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B&K and HP Audio Audio Oscillators, These are capable of making sine waves
for testing of audio products. I usually use them for testing loudspeaker
boxes. Every shop should have one of these, even a cheap one works fine and
is better than nothing. They allow you to make a steady tone and helps when
looking for speaker box leaks and strange rattles. Also for finding the
resonances in speakers, speaker boxes or your car. Also useful for finding
your own T/S parameters.
Distortion analyzers,
useful in measuring amplifiers output power. Both the Sound Technology and
the HP pieces here also have very accurate and very sensitive voltmeters on
them. I bought one of these at a ham radio tailgate sale and the other one
in a pawn shop..
Volt meters, a very useful tool... Both these pictured are Flukes, the
model 27 on the right is my favorite and they are pretty cheap new, and
cheaper at the pawn shops or on EBAY. The meter on the left is our bench
meter capable of super accurate measurements and a much more expensive
meter.
Oscilloscope, everyone needs a scope, it allows you to actually see a visual
representation of the music or test signal right on the CRT screen! With it
you can see an amplifier clip! And allot of other stuff including the
complete waveform.
This is a Fluke digital volt meter AND digital oscilloscope in one! It also
has a built in audio oscillator but it only has one output frequency, I
prefer the variable oscillators but this might help in a pinch. And since it
is battery powered I can use the scope in a car out in the parking lot when
I need to.
CB/two way radio test gear.
Frequency counter, tells you the exact frequency, this one is for two way
radio but I also have one for measuring audio frequencies (sound)...
Power supplies. This is a monster power supply used for running our test
bench. It turns 120 volts out of the wall into 12volts for use with car
stereo gear.
This is a nifty item from radio shack, it is a small battery powered
amplifier with a speaker in it, you can test the RCA outputs on a stereo or
crossover to see if a signal is present.
Part of the control center on our test bench, it switches speakers, amps and
sources for testing stuff on the bench.
RTA and SPL meter! Both useful for seeing sound levels in your listening
environment. Couldn't live without them!
Magnifying glass!
Look closely at circuit boards when the gear doesn't work, you might see the
problem and avoid an expensive trip to the repair man!
Headphones are indispensable for me! I have a set of alligator clips I can
plug the headphones into and clip onto amplifiers in cars, so I can hear the
amplifier outputs while working on the vehicle. Very good for hunting
alternator noises!!!!
