Thread: Valve Testers
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Old 13th Feb 2019, 8:00 am   #26
Diabolical Artificer
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Sleaford, Lincs. UK.
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Default Re: Valve Testers

Can't help you there, as I said before when I test valves I look at a mutual characteristics graph, like this one for the 6SN7 - see attached and find a place where Va, Ia and Vg cross. Here on this sheet it might be Va 225v, Ia 5mA, Vg -8v. So I'd start by setting Vg to -8v, turn on heater PSU, check it's at 6.3v , then bring up Va till it's at 225v, if the Ia meter reads 5mA or near, the valves a good un.

How a valve behaves when testing can tell you a lot, for instance, heater flash, if Va dances about or won't settle, or if Vg moves whilst bringing up Va might indicate a short or similar. After testing a few hundred valves you get to know when a valve is good or suspect. A good valve will slowly climb to the expected Ia, bad ones linger about about looking solemn and shifty whilst muttering under their breath : )

This chap did a few video's on valve testers you might find interesting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtVbTSAKx7k

Andy.
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Last edited by Diabolical Artificer; 13th Feb 2019 at 8:19 am.
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