Keep an eye on your local Craigslist. I found a cheap authentic Variac
from a ham radio operator.
But something to consider about used Variacs is that the brush can be worn out, and it's a tough part to find.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
--- In TekScopes@..., Steve Purcell wrote:
Hi All,
I'm getting set up to work on tube equipment and I'm under the impression
that with old and unknown tube instruments it's best to bring up the
voltage slowly using a variac while monitoring the current for anything
unexpected.
Does that sound reasonable? As an integrated circuit guy I wouldn't have
thought that very useful but perhaps it is for tube circuits.
Another question I have is about what variac to purchase. There are some
cheap Chinese ones on e-bay but the real thing appears to be 10 times the
price. Since I'm just a hobbyist would the cheap Chinese one work well
enough or should I search for a used one of higher quality since I can't
afford a $900 Variac.
Thanks in advance
Steve
