In article om,
" wrote:

Many decades ago I saw a picture in a magazine of what to my juvenile
eyes looked like what must be the ultimate tube tester of all time,
and while I do not remember the model or make I do clearly remember
row after row of gleaming colored knobs and jacks. Does this
description ring a bell with anyone?

Not really (the one at the local Radio Shack (way in the back in
1970-something when I was getting an old Hallicrafters up and running)
was more boring - blue and white with brown sockets and black knobs, as
I recall), but I suspect that certain auction sites probably have
exactly the thing you were looking at available from time to time. All
the other old junque shows up there.

Not to deny you the joy of building, or anything like that - but if it
was made, there are probably examples out ion the wild to buy, if you
look for them.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by

On Oct 14, 10:43 am, Ecnerwal
wrote:
In article om,

" wrote:
Many decades ago I saw a picture in a magazine of what to my juvenile
eyes looked like what must be the ultimate tube tester of all time,
and while I do not remember the model or make I do clearly remember
row after row of gleaming colored knobs and jacks. Does this
description ring a bell with anyone?

Not really (the one at the local Radio Shack (way in the back in
1970-something when I was getting an old Hallicrafters up and running)
was more boring - blue and white with brown sockets and black knobs, as
I recall), but I suspect that certain auction sites probably have
exactly the thing you were looking at available from time to time. All
the other old junque shows up there.

Not to deny you the joy of building, or anything like that - but if it
was made, there are probably examples out ion the wild to buy, if you
look for them.

In fact, following the lead of Alan Douglas, I think in my head the
unit I had seen in a picture was the Weston CA-1630. Nice pic he

http://www.tubedepot.com/tt-ca-1630.html

At circa $5000 I think I'll have to pass, but it's a beaut.

I think in my mind I want even more color matching than in the
original - I just see black and red binding posts there, in my head
the posts should match the knob should match the element. So it looks
like the decades have elaborated the original, to the point where I
desire something more than the original :-).

Like Scott Dorsey suggested, probably the way for me to go is to get 5
or 6 or 7 different color banana jacks and paint the knobs to match,
as it seems increasingly unlikely I'll get much match in "raw" knob
color, but still thanks to the others who posted about the multi-color
chickenheads available from AES (I had actually bought them in the
past!) and the knobs from Small Bear.

Tim.

wrote:

Like Scott Dorsey suggested, probably the way for me to go is to get 5
or 6 or 7 different color banana jacks and paint the knobs to match,
as it seems increasingly unlikely I'll get much match in "raw" knob
color, but still thanks to the others who posted about the multi-color
chickenheads available from AES (I had actually bought them in the
past!) and the knobs from Small Bear.

Pomona Electronics plugs! Nine colors available! Stocked by Allied!
http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf...6-6546_100.pdf
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Scott Dorsey wrote:

Pomona Electronics plugs! Nine colors available! Stocked by Allied!
http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf...6-6546_100.pdf
--scott

Actually - it's all ten of the "standard" color code colors - I have a
couple of the kits... for a project "someday".

best regards...
--
Sherry

A Tender Tale - a page dedicated to those Ships and Crews
so vital to the United States Silent Service:
http://tendertale.com

On Oct 15, 9:47 am, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
wrote:

Like Scott Dorsey suggested, probably the way for me to go is to get 5
or 6 or 7 different color banana jacks and paint the knobs to match,
as it seems increasingly unlikely I'll get much match in "raw" knob
color, but still thanks to the others who posted about the multi-color
chickenheads available from AES (I had actually bought them in the
past!) and the knobs from Small Bear.

Pomona Electronics plugs! Nine colors available! Stocked by Allied!http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf...6-6546_100.pdf

Actually, ten colors available! 0-9 is ten, not nine. Sometimes I fall
into FORTRAN mode too so I won't blame you for being off by one :-).

I don't know if the Pomona parts are 100% identical, but I just
ordered a few sets from Digikey sold under the "Emerson/Johnson" name.
I'm guessing they're all made in China by the same company:

http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T073/P0372.pdf

Using color-coded Banana plugs/jacks seems preferable to having
massive crossbar wiring, at least in my head.

Question for anyone who has used the Weston CA-1630: Am I correct that
there are pushbuttons in many of the knobs and this is somehow related
to either removing the function of the knob (pin selection) or
selecting that knob's function for stepping during curve tracing
(grid, plate, screen)?

Really wonderful link to a big pic (may not work!) showing the CA-1630
set up to test a 300B:

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._1968_29319026

Tim.

"Tim Shoppa" wrote in message
ups.com...
Actually, ten colors available! 0-9 is ten, not nine. Sometimes I fall
into FORTRAN mode too so I won't blame you for being off by one :-).

I don't know if the Pomona parts are 100% identical, but I just
ordered a few sets from Digikey sold under the "Emerson/Johnson" name.
I'm guessing they're all made in China by the same company:

http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T073/P0372.pdf

With wonderful toys like this available, made in China, the lead content
should be checked!
Please, please do not put them in your mouth.

Mike W5CHR
Memphis

On Oct 15, 11:59 am, wrote:
"Tim Shoppa" wrote in message

ups.com... Actually, ten colors available! 0-9 is ten, not nine. Sometimes I fall
into FORTRAN mode too so I won't blame you for being off by one :-).

I don't know if the Pomona parts are 100% identical, but I just
ordered a few sets from Digikey sold under the "Emerson/Johnson" name.
I'm guessing they're all made in China by the same company:

http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T073/P0372.pdf

With wonderful toys like this available, made in China, the lead content
should be checked!
Please, please do not put them in your mouth.

Hey, I grew up holding 60/40 solder in my mouth while plugging
krypton-85 filled regulator tubes in my left hand and turning knobs
just inches away from radium-filled meters with my right hand. None of
it made in china. And I'm perfectly normal!

Joking aside, it's pretty obvious that a test set with 1000V B+
running around obviously won't be in my kids' hands much less in their
mouths.

Tim.

In article ,
wrote:
"Tim Shoppa" wrote in message
oups.com...
Actually, ten colors available! 0-9 is ten, not nine. Sometimes I fall
into FORTRAN mode too so I won't blame you for being off by one :-).

I don't know if the Pomona parts are 100% identical, but I just
ordered a few sets from Digikey sold under the "Emerson/Johnson" name.
I'm guessing they're all made in China by the same company:

http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T073/P0372.pdf

With wonderful toys like this available, made in China, the lead content
should be checked!
Please, please do not put them in your mouth.

I suspect the lead content on them is much lower than it should be. The
Chinese are not exactly big into making quality phosphor bronze and most
of these sorts of parts coming from China tend to be made from cheap and
gummy cartridge brass. That's okay for the socket, not so good for the plug.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"Tim Shoppa" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 15, 9:47 am, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
wrote:

Like Scott Dorsey suggested, probably the way for me to go is to get 5
or 6 or 7 different color banana jacks and paint the knobs to match,
as it seems increasingly unlikely I'll get much match in "raw" knob
color, but still thanks to the others who posted about the multi-color
chickenheads available from AES (I had actually bought them in the
past!) and the knobs from Small Bear.

Pomona Electronics plugs! Nine colors available! Stocked by
Allied!http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf...6-6546_100.pdf

Actually, ten colors available! 0-9 is ten, not nine. Sometimes I fall
into FORTRAN mode too so I won't blame you for being off by one :-).

I don't know if the Pomona parts are 100% identical, but I just
ordered a few sets from Digikey sold under the "Emerson/Johnson" name.
I'm guessing they're all made in China by the same company:

http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T073/P0372.pdf

Using color-coded Banana plugs/jacks seems preferable to having
massive crossbar wiring, at least in my head.

Question for anyone who has used the Weston CA-1630: Am I correct that
there are pushbuttons in many of the knobs and this is somehow related
to either removing the function of the knob (pin selection) or
selecting that knob's function for stepping during curve tracing
(grid, plate, screen)?

Really wonderful link to a big pic (may not work!) showing the CA-1630
set up to test a 300B:

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._1968_29319026

Tim.

Nice pic - shame they didn't power it up when they took the pic.
Tom