Tektronix Oscilloscopes Restoration Guide

Introduction

This document serves as a comprehensive guide for the restoration and preservation of vintage Tektronix oscilloscopes. It details various repair techniques, component-level troubleshooting, and specific procedures for popular models, offering insights into their internal workings and maintenance.

Hints and Tips

• Restoring a Tek
• Tektronix Colors
• Plastics Colors
• Optical Filters
• Key Labels
• Semiconductors
• Ripple
• Hz, Fans & Noise
• Relays
• Switches & Buttons
• Dealing with Gold
• Light Pushbuttons
• Lamps
• LED Lights
• Risky Connectors
• Elapsed Time
• Radioactivity
• Plug-in Panels
• Tubes Test
• Gassy Tubes
• Other Tools
• Ceramic Strips
• Shield Gaskets

Fixing the Epic 545

• Tektronix 545
• Poor Teddy Bear!
• Information Sources

LV Power Supply

• Differential Amplifiers
• Component Layouts Included
• Power Supply Chassis (1/2)
• Power Supply Chassis (2/2)
• Added Reference Designators
• Rectifiers and Relays

• 545B's First Repair
• Fixing a Working Power Supply
• Fixing a Non-Apparent Fault
• Fixing a Faulty Power Supply

The Horizontal Chain

• Bumblebees
• Checking the Horizontal Chain
• Sweep Switches
• Delaying Sweep TIME/CM
• Main Sweep MULTIPLIER
• Sweep Amplifier Chassis
• Main Sweep Chassis
• The Delaying Sweep Generator
• Delaying Sweep
• Horror! An HP Oscilloscope?
• Delaying Sweep Chassis
• The Murder(s)
• Vertical Amplifier
• The Distributed Vertical Amplifier

High Voltage Circuits

• High Voltage Circuits
• Producing High Voltages
• High Voltage Areas
• High Voltage Module
• Its First Words

7xx3 Linear PSUs

• Start Knowing Them
• Block Diagram
• Boards Location
• A Linear PSU
• Theory of Operation
• Physical Construction
• Mainframe Wiring
• Checking the PSU
• Problem Fixing

High Voltages and CRT circuits

• Repairing CRT Circuits
• A DC Restorer Example
• Dealing with High Voltages
• Sample Values
• A Spark of Mystery

Mastering the HEPS

The Bad Beast

• High Efficiency Power Supply
• The Bad Beast
• The Boards of Interest
• The Dreaded Click
• Investigation Strategy
• Extracting the HEPS
• The Inverter
• The Controller IC
• The Red Zone
• Safety Cautions
• Investigations
• More Oscillograms
• The LV Board
• -50V Circuit From The 7844 Manual
• Differential Amplifiers
• Colors Can Help
• Conclusions
• That Magic Moment

Hi-Voltage Board

• HV Board Encyclopedia
• Connect to the LV Board
• Connect to the Z-Axis
• HEPS to 7904 Wires
• Theory and Practice
• The End of the Battle

7854 Addenda

• Shark Mouth
• A Revised HEPS
• Dead?

7834 Recapping

• Capacitors
• 7834 Recapping
• The Dummy Load

HEPS not Guilty

• HEPS Not Guilty

Plug-in Connections

• Plug-in Connectors
• 7904 Main Interface Board

Readout System

• Readout System
• Readout Board Map and Conns
• A Thorn in the Side

CRT Storage

Calibration

• Fixing CRT Storage
• TOC Topic
• Save Your Fingers

Fixing the 515A

• 515A Small Repairs
• Wrong Supply
• Low High Voltage
• Horizontal Linearity
• Last Cosmetics