Orange VT1000 Tube Tester?

[NY Chief]

Anybody have any experience with this? Not exactly cheap and I'm sure it doesn't test at real amp voltage but could be good for weeding out bum tubes?

http://www.musicradar.com/us/reviews/gu ... ter-572013" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[NY Chief]

bump

nobody???

[jof006]

...but could be good for weeding out bum tubes?

I haven't had any experience with one myself, but it looks like it should be good for that.

I would not buy one of these because of the seemingly arbitrary and unexplained "matching values" it gives. It's probably fine if all you're doing is matching valves you already possess, but if you want to buy a new valve to match one with a certain gain for example, it gives you no idea.

I think it's a damn shame that they did not use a proper user interface with a nice big LCD on it to list the tests performed with their results and show the normal parameters you'd expect from a valve tester, e.g. Gain, Transconductance, Mutual Conductance, etc.
It would not have taken much more effort or cost IMHO.

Hopefully they'll do a version 2 with all that included. Now I'd be interested in that, if the price did not change too much.

[5150loveeddie]

Guys, I have one, well it is my second one (same version, why?)

First unit I got tested most of my 12ax7's as WORNED even when tube was brand new, now ok a new tube can be weak I know that but 50% of them? I don't think so. Had a friend who tested his tubes with a guy in the USA with same unit, I did the test as well, not the same numbers, mine seems to underestimate compare to the other unit. Power tubes seems to be the same in all cases, 12ax7's are the problem I think.

Now I ask my provider for an exchange as I suspected the tester was underestimating 12ax7's, I was trashing maybe perfectly good 12ax7...I mean this is not serious.

Here is the fun with this, my second unit FAILS most of my 12ax7's even brand new ones, now I don't know what to think???? Wrote down all my first unit numbers it gave me, the second units FAIL's most of my 12ax7, again the power tubes seems to be more accurate, (same measuments on both units).

I think I will ask for a refund.....

[Jerry G]

I have one, checked my whole tube stash, maybe 100 tubes. Found one worn tube.

Seems like it works well, I am happy with it.