Advice on a tube tester

My system is all tube as well.   What prompted me to buy a tester was actually the fact that I sent a NOS rectifier to the guy who built my amp.   I actually sent 2.   Unfortunately one was shorted and failed during the amp's burn in.   Fortunately for me , Matt over at Toolshed Amps is a good guy and replaced the damaged parts , a cap and PS at no additional cost .   After all, I sent him the tubes.  I didn't buy his basic tube set , I went NOS and WE 300b.

So the night he reached out to tell me I had a bad tube, I said that's it !  I'm buying a tester.   It took a while to find that Hickok but it arrived right before I got the amp.   

I figured if I'm playing with 4 pin antique tubes, NOS , and rectifiers I am a fool not to buy one.  I will never plug a tube in without fully testing for shorts, filament good, and Gm.   Turns out another one of the 6 NOS 5r4gy was shorted, fortunately that tester identified it and prevented a catastrophic failure.   Thing paid for itself one week into owning it 

@oddiofyl Thanks for the story.  I'm starting to play in NOS tubes too.  I have a bunch of not necessarily new but old stock voltage regulators I'd like to sort.  

I've looked at the Toolshed amps and they look nice.

Whick hickok did you choose?  

thanks,

Jerry

Hi,

All good testers you mentioned. I have had a TV-7b and it was a fine well built unit. Currently using a BK 707 and love it. Design is especially great when testing multiple 9 pin miniatures such as ECC83, ECC82, and ECC81 etc. Have used a BK747 and would be my last choice of the lot.
Calibration of these units can be done yourself and is not terribly difficult. There is a wealth of information out there. I did both my TV7 and BK707. Try to find one that is in good physical condition that shows light use. Heavily used ones can have sockets that make poor contact and it becomes a lot of work to replace them, although it is doable. Found my minty BK 707 ON FB marketplace locally for $200 and calibrated it myself. Does all the audio tubes and was these guys were made toward the end of the tube era.

Rob

@thermionicemission 

Rob,

Very useful post.  I'm finding a lot of testers don't do the 9 pin minatures that were introduced with color TV so they are relatively new.  For the TV-7 you need the D/U.  for the 752 you need the A to test 9 pins. for the 539 you need the C.  the 539 tests each triode seperately so you have to test them twice.  It does a lot of testing but maybe more than I need.  The B&K 707 attracted my attention early and I'm glad to hear your views--from someone actualy using one he calibrated himself.  Fully agree on replacing sockets, can do it but do I want to?  

I've been up and down the scale on these testers a few times.  Right now I'm leaning toward the 707 or the TV-7D...probalby whichever one I find first in good condition at a reasonable price.  

If after using the tester a while I want more data, I can buy a high end Hickok then.

Jerry

I have a Hickok 800 , it’s perfect for screening tubes and preventing your amp from being a “tube tester”.   It’s more than adequate and fairly accurate.   If I were buying and selling tubes I would get a 539 or military type Hickok