Eico Signal Tracer Follies

[jjasilli]

Love vintage test equipment.  Finally got around to updating this Signal Tracer.  Replaced the obsolete test-pin input jacks with an RCA jack & a Phono jack.  Right now I'm playin' electric guitar through it.  Not enough input gain for that.  But I actually need it as a "listening amp" to trace signal!

Photo's:  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/edit/a.4453901342206.185007.1129726131/

[John]

I've tried several times but that page won't come up for me (I'm logged in). I'd love to see it though! What am I doing wrong?

[jjasilli]

Don't know about the Facebook log-in issue, but here's the pic's:

[Willabe]

Looks very cool jj and in very clean shape.

What's the tube line up? It looks like the seeing eye tubes socket (top left) clips in place?


             Brad    

[jjasilli]

I have this thing for a few years when I had GAS for this stuff.   Now it's handy to trace a lack of signal in my home theater system.

It's an Eico 140a.  The The Boat Anchor Manual Archive has the manual w/ schematics and layout here:   http://bama.edebris.com/manuals/eico/147a

Tubes:  1X 12ax7 voltage pre-amplifier; 1X 6AQ5 power amp; 6X4 rectifier; 1X 1629 eye tube; 1X 1N48 germanium diode for watt meter.  Yes, the eye tube socket is mounted sideways in a clip.  I see this in older equipment that uses such tubes, like my Eico 950B Reistance - Capacitance comparator, and even Fisher stereo receivers like the Model 400 I'm refurbishing.

[John]

Thanks for posting those. I've got a Heathkit that I still haven't tried out (2 yrs ago). It does light up and appear to work. I've got a thing for old meters, but have managed to stop myself at 6. I dunno why, but it's so cool watching the (big) needle swing when taking voltages and stuff.

[jjasilli]

I like analog meters for monitoring key voltages in an amp under test:  plate; screen, whatever.  I've got 4 working Heathkit VTVM's model IM-18.  So I can constantly monitor plate & screen voltage on 2 power tubes while working on an amp.  You can tell if the analog meter's  needle is in a good place out of the corner of your eye. Digital readouts are not as useful for that particular purpose.  I've also got 2 beautiful old Eico VTVM's with real glass face meters- they need rebuilds.  Also have 3 vinatge Fluke 8000A digital multimeters and a cheap Radio Shack palm size digital multimeter.  The Radio Shack is the most handy.

The Eico signal tracer does not have a meter.  The black circle is a speaker.  The eye tube functions as a sort of meter for some puposes.

[John]

The Eico signal tracer does not have a meter.  The black circle is a speaker.  The eye tube functions as a sort of meter for some puposes.

Oh, I know. I veered off from one vintage piece into vintage meters, that's all. My mind does that som -- hey, is that a squirrel??

[jjasilli]

You're not the only one!     http://www.el34world.com/Forum/index.php?topic=3045.0