Whats Vintage Testing Equipment Do YOU Have/Use?

[mackinthebox]

With this being a pretty much vintage equipment forum, being that we use alot of vintage vacuum tubes, Im sure alot of you out there have some vintage testing equipment.

I personally own a Simpson 260 series multimeter, I will post some pics of it once I get outta work and get back home to it.

So, what vintage test equipment are you using?
Post info and pics

[DigitalJunkie]

I also have a Simpson 260,great analog meter.
The only other real 'vintage' equipment I have at the moment is a Eico 667 tube tester,and a Heath/Zenith SP-2717 power supply.
I have some pics of the power supply on photobucket:
Heathkit SP-2717 pictures by Nothing40 - Photobucket

[mackinthebox]

My dad actually gave me the Simpson multimeter, he purchased it new back in the day
Im excited that I have a real use for it now rather than just letting it sit in my closet collecting dust

[jackinnj]

Eico 666 Tube Tester, a Tek 576 Curve Tracer, Heath HV Power Supply, a Variac from the time of Moses, Eico 222 VTVM for high voltages.

[pjanda1]

Tube/Tube era:
USN/Weston TV-4 tube tester
HP 711A tube power supply
Giant Stancor isolation transformer (P-6125, or is it 6425?)
Tek 585A that I use for parts (fun to look at too)
A few old meters

Solid State, but old:
HP 6227B dual channel power supply
HP 3300A function generator with 3304A plug-in (crusty, barely works)
Telequipment D66 'scope (minty!)
10A/240V Staco variac (anybody have an extra giant variac knob?)

Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers

[DigitalJunkie]

Originally Posted by mackinthebox

My dad actually gave me the Simpson multimeter, he purchased it new back in the day

That's how I got mine too.

[HollowState]

Originally Posted by mackinthebox

So, what vintage test equipment are you using?

Having been in the surplus test equipment business for many years, my shop has dozens of instruments from Agilent (HP), Tektronix, Wavetek, Keithley, General Radio, Krohn Hite, Boonton and others. Many of them are not in catalog anymore, but I still wouldn't call then vintage. At least not yet. However, here are some that I do still use that are pretty vintage.

Tektronix 570 vacuun tube curve tracer.
Hickok tube testers, USM-118A cardmatic, 539C, 752A
B&K Precision 707 tube tester
RCA WV-510A master voltohmyst
Eico 555 vom (copy of your 260)
Heathkit C-3 capacitor checker
Kepco HV power supplies
Sensitive Research electrostatic HV meters (analog)
Beckman L12 megohmmeter
Simpson 1699 milliohmmeter

[taj]

My dad gave me his old TV repair shop stuff. Stark tube tester (not sure of the model as it's at the other house; a Stark VTVM, and one of those old-as-Moses variacs. Also got an old Stark scope, but it's dead. Something else Stark too, maybe a signal generator, can't remember.

The Stark stuff was like a Canadian HeathKit type company that specialized in supplying schools/colleges (I believe). He got all the kits as part of his TV repairman school curriculum in the late 50's - early 60's and had to assemble them all as part of the courses. I still have his textbooks too. Very cool, but HUGE, like 2 phone books stacked. Bound with bolts and wing-nuts.

..Todd

[Jacques Merde]

• HP 400HR VTVM
• HP 650A Oscillator

[tubelab.com]

and one of those old-as-Moses variacs

I have several old Variacs. The big one goes from Zero to Burning Bush!

I don't think any of my stuff is newer than 15 years old with the Tek 2232 and the HP8903A dating from about that time frame. I gave away the Simpson 260 and the Eico VTVM I built from a kit in about 1965 because a $4 digital meter just works better. I have about 6 tube regulated power supplies that I use a lot, but about 2 years ago I got a HP 6448B that goes from 0 to 650 volts and 0 to 1.7 amps, forget the bush, this will burn down the house! Wimpy tubes don't stand a chance. Still have an HP200AB oscillator and two 331A distortion analyzers but I don't use them much anymore.

In the RF domain I use two HP 8656 signal generators, an 8901A modulation analyzer, an old 141T spectrum analyzer and a 5328A frequency counter.

All of this stuff came from Ebay, hamfests, surplus houses, and auctions held during the closing of the electronics plants that formerly occupied space in south Florida.