its old and outdated, is it worth messing with? Lafayette 99-5012 tube tester

[soulreaper_msd1]

tittle pretty much sums it up.
I have the original owners manual & tube chart or book.
it works iam not familiar with it at all.

I also seen where you can buy updated tube chart or book.
it is missing the top cap lead (wire). I think I could fabricate one tho.

IS IT WORTH MESSING WITH. thanks

[Enzo]

EVERY tube tester is old and outdated. You could make a new plate/grid cap, but unless you get into high power tubes or really old tubes, you won't need it. The stock tester is ready for 12AX7 and similar tubes, as well as 6L6, 6V6, EL34 and similar tubes. It will test most tubes you will run into.

If you eventually outgrow it, you can find a fancier tester and sell this one. I sold one of those to one of our members a year ago or so.

Follow the directions in the guide, it isn't difficult.

Like all tube testers, it does not put real life conditions on the tubes. And like all testers, it is good at identifying BAD tubes, but cannot tell you a tube is GOOD.

[Mick Bailey]

There are quite a few of these testers with similar functions - I have a Sencore Mighty-Mite that's very similar to the Lafayette. Basically, they do little more than test emission, by using the grid/cathode circuit as a diode to rectify AC and measure the resulting voltage. They're OK for doing a quick test - go/no-go - on a bunch of tubes when you have plenty of 'pulls' to test. Or to check an odd tube that you don't have any other equipment to check it in. The real downside is they won't tell you if a tube is noisy, microphonic, or shorts out when actually in an amp.

It's probably better to have one than not, but by the time I get it out and set it up I could have tested at least half a dozen tubes by substituting them in an amp, which I still end up doing anyhow if I was to use the tester. So it lives with my 'Cricket' transistor tester, out of sight and out of mind.

[nosaj]

There are quite a few of these testers with similar functions - I have a Sencore Mighty-Mite that's very similar to the Lafayette. Basically, they do little more than test emission, by using the grid/cathode circuit as a diode to rectify AC and measure the resulting voltage. They're OK for doing a quick test - go/no-go - on a bunch of tubes when you have plenty of 'pulls' to test. Or to check an odd tube that you don't have any other equipment to check it in. The real downside is they won't tell you if a tube is noisy, microphonic, or shorts out when actually in an amp.

It's probably better to have one than not, but by the time I get it out and set it up I could have tested at least half a dozen tubes by substituting them in an amp, which I still end up doing anyhow if I was to use the tester. So it lives with my 'Cricket' transistor tester, out of sight and out of mind.

I have the most fun with mine when I have a batch of tubes to go through from and Organ donation. I pull it out and show the grandkids how to test them and let them test them with me. They love it and they are 7 and 10. They really like when the microphone is hooked up directly to the oscilloscope.

nosaj

[soulreaper_msd1]

thanks everyone