Make Your Own Tube Testers and Electron Tube Equipment Paperback – January 1, 2013

Filled with detailed information that you cannot find anywhere else. It identifies the different types of Tube Testers as well as providing information about building your own Tube Testers. There is quite a bit of difference between Emission Testers and GM Testers and the way that Mutual Conductance is measured. It explains why one brand of Tube might not work properly in a circuit over a different brand. We cannot expect a Tube Tester to test every combination, however an understanding of how this is done in various ways is described very well. When I took electronic courses in college, the professors didn't explain any of this as well as this book has done.

I'm on my second time through this wonderful book. I am reading and re-reading the many detailed descriptions given on vacuum tubes.I let well over a year go by before picking this book up again to read and study. It is well worth the effort; especially if you want to really get into Electron Tubes. I wish I had this book when I started in electronics back in 1961; with the United States Air Force. However, at that age I probably wouldn't really have know the treasure that this book is. I do now.I might very well add more to this evaluation once I finish reading the book again.By the way, I just noticed that there is only one copy of this book available through Amazon. You better get it while you can.

Reviews can be deceiving if not read carefully and between the lines. I almost didn't purchase this book because of one of the comments made in one of the reviews here on Amazon - that basically said that book contains more tube operational theory than information on how to build a tube tester. ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT!! Book is large about 8 1/2 x 11" pages - 222 pages long of which pages 1-36 talk about tube theory, how vacuum tubes work, different types for different purposes most info provided in this first section is provided in context with BUILDING or at LEAST UNDERSTANDING how Tube Testers work, are supposed to work, should work - hobbiest grade up to laboratory grade testers - so the tube theory is talked about in relation to how those tubes can be tested and what to test for.. In summary this is the BEST book by far describing how tubes work, age, what goes wrong with them, how you can detect what is wrong by visually inspecting tube then measuring certain electrical characteristics (based on tube type) to determine amplification factor, DC (watts) or AC gain (gm). There are reviews of different types of testers & brands (most popular) a description of how they achieve the measurements needed to test, match and rank tubes in terms of quality, longevity, & ultimately usability/performance & value ($$).The approach used to ascertain vintage & modern tube tester purpose/accuracy/value is to explain how they come up with the key values that are explained earlier to "grade/assess" your new and vintage tubes and how they measure / calculate to match those values - also where do these standard values come from and how did they (e.g. RCA Receiving Tube Manual) come up with these measurements/values as baseline and/or "Bogie"/Target values to meet or come close too to assign a grade or value to your TUT (Tube Under Test). He also discusses the "plusses & Minuses" of these vintage and new/modern tube test devices/software program apps - how they work, and limitations.From there he discusses the IDEAL TEST Apparatus and why it's ideal - and what are we measuring and why - again, the core reference "Bible" or Bogie Values point back to the "Ancient Text - Translated from the Original Latin Text" (LOL) - The RCA Receiving Tube Manual.. this is the baseline/bible for most of the measurements achieved using a vintage, modern or custom built Tube Testing Apparatus - which BTW consists primarily of AC & Regulated DC High and Low Voltage Power Supplies of sufficient Current (depending on purpose - Filament voltage is typically 6.3 or 12.6 Volts that is better as DC than AC - due to stability and control - but it has the highest load current of all the needed voltages (10 Amps - see book) - then there are the B+ (Plate & Screen Voltages - he suggests 2 separate Variable Regulated HV supplies - of "0 to 500 or 600 VDC" (may want/need higher up to 800VDC depending on tubes being tested) @ approx 1A (250mA plate,& 250mA screen may be more than enough depending on what tubes u r testing) then the C- or negative regulated DC of "0 to -150" (-100 should be fine for most tubes) - negative DC Bias Voltage. So with the proper power supplies that you can buy (HV Regulated Variable DC supplies designed especially for Vacuum Tube design/testing were very commonly available for Audio, Pro-sound and Ham hobbiests and professionals from the 1940s through the late 70's until transistor/solid state completely replaced all but a few commercially available amps/radios/transmitters etc... & of course the resurrection of tube technology and HV power requirements have made these power supplies made back in the day rise to ridiculous prices when 20 years ago they couldn't give away these old boat anchors. I was lucky enough to pick up one of the book's recommended HV PS - made by HEathkit (actually made by someone who assembled a Heath"KIT" PS - the IP-17, IP-32 or IP-2717 or IP-2717A. These are multi-tap, multi AC & regulated DC power supplies 1st 3 models are vacuum tube based the last model (IP-2727A) is solid state. They were deigned to provide all the voltages needed to operate a High Voltage vacuum tube circuit like an audio amp with a reasonable number of common tubes - so there is a 3 Amp 6.3 or 12.6 VAC filament supply, and 2 regulated variable DC supplies a B+ that is approx 250mA @ 0 to 400VDC to supply both plate and screen voltages and a negative C power supply @ 100 mA and 0 to 100 VDC- The author of the book recommends at least 2 of these supplies to separate screen and plate, a separate regulated low voltage high current supply for filaments and a separate regulated DC supply for negative bias supply. Finally an AC signal generator with isolation transformer to supply a 1 volt sine wave at several diffierent frequencies - 1K, 10K 100K to couple over DC bias signal to provide the feed into the grid of an output tube to measure AC & DC gain - the metering is also an arrayof accurate AC/DC multimeters, a frequency counter and a very accurate low voltage AC analog sway meter to measure the small AC grid signal - all of this is explained in detail = parts, brand examples, connections, options, actual photographs of several different setups he has built etc.... LONG WINDED EXPLANTION - he also explains how to build a tube socket interface box with common tube sockets you would need, a manual tube pin switching arrangement using both rotary switches found in vintage testers and banana jack/plug patch panel to manage power distribution from your many bench power suppliesFinally if you can't find or don't want to buy used vinatge power supplies and then have to restore them - he shows & explains how to build your own high & low voltage high and low current power supplies from scratch both vacuum tube based & solid state - mostly of the old fashioned linear design because of voltage purity/accuracy/controlability using commonly available parts and knowledge based on the tube based equipment you will be testing (in other words building high speed switching power supplies is somewhat out of scope for a guy who repairs tube guitar amps) but it is discussed.Hope this helps - I also bought and read Igor's book - it is more detailed reference comparing both vintage and modern tube testers already built - and touches on building your own from scratch - a good introduction to this book and a lot more detail on comparing a Hickok to a Heathkit or B&K Tube tester - the goods and bads of each brand and model and which are total garbage.Chris

This is a fun book. Lots of theory and lots of DIY building projects. Not for the faint or unknowledgeable, if you're new to tubes you might want to start somewhere that is a bit more easy to understand than this book.The author shows you how to build some heavy duty tube testing equipment. I've been building tube guitar amps and equipment since the 1960's, I found this book interesting.Not sure I'd buy this book again since I doubt I'll be building a tube tester but I might buy a used tube tester and rebuild it so this book could be some help and a useful reference.It is physically a large book with good illustrations and print that is not too small for antique eyes like mine.Wishing everyone all the best in their quest for tube tone.

I have several tube testers. Not one of them does all the things I want so I purchased this book to understand the how and whys to build something that can evaluate tubes in a better fashion. It was wellworth it.

Well, this book is not exactly what I expected, but I have been pleasantly surprised. I thought it would be more about building a tube tester, but it actually has more information about tube theory, supporting circuitry, and tube data than actually describing how to build a tube tester. BUT, for me, I'm glad it does. It does a great job of explaining much of a typical tube's operating conditions, which will make you better understand how a tube tester works. Several circuits, other than a tube tester, are also explained, illustrated, and described. Of all the books I've ever screened or read regarding vacuum tube theory and practical application, so far, this is my favorite!

This the first book I bought on Vacuum tubes.I studied them in the sixties .this book is a practical read rather than a textbook. It’s very easy to follow, and it brings back the theory I learned in HS

From the title i anticipated that I could learn to build a tube tester. I did not. This book only teaches theory of testing tubes. Very disappointing and way too expensive.