I appreciate this honest and direct presentation of the NTSC television servicing industry. Thanks. I will view it again and share it elsewhere. In particular, your recommendation of many Sencore products shows the efforts design and manufacturing engineers and technicians made to provide effective instruments for consumer electronic products before the digital age. (btw - I wrote the instruction manual for the TF46 Super Cricket)
My dad loved tinkering with electronics and radio. I bought a sencore ps 163 because it reminded me of him, but I don't know what to do with the thing. It turns on, but that's about all so far. Watching your channel gives me some hope in figuring the machine out. I'm now a tinker.
@@martinwhite418 Hey! Well, it's still waiting. I was going get my husband's advice on where to start, because he did some electrical engineering in school, but this is out of his league. It turns on and we can see something happening, but it's way off in some way. I think I need a modern oscilloscope to help me figure this one out. How should I approach the thing? Any advice?
@raefn8036 Me? Advice? Are you kidding? This would be the blind chicken leading the blind dog or something like that. Those old scopes are hard to see, the screens look like 1950's tv's, but worse. You may be right, get a modern scope and figure things out that way. Sorry.
To follow up on the video. I grew in my Dad's TV shop "Hoffmann's TV' in Mandan, ND, and spent many hours looking at those Sams Photofact schematics with the waveforms of the signals. Unfortunately, he never learned to 'scope' the signal, relying instead on how the relative voltages appeared, according to his training with aircraft radio with tube-type equipment during World War Two. Those highly informative and informational diagrams were very influential when I was preparing Sencore instructional manuals for products in the mid-1970s.
Some corrections are needed. The Sencore PS163 was/is my favorite scope of the time, from the early 1970s. First of all, it was 'dual-trace', meaning that a service technician could observe both the input and the output of an electronic product in a way they could compare the entire system, rather than the typical single-trace scopes from Heathkit, RCA, and even Sencore (PS148), as well as the more expensive engineering products from HP, Tektronics, and others. In its design the PS163 was based on several circuit boards for the dual-channel inputs, the time-base synchronization board, and the high voltage board for the CRT. Unique at the time were the 'clip-on' probes that allowed a technician to connect to a measurement point without having to hold a pointed probe while viewing the screen and twirling the dials. I also appreciated the definite "click" of those dials and buttons of the PS163, compared to other products. I worked at Sencore in the early 1970s and sold many PS163s in the Mid-Atlantic and the MidWest regions at the time. I also produced the screen waveforms for a Sencore booklet that described NTSC television signals from front-to-back in a typical color television set of the day.
A really nice presentation on the progression of oscilloscopes. I also own the Sencore SC3100, TF46, FE20, PA81, TF26, VG91, TVA92, PR570, DVM56A Microranger, CR31A, LC103, YF33 Ringer and the TC162. In addition I have the B&K 747 and the 747B tube testers. At present I am restoring the 747B because the wrong set of hands go there before me, "badly damaged and in rough shape" and other test equipment that are to numerous to list. It is nice to see there are a few of us out there that take pride in the restoration of vintage equipment. Have you ever worked on the 747's and if so, your thoughts.
+John Cunningham Thanks for the comment. It's nice to see that if I am crazy I at least have company! I have been collecting test equipment since the 1950's and Sencore since the 1970's. It looks like we have collected (and in many cases restored) a lot of the same equipment. I also collect B&K as well as some other brands.
Yes! guilty as charged. I have enjoyed restoring a part of history for few decades and found it very satisfying when the job is completed," funny how time flies".
+Richardscoat83 and now of course as I watch more of your video, you say that it does in fact have calibration info :) Thank you for a very informative video. I'm hoping to spend some time with my "new" 103 and get the basics down.
I appreciate this honest and direct presentation of the NTSC television servicing industry. Thanks. I will view it again and share it elsewhere.
In particular, your recommendation of many Sencore products shows the efforts design and manufacturing engineers and technicians made to provide effective instruments for consumer electronic products before the digital age.
(btw - I wrote the instruction manual for the TF46 Super Cricket)
My dad loved tinkering with electronics and radio. I bought a sencore ps 163 because it reminded me of him, but I don't know what to do with the thing. It turns on, but that's about all so far. Watching your channel gives me some hope in figuring the machine out. I'm now a tinker.
How is the project coming along Rae?
@@martinwhite418 Hey! Well, it's still waiting. I was going get my husband's advice on where to start, because he did some electrical engineering in school, but this is out of his league. It turns on and we can see something happening, but it's way off in some way. I think I need a modern oscilloscope to help me figure this one out. How should I approach the thing? Any advice?
@raefn8036 Me? Advice? Are you kidding? This would be the blind chicken leading the blind dog or something like that. Those old scopes are hard to see, the screens look like 1950's tv's, but worse. You may be right, get a modern scope and figure things out that way. Sorry.
@@martinwhite418 haha, that made me chuckle. 😄
To follow up on the video.
I grew in my Dad's TV shop "Hoffmann's TV' in Mandan, ND, and spent many hours looking at those Sams Photofact schematics with the waveforms of the signals.
Unfortunately, he never learned to 'scope' the signal, relying instead on how the relative voltages appeared, according to his training with aircraft radio with tube-type equipment during World War Two.
Those highly informative and informational diagrams were very influential when I was preparing Sencore instructional manuals for products in the mid-1970s.
Some corrections are needed.
The Sencore PS163 was/is my favorite scope of the time, from the early 1970s.
First of all, it was 'dual-trace', meaning that a service technician could observe both the input and the output of an electronic product in a way they could compare the entire system, rather than the typical single-trace scopes from Heathkit, RCA, and even Sencore (PS148), as well as the more expensive engineering products from HP, Tektronics, and others.
In its design the PS163 was based on several circuit boards for the dual-channel inputs, the time-base synchronization board, and the high voltage board for the CRT.
Unique at the time were the 'clip-on' probes that allowed a technician to connect to a measurement point without having to hold a pointed probe while viewing the screen and twirling the dials. I also appreciated the definite "click" of those dials and buttons of the PS163, compared to other products.
I worked at Sencore in the early 1970s and sold many PS163s in the Mid-Atlantic and the MidWest regions at the time. I also produced the screen waveforms for a Sencore booklet that described NTSC television signals from front-to-back in a typical color television set of the day.
A really nice presentation on the progression of oscilloscopes. I also own the Sencore SC3100, TF46, FE20, PA81, TF26, VG91, TVA92, PR570, DVM56A Microranger, CR31A, LC103, YF33 Ringer and the TC162. In addition I have the B&K 747 and the 747B tube testers. At present I am restoring the 747B because the wrong set of hands go there before me, "badly damaged and in rough shape" and other test equipment that are to numerous to list. It is nice to see there are a few of us out there that take pride in the restoration of vintage equipment. Have you ever worked on the 747's and if so, your thoughts.
+John Cunningham Thanks for the comment. It's nice to see that if I am crazy I at least have company! I have been collecting test equipment since the 1950's and Sencore since the 1970's. It looks like we have collected (and in many cases restored) a lot of the same equipment. I also collect B&K as well as some other brands.
Yes! guilty as charged. I have enjoyed restoring a part of history for few decades and found it very satisfying when the job is completed," funny how time flies".
awsume video.
HI there I have a SAMSUNGPN50C450PID Problem there are vertical lines at the right side What can I do to solve this problem...?
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE A SWITCH BOARD FOR SENCORE SC61 OR DO YOU KNOW EHERE I CAN GET IT THANK YOU SO MUCH
Does the Heathkit read square waves? I just picked one up a couple of days ago. Is there calibration information in that assembly manual?
+Richardscoat83 and now of course as I watch more of your video, you say that it does in fact have calibration info :) Thank you for a very informative video. I'm hoping to spend some time with my "new" 103 and get the basics down.
So what exactly was wrong with the yoke on that TV???
i just bougth me one PS-163 today @ flea maket