Well you're right... if you have an amptech friend with a tube tester... that's the cheapest way. 

All in all... a guy like me, player and a DIY guy, probably need such a device perhaps once or twice per month... sometimes maybe not even that much.
I wanted to have it just cause I'm to to lazy and usually can't find the time to drive to my amptech, if it's not a must.
...and now everybody that I know, with a tube amp are coming to me to measure some tubes.

 

Sure why not... but it won't be that cheap to build such a device. And what happens if you want to measure something else apart from octals. You will need some adaptors as well.

My amptech friend has one of those as well... that has to be the best tube tester out there.
...but costs way to much for an average DIY guy.

I didn't read everything but it seems a lot information about DIY tube testers can be found here...
http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=48853
or here
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=275663
... look around you can find a lot of info about this topic.

Yes, this is what I understood as well...

My Longhin tube tester goes to 460V plate voltage.... it's adjustable from 30 to 460V...max plate current up to 200mA, bias from 0 to -50V, adjustable heaters from 1.5 to 50V
I think I can measure any tube out there at working condition. ...but unfortunately device like that doesn't come cheap.

Here goes 1000 and one...

...I spent quite some time here didn't I.
I learned a lot, so it was not all wasted.
 

I know what you mean... I have a nice modern type tester too but just had to own a piece of history as well. It smells soooo vintage. 
 

I'm with you guys... all the way.
 


bring back the kits, bring back the kits....

The best tube tester is your amp... trust me on this.
...obviously a dedicated tube tester is also very handy tool and you don't need to get an AVO.... those are really expansive.
You could get a cheap emission type tube tester but a device like is not very accurate... it's more like an indicator GOOD/BAD and even than the result is not 100% accurate.
You can spend a little more (still a lot cheaper than AVO) for a vintage transconductance type tube tester. Those will deliver even better results.
Learn about vintage tube testers here...
http://www.tone-lizard.com/Tube_Testers.html

... but if you want to mach tubes or search for balanced preap tubes you will have to get a modern type device.
..a device like this http://www.maximatcher.com/
but there are many other available as well... this is only one example.

BTW it just happens that I have AVO CT160 on my bench at this moment... I borrowed it from a friend... and let me tell you this thing is just to complicated. I don't like it... for that kind of money, I would definitively buy some modern type tube tester.
I also have a very old cheap Precision tube tester... very easy nice and simple tester... but like I said not very accurate.

OK who's going to South East Asia this summer for vacation?
Please bring some sort of a persuading tool along... 

...man it took me some years to complete my amp building/fixing bench. I'm finally done now... I have everything at my disposal and now this happens.
 


One suggestion perhaps... just thinking at loud here...
I'm sure it takes a loot of time, to do the support for DIY kit builders, especially for 1st time builders... perhaps if he would stop doing this. Obviously he would need to put out some notice... "support with kits not included anymore".
People which don't know what it takes to build an amp, should not do this anyhow.
...and after all, we have this forum now... we can help each other out... don't we.
And for those who still can't fix it... I'm sure there is an amptech somewhere who needs to make a living as well.
 

Yes, I like the boards as well... and also new aluminium faceplates look much better as well.
Nik is constantly improving him self...
 

I buy transformers locally from a friend of mine... he's a professional amp tech... he's building hi end hi-fi tube stuff... very expensive.
Guitar stuff is a side stuff for him.
 

thanks man
 

Next project is D-lator to compliment this amp. 

...two more