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Shoutout to the guy who told me to recap my Tektronix scope first

I spent two weekends chasing a vertical deflection issue on my 465. Changed transistors, checked solder joints, even swapped a bunch of ICs. Then this older tech at the ham fest said "you know those 40 year old caps are toast right?" I laughed him off. Finally caved after I saw ripple on the power rail with my scope. Replaced all the electrolytics in the power supply and bam, problem gone. Took me maybe 45 bucks and 3 hours total. Now I start every vintage gear repair with a recap. Has anyone else had a fix that simple after wasting way more time on complex stuff?
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2 Comments
jakewhite
jakewhite7d ago
I heard ripple is always the first clue, learned that one the hard way myself.
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wrenstone
wrenstone7d ago
Ripple is the classic "oh duh" moment for vintage gear.
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