I am just getting into tube, AKA valve, stuff. At this point I am
learning about them, how they work, how they are used, etc. I
surprised myself a little when I identified an audio amp just by
looking at it. This amp was a component for a larger radio and did not
have any type controls on it. And no labels or anything either. It was
just a chassis with screw terminals.
Anyway, time to get to the point. How valuable is a tube tester for
someone who is only, or mainly, going to be messing with audio gear
and the gear for testing audio gear. Maybe what I really need is a
gear tester? Ahem. So, this would just be for hobby use, at least for
now, and I am not gonna spend a lot of money on it. Can a simple
tube tester be of much use? I say simple because I imagine a not so
simple tester will have a not so low price.
I suppose I could always get a more sophisticated tester that needs
repair but then I would need to learn how to repair it and calibrate
it. Are they hard to calibrate? What sorts of test equipment would be
needed to calibrate one?
I'm a machinist and I know how I would approach this type of
problem if it was a mechanical assembly. I have built pretty
sophisticated and accurate inspection equipment using less
sophisticated machines and tools. But I would be lost trying to repair
a tube tester without help.
Thanks,
Eric