Solar CB-1-60 Capacitor Analyzer Questions
 

Howdy all,

I just joined Videokarma and was looking for some info on this analyzer. I'm mid-stream in rebuilding/restoring it and was wondering if there is any way to date this (approximately)? It is SN=8351. I've read on the net that this model was produced ~~ 1936 through 1945?? This one has the smaller 2mm pin type test jacks and from other pictures, I've seen it looks like later models used the more standard 4mm bananna type?? Also, the tube sockets use nuts & screws where (I guess) later versions were riveted in? I think Bob Andersen's unit had this type as well as a factory 6X5 type rectifier? Mine is the 4 pin type-IV tube. Waiting for some 1% film caps from Mouser (back-ordered till the end of this month :sigh:.

Any help appreciated.

Tom D.

Hello Powerking!

I just acquired one of these awesome units myself, (Serial 5941) and I'm now hoping it arrives mostly intact. I've found the manual and schematic over on 'bama but it doesn't include a parts list or values. Could you point me to a link that has these, or share what yours has? I'm going to try to get the parts ordered so they arrive before or shortly after the unit itself and I'm not stuck in the same boat you were at the time of your post.

Can someone also possibly confirm that "type IV" was later changed to "1V" (both are 4 pin low drop rectifiers.) in case I have to source some working bottles? (I have 3 compatible eye-tubes, but the rectifier has me scratching my head a bit here.)

I think the banana jacks are just a common retrofit that owners made over the years. I think we've all owned at least one piece of test equip with a lead snapped off in the pin-jack.


Thanks in advance!

--Nopegs

I think the IV/1V are the same tube, just which character you interpret it as "I" or "1". Later versions of the tester went with an 80 type then the 6X5 rectifier from what I can tell. See the attached files for the parts list and schematics. Good luck with your restoration as well.

Tom (PK):thmbsp:

Although mine is wired for a 6X5, the panel says "IV".

Interesting is that a Solar Analyzer is up for bids on the auction site. It has the classic note that the power transformer smokes when it was plugged in.

Sound familiar? It is a shame that stuff gets destroyed! Some of us just don't know...

kvlfyer;

Ah, my old stomping grounds in Catonsville, MD... Lived there for 25 years while working for HP. What a nightmare the traffic was getting around the beltways when I left for NH in 2003. I'm sure the Springfield VA "mixing bowl" is now nothing more than total KAOS since I left. Yeah, this guy trying to sell that CA model analyzer is out of his mind (IMHO) and has been listing it for many, many months; no price change. Without a good power transformer, any vintage cap tester is pretty much worthless.

Tom (PK)

If it was mine, I'd change the jacks to the banana type.
The 1-V tube is available at ESRC for $5.00. Not all that common of a tube!
It has a 300ma heater, where the 6X5 tube, has a 600ma heater
I have an older Detrola radio, that originally had a 1-V rectifier. The socket was changed to use a 84/6Z4. :boring:

Hi Tom. Yes, the traffic here is still a nightmare. My name is Don Cavey. I went through the Mixing Bowl a few weeks ago. Driving up from my new home in Fernandina Beach, FL. Traffic was just fine... until the Mixing Bowl. Then the usual that you remember, stop and go. I can't wait to get back to Florida for good.

Anyway, back to the Solar. I don't have one but eventually (when I finish moving) would like to add one to the collection. In addition to my junk around here, I like vintage test equipment. Several of us were criticized one day for fixing "useless/inaccurate" old test equipment. What I mentioned was that yes, we know that a modern Fluke meter is more accurate. Hmmm, maybe collecting and restoring vintage test equipment is ALSO a hobby!

So, back to the subject line, hope it gets fixed and is brought back into use.

Excellent! The parts list is exactly what I needed. I'm presuming that 600v poly caps and 450v electrolytics are enough. Although, if the leakage test goes up to nearly 500v I could be wrong on the electrolytics, so this is me seeking your advice before I give mouser my order. C6 is right across the rectifier and C7 sees about 1/3 of the same voltage through the divider, too...

R4 is the main current limiter, for shorted or terribly leaky caps, correct? Any thoughts on putting a 100ma fuse in line with the rectifier to protect the HV secondary winding in case of terrible things?

Thanks for clarifying my thoughts on the rectifier. Hopefully I won't need to source a replacement, but if I do now I know where I can get an actual I-V instead of adding a 600ma filament transformer and changing the socket or rebasing a 6X5 to fit.

Hey, thanks for posting this. I have one without a case- anybody have one?- and in shambles. This helps with values on components.

Yes the correct designation is 1-v, pronounced one vee. Of course a silicon diode will work, with the associated resistor.

It's just a wooden box with some fancy two-piece hinges, a latch, and a handle. I don't think I could spend more than about $50 building one out of something exotic like genuine solid hardwood and vintage hardware from the internet.


You're in the best possible situation to have the internals but no box, versus somebody out there who probably has the box and most of the internals save one unobtainable part...


If you're still looking for boxes once mine arrives, I'll take a look at the construction and consult with my better half as to what wood it's made of and how hard it is to duplicate it, but I bet I could ship you the pieces IKEA style and you'd just have to lash it up with some wood-glue and screws. Eyeballing photos I'm sure we could make one out of plain old pine for a few bucks, or something less "pauper's coffin" for $25-40 or so.

Yes, the girlfriend does most of the woodworking in the relationship. It seems to work just fine that way... :banana:

Here's a photo of mine. Simple, but does have some nice finger joints. I'm not sure of the species - oak ? maple ?
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7414/...396351b9_z.jpg

Below are a few more Pic's of the box/cabinet (what it originally looked like). I also have to cut a piece of leather for the replacement carry strap.

Tom (PK)

Yes, but where's the joy in that while 1V and equivalents are still around? If it wasn't a huge part of the visual presentation of the front panel, sure. Even if I did just bung a tube with a good heater in the socket for looks it'd still keep me awake at night just knowing...


Oh dear. If you can't identify the species, what hope do the rest of us with significantly less hands-on experience have? :D I might have to consult one of the local Amish artisans for a professional opinion then. (I was thinking ash or poplar. Pretty sure it isn't maple.(Edit: I'm bad at wood identification.))

It is finished with shellac, right? Or is it something like tung oil?

Looking at everyone's pictures it almost appears that they built the 4 sides of the box and then ran the whole assembly through a bandsaw to divide the main body from the lid portion. Grain lines up and everything. They sure don't put that kind of effort into modern mass produced wood things.


I also noted that a replacement cabinet was available for $3.50! At $15.07 piece-meal replacement cost for everything to make one unit, the cabinet alone makes up almost 24% of the BOM total!


I know some of you collect vintage printed media, anybody have a catalog page or other advertisement for these things? They probably list the type of wood used in the cabinet along with the other features and functions. I'd also be curious to know what the original selling price was, I'm figuring probably $19-$24 because you sourced your own tubes according to the manual.


Mine is currently in the hands of the USPS. Kansas to Pennsylvania so I'm hoping they don't have too much time to damage it. Only time will tell.


I'll also bring your attention to the fact that there's a bunch of new manufacture very reasonably priced NE-48 (B9A) glass and metal neon bulbs for these (and so much other vintage gear) up for sale on the auction site. I finally managed to find Bob's original post about his CB-1-60 and he mentioned that glass bulbs were pricey at the time, but a very cheap and nasty looking plastic functional equivalent was available. Not sure if anyone has brought it up recently or not. I'm still telling myself that I'm not going to get a beat up box full of broken glass and wood next week, but I'm exploring all of my possible contingencies should that come to pass. I wouldn't be worried except for the fact that the seller expressly mentioned "for steampunk" in the main description. That's always a sign of a fully qualified package-smith, you can bank on that! :tears:

At least they didn't plug it in.


One last question in this morning's rambling post:

R7, 8, 9, 10, 11. One unit construction? That's the tapped Canned-Ohm bit, correct? Is it 36kOhms end to end, 5 sections at 36kOhm each, or something way less intuitive with each section being some randomly determined secret value adding up to 36kOhms end to end? :scratch2: I'm vaguely familiar with a wein bridge, but I'm not 100% sure that the divider is only used for the leakage test and doesn't interact with the bridge for value determination. What I'm asking is should this be on my list of things to go precision tolerance on for best overall accuracy, or is it just controlling the leakage test values and could be replaced with 5% 1w units if mine is missing the magic smoke?

Final rambling thought: I love how resistor prices have more or less remained the same for single quantity mail-order type purchases despite inflation in the last 70 years.


Thank you all again for your advice and opinions! They are much appreciated.

--NoPegs