Tube Tester

[Greg G]

Found this (early 50s?) Sylvania Type 219 tube tester yesterday at an "antique" store booth. Seller wanted 45 bucks, could only haggle him down 10%. I shelled out the $40.50, plus tax and drug it home. I liked that it was in incredible shape, nothing missing. All switches work. The paper scroll inside is intact and working. In the photo it looks like there's a rusty spot toward the upper right corner. That's a small brown tube socket. Calico cat digs the graphics on the sides. Edited: Was asking if this had any potentential, but a couple of guys have emailed me and told me I paid about 40 bucks too much. I need to stay away from swap meets.

[RichRS6]

Well it might not be bargain of the century but if it works it could take a whole lot of guesswork out of deciding if your tubes are wrecked or not and save you a load of money replacing good tubes..

[Turdus]

If the tester works, then you did fine. Even if it does not, it's a cool piece. $40? Who cares. I was given a BK Dyna Jet about 25 years ago. It did not work. When I opened it up, it had 2 massive tubes inside it. I took the chance, and replaced the tubes inside the unit... kinda hard to test a tube testers tubes, lol... anyway, it has worked great ever since. Although mine is beat up, clean examples can bring a few hundred on Ebay.

[hamerican gigolo]

I think you did just fine. If it works,$40 is a bargain. I wish i could find one at that price.

[Jimbilly]

That's cool, $40 was not bad at all.

[JohnnyB]

I would have bought it in a heartbeat. A device like this doesn't just tell you whether the tube works, it indicates its output voltage so you can match pairs. You can buy NOS tubes, used tubes, and pulls from old car radios and electronic organs in odd lots and test them to create matched pairs. Most NOS dealers charge $5-20 extra for matched pairs.

[tomteriffic]

I would have bought it in a heartbeat. A device like this doesn't just tell you whether the tube works, it indicates its output voltage so you can match pairs. You can buy NOS tubes, used tubes, and pulls from old car radios and electronic organs in odd lots and test them to create matched pairs. Most NOS dealers charge $5-20 extra for matched pairs.

Same here. I've got an oldie like that ( A Jackson, made right here in Dayton) and it's very useful for matching, checking relative output levels, shorts, leaks, etc. It may not be the latest and greatest, but for checking basic functions, it's worth it for the utility alone.

[Jimbilly]

I've been told they need to test 'mutual conductance' to do matching, does the Sylvania test that? My Hickok does not, but my B&K does, although the B&K does not have 6BQ5/el84s on it's chart, sadly enough.

[GusS]

It does not. It cannot be used to matched tubes but you will be able to identify bad tubes with it.

I'd be careful about relying even on a mutual conductance test to match tubes.

I've paired tubes that matched based on readings on the mutual conductance test and tried them in in a couple of two twin-ended and one single ended amp and found that many of them drew current way differently than the "norm".

Jimbilly, do you have a b&k 707?

[Jimbilly]

No, a Model 500. I bought it from the now-deceased, one of the best of the earth organ tech guys, Gale Jones (Puget Sound Organ).

[Turdus]

Jimbilly, do you have a b&k 707?

I do... is there something special about it?

[Jimbilly]

I think the 707 is considered one of the best ones, -correct?

[GusS]

yes. Best thing about the B&K's is how fast they are to set up for a particular tube.