Southwest Technical Products Corporation

alfa88

Dec 1, 2010
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Years back I posted a query regarding SWTPC 's Universal Digital Test Equipment. For all you young bucks this stuff was all the rage and they constantly had diy articles in the electronic magazines. Their prices were way better than Heathkit though their finish was somewhat lacking. Anyhow I have an itch to recreate the test equipment but most of the plug in units never got published by the magazines. I've been in touch with Don Lancaster who wrote quite a few articles for the various magazines and did consulting for SWTPC but he didn't have any SWTPC literature. Daniel Meyer who also did writing for the magazines and was also the founder of SWTPC(formerly DEMCO) passed away in 1998 and didn't seem to leave any of his notes.
My hope is that someone has since joined E.P. and kept in their possession the building plans for said equipment. Nevermind that the key component has long since been obsoleted. Who remembers Mostek?
 

dorke

Jun 20, 2015
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What specific test equipment are you interested in?
part number etc.?

There are quit a few of us around here who remember Mostek and have even used their chips.;)
 

73's de Edd

Aug 21, 2015
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Sir alfa88 . . . . .

Courtesy of Daniel Meyers
Assemble a Modular Digital Measurement Lab . . . with its Plug Ins for

20Mhz Frequency Counter

http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg51.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg52.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg53.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg58.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg59.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg60.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg61.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg62.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg63.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg96.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg97.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg98.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Nov1970/PE_Nov_1970_pg99.jpg


Time/Period Counter

http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Jan1971/PE_Jan_1971_pg63.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Jan1971/PE_Jan_1971_pg64.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Jan1971/PE_Jan_1971_pg65.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Jan1971/PE_Jan_1971_pg66.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Jan1971/PE_Jan_1971_pg67.jpg


Digital Thermometer

http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Jun1971/PE_Jun_1971_pg69.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Jun1971/PE_Jun_1971_pg70.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Jun1971/PE_Jun_1971_pg71.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Jun1971/PE_Jun_1971_pg96.jpg


Digital Volt-Ohmmeter

http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Mar1972/PE_Mar_1972_pg60.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Mar1972/PE_Mar_1972_pg61.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Mar1972/PE_Mar_1972_pg62.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Mar1972/PE_Mar_1972_pg63.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Mar1972/PE_Mar_1972_pg64.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Mar1972/PE_Mar_1972_pg65.jpg


175Mhx Prescaler . . . .Freq Counter Range Extender

http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Apr1972/PE_Apr_1972_pg53.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Apr1972/PE_Apr_1972_pg54.jpg
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Apr1972/PE_Apr_1972_pg55.jpg



REMEMBER this was being 1970's time frame of design . . .

That was being the whole series that had the basic case and display, with the plug in
modules / panels, inserted into the bottom front.

AND THEN there was a small company that advertised in electronics magazines after SWTP sales
had lagged and it was just selling those kits, for awhile, via mail order or from a small storefront in Dallas on Central Expressway . . . ALTAJ ? since they otherwise only had a P.O. box number.

And Yes, I definitely remember the Mostek crew of Carrollton Texas, out on Crosby Road, and their counter, calculator, timer and D-ram chips.

73's de Edd . . . . .

 
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alfa88

Dec 1, 2010
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What specific test equipment are you interested in?
part number etc.?

There are quit a few of us around here who remember Mostek and have even used their chips.;)
Digital Multimeter(VOM-2) and Capacity(UC-1) Plug-ins are the ones that seem most useful. There was a time base, and time period(stopwatch) plug-in but they don't seem that useful to me. Sure I could purchase a newer and better modern meter but I"m being nostalgic.
 

alfa88

Dec 1, 2010
349
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Thank you Mr. De Ed,
It now becomes clear why Mr. Meyer and Mr. Lancaster had later iterations of the digital instrumentation. The nixie version left it up to the readers to either purchase a 3rd party nixie/driver board or glean their own design from previous articles. Plus back then 7 segment displays were the bee's knees.
 

alfa88

Dec 1, 2010
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PS
I'm going to be in the San Antonio area in a while so Mr. deEd are you aware of any electronic surplus stores nearby?
 

alfa88

Dec 1, 2010
349
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Dec 1, 2010
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Got myself the nixie style mainframe w/freq. counter and the final version w/freq. counter using the MK5009 via Ebay so hopefully I can do a little reverse engineering with this info. There is a Yahoo group (manual_exchange) that trades manual info. but results may be hit or miss.
 
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