Powering up a long inactive 5061A
Hi,
I've been assisting with the cataloguing and, where possible, testing of
a bunch of test equipment from a deceased estate.
One of the items is a 5061A which best I can tell has not been powered
on for over a decade. The High Performance tube has a warranty
expiration date of 1988. Serial number is 1936A01567 and has Option 01
and 04 and has the digital rather than analogue clock. Minor but it's
missing the bottom cover.
My intuition is to set it to one side until I can become familiar with
the operating manual and potentially bring power up to it slowly with a
Variac or similar.
I'd be curious as to the time-nuts view on whether this degree of
caution warranted ?
I suspect the Cs tube is long dead, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised ?
Would welcome feedback on sensible/cautious first steps with the unit -
initial need, if possible, is a "simple" go/no go/does it power on ?
Cheers/73
Hugh
VK3YYZ/AD5RV
scan the archives for 5061, there's a lot there specially recently
-pete
On Wed, Jun 14, 2017 at 11:02 PM, Hugh Blemings hugh@blemings.org wrote:
Hi,
I've been assisting with the cataloguing and, where possible, testing of a
bunch of test equipment from a deceased estate.
One of the items is a 5061A which best I can tell has not been powered on
for over a decade. The High Performance tube has a warranty expiration
date of 1988. Serial number is 1936A01567 and has Option 01 and 04 and has
the digital rather than analogue clock. Minor but it's missing the bottom
cover.
My intuition is to set it to one side until I can become familiar with the
operating manual and potentially bring power up to it slowly with a Variac
or similar.
I'd be curious as to the time-nuts view on whether this degree of caution
warranted ?
I suspect the Cs tube is long dead, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised
?
Would welcome feedback on sensible/cautious first steps with the unit -
initial need, if possible, is a "simple" go/no go/does it power on ?
Cheers/73
Hugh
VK3YYZ/AD5RV
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
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ailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
Hi
With gear that uses switching regulators, a “soft start” with a variac may not be the best approach. Sometimes they
really don’t like the “startup at low voltage” thing.
Bob
On Jun 15, 2017, at 2:02 AM, Hugh Blemings hugh@blemings.org wrote:
Hi,
I've been assisting with the cataloguing and, where possible, testing of a bunch of test equipment from a deceased estate.
One of the items is a 5061A which best I can tell has not been powered on for over a decade. The High Performance tube has a warranty expiration date of 1988. Serial number is 1936A01567 and has Option 01 and 04 and has the digital rather than analogue clock. Minor but it's missing the bottom cover.
My intuition is to set it to one side until I can become familiar with the operating manual and potentially bring power up to it slowly with a Variac or similar.
I'd be curious as to the time-nuts view on whether this degree of caution warranted ?
I suspect the Cs tube is long dead, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised ?
Would welcome feedback on sensible/cautious first steps with the unit - initial need, if possible, is a "simple" go/no go/does it power on ?
Cheers/73
Hugh
VK3YYZ/AD5RV
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
Do not use a variac to bring the unit up. Very bad idea.
You should read the operations documents they say what to do for a unit
thats been off.
Essentially the tube needs to be pumped down electronically. The beam
current will peg and until it drops down on the meter to about 20 or 30 the
rest of the system does not turn on.
Pump down can take weeks and longer or never if its been off a long time as
in years. There are even ways to attempt to recover the tube involving nice
3000 volt supplies.
Last comment for me at least option 004 tubes are bad luck. Thats because
they run hotter then a normal tube. Usually there are no C's left in an 004.
Regards
Paul
WB8TSL
On Thu, Jun 15, 2017 at 11:22 AM, Pete Lancashire pete@petelancashire.com
wrote:
scan the archives for 5061, there's a lot there specially recently
-pete
On Wed, Jun 14, 2017 at 11:02 PM, Hugh Blemings hugh@blemings.org wrote:
Hi,
I've been assisting with the cataloguing and, where possible, testing of
a
bunch of test equipment from a deceased estate.
One of the items is a 5061A which best I can tell has not been powered on
for over a decade. The High Performance tube has a warranty expiration
date of 1988. Serial number is 1936A01567 and has Option 01 and 04 and
has
the digital rather than analogue clock. Minor but it's missing the
bottom
cover.
My intuition is to set it to one side until I can become familiar with
the
operating manual and potentially bring power up to it slowly with a
Variac
or similar.
I'd be curious as to the time-nuts view on whether this degree of caution
warranted ?
I suspect the Cs tube is long dead, but maybe I'll be pleasantly
surprised
?
Would welcome feedback on sensible/cautious first steps with the unit -
initial need, if possible, is a "simple" go/no go/does it power on ?
Cheers/73
Hugh
VK3YYZ/AD5RV
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/m
ailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/
mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
Did' not see the 'variac'
A variable autotransfomer more then likely we burn up something in the
power supply. This applies to pretty much all high equipment
that is more than just TV Repair shop gear or anything designed by HP after
around the mid to late 60's.
If power supply regulation exists, and is anything more then a gas
discharge regulator, don't use a variac.
On Wed, Jun 14, 2017 at 11:02 PM, Hugh Blemings hugh@blemings.org wrote:
Hi,
I've been assisting with the cataloguing and, where possible, testing of a
bunch of test equipment from a deceased estate.
One of the items is a 5061A which best I can tell has not been powered on
for over a decade. The High Performance tube has a warranty expiration
date of 1988. Serial number is 1936A01567 and has Option 01 and 04 and has
the digital rather than analogue clock. Minor but it's missing the bottom
cover.
My intuition is to set it to one side until I can become familiar with the
operating manual and potentially bring power up to it slowly with a Variac
or similar.
I'd be curious as to the time-nuts view on whether this degree of caution
warranted ?
I suspect the Cs tube is long dead, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised
?
Would welcome feedback on sensible/cautious first steps with the unit -
initial need, if possible, is a "simple" go/no go/does it power on ?
Cheers/73
Hugh
VK3YYZ/AD5RV
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/m
ailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
First you will need to power it up in Cs Off state and monitor the ion pump current by periodically switching to Cs On
If you have a possibly good tube ion pump current should drop to zero in a few days to 3 weeks
Thats your first step
On Jun 15, 2017, at 2:02 AM, Hugh Blemings hugh@blemings.org wrote:
Hi,
I've been assisting with the cataloguing and, where possible, testing of a bunch of test equipment from a deceased estate.
One of the items is a 5061A which best I can tell has not been powered on for over a decade. The High Performance tube has a warranty expiration date of 1988. Serial number is 1936A01567 and has Option 01 and 04 and has the digital rather than analogue clock. Minor but it's missing the bottom cover.
My intuition is to set it to one side until I can become familiar with the operating manual and potentially bring power up to it slowly with a Variac or similar.
I'd be curious as to the time-nuts view on whether this degree of caution warranted ?
I suspect the Cs tube is long dead, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised ?
Would welcome feedback on sensible/cautious first steps with the unit - initial need, if possible, is a "simple" go/no go/does it power on ?
Cheers/73
Hugh
VK3YYZ/AD5RV
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
Scott far better then my response. Right to the point.
Regards
Paul
WB8TSL
On Thu, Jun 15, 2017 at 3:20 PM, Scott McGrath scmcgrath@gmail.com wrote:
First you will need to power it up in Cs Off state and monitor the ion
pump current by periodically switching to Cs On
If you have a possibly good tube ion pump current should drop to zero in a
few days to 3 weeks
Thats your first step
On Jun 15, 2017, at 2:02 AM, Hugh Blemings hugh@blemings.org wrote:
Hi,
I've been assisting with the cataloguing and, where possible, testing of
a bunch of test equipment from a deceased estate.
One of the items is a 5061A which best I can tell has not been powered
on for over a decade. The High Performance tube has a warranty expiration
date of 1988. Serial number is 1936A01567 and has Option 01 and 04 and has
the digital rather than analogue clock. Minor but it's missing the bottom
cover.
My intuition is to set it to one side until I can become familiar with
the operating manual and potentially bring power up to it slowly with a
Variac or similar.
I'd be curious as to the time-nuts view on whether this degree of
caution warranted ?
I suspect the Cs tube is long dead, but maybe I'll be pleasantly
surprised ?
Would welcome feedback on sensible/cautious first steps with the unit -
initial need, if possible, is a "simple" go/no go/does it power on ?
Cheers/73
Hugh
VK3YYZ/AD5RV
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/
mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/
mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
The first thing you should do is to check the condition of the power
fuse. If it is blown or missing, you have some work to do looking for
the cause of the fuse trouble.
If you are concerned about old electrolytics in the power supply, and
you can't check them for capacitance when off, there is an alternative
to using a Variac.
Cut one wire of an extension cord in order to put a lamp socket in
series with the load. If line power is 120 volts, put a 100 watt bulb in
the socket. Turn on the unit and be ready to turn it off again if the
bulb lights at near or full brilliance. If it does, you have the same
work to do as if the fuse had blown. If it starts bright and dims, you
may be forming electrolytics.
If the bulb maintains the same brightness, try a bigger bulb - or
disconnect the ovens.
You definitely need to read the part about running the ion pump.
Bill Hawkins
Disclaimer: I haven't tried this on an HP5061. You could still damage
the switchers. You can't detect open capacitors this way.
-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@febo.com] On Behalf Of Hugh
Blemings
Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2017 1:02 AM
My intuition is to set it to one side until I can become familiar with
the operating manual and potentially bring power up to it slowly with a
Variac or similar.
Hugh wrote:
Would welcome feedback on sensible/cautious first steps with the unit - initial need, if possible, is a "simple" go/no go/does it power on ?
You may find the information on this page helpful:
http://www.ko4bb.com/doku2015/doku.php?id=precision_timing:how_to_check_an_hp5061a_cesium_standard
Best regards,
Charles
Happened to watch a PBS/BBC program called "Queen's Castle" episode 102
- Four Seasons, that was filmed in 2005 at Windsor, not Buckingham.
One of the segments was about the castle timekeeper, Steve Davison. He's
responsible for 450 clocks, some 300 years old. His biggest challenge is
the end of British Summer Time, when each clock must be advanced 11
hours, stopping until striking finishes. Old clocks were not designed
for Fall Back. Takes him 16 hours.
There was a brief shot of his workshop, with a clock repair in progress.
No sign of a time standard. No discussion of leap seconds, either.
Tried to find him, but only found a 2013 ad for a time keeper to
maintain 1000 clocks in various castles.
Hope that wasn't too far off topic.
Bill Hawkins