Mr. Tony, have you ever done a video on your dim bulb tester setup? If not, can you explain its various elements so we can build one like yours. I see you have a Variac to use with it but do you also have an isolation transformer for safety somewhere in the circuit? I know you’re busy. If you think this is a worthy subject to say a few words about, I bet a lot of us would appreciate it. Enjoy watching you and learning . Respectfully, John Maddox
Your videos are so informative and easy to follow. I enjoy them and learn a lot from them. And your words at the end show how much of a good and kind person you are. Wish you happiness, good health and prosperity.
Well, can’t say i understood it all lol. But i’ve been watching a lot of these clips lately (have a lot of old gear, hence). So i can safely say your videos are solid, educational, free of bs and funny without rediculing or throwing an ego around. Thank you for that. Peace from Europe.
Analog meters are great for radio IF alignments when you don't have an oscilloscope, (or even when you do have one). They show a simple average AC voltage in 'real time' while DMMs often have a little lag as the meter samples the signal voltage and the numbers keep jumping all over the place. This can become confusing trying to monitor the changes in signal strength while you tune the IF coils, capacitors, etc. Analog instantly shows you the change as you tune and is much easier to monitor - well for me it is :-} Same if your checking biasing on amplifiers against an audio signal.
3:33 Electron flow or circuit flow, I can follow either way. Following circuit flow to chassis ground I find easier for troubleshooting. Just don't over think it, learned old school.
How about doing a followup on those el cheapo 900 piece transistor assortments from China on ebay. Aside from being PNP vs NPN they all look the same to me. Do some audio noise figure measurements. Put them on the curve tracer Tony.
Can't say that all the info is useful to me personally. Most of my transistor usage can be handled with a 3409 and even then I am more likely to use a logic IC, gates, etc for much of what I want to do, or I just might use logic with a microcontroller. I do enjoy the process of learning though and the steps you have shown are bound to help with something at some point and time, and I will remember who produced the video and where to find the reference info. Thank you very much for this, I just want you to know that I appreciate all the work that you do.
Why don't show how choose replacement when you don't find the same transistor and you have to choose best matching and similar transistor. Thanks a lot!!!!
I absolutely loved watching this video. I learn so much from it and will have to watch it again as I know I didn’t pick up on it all the first time. Many many thanks 👍
Thanks for another great video! So as not to pester Tony with silly questions (he should spend his time making more videos), I'm asking for some help from the xraytonyb community. In a long-ago video, Tony described a process to remove the noxious smell from old plastic components, maybe Bakelite? I inherited a nice old set of miniature XceLite nut drivers, stored in the plastic case for maybe decades. When I opened it up ... whew, do those reek! Does anyone remember the process or the video? Thanks in advance.
Very nice.. I do like that sca55 for what it's worth, plainly saying what color leads are on what is convenient and looked good enough to match transistors for gain on a package of new parts, close enough for use in an amp or receiver. Correct me if needed please. Thanks for the vid !
I own a copy of that old Micronta radio shack fold up meter as well. I've always liked it. I found that I have to tend to zero the meter differently depending on if I'm going to lay it flat, or in the detent position of being partially raised.
Some of the newer fluke meters have a low impedance mode now too. I don’t think it works on diode mode, however, it’s great for eliminating ghost voltage readings. Helped me figure out that a friend of mine grounded an old ungrounded delta service he redid at an industrial park, dragged down the whole grid in that area 🤦
So I'm watching these two videos in this series over and over again to learn. Great explanation of transistors on many levels. I've been a tube guy and don't understand transistors, This has been great. 👍
I'm PNP, I'm dynamite! Good old AC/DC Aussie rock! If you like that, you might also be interested in Australian Crawl and Cold Chisel. While AC/DC had some world wide exposure, I'm not sure about the other two but all three got plenty of air time over the radio here downunder and their music is forever burnt into my brain! It's not a bad thing, apart from AC/DC the other two had some pretty interesting lyrics in their songs which I had no idea what they were actually singing about until I got older and realized that they meant by The Boy's Light Up, yeah it had nothing to do with turning on the lights LoL. Come to think about it, I really don't know how they managed to get away with having those songs being played on the radio? Very very clever boy's... James Rayne eventually went solo from Australian Crawl who was constantly stirred for his style of mumble singing, long before mumble rap was a thing... Jimmy Barnes also went solo from Cold Chisel, today he's famous for his trademark scream LoL, there's a track that was released recently where all he did was scream lol but I actually like it... I'm amazed that he still has a voice box LoL... All three groups can be found right here on TH-cam.. I believe one track from Cold Chisel made it into the movie Boomerang featuring Eddie Murphy, it was right at the beginning in the scene where he's driving over a bridge somewhere in the US... I can't remember the exact song but it's one of those things that you never grow tired of... Because I'm PNP! That should be on a teeshirt Tony... A transistor standing on two legs while holding a microphone with the third and singing to it... Now I have to go and dig out those three vinyls and get my fix! Incidentally, all three are still available on new vinyl here in Australia, I'm not sure if JB Hifi will ship overseas and I'm not sure if they will show up in their website but they are available in-store... Highly recommend listening! This video apart from the music plug, is turning out to be extremely excellent! Thanks so much, now we just need a transistor test jig that can stress test those Chinese copies to be sure that the ones that you have at least can stand up close to the originals... Especially the TO3's which have to pass some current...
Hi Tony, Thank you very much for these two excellent videos. They helped me consolidate my knowledge. You are not on Patreon, are you? Have a great day. Cheers Mark
There are many analog meters other than the Triplett and the Simpson that are very affordable. You don't need a $450 analog meter to do these tests. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
I bought that same Triplett meter that Tony has used on eBay for $35 plus shipping. I searched for it based on his previous recommendation about 6 months ago. Yes, They still make it for $450 new, but you can get a used one much cheaper. The design has not changed and they've been making these for 40 years or more.
I do the same thing, when I see I left my digital meter on, I quickly shut it off, lol, even though I'll be using it soon. Great videos, thanks for the info.
I've been out in the field in a town in the middle of nowhere at night and had the battery die on my meter. It has made me a bit over-protective of batteries in my test equipment. I've also been in same said-situation and not had that 50-cent fuse to repair the $150,000 x-ray machine and had to make another trip back the next day, after getting next to no sleep just to plug in the fuse I didn't have. Field service engineers always turn their meters off and remember to bring small parts in their car. ;)=) Glad to see someone picked up on that!
Mr. Tony, have you ever done a video on your dim bulb tester setup? If not, can you explain its various elements so we can build one like yours. I see you have a Variac to use with it but do you also have an isolation transformer for safety somewhere in the circuit? I know you’re busy. If you think this is a worthy subject to say a few words about, I bet a lot of us would appreciate it. Enjoy watching you and learning . Respectfully, John Maddox
You are awesome! 👍
Your videos are so informative and easy to follow. I enjoy them and learn a lot from them. And your words at the end show how much of a good and kind person you are. Wish you happiness, good health and prosperity.
Well, can’t say i understood it all lol. But i’ve been watching a lot of these clips lately (have a lot of old gear, hence). So i can safely say your videos are solid, educational, free of bs and funny without rediculing or throwing an ego around. Thank you for that. Peace from Europe.
Analog meters are great for radio IF alignments when you don't have an oscilloscope, (or even when you do have one). They show a simple average AC voltage in 'real time' while DMMs often have a little lag as the meter samples the signal voltage and the numbers keep jumping all over the place. This can become confusing trying to monitor the changes in signal strength while you tune the IF coils, capacitors, etc.
Analog instantly shows you the change as you tune and is much easier to monitor - well for me it is :-} Same if your checking biasing on amplifiers against an audio signal.
Thank you for your work on these videos, very much appreciated, knowledge sharing at its best.
Very interesting video...as usual! ....Thank you very much!
Very practical walk through of a rather confounding topic. Thank you!
very informative. i had no idea that the voltage might be reversed on some ohm meters. thanks man.
Excellent video, may you're probes never fail.
great videos Thanks
3:33 Electron flow or circuit flow, I can follow either way. Following circuit flow to chassis ground I find easier for troubleshooting. Just don't over think it, learned old school.
@MichaelKingsfordGray Superman didn't use Clark Kent hehe
How about doing a followup on those el cheapo 900 piece transistor assortments from China on ebay. Aside from being PNP vs NPN they all look the same to me. Do some audio noise figure measurements. Put them on the curve tracer Tony.
Can't say that all the info is useful to me personally. Most of my transistor usage can be handled with a 3409 and even then I am more likely to use a logic IC, gates, etc for much of what I want to do, or I just might use logic with a microcontroller. I do enjoy the process of learning though and the steps you have shown are bound to help with something at some point and time, and I will remember who produced the video and where to find the reference info. Thank you very much for this, I just want you to know that I appreciate all the work that you do.
Why don't show how choose replacement when you don't find the same transistor and you have to choose best matching and similar transistor. Thanks a lot!!!!
I absolutely loved watching this video. I learn so much from it and will have to watch it again as I know I didn’t pick up on it all the first time. Many many thanks 👍
I remember when restrooms were polarized
Thanks for another great video! So as not to pester Tony with silly questions (he should spend his time making more videos), I'm asking for some help from the xraytonyb community. In a long-ago video, Tony described a process to remove the noxious smell from old plastic components, maybe Bakelite? I inherited a nice old set of miniature XceLite nut drivers, stored in the plastic case for maybe decades. When I opened it up ... whew, do those reek! Does anyone remember the process or the video? Thanks in advance.
Hello Tony, Do you like that red meter Because I was looking in to buying that unit ?
I like it. I use it a lot. It is usually available for about $30 - $40 online.
@@xraytonyb Yes I seen it for $30. I have a older Sencore transistor tester that I use
Very nice.. I do like that sca55 for what it's worth, plainly saying what color leads are on what is convenient and looked good enough to match transistors for gain on a package of new parts, close enough for use in an amp or receiver. Correct me if needed please. Thanks for the vid !
What about doing a similar video on FETs?
I own a copy of that old Micronta radio shack fold up meter as well. I've always liked it. I found that I have to tend to zero the meter differently depending on if I'm going to lay it flat, or in the detent position of being partially raised.
I miss my folding Micronta. First meter I owned. My dad took it to work for many years. It was impressively rugged.
Some of the newer fluke meters have a low impedance mode now too. I don’t think it works on diode mode, however, it’s great for eliminating ghost voltage readings. Helped me figure out that a friend of mine grounded an old ungrounded delta service he redid at an industrial park, dragged down the whole grid in that area 🤦
lol Tony... 13:42 c'mon man. this was a fun video. Just like transistors even tho I'm a tube sorta guy.
I used to build radios on such transistors when I was a child. П416 ,МП42б
So I'm watching these two videos in this series over and over again to learn. Great explanation of transistors on many levels. I've been a tube guy and don't understand transistors, This has been great. 👍
Awesome, thanks, looking forward to number 3.
Will not miss part 3. Thank you Tony!
Merci, very usefull video! Is it possible to test an transistor on circuit ( on power off position) please?
How about a tutorial on converting a circuit from germanium to silicon by changing the bias resistors?
Love the channel! Anyone know of a good sub for a 2N3402?
i used a VOM to find the faulty transistor in my Electrophonic
Thanks for the info. What is the red meter called? I couldn't read the name. Thanks
Sir can advice the replacement transtor for N channel J109
It’s gonna be stuck in my head for hours! PNP!
Nice! Is there a way to test transistors in the circuit, without resoldering them?
Thanks for the instructional videos!
Wow..Part II already. That was FAST.
There was a good bot covered in part 1, but will you be going into what key parameters make a (close to) ideal REPLACEMENT transistor? Thanks!
Sorry - you covered it. My apology!
Sorry, you can't touch a Peak for less then $100.00!
Got my DCA55 for $55 last year, have they gone up?
@@zulumax1 - Even on Ebay, most of the Peak devices are near $100
@@tubeDude48Just checked, $78.99 on Amazon, last year was $55.
Value of your money.
I'm PNP, I'm dynamite! Good old AC/DC Aussie rock! If you like that, you might also be interested in Australian Crawl and Cold Chisel. While AC/DC had some world wide exposure, I'm not sure about the other two but all three got plenty of air time over the radio here downunder and their music is forever burnt into my brain! It's not a bad thing, apart from AC/DC the other two had some pretty interesting lyrics in their songs which I had no idea what they were actually singing about until I got older and realized that they meant by The Boy's Light Up, yeah it had nothing to do with turning on the lights LoL.
Come to think about it, I really don't know how they managed to get away with having those songs being played on the radio? Very very clever boy's...
James Rayne eventually went solo from Australian Crawl who was constantly stirred for his style of mumble singing, long before mumble rap was a thing... Jimmy Barnes also went solo from Cold Chisel, today he's famous for his trademark scream LoL, there's a track that was released recently where all he did was scream lol but I actually like it... I'm amazed that he still has a voice box LoL...
All three groups can be found right here on TH-cam.. I believe one track from Cold Chisel made it into the movie Boomerang featuring Eddie Murphy, it was right at the beginning in the scene where he's driving over a bridge somewhere in the US... I can't remember the exact song but it's one of those things that you never grow tired of...
Because I'm PNP! That should be on a teeshirt Tony... A transistor standing on two legs while holding a microphone with the third and singing to it...
Now I have to go and dig out those three vinyls and get my fix!
Incidentally, all three are still available on new vinyl here in Australia, I'm not sure if JB Hifi will ship overseas and I'm not sure if they will show up in their website but they are available in-store... Highly recommend listening!
This video apart from the music plug, is turning out to be extremely excellent! Thanks so much, now we just need a transistor test jig that can stress test those Chinese copies to be sure that the ones that you have at least can stand up close to the originals... Especially the TO3's which have to pass some current...
Men at Work, Business as Usual, got 2 copies on vinyl mate!
Hi Tony,
Thank you very much for these two excellent videos. They helped me consolidate my knowledge.
You are not on Patreon, are you?
Have a great day.
Cheers
Mark
Yes he is Just look up his TH-cam name Patreon.
Xraytonyb
@@tommybewick Thank you Thomas. I had forgotten about this comment. I am supporting him there since he started it. At that time he wasn't.
Cheers
Mark
You are knocking it out of the park with these Tony!
Great, thanks for these lessons.
Can we look forward to a “Weird Tony” Yankovic PNP video in part 3?
'cause their P N P, They're dynamite
P N P, when the bias ain't right
P N P, with high-power load
P N P, watch them explode!
:)
Ha ha. Awesome! 🤘
Not Pointing N, and Pointing N 😊
Very informative video
Very helpful!
Ok, now you have to do another part on testing FETs.
Check out my video for the Realistic STA2200. In part 1 at about 37:00 I go into some detail on testing FET's with an analog VOM. Thanks for watching!
@@xraytonyb I was just trying to add to your workload. LOL
YES!!! Part 2!
You just cheered me up, Tony!
Yes, very inexpensive new Triplett meter, only $450.00.
There are many analog meters other than the Triplett and the Simpson that are very affordable. You don't need a $450 analog meter to do these tests. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
I bought that same Triplett meter that Tony has used on eBay for $35 plus shipping.
I searched for it based on his previous recommendation about 6 months ago. Yes, They still make it for $450 new, but you can get a used one much cheaper. The design has not changed and they've been making these for 40 years or more.
Good Instrumentation capability info, thanks.
I do the same thing, when I see I left my digital meter on, I quickly shut it off, lol, even though I'll be using it soon. Great videos, thanks for the info.
I've been out in the field in a town in the middle of nowhere at night and had the battery die on my meter. It has made me a bit over-protective of batteries in my test equipment. I've also been in same said-situation and not had that 50-cent fuse to repair the $150,000 x-ray machine and had to make another trip back the next day, after getting next to no sleep just to plug in the fuse I didn't have. Field service engineers always turn their meters off and remember to bring small parts in their car. ;)=) Glad to see someone picked up on that!