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#1
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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info HELP needed with HICKOK 534
Are there any bad Hickok tube testers that someone advises not
buying? Everyone's first choice to buy seems to be a Hickok. They all can't be that good. How about a model 534 Hickok? thanks, Terry |
#2
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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info HELP needed with HICKOK 534
On Aug 19, 5:53 pm, Terry wrote:
Are there any bad Hickok tube testers that someone advises not buying? Everyone's first choice to buy seems to be a Hickok. They all can't be that good. How about a model 534 Hickok? thanks, Terry Put simply, the 534 is a good tester. Somewhat complicated due to VOM circuitry added. If in 100% working condition and clean, worth a look. It is the predecessor to the 539 series, more awkward to use and has limited sockets. So make sure it serves your actual and anticipated needs. It is worth a premium of *perhaps* $75 over a similarly equipped emissions-only tester, but NO MORE... given my arbitrary value-scale, this means $100 - $125 max for a pristine version. Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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info HELP needed with HICKOK 534
On Aug 19, 6:27 pm, Peter Wieck wrote:
On Aug 19, 5:53 pm, Terry wrote: Are there any bad Hickok tube testers that someone advises not buying? Everyone's first choice to buy seems to be a Hickok. They all can't be that good. How about a model 534 Hickok? thanks, Terry Put simply, the 534 is a good tester. Somewhat complicated due to VOM circuitry added. If in 100% working condition and clean, worth a look. It is the predecessor to the 539 series, more awkward to use and has limited sockets. So make sure it serves your actual and anticipated needs. It is worth a premium of *perhaps* $75 over a similarly equipped emissions-only tester, but NO MORE... given my arbitrary value-scale, this means $100 - $125 max for a pristine version. Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA Are you saying the Hickok 534 would only be worth $125 in excellent condition? Thanks, Terry |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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info HELP needed with HICKOK 534
On Aug 19, 7:02 pm, Terry wrote:
Are you saying the Hickok 534 would only be worth $125 in excellent condition? Yep. a) The *primary* reason for an MC tester these days is for the proper matching of tubes. The 534 cannot do this without difficult adaptations. And even then, as it does not have adjustable bias, the results would be questionable. b) The *secondary* reason for an MC tester these days is speed and efficiency. The 534 is not a Cardomatic, so it is neither fast nor efficient. After which a decent Emissions Only tester capable of testing "Shorts" and "Gas" is more than adequate for 99-44/100% of all general applications. Decent Emissions Only testers may be had for $25-$50. So, anything short of testers meeting a) and/or b) criteria above are worth no more than an extremely accurate emissions tester... or $100 - $125 USD. Keep in mind that tube testers are remarkably complex tools that have acquired a near-legendary but almost entirely undeserved reputation for being both necessary and useful tools for the tube-audio hobby. For the most part, they are neither as the typical user both does not understand their actual use and even then invests far too much trust in the results obtained from them. I keep a Hickok 539B (an actually useful tester) and a Simpson 555 emissions-only tester. http://cgi.ebay.com/SIMPSON-555-TUBE...QQcmdZViewItem (NOT MINE) http://cgi.ebay.com/Hickok-539B-Tube...QQcmdZViewItem (NOT MINE) Of the two, the Simpson answers most of my daily needs, and was obtained for $50 with all the updated data and tube lists, and is very clean and nice. The 539B gets trotted out when I have to match tubes and/or do actual quality tests and test tubes under various parameters... or perhaps once every couple of months. Yes, it will be pried from my cold, dead fingers but for all that I have a very realistic understanding of its actual utility and the information it delivers. Tube testers are NOT magic. They are no better than the average screwdriver. Unless they happen to be the correct fit for the specific screw at-hand, they are almost worse than useless. Much like variacs without meters. Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA |
#5
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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info HELP needed with HICKOK 534
Peter Wieck wrote:
On Aug 19, 5:53 pm, Terry wrote: Are there any bad Hickok tube testers that someone advises not buying? Everyone's first choice to buy seems to be a Hickok. They all can't be that good. How about a model 534 Hickok? thanks, Terry Put simply, the 534 is a good tester. Somewhat complicated due to VOM circuitry added. If in 100% working condition and clean, worth a look. It is the predecessor to the 539 series, more awkward to use and has limited sockets. So make sure it serves your actual and anticipated needs. It is worth a premium of *perhaps* $75 over a similarly equipped emissions-only tester, but NO MORE... given my arbitrary value-scale, this means $100 - $125 max for a pristine version. Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA Peter You seem to know were one can buy a 539 series for $125.00 This e-bay link is for $900.00 Could you share this source with use? I'll buy one right now for that price. Cash on the spot and pay what ever for shipping Thanks Mike Mueller |
#6
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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info HELP needed with HICKOK 534
On Aug 19, 10:35 pm, mike mueller wrote:
Peter You seem to know were one can buy a 539 series for $125.00 This e-bay link is for $900.00 Could you share this source with use? I'll buy one right now for that price. Cash on the spot and pay what ever for shipping Thanks Mike Mueller Mike: I paid $100 for mine. They show up regularly at Kutztown in various stages of undress in the $150 - $400 range, and near-perfect at $500+ or so. But that is *NOT* the point, nor is it what I wrote. My point is that if one is to have a tube tester at all, then it should either be capable of the full gamut of tests *or* be very fast and convenient *or* be as simple as possible. Otherwise, those falling outside of those parameters give nothing useful such that they should command a premium price. If one is looking for something to test tubes for vintage radios or even most vintage equipment, a simple emissions-tester with "shorts" and "gas" capacity is more than adequate. Those are available any day of the week in the $25 - $50 range. If one is require to test many different types of tubes in bulk (but not much more than that) and needs a level of accuracy that suggests resale of said tubes, then a Cardomatic is about the only way to fly. If one is required to actually "match" tubes, then one needs a tester capable of allowing or doing those tests conveniently and directly. Accordingly, the latter two types of testers command a (perhaps irrational) premium over simple emissions-type testers. And somehow similar-but-less-capable testers are invested with the same mythology, yet really provide little more truly useful information than the emissions-tester. Keep in mind at all times, that the best and most accurate test of any tube is its behavior in-circuit. So, about any tester when used for general purposes does no more than deliver GO/NO-GO "suggestions" (excepting shorts and gas failures of course). Spending premium $$ on an otherwise unremarkable tester because it carries the Hickok name is foolish under those conditions. But, MC testers are "better" than emissions testers all other things being equal, so some additional value is justified. Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA |
#7
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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info HELP needed with HICKOK 534
On Aug 20, 6:00 am, Peter Wieck wrote:
On Aug 19, 10:35 pm, mike mueller wrote: Peter You seem to know were one can buy a 539 series for $125.00 This e-bay link is for $900.00 Could you share this source with use? I'll buy one right now for that price. Cash on the spot and pay what ever for shipping Thanks Mike Mueller Mike: I paid $100 for mine. They show up regularly at Kutztown in various stages of undress in the $150 - $400 range, and near-perfect at $500+ or so. But that is *NOT* the point, nor is it what I wrote. My point is that if one is to have a tube tester at all, then it should either be capable of the full gamut of tests *or* be very fast and convenient *or* be as simple as possible. Otherwise, those falling outside of those parameters give nothing useful such that they should command a premium price. If one is looking for something to test tubes for vintage radios or even most vintage equipment, a simple emissions-tester with "shorts" and "gas" capacity is more than adequate. Those are available any day of the week in the $25 - $50 range. If one is require to test many different types of tubes in bulk (but not much more than that) and needs a level of accuracy that suggests resale of said tubes, then a Cardomatic is about the only way to fly. If one is required to actually "match" tubes, then one needs a tester capable of allowing or doing those tests conveniently and directly. Accordingly, the latter two types of testers command a (perhaps irrational) premium over simple emissions-type testers. And somehow similar-but-less-capable testers are invested with the same mythology, yet really provide little more truly useful information than the emissions-tester. Keep in mind at all times, that the best and most accurate test of any tube is its behavior in-circuit. So, about any tester when used for general purposes does no more than deliver GO/NO-GO "suggestions" (excepting shorts and gas failures of course). Spending premium $$ on an otherwise unremarkable tester because it carries the Hickok name is foolish under those conditions. But, MC testers are "better" than emissions testers all other things being equal, so some additional value is justified. Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA Peter, I hear a lot of words coming from someone who surely has years of experience. But for those of us who don't have this background, I need names and model #s. What models do you recommend? Break them down into different catagories if you like. Choice 1,2,3,etc. and for what application. Thanks, Terry |
#8
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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info HELP needed with HICKOK 534
"Terry" wrote in message ups.com... Are there any bad Hickok tube testers that someone advises not buying? Everyone's first choice to buy seems to be a Hickok. They all can't be that good. How about a model 534 Hickok? http://www.tubewizard.com/recommende...ok_testers.htm http://bellsouthpwp.net/p/a/padgett46/hickok.htm |
#9
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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info HELP needed with HICKOK 534
On Aug 20, 9:08 am, Terry wrote:
Peter, I hear a lot of words coming from someone who surely has years of experience. But for those of us who don't have this background, I need names and model #s. What models do you recommend? Break them down into different catagories if you like. Choice 1,2,3,etc. and for what application. Terry: In emissions-type testers, you are looking for something that is well- supported in the market (has all the updates for the post-manufacture tubes), is relatively simple to maintain and has good basic design. Then, there are well-made testers that are less well supported, and extremely well supported testers of sometimes questionable construction. Of the former, Simpson comes to mind. Extremely rugged and well-made. Updates are available if somewhat hard to chase down. As are schematics. But there are fewer of them. Other names along this line are some of the lower-end Jackson & B&K. Again, $25 - $50 should be your range. Of the latter the kits come to mind: Heith, Eico and National come to mind, with Heath leading the list in support and data. The difficulty is that a kit can be anything from something put together with pluming solder and acid flux to a labor of love from a skilled tech. Until you get hold of it and look inside, you will not know, nor is any eBay seller going to be able to tell you with any degree of certainty. Same range. Then, there is NRI and their ilk. Very simple testers that do the job if in good condition, updates are available but a PITA to find, cheap, cheap, cheap. Condition, condition, condition. In MC testers, AVO and Hickok are the Bee's Knees, Cult Favorites, whatever your choice of words. EVERYTHING else is second to them. Avoid Hickok emissions-only testers like the plague. And the most basic advice I can give is to NOT buy a tester until you can kick the tires. Or, that the price is so low that you are willing to invest whatever it takes to make it go (and you may need to do nothing at all), or toss it if it cannot be made to go. I have a Hickok 539B. I would pay $100 + that tester to go to a 539C in equally good condition. I have no real use for a Cardmatic Hickok, but for those who have volume issues, it is the way to go. The Military testers (I77, TV-7 and clones) are very nice but also limited. Pretty much all the second-tier MC Testers are limited. That is the problem in a nutshell. Assume I had no MC-type tester, and really wanted one for the same reasons I have one now... the occasional matching of tubes, and actual quality tests between similar tubes. I *might* pay $400 for one with that capacity, but in the real world, that is pretty much limited to either the 539 Hickok series, or modifications to other testers which I am not prepared to do. Or to some testers in the AVO line, quite scarce in the US. Not sure if this answers you question, but it is all according to what you want to do with it. My *OPINION* is that there is little to choose between a very nice emissions-only tester and a TOL Tester capable of true quality tests and matching. It is pretty much the case as it applies to the hobbyist that everything is a Hyundai (gets you from here to there) until it is a Mercedes or a Ferrari... at least as prices have gotten these days. And do you really need either a Mercedes or a Ferrari to just get you from here to there? Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA |
#10
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
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info HELP needed with HICKOK 534
On Aug 20, 4:22 pm, Peter Wieck wrote:
On Aug 20, 9:08 am, Terry wrote: Peter, I hear a lot of words coming from someone who surely has years of experience. But for those of us who don't have this background, I need names and model #s. What models do you recommend? Break them down into different catagories if you like. Choice 1,2,3,etc. and for what application. Terry: In emissions-type testers, you are looking for something that is well- supported in the market (has all the updates for the post-manufacture tubes), is relatively simple to maintain and has good basic design. Then, there are well-made testers that are less well supported, and extremely well supported testers of sometimes questionable construction. Of the former, Simpson comes to mind. Extremely rugged and well-made. Updates are available if somewhat hard to chase down. As are schematics. But there are fewer of them. Other names along this line are some of the lower-end Jackson & B&K. Again, $25 - $50 should be your range. Of the latter the kits come to mind: Heith, Eico and National come to mind, with Heath leading the list in support and data. The difficulty is that a kit can be anything from something put together with pluming solder and acid flux to a labor of love from a skilled tech. Until you get hold of it and look inside, you will not know, nor is any eBay seller going to be able to tell you with any degree of certainty. Same range. Then, there is NRI and their ilk. Very simple testers that do the job if in good condition, updates are available but a PITA to find, cheap, cheap, cheap. Condition, condition, condition. In MC testers, AVO and Hickok are the Bee's Knees, Cult Favorites, whatever your choice of words. EVERYTHING else is second to them. Avoid Hickok emissions-only testers like the plague. And the most basic advice I can give is to NOT buy a tester until you can kick the tires. Or, that the price is so low that you are willing to invest whatever it takes to make it go (and you may need to do nothing at all), or toss it if it cannot be made to go. I have a Hickok 539B. I would pay $100 + that tester to go to a 539C in equally good condition. I have no real use for a Cardmatic Hickok, but for those who have volume issues, it is the way to go. The Military testers (I77, TV-7 and clones) are very nice but also limited. Pretty much all the second-tier MC Testers are limited. That is the problem in a nutshell. Assume I had no MC-type tester, and really wanted one for the same reasons I have one now... the occasional matching of tubes, and actual quality tests between similar tubes. I *might* pay $400 for one with that capacity, but in the real world, that is pretty much limited to either the 539 Hickok series, or modifications to other testers which I am not prepared to do. Or to some testers in the AVO line, quite scarce in the US. Not sure if this answers you question, but it is all according to what you want to do with it. My *OPINION* is that there is little to choose between a very nice emissions-only tester and a TOL Tester capable of true quality tests and matching. It is pretty much the case as it applies to the hobbyist that everything is a Hyundai (gets you from here to there) until it is a Mercedes or a Ferrari... at least as prices have gotten these days. And do you really need either a Mercedes or a Ferrari to just get you from here to there? Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA Thanks for the information. At the present I'm restoring "All American Five" 1940's radios. In the future I might move into guitar amp repairs. Everything I"ve read says to spend your money on MC testers and stay away from emissions types. I just bought a Jackson 648. I hope that will handle my needs until I can afford that Hickok 539. Terry |
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