What to do with these tubes?

[Paradox916]

That reminds me I got a bunch of tubes from my grandfather he was really into building HAM radios and 99% of of them I’m just to sure if they have any practical applications for me

I’ll try and post a pic of them later.

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

I started testing mine, so far they all test "good." I think most of these haven't been lit up in decades. My TV-2B/U tester can't accommodate the 12-pin compactron tubes. I haven't found test parameters for some of the more obscure part numbers. A few tubes have the part # worn off.



Once upon a time, I worked with a couple of old ham radio operators. They collected cool surplus stuff like this and they'd sell me their leftovers. I think I paid $50 for this baby. It's built like a tank. Note the watertight gasket around the edge.

 

[Paradox916]

Well I guess I need a tube tester or just toss them back in the box, and forget about them for another decade or 2. There is some 12ax7, at7 and au7s in there but actually serviceability unknown, they are all US made so that gives some idea of age I guess… I don’t know if I really want to sort through these today… back i. The box you go

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Good Score!

The US made small-signal tubes last forever. For testing the dual triodes, you could breadboard the 1st stage of a Fender amp. You'll need 200VDC or so for the plates. If they bias correctly, you're in business. Or just plug 'em into an amp and give a listen...

 

[Paradox916]

Good Score!

The US made small-signal tubes last forever. For testing the dual triodes, you could breadboard the 1st stage of a Fender amp. You'll need 200VDC or so for the plates. If they bias correctly, you're in business. Or just plug 'em into an amp and give a listen...

I’m definitely keeping all the 12A*7’s out just to roll tubes, but the rest I probably won’t play with anytime soon.

 

[fig]

I pushed the easy button. theBay had a 161 for $30.

 

[Harry Klippton]

Send them to me?

 

[Feral Feline]

I love the funky vintage tube testers, wish I could find such a score — more importantly, I wish I knew how the hell to use them if I should ever be so lucky as to have one cross my path.

 

[vigilante398]

I finally bit the bullet and ordered a µTracer kit so I could have a nice computerized tube tester and I put it together about 8 months ago, but haven't gotten around to boxing it so I can actually use it. When I finally do I'll get rid of my vintage tube tester for cheap. I think I paid $40 for it in 2015 and have more than gotten my $40 worth out of it.

The vintage testers you see around eBay are excellent for determining if a tube is good or bad and also useful for finding internal shorts in tubes, which as you can imagine are undesirable. The big things they can't do that I want is match power tubes tubes and plot response curves, and that's why I thought the $200 or so for a µTracer would be worth it.