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 (http://www.nostalgiaair.org/references/manuals/). Long live teh inturnetz.:p

13887

Looks like a Lie Detector kit for tubes!! :D

Congrats...I like that...

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!:cool::D

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.:)

Nifty!

I do believe that Michiel has a thing for tubes:D

He's European. He has a thing for valves!

http://www.tradevalves.com/upload/Carbon-steel-Gate-Valve.jpg
http://www.ccssinc.com/images/xtras/mail_tubes300x300.jpg?rand=12768225
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m0k2-0iOPq8/TJNjxcA7CiI/AAAAAAAAAI8/gbHJOBZhO_E/s1600/confused.jpg

He's European. He has a thing for valves!

Actually that it is Brit-speak, on the main-land we generally prefer to use the term tubes, unless we're talking automobiles...

Actually that it is Brit-speak, on the main-land we generally prefer to use the term tubes...

yup, Dutch word for tubes/valves is 'buizen'.
That translates back to 'tubes'.:)

Is the opposite of solid state, tube/valve state, or liquid state?:rolleyes:

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.

[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!:cool::D[QUOTE]

I will totally help you.. :D

Very cool little find Michiel!

Now just start a thread a thread named "Everyone send your tubes to me!"

Now just start a thread a thread named "Everyone send your tubes to me!"

Hehe, good idea! :D

Today I finally got the replacement resistor. So during lunch I took yo the lab again to fix the device.

The tester
14123

handwired innards
14124

scorched wires (with new resistor)
14125

the culprit; a burnt-out 330ohm resistor
14126


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.

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!

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

Is the opposite of solid state, tube/valve state, or liquid state?:rolleyes:

It's 'soft state':D

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':D

'Buizen state amp'?

Norwegian word for tube is 'rør' which translates back also as 'pipe'.

'Pipe state amp':D

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?:D

Never even thought of getting one, now I want one, bastages!

I found a 12au7 that gave a good reading, but the two 12ax7s I tested both gave a bad reading. I'm not sure if I can trust the tester in that case though: I'm going to doublecheck the ax7s in an amp and try a know good ax7 in the tester tonight.

Here's some more geek pr0n: :D

M, you're good!:)

I don't think the lie detector is a problem, I see you have the 'Elektronaja lampa' there, and measuring of these Russian 'lamps' must always point to the 'red':D

What? 'Lamp amp'