Tube Testing?

Alan Kirk · Post by **Alan Kirk** » 18 Mar 2004 2:26 pm

In the olden days you could go into any grocery store and check your tubes on a tube tester. Where can you check tubes now?

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Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 18 Mar 2004 3:29 pm

Alan, I am one of those who used to spend time Saturdays at the 7-11 before a gig to test the tubes in my Fender amps. I later changed to solid-state, so I wouldn't know where to go today for "convenient" tube testing.

www.genejones.com

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 18 Mar 2004 3:42 pm

Your best bet is to find a tube-amp tech.
FWIW-The majority of tube testers only give you a good/bad indication, and even then it's not running the tube at tube amp voltages. Pretty lame test, but they're good for finding 'shorted' tubes, and tubes that are weak (about dead)
You can pick up these types of testers on eBay for ~$50.00, maybe cheaper.
You can always swap them out with known good ones!

Jay

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 19 Mar 2004 4:05 pm

I have a tube tester on my work bench. It is an oldie but a goodie and still works. It has a roller dial that lists various tube and what settings to use on the machine to test them.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 19 Mar 2004 5:29 pm

About 5 yrs ago a local ham/retired TV repairman passed away and his wife gave me all of his old test gear, including a nice EICO tube tester and sweep generator, all tube units. Believe it or not, the way they got to sweep generator to sweep was with a ferrire rod attached to a speaker cone and protruding into another coil. Neat.