16-07-2015, 01:19 PM
Following on from Lawrence's comments, the usual way to wire up the valve sockets is indeed to create a plate with all the sockets you want on it, then wire all the pin 1s together, then all the pin 2s etc...
The real trick is to then close each loop, i.e. the last socket's pin 1 goes to the first socket's pin 1 etc., and you slip a bunch of ferrite suppressor beads over each loop to stop unwanted oscillation - this is the technique used by AVO in their famous range of testers - others did the same. Each loop has a 4mm socket connected to it by an RF filter, e.g. http://katalog.we-online.de/en/pbs/WE-UKW - you also have sockets for heater (2 sockets), cathode, anode, screen, grid, suppressor grid etc. and jumper leads to patch for whichever socket & tube you are using.
The uTracer also uses this technique - the beads I use can be obtained from Farnell - http://uk.farnell.com/wuerth-elektronik/...tt=1635667 - have a look at the photos in http://www.dos4ever.com/uTracerlog/tubetester2.html#box - this demonstrates the technique precisely (ignore that these photos are of a uTracer - the sockets etc. technique is equally valid for all testers). A close equivalent to the RF inductors above is http://uk.farnell.com/laird-technologies...dp/2292299 - you can see these in the photos mounted on the bottom of the 4mm sockets.
For a small tester, this will add maybe £10 to the cost; for a uTracer with 10 sockets, maybe £20.
Note that not using the beads is a BAD PLAN
(you will sometimes get nasty oscillation)
Use at least one per loop depending on the number of sockets you have - with several sockets cabled up, you might want two or three per loop.
The real trick is to then close each loop, i.e. the last socket's pin 1 goes to the first socket's pin 1 etc., and you slip a bunch of ferrite suppressor beads over each loop to stop unwanted oscillation - this is the technique used by AVO in their famous range of testers - others did the same. Each loop has a 4mm socket connected to it by an RF filter, e.g. http://katalog.we-online.de/en/pbs/WE-UKW - you also have sockets for heater (2 sockets), cathode, anode, screen, grid, suppressor grid etc. and jumper leads to patch for whichever socket & tube you are using.
The uTracer also uses this technique - the beads I use can be obtained from Farnell - http://uk.farnell.com/wuerth-elektronik/...tt=1635667 - have a look at the photos in http://www.dos4ever.com/uTracerlog/tubetester2.html#box - this demonstrates the technique precisely (ignore that these photos are of a uTracer - the sockets etc. technique is equally valid for all testers). A close equivalent to the RF inductors above is http://uk.farnell.com/laird-technologies...dp/2292299 - you can see these in the photos mounted on the bottom of the 4mm sockets.
For a small tester, this will add maybe £10 to the cost; for a uTracer with 10 sockets, maybe £20.
Note that not using the beads is a BAD PLAN
(you will sometimes get nasty oscillation)Use at least one per loop depending on the number of sockets you have - with several sockets cabled up, you might want two or three per loop.
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