Anyone have experiences with the ORANGE VT1000 Tube Tester?

[ericb]

Hey there, just wondering if anyone owns , or tried, or spit on the ORANGE VT1000 Tube Tester? I have hundreds and hundreds of tubes, and really don't want to buy a vintage Hickok uncalibrated and needing parts, and was wondering if you have any hands-on experience with the Orange? I realize it's limitations with the less than 400volts of current in its tests, but it seems to also have a lot of benefits. Whatcha think? Eric

 

[drewiv]

I like it. As long as you're comfortable with its limitations it's good. I realize it's not the end all be all of testers, but it tells me if my tubes are good or bad or worn. That's all I really need.

 

[ericb]

I like it. As long as you're comfortable with its limitations it's good. I realize it's not the end all be all of testers, but it tells me if my tubes are good or bad or worn. That's all I really need.

Hey thanks for the input. .I think I'm comfortable with its limitations as even though this is expensive, I don't have many other better options! Thanks again! . . If anyone else has any experiences good or bad, please chime in! Eric

 

[VC4Ever]

Just order one today. I will report back on what I think. I got way too many tubes sitting around that I would like to know if they are still good. Seems like a useful tool.

 

[steve_k]

I bought one of these a few months ago and I think it is a fantastic product. Spent a weekend going through a couple hundred new and old preamp tubes and marking them. Did the same with power tubes. I had quite a few loose power tubes around from old quads or pairs (mostly SED's). Being able to match them up was great. For the preamp tubes, get a general rating in terms of strength is good for placement. I found quite a few of the dual triode tubes I assumed were good that failed with one triode dead or mismatched. If you own a few amps and have a bunch of NOS tubes, the unit pays for itself quickly.

 

[dead-pan]

I bought one when it first came out. It is ok for matching power tubes and getting an idea of the output of preamp tubes but that is it. It does not tell you how worn a tube is and its measurements are inconsistent when testing the same tube multiple times. Only tube for me that tested bad was a blown tube. It is too expensive and doesn't get up to the running voltage a tube needs to be at to properly test. Just my thoughts.

 

[ericb]

Thanks a lot for the input guys. I came really close to buying one last week but too many other xmas/family related purchases took over. I have well over 20 amps , and hundreds of tubes, and other than its limitations, I know I can get use out of this guy . I just wish there was some competition for it, as it stands alone at that price. . Anything that does a LOT more, costs a LOT more. sigh. Eric

 

[steve_k]

not sure why people get hung up because it tests power tubes at 400VDC. it's a representative voltage and a safe voltage not to damage a tube during testing. Volts and amps are a direct relationship and it is matching on current, not voltage. it's like buying a boat and not buying a paddle. it's handy and does a good job at what it is designed to do.

 

[glip22]

not sure why people get hung up because it tests power tubes at 400VDC. it's a representative voltage and a safe voltage not to damage a tube during testing. Volts and amps are a direct relationship and it is matching on current, not voltage. it's like buying a boat and not buying a paddle. it's handy and does a good job at what it is designed to do.

I bet it gives a good reference. I can't say for sure but I have purchased tubes matched at 400v and in an amp that puts 480-500v on the plates they were too far out. Now maybe they were too far out to begin with and the seller did a poor job at matching. That I don't know Steve. It's happened a few times. Not all were too far off but one or two were out about 10 ma. One seller would not send me a replacement because he said he can't match them at higher PV. I would like to understand it more as to exactly why but I think a set matched at 400V is not the same as one met at 480+ is not the same and may not be within what we call a matched set anymore. Tyler at TC tubes and I went through a testing process since he matched at lower voltages in the past. He sold to mostly audiophiles before he opened up to guitar players. He sent me some that were not matched. He was baffled. I returned them and he did a bunch of tests and found he needed to match at the voltages the customer was using them at. He changed his ordering process to reflect this.