Tube testers- I've heard grumbling of a ......


manufacturer developing a new tube tester with digital readouts. Can anyone verify this, and point me in their direction?
mmike84
I've owned the Amplitrex for quite some time now. It is a terrific, easy to use, reasonably versatile tester. It can, coupled to a computer, even be used as a curve tracer. I have been told by a friend that this tester tests at full power, unlike many popular testers, which accounts for some fairly poor readings on tubes that had terrific test results on other testers. In other words, it does not deliver the kind of "better than new" results you see all the time on e-bay.

When testing, the readout gives step by step instructions, it provides data in real units, not arbitrary and proprietary units, and it also gives a rough evaluation (excellent, good, fair, poor) for technically challenged people like me.

The weak point is that it does not have programmed into its menu a whole lot of different tube types. But, if you get the basic information from a tube manual (operating parameters, pin-out, etc), you can program in other types. I am too lazy and stupid to really do that myself, so I contacted Amplitrex and they supplied the data and idiot-proof instructions on programming in a particular tube type I use. Manufacturer support from Amplitrex is pretty good. It would be even better if the unit were capable of easy software upgrades to add more tube types.
The grumbling is about the price and the need for special adapters at additional cost for some reasonably common tubes.