TV-10 C/U Tube Tester now with Photo - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Planobilly
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2015, 05:30:45 pm
content: Hi guys,Last night I took a TV-10 C/U Test Set in on trade for some minor amp repair work.As I understand it, this is one of the more advanced tube testers sold to the Navy.Hickok made the TV-10 A/U and I guess sub contracted the rest out to different companies. I got about 50 bucks tied up in this so I think I done good...lolI have not turned it on yet as I want to take a look inside first.Anyone know about this tester? Value? How hard to repair if need be? I will post some pics when I wake up a bit.Cheers,Billy

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2015, 06:47:10 pm
content: Yeah, pics please.Could it be an AVO rebrand?

author: Planobilly
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2015, 08:46:00 pm
content: I will post pics later today. I got clients ringing my phone off the hook...lolThanks,Billy

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2015, 11:11:25 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on December 11, 2015, 06:47:10 pmI'm quite sure that this is a Hickock (US company) design. Their 1934 patent allowed true transconductance measurements with a DC meter: a clever invention that inserted the DUT into a bridge-like circuit with a full-wave rectifier. The US military standardized on that design after WW II.Alan Douglas' book "Tube Testers and Classic Electronic Test Gear" (Sonoran Publishing, 2000) lists the TV-10 as a replacement for the US Navy TV-3, deleting the VOM function and adding a Septar socket (largish transmitting tube socket for 829, etc.). The TV-7 is another common US military tester. The TV-3, TV-7, and TV-10 units use the Hickock design, although multiple contractors built them for the military (including the TV-7GY/U built by C Lorenz AG of Germany).The same book warns that "all of the AVO data books contain typographical errors, some potentially disastrous, and that as fast as old errors were corrected, new ones occurred."However, the Hickock meters tended to apply relatively high grid AC voltage (probably too high for 12AX7s, for example), but the AVOs used a lower grid signal than the US meters of that period.

author: Planobilly
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2015, 12:38:52 am
content: Here is the photo...perhaps...lolBilly,First time I have tried to post a photo on this siteThe good news is that I think it is working OK. I put a known good tube in and it showed the correct readings. Have no idea how to check the calibration or use all the functions for that matter.Thanks for the above info.

author: Cubdriver
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 13, 2015, 02:02:31 am
content: If you have only $50 tied up in that tube tester, you made out like a bandit!! <jealous>That's a fine piece of equipment you have there. Congrats!-Pat

author: Planobilly
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2015, 04:57:13 am
content: Thanks Cub,I think I done good....now if I can get it working up to specs it will be really cool.Cheers,Billy

author: KE5FX
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2015, 09:27:06 am
content: Nice. Audio nuts would probably give 10x that price for it.I've never sen a TV-10, but it looks a lot like a TV-7 with a built-in reference chart. There's a lot of knowledge on the TV-7 out there on the Intarwebs, so if you can't find the info you need try a search onthat model.

author: graybeard
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2018, 03:15:35 am
content: This is one of the last of a long line of very nice tube mutual conductance tube testers made for the military by several manufacturers, including Hicock who I believe the original design. This one is nice because the roll chart will include tubes that do not show on earlier versions. because they did not yet exist.