The late 1950s [Bill Haley], [Elvis Presley], as well as [Little Richard] were building a new type of music. Meanwhile, electronic hobbyists were building their own gear from Heathkit. A great deal of that gear shows you exactly how far we’ve are available in less than a century. [Jeff Tranter’s] YouTube channel is a excellent method to look at a great deal of old Heathkit gear, including this truly fascinating “direct reading capability meter.” You can see the video, below.
Measuring capacitance these days is easy. many digital multimeters have that function. However, those didn’t exist in the 1950s–at least, not in the method we understand them. The CM-1 weighed 5 pounds, had a number of tubes, as well as expense what would correspond to $250 in today’s prices. Unlike other instruments of the day, though, the capacitance was checked out directly off a big analog meter (hence, the name). You didn’t have to translate readings utilizing a nomograph or move a knob to balance a bridge as well as checked out the knob’s position.
[Jeff] doesn’t just look at the CM-1, he explains exactly how it measures capacitance by rectifying a pulse produced by the capacitor. The typical value is proportional to the capacitor’s value, as well as [Jeff] shows you on the range what’s going on inside. You can pick up a great deal of great information, particularly if you are thinking about old gear. For example, do you understand what a poultry head knob is? If you don’t, definitely watch the video!
If you have any type of rate of interest in vintage gear, [Jeff’s] entire channel is worth a look. He likewise does a great deal of retrocomputing projects and documents them in excellent detail. If you aren’t old sufficient to keep in mind Heathkit in its glory days, it is difficult to grasp the range of it. They made whatever including TVs, ham radio gear, robots, computers, terminals, and–of course–test equipment. all in set type with meticulously detailed manuals that nobody else has ever rather recreated. Take a look at a few of [Jeff’s] videos as well as you’ll see what we mean.