#162

[@raywelshman]

Hi Buddy, thanks for the video, in my younger days I went to Heathkit here in the UK to get gear directly from them. It's a pity they went out of business, so watching you repair Heathkit gear brings back many happy memories for me. Regards from Ray(GW6IYP) North Wales UK

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks ray for that comment. Good to hear stories like these. I really wished they were still making gear for us to use. Last piece I built was a frequency counter. Yes the memories.

[@mikesradiorepair]

Another classic saved from the scrap pile. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheRadioShop]

And a big thanks to you Mike for making this come true! Thanks

[@billpowell5931]

Catching up on some previous videos. This is the type of videos i really like. They help tremendously in my desire to repair some vintage equipment I have picked up on eBay. A very nice job on this capacitor checker. It not only works, but it looks great on the bench. Thanks for sharing.

[@tubeDude48]

Right-On! *always* REPLACE old CAPs! Also, it was wise of you to fine the foil side of the CAPs! At 24:00, looks like you have space for a terminal block to mount that large Resistor. At 30:00, I'd cover up the SSN !!

[@peterblake548]

a very worthwhile tip a minute - thanks for taking the time to create this great video

[@lylewatts6370]

Well this video made me get out my old C-3 Heathkit capacitor checker which is smaller than the IT-28. I will put it to the test and see what shape it's in. Love the old test equipment that's serviceable and still be very useful.

[@TheRadioShop]

The C3 is a nice bit of gear also. Should be fairly easy to restore if needed. The nice feature of the C-3 is the leakage lever is spring loaded. Helps prevent getting a shock. Thanks for commenting Lyle.

[@josephcote6120]

I have a C-3 in my project pile. In pretty good shape. Eye tube, luckily, looks good. The Power Factor pot feels like the shaft is seized up, but that's fixable.

[@GrandsonofKong]

Great video...thanks for taking us along as you restore and debug this classic. I agree on those aluminum Banana Jacks galling and then getting harder and harder to remove. Might explain why so many older Heathkit's are missing the outer screw on part..the plastic shattered after trying to get them off!! I've used di-lectric grease or even WD-40(on a Q-Tip) to keep them free but makes most sense to replace especially on the measurement side.

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks, Yes those old jacks get a little touchy over the years. Cheap enough to replace them.

[@nor4277]

I love watching Buddy work he makes it look so easy,it just that he is that good at it.

[@LarryDeSilva64]

Just radios is a great place to get parts and for me here in Nevada even though they are in Canada I get my parts in 4 days. Thanks for showing a great piece of test equipment put back into good working order.

[@TheRadioShop]

I agree. They are great folks to deal with and pretty quick on shipping.

[@CT1JRZ]

That new tube looks great on the unit. Good job Buddy.

[@TheRadioShop]

Yes really brighten things up :-) Thanks

[@theradiomechanic9625]

Hi Buddy, another useful item saved. Love those old Heathkit Cap Testers.

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks. Good to see you. Thanks for stopping by.

[@bienhelado204]

Thank you for explaining your troubleshooting logic. It's so fun to watch you bring new life to old equipment because of a handful of parts. I don't know if I'll ever work on tubes, but it the unit looks great all fixed up. Jeff KI7REC

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Jeff. Tubes are a pleasure to work on. Many times repairing old gear like this is like a mystery novel. Thanks for watching.

[@Radiocruncher]

Great job Buddy as always. A nice bit of fault finding as well. I have a similar tester that I bought about a year ago and it’s in the ‘to do’ pile so after watching this I will have to dig it out and get it sorted. Thanks Graham

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Graham. It was a fun rebuild on this. Yes get to it, should be fun also.

[@HaleiwaSam]

Thanks for the very informative video. I have a HK IT-11 to restore and you gave a lot of great tips to help me.

[@TheRadioShop]

Hi Larry. The IT-11 is a great piece of gear. Thanks for watching.

[@jeffberwick]

Nice! I've been watching Mr. Carlson's lab on KZbin and I thought I would like to see if my old Cap tester had one of the leakage tests like the one he uses. I haven't looked at it in 20 years. I found out I had a pretty nice original IT 28 in my closet and I will follow your procedure to bring it back to full health.

[@AF6LJSue]

Nice work. I use to have one of those, traded it for my military surplus universal RCL bridge.

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Sue. That should be the next thing I like to do, is get some mil-spec equipment.

[@TheDefpom]

I’ve been trying to buy one of those for months, prices are crazy at the moment, I keep missing out on the auctions., this probably made them even harder to get. Good informative video though, very nice.

[@TheRadioShop]

It is said that the "Carlson Effect" drove the price up lol. But yes, very costly piece of gear these days.

[@terencekaye9948]

Hi T.R.S. Thank you for the Great video,, one of the Best restoration repair vids I have seen. Fellows do videos like this or try,, but they leave out way too many steps.. Thank you... :)

[@TheRadioShop]

Thank you. I do my best to help

[@LifeBloodMarketing]

Was given one of these today. Have not plugged it in. It was part of big lot of old gear.

[@mikeflosse4538]

Great job. Can you please let me know the reference number for the new good-quality banana connectors that you used to replace the old ones? Thanks in advance.

[@johncunningham5435]

"Excellent restoration", tastefully restored to it's original functionality, "well done"

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks John

[@tectalabyss]

great job on the repair. Thank you for sharing. All my best. Bobby

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Bobby

[@kardeef33317]

Thanks again for another great video Buddy

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks

[@PapasDino]

Just started watching but DeOxit actually works pretty well as a lubricant on screw threads; I use it to grease up coax screw-on type connectors (PL-259 and N) when they get a bit "dry" and the screw right on with just a dab of 100% from the needle applicator. Back to the video! 73 - Dino KL0S

[@TheRadioShop]

I completely agree with that Dino. In fact finishing up tomorrows video at the moment. Spoiler, DeOxit.

[@ImmitH]

Thank you for the video. I have a question about the it-11/28. Does anyone know how many Volt's it puts across the terminals when measuring resistance?

[@bundylovess]

Nice job buddy it looks like new big thumbs up 👍

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks allan.

[@jaymay9709]

Thank you for the informative video. Just what I've been looking for. I have one of these units. It appears to be working, for the most part. I want to check the voltages on the vacuum tubes as shown on the schematic, and compare to what I measure. So far I seem to be getting values that are not correct. I see that according to the schematic, the switches should be in the following positions while making the voltage checks. RANGE: set to R1X BRIDGE/LEAKAGE: set to BRIDGE TYPE: set to ELECTROLYTIC VOLTAGE: set to 3V What isn't clear is the required positions for the Bridge Balance and Power Factor pots while making these measurements. Any advise on this?

[@TheRadioShop]

You are right, there is no mention of that when testing. I do not think it matters that much, may be wrong. Thanks

[@jaybats7865]

Great work Buddy enjoyed it

[@jonathanhorne6503]

I have one I’d been using reliably for a few years. I usually use the leakage function. It got gulled off my bench to the floor. It works, but through a 75w current limiter lamp it starts to glow above 350 volts. It gets brighter as I increase the voltage. The same behavior is exhibited on an unrestored uniti had on my shelf. That doesn’t seem kosher but it the same on two units. Could this be normal behavior? I should put a fuse in it. Good video. I’m getting voltage to the output terminals.

[@TheRadioShop]

A fuse never hurts. I would have to check but I think that is normal.

[@NebukedNezzer]

I have one of these. Good instrument to have.

[@TheRadioShop]

Yes they are. Thanks

[@pegbars]

That's a nice paint job! How did you do it?

[@TheRadioShop]

Just a rattle can, light coats and slow. Thanks

[@Ronnie9710]

nice job Buddy.

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks

[@call5sam]

When you replace the paper caps, on the old ones the black band on one end identified the "foil" side lead which was placed on the ground side of the circuit. How do you identify the "foil" side of the replacement capacitor? Good video

[@TheRadioShop]

Hi Sam, See this video below: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJ-1kHeCmZaDeqs

[@old64goat]

Nice repair Buddy! I have 2 questions, what is that "red" cleaner with the needle on it, i need to get that. I use DEOXIT D-5 in a spray but it goes all over the place. The other question is, I did not see a 2 MF "bridge" cap in that unit, my EICO 950 has one . I thought they all used a 2 MF bridge cap.

[@TheRadioShop]

Hi Bill. Good questions. The red stuff is also DeOxit. D100L formula. Great stuff. The black square cap I showed was the 2 Mf bridge cap. Thanks for stopping in Bill.

[@old64goat]

Thanks Buddy, i have got to get some of that D100L.

[@TheRadioShop]

Wait for my next video Bill. Something special for my viewers wanting to purchase these products.

[@nor4277]

I took a single blade razor and scraped the side on the tube pins to clean the and some of the deposit in the socket pin holes.,I need to get the deposit 100 like you have ,it seems.to be better to put in.smaller places.I think everyone.should have both,They are pricey but worth it ..

[@dougmcartin3881]

Nice one Buddy. I couldn't believe the prices on these also. I think the audio Hi Fi boys have latched on to them for some reason. That 1 Meg resistor is almost always bad on the eye tube socket in any piece of equipment that uses that series of eye tubes. Just a quick tip that you probably already know but just in case. Don't be tempted to clean the front panel. That printing comes off if you breath on it too closely. You don't have to ask how I know this. 73 Doug.

[@TheRadioShop]

You are so right Doug. Those high ohm resistors really take a beating. Great tip on cleaning lol. Boy do I know this well. Thanks for stopping in.

[@nor4277]

Buddy if you get to much deoxit 5 on the switches ,is there a good way to remove the excess ,I am trying to use your knowledge ,to do it better ,If you have any thoughts on removing excess deoxit,5 ,I would be thankful for your advice,or any of your fans suggestions.,I wish I would have seen this video first .

[@eugenetheodore2956]

Where can I find test leads for this checker? What type are they?

[@8xlaxx]

What is your resource for the IT-28 binding post jacks? Thank you.

[@drdave337]

Two questions: These usually call for “precision” caps. Looks like you used regular ones. No problem? Second, how did you determine the foil side of the cap?

[@TheRadioShop]

There are NO precision capacitors in the IT-28. There are however 4 precision resistors. The only capacitor that may need to be as close as possible is the 2 Mf in the bridge circuit. As far as finding the foil end of the capacitor search for Mr Carlsons Lab "Are your capacitors installed backwards". He shows how to us a scope and your body to find the foil end of the cap.

[@JerryEricsson]

@@TheRadioShop As far as finding an oscilloscope to test your caps, I have been using one of those cheap kit scopes you can get from China. A while back I came across a project to build a sound card oscilloscope, I followed the directions, it called for using two 7805's to insure the voltage was low enough for your PC, then to be extra careful I used a USB sound card to input it into my laptop, now I can use my laptop for an oscilloscope with no problems. I stopped using the USB sound card after testing it on my laptop and finding no harm from the device, however if I think I may be dealing with higher voltages I still resort to the USB sound card.

[@tubeDude48]

At 26:06 NEVER use D5, use DeoxIT Fader F5. D5 will eventually brake down!! D5 would be fine on Tube sockets.

[@JamesCPLeung]

Do you try any HP 339A restore.

[@peteleoni9665]

To info needers: Very useful info on Heathkit tester starts 5 min into video. (-:

[@steelcantuna]

Does anyone sell a "kit" of all the capacitors needed to restore an IT-28? I've been searching the net, but don't see one available. Thanks

[@TheRadioShop]

Not that I am aware of. You can get caps from many suppliers like Just Radio and amplified parts.

[@randomscience4k]

Hi, Nice repair and great explanation. I've been trying to get one of these on eBay for a while now but they get very pricey($180 to $200) at the last moments of the auction. So, have been saving up to get one of these. But I've also seen Eico 950/950B available for much cheaper prices compared to the Heathkit. Is the Eico a better one or is it better to get the Heathkit? Thanks

[@TheRadioShop]

The Eico will get the job done. No droughts about it. The Heathkit is a great bit of gear. Way over priced now.

[@randomscience4k]

Thank you. I think I'll get the Eico then. I could use the rest of the cash to get few other gears I have set my eyes on :)

[@randomscience4k]

So, got an Eico 950B last week and it’s pretty good. It does turn ON and the eye tube works. Definitely needs a recap though. Got it for like $27 on eBay. The guy who sold it was a TV repairman from MA, so took good care of it.

[@TheDefpom]

What kind of caps are you using to replace the old ones?

[@TheRadioShop]

I replace them with poly flim caps from Just Radio. The electrolytics are from Mouser.

[@TheDefpom]

The Radio Shop polyester or polypropylene?

[@TheRadioShop]

These are polyester film

[@grahambambrook313]

That's why they call them "binding posts!"🤣

[@dennisperusse3837]

Excellent video. :)

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Dennis

[@pierrelataillade7564]

very informative buddy.... Thanks

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks for watching my friend

[@dennisqwertyuiop]

Are you going to build Paul's capacitor tester that uses Low Voltage ?

[@TheRadioShop]

I would love to build that one of these days.

[@Sloxx701]

Good video Buddy. I kinda makes me laugh how Paul is driving the prices up of all this vintage test gear over the last year or so all by himself almost. The prices of a lot of leakage testers, signal tracers, and VTVMs has gone sky high... I'm so glad I got my hands on these things about 3 years ago when all this stuff was super cheap.

[@TheRadioShop]

I hear a lot of folks say that when he repairs a piece of gear the price goes out the roof. Paul is well known as the best there is when doing this stuff. I am glad I got this one at a decent price. Thanks for watching.

[@TheRangerDale]

Very good Buddy Been catching up with the videos been under the weather, Cold and Flu Both of us .Yes your right been looking for one and yea real price'ie just plain rediculas .So glad unit worked out great for you..This is time of year Ham Fests popping up and Pollen all over lol lol . 73'/GB Buddy

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Dale. Been to one hamfest in the last 10 years lol.

[@1badpete999]

I found repairing a lot of these 60 years old heathkits that a great percentage of the carbon resistor have changed to almost twice their values !

[@anselb2000]

I would have preferred original Heathkit paint colors, but nice job!

[@TheRadioShop]

This is one of the colors I have not been able to reproduce yet. But since this will be a work horse here in the shop brown it will be for now. Thanks for the comment.

[@jameslucas6589]

Forgive me for asking, but is that the original owners SSN? It would be cool to know something of the original owner.

[@TheRadioShop]

I have no idea. It should be blurred out but youtube takes a while to update.

[@GrandsonofKong]

I've gotten old gear with SSN's and/or Driver's License Numbers on them all the time. I understand why folks did that...I just hope the places I got them from weren't shifting stolen goods! I always save the Receipts/Invoices(it there are any) just in case. Given the shift in mindset for Identity Protection, not sure anyone does that anymore.

[@jameslucas6589]

GrandsonofKong I agree with you. Long ago are the days when you put your SSN number on a piece of anything to prove your ownership and on top of that, states like Virginia used your SSN as your DL number. Unreal. Now it's a 180 shift. Once, back in the early 1970's I was picked up by police for walking home with my Small TV. I had been harassed before so I had taken my soldering iron and melted my name and SSN on the back. A much simpler time, and LA cops were just as they are portrayed today. And I support our police in New England.

[@JR-tv4tn]

Nice it's a keeper

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks

[@jimdavis6833]

What always confuses me is why use two 40mfd in series rather than one 20 from plate to grd? My memory on the theory is a bit fuzzy.

[@tbozy48]

looking for som one to do some work on my yaesu

[@kardeef33317]

Does anyone know what kind and where to get about a amount of 1 or 2 cups of non-conductive epoxy in America ?

[@tubeDude48]

At 9:00- if the voltage is 350V, you should replace with 450V

[@fenderblues1744]

Another good video with plenty of information. HANTEK 6022BE 2 Channels 8 bit Digital Oscilloscope Storage PC USB 20Mhz 48Msa/s I'm thinking of buying this but would 20MHz be good enough Buddy.

[@TheRadioShop]

Well take into consideration is is 20 MHz. and only 48 ms/s. I am not sure what you will be working on with this but you may find it is not enough band width to do what you want. For audio yes it would be ok but for RF not so good.

[@fenderblues1744]

Thanks for your quick reply. what MHz would you suggest for RF.

[@TheRadioShop]

I would prefer a 100 MHz myself. A 50 MHz would be ok somewhat. There are many used scopes on the market. Even the Rigol DS 1052E and 1102 has dropped in price.

[@fenderblues1744]

Thanks. Haven't got enough room for anything big that's why I was looking at the Hantek for pc. Will have a look at the one's you suggest.

[@fenderblues1744]

I've found a Haantek 6074BC PC based USB 200MHz £174 FREE POST maybe that would do. I had a look at what you said but pricey over here, and I really need to see it on a big screen.

[@JerryWalker001]

Nice job although if you used British Aluminium instead of US Aluminum then corrosion would not be an issue ;) Seriously thought it has lasted 60+ years with those terminals so will most likely be OK.

[@lpdebarros]

I had it, I live Brazil (Rio deJaneiro); as good!!

[@wiltonarmstrong2781]

Would be nice to have but price is out of my range

[@TheRadioShop]

Yes too darn expensive.

[@Mr71chevyvan]

where is your VTVM ? :>)

[@wiltonarmstrong2781]

Boy I could use that but price is too high

[@TheRadioShop]

LOL., Yes they are.