Vintage TV Alignment 101 - Choosing equipment

A new tutorial series on vintage television alignment begins with a look at test equipment. The next installment will cover basic concepts, terms and techniques.
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[@ShadowsOnTheScreen]

Videos like this remind me that I don’t know jack crap about tv repair yet! Thanks for all this information!

[@jessihawkins9116]

you don’t know nothin 😠

[@zulumax1]

That vectorscope you have 6:00 minutes in, you should try playing some computer oscilloscope music on it. Techmoan did a video on one and Jerobeam Fenderson has music for oscilloscope on KZbin. Anyone that has not seen such a thing needs to.

[@jaredkusner1137]

Thanks for the great info. You have some awesome equipment. I am very encouraged and looking forward to learning more from you.

[@allisonbarnhardt3647]

Very interesting and informative video. A note from personal experience, I tried doing XY with my newer digital scope on one of my early attempts at doing an alignment and did not like the quality of the display. I ended up pulling out the old BK 1471 that I have had since my teens and had better success using it. That was also when I realized I needed a better sweep generator than my modified Eico 368.

[@danielthomas3057]

If you mount the HP8657a a little higher up from the bench the selector buttons would be much easier to see and press. I believe blueglow electronics and Mr. Carlson use the same type unit.

[@Tysman909]

Surprisingly my Hitachi v212 has ch1 x and ch2 y. Great video very well explained

[@300poundbassman]

Very nice set of equipment. My dad had a sencore pattern generator with the color bars. From the late 60s. I bought 2 more older sencore tuner testers. Really antiques. Have a good day.

[@randygraff2825]

I like your videos and your equipment I watch them all the time.

[@w2tty]

Thank you so much for doing this.

[@Go4Corvette]

Thanks for the video and your time.

[@Mikek2bn]

Bob have you ever used a spectrum analyzer with a tracking generator to do a sweep alignment ?

[@bandersentv]

No, simply because I don't have one, but it will work.

[@richardmiranda5357]

Thank you Bob. Very interesting explanation. In many years working on Radios and TV's I have learned that there are many differences between sweep generators. One important thing is the markers precision. Crystal generated, markers are quite more accurate, and a also the sweep signal internally used by the gen. Better equipment always uses ramps instead of AC sine wave as VCO. Wavetek, Leader, BK uses and some others doesn't. Ramp produces a "truly" linear sweep. 60HZ AC doesn't. However, analog radios and TV's doesn't need a "crazy" accuracy, does they?

[@bandersentv]

True, it's not linear. However, if you also use a sinewave to drive the X-Axis, it will appear linear on the display. TVs need to be fairly accurate. You don't want sound leaking into the picture so there is a 4.5MHz trap for example.

[@juliangerardcascio1111]

I would like to see 👀 you work on 1 of your Zenith TV 📺 's ..

[@bandersentv]

I'm just about done with a customers 12" Zenith porthole. I only have two Zenith TVs. A color roundie that works pretty well as is and a 16" porthole with a dead CRT.

[@rongaunt8348]

Orange whip, orange whip…3 orange whips

[@zulumax1]

I have an old Precision Apparatus E-400 TV FM signal generator that I was given by my grandfather who was a TV radio repairman. There are 2 or 3 marker crystals, but it would need a lot of work to get it reliable, if it works at all. Just trying to do an assessment and figure out what I am going to do with it. I have an operating instructions book, but no schematic.

[@zulumax1]

Probably just a shelf queen in the shop. It is pretty to look at if cleaned up. Crystals are marked 2000 and 4.5

[@johnnytacokleinschmidt515]

That's a great piece of equipment. I'll bet you can get it working and if the crystals are good you'll be very accurate. Precision had a really nice manual as well.

[@muzzcovw7674]

Thank you for the test series! I have an opportunity to pick up a little used Tektronix model 2213 two channel scope for very little cash. Do you happen to have any knowledge of this unit? I'm not planning on repairing more than a couple sets so I hope to not spend a fortune

[@bandersentv]

No, but I can see it has XY mode and that's all you really need.

[@muzzcovw7674]

@@bandersentv Excellent, thank you very much. I can get this unit for peanuts from an acquaintance... seems a no brainer

[@zundfolge1432]

wait I forgot, I have the tv test pattern generator that throws up all the test patterns but I cant even remember the model of it.

[@thomashowe855]

On my analog scope (heath 4226), the X in x-y mode is diagonal. Is this supposed to happen?

[@bandersentv]

No. Sounds like the x and y are connected together

[@kermitmawyer1743]

Yes. 1

[@Tysman909]

What are your thoughts on Siemens w20015 sweep generator or b&k 4040 sweep generator?

[@bandersentv]

B&K 4040 is a sweep function generator for more lab and experimental work. Only goes to 20MHz and not suitable for alignments. W20015 is better, but really big and only goes to 70MHz. You need over 200MHz to align a tuner.

[@Tysman909]

@@bandersentv ah ok, for Radios to do alignment do need scope and signal generator?

[@bandersentv]

AM/FM - sign gen and meter is fine. FM, nice to have sweep gen and scope but not strictly necessary.

[@zundfolge1432]

that 1080 isnt fixed yet is it? I really dont have any tv test equipment. I wouldnt know how to use it anyway. I really just replace caps and if a tv isnt working correctly, its time to hit the forums like videokarma. Would love to have my account reactivated but the arf got rid of 46000 accounts because of a profile location snaffooo that a lot of people didnt quite figure it out before it was too late.

[@bandersentv]

No. The 1080 died right after I recorded this video.

[@polaraligned1]

Uhh, Bob. You forgot to take off your name tag 😀

[@bandersentv]

Waiting for someone to mention it. It's from the ETF convention last month :)