• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

Tube testing 101?

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Hey there,

I have done a search and I've looked into the stickied noob thread, but I wonder if someone more experienced has a quick link.

I have to admit years of addiction to tube audio, both in hifi equipment and guitar amps. I have had good luck with tubes, having had to replace very few, and having learned a lot from reading spec sheets and whatnot over the years.

I do not have much experience with testing, aside from what I remember as a kid with taking tubes to RS to plug them into a giant tester. I will soon have the use of a tester to go through the scores of tubes I have collected.

Anyone know of a good primer on the whole process? I get what I'm supposed to do with the tester, and even what some of the numbers mean, but I need practical advice as to what deviance from the "norm" is good, OK, mediocre, and bad, for example. The cure for less data isn't always more data, sometimes you actually have to understand the process, and I want to be there before I borrow the thing and try to wade through the crumbling boxes.

Thanks in advance!
 
The amplitrex will teach you, It Has a read out that will tell you all the tests you want to perform on a tube. Very Nice Tube tester, But Unless you plan on spitting out about 3k, Don't get used to it.

You can grab an instruction manual for a Say Hickok 539b on ebay for a few bucks and start reading that. It will give you a good idea about Testing tubes and what kind of tester you'd like to own.
 
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