Decade box

[electra225]

I have been wanting to do some experimenting with Magnavox bi-amps when I get my shop back up and going. I have been considering getting both a resistance and a capacitance decade box so I can vary the values of components for testing. I have no experience with such devices and have found prices all over the place. New production ones (probably Chinese made) are not that bad in price, while the "VTG" vintage devices are pretty high priced. Wouldn't these vintage devices be subject to component drifting much like a vintage electronic device would? Would the later production devices be dependable for testing purposes?

[hermitcrab]

A good decade box will use precision resistors good to .01 % variance.... I got a cheapo thing from china ... it works but it uses only 1/4 watt values which would work on low voltage electronics but high power it would probably fry them in a instant

[Firedome]

I think I saw a decade box ('50s vintage) in my late uncle's huge pile o' stuff. We've liquidated a lot of his old Ford cars and parts but we're still working on 2 garages of electronics. The Ham and bigger test equipment was donated to a local tech museum, but some of the smaller test pieces are still there: I got an cute little Tek 310b, Heathkit dot & bar, Simpson 260, GR Variac, Sony 250 r to r, and Garrard Type A, my cousin got the rest of his old Mc tube stereo. Will check it out when I'm there later on this week.

[electra225]

Thanks for thinking of me, Roger.

[Firedome]

Did find stuff, will take pics and post them, I don't know much about using these, frankly a VTVM and Variac is really pushing my limits lol.

[electra225]

I've never used one, and know little about one. I have READ that using a decade box will allow the technician to vary resistances and capacitances in a circuit and note any differences in performance. My UNDERSTANDING is that you need to know what the values of the components in the decade boxes are, so you don't overload them. I would be using a decade box in the signal circuit, so I shouldn't over load anything. They make/made both resistance and capacitance decade boxes.

[Firedome]

OK the pic is too big and I"m too lazy and/or stupid to re-size it, so please send your eMail addy to me and will send a pic and info directly: firesweep at verizon dot net.
RA in NY

[electra225]

I've done some research on other forums and have found that cellphone photos taken at 900 pixels by 675 pixels seem to be a good size. And, if you have Windows on your computer, you can right click on the photo you need to resize, select "resize" then I choose the top option, the smallest one. That will resize your picture so you can post it. My cellphone is set for something like 3800 pixels by 3200 pixels or some ridiculous thing like that. The idea is so the pictures will look good if you send them to another cellphone, something I have no idea how to do. I had the guys at the store reset the pictures on my phone to 900 X 675. I haven't posted any pictures set that way yet. I'll send you a PM with my email address. Thanks, Roger.

[Firedome]

Tried R click, no resize option just rotate, scan &c. I'm bad at pic stuff...
Will send pic when I know eMail addy.

[electra225]

Check your PM's, Roger.