What's in the mailbox? 📬 📦

[chris.knudson]

My guess is that you worked in some form of broadcast? Maybe at the news station or cable company?

Yes, I was a broadcast engineer in the 80s & 90s. Those are color bars on a scope.

 

[Robert]

Oh yeah I recognized the color burst and chroma signal, I thought you meant the actual device being used to view it.

It's been quite a while since I worked with any of that, but I remember the front and back porch, etc.

Tuners had gone modular by the time I was doing repairs so most of the RF / IF troubleshooting was reduced down to "just replace the tuner".

 

[chris.knudson]

Oh yeah I recognized the color burst and chroma signal, I thought you meant the actual device being used to view it.

It's been quite a while since I worked with any of that, but I remember the front and back porch, etc.

Tuners had gone modular by the time I was doing repairs so most of the RF / IF troubleshooting was reduced down to "just replace the tuner".

Yeah, once everything went digital, very few people have had to adjust the chrominance on their monitor. Not many people these days know what analog video is all about.

 

[Robert]

I'm familiar with the analog video signal but never had to work with it too much. The majority of what I dealt with was power supply, vertical/horizontal deflection, color registration (on rear projections) and fun stuff like that.

The video circuitry didn't give a whole lot of trouble and manual adjustments were slightly before my time. By the time I was on the scene (starting around 1999) most of that was all combined into a big IC called the "video jungle" and was controlled by a microcontroller. (or both integrated into one)

It's really an eye-opener that one of the only places I found a picture of this was on "radiomuseum.org" ... ugh.

 

[Robert]

I do still have a few ancient artifacts from those days though...



That old Sencore is still my favorite scope. If it were more reliable (and didn't take up half the bench) I'd still be using it.

 

[chris.knudson]

It's really an eye-opener that one of the only places I found a picture of this was on an "radiomuseum.org" ... ugh.

Yeah, that is scary.

 

[jimilee]

I’m a bass player. I just poke stuff til it works.

 

[jwin615]

They made Charlie Brown in 27 different languages?

Nope. Made it all in my head while white knuckling one he'll of a panic attack. Good times. Good times.

 

[jwin615]

Got this guy a few days ago. Like it so far. Don't point your flux pen down for storage though.

 

[chris.knudson]

I do still have a few ancient artifacts from those days though...

View attachment 68828View attachment 68829View attachment 68830

That old Sencore is still my favorite scope. If it were more reliable (and didn't take up half the bench) I'd still be using it.

I'm familiar with the Sencore and the semiconductor tester (they had one at the RadioShack where I grew up that anybody could walk in and use), but what is that Heathkit Hero 1 thing? Is that an EPROM programmer?

 

[chris.knudson]

I’m a bass player. I just poke stuff til it works.

Yep, that's what we do, right? Either that or slap it until it makes the sound we want.

 

[chris.knudson]

Got this guy a few days ago. Like it so far. Don't point your flux pen down for storage though.
View attachment 68881

That does look pretty handy. Also (lesson learned) don't keep pressing the plunger on your flux syringe when nothing is coming out of the needle -- I mean it IS coming out -- just not where you thought it was.

 

[Robert]

I'm familiar with the Sencore and the semiconductor tester (they had one at the RadioShack where I grew up that anybody could walk in and use), but what is that Heathkit Hero 1 thing? Is that an EPROM programmer?

The Hero 1 was a fairly high-end educational robot kit. It belonged to the owner of the shop where I worked, he gave it to me when he retired.

I have all of the manuals/schematics/assembly language reference guides but I've never actually seen it operate aside from a few basic functions.

It's one of those nostalgic useless things that takes up space but I can't bring myself to toss it.

 

[chris.knudson]

The Hero 1 was a fairly high-end educational robot kit. It belonged to the owner of the shop where I worked, he gave it to me when he retired.

I have all of the manuals/schematics/assembly language reference guides but I've never actually seen it operate aside from a few basic functions.

It's one of those nostalgic useless things that takes up space but I can't bring myself to toss it.

Never toss that -- not only does it have sentimental value for you, but I've regretted tossing all of my old electronics. I had an original Apple IIe with all of the boxes and original manuals that is probably in a landfill now, that would probably be worth a pretty penny today. Lesson learned from this is this...

It's really an eye-opener that one of the only places I found a picture of this was on "radiomuseum.org" ... ugh.

 

[jessenator]

isn't that the thing that stranded Kate Capshaw in space, because Joaquin Phoenix wanted to play astronaut?

 

[Robert]

isn't that the thing that stranded Kate Capshaw in space, because Joaquin Phoenix wanted to play astronaut?

It was apparently on Mr Wizard, although I can't say I remember it.

 

[jessenator]

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

I just poke stuff til it works.

 

[Feral Feline]

Wwwaaaaiiiittttt...... Wwwwwhhhhaaaatttt?????

They made Charlie Brown in 27 different languages?
View attachment 68804

The toughest part was translating the classroom teacher.

 

[Feral Feline]

The Hero 1 was a fairly high-end educational robot kit. It belonged to the owner of the shop where I worked, he gave it to me when he retired.

I have all of the manuals/schematics/assembly language reference guides but I've never actually seen it operate aside from a few basic functions.

It's one of those nostalgic useless things that takes up space but I can't bring myself to toss it.

Coolest breadboard ever.