On Sunday, January 17, 2016 at 11:59:22 PM UTC-5, Phil Allison wrote:
Trevor Wilson wrote:


** The VCM163 ( Valve Characteristic Meter) is oddball among valve
testers, uses only AC voltages for ALL supplies - plates, screens and
grids !!

http://www.radiomuseum.org/forum/tub...principle.html


Expensive too, working examples go on Ebay for up to $3000.


**The transformers inside the thing are amazing things. They would be
very expensive to produce today. Mind-numbing numbers of taps.



** However, the VCM163 is a VERY clever device, which could
be done more cleverly today. That said, it is very convenient and it
operating within specification. Except for the transformer switching, it
is a very simple device at it's core.


** Full article and internal pics he

http://schmid-mainz.de/Radio-Bygones_140.pdf

One of the C-Core transformers is used with a half wave load, which could make it growl a bit and get hot after a while.

BTW:

Can it be used with valves that have anode caps ?

Like the 6CM5, 6DQ6B, 807, 300B and 6146 types.


.... Phil

That looks to be a very well built tube tester. Leave it to England to raise the bar , Britannia rules the waves and all that. I suspect it comes with a plug in anode top cap lead. Someone on ebay is selling one for 57 eur. Who in their right mind would pay that much for a piece of wire ??

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/AVO-CT160-and...-/331110707340