Nice CW oscillator circuit! I had the ET-3600 that was exactly the same as the ET-3100 except is was a beige color instead of blue and came out a few years later than the ET-3100. I sold it along with most of my other test gear (oscilloscope, lab power supply, frequency counter etc.) when moving to Florida 16 years ago. I wish I had it all back now that I am retired and have more time for HAM radio. Thanks for giving us a look!
I've slowly been accumulating cheap, old test equipment. I'm glad I actually started with my 1970's Tek 475 oscilloscope. I think it has forced me to understand oscilloscope operation better than if I'd bought a new tricked out digital scope. However, taking videos and pictures of its CRT to capture a waveform is sometimes annoying... I'm thinking maybe I should do the waveform captures with my old Polaroid Land camera rather than my phone camera to be period-correct. I probably still have some film-packs in the freezer.
Thanks for that!! I'm nowhere near understanding all this even though I've had a fascination and strong interest in microelectronics since as far back as the early 70's. I bought an ET-3100-B about 2 months ago. My timing was all wrong and I had to address some more important tasks and events the same day it arrived at my door. I barely had time to turned it on before I had to put it back in the box. I own 3 scopes, (one is only good on channel 1). I have a great BK Precision 2120 analog scope and a new Siglent 1202X-E digital scope. Of course, I have a number of other instruments, (SFG, AC Multimeter, old, analog Cap tester, etc., etc.), and I'm approaching about 2 weeks of free time where I can try and understand some of the various points regarding the entry-level electronics. Because the Heathkit ET 3100 was sold by an estate dealer who didn't know anything about it, I'm wondering if I should replace all, or most of the 'key capacitors', resistors and maybe the transistors as well. Do you, or anyone reading this, think I should? Or maybe a better question is how would I confirm that my Heathkit ET 3100 is within 'factory specifications and performance'? Perhaps there's a way to calibrate the the 3100 if I ran some test sequence and found it wasn't quite right. Would you know about that kind of thing? Anyway, thanks for the video! I'm sure I'm going to try to replicate what you did here. Rich
There's likely not much "calibration" to be performed on those old experimenter's boards. If you have a variac you could see what lowering the line voltage does to get the values closer to what's represented on the knobs. Mine is pretty close at my home line voltage of ~124VAC but bringing it down on the Variac to ~117VAC seems to bring it closer to expected values.
@@HamRadioQRP Yes, as a matter of fact, I do have a Variac! I'll certainly give that a try! Thank you! BTW; I'm also about to start studying for my Ham radio license. I bought a Stryker 955HPC radio and had the purchase shipped directly to a very reputable and experienced professional to have it peaked & tuned. It should get here by the end of the week. It was only as I began this reply that I noticed your handle as "HamRadioQRP". I plan to take an online study course for my license and I wonder if you have any suggestions as to who would be a good choice. Thanks again, Rich
Very nice Rich. There are a number of good online study guides. You can take practice tests on QRZ's website www.qrz.com/hamtest/ Regarding that Stryker radio, please note that it appears to be only for the 10 meter band voice. Your initial Technician license doesn't give you voice privilege on 10m. You might want to start with an inexpensive 2m handheld to communicate with other hams on local repeaters. You can communicate in CW in portions of some HF bands as a Technician. If that is your intent, then finding a good used HF multi-band radio would be a good start.
@@HamRadioQRP Thanks for the link! I'm definitely going to research the info and tip you gave me! I didn't know that about 10 meter radios and I feel like an idiot not to have asked myself what the differences were in 2 meter and 10 meter HAMs! Seriously, it seems like that would have been the first question I would have asked myself and it didn't even entire my mind... (doh!) Rich
There was one before this that had resistors and capacitors on the board in lines with springs at each end and you would wire back and forth and make different projects it had a relay and a number of other things on it
I remember having one of those experimenter boards with the little conical springs to attach wires, as a kid. I don't think mine was a Heathkit but I'm not sure.
Not really. In today's money the cost would be ~ $200. These board kits were actually produced for a series of study/learning modules (sold separately by Heath) which included learning AC/DC circuitry, transistors, op-amps, etc. A very comprehensive and inexpensive learning program produced by Heath. If you happen to have a 3100 board, seek out the individual learning modules designed to go with the board. You won't be disappointed.
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Nice CW oscillator circuit! I had the ET-3600 that was exactly the same as the ET-3100 except is was a beige color instead of blue and came out a few years later than the ET-3100. I sold it along with most of my other test gear (oscilloscope, lab power supply, frequency counter etc.) when moving to Florida 16 years ago. I wish I had it all back now that I am retired and have more time for HAM radio. Thanks for giving us a look!
I've slowly been accumulating cheap, old test equipment. I'm glad I actually started with my 1970's Tek 475 oscilloscope. I think it has forced me to understand oscilloscope operation better than if I'd bought a new tricked out digital scope. However, taking videos and pictures of its CRT to capture a waveform is sometimes annoying... I'm thinking maybe I should do the waveform captures with my old Polaroid Land camera rather than my phone camera to be period-correct. I probably still have some film-packs in the freezer.
I used to have one of these. That was about 5 houses ago. I still have my Heathkit bench meter though.
Thanks for that!! I'm nowhere near understanding all this even though I've had a fascination and strong interest in microelectronics since as far back as the early 70's. I bought an ET-3100-B about 2 months ago. My timing was all wrong and I had to address some more important tasks and events the same day it arrived at my door. I barely had time to turned it on before I had to put it back in the box.
I own 3 scopes, (one is only good on channel 1). I have a great BK Precision 2120 analog scope and a new Siglent 1202X-E digital scope. Of course, I have a number of other instruments, (SFG, AC Multimeter, old, analog Cap tester, etc., etc.), and I'm approaching about 2 weeks of free time where I can try and understand some of the various points regarding the entry-level electronics.
Because the Heathkit ET 3100 was sold by an estate dealer who didn't know anything about it, I'm wondering if I should replace all, or most of the 'key capacitors', resistors and maybe the transistors as well. Do you, or anyone reading this, think I should? Or maybe a better question is how would I confirm that my Heathkit ET 3100 is within 'factory specifications and performance'?
Perhaps there's a way to calibrate the the 3100 if I ran some test sequence and found it wasn't quite right. Would you know about that kind of thing? Anyway, thanks for the video! I'm sure I'm going to try to replicate what you did here.
Rich
There's likely not much "calibration" to be performed on those old experimenter's boards. If you have a variac you could see what lowering the line voltage does to get the values closer to what's represented on the knobs. Mine is pretty close at my home line voltage of ~124VAC but bringing it down on the Variac to ~117VAC seems to bring it closer to expected values.
@@HamRadioQRP Yes, as a matter of fact, I do have a Variac! I'll certainly give that a try! Thank you!
BTW; I'm also about to start studying for my Ham radio license. I bought a Stryker 955HPC radio and had the purchase shipped directly to a very reputable and experienced professional to have it peaked & tuned. It should get here by the end of the week.
It was only as I began this reply that I noticed your handle as "HamRadioQRP". I plan to take an online study course for my license and I wonder if you have any suggestions as to who would be a good choice.
Thanks again,
Rich
Very nice Rich. There are a number of good online study guides. You can take practice tests on QRZ's website www.qrz.com/hamtest/
Regarding that Stryker radio, please note that it appears to be only for the 10 meter band voice. Your initial Technician license doesn't give you voice privilege on 10m. You might want to start with an inexpensive 2m handheld to communicate with other hams on local repeaters. You can communicate in CW in portions of some HF bands as a Technician. If that is your intent, then finding a good used HF multi-band radio would be a good start.
@@HamRadioQRP Thanks for the link! I'm definitely going to research the info and tip you gave me!
I didn't know that about 10 meter radios and I feel like an idiot not to have asked myself what the differences were in 2 meter and 10 meter HAMs! Seriously, it seems like that would have been the first question I would have asked myself and it didn't even entire my mind... (doh!)
Rich
Built many projects on that breadboard kit. Eventually sold it. I wonder where it lives now.
There was one before this that had resistors and capacitors on the board in lines with springs at each end and you would wire back and forth and make different projects it had a relay and a number of other things on it
Are you thinking of the Realistic (Radio Shack) 100 in 1 kit?
Nice!
Heathkit was the best for experimenters, said to see them go away. I have a earlier version from part of the home study course terminals were springs.
I remember having one of those experimenter boards with the little conical springs to attach wires, as a kid. I don't think mine was a Heathkit but I'm not sure.
Darn! You took my thunder! I had the one you were talking about. I just left a note about not seeing yours...
Does this unit have speakers built in or is the output signal only coming from the plug in board part?
No speakers in that model
I bet they were expensive ?
Not really. In today's money the cost would be ~ $200. These board kits were actually produced for a series of study/learning modules (sold separately by Heath) which included learning AC/DC circuitry, transistors, op-amps, etc. A very comprehensive and inexpensive learning program produced by Heath. If you happen to have a 3100 board, seek out the individual learning modules designed to go with the board. You won't be disappointed.