Analogue tube tester!

[NutmegCT]

Wondered if anyone here still uses an analogue vacuum tube tester. I want to test the tubes in my Atwater Kent.

Radio party. I'm the young guy.

Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah and a brawla, brawla sooit!

 

[JPSmit]

Is there a ham radio/ radio restoration club or place in your area? even someone who restores older cars?

EDit:

Vintage Radio & Communications Museum of Connecticut

The Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut traces the development of electronic communications from the early 1800s up to the invention of radio, television, telephone, the personal computer and other technologies. Full of hands-on fun for the entire family. Classes are offered...

ctvisit.com

Antique Radio Restoration & Repair - Pomfret Center, CT

ANTIQUE RADIO RESTORATION & REPAIR in Pomfret Center, reviews by real people. Yelp is a fun and easy way to find, recommend and talk about what’s great and not so great in Pomfret Center and beyond.

www.yelp.ca

 

[NutmegCT]

Thanks JP. I'm familiar with the place in Putnam - they take the radios, charge 50% up front - then after months of delay "waiting for parts", the radios disappear from the shop.

The one in Pomfret closed several years ago.

I'm a member of that Vintage Wireless Museum, near the air museum, so will contact the president again for another recommendation. They specialize in the history of "long distance communication", from signal fires and semaphores, through Marconi spark gap and later radio, TV, and radar equipment. The tube tester actually works well - but the instructions are so vague I need someone who's used one.

Thanks.
Tom M.

 

[waltesefalcon]

If you lived out my way I'd refer you to a friend of mine who has been doing electronics repair for decades. He took over the family business from his dad he learned radio operation and repair during WWII.

 

[NutmegCT]

Thanks Walt. The tester works fine, and doesn't need repair. But I need to find someone who's actually used one, and knows the in's and out's of setting all the dials and switches.
TM

 

[George_H]

They normally have a setup book with them to tell you what the settings should be for each tube. What model of tube tester do you have?

 

[JPSmit]

Looks like youtube could be your friend

how to use a vacuum tube tester - Google Search

 

[NutmegCT]

Thanks gents. The manual (i.e. the four mimeographed pages ...) that came with the tester is sparse in details. The manual says:

"When setting the keys to the position shown for second and third tests, always return the red keys to the vertical position, set the black keys, then reset the red keys."

What are the "second and third tests"? Nothing in the manual mentions second and third tests besides the sentence above.

 

[NutmegCT]

Aha! Victory! Just got an email from another radio guy.

The red and the black buttons are specified in the Key section of the index: alpha letters refer to red buttons; numbers refer to the black buttons. And the "second and third tests" refer to testing multiple section tubes which separate tests for each grid. At last!

Now I can die a happy man!