It looks like the 2 trimmers are set up opposite each other, but that should just mean you would have to turn them in different directions, I think it should still work.

I was beating my head against the wall 🧱

I was to make this circuit
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So I was trying to set VCE to 12V and couldn't do it.
I started checking stuff finally disconnected the base and could do it

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Reconnect the base and back to zero (no matter how variable R2 is turned.

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It took me a while     

Yes sir
I had to get out of bed and turn the lights on to further this quandary 

So look at this picture pretty sure at this time VBB was 1.6 v
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Some calculations below

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So I'm thinking that what I was seeing moving up and down while adjusting the variable resistor (VBB) was the collector current Ic

Problem is the resistor is nowhere near the collector and the whole rectified AC is really making things worse   

Yes sir thanks so much !!!    

You made no mistake and its working as it should.

Only "problem" is that you are omitting a small fact:

A single transistor stage as shown is an *inverting* gain stage, so the higher the Vbb (or Vbe) the lower the Collector voltage (Vce).

Scope "does not lie" and shows it as it is.

"schematic"

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Been slugging it out 

Head is spinning 

Tried to do this experiment and my curve is backwards 

I did notice if I varied VBB it went up and down

VBB at about zero
I guess this is zero Ib (and or zero Ic)
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Then some Ib and or Ic
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Then more Ib and or Ic
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I tried flipping stuff around to no avail

Only when I put the scope on "inverse" did it look like I wanted

I'm disgusted but progress is progress

Yes sir thank you

I did make that mistake early on and had to learn the hard way 

I would put the scope lead and ground across a resistor like a volt meter   

It took me a while to figure out the scope lead ground was ground.

 

Here's the GX-120 / GX-212 schematic I was referring to.

But you can!
It just needs the proper probe/adapter.
Everyday I measure power transistor current for servicing, power supply current under load, say when playing Music, current through a speaker, etc.
In this case,all it takes is a 0.1 ohm resistor in series with load, and clipping scope leads across it.
It turns 10A peak current into very measurable 1V peak, easy to display on any scope screen.

Warning: you need to have scope ground floating OR to have that resistor with one end grounded.

I used to wonder how they measured current when set 📐 up in x-y mode

So I just accepted it 

So now I think they are just showing voltage. (Ya think ?!?!?  )

And yeah isn't that what oscilloscopes do 

I don't know the complete details I think the volts per division is set to "make it right" I'll see how it's done when I actually do this.  (Eek  )

So what's all the fuss about well in my book 📖 I'm working through the have a sections where students use a Tektronix 575.  I would love to have one but I looked at some and they are big and heavy, have lots of tubes (huh?!?) and $$$$ 

Dont get me wrong I would love to have one 

Now credit to the book 📚 they have instructions how to monitor Ic on the scope which is cool.

Seems like I saw on MEF one of the members here posted some beautiful pics of output characteristic curves