Unlikely to find anything that works for $150. Maybe luck and patience and you can find one on CL but most likely it will need service. If you look at almost any eBay ad for a tester it will most likely say "parts" and " no returns" its rare to find one that works and is to spec and you pay dearly for that
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You will need to spend in the $500-1000 for a unit that is in working condition and calibrated for accuracy. Plus you will have to maintain it as well. Testers in that range will tell you if tubes are good or not but cannot match tubes correctly if you want that feature. My recommendation is just find a testing service like this one I use. |
@fuzztone here’s an example of an old tester in good working order and recently calibrated per the seller? $699 plus shipping.. |
That’s a good tester for preventing your gear from becoming a “tube tester”. Mine saved me from putting a bad rectifier in a new amp. It was worth the money to me. Mine is similar to that, it’s an 800. It is super easy to use and does everything I need it to. All of my gear is tubed so it does get regular use. |
I think anybody with tube equipment should get a simple tester like you want. I test new tubes I buy, garage sale finds, all tubes annually, and if a system problem occurs, to find either a problem, or more likely to know and have confidence the tubes are not the source of the problem. I have 2 old Accurate models, #157 and #257. I have a big Hickock (see below) The 2 compact Accurate’s always show the same basic results as the big one, so I don’t bother with the big one, You must have the manual (supplements and tube substitution books are nice extras) I prefer ’buy it now’, but I would definitely bid on this one.
here’s my little Accurate 157. I week guarranty
It is is pretty good shape. Don’t let rusty latches andd hinges worry you too much, they used cheap hardware, common to see torn vinyl, also cheap/thin wrap. This is nasty/worst than most, but to prove my point not enough sockets (look back at the 157 This is tested, working, and clean, nice hard case. I would make an offer "I will guarantee it to work or your money back." ........................................ Works Well (no returns). I always buy using PayPal, and use my credit card with best protection to fund my PayPal account, so you are double covered. My experience: If seller says ’works well’ (or anything in writing that proves not to be so) Paypal/eBay will support the buyer. Credit card simply calls it Fraud and supports you. Note: no mention of manual, so ask seller, and see if you can find a download Hickock (looks like mine) over your budget, says ’good working condition’. Feature filled, more than the Accurate’s, other simple types.
thats from eBay, HiFi Shark has others I didn’t look at https://www.hifishark.com/search?q=tube+tester
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@elliottbnewcombjr thank you for providing the links. Made an offer on one. |
Ok I just got sucked down this rabbit hole even though I was in the camp “I don’t need a tube tester”. Won on an offer a Hickok 600A in very good working condition per seller and pics. It was calibrated in 2022. Cost me $250 + tax shipped to my door. Only issue reported is a stuck settings scroll which is no big deal. A printed list will work just fine instead. Pretty nice testing unit feature wise at a price that can’t do much damage if I decide to resell. Certainly not a nice Amplitrex AT1000.
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@calieng thanks for the link to the maximatcher are you aware of an inexpensive, possibly usb based, small signal tube tester? |
I also have this one: https://orangeamps.com/products/accessories/amplifier-management/valve-tester/ But it is more for guitar amp tubes than the numerous other kinds of hifi tubes. There is some debate if it is really that accurate but if you find one for a couple hundred bucks used grab it. I don't think they make it anymore so unlikely to find a new one. Then there are these guys in Canada - seem like some neat gear but maybe not as rugged as the Maximatcher. http://www.thebestamp.com/Testing_Equipment/Testing_Equipment.php Good luck. |
For a low-cost device, the Orange is pretty good. It is very easy to use, and gives realistic assessments (it is a tougher grader than a TV-7 which seems to find every tube is strong). But, a friend noticed that it seems a bit under powered when heating up certain tube types, like KT 88s, so one has to go through multiple test cycles to heat the tube to get a good reading. |
Yes I find the Orange pretty good for quickly testing 12AX7s and other small 9 pin preamp tubes. I like that it gives you a reading for both sides of the tube to see if they are well matched or not. And the tester is fairly small and simple to use. But the Maximatcher is pretty easy to use too. Just set the bias and plate voltage from the chart and then select the tube to see the reading (it does 4 tubes at a time). There are also adapters for other non octal tubes like 300B for the power tube tester as well as octal to 9 pin adapters for 6SN7 and others on the preamp tube tester. So with Maximatcher you are into about $2k to buy two testers (power and preamp) and a few adapters. With the Orange tester it is $200-$300 if you can find one but no octal preamp tubes and only octal power tubes and maybe not super accurate results. |
Cheap ones ('emissions' testers) did but a decent (transconductance) tester could cost about $800 back then. That's about $10K in today's dollars- a significant but essential investment for a TV repair shop. @ieales Awesome!! |
@oddiofyl or others …my Hickok 600A arrived and It seems to be working as expected. Numbers vary compared to other testers but it seems very good at determining if a tube is good or bad, it’s strength and how well balanced the triodes test. |
The 600A is a good unit for home use. You can order "bogey" tubes from Brent Jessee. They have preamp bogey tubes and power bogey tubes. The word "Bogey" is basically a perfect of a 6l6 . Likewise with a bogey preamp tube, which is a 12v dual triode , I think a 12ax7. By verifying your results of the tester against the known value of the tube you have an idea whether it is accurate or not. I just used a 12au7 and 6l6 that were tested with a computerized tester to determine whether my readings were good and they.were tight, within 50 Micromhos. I think that's close enough for home use. |
Enjoy ! It's fun testing tubes , you will know who has sold you premium tubes and you'll know who has screwed you I just went through a bunch of e180f driver tubes for my amp. That tester allowed me to sort out the best of the NOS ones I had. A perfectly matched pair of Mullards. Amp sounds great. If you save yourself from putting a shorted tube in like mine did the tester paid for itself The 600 is like mine, super easy to use . Just make sure you double check all of your dial settings or you can damage the meter or blow the lamp fuse. PM me if you need any tube values that aren't in your documentation, I have an expanded manual and values for WE and other obsolete tubes if you need them. |
Anyone know the test settings on a Hickock (600a) tester for Kt 77’s. None listed on their comprehensive listing chart? Would it be the same as EL 34 or different? I am 2 weeks into ownership and I have to say I am glad I made the decision to buy a tester. I have tested my entire tube collection and have a much better understanding of the tubes quality level. I only identified one tube with one bad triode. It still plays and sounds good to my surprise. Many of my tubes I bought on ebay trusting the sellers test results and have verified almost all were similar to my testing. A few %’s or triodes were off but tested fine. These calibrated testers are good for determining if a tube is good, how strong it is compared to other tubes and how balanced the triodes are. I don’t feel they are accurate enough to throw Gm numbers around as exact especially with their age , the dials worn analog parts. Glad i took the plunge. |
@tksteingraber If the tube does not meet the minimum reading as indicated in the tube tester chart, it is reject. None of this 30% lower thing. Wherever you read that, its incorrect. |
@atmasphere thank you for your input. The reason I asked is that the number listed on the Hickok chart does not appear to be the min and I read it was what an average new tube should test at and I wanted to verify that with experienced Hickok testers. An example…the 12at7 is listed at 4000 on the chart which is in the middle of good on the meter and replace begins at 2600 (65%) on the meter, 12au7 is listed at 2200 and replace begins at 1300 (60%). 12ax7 is listed at 1250 and is too low to follow the gm meter good/replace readings and needs to use the good-bad test by adjusting the english down. I do realize these calibrated testers results are approximate and not real accurate but good for determining if and how good a tube might be. Just learning here! |
The tester just proved it’s usefulness. Bought a pair of new, nos, matched tubes from Viva Tubes. Visually did not appear new? So I tested them. One tested replace and second one tested just barely good. Also, the tubes were 25% different and were nowhere near matched. Contacted seller and they said their tubes were fine and that old testers are unreliable and can’t compare to modern ones they used. Told me to try them and they will play fine. The boxes had results (different scale) written on them with gm results 30% apart. Their results even confirmed the tubes were not matched. Blame the buyer anyway. Returned them and Viva Tubes is a do not buy from seller. |
exactly one of the reasons I suggest EVERYONE with tubes should get a basic tester. Basic confidence from a basic tester takes you out of the dark, that’s all I’m saying. Test new purchases, of course! Annual testing, of course. Some problem, find or verify it is or is not the tubes, then work up the line until source of problem is found. No tester, how the bejesus can you have confidence in your tubes? Happily when I have bought matched sets, they have measured matched, and I KNOW that, not HOPE it’s true. You would have been in a mess without your tester, as you say, it saved you! My past comparisons of my big tester to my little one gives me the convenience of using the small lightweight one, easily transported to a friend’s home to test their tubes.
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@tksteingraber I would go with what the chart says. I've never seen a tester that showed a range. I own several and have had about 20 in my time; never seen a tester that showed results as you describe. But I've seen plenty of testers that had meters with 'replace' and '?'... by your description, it sounds as if someone replaced the meter on your tester. By 'english' do you mean 'bias'? |
@atmasphere thanks again for input. The tester is stock orig meter. English (sometimes referred to as shunt) is a setting in addition to bias. See picture link below.
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@tksteingraber Usually when there are multiple scales for umhOs, there is a switch to go along with it. So this particular example is puzzling. Unless the meter was replaced at some point. I've used a tester like this, but the last time I saw one was about 23 years ago... As I recall though, it worked pretty well. |
@atmasphere Yes the english setting dial has three settings(red dots) one for each of the 3 scales to measure and compare against the chart listing. 0-3000, 3001-6000, 6000+ |
