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April 21st, 2011, 03:32 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 40
Posts: 4,832
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N(o)TTD!
New (old) Tube Tester Day!
Taking the tube-hobby to the next level, I bought this funky little tube tester last week. This morning it arrived at my desk. During lunch break today I'm headed over to the lab to fire it up and see if it does something. 
It's 1950s a 'Superior Instruments TC-55'. From what I read it's practically identical to the TD-55. It's very basic, in the sence that it tests for shorts / leakage and only does a rudimentary emission test (gain).
It didn't come with a manual or anything, but luckily I found those here. Long live teh inturnetz. 
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April 21st, 2011, 06:25 AM
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#2 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sydney, Australia
Age: 65
Posts: 3,574
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Looks like a Lie Detector kit for tubes!! 
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April 21st, 2011, 07:11 AM
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#3 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: West of civilisation
Age: 46
Posts: 2,438
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Congrats...I like that...
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Cheers, Rich
Good deals with: Mugsy, Worknot, Synchro, Jimfog, Shreddykrugar, RCBoals, Theo314, TV thewiredturtle, 6stings, awfulguitarnois, Michiel, Jimmy Rocket, Dazzajl
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April 21st, 2011, 08:02 AM
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#4 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 40
Posts: 4,832
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Yeah, it's a fine piece of nutty professor equipment.
I'm nearly ready to wake up Frankenstein now.
And after that... World Domination! Muhaahahahahaha! 
I tried it after lunch just now and it sorta works. I get a 'good' reading from a known good tube and a 'bad' reading from a tube I fried just now. 
After that I opened up the unit to inspect the individual components (there's not many of them). Looks like the 330ohm load resistor has burned out. There's some scorched wires touching the resistor.
That probably explains why I get a >100% reading for a good tube, while the manual states a good tube should read about 60-80%.
Easy enough to fix tho.
I'm very happy with it. |
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April 21st, 2011, 08:30 AM
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#5 (permalink)
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Friend of Fred
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Ventura, CA
Posts: 7,254
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Nifty!
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April 21st, 2011, 09:26 AM
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#6 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Clinton, Tn
Age: 44
Posts: 1,966
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I do believe that Michiel has a thing for tubes
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April 21st, 2011, 09:28 AM
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#7 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sydney, Australia
Age: 65
Posts: 3,574
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He's European. He has a thing for valves!
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April 21st, 2011, 09:34 AM
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#8 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jul 2009
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April 21st, 2011, 09:34 AM
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#9 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: West of civilisation
Age: 46
Posts: 2,438
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Quote:
Originally Posted by audept
He's European. He has a thing for valves!
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Actually that it is Brit-speak, on the main-land we generally prefer to use the term tubes, unless we're talking automobiles...
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Cheers, Rich
Good deals with: Mugsy, Worknot, Synchro, Jimfog, Shreddykrugar, RCBoals, Theo314, TV thewiredturtle, 6stings, awfulguitarnois, Michiel, Jimmy Rocket, Dazzajl
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April 21st, 2011, 09:35 AM
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#10 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 40
Posts: 4,832
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ricochet
Actually that it is Brit-speak, on the main-land we generally prefer to use the term tubes...
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yup, Dutch word for tubes/valves is 'buizen'.
That translates back to 'tubes'. |
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April 21st, 2011, 09:47 AM
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#11 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Clinton, Tn
Age: 44
Posts: 1,966
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Is the opposite of solid state, tube/valve state, or liquid state? 
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April 21st, 2011, 09:58 AM
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#12 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 40
Posts: 4,832
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The term 'valvestate' was coined by Marshal in the... 90s?
Some say: if you cook solid state hot enough, it becomes GASsy state.
I'm not one of them.
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April 21st, 2011, 06:53 PM
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#13 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: OzVegas
Age: 23
Posts: 1,328
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[quote=Michiel;260581]Yeah, it's a fine piece of nutty professor equipment.
I'm nearly ready to wake up Frankenstein now.
And after that... World Domination! Muhaahahahahaha! [quote]
I will totally help you..
Very cool little find Michiel!
Now just start a thread a thread named "Everyone send your tubes to me!"
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April 22nd, 2011, 02:08 AM
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#14 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 40
Posts: 4,832
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaycemumford
Now just start a thread a thread named "Everyone send your tubes to me!"
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Hehe, good idea! |
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May 5th, 2011, 11:23 PM
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#15 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 40
Posts: 4,832
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Today I finally got the replacement resistor. So during lunch I took yo the lab again to fix the device.
The tester
handwired innards
scorched wires (with new resistor)
the culprit; a burnt-out 330ohm resistor
After putting in the new resistor, the tester is working better than before. I'm getting very sensible readings from a 6l6gc.
The preamp tubes I tested still give weird values. Both test bad now. I know one of them is, but the other should be fine.
I'm going to look into that tomorrow.
Last edited by Michiel; May 6th, 2011 at 01:51 AM.
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May 6th, 2011, 12:01 AM
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#16 (permalink)
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Gretschie
Join Date: May 2010
Location: North Huntingdon, Pa
Posts: 204
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Hey Michiel, thats pretty cool. When I was a kid and the family TV or radio would quit working my Father would remove all the tubes and send me to the local drugstore (pharmacy) to test the tubes. All these little drugstores had self help tube testing machines and sold replacement tubes.
Good luck with your tester!
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May 6th, 2011, 01:44 AM
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#17 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: London...ish
Posts: 3,335
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I love valves. I'm a hifi nut, and have a lovely old Radford STA25 amp, and a leak Stereo 20 - both silver wired with top quality components. I also prefer passive pre amps. Speaker, I have Quads ELS 57's and Tannoy Little Gold Monitors.
Sources, Vinyl, CD, FM, and a DAC for lossless MP3's/FLAC
Mr Marlin
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May 6th, 2011, 07:45 AM
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#18 (permalink)
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Friend of Fred
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Norway
Age: 52
Posts: 5,000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 68GuitarPlayer
Is the opposite of solid state, tube/valve state, or liquid state? |
It's 'soft state'
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May 6th, 2011, 07:55 AM
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#19 (permalink)
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Friend of Fred
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Norway
Age: 52
Posts: 5,000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michiel
yup, Dutch word for tubes/valves is 'buizen'.
That translates back to 'tubes'. |
'Buizen state amp'?
Norwegian word for tube is 'rør' which translates back also as 'pipe'.
'Pipe state amp'
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May 6th, 2011, 08:02 AM
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#20 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 40
Posts: 4,832
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 6stings
'Buizen state amp'?
Norwegian word for tube is 'rør' which translates back also as 'pipe'.
'Pipe state amp' |
We omit the 'state' (ie 'Buizen amp' or 'Buizen versterker').
I like 'pipe amp'. It makes me picture an amp shaped like a pipe organ.
Wouldn't that be awesome? |
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