uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
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- martin manning
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uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
So I have one of these things on order: http://www.dos4ever.com/uTracer3/uTracer3.html I's going to be fun! Lots of interesting reading on the site about the project and the history of such things. Delivery is a couple of weeks out, but I'll post results as they happen.
Last edited by martin manning on Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:25 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
That looks complicated and awesome!
-continues reading- -drools a little-
-continues reading- -drools a little-
Signatures have a 255 character limit that I could abuse, but I am not Cecil B. DeMille.
- martin manning
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Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
It should be very useful. Looking for some way to test and grade tubes I concluded that vintage testers are not worth the trouble, and investing in an Amplitrex for hobby use would be silly. I first thought (a lot) about doing a PCB for and building the RAT (rec.audio.tubes) tester designed by S Bench (with that at least you know exactly what the test conditions are), but the u-Tracer goes much further for about the same cash outlay and effort. An Amplitrex can test at somewhat higher voltages, but it is also 10x the cost of the basic u-Tracer parts kit.
Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
Cool.I've got a bunch of tubes you can test
So it goes up to 300 volts?
So it goes up to 300 volts?
- Reeltarded
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Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
Buddy in Florida use to have an old tube tester he called "Old Sparky" and I refused to stand there while he used it. Similar feeling when someone takes a freshly built hipo motor into uncharted revs.
I am scared of explodey things and anything that make lightning.
I am scared of explodey things and anything that make lightning.
Signatures have a 255 character limit that I could abuse, but I am not Cecil B. DeMille.
- JazzGuitarGimp
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Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
Thanks for posting, Martin. I am looking very forward to hearing what you think about the uTracer.
Lou Rossi Designs
Printed Circuit Design & Layout,
and Schematic Capture
Printed Circuit Design & Layout,
and Schematic Capture
Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
Hi , I have one, and it's really a nice little machine.
with RS232 works great , with usb port have some problem but i think it's a chip problem of the serial converter!
with RS232 works great , with usb port have some problem but i think it's a chip problem of the serial converter!
- martin manning
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Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
uTracer is up and running for trials, but not packaged for everyday use yet. Shown here is some data from the first test runs, conducted using an EH 6V6GT. The supplied software produces plots for viewing and measurements, but I chose to dump the raw data into Excel for analysis. The test run is sweeps of Va at constant Vg2 and Vg1, which were selected to match the data sheet specs at 250V Vg2 and -12.5V Vg1. I ran the -12.5 Vg1 curve to check Ia against the spec, plus another one at -11.5V Vg1 to calculate gm, and also a Vg1 = 0. This tube looks pretty good as it is within 2% of the data sheet Gm and showing 110% of the current. The data sheet shows 112mA a Vg1 = 0, and the test produced 122mA, 109% of spec. Screen current is measured during the sweeps too, I just didn't pull it out. There is a lot more to learn about this thing!
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Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
Pretty cool Martin.
As long as you know what all those numbers mean.
What does the yellow highlighted rows signify?
What did you use for a power supply?
As long as you know what all those numbers mean.
What does the yellow highlighted rows signify?
What did you use for a power supply?
Tom
Don't let that smoke out!
Don't let that smoke out!
- martin manning
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Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
Thanks, Tom. I'm running from a small DC bench supply at 20V, but it is designed to use a laptop PC brick. The board has four DC to DC converters that produce the required plate, screen, grid, and filament voltages from ~20V DC. The data sheet (GE, from '55) quotes current and transconductance at 250V plate and screen, -12.5V g1. The highlighted numbers are the raw data at those conditions, and I used Excel to interpolate to 250V Va and calculate the Gm. I believe if I had set up the run correctly I would have gotten data at 250V.
Last edited by martin manning on Sun Apr 05, 2015 12:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
I need to pack a box for you I know don't shoot me.
Signatures have a 255 character limit that I could abuse, but I am not Cecil B. DeMille.
Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
Shazam!
Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
I just bought a five pack of 12AY7s that came with a the prints from each tube from the uTracer v.3. I have no idea what it all means, except that he stated they were all within 95% of original spec.
- martin manning
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Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
What that means is you know exactly what you bought, and that the seller is legit.Randall wrote:I just bought a five pack of 12AY7s that came with a the prints from each tube from the uTracer v.3. I have no idea what it all means, except that he stated they were all within 95% of original spec.
- VacuumVoodoo
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Re: uTracer (Micro Curve Tracer)
Martin, is the raw data dump a built in function in the SW or did you need to tweak it to pull it out? I am an analog continuous world guy, gave up SW after FORTRAN and punch cards.martin manning wrote:uTracer is up and running for trials, but not packaged for everyday use yet. Shown here is some data from the first test runs, conducted using an EH 6V6GT. The supplied software produces plots for viewing and measurements, but I chose to dump the raw data into Excel for analysis.
Aleksander Niemand
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Life's a party but you get invited only once...
affiliation:TUBEWONDER AMPS
Zagray!-review
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Life's a party but you get invited only once...
affiliation:TUBEWONDER AMPS
Zagray!-review