You can get those little swabs on eBay really cheap if you search for "dental swabs". They come in several different sizes. When checking the same type tube it is a good idea to check the line setting for every tube. Tubes from the same manufacturer will usually be fine but from different manufacturers it can effect the line adjustment.
I just bought one like it for .99cents. I really enjoyed this video Tony. It refreshed my memory. And I'm at the age where it has to be refreshed regularly! lol Thanks Brad
Thanks for the tip on the Resistor in series with the Diode. Just for the benefit of others with this unit, I would like to add few comments from my experience. This is a pretty basic tube tester, but I quite like the basic and very easy to use capacitor (condenser) checker. It might not detect all faulty capacitors but it definately will flag a very leaky cap, and it's way quicker to use then a more intensive condenser checker. I also like the pilot lamp feature when I want to quickly check a little bulb works, and I really like the Headphone jack input for listening into to the tube and listening out for microphonic faults or intermittent shorts. Yes I was brave enough to actually hook up my head to this via some old fully insulated headphones. 😱. The circuits are A forgiving design too. Once you have identified and replaced any out-of-tolerance components to match the wiring diagram, the only other thing to set up is how the needle responds when in 'line' voltage mode. I like to set it up at 6.3V, and then check again at 117V. if you get those two dialled in well, the rest of the voltages should align close enough. With an AC volt meter hooked up to filament pins and filament voltage set to 6.3 (or 117) ignore the needle and set the voltage to exactly 6.3 (or 117) showing on the volt meter. Then turn the potentiometer on the back of the meter so that the needle reads dead centre and then it's ready to go . I DO NOT like the way it zapped you with about 35 volts AC via the headphone jack when in use if you pop your finger over it. BUT since you can get a zap from the top cap on many tubes, it's just part and parcel of operating an old equipment like this. At least less than 50V AC is generally considered a non-threatening voltage so I can live with that risk, user beware. Other negatives are I have found a tube type that it'll tell you it needs replacing, when actually the tube is healthy. this was a 1Volt Rectifier diode tube with a top hat, so, user needs discretion believing it for some odd tube types. Also some of the voltages are banded together even though the switch shows separate settings. For example, 1.4V and 1.5V are exactly the same tap on the transformer. The higher voltages share common taps also, so some tubes heating elements are going to be underdriven or overdriven depending on voltage... good to know if you intend to leave a tube on it for a long time. At 6.3 volts though, it's been faultless at identifying broken or healthy tubes for me so far, although it's not capable of telling you just how good or weak they are even if it looks like it should, it's not that kind of tester. I like it, but not 100% trustworthy. More of an educated guess, than a definitive answer. Good for diagnosing faulty equipment, bad for testing a tube before you sell it on for example.
Great info! I lucked out on my tube tester. I got a Hickok model 532 mutual conductance tester on ebay about a year or so ago for $100. It had been serviced, recalibrated and came with a new reproduction manual and a new grid cap wire. I've heard something about them being not as desirable because the numbers on the dials show through little windows instead of being out in the open on the face, but that didn't matter to me at all. I do need to change the octal socket in it as it seems to have a short because you have to put pressure on the base of the tube for it to test properly, but all in all I'm still quite pleased with it.
I've got one of these. Reams of papers inside with numbers I can only assume are tube specs. Like a pirate captain's chest of papers. Tempted to shellac the wooden box to prevent further deterioration of the outside case.
The slotted rheostat (R6) on the inside on the black board is to adjust for line voltage adjust pot centering. You set the line adjust pot on the face to mid point, turn on the unit to line test, and adjust the meter center point using the slotted rheostat on the on the black board. A common problem with these is the .47uf cap goes bad and the line centering cannot be performed. As you've done, replacing the cap usually fixes the issue.
If you ever have the opportunity, it would helpful to hear about your experiences with your old Heathkit TT-1. Seems like I have to do some sort of minor repair every time I try to use mine. For some reason the "black" (and only the black) wires in mine have had the insulation turn to "goo". Whenever that goo seeps onto a set of contacts, only a thorough scrubbing will return some continuity. I've been putting off what will, no doubt, be a very messy job replacing all that wire.
If I recall, I think tube testers usually recommend running a short test before you run the emissions test. If the tube shows a short then don't test further.
this is correct-a shorted tube can actually cause damage to the tube tester if a full(quality) test is attempted(many testers use a fuse or small light bulb to help combat this), So yes, short test first, if it passes it, THEN you do the quality test.
I really need a Tube Tester. When I was restoring/fixing my RCA VTVM I used an old Lionel Train Power supply that outputted 6.3v AC to test the Selenium Rectifier to see what was the correct polarity since a Selenium has a higher voltage drop around 1 to 1.5 Volts compared to a Silicon Diode that has around .63 to .76 voltage drop. Playing with Mains Voltage is too scary for me.
my dad let me use testers like this in his shop in the early sixties (after, of course, a detailed lecture on the power of electricity and refresher lectures at regular intervals)
I think you skipped a shorts test here. No matter cuz I wanted to mention my tester-an EMC 213 which is a budget emission type. I've used it for 25+ years and tested literally 1000's of tubes on it. I know what a good tube looks like on this unit. I'm a little torn though with testing on this vs a mutual conductance type tester. Reason being I see tubes that test excellent or even marginal on mine, where you say they may test fine on an mc tester. You said no tester is pefect, but when I test a tube on my little 213 and the emmissions go high, then fall off to almost nothing, I've come to believe I have a bad tube. Maybe gassy or has some grid leakage. I've put 100's in the garbage can for this. The 213 does an EXCELLENT job of sniffing out shorts! Did I toss good tubes???
Is it possible my rectifier is a small sealed cylinder with 3 tiny wires connected to it? the tube tester works but there is a bad smell, I can not be 100% positive but I do believe it comes from that part.
My Superior tube tester says to always go from "Line" test to "Short" test before going to the "Special" or "Regular" test. This is because if there is a short, it can damage the tester in the other test positions.
That’d be a lot safer with an isolation transformer! Also, you can test selenium rectifiers with the 2-20k resistance range on the meter; the “diode check” often uses only the AA battery in the meter, but the higher resistance ranges usually use the 9v battery (in those meters that take separate batteries.) Also, I remember other RUclips videos about how the schematic would show the correct polarity for the schematic symbol, but would mis-label the anode and/or cathode - the only real way to find out is to either measure the selenium rectifier, or figure out the polarity via circuit analysis. Also, you may need to recalibrate, or use a resistor in series with the silicon diode, after replacement! 😎
Hi xray interesting video. I have a SICO Model 777 but the charts supplied are for old tubes and I am looking to check a 7199 from an old Ampeg amp. Is there a way to figure out what settings to use on the 777 to test such a tube? Thanks for any info.
I have the exact model tube tester but I can’t get the line adjust to work. I have it set correctly to adjust it but when I turn the knob the needle does nothing. Even if I just simply turn it on the needle doesn’t move to the center. The only time it works is when I’m testing the tube for quality. Then I can use the line adjust knob but the needle only moves one one side and doesn’t adjust right with the knob. What could be a possible issue to this?
esmaeil nam yes, indeed, or even better many US testers even have charts for European tubes as well (but due to space limitations not on their roll charts).
The drop on these small selenium is about 20V that is why you can not test them with a modern multimeter. Because of this drop, replacing this rectifier with a modern diode will change the calibration of the equipment. The part probably did not work for long time and should be good.
Why are tube testers so addictive? Lol! Over this side of the pond we don't see the numbers that pop up in the US. If they do they tend to be expensive. I'm always surprised when folk say they got one given or picked one up for next to nothing. I've no real justification to own one but I'm tempted to build the fairly simple baking tin tube tester, just as a project.
ohms and siemens is SI sistem, ( the original name ! ),but because america or england speak backwards from the rest the world they call mhos ,,,but the correct name is siemens or ohms 1/siemens=ohms or 1/ohms = siemens , this backwards thing ( mhos ) not existe anywhere,,,,,unless you are american or british ,
If the purpose of your comment is to insult those who may be of a different nationality than yourself, then congratulations. As for the origin of the word mho (for conductance), it was a term coined in the 1880's as the inverse of the ohm (for resistance, named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm), which was the term used to replace the older term of "Siemens Mercury Unit" (named after Ernst Werner von Siemens). The term Siemens was later accepted as the term for conductance (which is actually the opposite of what it originally meant) and the use of the term mho (which as you mentioned, is ohm spelled backwards) was discontinued. Although the term is no longer used, test equipment from that era still exists and still bears the unit of measure on the meter face. I suppose we could disassemble the meter faces of old equipment and overwrite the word mho with the word Siemens, but I suspect that most people don't care, as they understand that both terms refer to the same unit of measurement that these two great scientists helped to discover. In closing: Siemens Mercury Unit = old term for resistance, Siemens = currently accepted term for conductance. Mho = old term to describe unit of conductance (inverse of Ohm), Ohm = currently accepted term to describe unit of resistance.
Terrific! Learnt more in these 45 mins than an hour reading the manual of the similar tester I just bought. Thank you Tony.
You can get those little swabs on eBay really cheap if you search for "dental swabs". They come in several different sizes.
When checking the same type tube it is a good idea to check the line setting for every tube. Tubes from the same manufacturer will usually be fine but from different manufacturers it can effect the line adjustment.
I just bought one like it for .99cents. I really enjoyed this video Tony. It refreshed my memory. And I'm at the age where it has to be refreshed regularly! lol
Thanks
Brad
Thanks for the tip on the Resistor in series with the Diode. Just for the benefit of others with this unit, I would like to add few comments from my experience. This is a pretty basic tube tester, but I quite like the basic and very easy to use capacitor (condenser) checker. It might not detect all faulty capacitors but it definately will flag a very leaky cap, and it's way quicker to use then a more intensive condenser checker. I also like the pilot lamp feature when I want to quickly check a little bulb works, and I really like the Headphone jack input for listening into to the tube and listening out for microphonic faults or intermittent shorts. Yes I was brave enough to actually hook up my head to this via some old fully insulated headphones. 😱. The circuits are A forgiving design too. Once you have identified and replaced any out-of-tolerance components to match the wiring diagram, the only other thing to set up is how the needle responds when in 'line' voltage mode. I like to set it up at 6.3V, and then check again at 117V. if you get those two dialled in well, the rest of the voltages should align close enough. With an AC volt meter hooked up to filament pins and filament voltage set to 6.3 (or 117) ignore the needle and set the voltage to exactly 6.3 (or 117) showing on the volt meter. Then turn the potentiometer on the back of the meter so that the needle reads dead centre and then it's ready to go . I DO NOT like the way it zapped you with about 35 volts AC via the headphone jack when in use if you pop your finger over it. BUT since you can get a zap from the top cap on many tubes, it's just part and parcel of operating an old equipment like this. At least less than 50V AC is generally considered a non-threatening voltage so I can live with that risk, user beware. Other negatives are I have found a tube type that it'll tell you it needs replacing, when actually the tube is healthy. this was a 1Volt Rectifier diode tube with a top hat, so, user needs discretion believing it for some odd tube types. Also some of the voltages are banded together even though the switch shows separate settings. For example, 1.4V and 1.5V are exactly the same tap on the transformer. The higher voltages share common taps also, so some tubes heating elements are going to be underdriven or overdriven depending on voltage... good to know if you intend to leave a tube on it for a long time. At 6.3 volts though, it's been faultless at identifying broken or healthy tubes for me so far, although it's not capable of telling you just how good or weak they are even if it looks like it should, it's not that kind of tester. I like it, but not 100% trustworthy. More of an educated guess, than a definitive answer. Good for diagnosing faulty equipment, bad for testing a tube before you sell it on for example.
I like these videos they show in depth how to diagnose circuits.
I had one of these to restore, it was so bad I gave up on it. I parted it out. Seemed like it would have been a great tester. Great video.
Great info! I lucked out on my tube tester. I got a Hickok model 532 mutual conductance tester on ebay about a year or so ago for $100. It had been serviced, recalibrated and came with a new reproduction manual and a new grid cap wire. I've heard something about them being not as desirable because the numbers on the dials show through little windows instead of being out in the open on the face, but that didn't matter to me at all. I do need to change the octal socket in it as it seems to have a short because you have to put pressure on the base of the tube for it to test properly, but all in all I'm still quite pleased with it.
I've got one of these. Reams of papers inside with numbers I can only assume are tube specs. Like a pirate captain's chest of papers. Tempted to shellac the wooden box to prevent further deterioration of the outside case.
The slotted rheostat (R6) on the inside on the black board is to adjust for line voltage adjust pot centering. You set the line adjust pot on the face to mid point, turn on the unit to line test, and adjust the meter center point using the slotted rheostat on the on the black board. A common problem with these is the .47uf cap goes bad and the line centering cannot be performed. As you've done, replacing the cap usually fixes the issue.
If you ever have the opportunity, it would helpful to hear about your experiences with your old Heathkit TT-1. Seems like I have to do some sort of minor repair every time I try to use mine. For some reason the "black" (and only the black) wires in mine have had the insulation turn to "goo". Whenever that goo seeps onto a set of contacts, only a thorough scrubbing will return some continuity. I've been putting off what will, no doubt, be a very messy job replacing all that wire.
thank you for the video. I just repaired my old TV-11. Caps were bad. I am looking for a copy of the supplemental, if you could share it- thank you !
Thanks for clarify the location of the 47 ohm resistor.
Hey Tony, what are those "Q-tip" cleaners called?
The RCA WT-100A is the one that tests under almost real conditions it applies 300v and can give readings within 1%
If I recall, I think tube testers usually recommend running a short test before you run the emissions test. If the tube shows a short then don't test further.
this is correct-a shorted tube can actually cause damage to the tube tester if a full(quality) test is attempted(many testers use a fuse or small light bulb to help combat this),
So yes, short test first, if it passes it, THEN you do the quality test.
Where is the "Filament Continuity" setting knob (7, 8) ?
Update: I see; it is NOT a setting! (40:24)
I really need a Tube Tester.
When I was restoring/fixing my RCA VTVM I used an old Lionel Train Power supply that outputted 6.3v AC to test the Selenium Rectifier to see what was the correct polarity since a Selenium has a higher voltage drop around 1 to 1.5 Volts compared to a Silicon Diode that has around .63 to .76 voltage drop. Playing with Mains Voltage is too scary for me.
my dad let me use testers like this in his shop in the early sixties (after, of course, a detailed lecture on the power of electricity and refresher lectures at regular intervals)
Very good video! I have the tw-11 model this helps me since they are similar!
The calibration pot is for adjusting the 25 volt line
I am working on this tube tester also, and thinking that I can use 1N507 diode what are your thoughts?
Very informative, I found your channel because I was looking for info about (diy) Xray but it turns I like your other videos too .
I think you skipped a shorts test here. No matter cuz I wanted to mention my tester-an EMC 213 which is a budget emission type. I've used it for 25+ years and tested literally 1000's of tubes on it. I know what a good tube looks like on this unit. I'm a little torn though with testing on this vs a mutual conductance type tester. Reason being I see tubes that test excellent or even marginal on mine, where you say they may test fine on an mc tester. You said no tester is pefect, but when I test a tube on my little 213 and the emmissions go high, then fall off to almost nothing, I've come to believe I have a bad tube. Maybe gassy or has some grid leakage. I've put 100's in the garbage can for this. The 213 does an EXCELLENT job of sniffing out shorts! Did I toss good tubes???
I used to use a mega to test diodes with a high forward voltage like eht stick rectifiers in monochrome TV sets.
Is it possible my rectifier is a small sealed cylinder with 3 tiny wires connected to it? the tube tester works but there is a bad smell, I can not be 100% positive but I do believe it comes from that part.
My Superior tube tester says to always go from "Line" test to "Short" test before going to the "Special" or "Regular" test. This is because if there is a short, it can damage the tester in the other test positions.
That’d be a lot safer with an isolation transformer! Also, you can test selenium rectifiers with the 2-20k resistance range on the meter; the “diode check” often uses only the AA battery in the meter, but the higher resistance ranges usually use the 9v battery (in those meters that take separate batteries.) Also, I remember other RUclips videos about how the schematic would show the correct polarity for the schematic symbol, but would mis-label the anode and/or cathode - the only real way to find out is to either measure the selenium rectifier, or figure out the polarity via circuit analysis. Also, you may need to recalibrate, or use a resistor in series with the silicon diode, after replacement! 😎
Hi xray interesting video. I have a SICO Model 777 but the charts supplied are for old tubes and I am looking to check a 7199 from an old Ampeg amp. Is there a way to figure out what settings to use on the 777 to test such a tube? Thanks for any info.
I have the exact model tube tester but I can’t get the line adjust to work. I have it set correctly to adjust it but when I turn the knob the needle does nothing. Even if I just simply turn it on the needle doesn’t move to the center. The only time it works is when I’m testing the tube for quality. Then I can use the line adjust knob but the needle only moves one one side and doesn’t adjust right with the knob. What could be a possible issue to this?
The rheostat may be bad.
@@xraytonyb would that be the switch used to adjust it?
I wish you would have tested a tube using the grid cap.
Hey Tony, what wattage was that 47 ohm resistor you put in series with the diode?
Can't you just flip the selenium rectifier around to see what side is cathode?
What's your take on the µtracer? I'm considering building one.
Very nice video, thans. Is it gerally correct that a European tube can be tested with its US equivalent p/n?
esmaeil nam yes, indeed, or even better many US testers even have charts for European tubes as well (but due to space limitations not on their roll charts).
COND. Stands for "Condenser" or capacitor. It also tests condensers. That's what the lads are for.
Leads. Sorry.
The drop on these small selenium is about 20V that is why you can not test them with a modern multimeter. Because of this drop, replacing this rectifier with a modern diode will change the calibration of the equipment. The part probably did not work for long time and should be good.
hello, I want to buy a test tube by which you can advise me tubes tester or curve tracer.thanks
Why are tube testers so addictive? Lol! Over this side of the pond we don't see the numbers that pop up in the US. If they do they tend to be expensive. I'm always surprised when folk say they got one given or picked one up for next to nothing.
I've no real justification to own one but I'm tempted to build the fairly simple baking tin tube tester, just as a project.
I switch to corrosion x. Its cheaper then deoxit and much larger can
Thanks sir i need the shematic diagram
F filament, N neutral, P plate, but what is the K?
The cathode ("Kathode").
What a strange coincidence, just a couple of days ago I watched another RUclipsr, the guitologist use a very similar tube tester to this one.
Thanks for the interesting video, but holy cow your fingers are way too close to those mains carrying croc clips!
I am pretty sure Tony has an isolating transformer under the bench.
In some cases that might be good enough, but that wouldn't help him if he was unfortunate enough to touch both croc clips at the same time.
ohms and siemens is SI sistem, ( the original name ! ),but because america or england speak backwards from the rest the world they call mhos ,,,but the correct name is siemens or ohms 1/siemens=ohms or 1/ohms = siemens , this backwards thing ( mhos ) not existe anywhere,,,,,unless you are american or british ,
If the purpose of your comment is to insult those who may be of a different nationality than yourself, then congratulations. As for the origin of the word mho (for conductance), it was a term coined in the 1880's as the inverse of the ohm (for resistance, named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm), which was the term used to replace the older term of "Siemens Mercury Unit" (named after Ernst Werner von Siemens). The term Siemens was later accepted as the term for conductance (which is actually the opposite of what it originally meant) and the use of the term mho (which as you mentioned, is ohm spelled backwards) was discontinued. Although the term is no longer used, test equipment from that era still exists and still bears the unit of measure on the meter face. I suppose we could disassemble the meter faces of old equipment and overwrite the word mho with the word Siemens, but I suspect that most people don't care, as they understand that both terms refer to the same unit of measurement that these two great scientists helped to discover. In closing: Siemens Mercury Unit = old term for resistance, Siemens = currently accepted term for conductance. Mho = old term to describe unit of conductance (inverse of Ohm), Ohm = currently accepted term to describe unit of resistance.
@@xraytonyb LOL! EXCELLENT Tony! Hell YEAH!!!