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#1
04-18-2022, 01:02 PM
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Thinking of buying a Vacuum tube tester
I'm kind of new to the hobby and I'm getting tired of just replacing all the tubes when I'm not sure if they are the problem. I know there are some really great and expensive tube testers out there, but I dont have $2-300 to spend at the moment, Is there an affordable one that will just help diagnose a bad tube?
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#2
04-18-2022, 01:59 PM
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There's 4 types of tester Heater only(useless unless you have a dead series string tube in a TV), Emissions (cheap and not great), in-between types (better than emissions, not as good as Mutual conductance), mutual conductance (usually expensive).
I think my B&K dynajet 606 is one of those in-between types that isn't expensive...It's main draw back is it doesn't test 1930s fat pin types...I work on radios too so I ended up getting a cheap emissions tester for those. There are others out there that are decent and affordable. A tube tester isn't the last word on tube quality especially on sweep tubes and HV rectifiers (those you sometimes can only check by substitution.)
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Tom C. Zenith: The quality stays in EVEN after the name falls off! What I want. --> http://www.videokarma.org/showpost.p...62&postcount=4 Last edited by Electronic M; 04-19-2022 at 01:08 PM. Reason: stinking auto correct thinks affordable is adorable...
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#3
04-19-2022, 07:40 AM
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Whenever I asked people told me you need a mutual conductance tester, and it's kept me from getting one. I have one that tests heaters I bought it for $5 off eBay a long time ago. What do I look for to find an in between type? I noticed you also helped with my post about the Zenith TV, I want to test the 2 vertical tubes to make sure they are bad, plus I have a Zenith clock radio that keeps burning out tubes and I've replaced all 5 twice. So I'd like to make an educated decision instead of just shot gunning all the tubes everytime.
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#4
04-19-2022, 08:55 AM
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This is one of the best overall web article on tube testers. Although the focus of the website is guitar amplifiers it does a good general job.
https://tone-lizard.com/tube-testers/ The website has gone through some changes over the several years since I first found it. Practically very few testers can test every receiving tube made without adapters. You also need the setup data for all the tubes. To cover the earliest (4 pin) and the last made (12 pin) usually requires more than one tester. Ancient Chinese Saying: "The best test for a tube is in the equipment that uses it."
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