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Originally Posted by vts1134
On a related note does any one have advice on procuring a variac? Specs, things to look for, price range, etc...?
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They can be quite expensive depending on the amperage etc. If you anticipate doing more work on tube sets in the future, it's certainly a worthwhile investment, but for a single set, the cost:gain ratio isn't that pleasing.
You can do without one, a lot of people use what's called the "dim bulb" (no sense repeating what's in a lot of other threads/sites - a quick search will net you the details) method to protect their sets when they fire them up; it gives a nice visual indication very quickly if there is a short, and is essentially a lightbulb-based voltage divider/current limiter.
Or, you can try borrowing one... there are plenty in many university physics labs and if you're friendly with the staff they might let you borrow one for a bit. I borrowed mine when I did my Fleetwood set.
Edit: Note that I meant you can use other protections instead of a variac, not that you can just fire it up without any safety!!