The cost to repair a TV-7 tube tester

[electra225]

These old Hickok military tube testers are hot property. I've had one that my stepdad got when he was in the military right after WW2. I've had it for 35 years. Guys want the BIG money for one on ebay. I see now why. Dan Nelson wants $325 to go thru it, plus $140 for the meter, plus whatever else he finds wrong. If guys pay over $500 to have one fixed, then sell it for $700, all they have done is swap dollars, they haven't made any money. All that is wrong with mine is that the meter sticks. I'm going to try to find a meter and move on. I can't justify that kind of cost when I only use this thing a couple of times a year.

[TC Chris]

Can't you adjust the meter pivots? Most of the good old ones let you adjust the clearance at the pivots (and maybe clean them too). Just be careful not to bollix up the hairspring.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

No adjustments on this one. I can get a meter out of Taiwan for $60, but I'm not sure how wise that would be. I ran across a video on YouTube on how to rebuild/calibrate/adjust a TV-7 that I may watch and see if gives me any hints. The meter sticks at "10" but works fine above that. I can use the tester, the sticky meter is aggravating is the only problem.

[electra225]

I just got an email from Dan Nelson. He'll sell me a meter. I think that's the way I'll go.

[Conelrad]

I love my TV-7D, one of the last ones made in the late 80's. Richardson tubes in it, even.

For 99% of things, it is plenty. I have a beautiful Weston 983 tester, but it takes longer to set up the test and get the in-depth condition of the TUT.

D

[electra225]

I like mine because it is simple to use. I don't like the shorts test as well as I do on the Jackson 648S that just took a dump. The downside of the TV 7 is that it won't test Compactrons. I believe there is an upgrade that replaces the acorn socket with a 12-pin Compactron socket, then you can get an adapter to use with the 12-pin socket so you can test 9-pin compactrons. I used the Jackson for the newer tubes and Compactrons, the TV-7 for the older tubes. My TV-7 has three socket savers on it, so it needs those tube sockets replaced. It could stand a good overhaul, but I'm not going to spend $500 on it.

[Conelrad]

TV-7s were usually issued with socket savers in the miniature and octal sockets.

DG

[electra225]

That is exactly where mine are.

[Conelrad]

The idea with that was the savers got the wear, not the sockets.

Smart, in that the savers were cheaper than a soldier's time in changing out sockets.