The AM Forum

Hi All,
 
 I have the sneaking suspicion that I may own a few more pieces of hollow state radio equipment in the future. With that, I am contemplating acquiring a vacuum tube tester of some sort.
 The trouble is, what to get? I guess a relatively late model is in order so that I have the flexability to test tubes with pin counts higher than 9.
 Which models are preferred for radio/audio work? I also have to consider cost.
What models are a good balance between flexability and value?

Thanks, Roland.............

When you say cost is a factor and you want a late version, you now have a problem.  The audio folks have beat you to the mark and good versions are expensive to me.  Also remember they have their limitations so don't expect miracles.

I have a Western Electric KS-15650 which serves my needs very well but I do wish it was the 15750 which will check more tubes.  Any of the comparable Hickok will suffice and there are others.  You might want to take a look at Michael Marx's site to get an idea of what is out there then do a search for each specific type to learn about it.

http://www.vacuumtubes.com/manuals.html

Do not get an emission tester, they are only good for checking filament continuity

If there’s one thing that will start a fight it’s got to be what tube tester is best and what’s the real value of a tube tester. Twenty years ago you were not able to give old tube testers away; today the good ones are like gold. I think some of the best are the old Hickok military testers, if you can get one reasonable. General consensus appears that the TV-7 is some sort of perfect tube tester, they are a good unit but sell for stupid money and the ones I have seen at ham fest and the like that were under $300 or so are usually beat to death. Other good military testers to look for are the TV-3 and TV-10, I have a TV-10 and prefer it over the 7 and 2, and the TV-2 is a highly prized tester and maybe the most overly complex tester ever in mass production. Any of the military TV family of tester will check almost everything encountered in old radio service but if you want something that will test modern sweep tubes like 6LQ6 or 6JE6 or compactions something like a Hickok 800 is a good choice but they are getting expensive also. Another tester to think about is one of my favorites right now and that’s the old Weston 788 or its military version the OQ-3, they usually sell for around $200 on EBay but they are a very primitive design so they will not check any tubes designed after the forties although they are very accurate and can be used for matching pairs of tubes like 807 or 1625 and have the ability to check tubes going back to the beginning of time. The Weston is so primitive that is does not have a nine pin socket but you can install a socket, all the connections to the tubes are thru a plug board so once you have developed a procedure you take a known good tube and establish a reference and then can plug in the tube under test and see how it compares.
 

Maybe there is a reason compactrons were never meant to be used outside of disposable TV sets...

73DG

I love those little multi pin monsters! There’s just something wrong with you if the thought of a three triode 6U10 don’t get you going. It’s like a mutated 12AX7! Three little glowing filaments all in a row.

There may very well be plenty wrong with me, but "Nothing newer than an octal" is the way it is around here.

Into the crusher go all those little junk tubes, doing the world a favor by getting rid of them!

If I actually had any....

73DG

But, the 6U10 is “Vinalsavors Tube of the Month” he has glamorous pictures of the tube in different lighting and angels to best see its tipple filament.

http://vinylsavor.blogspot.com/2011/12/tube-of-month-6u10.html

You would need one and a half 6SN7 tubes to do the same thing.

Hard to get some of those Heathkit rigs running without those multi-pin babies.

I have three tube testers here. The Sencore TC-162 is my quick good/bad emission/leakage tube tester. The Hickok 800 and TV-7 are used for the more rigorous and comprehensive testing. I wouldn't attempt to service a tube piece of equipment without a handy tube tester nearby.

My favorite here is the Hickok 752A but thats a lot pricier now than the $20 I paid for it at the National Radio IRS auction in 1991. All Hickoks and their military clones (all of the TV models are Hickok designs often licensed to other contractors) are good testers and you wont lose money at selling time.

For a lot less money check out the Jackson 648S. Its a cross between a cheap and relatively useless emissions tester and a transconductance version. It has a removable tube deck that flips over and covers all tube bases from the 20's to the very end. There is a web site devoted to the Jacksons and all the settings dta is available.
After overhauling mine I did a comparison with dozens of all types of tubes against the 752A and it was damn close. About 4 years ago it was about $50 delivered on Fleabay without a cover and a bit dirty but cleaned up nice and I gave it to my tube amp guitar playing #2 son.....next stop for his belongings is Tiblisi Georgia in about 2 months, he left the US today for Kiev and then Moscow.

Carl

Have you looked at what anything with "Western Electric" brings these days?

A recent KS-xxxx branded Hickok made unit went for beaucoup bux on epay.

                _-_-

The world is full of silly people.

And some with more money than sense.

:o :o :o :o :o :o :o

No problem,  I can send you a spare few thousand.

Fred

You're alright, Fred.  Always thinking of me.  Seriously, thank you!

I just LOVE tubes by the truckload, even if they do have more than 8 pins... ;)

73inoctalheavenDG

TV-7 rebuilt and calibrated by Dan Nelson.  Known accuracy and easy to use.  Expensive.

I have a TV-10 here also.  I dont like it as much but mainly because it takes up more space and this one is kind of a beater. 

I HATE the roll dial for the tube chart.  You are forced to look and read almost every tube as you search for the one you need.  On the TV-7 its a book and you can skip sections and thumb through the book. After a while, you learn where the common tubes are and can quickly get to the line you need.

My 2 cents.

I have two TV-7's and an I-177. The 177 is nice for real old stuff but rather limited in what it will test. I have one modern tube tester also a B&K 747. The B&K isn't half the tube tester of the TV7 but it covers the newer tubes that it doesn’t. I have a few adapters that I have made up for testing compactron stuff on a TV7. I also have an adaptor to test 4cx250b’s and such this comes in handy. I would recommend a TV7 to anyone.

73 John N8QPC

Once again I'm late to the party. This radio stuff is more complicated than I thought.
I didn't consider the fact that even a "good" tube checker needs regular calibration and the most often tested tubes can wear out the sockets.
Like most things in life, it's take a chance on an "estate" find of uncertain virtue or pay dearly for a "restored" unit.
So far I've been lucky to stumble into hollow state equipment that actually works to some extent. No smoke or disconcerting explosions. Yet.
Thanks for everyones input. The learning curve continues.

Roland........................