Test Equipment Anonymous

Hello,

this week a parcel from Mr. Weigl arrived here. It contained some special parts for his RoeTest device.
Mr. Weigl has designed a nice and sophisticated vacuum tube tester with lots of capabilities to test and measure vacuum tubes.

This is his project page with some assembly reports available:
https://www.roehrentest.de/EnglishInfo.html

The RoeTest is a computer aided test device which comes with a huge database for a lot of vacuum tubes, nixie tubes etc.
For more details, please visit his website (link above).
Here are some pictures of the parts which arrived here:

The front plate:


The steel case:


Some sharp edges:


Bottom:


The massive heat sink:




The transformers:
Main transformer:



Support transformer:


Some special parts:


The PCBs:
Main board:



Heater, G2 and anode plate:


G1 and G3:


Relais switching matrix:


Next step is ordering all the other parts, which are quite a few.
Stay tuned for the next update.

I have heard of this or one similar and I'm very interested to see how it works.

MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 1:35 pm I have heard of this or one similar and I'm very interested to see how it works.

Same here, believe me!

I have a bad feeling you're going to be costing me a bunch of $$!!

-Pat

I'm going to sit here with the popcorn and enjoy other people spending their money on expensive kits for a change

That is quite a bit more complete "kit" than I was expecting. Tho I suspect still a considerable BOM of remainder parts...

I get the feeling somebody wants to be able to characterize choobs for U-47 mic preamplifiers and the like...

More power tooya, my friend.

mnem

At one time I was fully into electron tubes (valves). I have several bits of gear that use them; some valve scopes and radios and large collection of valves.

Years back I came by an AVO Mk IV valve tester cheaply. They are now £££s painful. It's actually a valve characteristic meter and could be used to plot curves. It handles a lot more bases and types than a go/no go tester such as the Mullard High Speed horror. It's produced a few surprises, such as apparent NOS valves having internal shorts or being useless, and grim looking octals, with the base taped to the glass envelope and bought for pennies, performing outside the maker's specification.

I'll watch this with interest. I suppose it would be indelicate to ask how much it costs.

Zenith wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 11:08 pm I'll watch this with interest. I suppose it would be indelicate to ask how much it costs.

The parts from Mr. Weigl so far: around 770.- Euro (2nd PIC controller included which costs 10 Euro).
For the other parts my estimation is somewhere in the range of 600 to 750 Euro, depending on the source and my snobism.
For example, Mr. Weigl offers 2 470µF / 200V / 105°C electrolytic capacitors from Samxon. Checked Mouser and found some capacitors from Nichicon / Rubycon / Chemicon which I'll order a replacement for the Samxon.
Also not sure if I'll use the relays from the original BOM list. Found on Mouser some Omron or Schrack replacements. Let's see, how this will go.

Cubdriver wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 7:44 pm I have a bad feeling you're going to be costing me a bunch of $$!!

-Pat

I'm really sorry.

BU508A wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 8:55 am

Cubdriver wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 7:44 pm I have a bad feeling you're going to be costing me a bunch of $$!!

-Pat

I'm really sorry.

Yeah, I can see that... /sarc



-Pat

BU508A wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 5:10 am For example, Mr. Weigl offers 2 470µF / 200V / 105°C electrolytic capacitors from Samxon. Checked Mouser and found some capacitors from Nichicon / Rubycon / Chemicon which I'll order a replacement for the Samxon.

I have 4 unused 470µF 200V caps (Nichicon LGR2D471MELA35) with 10mm pin spacing, bought to swap out in the hp 8592L. The originals are however fine and these are currently surplus to me. Yours if you want them.

mansaxel wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 6:08 am I have 4 unused 470µF 200V caps (Nichicon LGR2D471MELA35) with 10mm pin spacing, bought to swap out in the hp 8592L. The originals are however fine and these are currently surplus to me. Yours if you want them.

Thanks for your kind offer!

Sadly, those are ones with 10mm spacing but I need 7.5mm. I think, I'll go for those Rubycons from Mouser:
200BXW470MEFR18X40

Or those from Chemicon:
EPAG201ELL471MM40S

I'm putting together a giant order of capacitors. The usual thing, Farnell have some you want, CPC have others, RS have yet others, Digikey and Mouser are also in there. There may be other suppliers. You have to watch the minimum order for free shipping. Then there are other things you may want to order. Mouser seem particularly good for capacitors, maybe not so much for other things.