Videokarma.org

Go Back   Videokarma.org TV - Video - Vintage Television & Radio Forums > Diagnostic & Test Equipment

We appreciate your help

in keeping this site going.
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 09-15-2010, 03:32 PM
Reece's Avatar
Reece Reece is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Cleona, PA
Posts: 2,178
EICO Model 231 VTVM Refurbished

This is an oldie, using octal tubes, a 6X5, shorty 6H6, and 6SN7. Found it at an antiques mall marked "Radio, $10." I put new caps in it, only three or four to be changed, and checked it out: it worked on all functions except +DC. I downloaded the manual from the web and traced the circuit. Found it right away: a wire had pulled away from one of the wafer switch terminals. Several other wires had just been laid against their terminals and soldered in place by the original kit builder rather than hooking them through the eye of the terminal. A new C-cell and holder were needed inside, and a new line cord to replace the crispy one. There were no test leads with it so I had to fab a DC lead using shielded cable and a 15 meg resistor inside the probe (that's what the schematic and the manual text call for.) I had a couple of other spare test leads that were pressed into service for Common and AC/Ohms.

A general cleanup included spraying the controls, cleaning the front panel with no-pumice orange Goop, then brass cleaner, scrubbing the case of years of grime and then giving it a coat of machinery gray which settled right into the original wrinkle finish, and replacing all the visible mounting screws which had all rusted. The leather handle got cleaned with Goop.

Calibration was easy using flashlight cells, a 24V transformer, and line voltage, comparing the readings with a DVM. The EICO works well, and I spent about an hour this afternoon successfully checking a bunch of resistors against their color codes.

Below: before, after, and after with test leads.

__________________
Reece

Perfection is hard to reach with a screwdriver.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 09-15-2010, 09:19 PM
bandersen's Avatar
bandersen bandersen is offline
RCA 741PCS
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 8,085
Very nice I haven't seen this model before - only the 232.
Is that the original handle ? If so, it's really held up well.
__________________
Here are my Vintage Radio & TV YouTube Channel and Photo Gallery
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 09-16-2010, 05:58 AM
Reece's Avatar
Reece Reece is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Cleona, PA
Posts: 2,178
It is the original hefty handle, more like a piece of tack than of electronic goods. I have two more test implements with "gone" handles that I'll have to deal with when I getaroundto refurbing them.
__________________
Reece

Perfection is hard to reach with a screwdriver.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:57 AM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
©Copyright 2012 VideoKarma.org, All rights reserved.