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RE: Heathkit TT-1a vs the Hickok 539 series

If you think a 539 is not up to par for testing your tubes...why did you buy it? They are good testers...for doing what they were intentioned for...giving a relatively good/accurate reading of a tube for continued use. They weren't designed as the end-all for audiophile use. IIRC, during the 50's-60's there were only a few testers made that had the capability of running power tubes at full power...AVO, certain Westons, certain RCAs, and those were probably pretty spendy for the avg tube engineer to buy. Look under the hood of your 9b and see if there's much more room for a PT that will go to 500vdc. The 539 series is very good for pre-amp tubes as long as DMM's are used for bias voltage and current draw. The stock gauges leave a bit to be desired.
It's a whole lot more cost effective to build a power tube tester then buy an older Hickok. With a good Power Isopack (like B&K TR-110), a Variac and a good power circuit like a Fender Showman circuit for 4 tubes there's no reason not to be able to plot a curve trace.

jstrm


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