Test It Yourself tube testers

Rod, I know what you mean. I literally have tens of thousands of NOS and used series tubes in storage.
 Thinking .22 targets lately, esp the hundreds of AL5's, CB6's etc

I keep hoping that I will run across some b&w/color tv restorer type of collector that maybe could use and want the series string tubes but so far it hasn't happened.
Rod WB6FBF

I had my chance to pick up a "drug store" tube tester. It was used in the Radio/TV store of a retired technician.

He had moved out of his rental store front, ughh, a long time ago, guessing, mid '80's. I was doing yard sales and came across his. Tester was clean with a compliment of (worthless?) series tv tubes. He talked all around it like a used car salesman but it was too big, I already had a very reliable Triplett in a suitcase. I did buy a Zenith table model from him and a Zenith "toaster" model. In the end, I left behind the Drug Store Beast. Never desired another...

I do believe this guy was shifty, all the tubes in the tester were "standard Brand". A generic box. I think he was re-boxing his pulls from home visit repairs dusting and flogging them in his shop.

Don't tell me about some missed bonanza in series tv tubes. I had previously cleaned several estates with large quantities of these "land fill" tubes. I can only hope some experimenters will find them hot to use and I can move them out at 10 cents a piece...

There are four double wall cartons of unsorted 7 & nine 9 tubes about 50# each.

I have screened them for known usable types, ie 12AX7's, all dry battery types, Telefunkens and other high end names...

Chas

You could set the level to show the new tube in the green and a good tube with lowered emission could show bad, depending on how  its emission level was.
  By lowering the "good" level a healthy new tube would still show OK.
 Used tubes in good condition would still show good, but one whose emission was up from the "?" could show bad, resulting in the sale of a tube.

There was an article in one of the old electronics mags where they caught a guy doing this. IIRC, the State Board that controlled this back East nailed the guy.

 Some DIY testers also sold "seconds or set tested" tubes, not new ones also. Rebranded tubes often showed up in the DIY testers.
 Sometimes the rebranders would give the tube a "hot shot' and boost the emission for a little bit, sell it as a "second or set tested" tube then the tube would fail. Some companies sold them in boxes labelled "Standard Brand", and you could buy the boxes and rebox your own used tubes to sell.  Ethical- ? No.

But Frank! The smart buyer of tubes would always test them first on the same store tester first.

So If the adjustments had been made by the store owner, He would have to eat that sale. Right?

But when I was a young whippersnapper I wouldn't even think of testing the new tubes.

Just saying!

Way back in the 'Days of Yore" the drugstore tube tester was king for the DIY. 
 The store and the owner of the tester made a huge profit on the tubes.
 Often the tester was not too accurate either, which resulted in more tube sales.
 The "not so honest owners" could set the adjustments in the tester to test good tubes as bad. Bet you didn't know that.
 They were basically a rot gut emission tester. Not too accurate most of the time.
 If they showed short, it was likely true however.
 They did a fair job of testing 3 & 4 pin radio vibrators, as well as pilot lights.


If you can pick up a 'Test It Yourself Tube Tester' for dirt cheap,
grab it, even if it doesn't work.(Do try to get the setup chart for it, and the sign too, as it looks cool on the wall).

 Why you ask?.. Well it contains a wealth of sockets for one thing.
it also has a multi-tapped power transformer, good for building a power supply for the old battery radios, and other projects.

 They sell cheaply as they really take up a lot of room with the cabinet. (I have one, &  I tossed the cabinet & kept the tester part for a project.) If you think you can use the cabinet, be sure all the drawers are in it. They often "vanish" along with  the "egg crate" dividers.
 I wouldn't pay much more than $15.00 for the tester & cabinet- unless it had a lot of good tube numbers in it. Typically when you find them all that are left are series fil. TV tubes.
 (Now I have paid a lot more for one, as it was loaded with radio tubes and 7189 & 7199 tubes, along with 6V6, 6L6 and others.)

 Often they are stored in a leaky shed, and quite rusty. Pay what it is worth to you.
 I wouldn't use one for my shop, but they are now a novelty. They could be collectible, if you have the room for them. 

In my area "U Test 'Em" was the most common one, but I know SECO and others made them also.

You might check with old drug stores and grocery stores, as that's where they generally installed. Even Radio Shack had them.