Tektronix 576 Curve Tracer - Part 3

I always wanted a decent curve tracer to check up on replacement parts with a bit more scrutiny. But the price was alwas a limiting factor. And the Tektronix model here is also quite heavy, so shipping usually almost doubles that. By the end of 2023, an online friend said he had to sell off his, due to lack of time, space and money. Add that to another online contact making a journey by car earlier in 2024, and I just couldn't pass up the chance! So, here we are: part two of three of the in-depth restoration of this classic device!

...and here we have part three of the Tektronix 576 restoration project! This project has been a fun learning experience for me, and I'm sharing what I came across: both in terms of this specific device and some more general things. As expected, I did get a few minor details wrong on the assembly phase, but only one of them caused more than a brief "Oh" moment. You know, when you mount something and discovere that now access to something else is blocked? That kind of stuff. Or bypassing a regulator and wondering why it won't regulate. Those are the things to be expected. But what happened in the Step Generator section was a bit more subtle. I really need to brush up on my transistor circuit basics, as some of these are used in a strange way... at least to me.

0:00 Intro / Wire Loom / Step Gen Supply
2:47 Step Gen Output / Step Gen Amp / Step Gen / Wire Tangle
5:02 Display Amplifier / Collector Sensing Resistors
6:22 Display Switching / Attenuators
7:55 First Steps on "Other" side / Wire Loom Clamps / Front Panel / Step Offset Pot
9:30 Lower Case Mounts / Fixture Connectors / Variable Supply Control / Readout Board Wiring
11:30 Camera Power / HV supply
13:34 Mode/Polarity switch wiring / Graticule Illumination Pot (Oopsie) / Handle
14:40 Power On! - Uh-Oh! / Transistor Mishap
18:00 Collector Supply / Oil Cap Test and Stand In / CRT Shield Prep
19:48 CRT and Display Readout
20:50 Power On! - With CRT! / Calibration Guide + Fixture!
22:05 Starting Calibration / Display Amp Pot Issue
23:22 Missing Horizontal Calibration Signal / Relay Problem and Fix
25:07 Looping Compensation / Broken Bulbs Galore!
26:28 Oil Cap "Rework"
28:40 Oil Cap Mounting / Safety Interlock?! / Knob / CRT Neck Cover
30:30 Missing Screw for Test Bed / Bottom Cover / HV Cover Plates / Cover Panels
32:33 Push Buttons: New Writing!
34:14 New Bulbs! / Polarity Switch Casting?
35:27 Tests! / 1N4007 / BZX55C / BC337
37:05 Final View / Summary / Credits
General Information: https://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/576

Music (in order)

My Train's A Comin' - Unicorn Heads
Town of 24 Bars - Unicorn Heads
First Aid - Letter Box
Dusty Fingers - DJ Williams
Frame of Mine - Freedom Trail Studio
No Good Right - Freedom Trail Studio
(YouTube Audio Library)

You can support me on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/atkelar
and also on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Atkelar
and now also here by using the "Super Thanks" feature!

Thanks to everybody who signed up already!

Видео Tektronix 576 Curve Tracer - Part 3 канала atkelar