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Vintage Test Gear and Workshop Equipment For discussions about vintage test gear and workshop equipment such as coil winders. |
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18th Aug 2018, 9:55 am | #1 |
Triode
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, UK.
Posts: 18
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AVO Valve tester
Morning all.
I've an AVO CT160 valve tester which hasn't been used for some time. It came with a 2 pin power socket. Should I get it checked before powering it up again? Thanks, Dave. |
18th Aug 2018, 1:04 pm | #2 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeen, UK.
Posts: 2,858
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Re: AVO Valve tester
Dave, Jesus - YES ! If you've no AVO VCM experience - Contact Mike Barker via the BVWS, or via this Forum(Murphy Mad) ASAP.
There is literally a vast amount of info available via 'SEARCH' . Folk, myself included, have banged on & on about CT160's. Me - no more, except if someone ill-advisably considers recommending adopting a 'suck it & see' approach. We're talking about a very expensive old(1950's/60's) bit of kit, whose spares are becoming as rare as rocking horse manure. There are one or two other CT160/AVO VCM enthusiasts down in England, who no doubt Mike would recommend if he's too busy. Regards, David |
18th Aug 2018, 1:35 pm | #3 |
Triode
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, UK.
Posts: 18
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Re: AVO Valve tester
Thanks Dave for this very important advice. I'll contact Mike and discuss further.
Dave |
18th Aug 2018, 1:56 pm | #4 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeen, UK.
Posts: 2,858
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Re: AVO Valve tester
Dave, I'd like to offer my welcome to this Forum. We, some of us old f**ts, in the vintage fraternity, sometimes bicker & bang-on at times, but not bearing any ill-will.
Yourself, with such a great technical background, will I'm sure bring a breath of fresh air into Forum discussions. I hope all goes well with your CT160. Regards, David |
18th Aug 2018, 2:04 pm | #5 |
Triode
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, UK.
Posts: 18
|
Re: AVO Valve tester
Thanks Dave. Much appreciated.
Its needs people like yourself to 'bicker and bang on' sometimes to save us from doing silly things to our equipment or even to ourselves! By the way I've founds Mikes details and will PM him now. Dave |
18th Aug 2018, 3:02 pm | #6 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,902
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Re: AVO Valve tester
Be aware that it is quite easy to damage AVO valve testers simply by unfavourable settings of the controls.
There is no real protection of the meter movement and a lot have been destroyed. Spares are not available. The firm that used to refurbish them wont touch one with an open circuit coil. Movements as sensitive as the original are hard to find. People have put lots of effort into making new scales to suit different eters etc etc. The guitarists and the audiophiles have latched onto these things big time and the amount of money they change hands for is staggering. One faction seems to think that Avo tested valves sound better, the other lot think they'll give them the magic tone to be the next Stevie Ray Vaugn or Eric Clapton. Whether you believe them, their money is real and the prices for pretty looking VCMs is stratospheric. Some care is advisable. David
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