I just found your channel. What a great amount of lost base knowledge you feed back into the community. I work on and repair AA5s and TRFs. Your information is invaluable as I have watched over 10 videos in a row. I am just now adding in a comment. Keep the knowledge flow running and thanks!
Great video by some one as old as me, and like me very passionate about Trans conductance, been as child Interested in the evolution of it. Would like to build a Trans conductance tester. But maybe in the future tubes will be the norm.
Fantastic Video! Please keep sharing your knowledge. I enjoy your videos very much. Thank you for all your efforts! I also have decided on 2 absolute must haves for my shop. The Hallicrafters s-20r and the Hickok...Thank you! All the best to you, your family and of course Mr. Dillon!
10:06 - Boots! That's my cat from childhood. Basically a hot water bottle covered in fur, she would wake up in the morning, eat, then burrow under the covers of my bed and sleep off the exertion over the next half day. I have two tube testers. One is an I-177B made by the Simpson Company, stamped with Signal Corps logos, and it works great. The two rectifiers have 1930s date codes. Somebody cut off the grid connector cords, so I have to fix that to test such tubes as need it. It looks like a bear to get to, though. I also have a 1968 Hickock 6000A that can do compactrons. So one for the old, one for the newish. Neither have been calibrated. Frankly, unless you are selling tubes and claiming they perform to thus and so specs, calibration is unnecessary. Even matching for, say, the output power tubes of an amplifier, if they read the same on the same tester, then they match. Qualitative vs. quantitative, I know, but it still applies. What worries me most is that there are no new replacements for that mercury vapor rectifier. You can't use a solid-state replacement as the Hickock circuit relies on the predictable voltage drop across it.
Good intro video. I'd just add a few things. Missing the tube chart is not the end of the world. It's certainly not as convenient as having the original one, but there are places on line where you can find printable versions you can keep with your tester. Depending on when the tube tester was built, the printable version might even be better as it could have data for tubes released after the tester was made. Also, having the manual is highly recommended. Every tester has it's own procedure for setting up the machine, and the way to conduct the tests. Again, these are usually available on line as PDFs. Last, just a general tip. Set up the tester BEFORE putting the tube in the socket. Nothing like the sick feeling you get when you go to test a six volt tube and see the filament burn out in a bright white flash because you left the settings to test a fifty volt filament tube last time.
My Anko just has the chart on the inside of the suitcase with a magnet to line it up. Nothing to go wrong unless you lose the supplemental card. I still do use one tube that this tester doesn't appear to have a setting for, though.
I'm trying to trace down a suspected gas leak (lots of noise during power up and powering down). My tester has a setting for gas leaks, but I don't know what I'm looking for, as the instruction booklet is missing.
A lot of times you can find complete documentation online. I downloaded the complete information, including an updated tube list for my Hickock 600A tester, schematic, and instruction manual.
I have a question , will an emissions tester display how much life a tube has left in it ? For an example say I test a 12ax7 and it test at 90% out of 120 , the more the tube gets used , will the number go down ?
Technically, yes, over time emissions will weaken. Tubes do wear out naturally from use. In my experience though, especially in guitar amps, which are far from sensitive accurate tube gear, everything tends to be perfectly fine, and then suddenly a tube fails. No audible slow, linear weakening of a tube - so I run them till they get noisy or die (I've only had power tubes and an ancient rectifier die). Now that tubes are more expensive and sometimes harder to get, it's especially easy to be bothered by the "tube refreshing" thing, maybe outside of live musicians preventative maintenance. The fact is, they're just another electronic part - no soul, and barely any audible difference in sound between two of the same type (assuming they're within datasheet spec). Having a tester is great, since when they test weak, you can replace them, rather than throw money away yearly. I have had hard used tubes that are 50-100 years old and still perform adequately. But I've also had modern EL84s run at 110% dissipation last barely a year or two.
@@JulianA-tr6pt I have about 50 vintage 12ax7 tubes and purchased a sencore tc-162 , I paid to have it serviced within spec operation and had it calibrated . I notice for the most part 12ax7’s test roughly the same for emissions whether the tube is very used or new , and some tubes test higher then others , while some test lower being used or new . I think I would be better served with something like a maxi matcher that displays gain and gm , but might be overkill for my needs . I think the best test for a preamp tube is prob in the amp , but it’s cool having the sencore to check shorts i suppose and grid leak :) , thanks for your reply btw I appreciate it .
Thank you for explaining concisely the difference between emission and transconductance tube testers. I'm now much clearer on what I need. The mho is now called siemens but historically we also have the ynreh and daraf (henry and farad spelt backwards). I guess they stopped doing it when they came to snemeis and lereuqceb ;-)
Thank you for this. What is the difference between a transconductance and dynamic conductance tester? I just received my grandfathers Eico 666 and 667. Also sadly it appears Roger Kennedy has either passed away or is no longer accepting testers.
I just found your channel. What a great amount of lost base knowledge you feed back into the community. I work on and repair AA5s and TRFs. Your information is invaluable as I have watched over 10 videos in a row. I am just now adding in a comment. Keep the knowledge flow running and thanks!
Thank you, Carl
I just love getting feedback--positive feedback, that is!
I just bought a Hickok 6000A and am having fun with it. It seems to work fine giving me reasonable readings. I might one day have it calibrated
Excellent vid! Thank you!
Great video by some one as old as me, and like me very passionate about Trans conductance, been as child Interested in the evolution of it. Would like to build a Trans conductance tester. But maybe in the future tubes will be the norm.
Fantastic Video! Please keep sharing your knowledge. I enjoy your videos very much. Thank you for all your efforts! I also have decided on 2 absolute must haves for my shop. The Hallicrafters s-20r and the Hickok...Thank you! All the best to you, your family and of course Mr. Dillon!
Hi, Rod
Thank you for your nice comment. I tried your email but it doesn't seem to work. Is it correct?
10:06 - Boots! That's my cat from childhood. Basically a hot water bottle covered in fur, she would wake up in the morning, eat, then burrow under the covers of my bed and sleep off the exertion over the next half day.
I have two tube testers. One is an I-177B made by the Simpson Company, stamped with Signal Corps logos, and it works great. The two rectifiers have 1930s date codes. Somebody cut off the grid connector cords, so I have to fix that to test such tubes as need it. It looks like a bear to get to, though.
I also have a 1968 Hickock 6000A that can do compactrons. So one for the old, one for the newish. Neither have been calibrated.
Frankly, unless you are selling tubes and claiming they perform to thus and so specs, calibration is unnecessary. Even matching for, say, the output power tubes of an amplifier, if they read the same on the same tester, then they match. Qualitative vs. quantitative, I know, but it still applies.
What worries me most is that there are no new replacements for that mercury vapor rectifier. You can't use a solid-state replacement as the Hickock circuit relies on the predictable voltage drop across it.
Good intro video. I'd just add a few things.
Missing the tube chart is not the end of the world. It's certainly not as convenient as having the original one, but there are places on line where you can find printable versions you can keep with your tester. Depending on when the tube tester was built, the printable version might even be better as it could have data for tubes released after the tester was made.
Also, having the manual is highly recommended. Every tester has it's own procedure for setting up the machine, and the way to conduct the tests. Again, these are usually available on line as PDFs.
Last, just a general tip. Set up the tester BEFORE putting the tube in the socket. Nothing like the sick feeling you get when you go to test a six volt tube and see the filament burn out in a bright white flash because you left the settings to test a fifty volt filament tube last time.
Thank you for your comment and the very good advice!
My Anko just has the chart on the inside of the suitcase with a magnet to line it up. Nothing to go wrong unless you lose the supplemental card. I still do use one tube that this tester doesn't appear to have a setting for, though.
Good vdieo. I have a 10-12 that is my daily driver. Kinda in the middle of a gm tester and a emmission tester.
Good video thanks for the information.
Interesting this 600a is same colour as the 6000 series I remember the 600a being silver
You don't need a tube tester. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I use just a Simpson 260 VOM to fix anything.
I'm trying to trace down a suspected gas leak (lots of noise during power up and powering down). My tester has a setting for gas leaks, but I don't know what I'm looking for, as the instruction booklet is missing.
A lot of times you can find complete documentation online. I downloaded the complete information, including an updated tube list for my Hickock 600A tester, schematic, and instruction manual.
I have a question , will an emissions tester display how much life a tube has left in it ? For an example say I test a 12ax7 and it test at 90% out of 120 , the more the tube gets used , will the number go down ?
Technically, yes, over time emissions will weaken. Tubes do wear out naturally from use.
In my experience though, especially in guitar amps, which are far from sensitive accurate tube gear, everything tends to be perfectly fine, and then suddenly a tube fails. No audible slow, linear weakening of a tube - so I run them till they get noisy or die (I've only had power tubes and an ancient rectifier die).
Now that tubes are more expensive and sometimes harder to get, it's especially easy to be bothered by the "tube refreshing" thing, maybe outside of live musicians preventative maintenance.
The fact is, they're just another electronic part - no soul, and barely any audible difference in sound between two of the same type (assuming they're within datasheet spec). Having a tester is great, since when they test weak, you can replace them, rather than throw money away yearly. I have had hard used tubes that are 50-100 years old and still perform adequately. But I've also had modern EL84s run at 110% dissipation last barely a year or two.
@@JulianA-tr6pt I have about 50 vintage 12ax7 tubes and purchased a sencore tc-162 , I paid to have it serviced within spec operation and had it calibrated . I notice for the most part 12ax7’s test roughly the same for emissions whether the tube is very used or new , and some tubes test higher then others , while some test lower being used or new . I think I would be better served with something like a maxi matcher that displays gain and gm , but might be overkill for my needs . I think the best test for a preamp tube is prob in the amp , but it’s cool having the sencore to check shorts i suppose and grid leak :) , thanks for your reply btw I appreciate it .
Thank you for explaining concisely the difference between emission and transconductance tube testers. I'm now much clearer on what I need. The mho is now called siemens but historically we also have the ynreh and daraf (henry and farad spelt backwards). I guess they stopped doing it when they came to snemeis and lereuqceb ;-)
hello, I want to buy a test tube by which you can advise me tubes tester or curve tracer.thanks
He explain almost nothing...
Thank you for this. What is the difference between a transconductance and dynamic conductance tester? I just received my grandfathers Eico 666 and 667. Also sadly it appears Roger Kennedy has either passed away or is no longer accepting testers.