On 4/19/2013 4:03 PM, Noel Keith wrote:
So, I recently got a Tektronics 545B oscilloscope. It's been sitting in a basement for god knows how long, and I thought it would be cool to see if it worked. well, it doesn't. It's missing it's fuse and fusecap, and it's power cable. I had read in a couple of places that the fuse only affected the high voltage stuff, like the CRT. I might be totally wrong about this, which is why I'm asking you guys Well, with that in mind, I found a newer power cable that seemed to fit the bill, so I tried using that. Nothing. I then tried using a voltage regulator. Still nothing. Now, I'm not sure if it's because of the mysterious missing fuse, or if something else has gone bad inside, or if it was the power cable (which I doubt). My next guess was that it was the missing fuse. Holy crap does this thing have a strange fuse. I've looked all over for something with a similar rating and size, but with no luck. I'm not as worried about the fusecap. I searched for a couple weeks online, but I eve
ntually came to the conclusion that the thing would probably never work. Today though, I thought I'd give it a go again.
Back of the oscilloscope: http://i.imgur.com/uM64sfX.jpg
I opened it up to find TONS of gunk and dusk blanketing it's insides. I also found a pdf of its manual (which has slightly more info about the missing fuse). Now I think I got in over my head, because I'm too scared to touch anything. Before I go fiddling with 50 year old electrical components, I want to know if it works or not, what I can do to fix the fuse situation (even if only temporarily), and if I should check for anything else.

So, can anyone help me? I'd REALLY like to get this guy working again, but I need some help (obviously, hehe...)

When I was a calibration tech for Collins Radio in Richardson, TX we had
a wash cabinet for washing out dirty electronics equipment. It had a
turntable in it and a spray head to rinse it off. We just sprayed
things with soap solution and rinsed them off, then put them in an
oven set at around 120 degrees over night. Paper covered electrolytics
needed to be wrapped to keep the paper from getting wet.

The scope will probably need to have the filters replaced. If it has
an old fashioned selenium rectifier that will undoubtedly need to be
replaced. Early models had the seleniums, unless I am remembering
the 545A. And there is a fair chance a bunch of tubes will be weak.
This is particularly important for the power supply regulator
tube(s). I don't remember if it had 1 or 2 series regulators. If
you have the manual you can tell easy enough.

Bill