Servicing equipment and Tools

Here are a few pieces of test equipment and tools that I have successfully used used for many years.

They are not expensive and will do the job of more expensive equipment in most cases.

1. Zener diode tester. This device plugs into a multimeter, and will give an open circuit voltage of about 78volts with a new battery inside. Place the diode to be tested to the clips, cathode to red, anode to black lead, and with the tester pluged into a multimeter, press the test button and read the actual zener voltage on the meter. Zener diodes are not precision devices, so do expect up to 10% error. Note, make sure that the tester is discharged before connecting the diode to be tested, otherwise it is, “Goodnight Nurse”
2. Low ohms meter. E.S.R. Meter. Lets face it. This is really only used to test electrolytic capacitors. It is the most effective tool in your servicing arsenal . It is much more effective than using a capacitor tester with a loss control. It can be used to check caps in circuit, which I mark with a black marker pen, before moving on to the next cap to be checked. This is truly the Holy Grail of servicing.
3. Horizontal Output Transformer Tester. For such an inexpensive tester, this works surprisingly well. You will need to use something else to check diode split transformers.
4. An earlier Horizontal Output Transformer Tester (shorted turns tester) This is an earlier version of the one that I used to use. I bought this one in Ballarat from the Orpheus radio museum just before it folded.
5. Scope battery soldering iron. Back in the days when I used to up end TV's in peoples homes and change resistors, capacitors, valve sockets and horizontal output transformers, this is what I used. (We were not all valve jockeys) I must admit, they did look funny with the four legs sticking up in the air while I had the bottom cover removed to gain access for voltage measurements/parts replacement.
6. Dual beam oscilloscope. This oscilloscope was used mainly for alignment of V.C.R.'s it is only a 15MHZ model. It was later replaced by a 1GHZ model (not mine)

I won't dredge up my old frequency counter. I hardly ever had to use it. It did a little service on CB radios, and TV chroma circuits, and various oscillator circuits on V.C.R.'s

Tell me what you use to service your TV's.