A simple tester for audio output tubes

Introduction
Testing audio amplifier output tubes using a conventional tube tester does not
fully exercise the tubes. It is entirely possible that a tube may test good on the
average tube tester but fails to work correctly when plugged into the amplifier.
RCA in their technical literature makes the following comments:

There are very few tube testers capable of fully testing power tubes at anything
approaching the conditions they will experience in the equipment.
In order to better test power tubes the method needs to be more like the tube will
experience during operation. RCA recommends that power tubes should be
tested using the circuit below.

Figure 1 RCA recommended tube testing method

The anode of the tube is connected to a dc supply representative of the voltage
that will be used in the amplifier. The anode load resistor is selected to be the
same as the output transformer primary impedance with adequate power rating.
The control grid and screen grid are strapped together to form an “Enhanced
Triode’ and the two are fed with a dc voltage and an ac voltage.
The anode current is measured using a moving coil ammeter that indicates the
average anode current flowing. The dc voltage on the grids plus the ac signal
drive the anode current up from a low idle current to the required average anode
current stated in the tube data sheet for the mode of operation that will be used.
This is a half cycle of the input frequency as in operation in a push-pull amplifier
the tubes only conduct on one half cycle and on the opposite half cycle they are
driven into cut-off and draw no anode current.
The true power output is calculated using the formula below.

Ia 2 xR
Po = load
watts
0.405
Where: Ia is the indicated anode current
Rload is the load resistor value
As an example, the EL84/6BQ5 pentode in Class AB2 is run with an average
anode current of 30mA in a push-pull amplifier. The anode load specified is
8kΩ anode-anode. Each anode hence operates into a load of 4kΩ. The true
power is hence 8.88W. Two tubes in push-pull with deliver twice this power
17.77W.
Note that the anode voltage is not part of the formula, only the anode current and
load resistance are needed to calculate the true power the tube generates.
The factor 0.405 is derived from the average current or voltage of a half cycle of
sinusoidal form being 0.636. This when squared is 0.405. The moving coil
ammeter indicates the average anode current.
The anode load resistor will dissipate all the power generated by the tube so it
must be adequately rated. Wire-wound resistors are the best choice and several
can be paralleled to make the required value with sufficient power rating.
An alternative schematic is shown below that eliminate the use of dry batteries
and a single dc variable supply is used to supply both the dc supplies required.

Figure 2 Alternative circuit

The audio input signal can be provided by a spare heater winding with a rheostat
between the heater winding and the input transformer to set the input level. A
small mains transformer can be used for T1 with the low voltage ac signal
supplied to the low voltage secondary and the signal taken from the normal
primary winding. If using a 120V mains transformer the level of the input signal
will be much lower than the normal secondary voltage.
The anode voltage in a typical amplifier will swing down from the idle current
voltage of the supply to a much lower value at the anode current peak.