[Boatanchors] Want to buy a pair of tested 5651WA voltage regulator tubes (new)

[vilgotch1 at gmail.com]

Hi all,

It's true that those gas discharge tubes don't fail often but there is a 
small proportion that do. They either experience drift of the regulated 
voltage or develop erratic firing characteristics, probably due to gas 
leakage in either direction. I've found that the best way to check them, 
if you have access to one, is a Tektronics 575 or later curve tracer. I 
don't know whether any tube tester can duplicate the usefulness of a 
curve tracer. Using that instrument you can clearly see the ignition and 
stabilization voltages and see how constant they are at different 
currents. Having said that, fortunately they are still cheap enough to 
be able to be replaced easily. Woe betide us if the audiophooles ever 
find a reason to use them!

73,

Morris VK3DOC