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What Tube tester would be best to buy
#1

I’m looking for a tube tester that works, without spending an arm and a leg for it. Also what would be the best one to look for? Especially for older Philco radios.

Philco 41-295X 4 band radio.
I'm 67 years old, in north Idaho.
#2

Hickok 533. All of the good at a better price than a TV-7.

"I just might turn into smoke, but I feel fine"
http://www.russoldradios.com/
#3

I use an I-177 made for the signal corps for WW2; found it locally and had it calibrated all for about 200. Works great!
#4

Ok I bought a Jackson 648s for $236. So far it is working great. Going through my Philco 41-295x I found 5 bad tubes, I have them on order, so hopefully it will work now.

Philco 41-295X 4 band radio.
I'm 67 years old, in north Idaho.
#5

Good choice!  I like my 648S.  There is a Jackson Model 648 tube tester manual that can be bought from https://vacuumtubesinc.com/index.php/boo...anual.html for $28.50.  It's a bit pricy but useful.
#6

I found a free updated one on the web, plus a very complete tube substitution manual, it was also free. I can upload it to the Phorum is you need it.

Michael

Philco 41-295X 4 band radio.
I'm 67 years old, in north Idaho.
#7

I need a tube tester so I can restore my radios. Should I be considering a utracer3 or something more traditional like a Hickok model?
#8

I had not heard of the uTracer; I have an old I-177 that I use for these old tubes...something like that will need to be calibrated, probably
#9

Personally, I think the tube tester which offers the best bang for the buck is the Heathkit TT-1, with its optional TT-1-A adapter. It is a dynamic mutual conductance tester, and is sometimes overlooked by those who want the Hickok testers.

I picked mine up at an auction of an old radio-TV repair shop in western Kentucky back in the 1980s. In more recent years, I fully recapped it, found the calibration instructions online, and calibrated it.

I consider it to be the best two dollars I ever spent. Icon_biggrin

--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
#10

Am I correct that the consensus is a conventional tube tester is preferred to a curve tracer?
#11

To repair radios you do not really need a curve tracer. If you are into stereo amps, that might be justified; else a mutual conductance tester is all you need. And some would argue that even that is too much.

People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
#12

Hello nortonz,
My self I use a Precision 920 and a B&K tube tester and some other handy test equpment to have is VTVM plus Signal tracer and Signal generator.
Sincerely Richard
#13

If you're in Canada, a Stark 9-66 is one of the best testers built/sold here; Stark used Hickok patents.
#14

Thank you for the help. Now I know how to proceed.




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