Signal Booster Amplifier- The TRIO RF Preselector Restoration!

[@flemmingchristiansen2462]

I am just a hobbyist and I don't really have any interest in repairing tube stuff or even using tube style equipment -but I still find myself enjoying your videos and learning something new every time. Thank you very much. Your super probe and cap. tester is surely on my "To do List"

[@MrPatdeeee]

@@danielthomas3057 Amen!

[@tonygriffiths2485]

Using detergent was something that cured 100% (IMHO) of Tektronix 465's we had in the lab back in 77 to 82, when I left the bench. Am not sure, but the atmosphere when they were in the foundry had too high flux that layed down and got noisy in a couple of years, all the front panel knobs would be noisy, you had to flick them to get a few minutes noise free operation. This affected hundreds of 465's. Can't believe no one has mentioned this before anywhere, maybe they have. Speculate they were made in Channel Islands and the rest in the States. Beautiful Tektronix, a treat for every engineer to witness when they open them up, beautiful !

[@SteveGunnfl]

I really enjoy your videos thank you for putting all the time and effort into sharing. I was an electronics engineer in my early career but sort of left it behind when I was 30, and now at 62 I'm really fascinated that I've found the bug again and slipped back into it so easily and find it so exciting... and surprisingly that not much has changed really.. I was reared on silicon, all those fires in bottles with scary voltages were too much for me but I find your explanations easy to understand thank you. You passion for the subject really comes across as does your attention to detail - both are quite addictive to watch and may I say I find your approach so refreshing especially at a time when finding the "quick fix" for everything seems to be the norm.

[@krnlg]

Seeing the little blip of signal move across both spectrum analyzers was a real moment of understanding for me - really clicked what's going on! This is a great video, thanks.

[@Grassland-Outpost]

I’ve never broken open a mica cap, that was fun to watch. Lots of good information in this video. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[@jacquesgilbert2774]

Sir, your attention to detail and willingness to get at the bottom of any issue border on OCD, but these devices don't know how lucky they are to have you operate on them. The difference between good enough and just right can be a lot of work, and it's great to see someone willing to make that effort. If I ever need surgery, I would want you to perform it :-). Thank you.

[@williamyorkolepossum]

Thank you for all you do. I am an old vacuum tube fella and it is so good to see someone working on stuff from my era...Bless you

[@TheRadioShop]

Really great to start the day with another Mr Carlson's Lab video. Very relaxing to watch Paul. Loved that old vintage SA you show.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks for stopping by Buddy!

[@carldavis8228]

Just a plug for you, you have many devices but the cap leakage tester is the number one of all your devices. I use this device even more than the super probe. Thanks

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thank You for your feedback Carl!

[@davidkierzkowski]

Mr. Carlson, that’s the cleanest bit of kit for its age I’ve ever seen!!

[@frankowalker4662]

That was so nice inside! Also that valve tester looks so much simpler to use than my Uncle's was in the 80's! Great vid as always.

[@faxcapper]

Another Coffee on a Friday morning watch Mr. Carlson fan. :-)

[@peep39]

I've watched a lot of your videos, and they are great. I love this one. Using three different analyzers during the alignment was very informative and enjoyable. Makes me wish for old-timey bench videos.

[@BruceBoschek]

In Germany and most other European countries we have to pay tax on any receiver, whether radio or TV. Until just a few years ago those cars with directional antennas could be seen creeping around our streets looking for unlicensed receivers. The prices for TV were higher than for radio and since I have never in my 77 years owned a TV I only paid for the radio. The car would pass my house regularly because they did not want to believe that someone did not own a TV. I had a radio in my car, so I paid for that. A man came to my door one day and asked me what I thought about a TV show the evening before. I told him I did not own a TV and he acted like it was a joke. I asked him if he really felt like he benefited from watching the show he asked me about (soapbox stuff) and I finally sent him away. The problem is solved now. Everyone has to pay the tax whether they have a radio, TV or computer. Happy days. I had a B&W pre-selector with exchangeable coils running into my Hammarlund HQ 150 back in the day.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Great story Bruce, thanks for taking the time to write!

[@ian_b]

Here in the UK, the TV licence regime has ensured "detector vans" driving around for decades. With the end of analogue TV, they've just switched to sending endless threatening letters which assume you own a TV. Since I don't have a TV (I have the internet, what do I need a "television" for?) I get these letters all the time. Sometimes they knock on your door and demand to inspect your home, and then look sad when they cannot find a TV. It's got a lot worse since they privatised "revenue collection" and the inspectors work on a bounty system. A few years ago, after a disappointed inspector had marched around my house, as he was leaving I said I'd be round to his house later to look for illegal firearms. He didn't find the joke amusing. This is one of the things that made me into a libertarian.

[@ProdigalPorcupine]

jaxxstraw - I think the consensus now is that those vans, at least here in the U.K., were nothing but dummies, driving around to scare people. I don’t know of a single conviction for tv licence evasion where technical evidence from the detector vans was used in court. Thinking about it, the technical hurdles of detecting, identifying and pinpointing the precise location of a leaking local oscillator signal, especially decades ago, would be considerable.

[@ian_b]

@@ProdigalPorcupine I think maybe many of them were dummies, but the principle of detecting the flyback oscillator was sound. Probably easier in a suburb of detached houses (where people bought licenses) would be easier than a block of little flats or bedsits (where people would be more likely to evade) though :) I know this isn't a political channel, but I've always thought the whole principle of taxing a television (or a radio, in earlier times) is despicable, especially due to the intrusive regime required for enforcement. The BBC would love to just tax you at source for having an internet connection; me, I would just shut them down. They're an absurd anachronism in this day and age, even if having a state broadcaster made sense in the distant past (I don't think it ever did, personally).

[@Iowarail]

@@analogueavenue what happens if you tell the to bugger off???

[@rebelba42]

I'm always amazed about your test gear and the devices you're restoring. Very unique and awesome stuff! I've never seen such an old spectrum analyzer in action which is an absolute beauty. Many thanks for this excellent video Paul!

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks Ralf! I have a 1GHz oscilloscope from the 50"s as well. I may do a resto on that down the road too. Thank You for your kind comment!

[@rrowan327]

I really enjoyed seeing the Wave Analyzer working, I think I like looking at a dial number instead of judging the height of a peak better. Many thanks for a very informative video. Wish I had an electronics teacher like you when I was in school. Take Care Rick

[@chadgdry3938]

RF Police... The war? Tx a signal from a receiver. Crazy... "Look at that, so shinny"... I am so happy KZbin suggested your channel to me, you are fun to watch. You're the MR Rodgers of RF...

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks for your kind comment Robert!

[@martintube1414]

Mister, You are a Treasure of knowledge. Great video, Thank You.

[@henryyang478]

another feature-length repair video from Mr Carson, movie time!

[@canismajorconservative8094]

Thanks for making another video. I'm sure I am not the only one who enjoys watching. Your great understanding of electronics and teaching procedure is exceptional. I was a radio operator in the military, and I have always loved electronics. Life and working always took priority so I never really had the chance to do what I really loved to do. Now at 65, retired and alone, I can. I am a general class Ham. And this coming summer I can and will devote my days in working on radios and going for my extra. Of course I need test equipment and tools. I admire the volume of equipment you have. Again thanks ... 73s KF4TVF

[@lawrencemiller3829]

Around 19:30 Demo of body connection through jumper insulation Comment: Thanks, nice demo. Also thanks for decoding the mica capacitor color code.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

You're welcome Lawrence!

[@FXGreggan.]

That's one of the cleanest inside of an instrument I've seen...

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

Yep, hard to believe that it was kept in a garage. It was probably kept uncovered in a closet.

[@stephenmoore2754]

Thank-You. I have one of these on the shelf waiting for some attention. I also have the Trio R4J to go along with it. Both were part of my Dad’s early Ham Station. I really appreciate this video. Thanks!

[@bloodyl_uk]

I've never seen a radio device in for repair that's so spotlessly clean inside!

[@michaelcarey]

What a beautiful example of some older but still incredibly useful equipment.

[@glenngoodale1709]

Whats beter on a Friday morning ..... coffee, nice big soft seat, and Mr. Carlson's Lab ! I don't think we ever had to have a lic. for radio or TV in the US ...

[@patprop74]

I second that! Actually, was just the right amount of time for two coffee's

[@moderateextremist7344]

Okay, now you have inspired me to finish restoring my GE beach radio, it weighs like 40 pounds which gave the user bigger arms so no one would kick sand in your face. The battery never leaked in mine, and it's a 7 out of 10 cosmetically. All it really needs is new caps

[@heathwellsNZ]

We were paying television licence fees in New Zealand right up until 1999! I recall one time in approx 1990/91ish being "caught" by the inspector person who knocked on the door claiming the household had an operating TV but no licence for it... at the time there were kids using it with a home computer attached to it. As it happens the TV had been modified to accept a (from memory, a composite signal) different video input and we claimed it wasn't a TV at all but simply used as a computer monitor. We were exempted from paying the TV licence!

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks for sharing your story Heath!

[@yereverluvinuncleber]

We still pay the licence fee here.

[@MrSparks54]

Thanks for the excellent restoration video!

[@febbral]

Great explanation of all components and alignment procedure, I worked in a calibration and test lab, very good video.

[@esuohdica]

Thanks a lot! You just doubled the value of those tube checkers on eBay! 😇 Another great tutorial by the way!

[@budandbean1]

What a nice piece of equipment! It’s amazing that you find these pristine pieces of kit, all I can ever find is filthy junk with broken pieces parts and mouse turds everywhere... 😉 (By the way, I really love being a patreon of yours!)

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks Buddy!

[@egomezmx65]

There should be a MEGA thumbs up, another success Paul, one and a half hour that went too fast!. The fact that you take out the old spectrum analyzer and wave analyzer was awesome! I can't wait for the "vintage" bench. Huge congratulations on your videos!!!!

[@woodywoodlstein9519]

Cuz I’m a pretty picky fella”. Ya think ? Lol. Another instant classic here. And I’m not even half way. Also it’s become clear to me that my first attempt at a project needs to be the Carlson cap tester . 27:50. Awesome. Exactly what I need to study. Thx

[@birdmassman5431]

I woke up with this playing, and I have no clue how I got here, but now I know how to put this together

[@darrenbird2526]

Another great device! Works very very well!

[@anandarochisha]

I always pictured a Hickok 600a hiding somewhere in your lab. (The one i use here) Nice little Heathkit tube tester. Excellent video Mr. Carlson..beautiful accessory..You have an eye for buried treasure ! Thank You !

[@garbleduser]

As for replacing the metal rings retained within each knob, consider cutting a section of the correct diameter copper pipe and attacking it with liquid tin. That should replicate the profound look that the originals convey.

[@88merc300e]

You are a wealth of knowledge. Thanks for the video.

[@andydelle4509]

Important to note that in the United States, reception of "public airwave" has always been license free. I'm not an expert on these specific FCC rules but I think at least at one time, monitoring police and aircraft bands was illegal yet I doubt that was ever enforced? I do know they also used this "public airwaves" law to go after early backyard satellite dishes as well as bootleg MDS 2500mhz microwave antennas used for pay TV in the early 1980s as those legally were not "public" transmissions. Of course that too was impossible to enforce so signal scrambling quickly solved that problem.

[@alakani]

Oh boy, those were fun times. Sharing codes, patching EPROMs... watching TV shows on the studio C-band downlinks a week or more before they were supposed to air. Then when the little dishes came out, the cat-and-mouse game with DAVE. My favorite trick was figuring out what CPU instructions were running on the smart cards in realtime by comparing current draw signatures to predetermined patterns. Then inducing voltage spikes or limiting current to change which bytes were being read from or written to RAM to just jump right over the key comparison. Then they added some randomization to the HU cards to prevent that... so on to learning chemistry to dissolve the plastic surrounding the die, and taking the thing to uni to watch it under the electron microscope. Then they finally started using real encryption with the P4 card, at the same time I turned 18 and moved from the east coast to California and became a party animal instead of worrying about that stuff. Or so I heard, I would never be involved in something like that :)

[@conwayjames1]

I find your Videos great to watch and I was always in electronics, but I don't fully understand all you are saying but you sure do know everything about repairing anything and it's great to watch, I am trying to get into fixing radios, Stereo's and amplifiers as I was conned out of 46,000 Euro with a Romanian lady now she has built a house and got a new car and now wants nothing to do with me, some of the money was loans from the Bank and the Credit Union, I just need to understand what you are talking about as I am getting a Tektronix 2225 oscilloscope second hand which I seen on Ebay UK, I would love to get to know more about even half you know about everything. Great Videos to watch and for me I love to see what you can do.

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

Great lesson, Paul! Thanks! It also broke my heart watching you destroy that Mica "Domino" cap! Those caps are so cool looking.

[@IanSlothieRolfe]

Another approach to the knob alignment would be to rotate the switch/pot by the required amount if possible. you might have to drill another hole for the index pin on the control, but that might be quicker. Of course, in this case its possible that it might have involved disassembling too much, or cause clearance issues, because Mr Carlson usually finds the approach with least hassle! Great video!

[@tangoeddie8544]

Excellent Video

[@paulepruss]

So much to learn from this one video - priceless! Thanks Mr. C!

[@AM-yj5yc]

1:30:00~? Dammit, Mr. C I'm supposed to be sleeping! Apparently not for an hour and a half of goodness at least. Thanks as always for the awesome experience working over the shoulder of one who knows what they're doing. Greetings from Vancouver... dunno if you're getting blasted with snow like we are...

[@isaaccool3183]

You and me both. Salutations from Victoria.

[@e.scottdaugherty8291]

I'd say those knobs turnout fair to middlin'. At first glance I wasn't aware until you pointed it out. So all good.

[@freightdawg6762]

You are the Master and i Bow before your greatness

[@mikemiller4838]

Ditto

[@qpn6ph9q]

Another great video. Watched it end to end and enjoyed every minute.

[@diego.alienigena]

another excellent video from Mr Carlson. Thank you Paul!

[@raulgomez6460]

great video, sir! as always a very enjoyable electronics master class, cheers!

[@ryanfagan2874]

Picture in Picture! We're getting fancy now!

[@bundylovess]

Nice video mr Carlson and a awesome job on that preselector big thumbs up 👍

[@harrystevens3885]

If it gets any better then this people then please let me know where, enjoyed every minute of this so informative and so nice to see those other wonderful pieces of test gear in use. I was surprised there was no dial illumination for the signal booster and I also love seeing that cap tester you made in use it's so brilliant what a great design. Thank you!!

[@plaws0]

SO CLEAN!

[@captlarry-3525]

A rare piece, and a perfect compliment to the Trio drift-o-matic general coverage receiver of the same vintage, which while it wont actually make toast, looks enough like it will to be interesting, for about 10 minutes.

[@johnopalko5223]

Glad to see that I'm not the only one who commands inanimate objects to "Stay!"

[@larryfisher7056]

LOL me too.

[@adriensauvaget185]

"I'm a pretty picky fella" 😁 mr Carlson 2019.

[@majordisappointment8692]

Thanks Mr. Carlson enjoyed it very much that Signamax would a really look good next to a Halicrafters S 38 also.

[@SpinStar1956]

Just became a Patron and enjoying the content and fellow patrons. Was really taken by the 50's spectrum analyzer. I'm really curious (maybe you could show us) about the technology used back then for GHz operation. My thought was, that tubes (other than magnetrons) had too much inter-electrode capacitance to go that high. The display unit is exceptional for its focus and linearity. Would love to have one myself! Anyway, Thank You!

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

I may do a video on this SA in the future. Thanks for your kind comment, and welcome to Patreon too!

[@clark9992]

A tip for N. American Monty Python fans: the "Eric the half-a-bee" skit, where there is a reference to a "cat detector van", is a play on the radio and TV receiver detection vans that snooped around the British streets.

[@FishingFan2]

Haven't time now but will watch it later.. looks another good video!

[@lesd40]

Thank you for an amazing demonstration! Fascinating!

[@ojjenkins7110]

Well if you are up at 5am look at 3875 again with the Signalmax before it gets to light to see if you can hear me and the rest of the bunch any better. I am now using the Kenwood TS2000X and TENTEC Centurion at 200 watts out AM as the 32V-3 is in need of repair. You guys get 750 watts out carrier into a matched load up there unless things have changed :-)

[@davidwalle5025]

Great video. Good to show other test equipment.

[@royelectrotechnic8711]

Hello Mr Paul, amazing piece of equipment that can boost RF signal. I would love to ask if you have a to do list to build like this or TV signal booster in solid state at patreon? Thanks you so much for this episode. I really enjoyed watching specially during the alignment of the band.

[@MisterKaen]

You rock brother. I have learned much from you. Thank you for the videos.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

You're very welcome Mark!

[@normansmyth2969]

Another great restore

[@deathcow]

Geniuses make things look easy.

[@francoisdastardly4405]

Awesome video

[@captlarry-3525]

Anybody who has ever worked on a half decent SW receiver will recognize this as the front end. Radios with no RF stage ( ant straight to mixer), or with wide band, or cheaply designed and built antenna and rf amp circuitry will benefit by the higher tuned Q, amplification and isolation a pre-selector/pre-amp can afford, provided distrubted gain is kept in balance. On the low bands, amplification may be the last thing a receiver needs to improve readability, which is a different animal than S meter readings. It is fun to make recievers that really suck on the high bands actually do something..especially if you can do it with something else that really sucks.

[@mikew6255]

Another fine restoration Mr. Carlson. I've enjoyed viewing many of your You Tube videos recently. Your lab is amazing, and I envy the amount of quality space at your disposal. Thanks for sharing your electronic adventures. I had a question about the rectifier in the Trio. I only saw it once (at 6:55). While it's obviously a 2-terminal device, the construction reminds me of a bridge rectifier I came across while restoring a 1958 Grundig receiver. One website I came across at that time identified it as a selenium rectifier, and recommended replacing it with silicon diodes and a resistor, which I did. My question is whether you replaced the rectifier, and if so with what?

[@FluxCondenser]

When you say that a radio receiver is also transmitting, are you referring to the oscillator? I’ve always thought of the oscillator in a superhet radio as a miniature radio station that generates the frequency that’s added to the radio station frequency to allow super-heterodyning.

[@klafong1]

Yes, he is talking about the local oscillator.

[@georgethomas9436]

Excellent. A very simple but usefull device.

[@bigslick]

Mr. Carlson, quick question about the alignment: since most users will not own (or have access to) a spectrum analyzer or wavemeter, is there a way to accomplish the alignment reasonably well using more conventional test gear, such as a VTVM or scope? If so, that would make a great mini-video for everyone.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

It is possible to use a receiver of known dial accuracy for this alignment. The S-meter can be used to peak the coils and trimmers.

[@mikemiller4838]

I also wondered

[@i82996]

Wave analyzer, 1950's Gigahertz Spectrum Analyzer.... Just showing off (ha!). Seriously an excellent video, as always I am learning, now I have another technique for RF alignment for radios. Running off to the shack.... Albert

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Glad to assist Albert!

[@God-CDXX]

@@MrCarlsonsLab i am in my shack wanting a TRIO Signamax SM-1 RF preselector this is a cool rig

[@dhpbear2]

45:10 - Curious why they'd make an index. Most set-screw knobs I've come across mate with full shafts, allowing one to tweak the arrow.

[@tonysfun]

Great video again! I learn something new and enjoy watching your videos! Thank you.

[@TubeRadioRepairRestoration]

Can I build a point to point capacitor tester just like your smd tester that will be just as sensitive? I received many mica capacitors from my wife's grandfather with his Collins receiver transmitter and a home brew exciter

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

You can, just be careful with the layout.

[@ericnichols3252]

You might want to mention that when using a spectrum analyzer for relative measurements, it's more useful to use the linear scale...which makes it more sensitive to small adjustments.

[@preiter20]

Ahhhhh...love nixies! Great video Paul!

[@jimthvac100]

I wanted to ask how is the antenna hooked up for the test? when the signal amplifier is in the off position does the antenna just pass through to the antenna? wonder how this would compare if you switched back and fourth from using a connection straight to the antenna then switched going through the amplifier with it on. Years ago i had an amplifier for a a car stereo and all it did was make everything louder did not make anything come in better if there was static then the static was louder. Perhaps this device would only be useful on a radio that did not already have a sensitive receiver.

[@keithstudly6071]

What I learned today! There is a Canadian pronunciation of Art Deco and Decal. Who would have ever guessed? I also learned that the Canadians went in for the the detector vans like the British did but I don't know if they used them to find unlicensed cats or not. I understand they could detect a purr at over 200 yards! Learned about the cat detector on Monty Python's Flying Circus so I know it's true.

[@johnsalt19]

Cant you take the knob from directly below it and put the smaller one in its place n swap them rnd or is it too small

[@GeorgeZ213]

04:10 If you put the receiver in a faraday cage, leaving the antenna outside, would that prevent the receiver from transmitting/ tattling on you?

[@rf-dxingantennas2445]

You are just incredible. I wish I could work under you.

[@johncundiss9098]

I was in a cleanup restore tune of an Astron power supply. Change small caps, clean out the cob webs, new mica's and thermal compound, check output and crowbar circuit. I was letting this video play while doing that but I had to stop to watch this video. Mr. Carlson long video's, long winded, but watched this one.

[@video99couk]

It would have been interesting to see how a modern high performance receiver coped with the same weak broadcasts. Would the preselector no longer be required?

[@timfadden3442]

sucker looks brand new!

[@johnhodgson5313]

I used to have one like that. I used it for its help in image rejection on cheaper communications receivers. Then I got better units.

[@towerman75]

Another great video, but I was surprised that Mr. Carlson didn't change the selenium rectifier.

[@RiccardoMacri]

That's a North Korean station that the pre-selector pulled out of the mud near 4.5MHz. Tube amps rock!

[@klafong1]

It sounds as though the broadcast of the 4.5 MHz station is being jammed.

[@thepacketnarc7634]

Paul is literally the professor from Gilligan's Island. I am 100% convinced you could make a coconut capacitor.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

If you watch the movie, "This Island Earth" you may enjoy it :^) Thanks for your kind comment.

[@ProdigalPorcupine]

I’d love it if you did a video on that amazing spectrum analyser, Peter! A tour inside and out, so to speak. It must’ve cost a NASA-esque amount of money back in the day with that bandwidth.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

It was quite the restoration. I added some additional regulation for use at lower frequencies (below 10MHz) this regulation dramatically improved its stability performance. I notice one band lamp has burned out, when I replace the light bulb, maybe I will show the insides.

[@ProdigalPorcupine]

Mr Carlson's Lab - That’d really be something to look forward to. It’s ended up with the best possible owner, that’s for sure! You treat your vintage gear like a surgeon treats their patients! Such care and attention to detail.

[@dhpbear2]

4:00 - What would you be 'broadcasting' when receiving? My only thought is the local oscillator. That wouldn't be attenuated by adding this preamp. (?)

[@ptronix]

Local oscillator radiation, same with tv's, the post office used to use detector vans in the UK

[@pulesjet]

Seriously Good Ol School electronics going on here.

[@johnhodgson5313]

Hello Mr. CarlsonI'm just curious, there is no ulterior motive. Did that preselector come from the Calgary area? If it did it might have passed through my hands and I am pleased it found a good home. I was going to try to link it to the A.G.C. line of a receiver, but it didn't work out.

[@ronaldjorgensen6839]

GREAT STUFF THANKS

[@EdWatts]

Your callsign is a real handful on CW! Thanks for yet another wonderful video! Would that we were neighbors...

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

When I sent and received CW, I couldn't make it too easy for the person on the other end. I send straight key like a machine, people think I'm using a keyboard.

[@EdWatts]

@@MrCarlsonsLab: I'm near Palm Springs, and I can't find a straight key. I have several gay ones, though.

[@amrishhirani6096]

Very good video Thanks

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Glad you liked it!