fits into the grommet with the grommet completely covering the bushing

seen here the grommet fully pressed onto the shaft covering the bushing

on duty today

I do like the design and operation of the Oreck. If needed it could be modified for instance, for smoke extraction when soldering Or if you needed a high voltage supply or some type of fan for moving air. It can be operated on it’s side Hasn’t collected much dust yet , the filter light has not come on. there is some fine dust on the electrostatic plates On occasion you do here the snap of the high voltage could be a large dust particle etc. Does it make a difference on the quality of the air in the room ? I can’t really say and by delving more into the subject of air quality ………………

New Toy , review to follow.

Watch “Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Training Announcement!” on YouTube

Stay at Home school education .

It’s

Nice to know how your (next) vehicle will work.

TRONIC TONIC II

Closing out the 2019 year 2020 looks to be a nice even number to either put your new project on the map so to speak, or end out a project to focus on your core abilities

Whats on the Blue mat? (the soldering pad/mat on the workbench)

project de cluttererzation continues

projects over the years buried in the archive, repair, refurbish, and sale or donate or dispose

testing old equipment that was stored returning to proper operation for use or sell parts if not repairable

 vintage repairs

purchasing vintage or newer equipment for repair, education, re-calibrate,and/or modification  and sale,

Repair selected equipment purchased for auction sites listed as is broken etc or parts lots. (tube valve) electronics, electro mechanical record turntables etc.

Learn new repair and troubleshooting technics, the internet is a rich source of information through blogs , videos, user groups for education re enforcement

New devices

Small inexpensive devices that can be integrated to projects, usually from the China/Asian region.

audio/video/micro computer/hobby/lighting/videogame projects

Electron maneuvering

Just a post about current electronics , hacks etc. while everything else is going on.

Computer power supply project.

Since computer power supplies are plentiful, utilized an old video tape player case  to enclose a power supply, digital readout meters serve as a power indicators. 12 volt, 5 volt and 3.3 volts. On /off switch mounted to case. The on/off switch is connected to a soft control 2 wires on the ATX power supply, not the mains voltage input. Opening in top for fan exhaust.

Most projects are a work in progress. Power supply is short proof , the on/off switch will reset power. Should add some banana jacks later, for now alligator clips to the appropriate connectors and USB jack for 5 volt appliances. When necessary, a voltage/amperage digital gauge is used in line to monitor current as this is a several 100 watt supply that will provide quite a bit of amperage at the outputs. Now a stable bench top power supply is available when needed.

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 LED lighting

Some single color, not RGB for now, low-cost modules to control low voltage LEDs either cob, strings or other low voltage lighting that can benefit from dimming, strobing, or speed adjusting dimming with or without  remote control. Installed in-line to LEDs. Under cabinet strip lighting, re-wiring of lamps to a low voltage LED illumination are some of the uses. Could they be used for other purposes other than lighting?

In line push button controller on LED tape lighting, no  on/off switch,  so one will have to be installed if necessary. Note: found out later that centre button is On /Off switch long press for off , short press for on stepped dimming when on.

The remote control module has more control with on/off and of course more convient to use (as long as the remote doesn’t get lost!).

One concept, edge lighting a prototype stained glass art project. LED tape sandwiched in the channel. Remote lighting control. Inexpensive 120vac to 12 volt modules (wall worts) are used for the low voltage supply.

Cob LEDs project

Analysis, fragile, not flexible but very bright for the size.

Know as filament LEDS

Inexpensive and could be used for a variety of lighting projects.

These are higher voltage models.

A round 1 watt Cob LED, now my desk light, in comparison to a strip led tape. Both are 12 VDC. The LEDs on the cob are extremely tiny.

 

 

 

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LiPo battery charging

The USB chargers that come with 1s batteries either charge slow since they are limited to a USB amperage or quit working. Small 3s battery balance  charger boards (other varieties available) fed from 12 volts wired with JST connectors to provide multiple battery charging. An education of the wiring of a balanced charging plug (multiple connector)  LiPo  batteries. With the use of small adjustable voltage regulation boards, these batteries are excellent for  portable battery-powered projects instead of non charging alkaline cells. One note of caution, this technology can provide amps of low voltage power from a small package, an accidental short can easily melt wires and weld contacts together. There is usually no fusing within the battery. As you go up the ladder to higher capacities batteries, a LiPo safe (container) should be considered. The larger batteries can pump out amps for high current applications and should be handled carefully.  With some high capacity drones and radio control projects a small fire extinguisher may be cheap insurance.

The ALPHA1 250 Class Drone Construction.

Not to be satisfied with assembling a kit as usual, the 250 ZMR project continues. Wiring can quickly evolve to a mess. The flight controller , receiver and associated Electronic Speed Controllers are miniature computers. After mounting these components, there is little room for wiring, also utilizing PWM receiver controls results in a rats nests of wires. (this may be changed to single wire receiver). The supplied plug-in connectors were removed and ESC control lines were hardwired to the flight controller. The main DC power to the ESCs and battery connector wires also hardwired with both  a single 2S or parallel  2 in  series 2S connectors (for 4S power) available. The DC main and possible battery location will be below the main deck along with the ESCs. Some drone designs utilize a 4 in one ECS, mine of course are separate units. A variety of aluminium spacers were ordered to attach the deck plate(s) that will be used for a lower profile.

one iteration
another design, lower top plate.

Associated wiring of the flight controller outputs to  below main deck ESCs, removal of the supplied right angle header on flight controller and the wires hard soldered from below cleaned up some clutter. Next will be the addition and calibration of the receiver. Considering still using the solid hull sides (cut horizontal) enclosing the electronics on decks and /or more horizontal chassis plates (chopped and channeled). Antenna mounts ordered for receiver. USB extension cord used for programming after build.

Mains wiring to the motors is enclosed in carbon fiber conduit which further complicated the wiring scheme. The wiring for the receiver inputs is yet to be added.

You can see the previous difference if interested at repair of the UDI drone/ state of the drone/ updated

Dronin Flight Control is currently loaded on board, All other flight control software still did not work on a MAC laptop so  a Windows desktop system is used for calibration. May be a bad cable USB etc to the MAC but  time-consuming pointless troubleshooting at this point. Would be nice to a have laptop programming available for portability.

Wiring of the ESCs was time-consuming as the factory wiring was removed and soldered to custom length and some was rewired for proper motor rotation. Some jitter on the ESC motor testing but cleaning up and soldering of the ESCs and calibration cured the problems.

 

Desktop update

Slowly but surely (my middle name !) another  iteration of the desk/ office to consolidate and get rid of unused old items. The hutch extension to the top of the desk was removed.  Wiring, although still looking cluttered (not visible) was consolidated, that being every little piece of equipment requires either mains voltage or low voltage power supply unit plus the routing of the audio cables. The monitor screen was reduced from two to one as  a VGA type switcher was employed to allow broadcast TV, computer or a combination of both computer with TV in a picture in picture. When not in other use an IPad can be used as a secondary source of streaming/ internet as a second screen. The turntable does not get much use now that audio streaming is available and may be moved from the desktop. The bulky desk lamp was replaced with a single 1 watt round cob led that can be easily placed due to it’s small size and small low voltage wiring requirement. The lower sliding shelve of the desk normally used for the keyboard was replaced with sturdy preformed Formica countertop cut to length to provide addition workspace for paperwork, hobby crafting etc. a rear lip was added to prevent paperwork from falling off the shelve.The lower receiver under the desk is used for a sub woofer amplification but currently disconnected due to the proliferation of low frequencies in the house and within city limits.The monitor now sits atop the preamp better ergonomics as far as height. .

More sharing with you my space. Items  in the background to dispose of ,there’s a piano back there! hopefully I will not get ads and email recommending “organizing my life websites” to follow. 😝

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Basic schematic less the power supply connections

Schematic of the components less the power supply connections

 

A throwback item from  yesteryear

“Mark sense lead”

Throwback documentation