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As a guy who can't do his own service, tube testers seem like a can of worms to service due to their complexity. Does it make more sense to buy a new one rather than have it repaired? A few hours of service fees could buy another tube tester off Ebay!
Aren't transistors alien technology?
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Inexpensive tube testers aren't hard to service. I just did my TC-162, and I spent about $20 in parts and about an hour.
If the tester is expensive, it's likely more expensive to service, but well worth it.
Servicing intervals are long on these usually, at least 10-20 years.
C.G. Industries in Florida at 305-849-2665. E-mail c.g.industries@gmail.com
They do most of the high end stuff and even know AVO's apparently. I have a couple AVO's laying around here. I should get rid of some of these.
It's funny....15 years ago people weren't into Triplett 3444 or the solid state 3444A. Everybody wanted a 539C. So I bought some Tripletts for very little.
They are my fav along with the Hickok 580 or 580A. I prefer the 580A.
Michael is right. Either of those testers, and several others (Triplett), would be well worth the money to have rehabilitated, even if it cost most than buying another. You'd be taking the risk that the one you buy from eBay or another source will also need to be serviced to make it operate correctly. In the past year, I've sent two 539Bs to our local fellow who knows his sheep, and I'm almost funded up to give him my 539A. An Asylum member has my TT-1 and has been poking into that to bring it back to correct working order, so I can then sell it to him for some stupidly outrageous amount :P .
Pic: A few years back...one of the tube rooms, on a messy week. We look much more betterer now, and stocked to the ceiling
"I can't compete with the dead". (Buck W. 2010)
I like your setup actually..The TT-1 is my favorite of my testers..I think the 539c is liked because it gives generous readings on most functional tubes depending on where you set the scale range and that looks good for a guy selling tubes on Ebay. I just wish it had the additional 120vdc when testing KT88s like the TT-1 has,between the cathode and plate.
Honest amplification is better than excessive 2nd order distortion anytime.
who knows what I did with that. That was so long ago I probably gave that away ;-)
Those things are real cheap and flimsy anyway, hehe.
Can't wait to finally have the time to re cap it and replace the diodes. I will do that first and see if that stops the power sag on the heaters that happens when you try to test tubes.
Then, look over the resistors. None look cracked or burned, and it is super clean under there. I'll post a thread when I finally get around to it.
When it fell off the bench it cracked open like robin's egg and spilled its guts all over. I think I managed to put all the parts back inside....though I may have missed a few pieces.
"I can't compete with the dead". (Buck W. 2010)
If it's a Heathkit TT-1 or a Hickok 539 series,or some other well thought of tube tester valued at over 400 dollars,I would say get it fixed and updated.
Honest amplification is better than excessive 2nd order distortion anytime.
Well, as working tube testers in decent shape can be had for $100... I would say two hours of a service technician's time usually costs more than that. So maybe a B&K tester is just to be tossed once it gives up the ghost?
Aren't transistors alien technology?
A B&K 707 I wouldn't put much into..I would keep it and experiment with it yourself and get another tester..If you can use a voltmeter and read a schematic somewhat,you can probably fix it yourself.I would look for s better tester tho and even tho it can test tubes for good and bad as far as emission goes,it doesn't really tell us what we want to know on most tubes..Then again,neither do most tube testers outside of an Amplitrex.
Honest amplification is better than excessive 2nd order distortion anytime.
I've been giving consideration to selling a few testers and putting up some cash to buy an Amplitrex. My fear is having it serviced down the road, if needed....but this fear also lives with the Hickoks. The fellow who can service mine is...lets's say, older than me.
"I can't compete with the dead". (Buck W. 2010)
I have Hickoks, various models many TV-7's TV-2, TV-10 when I was in my paranoid era and started collecting testers as a means of cheap insurance to insure the quality of my NOS stuff.
Several observations.
1. most quality testers are built like tanks. Most simply need the two rectifier tubes checked and serviced and the light bulb which serves as a fuse. Pick up bulbs now as they are getting scarcer (#49 seems to be the most common)
2.Switches need to be cleaned: a shot of LPS-1 works wonders. I had one with a failed rheostat, but that was easily changed.
3.TV-7's often have a failed dual diode in rectifier test circuit which can easily be cobbed together using modern diodes.
4.With many testers, the cap (electrolytic) across the meter terminals goes. Simply replacing it normally fixes the meter.
5. once in a great while other issues crop up and a spare unit is always nice. Had a TV -7 with literally broken meter: face smashed and the movement crushed. No fix except replacement but I did find one after being very patient on Ebay.
6. Early TV-7's will oscillate when testing 6DJ8 family (meter will peg out), The D version has a simple solution: Install ferrites on all the wiring connecting the tube sockets. Extremely time consuming and tedious buy a D/U version unless you get earlier versions very cheap.
Of course YMMV and FWIW
A friend has a TV-7 I borrowed for quite a while before I stocked up on testers (forgot what iteration) We learned not to use for 6DJ8s. We never understood why. My Hickok 6000A doesn't like 6V6s. It gives readings that aren't right, compared to three other testers, yet on other tubes, I get what I would expect.
I need an Amplitrex.
"I can't compete with the dead". (Buck W. 2010)
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