uTracer Tube tester, Curve Tracer and more
Description
This amazing little tester offers the best value for the money to my opinion. It is sold as a kit, including almost all electronic parts, the PCB and the software.
While I write this, there are two versions for sale, one with lower voltage and current, and an higher version. Price difference is not so large, so for myself, I would already know which one I would prefer.
The uTracer does a complete, normal test on the tube. So no tricks with AC signal of whatever. All voltages are stabilized. Testing is in 'pulse mode', so each test point is touched only short. Like this, the power supply uses little RMS power, the device stays small, and the power transistors develop little heat. This is really a good idea, and a nice concept. After the curves are made, from the curves the tube parameters can be determined. Well, as seen before in the SOFIA, so what was good there, is good here also. I like this tester. The disadvantage may be the 'kit' version of course, and no housing. So a lot of works comes your way, but fair enough it's very attractive priced, and a great result. To my opinion better as the expensive AT1000. The Dutch engineer sure knows his job! The whole PCB runs off a single DC voltage, for which you should buy an old DELL notebook power supply on Ebay. There is no better and cheaper way to get the DC power you need. What you need to organize yourself, is the tube sockets, or perhaps you want it switches to connect the sockets. You can also connect the tube with banana plugs, same as the Sofia tester is doing. (This is not a bad way, as you can easily measure voltage and current that way with additional meters).
What is good about the uTracer?
- ALMOST EVERYTHING!
- Manufacturer has a very interesting web page, you find it here.
- Support. Ronald Dekker is a long-time tube specialist, with a lot of Philips R&D experience. As a circuit designer he surprises me every time with his brilliant way to achieve so much with the available parts.
- Very good and patient communication by Roland.
- Weight and size are a small miracle.
- The voltage and current specification. The high power version does 1000V, 1Amp, this is so incredible.
What is not good about the uTracer?
I think it has almost no negative points, The latest versions are really master pieces. The very few disadvantages are here:
- It can not do auto bias testing, which is the only way to test data sheet conforming, and the only way to compare Gm vs. data sheet. This is a matter of software, but it's a a lot of work to write it, I understand that. Still I would encourage Ronald very much to do this, it brings the usefulness of this tester to the next level. WIth "Auto Bias" is not mentioned to use a bias resistor, but to extract the test data of the tube at fixed plate current, instead of at fixed grid voltage. Then, the table of test results would be in accordance with the tube data sheet. Which now, it is unfortunately not, for this reason.
- The tube curves looking a little bit like Excel. Though shape and information is the same.
- For the negative points in GENERAL, there are several, but this is related to the impulse testers as such, and not to this tester in specific. Several of these points are still important. Read more about this.
Conclusion
- Please look here for a complete compare of this tester with the others.
- My advise is, to use an impulse type tube tester in combination with some classical tester, which can test under reasonable or full dissipation. Then it is a great combination. For instance Funke, Kalibr, Neuberger, etc. Like this you can do the really important testing under dissipation, and once the tube has PASSED, you may be interested in addition to have the curve charts in cold condition, and for what it's worth "cold condition" dynamic parameters derived from that.
- This product is designed with pride and very well done. The later versions are to my opinion the best of it's kind.
FIVE STARS *****