[Drake] EXT :Re: Tube tester wanted

[Garey Barrell]

Cecil -

That's a situation where you have a big pile of tubes and need to sort 
them out.  You just get them in batches!

Have you priced a 'good' tube tester lately??  I just sold a TV-7/D 
with a bad transformer for $350.  You can buy a LOT of tubes for much 
less than that.  If you have only Drake gear, there areprobably only a 
dozen different tubes.  If you have gear using from 01As to 4CX350s, 
or repair commercially, then yes, a tube tester becomes more useful.

As for a shorted element, it's not likely to do much damage.  Possibly 
take out a cathode resistor or supply decoupling resistor.  I've owned 
radios of many manufacturersover 50 years, and I can only recall ONE 
situation where a shorted suppressor grid in a tube took out a supply 
decoupling resistor. Most grid shorts quickly vaporize the grid wire 
long before any damage is done to the rest of the radio.

I DO own a TV-7/D, bought many years ago when they were $50-100, and 
just used it for the first time in five years to sort through a box of 
used/unknown tubes.

73, Garey - K4OAH
Glen Allen, VA

Drake 2-B, 2-C/2-NT, 4-A, 4-B, C-Line
and TR-4/C Service Supplement CDs
<www.k4oah.com>

Cecil wrote:
> These are all true statements if one has only one radio.  It pays only to keep spares of tubes.
>
> If one is in the hobby with a dozen tube radios and doing restorations then owning a tube tester or three makes sense.
>
> I would much rather find a grid shorted to another tube element in my tube tester than in my radio...
>
> Cecil
> K5DL
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Apr 8, 2013, at 9:01 AM, Richard Radke <rar100 at excite.com> wrote:
>
>> I agree also. Any tube tester worth having is going cost way more than a set of replacement tubes, and it will tell you less.
>>
>> Rick
>> W9WS
>>
>>
>> On Apr 8, 2013, at 8:49 AM, Stevens, Bill (ES) wrote:
>>
>> All
>> I agree I spent money on a tester and it just sits never used it about all it will really tell you is if you have a short and if the fil is open besides a finger touch can tell you if it's alive. I second Gareys emotion buy a full set of tubes.
>> Bill
>> WB2UFC
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: drake-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:drake-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Garey Barrell
>> Sent: Sunday, April 07, 2013 12:26 PM
>> To: drake at mailman.qth.net >> Drake
>> Subject: EXT :Re: [Drake] Tube tester wanted
>>
>> Joe -
>>
>> You, and your Drakes, would be better served by spending the money on a set of replacement tubes.
>>
>> It's best to try the new tubes one at a time, in a properly operating radio, as not all 'new' tubes are good.  Once you have a 'known good'
>> set of tubes, any time you think your radio may not be operating up to par, start subbing appropriate tubes.  If no improvement, putthe 'old'
>> tube back in and your good tube back on the shelf!  Once a radio is tuned up and operating normally, there are very few tube 'failures' or 'weaknesses'. There are a LOT ofgood tubes tossed out because of tube testers and those who think they're like spark plugs and replace them all at once!  :-) 'Weakness' is a result of Cathode depletion, and modern tubes have LOTS of cathode coating.  PA tubes are the only ones that will eventually 'wear out' in normal use.  Run them off resonance however, and they'll wear out in a hurry as the Cathode coating get blown off by amperes of current!!
>>
>> Testing them at 60 Hz in a tube tester only remotely infers how they would work at RF.  A tubetester is useful if you have a box of 1000 tubes of unknown condition and you want to sort them out!
>>
>> 73, Garey - K4OAH
>> Glen Allen, VA
>>
>> Drake 2-B, 2-C/2-NT, 4-A, 4-B, C-Line
>> and TR-4/C Service Supplement CDs
>> <www.k4oah.com>
>>
>> Joseph Trombino, Jr wrote:
>>> 'm looking for a Hickok 752A tube tester in working condition.
>>>
>>> A Heathkit TT1A tube tester could work for me as well.
>>>
>>> If anyone out there has one of these critters for sale please let me know.
>>>
>>> Trying to keep my Drake gear in working condition and a good tube tester sure would help in this endeavor.
>>>
>>> Many thanks for any assistance.
>>>
>>>             73, Joe W2KJ
>>>