Part 3/3 AUTRONIC-EYE: 1952 CLASSIC CAR ACCESSORY "FINALE" - GM Chevrolet Vacuum Tubes [4K]

[@hestheMaster]

One day hopefully your friend will be able to demostrate how this device works. You put a lot of work into it and to make it as safe as possible . It was great watching all the steps needed to repair it.

[@PracticallyFixed]

Thanks Steve. It was an interesting set of challenges he sent me and some new things for me as well. Thanks again for the kind comment.

[@madmanmapper]

A customer of mine has a Cadillac with one of these. He probably won't want me to fix it, but this is still fascinating.

[@seanbatiz6620]

First time seeing/hearing your bench test of one of these Autronic Eye units! It is interesting seeing/hearing its system components in action. I’ve acquired back ‘round oh, 2017, an amazingly restored, CORRECT, complete system for this fantastically SciFy option, for one of my ‘55 Buick Super 56R 2 Dr Coupe HT cars, thru that ‘one’ dude that restores/sells this units. His first name is John.. last name eludes me at the moment; Oldenburg?. For whatever reason, of all of the massive amount of original literature I’ve methodically collected for ‘55 Buick’s, there seems to have been only a small timeframe of THIS option having been available for GM’ Buick division specifically, in 1955, as there’s only tiny bits of “Buick” even being mentioned in GM’s Guide Autronic Eye literature directly, for that year; and that info primarily refers to just mounting hardware part no. references. The semi-large foldout xerox copies of installation instructions John supplied with my unit, that includes Buick installation for 1955 (all were 12VDC by ‘55), sadly has water damage to the original this copy was made from. So far, I haven’t had any luck in sourcing another example of that info, anywhere online. This Autronic Eye unit I have, is still currently CAREFULLY packed away, waiting for the one of my Super’s it’ll be installed in, to be restored enough for it. Only thing I can figure, is of the extremely limited drivers’ side fender-well space available of Buicks’ from ‘54 - ‘56, that created major complications for dealer techs then, in getting these mounted properly. Edit: just checked and yes, his name is John Oldenburg.. extremely knowledgable person for just about everything Autronic Eye!!! Does amazing restoration work of these units!

[@jimnewman5596]

This was a great video series, I'm glad you figured out it was a simple grounding issue. It would be nice if it's properly installed on that old Chevy.

[@PracticallyFixed]

Thank you for the compliment and for watching Jim. I think you could tell what a relief it was and how excited I was when it worked! I felt it was unusual and may have been of interest to folks. Thank you again.

[@ElectromagneticVideos]

So lucky its want the tube but just a missing ground! Congrats on getting it going - what a cool device!

[@PracticallyFixed]

Thanks for watching and the interesting comments about the technology. As a friend of mine from long ago would say "Cause Code One: Operator Error." We were lucky on that photomultiplier tube, but its better to be lucky than good I guess. Thanks again.

[@ElectromagneticVideos]

@@PracticallyFixed "Cause Code One: Operator Error." How true that is everywhere. I shudder to think the number of products that get returned because the purchaser didnt read instructions or understand what the device was intended for. In this case - trying to make a 70 year old device work on a workbench and not in its intended installed setting and with inexact schematics - is a lot harder than just simple operator error. I always find that getting the first of anything working the first time is hard. The second and subsequent times are easy because you have learned all the tricks and overcome any instruction manual misunderstandings. Sometime I would like to get an old photomultiplier tube and get it going. They are such amazing vintage devices. Not sure if they are even in production any more, although maybe for some exotic applications.

[@aftershock2222]

I’ve always been intrigued by the Autronic eyes. Just what is that high voltage long wire? Where is it kept? Thanks.

[@PracticallyFixed]

Hi. The high voltage wires run from the amplifier unit, the box which mounts on a fender well under the car's hood, through the firewall to connect to the photomultiplier tube head with the lens, which mounts on the dash inside the car. The way this model was constructed, that wire is attached and left with an unprotected connector for the installation process. The photomultiplier tube requires high voltage to operate. Later models which may have used a photoresistor probably had much lower voltages, but I do not know any details about those. There is no antenna as this is not a radio. Consider also the Philco Predicta Tandem TV (1958-1960) which had the TV screen mounted remote from the actual TV chassis with a 25ft cable running between them. That cable would have a HV conductor with about 10,000 Volts, potentially running across the floor of a living room. Times have certainly changed. Thanks for the comment.