Solar Capacitor Analyzer and Resistance Bridge
Archived listing from the original vintage-amplifier.com. Prices, seller details and purchase links have been removed; this page is a reference record, and nothing here is for sale. About this archive.
- Vintage Solar
- Capacitor Analyzer Resistance Bridge
- Model CBB
- Serial # B7820
- Measures about 9-1/2″ x 7-1/4″ x 4-1/2″
- The lid is missing; no lid or instructions
About this model
Solar Manufacturing Corporation made capacitors and the instruments to test them. Its analysers used a Wien bridge for capacitance and resistance and, in models such as the CB and CC, a 6E5 "magic eye" tube as the null indicator; manuals of the period note that the eye made a bridge practical in an inexpensive instrument. This one is labelled model CBB, serial B7820, about 9½ by 7¼ by 4½ inches, missing its lid and instructions.
On a vintage amplifier, capacitors fail far more often than tubes, which is why an analyser like this is a natural companion to a tube tester.
The archive also has a Hickok 600A mutual conductance tester, and the tube tester guide explains what each kind of tester measures.
| Maker | Solar Manufacturing Corporation, USA |
|---|---|
| Model | CBB (listing) |
| Type | Capacitor analyser / resistance bridge |
| Indicator | 6E5 tuning eye (CB/CC models) |
| Size | About 9½ × 7¼ × 4½ in (listing) |
Questions collectors ask
How does a Solar capacitor analyser work?
It uses a bridge circuit to compare the unknown capacitor or resistor with known values; a magic-eye tube shows when the bridge is balanced.
Why test capacitors in an old amplifier?
Because they fail far more often than tubes. Leaky or dried-out capacitors cause hum, distortion and damage to other parts.
Sources: Lost Manuals: Solar CC analyzer.
