[003]

I am looking to buy a tube tester off ebay. I originally bought one but the seller left the payment unclaimed and dropped off the face of the earth, so I got my money back on that one. I have no idea what to look for in a tester, or what brands to be on the lookout for, etc...

If possible I want something better than emissions tester. It should be able to test the "modern" tubes that we use now in our audio equipment.

I can not spend more than $100 including shipping.

Can anybody give me any pointers, or preferably, point me to some good deals on ebay (I would prefer buy it now auctions)?

 

[jarthel]

I strongly suggest you check out the tubes/tubes diy of audioasylum and tubes section of diyaudio as people there would be more knowledgeable when it comes to tubes.

 

[Andrew*Debbie]

I don't know if you can get a working transconductance tester for < $100.

You used to be able to get a working TV-7D/U for cheap but those days are long gone. I sold a very beat up but working TV-7 as-is on eBay and it went for $400.00. Because of all the switching in a compact box, TV-7 testers aren't that easy to repair. They also take a lot of abuse in the military. I'd stay clear of one that isn't shown to be working.

If you have some parts and a voltmeter, you can build up something to test a few common tubes. If you are just building headphone amplifiers you don't need the wide range of tube types found on TV-7.

You can also test them in you amplifier.

Fixing old radios? Just swap tubes. Its faster then setting up a tester. That's why I sold my TV-7D/U.

Right now on eBay there is this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Early-Military-V...QQcmdZViewItem
It still has the socket savers. That's a good sign. The locktal socket looks worn. That is a problem only if you need to test oddballs like a 7N7.


I'd avoid this next one. As is and it doesn't say if it works. When I sold mine, I included photos of it testing tubes.

http://cgi.ebay.com/TV-7-D-U-DU-Tube...QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Large4mat]

You need a tester that measures mutual conductance.........Expect to pay $250 plus for one on Ebay. You will more than likely need to calibrate it after you receive it. I've included an informative link fyi:

http://tone-lizard.com/Tube_Testers.html

 

[Alfiax]

If there's a hamfest coming up in your area, you might want to give that a try. Hams are usually happy that their old equipment gets used and aren't as tied into the price-gouging eBay scene, so you might be able to get a tester for a price that's closer to what it's really worth.