"The Brute" takes form.

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"The Brute" takes form.

Postby Steve Anderson » Fri Oct 17, 2008 4:49 pm

Dear All,

At long last the metalwork for "The Brute" has been delivered and the two photos below shows the progress in the last 24 hours.

The blank boards will in time contain the timebases, PWM for the main CRT, cursor generation for the 1" waveform monitor (hidden behind the main CRT) and the drive for the EM84 to display frame burst and audio levels.

At the top-left is the 'transformer farm' which with all the other stuff does make this thing somewhat Ballesteros...(i.e. 'seve). Just below the loudspeaker is the audio board and the +/-300V PSU (EF86, EL91 and EZ81). The completed boards left-to-right are the +/-1400V psu, the low-voltage PSU, the deflection logic (four vertical rates, two horizontal plus interlacing) and the analogue input and burst processing board. The seven EF91s (only six visible) are for the deflection.

There is still a lot do do but given a full-time effort it could be done by the end of this month (two weeks), but I get the feeling that some 'real' work is going to get in the way.

Steve A.
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Chassis.jpg
Chassis.jpg (111.15 KiB) Viewed 19922 times
Initial 1.jpg
Initial 1.jpg (160.68 KiB) Viewed 19922 times
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Postby Viewmaster » Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:43 pm

That is looking good. Your Veroboard construction is very neat.
You are showing my own efforts up sumthin rotten! :)
I like the valves intergrated onto veroboard too.
I do envy your electronic design abilities, Steve.
Clever ol' sod, you. :wink:

The chassis, was it all pre drilled for you? If so, you must have sent the tin bashers a very complicated dimensioned drawing.
Show us more soon as 'Brute' turns into 'Beauty.'
Albert.
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Postby Panrock » Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:49 pm

Wow! I can see why you're so enthusiastic about this project - there's something special about building a 'brute' isn't there?

Unlike my gear, I hope at least you'll be able to lift it when it's finished. :lol:

We'll all be looking forward to seeing this at the Convention, remember... :P

Steve O
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Postby Viewmaster » Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:48 pm

Panrock wrote:We'll all be looking forward to seeing this at the Convention, remember...
Steve O


Mmmm. From Thailand to Loughboro' ?
Better get into training Steve, (the brute maker), as a long distance weight
lifter. :) ......you could always fly one of your planes here and land on the University grounds!
Albert.
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Postby Steve Anderson » Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:15 pm

Viewmaster wrote:The chassis, was it all pre drilled for you? If so, you must have sent the tin bashers a very complicated dimensioned drawing. Show us more soon as 'Brute' turns into 'Beauty.' Albert.


Most of the smaller holes (under 10mm) were drilled by myself using a standard power hand-drill yesterday morning, the drawing I sent them with just the basic mechanical information is attached.

This thing will (to me) always be referred to as "The Brute", only because thus far it's the most complex thing I've ever done in regard of NBTV. I can lift it right now but it will gain a bit more weight in time, what I'm worried about is that it will use up all my baggage allowance even in business class, 30kg.

I also attach another view from a different angle where you can (just) see the smaller 1" CRT and all of the EF91s.

Thanks for the compliments gents. But it isn't over until the fat lady sings....

Steve A.
Attachments
5ADP1 Mech 3.gif
5ADP1 Mech 3.gif (25.12 KiB) Viewed 19903 times
Initial 2.jpg
Initial 2.jpg (179.88 KiB) Viewed 19903 times
Last edited by Steve Anderson on Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby bigscreen » Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:42 pm

What can I say ?.....Fabulous....splendid.....very nice.....dont stop in Belgium with it when finisched, I 'm sure to take it from you Steve !....

Only one little question....I see that the (neck) from the most importand piece in glass is pushed between two points, the front angled and fastened
with 3 or 4 metal supports and the feet throw the hole into the metal plane on the back.
Is it not needed to give the middel piece from the bulb where the neck is connected, a little bit support with some rubber or other to prevent a broken neck ?

I know that it will be handled very carefully, but ........

Best regards: patrick.
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Postby Steve Anderson » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:03 pm

bigscreen wrote:...Only one little question....I see that the (neck) from the most importand piece in glass is pushed between two points, the front angled and fastened with 3 or 4 metal supports and the feet throw the hole into the metal plane on the back. Best regards: Patrick.


Patrick I understand your concern but having worked for Decca Radar in the late 70s and early 80s you'll be surprised just how rugged these tubes/valves can be. They are not as fragile as they might appear. We used take a percentage of our production and try to destroy them. The best most fun job I've ever had!

(We used to also buy our competitors gear and compare it against ours by trying to destroy it).

The death of a CRT is either simply age or a sharp impact, or early on in its life what is called 'infant mortality'. This also applies to semiconductor devices too.

The front supports are lined with a soft (black) rubber type compound and so will the rear tube support and socket when I get around to it.

This tube in it's long persistence version (5ADP7) was used extensively in radar displays in bombers during the events in Europe some 60 years ago. Having flown a few of these aircraft I can only vouch for their ruggedness! Landings? Nah, more an arrival!

Steve A.
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Postby Panrock » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:38 pm

I'm sure it will be built to 'Soviet' standards, and (just like an enormous 'Mir' table radio I once brought back from Moscow) it will be engineered to bounce and roll round the luggage carousel at Heathrow - with nary a scratch...

Steve O
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Postby AncientBrit » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:44 pm

>Steve A,

I admire your construction skills, very neat and workmanlike.

You're surely not going to strip this project when you've demonstrated it working are you?

Too good to lose,

Regards,


Graham
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Postby Viewmaster » Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:21 pm

Steve Anderson wrote:[Thanks for the compliments gents. But it isn't over until the fat lady sings....
Steve A.


O smashing....I look forward to seeing, at Loughboro', the fat lady on the face of your Brute's CRT and her sweet voice emitting from your eliptical LS.........

.."O sweet mystery of love and life I found theee!" :)
(old Victor Herbert song)
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Postby Steve Anderson » Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:42 pm

AncientBrit wrote:You're surely not going to strip this project when you've demonstrated it working are you? Too good to lose, Regards, Graham


At this stage, no. But it might become 'modified'. Exactly how I don't know, but all he stuff I build is prototypical. Once it has been proven to perform its function and the pen has been laid to rest then their future is uncertain. I'm always pulling things from past projects, adapting this to do that.

But in recent times I'm starting to change my habits. For example the 3" display is basically still complete, I've stolen a few parts from it but it wouldn't take much to get up-and-running again.

I do have the intention of participating in the convention and displaying these efforts I have made. But before that happens I want to get an end-to-end system running with a mechanical camera if I can....which on the basis of this "Brute" will also have to be multi-standard, "The Beast". Watch this space, but don't hold your breath.

Steve A.
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Postby dominicbeesley » Sat Oct 18, 2008 12:55 am

Wow!

I especially like the transformer farm! How are you getting EHT? Is it straight from the mains or have you made a switcher of some sort?

I've got a CRT project on the go too but it looks pathetic by comparison!

Dom
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Postby Steve Anderson » Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:12 am

dominicbeesley wrote:How are you getting EHT? Is it straight from the mains or have you made a switcher of some sort? Dom


I'll be running this tube at plus 1400V and negative 1400V, a total of 2.8kV. The two transformers with the red insulation on the windings have 500V secondaries. These are each voltage doubled to produce 1400V each, one positive, the other negative. They are otherwise standard 220V input transformers. I picked them up from my local 'electronics souk/market' a couple of years ago with the thought that "They'll come in useful some day".

What is not so easy to see in the photos is the largest transformer which resides in the very back left corner (in Initial 1.jpg), it's painted black and blends in with the shadows. It supplies all the +/-300V for the deflection of the 5" tube, the voltages for the 1" tube, the audio chain and the 'magic eye', an EM84.

Steve A.
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Postby Panrock » Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:33 am

Not wishing to go too much OT but.... in general, how is the supply of electronic components, and vintage electronic components, in Thailand? Prices v. UK?

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Postby Steve Anderson » Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:25 am

Panrock wrote:...how is the supply of electronic components, and vintage electronic components, in Thailand? Prices v. UK? Steve_O


For standard/recent (but not the 'latest') less than one-quarter of RS or Farnell prices. But the selection is nowhere as broad. Also sometimes they are really sub-standard. I bought some switches a few years ago and upon application of a soldering iron they simply melted, absolutely worthless...you pays your money and makes yer choice. But the two suppliers (retailers) I buy most of my stuff from are OK.

As for 'vintage' stuff (tubes/valves/CRTs) I get them from the UK, bite the bullet and pay the price. There are few suppliers in this part of the world. I bought retail some Russian-made ECC83 triodes in Singapore a few years back, they were nowhere near specification (Sovtek) so I junked them.

One of the advantages of living in the UK I miss is being almost guaranteed of getting what you want even if you disregard the price. The last time I was in the UK (about two years ago now) I stocked up on simple things like an Metric tap-and-die set, a small power screwdriver, and a bunch of vacuum devices.

Steve A.
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