I completely concur with the drain cleaners by personal experience. I'd pour half the container down. As soon as it broke through, there it all went, down the drain. Sometimes it wouldn't break through at all. So I got a drain snake and never went back. Kept the drains clearer over time than the chemicals did.
AJ-15 FM tuner kit here. Circa 1969 in the brief period between tunable IF filters and later ceramic filters, crystal filters were the best thing around. It was a great unit, superseded in a couple of years.
This was quite the kit. Every semi-conductor and passive component had to be mounted separately.
The only ICs, I recall, were in the IF stage. Everything else was discrete, meaning lots of parts.
This was a few years before the invention of Phase-locked Loops, so the multiplex section had a front-panel knob to adjust the phase of the discriminator for maximum separation.
I believe that kit came with pre-assembled circuit boards that you simply had to install and wire between. You also had to mount and wire to the chassis connectors and switch. The Heathkit stuff was much tougher.
I built a Dynaco ST-120 amp like that. Dynaco was David Hafler's previous company.
The 120 was an unstable disaster, at least in the early days. AR-3as dipped under 3 ohms and, combined with the tightly regulated power supply, blew outputs.
There is nothing more satisfying than finding a use for something that you have saved in a box for years; I have started to clear out my accumulated messes, and it is genuinely hard to toss some of these things. I've started trying to use them as a starting point for projects.
Also, I have a very clear memory of my father building a heathkit stereo (and yes Kentkb - vacuum tubes were involved). I must have been about 7 so this is going waaay back. Thanks for the memories
I still have a Heathkit 3-temperature transformer powered soldering iron. 3 position switch for 3 taps on the secondary winding of the transformer. The instructions had you make a secure physical connection to the switch, then plug the unit in, turn it on, then unplug it and solder a connection before it cooled down.
Very safe.
I also built a VTVM which has long outlived its usefulness and disappeared.
I completely concur with the drain cleaners by personal experience. I'd pour half the container down. As soon as it broke through, there it all went, down the drain. Sometimes it wouldn't break through at all. So I got a drain snake and never went back. Kept the drains clearer over time than the chemicals did.
AJ-15 FM tuner kit here. Circa 1969 in the brief period between tunable IF filters and later ceramic filters, crystal filters were the best thing around. It was a great unit, superseded in a couple of years.
This was quite the kit. Every semi-conductor and passive component had to be mounted separately.
The only ICs, I recall, were in the IF stage. Everything else was discrete, meaning lots of parts.
This was a few years before the invention of Phase-locked Loops, so the multiplex section had a front-panel knob to adjust the phase of the discriminator for maximum separation.
I built a Hafler DH 200 stereo amplifier kit, was instructive and worked well. I still have it.
I believe that kit came with pre-assembled circuit boards that you simply had to install and wire between. You also had to mount and wire to the chassis connectors and switch. The Heathkit stuff was much tougher.
I built a Dynaco ST-120 amp like that. Dynaco was David Hafler's previous company.
I had different friend who was really into Dynaco. He build the ST-120 and a pre-amp, IIRC.
The 120 was an unstable disaster, at least in the early days. AR-3as dipped under 3 ohms and, combined with the tightly regulated power supply, blew outputs.
They made their name with vacuum tubes.
Good tip Gareth! I enjoyed the video and the many others on the (AI generated?) channel.
They are def using AI in the production and some vids looks more AI-heavy than others.
There is nothing more satisfying than finding a use for something that you have saved in a box for years; I have started to clear out my accumulated messes, and it is genuinely hard to toss some of these things. I've started trying to use them as a starting point for projects.
Also, I have a very clear memory of my father building a heathkit stereo (and yes Kentkb - vacuum tubes were involved). I must have been about 7 so this is going waaay back. Thanks for the memories
HEATHKIT Vacuum Tube 4 Band Shortwave Radio Model: GR-64, was one of the first ( if not the first) DiY electronic projects I ever built in the 1960’s.
It started my love of electronics which followed me all my life.
Thank you Heathkit, thank you Gar for starting my day off with a warm memory.
Cheers,
Kkb
I still have a Heathkit 3-temperature transformer powered soldering iron. 3 position switch for 3 taps on the secondary winding of the transformer. The instructions had you make a secure physical connection to the switch, then plug the unit in, turn it on, then unplug it and solder a connection before it cooled down.
Very safe.
I also built a VTVM which has long outlived its usefulness and disappeared.