Build A Signal Tracer : BDST Signal Tracer Kit Review

[@GeorgeChristofi]

A great kit to build, certainly an essential bit of test equipment for the bench.

[@gregjones3660]

And Bob’s your uncle…

[@Andrewausfa]

Looks a very useful kit George, perfect for beginners. With beginners in mind though and in case anyone was copying your probe build, worth highlighting that with your probe covered in copper foil like it is, not to go poking around inside a valve set until it's covered (appreciate you'd lost your heatshrink!). Cheers - Andrew

[@GeorgeChristofi]

Very true about the probe but not much different to original Heathkit death sticks!

[@BoB4jjjjs]

Your points on the 5 band resistor is valid and the capacitor. There should be pictures on these if nothing else. At the very least, there should be a drawing of the 5 band resistor, and the capacitor. It will confuse a new kit builder. They need to give the kit to someone that does not know a lot, just to see what problems this person finds. That is at least what I would do, then you know your kit is good to go with fewer problem questions from builders.

[@GeorgeChristofi]

Thanks Bob. At first when I was thinking about it I thought I was just being picky for pickys sake but then I put myself in the shoes of a total beginner and decided I had to say something. Doug has responded and confirmed that the only resistors that will be sent out now are four band and that he will talk to Bob regarding the pictures on the documents. Overall, as per my video, I think its a great kit that will be very useful to anyone who deals with radio or audio circuits and the price is very good compared to other companies offerings available here in the UK.

[@greggsvintageworkshop8974]

Great review of the BDST kit George! Bob and Doug did a LOT of R&D on this kit and it is a winner for sure. I built mine into my MFP panel and love it.

[@GeorgeChristofi]

I have been following the bdst1 since it was first thought of and was looking forward to getting my hands on one. I'm glad I did because it is a great unit and I'm keeping mine on the bench as a go-to unit.

[@mariofilippi3539]

Thank you for the video. Your video helped me to decide to purchase one. I just completed the BDST-2 kit and am very pleased.

[@Theoobovril]

Nice and handy basic piece of vital test equipment, George, it clearly does the job well.

[@GeorgeChristofi]

It really does work well. Blows the myth that you have to spend a fortune on a tracer.

[@German_byte]

Many thanks for an interesting and informative explanation. I like your delivery.

[@jimnewman5596]

That was a great video on the BDST kit review George, I also bought one too, and added an 3.5mm audio cable and jacks for flexibility. The 40mm speaker works ok, but added an switched jack to connect a much larger 8 ohm speaker to improve the sound quality.

[@GeorgeChristofi]

I had the larger speaker in the junk box so used that, just seemed to make more sense to use what I had rather than take new stock.

[@blitzroehre1807]

Nice kit! The cheapest plunger type solder sucker available on Ebay should make a nice housing for the probe.

[@old64goat]

George, I like the large speaker, I like the way it sounds and is made, great product Doug & Bob.

[@GeorgeChristofi]

The speaker was one of my own because I said to Doug not to worry about including one for me as I had a few lying around in the salvage pile. They really have come up with a great kit Bill, I'm impressed.

[@gregjones3660]

And Bob’s your uncle…

[@Codeeze]

Nice to see what everyone has been going on about. Looks good, works very well, but my thoughts were for the exposed copper on the probe - find your heatshrink! If I needed a tracer, I'd build one, but more likely I'd buy this one on your recvommendation. However, I too have the Signalverfolger msv-1 and it serves me very well. Good too to see another Hunter that survived the fire...

[@GeorgeChristofi]

You have to have fun with copper handles. Vintage kit had aluminium tubes on the probes and no insulation but in todays elfs and safety world we have to think of that I suppose. The Hunter had survived because it had left the factory well before the fire in Bournmouth!

[@robtitheridge9708]

great to hear kites on the radio i have been following bob and dug for some time and built this on a bread board i added a gain controle to the input of the IC to overcome the overload distortion . i think this kit is better than the velaman one because of its high input impedence. great video george and good luck to bob and dug.

[@GeorgeChristofi]

There are a few mods I would possibly add to it as an after build. Auto level would be up there but other simple things like lipo power with USB charging, power on led and other little bits that would probably be more form than pure function.

[@LarryDeSilva64]

Good critique of the Doug and Bob kits. I was thinking of getting one because I have only tube aka valve signal tracers here I have nothing that is solid state. In any case it looks like an easy kit to build and very useful.

[@GeorgeChristofi]

Indeed Larry. I do have a super modern tracer with built in level control and metering and a lot of other gizmos as well as a 1950's tube based one but this kit actually is very straightforward and much more compact. I could have used a smaller box and speaker, had the battery internal and made it a bit smaller but I think that would make it less stable physically on the bench. It will probably be my first line tracer, especially on tube sets as it doesn't require sticking something in your ear which could get a voltage from a plate of a tube!

[@conwaynoel3715]

Great vid George, just subbed. I'm a newby anxious to learn . Thank you .

[@thehappylittlefoxakabenji8154]

nice one George I still have to make one Ive been using an amplifier from a record player the stand alone mono unit that converts a mono record player into a stereo one works well its fairly high impedance input as its for a ceramic cartridge as you say its better to have one running on batteries less noise

[@GeorgeChristofi]

Yes Benji, it's a good unit and being battery it is pretty quiet until you crank the gain up. It has a good dynamic range as well so it can reproduce sounds cleanly. By all means build your own but if you want easy then this kit is complete..

[@gregjones3660]

By George, I think she’s got it!…

[@docholliday3150]

Nice build and review George. I haven't bothered to review the schematic because it is easier to ask you lol. Is the circuit input protected from DC or would one need to add a capacitor for protection from inadvertently contacting the B+, for instance the plate of the audio output tube. Good to see you. Doc.

[@GeorgeChristofi]

Yes, it is, The first cap in the chain is rated at 600v so should cover most tube radios as well as transistor circuits. Sure, you could change it for a 2KV or higher one but I don't think I have ever seen anything go above 400v in the signal path. Nice to see you too!

[@zx8401ztv]

Well you seem happy with it, so it must be decent :-D Mosfet front end then an amplifier and diodes, something like that. lol i keep all medicine containers and tube types, handy free containers. A waste to throw them away. The old black film containers with the nice fitting lid were always good for cable junctions or a bodgy throw together lash up :-D.

[@GeorgeChristofi]

I am actually impressed with it. Better than the Vellman kit performance wise, at least half the price including shipping of my ELV tracer and a fun build. Pill pots, bottles, tubs etc.. you just have to save them because 'it might come in handy one day'

[@barrymayson2492]

I always check resistor values with a meter even if I know the code as it's very quick and can save a lot of headache's later. Especially in kits as some use different 3,4 or 5 bands so is a little confusing and my eyes are not as young as they used to be!! I have an old eagle signal tracer that I use constantly even though I have a fair amount test equipment. Shame the video build got corrupted but that's the nature the beast!

[@GeorgeChristofi]

One of those things Barry. I usually just read the codes and plonk in the resistors but I was trying to be looking at it from a newbie standpoint. I do have a vintage Taylor signal tracer which I restored a few years back on video. It works well but needs mains power, takes up lots of bench space and is just awkward to use quickly.

[@barrymayson2492]

@@GeorgeChristofi Mine is not too big about the size of a transistor radio the oblong ones. It runs on battery so no problem with mains and is so easy just to pick up and move around and no weird ground loops!

[@Nero_7440]

Sorry sir, I don't really understand English, so I'm asking in the comments. how to take care of signal tracker?

[@colinevans7134]

I brought one from Wish and it's called ghost due to selling rights, picks up iphones car trackers but must take off the battery lead and are very cheap and what a tool

[@brianbloom1799]

Hi George I am interested in buying the BDST-2 for 44.95 is that with shipping also and how long will it take for delivery.And do you Take Credit card, other than Bank check.

[@GeorgeChristofi]

I don't sell the kit. The place to go is bd-electronics.weebly.com/

[@1974UTuber]

Looks great except they don't ship to Australia

[@dsn4fun763]

Why can't you just place the probe print card inside the box?

[@GeorgeChristofi]

you could but its a big box to swing about!. If you have any suggestions i'm sure Doug and Bob, the sellers and designers of the kit would take them on board.

[@brianpecus4974]

Great Video - Please could you post the website to purchase to this comment. Thanks !!!

[@GeorgeChristofi]

It is in the description.

[@driverfilmsshortwavechannel]

Tracer!

[@GeorgeChristofi]

I am not Northern Rambler today.

[@ReefMimic]

You and Kim have something in common it seems… bad haircuts lol

[@GeorgeChristofi]

I may be growing older but I refuse to grow up!

[@longdongsilver4719]

At the beginning of the video I thought my monitor had a color problem :-D

[@nipolengineering7407]

❤🇹🇭🙏🇹🇭♥️

[@jonathonlyles3349]

Ummm r u in North Korea??? Why do you have a live long Kim poster the size of your wall ?!? Like that just instantly a simple way to get me to not watch anything of yours again sad because you seem to know what your doing but I can’t believe your pro North Korea with how they treat their citizens and the constant nuke threats