Hello all,
I saw a closed thread that seems close to what I'm struggling with but I hope someone can help me.
I just bought a Hickok/Western Electric KS-15874-L2 Cardmatic Tube Tester. I'd seen one once before, never owned one, never used one. This thing looks basically perfect.
I know the meter works because when I hope the little hatch and try a couple of those buttons, the needle moves.
But when I try the basic calibration with the calibration cell, it doesn't move (well, maybe a tiny amount) and when I try testing a tube (12AX7), the tube seems to get slightly warm and maybe there's a bit of a glow but nothing like you'd expect in normal tube operation.
I don't know how to tell if the cell is still good.
The prior thread makes me think that maybe the card reader isn't working right. It wouldn't surprise me if this hasn't been used at all in many years given how it looks cosmetically almost unused.
Any thoughts much appreciated.
Oh, I also note that one or two of the pins seems barely to be making contact with anything when I insert the 12AX7. I wonder if I should try to access the bottom of the sockets and tighten those a bit...but still I don't know if that's really the problem. (I haven't yet tried another tube in another socket since I figured there was some other problem when the meter didn't move with the first calibration test, but maybe that's the cell being bad? Should the meter not move at all if the cell is bad?)
Again, grateful for any guidance for this rookie. This machine is one of the coolest pieces of old-school electronics I've ever seen!
Best,
Ross in Denver
I saw a closed thread that seems close to what I'm struggling with but I hope someone can help me.
I just bought a Hickok/Western Electric KS-15874-L2 Cardmatic Tube Tester. I'd seen one once before, never owned one, never used one. This thing looks basically perfect.
I know the meter works because when I hope the little hatch and try a couple of those buttons, the needle moves.
But when I try the basic calibration with the calibration cell, it doesn't move (well, maybe a tiny amount) and when I try testing a tube (12AX7), the tube seems to get slightly warm and maybe there's a bit of a glow but nothing like you'd expect in normal tube operation.
I don't know how to tell if the cell is still good.
The prior thread makes me think that maybe the card reader isn't working right. It wouldn't surprise me if this hasn't been used at all in many years given how it looks cosmetically almost unused.
Any thoughts much appreciated.
Oh, I also note that one or two of the pins seems barely to be making contact with anything when I insert the 12AX7. I wonder if I should try to access the bottom of the sockets and tighten those a bit...but still I don't know if that's really the problem. (I haven't yet tried another tube in another socket since I figured there was some other problem when the meter didn't move with the first calibration test, but maybe that's the cell being bad? Should the meter not move at all if the cell is bad?)
Again, grateful for any guidance for this rookie. This machine is one of the coolest pieces of old-school electronics I've ever seen!
Best,
Ross in Denver
