Bias tester wanted

Teledeluxe · 06-03-2009, 03:05 PM

I'm looking for a bias tester. Does anyone have one they want to sell?
Alan

bubb_tubbs · 06-03-2009, 03:43 PM

The Bias King has always been good to me. They're relatively inexpensive if you already own a digital multimeter and just need the leads.

cooljuk · 06-03-2009, 04:46 PM

Webber Bias Rite was my choice.
Haven't got a used one for you though.

American Viking · 06-04-2009, 04:35 PM

$25 probe @ eurotubes.com
they even sell a multimeter for $10
can't beat that.

fourdogslong · 06-29-2009, 02:38 PM

Why is the eurotube bias "kit" so cheap compared to the weber or bias king?
Is it pure crap or what?

American Viking · 06-29-2009, 05:24 PM

it's not crap at all. it's just a simple design.
the weber bias thingamabobs are so expensive because it's a dual probe so that's $50 right there, hard-wired by hand to it's own dual-metered analog display, that's why it's $100. eurotubes just makes the probes themselves you have to plug in to your own multimeter.
the weber products would be helpful if you biased 10 amplifiers a day but i can buy two probes and two meters cheaper than i could buy the bias-rite. don't get me wrong though, if i had money falling out of my ass i would buy one. they look pretty sweet.

fourdogslong · 06-29-2009, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by American Viking

it's not crap at all. it's just a simple design.
the weber bias thingamabobs are so expensive because it's a dual probe so that's $50 right there, hard-wired by hand to it's own dual-metered analog display, that's why it's $100. eurotubes just makes the probes themselves you have to plug in to your own multimeter.
the weber products would be helpful if you biased 10 amplifiers a day but i can buy two probes and two meters cheaper than i could buy the bias-rite. don't get me wrong though, if i had money falling out of my ass i would buy one. they look pretty sweet.

lol ok, yeah it's pretty expensive for what they are.
If the eurotube kit gives a good reading then I don't see any reason to not get one.

solarburnDSL50 · 07-02-2009, 12:38 PM

I bought the Weber BR-2 so I could read Plate Voltage with a flip of the switch. Otherwise just using my MM is fine. Don't have to spend alot of money to bias.

joshuaaewallen · 07-02-2009, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by solarburnDSL50

I bought the Weber BR-2 so I could read Plate Voltage with a flip of the switch. Otherwise just using my MM is fine. Don't have to spend alot of money to bias.

+1

... I bias using just my multi-meter. No extra muck, no extra equipment expenses, just the tool I need and bam... I'm done.

American Viking · 07-02-2009, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshuaaewallen

+1

... I bias using just my multi-meter. No extra muck, no extra equipment expenses, just the tool I need and bam... I'm done.

lol, yeah but not all of us have JCM2000's with bias pins sticking out the back. some of us have to take our amps completely apart to do this.

joshuaaewallen · 07-02-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by American Viking

lol, yeah but not all of us have JCM2000's with bias pins sticking out the back. some of us have to take our amps completely apart to do this.

Fair enough. And a good point at that.

... Was merely saying the the fanciest testers really aren't necessary. The job can be done on pretty much any amp with minimal tools and expense.

But again... Point well taken!

fourdogslong · 07-02-2009, 07:20 PM

Can you know the plate voltage with a normal multimeter or do you need the 100$ tube bias tool to do so?

American Viking · 07-02-2009, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourdogslong

Can you know the plate voltage with a normal multimeter or do you need the 100$ tube bias tool to do so?

To get the plate voltage ground the neutral to the chassis of the amp, touch the positive to pin #3 on the power tube socket and have your multimeter set to 1000 DCV. Most multimeters only go to around 600 DCV but I think that will work too. Pin # 3 is the third pin clockwise from the guide pin of the tube.

Like Josh said, you don't need the most expensive gizmos to do this. If you have a newer Marshall the trim pots and bias pins are located on the back of the amp and you don't have to take it apart to check anything but the plate voltage. In older amps the trimpots are on the circuit board and the easiest way to read the bias on those is by using a probe since they don't have bias pins.

solarburnDSL50 · 07-02-2009, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by American Viking

To get the plate voltage ground the neutral to the chassis of the amp, touch the positive to pin #3 on the power tube socket and have your multimeter set to 1000 DCV. Most multimeters only go to around 600 DCV but I think that will work too. Pin # 3 is the third pin clockwise from the guide pin of the tube.

Like Josh said, you don't need the most expensive gizmos to do this. If you have a newer Marshall the trim pots and bias pins are located on the back of the amp and you don't have to take it apart to check anything but the plate voltage. In older amps the trimpots are on the circuit board and the easiest way to read the bias on those is by using a probe since they don't have bias pins.

It was worth it for me to be able to check PV without touching off pin 3. You should see my hand shake when I'm thinking of electrocuting myself. I can see me touching off everything but pin 3 in a big trail of sparks. I hate undrained filter caps...I've been bit my high voltage before(not my amp)and I hate it.

joshuaaewallen · 07-03-2009, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by American Viking

To get the plate voltage ground the neutral to the chassis of the amp, touch the positive to pin #3 on the power tube socket and have your multimeter set to 1000 DCV. Most multimeters only go to around 600 DCV but I think that will work too. Pin # 3 is the third pin clockwise from the guide pin of the tube.

Like Josh said, you don't need the most expensive gizmos to do this. If you have a newer Marshall the trim pots and bias pins are located on the back of the amp and you don't have to take it apart to check anything but the plate voltage. In older amps the trimpots are on the circuit board and the easiest way to read the bias on those is by using a probe since they don't have bias pins.

+1.

As noted above this is exactly what Eurotubes recommends:

Quote:

You can measure the plate voltage on any amp with octal power tubes using a digital multimeter set to measure DC volts, in the 1000 volt scale. From the underside of one of the tube sockets, simply measure between pin #3 and chassis ground. You can see this demonstrated here: euro-m

theman1001 · 07-03-2009, 05:14 AM

Are the bias points on the DSL series amps simply connected to 1 ohm resistors across across the tube sockets?

06-03-2009, 03:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
Teledeluxe Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 7	Bias tester wanted I'm looking for a bias tester. Does anyone have one they want to sell? Alan

06-03-2009, 03:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
bubb_tubbs Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 7	Re: Bias tester wanted The Bias King has always been good to me. They're relatively inexpensive if you already own a digital multimeter and just need the leads.

06-03-2009, 04:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
cooljuk Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 135	Re: Bias tester wanted Webber Bias Rite was my choice. Haven't got a used one for you though.

06-04-2009, 04:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
American Viking Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Posts: 1,510	Re: Bias tester wanted $25 probe @ eurotubes.com they even sell a multimeter for $10 can't beat that. __________________ -I'd rather be a good liver than have one...

06-29-2009, 02:38 PM	#5 (permalink)
fourdogslong Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 48	Re: Bias tester wanted Why is the eurotube bias "kit" so cheap compared to the weber or bias king? Is it pure crap or what?

06-29-2009, 05:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
American Viking Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Posts: 1,510	Re: Bias tester wanted it's not crap at all. it's just a simple design. the weber bias thingamabobs are so expensive because it's a dual probe so that's $50 right there, hard-wired by hand to it's own dual-metered analog display, that's why it's $100. eurotubes just makes the probes themselves you have to plug in to your own multimeter. the weber products would be helpful if you biased 10 amplifiers a day but i can buy two probes and two meters cheaper than i could buy the bias-rite. don't get me wrong though, if i had money falling out of my ass i would buy one. they look pretty sweet. __________________ -I'd rather be a good liver than have one...

07-02-2009, 07:20 PM	#12 (permalink)
fourdogslong Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 48	Re: Bias tester wanted Can you know the plate voltage with a normal multimeter or do you need the 100$ tube bias tool to do so?

07-03-2009, 05:14 AM	#16 (permalink)
theman1001 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 18	Re: Bias tester wanted Are the bias points on the DSL series amps simply connected to 1 ohm resistors across across the tube sockets?

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode