Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In this video, I present the Heathkit IT-22 "Capaci-Tester", a basic in-circuit "good or bad" capacitor tester whose design dates from 1957.
Of particular interest is the main indicator used, a specialized type 1629 vacuum tube, commonly referred to as the "magic eye".
I talk briefly about the instrument's history, then show the steps I went through to make the rough-looking device more presentable, then I demonstrate it in operation, followed by a brief overview of the Heathkit manual, and finally I go through the schematic diagram and several sketches I made to clarify how the device works.
Here is a timeline table of contents:
00:00 History
02:20 Cleanup
08:53 Demonstration
12:06 Manual overview
16:54 Schematic & Theory of operation
In this video, I present the Heathkit IT-22 "Capaci-Tester", a basic in-circuit "good or bad" capacitor tester whose design dates from 1957.
Of particular interest is the main indicator used, a specialized type 1629 vacuum tube, commonly referred to as the "magic eye".
I talk briefly about the instrument's history, then show the steps I went through to make the rough-looking device more presentable, then I demonstrate it in operation, followed by a brief overview of the Heathkit manual, and finally I go through the schematic diagram and several sketches I made to clarify how the device works.
Here is a timeline table of contents:
00:00 History
02:20 Cleanup
08:53 Demonstration
12:06 Manual overview
16:54 Schematic & Theory of operation
