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Old 14th Dec 2011, 2:07 am   #51
stuarth
Heptode
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Heysham, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 665
Default Re: Test equipment for valve radio repair

I would whole heartedly agree with Station X that "Just about any fault on a radio can be diagnosed using a multi-meter", and for most checks such as continuity tests etc, it does not even need to be a particularly good meter.

However, don't forget that the radio under test will need power.

For a mains powered valve radio, you need a way of applying power at first switch-on more gently than just applying full mains. I prefer ramping up the voltage slowly with a variac while monitoring supply current, but the much cheaper lamp limiter will do the task of limiting the current in case of a fault, and also gives clue about the supply current will do the job almost as well.

For transistor radios, not strictly on-topic here, you need a variable low voltage supply for sets where the batteries will not stay in place with the case open (the Philips Popmaster was my earliest memory of this problem - it used 4 AA cells in a "holder" consisting of the 2 halves of the case)
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