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Who has any sort of electronic repair equipment/workbench and what do you have. Post pics if you like.

The one bit of moldy old stuff I've avoided is spectrum analysis and distortion analyzers. As much as I like moldy crap, for me those measurements are easiest with a laptop running REW and a decent sound interface. Most of the old stuff I play with on the bench is well within the measurement capabilities of that setup. If I was measuring that sort of performance for newer stuff too good for REW and a decent ADC/DAC, I'd probably have to consider something like an AP analyzer. Mostly, though, I'm fixing stuff and only need enough equipment to isolate and replace a failed component, plus make basic adjustments.

(For ham radio stuff, I do use a Heathkit signal monitor, which is just a simple oscilloscope without lab controls. It shows waveforms well enough to see if I'm clipping, which is good enough.)

Rick "now if I just knew enough" Denney
 
Looking to @restorer-john avatar i realy want to see his tidy "Repair equipment/workbench"

 
The one bit of moldy old stuff I've avoided is spectrum analysis and distortion analyzers. As much as I like moldy crap, for me those measurements are easiest with a laptop running REW and a decent sound interface. Most of the old stuff I play with on the bench is well within the measurement capabilities of that setup. If I was measuring that sort of performance for newer stuff too good for REW and a decent ADC/DAC, I'd probably have to consider something like an AP analyzer. Mostly, though, I'm fixing stuff and only need enough equipment to isolate and replace a failed component, plus make basic adjustments.

(For ham radio stuff, I do use a Heathkit signal monitor, which is just a simple oscilloscope without lab controls. It shows waveforms well enough to see if I'm clipping, which is good enough.)

Rick "now if I just knew enough" Denney
The stuff I repaired rarely if ever tested the capacities of my Sound Tech and HP analyzers. The real time display of distortion/noise from the Sound Tech's was very useful for troubleshooting, especially intermittent contacts on relays, FM alignment etc.
 
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About 30 years ago I gathered up some of my moldy test equipment and loaded it into a big relay cabinet I rescued from the dumpster at work.
There's a small receiver in there, with all the connections brought forward onto a 'patch bay'. There are jacks & switching for internal/external speakers & load resistors.
BNC jacks & binding posts on outputs for connecting meters & 'scopes.

There's also a patch panel leading to a massive power supply I rescued from a big mainframe computer. It'll put out 5V @ 40A, ±12 and ±15 at 5A and I added a 5A 3-pin regulator for everything in between. And a variac + meter.
I have several scopes but they're all so big the Tekscope is the only one I reach for.

This is a big time- and clutter-saver.
(But in practice it mainly ALLOWS other clutter to accumulate on my bench.)

rack.jpg
 
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About 30 years ago I gathered up some of my moldy test equipment and loaded it into a big relay cabinet I rescued from the dumpster at work.
There's a small receiver in there, with all the connections brought forward onto a 'patch bay'. There are jacks & switching for internal/external speakers & load resistors.
BNC jacks & binding posts on outputs for connecting meters & 'scopes.

There's also a patch panel leading to a massive power supply I rescued from a big mainframe computer. It'll put out 5V @ 40A, ±12 and ±15 at 5A and I added a 5A 3-pin regulator for everything in between. And a variac + meter.
I have several scopes but they're all so big the Tekscope is the only one I reach for.

This is a big time- and clutter-saver.
(But in practice it mainly ALLOWS other clutter to accumulate on my bench.)

View attachment 425077
Hehe... I too should add insulated silicone tongs to my tool collection. :D
 
Ultrasonic tanks work great for cleaning McIntosh knobs,VCR heads etc. Whatever you do don't leave knobs in them for too long, destroys the finish. Don't ask me how I know this.:facepalm:
 
No fixed workbench, unfortunately, so I have to find some space on my computer desk for fixing stuff.

Tools:
  • all you need for disassembling and assembling stuff
  • Uni-Spann, a very flexible vise
  • old Weller soldering station (WCP 80)
  • Philips PE1514 lab supply
  • DIY lab supply +/-15V
  • large stock of active and passive electronic parts (R,C, opamp, audio connectors, ...)
  • stock of mechanical parts (screws ...)
Measurements:
  • DSO Siglent SDS 1202X-E (2 ch 200 MHz)
  • very old DMM Fluke 77
  • Atlas ESR70 for in-circuit measurements (great tool)
  • old HGL 2500 capacitance meter
  • Palmer AHMCTXLV2 cable tester
  • RME ADI-2 PRO fs with REW, used as very clean signal generator and scope/analyser (2 ch 100 kHz)
  • an Android tablet with 3,5mm TRS output works as cheap signal generator with an app
 
About 30 years ago I gathered up some of my moldy test equipment and loaded it into a big relay cabinet I rescued from the dumpster at work.
There's a small receiver in there, with all the connections brought forward onto a 'patch bay'. There are jacks & switching for internal/external speakers & load resistors.
BNC jacks & binding posts on outputs for connecting meters & 'scopes.

There's also a patch panel leading to a massive power supply I rescued from a big mainframe computer. It'll put out 5V @ 40A, ±12 and ±15 at 5A and I added a 5A 3-pin regulator for everything in between. And a variac + meter.
I have several scopes but they're all so big the Tekscope is the only one I reach for.

This is a big time- and clutter-saver.
(But in practice it mainly ALLOWS other clutter to accumulate on my bench.)

View attachment 425077

I love it. Speaker magnets and all. It looks bomb-proof!

Cool Proton and the patch panel is nicely done. I really have to build a new patch panel myself, but I keep putting it off as I have to move my lab into another room. Excuses, I know.
 
I have expanded my collection of tools :

- Leader LAG-125 audio signal generator ;
- Hameg HM8037 very low distortion audio signal generator ;
- various laserdiscs, CDs, SA-CD and DVD-V or CD-V with test signals : Denon Technical Audio CD, Sony YEDS-18 test disc CD, Denon Audio Check SACD, Digital Video Essential DVD, Video Essential and Pioneer GGV1013 laserdiscs, etc...
- Hameg HM8030.3 function generator ;
- Fluke 8012A RMS digital multimeter ;
- Leader LMV-181A AC wide-band millivoltmeter ;
- Beckman Industrial Model 9020 20 MHz analogue oscilloscope ;
- Hameg HM1507 combined analogue/digital oscilloscope (the 150 MHz analogue bandwidth makes it a very useful tool) ;
- Hameg HM8028 spectrum analyzer + HM8038 tracking generator + Pascall AC701 50Ω attenuator ;
- Boonton 1130 distortion analyzer ;
- Hewlett-Packard 3581A wave analyzer ;
- Rohde & Schwarz UPGR psophometer ;
- Tektronix CFC250 frequency counter ;
- Multimetrics AF110 active filter ;
- AIM LCR databrige 451 with test-fixture ;
- some digital hand-held multi-meters ;
- dirt cheap Chinese MK328 component tester ;
- Sodilec 36V power supply ;
- soldering iron, hot air soldering station, de-soldering vacuum iron, sound level meter, measuring microphone, variac and other tools.
 
I love it. Speaker magnets and all. It looks bomb-proof!

Cool Proton and the patch panel is nicely done. I really have to build a new patch panel myself, but I keep putting it off as I have to move my lab into another room. Excuses, I know.
Ugh... Moving.
I'm retiring & moving into a new house in a few months. There's no space for anything--including my complete woodshop behind my house. It all has to go.
So many hobbies, so little room.
 
So. Where's the rest of the KEF 105.2/105.4s?...
Well...that's a long story. In short, the bass modules for the 105.2's were severely damaged when the speakers were dropped in transport (via forklift) to the shop were I worked at the time. The heads survived with only scratches. The customer was well taken care of and the company (a very successful regional AV dealer) ended up with the remains. I bought the remains from the company planning to do a rebuild. Time passed on.....
Eventually, the company was bought out by a very large national chain and they eventually closed our shop. So instead of retiring, I opened a very small shop myself. I needed some small monitors for the bench and the heads fit in well. I modified the crossovers so that the heads could be run sort of full range like a Reference 101. Out of the picture is a small Sunfire subwoofer to augment the bass.
It's definitely a Frankenstein setup but sounds pretty good and fits the small space available.
BTW, The one functioning original bass drivers was sold off and shattered boxes were burned. So much for the rebuild.
 
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