Info/docs on tube tester?

From: William Donzelli <william_at_ans.net>
Date: Sun Apr 26 11:13:57 1998

> You mean an AVO Mk4 Valve Characteristic Meter, surely :-). A very nice
> instrument that'll test just about any valve with 9 pins of fewer, and
> will do proper mutual conductance tests.

If it can do the job, sure! Of course, it probably only has sockets for
those weird British valves with the "interesting" bases (like the
almost-Octal socket)!

> Or, if you want an _interesting_ instrument, look at the Mullard High
> Speed Valve Tester. It's controlled by (special) punched cards. They have
> a 14*10 matrix of holes which allow contacts to make in the card reader
> assembly. Said contacts link the appropriate pins of the valveholder to
> the right points in the circuit, select the appropriate transformer taps
> for the heater voltage and set the other electrode voltages using
> resistive ladder DACs (see, this is almost on-topic...). Pity it's only
> an emission tester.

Hickock made one like that called a "Cardmatic". Find the card, throw it
in the slot, the thing makes a loud CLUNK, and you are all set to go.

William Donzelli
william_at_ans.net
Received on Sun Apr 26 1998 - 11:13:57 BST