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  1. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    The very nice little neon indicators I have come with absolutely no documentation. I don't know if they have an inbuilt series resistor, although given their size it seems unlikely, or what voltage they strike at and operate at. I connected it across my high voltage power supply, with a...
  2. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    I've recently received my 2k precision resistor, and I note from the schematic that it is also used as a discharge path for capacitors on the leakage test. Since there can be up to 450V across the capacitor, the peak instantaneous power dissipation can exceed 100W! I don't think that's the...
  3. (*steve*)

    Questions conserve game console

    Encase it in concrete and place it in the deepest ocean trench you can find.
  4. (*steve*)

    Actuator control for my nuclear missile complex

    The rules are pretty tight on advertising and promotion. However in this case you're clearly here for assistance rather than self-promotion. The link to your channel gives both context to your request and also answers any doubting Thomas who may not believe your choice of residence.
  5. (*steve*)

    Actuator control for my nuclear missile complex

    I spent some time watching most of your "first season". Whilst I would normally both change the topic and remove your youtube reference, I agree that they are actually relevant to this thread.
  6. (*steve*)

    Actuator control for my nuclear missile complex

    This seems like an eminently doable project. As @Bluejets suggests above, you're going to need to carefully consider what a button press means. The same action under the same conditions can't mean different things. Another issue I note is that the linear actuator you have specified notes that...
  7. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    Yeah, the 25V is way out. I posted something previously, however with the 47KΩ resistor across one of the filter capacitors replaced the other rail has increased significantly and now the 450V range is closer to 430V. I think I last measured the 25V test setting at close to 40V. Today I guess...
  8. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    That looks better! It's only temporarily attached at present because I seem to have run out of 2 part epoxy.
  9. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    Well, the good news is that I'm now able to get this device remarkably well calibrated. Here is the bridge balanced with a 100.00kΩ resistor, pointing almost exactly at 1000 on the x100 scale. The magic eye is very dim, and the following photo was taken in very subdued light. Still more...
  10. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    The replacement pot hasn't arrived yet, so I got to thinking... Why not use a different (larger) value that won't have a power dissipation issue? Because it's a bridge, there's no load when it's balanced, so a modest increase in values shouldn't be a problem. So, to do that experiment, I'm...
  11. (*steve*)

    Transformer Current Output

    Another technique is to weigh the transformer. Generally speaking, transformers of a similar weight have a similar VA rating. This can vary for all sorts of reasons, but likely puts you in the ballpark. At the very least it provides a starting point for determining the load resistor(s) to try.
  12. (*steve*)

    Resistor value

    And here's one that's a little closer. But do you want to spend $100 buying 10 of them? And do you want to wait 16 weeks? The same resistor as in my last post, but they have 840 in stock (but you have to order a minimum of 5 -- here.
  13. (*steve*)

    Resistor value

    It looks like there is a winding in both a clockwise and ant-clockwise direction. If that is true, it's not an inductor, and is probably a low value non-inductive resistor. Red violet silver? gold green 2 7 ? x0.1 0.5% That doesn't make sense. 2 7 x0.01...
  14. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    What was a mish-mash of knob styles has been changed to predominantly a single style. In particular this makes the normal/leakage switch easier to hold in position. I may try to manufacture a replacement for the main dial knob to fit in with these.
  15. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    Some of the components have arrived. the 200K resistor (measuring 204.34kΩ) was replaced with another one measuring 199.96kΩ. The 90kΩ resistor (I found it!) was replaced with a pair of paralleled 180kΩ resistor. The change in value was not significant, but at least you can read the value...
  16. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    It's 0.22uF, and probably 630V from where it is in the circuit.
  17. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    Here is a better angle It might be axial now, but that's not how it started its life.
  18. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    First thing to look at is the accuracy. I have standard resistors between 1Ω and 1MΩ (in decades). These are well within 0.1% tolerance (the 1kΩ was read as 999.96Ω) and plug in directly to the measurement terminals. Using the alignment procedure I aligned it for 1kΩ (they specify 2kΩ)...
  19. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    Random thoughts... 1) One valve is being used as just a diode. Could I replace that with a bridge rectifier? (Or even just a a semiconductor diode?) I think it might stuff up the voltage regulation though. 2) Convert to 240V operation by adding a small auto-transformer. 3) Remove the line...
  20. (*steve*)

    Heathkit Condenser Checker

    ...and those 2 replacement caps did the trick. The +150V now reads +167V, and the -410V is -407V. With the voltages correct, the capacitance readings are closer, but if the calibration routine doesn't fix it I'll probably have to replace the reference capacitor with something a little more...
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