Tube tester?

[Brian]

Hi:

Looking for recomendations on buying a used tube tester - would prefer
something that will handle high current TV tubes (late 50s 60s).

What do you like? What to avoid?

Also where to buy? eBay?

Thanks,

Brian

 

[Alan Douglas]

Brian asked:

Looking for recomendations on buying a used tube tester - would prefer
something that will handle high current TV tubes (late 50s 60s).

There are any number of TV-service-shop-grade testers available,
but it depends on how thoroughly you want to test. If you really mean
a test at high current, only the Hickok Cardmatic models could run
them at their full emission rating. But it's probably easier to whomp
up your own test rig, than to restore a Cardmatic from scratch. If you
only want to separate the good tubes from the bad, any emssion tester
will do pretty well, even a lowly Heathkit or Eico.

The subject comes up every month or so in the Antique Radio Forum:

http://antiqueradios.com/cgi-bin/forums/index.cgi

With some recommendations of people who restore and sell testers.

Or for an extended discussion of the merits of various testing
methods and tube-tester models, I wrote a book "Tube Testers and
Classic Electronic Test Gear." Available from the usual suspects or
from Antique Radio Classified magazine:

http://www.antiqueradio.com/collbooks.html

73, Alan

 

[Brian]

Alan Douglas <adouglasatgis.net> wrote

Brian asked:
Looking for recomendations on buying a used tube tester - would prefer
something that will handle high current TV tubes (late 50s 60s).

There are any number of TV-service-shop-grade testers available,
but it depends on how thoroughly you want to test. If you really mean
a test at high current, only the Hickok Cardmatic models could run
them at their full emission rating. But it's probably easier to whomp
up your own test rig, than to restore a Cardmatic from scratch. If you
only want to separate the good tubes from the bad, any emssion tester
will do pretty well, even a lowly Heathkit or Eico.

The subject comes up every month or so in the Antique Radio Forum:

http://antiqueradios.com/cgi-bin/forums/index.cgi

With some recommendations of people who restore and sell testers.

Or for an extended discussion of the merits of various testing
methods and tube-tester models, I wrote a book "Tube Testers and
Classic Electronic Test Gear." Available from the usual suspects or
from Antique Radio Classified magazine:

http://www.antiqueradio.com/collbooks.html

Thanks Alan - good information, just what I was looking for.

Happy New Year to you and your family.

Best regards,

Brian