What’s on *YOUR* workbench?

Visited my grandma’s house today and came home with this old transistor radio.

Chock full of ~50 year old WIMA caps! Such mojo! 😂

Y’all think I should clean it up and get it working again, just for fun, or strip out the guts, salvage the many cool tin-can transistors and whatever other mojo parts still have any life in them, and then build a cute little solid state amp into the chassis?

https://imgur.com/a/8Z9qbgK

Of the transistors, I’ve only been able to identify one as an af125 and two as af126. Both germanium, though I can’t find much more specs than that.

Edit; also one of these: af178

Can’t read the markings on the other three though
 
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Bricksnbeatles said:
Visited my grandma’s house today and came home with this old transistor radio.

Chock full of ~50 year old WIMA caps! Such mojo! 😂

Y’all think I should clean it up and get it working again, just for fun, or strip out the guts, salvage the many cool tin-can transistors and whatever other mojo parts still have any life in them, and then build a cute little solid state amp into the chassis?

https://imgur.com/a/8Z9qbgK

Of the transistors, I’ve only been able to identify one as an af125 and two as af126. Both germanium, though I can’t find much more specs than that.

Edit; also one of these: af178

Can’t read the markings on the other three though
Click to expand...
Make it work!
 
finebyfine said:
On my bench: playing around with digital potentiometers again. Here's a time of flight (distance, more or less) sensor controlling an LED. Could replicate the zvex probe series antenna control with just a few components. In low light it was able to measure about 100mm really accurately. With better lighting it can go a little bit higher.

Click to expand...
One of the methodologies we used to verify the integrity of a petroleum UST was an ultrasonic TOF probe with a dozen or so transducers along the length, spaced proportionately with the shape of a horizontal cylinder. Two sets of measurements were taken @ 1 second (or so) intervals; one would measure TOF from the bottom of the probe to the liquid level inside the cylinder to measure any change between cycles. The other would measure TOF from the bottom to each of the other sensors, which was used to determine any temperature change in that striata of the liquid. Between these readings, the expectant level could be calculated which included thermal expansion/contraction of the media. Pretty cool except when you have to monitor the test in-person for 15-20+ hours in the back of a van or box truck. 🤣
 
Actually @fig I've seen some snippets of your mojo parts and you've alluded to others. How about a mojo parts show and tell for those of us who just like to look at old cool stuff.

Edit. Hey stop sniggering in the back. FFS it's 02:30 in the morning, I can't sleep and have just realised I've just asked to see @fig's old parts. I deserve all of the abuse I get. :oops:.
 
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I have a TON of stuff to get put away...I'll snap some pics while sorting...they would look way tastier in someone's build though. 😋
 
I am losing my damn mind. I just replaced the pots in here with CTS 250KJ pots brand new. When I touch the knobs they rattle side to side very slightly. It annoys the absolute hell out of me. Is there a solution for this? It is not the knobs but the pot shaft just a little loose in the housing I think
 

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almondcity said:
I am losing my damn mind. I just replaced the pots in here with CTS 250KJ pots brand new. When I touch the knobs they rattle side to side very slightly. It annoys the absolute hell out of me. Is there a solution for this? It is not the knobs but the pot shaft just a little loose in the housing I think
Click to expand...

We're they solid or split shaft pots?
 
I have little brass collars which fit round the pot shaft and stop that wobble happening. I had the same problem on my tele until I fitted them.

Where are you based?
 
almondcity said:
These are the adapters for split shaft to solid shaft. I don't think these would work?
Click to expand...
IME they actually work much better for 6mm solid to 6.35mm (1/4") solid. I use them for that quite a bit.

I understand you can make your own using brass tube stock from hobby shops, but have yet to try that.
 
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