Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

I'm wondering if there's anyone here, local(ish) to me, who'd be
interested in an Avo Valve Characteristic Meter. My Dad recently passed
away and I've inherited it, along with a beautiful CR100 ex-Navy comms
receiver.

I'll be keeping the radio as I've so many memories from childhood of
slowly (oh, so, so slowly!) trawling my way through the bands; [1] and it
does still rank as a pretty good receiver.

The tester on the other hand isn't really of much use to me. I'm
competent, after a fashion, with valve electronics but I've so little clue
on how to use it and almost no spare time.. My Dad, however, saw it as
indispensable kit for his restoration work.

I've checked up on eBay and it seems I could get a very reasonable price
if I were willing to go through the bother of figuring out shipping and
all that kerfuffle, but I'd much rather avoid the trouble. I'm willing to
accept slightly below what it's worth, or rather roughly what it's worth,
but with free shipping (ie delivery, by myself, in a car!). The sticking
point is finding someone within 70 or 80 miles who'd be interested.

I'm based in Sheffield but regularly travel to N.Wales, so anywhere close
to the relevant motorways counts as accessible. Likewise pretty much
anywhere in Yorkshire.

[1] And of matching it to a homebrew interface card, bolted onto my prized
ZX81, running a homebrew RTTY/Morse translator! What a lovely mixture of
museum exhibits that would be, what a span of years; if I could only find
the relevant bits and have a go at resurrection :-)

Thanks for any input, sorry for the distracted ramblings ;¬)

Oh, and it's a Mark IV Avo.

--
Dave Johnson.

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:43:09 +0000, Dave J. wrote:

I'm wondering if there's anyone here, local(ish) to me, who'd be
interested in an Avo Valve Characteristic Meter. My Dad recently passed
away and I've inherited it, along with a beautiful CR100 ex-Navy comms
receiver.

I'll be keeping the radio as I've so many memories from childhood of
slowly (oh, so, so slowly!) trawling my way through the bands; [1] and
it does still rank as a pretty good receiver.

The tester on the other hand isn't really of much use to me. I'm
competent, after a fashion, with valve electronics but I've so little
clue on how to use it and almost no spare time.. My Dad, however, saw it
as indispensable kit for his restoration work.

I've checked up on eBay and it seems I could get a very reasonable price
if I were willing to go through the bother of figuring out shipping and
all that kerfuffle, but I'd much rather avoid the trouble. I'm willing
to accept slightly below what it's worth, or rather roughly what it's
worth, but with free shipping (ie delivery, by myself, in a car!). The
sticking point is finding someone within 70 or 80 miles who'd be
interested.

I'm based in Sheffield but regularly travel to N.Wales, so anywhere
close to the relevant motorways counts as accessible. Likewise pretty
much anywhere in Yorkshire.

[1] And of matching it to a homebrew interface card, bolted onto my
prized ZX81, running a homebrew RTTY/Morse translator! What a lovely
mixture of museum exhibits that would be, what a span of years; if I
could only find the relevant bits and have a go at resurrection :-)

Thanks for any input, sorry for the distracted ramblings ;¬)

Oh, and it's a Mark IV Avo.

If it's what we call a 'tube tester' over on this side of the pond, i.e.
a serviceman's that you stick a tube into and it tells you if the tube is
good, you may want to keep it around as a tool to keep the receiver alive.

If it's something fancy that you'd find in an engineering lab or similar,
then you want to trade it for the serviceman's tool.

--
www.wescottdesign.com

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

Are you prepared to deliver to Australia? G

"Dave J." wrote in message
...

I'm wondering if there's anyone here, local(ish) to me, who'd be
interested in an Avo Valve Characteristic Meter. My Dad recently passed
away and I've inherited it, along with a beautiful CR100 ex-Navy comms
receiver.

I'll be keeping the radio as I've so many memories from childhood of
slowly (oh, so, so slowly!) trawling my way through the bands; [1] and it
does still rank as a pretty good receiver.

The tester on the other hand isn't really of much use to me. I'm
competent, after a fashion, with valve electronics but I've so little clue
on how to use it and almost no spare time.. My Dad, however, saw it as
indispensable kit for his restoration work.

I've checked up on eBay and it seems I could get a very reasonable price
if I were willing to go through the bother of figuring out shipping and
all that kerfuffle, but I'd much rather avoid the trouble. I'm willing to
accept slightly below what it's worth, or rather roughly what it's worth,
but with free shipping (ie delivery, by myself, in a car!). The sticking
point is finding someone within 70 or 80 miles who'd be interested.

I'm based in Sheffield but regularly travel to N.Wales, so anywhere close
to the relevant motorways counts as accessible. Likewise pretty much
anywhere in Yorkshire.

[1] And of matching it to a homebrew interface card, bolted onto my prized
ZX81, running a homebrew RTTY/Morse translator! What a lovely mixture of
museum exhibits that would be, what a span of years; if I could only find
the relevant bits and have a go at resurrection :-)

Thanks for any input, sorry for the distracted ramblings ;¬)

Oh, and it's a Mark IV Avo.

--
Dave Johnson.

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

In on Sat, 07 Nov
2009 09:27:04 -0600, in rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors, 'Tim Wescott'
wrote:

if I were willing to go through the bother of figuring out shipping and
all that kerfuffle, but I'd much rather avoid the trouble. I'm willing
to accept slightly below what it's worth, or rather roughly what it's
worth, but with free shipping (ie delivery, by myself, in a car!). The
sticking point is finding someone within 70 or 80 miles who'd be
interested.

I'm based in Sheffield but regularly travel to N.Wales, so anywhere
close to the relevant motorways counts as accessible. Likewise pretty
much anywhere in Yorkshire.

[1] And of matching it to a homebrew interface card, bolted onto my
prized ZX81, running a homebrew RTTY/Morse translator! What a lovely
mixture of museum exhibits that would be, what a span of years; if I
could only find the relevant bits and have a go at resurrection :-)

Thanks for any input, sorry for the distracted ramblings ;¬)

Oh, and it's a Mark IV Avo.


If it's what we call a 'tube tester' over on this side of the pond, i.e.
a serviceman's that you stick a tube into and it tells you if the tube is
good, you may want to keep it around as a tool to keep the receiver alive.

I think it's a pretty fancy tool. Afaict it measures pretty much
everything of a valve's performance and allows you to set each voltage
appropriately for the various measurements.

The description given by one site is

"The AVO Mark 4 Valve Characteristic Meter comprises 19 valve holders.
input selector switch and variable operating parameters for testing
valves. Provision is made for by means of plug-in adaptors to cater for
newly introduced valve bases."


If you (or anyone else for that matter) are sufficiently curious, there
are some beautifully clear pics, from several angles, large and clear
enough to read the function of each control

at

http://digilander.libero.it/pasqua49...ic%20meter.htm

or, to avoid word-wrap hassle, at http://tinyurl.com/AvoMkIV

Thanks for the reply anyhow, I suppose it's ebay or nothing. I'm not aware
of any antique-radio magazines in the UK or I'd consider advertising it
there. It's worth enough to make for a fractionally improved Christmas :-)

--
Dave Johnson

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

Dave J. wrote:
"The AVO Mark 4 Valve Characteristic Meter comprises 19 valve holders.
input selector switch and variable operating parameters for testing
valves. Provision is made for by means of plug-in adaptors to cater for
newly introduced valve bases."

If you (or anyone else for that matter) are sufficiently curious, there
are some beautifully clear pics, from several angles, large and clear
enough to read the function of each control

at

http://digilander.libero.it/pasqua49...ic%20meter.htm

or, to avoid word-wrap hassle, at http://tinyurl.com/AvoMkIV

This looks like a conventional transconductance tester. It's what you
would expect your local TV repair shop to have for testing tubes. It's
not a fancy design tool like a curve tracer, and _because_ it's a fairly
common service tool, you shouldn't have any problem selling it.

Thanks for the reply anyhow, I suppose it's ebay or nothing. I'm not aware
of any antique-radio magazines in the UK or I'd consider advertising it
there. It's worth enough to make for a fractionally improved Christmas :-)

Ask your local ham radio club. Someone there is apt to want one. Also
try guitar shops.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

In on Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:49:54 +1100,
in rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors, 'MoiInAust' wrote:

"Dave J." wrote in message
...

I'm wondering if there's anyone here, local(ish) to me, who'd be
interested in an Avo Valve Characteristic Meter. My Dad recently passed
away and I've inherited it, along with a beautiful CR100 ex-Navy comms
receiver.

Are you prepared to deliver to Australia? G

If only :-) It's a lovely bit of equipment and I primarily want to be sure
it'll go somewhere it'll be as well loved as it was by my Dad. The
involvement of money is, however, a significant side benefit ;)

--
Dave Johnson

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

In on 8 Nov 2009 10:25:49 -0500, in
rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors, 'Scott Dorsey' wrote:

If you (or anyone else for that matter) are sufficiently curious, there
are some beautifully clear pics, from several angles, large and clear
enough to read the function of each control

at

http://digilander.libero.it/pasqua49...ic%20meter.htm

or, to avoid word-wrap hassle, at http://tinyurl.com/AvoMkIV

This looks like a conventional transconductance tester. It's what you
would expect your local TV repair shop to have for testing tubes.

Heh, I suspect there may be an inappropriate tense in there grin.

It's
not a fancy design tool like a curve tracer, and _because_ it's a fairly
common service tool, you shouldn't have any problem selling it.

Ok. From my amateurish POV it *looks* quite fancy :-)

If it measures characteristics of which I have only the faintest working
knowledge then by my standards it's complex enough.

If the 'curve tracers' you mention are the sort of tool I imagine from the
name then in those (pre d - a / computer) days they must have been
beautiful designs.


Thanks for the reply anyhow, I suppose it's ebay or nothing. I'm not aware
of any antique-radio magazines in the UK or I'd consider advertising it
there. It's worth enough to make for a fractionally improved Christmas :-)

Ask your local ham radio club. Someone there is apt to want one. Also
try guitar shops.

Hadn't thought of a guitar shop, though I'm surprised your average guitar
amp's all that fussy WRT valve specification? I'd have imagined more the
sort of pass/fail testing I'd cobble together as a psu/pot/avo birds-nest
on my workbench.

Any extra idea's worth a try though, thanks muchly.

--
Dave Johnson

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

Dave

The British Vintage Wireless Society (BVWS) has a regular magazine. I'm sure
their members would be interested.

"Dave J." wrote in message
...
In on Sat, 07 Nov
2009 09:27:04 -0600, in rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors, 'Tim Wescott'
wrote:

if I were willing to go through the bother of figuring out shipping and
all that kerfuffle, but I'd much rather avoid the trouble. I'm willing
to accept slightly below what it's worth, or rather roughly what it's
worth, but with free shipping (ie delivery, by myself, in a car!). The
sticking point is finding someone within 70 or 80 miles who'd be
interested.

I'm based in Sheffield but regularly travel to N.Wales, so anywhere
close to the relevant motorways counts as accessible. Likewise pretty
much anywhere in Yorkshire.

[1] And of matching it to a homebrew interface card, bolted onto my
prized ZX81, running a homebrew RTTY/Morse translator! What a lovely
mixture of museum exhibits that would be, what a span of years; if I
could only find the relevant bits and have a go at resurrection :-)

Thanks for any input, sorry for the distracted ramblings ;¬)

Oh, and it's a Mark IV Avo.


If it's what we call a 'tube tester' over on this side of the pond, i.e.
a serviceman's that you stick a tube into and it tells you if the tube is
good, you may want to keep it around as a tool to keep the receiver alive.

I think it's a pretty fancy tool. Afaict it measures pretty much
everything of a valve's performance and allows you to set each voltage
appropriately for the various measurements.

The description given by one site is

"The AVO Mark 4 Valve Characteristic Meter comprises 19 valve holders.
input selector switch and variable operating parameters for testing
valves. Provision is made for by means of plug-in adaptors to cater for
newly introduced valve bases."


If you (or anyone else for that matter) are sufficiently curious, there
are some beautifully clear pics, from several angles, large and clear
enough to read the function of each control

at

http://digilander.libero.it/pasqua49...ic%20meter.htm

or, to avoid word-wrap hassle, at http://tinyurl.com/AvoMkIV

Thanks for the reply anyhow, I suppose it's ebay or nothing. I'm not aware
of any antique-radio magazines in the UK or I'd consider advertising it
there. It's worth enough to make for a fractionally improved Christmas :-)

--
Dave Johnson

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

Dave J. wrote:
If it measures characteristics of which I have only the faintest working
knowledge then by my standards it's complex enough.

What makes it complex is the fact that tubes all have different pinouts.
There are three or four controls on there that set voltages and loading for
the tube, and the rest of the controls just are for selecting the pinout.

If the 'curve tracers' you mention are the sort of tool I imagine from the
name then in those (pre d - a / computer) days they must have been
beautiful designs.

The curve tracer is basically a device like what you have, except that it
makes one parameter adjustable and displays a plot on a CRT of the plate
current with respect to that parameter. Some of them make two parameters
adjustable and display a family of curves.

Anything you can do with a curve tracer you can also do by hand with a
transconductance tester like you have, and a sheet of graph paper, and a
lot of labour making individual measurements and plotting the curve.
The transconductance tester is normally used for simple go/no go tests, and
for matching tubes based on their plate current at a single point in the
curve.

Thanks for the reply anyhow, I suppose it's ebay or nothing. I'm not aware
of any antique-radio magazines in the UK or I'd consider advertising it
there. It's worth enough to make for a fractionally improved Christmas :-)

Ask your local ham radio club. Someone there is apt to want one. Also
try guitar shops.

Hadn't thought of a guitar shop, though I'm surprised your average guitar
amp's all that fussy WRT valve specification? I'd have imagined more the
sort of pass/fail testing I'd cobble together as a psu/pot/avo birds-nest
on my workbench.

The guitar shops usually aren't too worried about that, but everyone would
rather have nice test equipment than poor test equipment.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

In message , MoiInAust
writes

The British Vintage Wireless Society (BVWS) has a regular magazine. I'm sure
their members would be interested.

In the right quarters, those valve testers are quite highly prized.
Very, very few 'ordinary' UK radio amateurs would be interested - unless
they had an interest in vintage equipment. The BVWS seems by far the
place to ask.
--
Ian

Have you still got it? I had one of these in the 60's but had to part with it. Although I'm now in my eighties I still do some work with valves and would love such an instrument. I live in Mid Wales.(Llanidloes)

Colin Walsh

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

In on 10 Nov 2009 09:45:09 -0500, in
rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors, 'Scott Dorsey' wrote:

Dave J. wrote:
If it measures characteristics of which I have only the faintest working
knowledge then by my standards it's complex enough.

What makes it complex is the fact that tubes all have different pinouts.
There are three or four controls on there that set voltages and loading for
the tube, and the rest of the controls just are for selecting the pinout.

If the 'curve tracers' you mention are the sort of tool I imagine from the
name then in those (pre d - a / computer) days they must have been
beautiful designs.

The curve tracer is basically a device like what you have, except that it
makes one parameter adjustable and displays a plot on a CRT of the plate
current with respect to that parameter. Some of them make two parameters
adjustable and display a family of curves.

Anything you can do with a curve tracer you can also do by hand with a
transconductance tester like you have, and a sheet of graph paper, and a
lot of labour making individual measurements and plotting the curve.
The transconductance tester is normally used for simple go/no go tests, and
for matching tubes based on their plate current at a single point in the
curve.


Yes, that sounds close to what I was picturing. Perhaps a LF oscillator
providing input(s) and a synchronised scope as a readout?

These days I imagine you'd produce a reasonable semblance by knocking up a
two way interface between a sound card and some breadboarded testkit?
Although preferably with a decent linear opto-isolator somewhere in
between :)

A PC makes quite a handy substitute for an audio 'scope. I'm slowly
meandering toward digging up the right 'back to basics' video capture card
to give me something that'll work at lowish RF. (maybe a few MHz) My
lifelong love of the tinkering perpetually exceeds my budget by a couple
of orders of magnitude.. ;-{

[..]

Hadn't thought of a guitar shop, though I'm surprised your average guitar
amp's all that fussy WRT valve specification? I'd have imagined more the
sort of pass/fail testing I'd cobble together as a psu/pot/avo birds-nest
on my workbench.

The guitar shops usually aren't too worried about that, but everyone would
rather have nice test equipment than poor test equipment.

Bit expensive for a pass/fail piece of kit I'd have thought. Although, I
s'pose it'd be one of those investments that won't drop in value too
quickly .


Thanks and apols for time-warped reply ;)

Dave J.

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

In on Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:49:54 +1100,
in rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors, 'MoiInAust' wrote:

"Dave J." wrote in message
...

I'm wondering if there's anyone here, local(ish) to me, who'd be
interested in an Avo Valve Characteristic Meter. My Dad recently passed
away and I've inherited it, along with a beautiful CR100 ex-Navy comms
receiver.

Are you prepared to deliver to Australia? G

Gladly!

If you'll pay the air fare ;-)

Baggage'd cost more than the ticket - it's a lovely old thing but probably
weighs more than me..

For that matter, if you'll include my better half, a boat ticket'd do the
job grin

Dave J.

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

"Dave J." wrote in message
...
In on Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:49:54 +1100,
in rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors, 'MoiInAust' wrote:

"Dave J." wrote in message
...

I'm wondering if there's anyone here, local(ish) to me, who'd be
interested in an Avo Valve Characteristic Meter. My Dad recently passed
away and I've inherited it, along with a beautiful CR100 ex-Navy comms
receiver.

Are you prepared to deliver to Australia? G

Gladly!

If you'll pay the air fare ;-)

Baggage'd cost more than the ticket - it's a lovely old thing but probably
weighs more than me..

For that matter, if you'll include my better half, a boat ticket'd do the
job grin

Dave J.

Well, ship is how we came out here (at full cost I may say). The 6 week line
voyage was a wonderful experience. If I had the money I would gladly ask you
and your wife to bring the tester... but you might pass me going the other
way!

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

"MoiInAust" wrote in message
...

"Dave J." wrote in message
...
In on Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:49:54 +1100,
in rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors, 'MoiInAust' wrote:

"Dave J." wrote in message
...

I'm wondering if there's anyone here, local(ish) to me, who'd be
interested in an Avo Valve Characteristic Meter. My Dad recently passed
away and I've inherited it, along with a beautiful CR100 ex-Navy comms
receiver.

Are you prepared to deliver to Australia? G

Gladly!

If you'll pay the air fare ;-)

Baggage'd cost more than the ticket - it's a lovely old thing but
probably
weighs more than me..

For that matter, if you'll include my better half, a boat ticket'd do the
job grin

Dave J.

Well, ship is how we came out here (at full cost I may say). The 6 week
line voyage was a wonderful experience. If I had the money I would gladly
ask you and your wife to bring the tester... but you might pass me going
the other way!
And by the way Dave, I don't think the AVO Mk 4 is all that heavy. What I
call heavy is my old AR88 at 100 lbs (or approx 45 Kilos!).

Anyone around from anywhere near Yorkshire?
 

In on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:25:32 +1100,
in rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors, 'MoiInAust' wrote:


"MoiInAust" wrote in message
...

"Dave J." wrote in message
...
In on Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:49:54 +1100,
in rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors, 'MoiInAust' wrote:

"Dave J." wrote in message
...

I'm wondering if there's anyone here, local(ish) to me, who'd be
interested in an Avo Valve Characteristic Meter. My Dad recently passed
away and I've inherited it, along with a beautiful CR100 ex-Navy comms
receiver.

Are you prepared to deliver to Australia? G

Gladly!

If you'll pay the air fare ;-)

Baggage'd cost more than the ticket - it's a lovely old thing but
probably
weighs more than me..

For that matter, if you'll include my better half, a boat ticket'd do the
job grin

Dave J.

Well, ship is how we came out here (at full cost I may say). The 6 week
line voyage was a wonderful experience.

Yes, that's roughly what I was thinking as I made the post, that as long
as I could bring the lovely lady I'd actually *prefer* to travel that way.

Aircraft seem too much like teleport, no real experience of how far you're
travelling.

If I had the money I would gladly
ask you and your wife to bring the tester... but you might pass me going
the other way!

Well, thanks for the thought :-) Her Ladyship has a brother over there and
he seems to prefer it overall. Apparently, the seasons seeming so skewed
is the only main drawback compared to this wet little island.

And by the way Dave, I don't think the AVO Mk 4 is all that heavy. What I
call heavy is my old AR88 at 100 lbs (or approx 45 Kilos!).

(Two posts for the price of one :-))

I've just looked it up and yes, that definitely appears to make the grade
as a full-fledged boatanchor!

I wonder what the CR100 weighs in at, it's heavier than the Avo. As an
aside, there seems to be a real commonality of appearance between
equipment from those days. I think it's just the control knobs/switches
plus the slightly yellowing meter movements.

I've just finished checking out what my Dad left me and I've found he or
my Mum binned (yes fricken BINNED) a large green box jam packed with
valves that I remember from my childhood. So I have some spares for the
comms box and nothing else :-(( They moved house to much smaller premises
and I guess storage cost outweighed memory. I just wish he'd warned me :(

Real shame as this newsgroup's poked my mind into daydreaming back to
childhood, playing with is it a 6SA7, 6ST7 maybe? Octal double triode
anyhow, along with some sort of 9pin pentode. Built a 7meg crystal oscy, a
couple of different VFOs and a little TRF radio. All with that CR100 sat
in the background to pick up any RF I managed to stick into the air ;)

Ah, one day, one day. I'll get a chunk of workbench set aside for valve
experiments again. Trouble is that I first need a supply of valves. Some
of the above triodes, perhaps a few ecc83s (81s?) some old line-out valves
for some oomph and a 6V6 or two. Yeah, that'd do it... Amongst the
chuck-aways were a couple of 807s too.. :-( /daydream mode

Dave J.