On 2009-04-09, RB wrote:
Wild_Bill wrote:
I meant that none of my comments (not others'), WRT old CRT monitors,
were pertinent to his inquiry.

There don't seem to be a lot of cheap (depending upon one's definition)
new LCD TVs, PC or just composite monitors.. not that I've seen (except
used ones and ones that are dead).

[ ... ]

In fact, that is exactly what I'm looking for.
And for the same machine Don Nichols has - Emco 5 CNC

Hmm ... I just remembered something. If you have an old analog
TV around of reasonable size (which is about to become otherwise useless
in June -- unless they delay it yet again :-), open up the back of the
lathe and trace the video cable to the card where it connects inside.
You will see it plugging into a RCA Phono jack -- and you should see a
metal can on the board with another RCA Phono jack. This produces a RF
signal, so you can connect it to the antenna jack and tune to channel 4
or 5 (IIRC). There is a tiny switch on the can which selects which of
the two channels is used. While the quality of the video through this
is not as good as a direct connection, the Compact-5/CNC uses rather
large characters, so the image is good enough to read easily.

Watch for local hamfests (in the UK they are called "Radio
Rallys", IIRC). It will cost you something between $5.00 and $10.00 to
attend -- and keep your eyes open for other things of interest --
especially in the "tailgating" area (sales from the trunk of a vehicle,
or from tables or cloth spread on the ground).

For those who have never seen a hamfest, nor heard of one, think
of it as a giant electronics focused flea market.

Just for the fun of it -- let's see what I can remember picking
up at hamfests which might be of interest he

1) B&S 0-6" digital calipers (now not usable because they need
PX-13 mercury cells in a holder which would not be happy with
any modern cell, even if the slightly higher voltage does not
harm it.) I'll try that someday.

Cost: $15.00 in a fitted wood box.

2) Mitutoyo 0-12" digital calipers -- new in wood box still sealed
in plastic. $115.00

3) A Westinghouse/TECO VFD rated for 30A input and output.
Figuring that it needs to be derated a bit when run from single
phase it looks as though it can power a 7-1/2 HP motor.

Cost: $100.00 -- before VFDs became common.

For the following, I don't remember what I paid.

4) Runout dial indicators.

5) Device for use on a surface plate to check the verticality of
a workpiece or a machinist's square by sliding a dial indicator
up and down it under precise control.

6) Device for measuring threads over wires. You look up or
calculate the dimension over the wires, build a stack of gauge
blocks to that dimension and zero the dial -- then open it and
replace with the thread to be tested with the wires in place.
There are even some holders to hold the wires in place over the
anvils.

7) Temperature controller for a heat treat oven.

8) Mushroom headed panic switch for powered machines.

9) Various relays for controlling machines.

10) lots of bagged screws, nuts, and other hardware scattered over
time.

11) Good AMP brand ratcheting crimpers -- and terminals to fit.

12) AMP hydraulic hand-pumped crimper with dies for 6 Ga terminals,
which I used for wiring the Westinghouse VFD.

13) Large machinist's vise.

14) 1/2 ton arbor press.

15) Some good quality unibits covering sizes other than my
original one from thirty years ago.

16) A General Radio StroboTac for measuring RPM and viewing cyclic
machines slowed down.

17) Three hand-held mechanical tachometers with differing scales
and with rubber tired wheels with a circumference of either
one foot or one-half foot -- useful for measuring the SFM
(surface feet per minute) of things like a bandsaw blade, or the
OD of a workpiece in a lathe to save you from calculating it.
:-) Also rubber cups and cones for contacting the end of a shaft
to measure its speed.

18) Variacs and other variable autotransformers to allow you to run
a universal motor at lower voltages.

So -- even if you don't find a CRT monitor at a good price, you
can likely find something else worth having.

Good Luck,
DoN.

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