IAIPS-ACIPS@USC-ISI.ARPA (11/11/85)
Re: Bob Roehrig msg of 10 Nov
Thanks for the info on the Heathkit scope FETs. Since most of
my puttering around the workbench is at audio frequencies, I
also concur that Heath scope horizontal triggering is not
the best in the world!!
Have had no transformer problems or other component difficulties
with my dual-trace scope. For the most part, it serves my purpose.
But I did have one major Heath-caused problem during construction.
They had inserted an errata sheet advising that there was an error
in the silk screening of the PCB for the wiring of the vertical
output transistors, and to wire them opposite to what was shown -
and then, in the kit, provided a later version board with the
proper wiring marked - meaning that my initial smoke test
yielded no visible traces .....
I did discover one disturbing thing during that time, however.
I have been building Heathkits since 1957: from the early "HI-FI"
(gold-case) units; the Cheyenne mobile, on up - about 60+ kits.
I was always the first in line to applaude the accuracy and care
that went into Heathkit Manuals as compared to their early counter-
parts (E.G. EICO and rebel brands).... BUT .... While I was
building the scope (and the FET VTVM and Audio Generator I
purchased at the same time), I was appalled at the number of
mistakes and misleading inaccuracies in those three manuals.
Things which, if anybody had built before printing, would have
been caught. Things like cutting a 6" green wire, and finding
it's 1" too short; wrong resistor band colors; incomplete
instructions during construction and testing. The two most
bothersome deficiencies I noted (outside of pure wrong data) was
inferior troubleshooting information, and failure to completely
explain a construction step; such that several choices were
possible. In my case, that meant rewiring my wrong choice!!
I built one of the first serial number 21" round TV sets. The
manual was a masterpiece of clarity. It had to be, for a layman
to build and _t_u_n_e__u_p_ a color TV in those days ('63).
I can't believe the manual sloppiness that I saw during my last
round of kit-building. They've really gone downhill lately!
73,
George
W1TQS/4