The Heathkit IT-17 Tube Checker

In this video we'll look at the Heathkit IT-17 tube checker. I'll start with a discussion of what tube checkers and testers are and how they work. I'll briefly mention the Heathkit company and their products and history. Then we'll look at the IT-17, running through
it's features, the front panel controls, and see a demonstration of testing some tubes of various types. I'll describe where I acquired this unit and the work done to restore it. Finally, I'll give a few references to more information on tube testers, Heathkit, and vintage test equipment.

[@barryf5479]

Thanks for another trip in to the "wayback machine", Jeff. I used to be a bench tech at a TV repair place during high school and my early days of college. We worked on a lot of tube equipment back then (the old RCA CTC 16 came in a lot). I loved working on Zenith hand wired sets though. We used a Hickock 600A tester at the time. I ended up ordering your book on Heathkit test equipment to prolong the enjoyment of your videos :-) I also ordered a copy of Chuck Penson's book today based on the information I obtained from your videos (quite a pricey book but looks like it'll be worth it). I recall watching them draw my U.S. draft lottery number on a Sylvania test jig connected to a chassis I was working on. Those were the days..... Heathkit indirectly led me to a 35 year engineering career with H.P. 73's Barry

[@stephenkurlian4148]

A friend gave me an IT-17 years ago & only recently did I have a reason to use but I knew nothing about how it works. Now I do. Thank you BIG TIME Jeff.

[@floridagliderpilot4101]

Love how your videos are done. Direct, to the point, and covering all important details. Subscribed!

[@famossfla]

Thanks Jeff for all you do... I acquired an IT-17 in very nice condition to add to my Heathkit collection. I enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work in saving these marvelous vintage instruments.

[@olamirmianda7557]

...Thank you for allowing me today to see, hear, 'manipulate' this information, with more 'insight' than when it was done. Thank you again. Att, Olamir - BRAZIL.

[@David-sw3on]

Hey Thanks Jeff for a well presented well thought out video! I am currently contemplating on buying this exact model in an on-line auction while I am writing this, and your video definitely helped me to make up my mind...so hopefully I can get it at a decent price. I will also be looking forward to buying your book if I do get this! Thanks Again.. I definitely subscribed.👍😉🇨🇦

[@amfreq]

Thanks for this great informative video Jeff! The tester looks mint. I will look for and buy your book before I settle on one for myself. Love this stuff, keep it coming...

[@CyberScenicDrone]

Great video and very informative! Thank you for posting!

[@captlarry-3525]

Jeff, I Always love your thorough and factual videos .

[@supyrow]

Excellent video, allot of work went into that! Thank you! 73

[@cast390]

This video was great, I've learned so much. Thanks

[@MemoriesRR]

Thank you. I just purchased an IT 17 on eBay. I'll be looking for your book. Good video presentation. Thank you again.

[@dbuckter8994]

Excellent job most helpful, Jeff. Will purchase your "Classic Heathkit Test Equipment". Thanks and all best! Don - W6BOW

[@leonardpeters3266]

Good job. I just purchased one of these and this will be helpful.

[@tjwelch62]

Thank you for well put together instructional video. Bravo Zulu!

[@tectalabyss]

Thank you for sharing.

[@captlarry-3525]

2022 I sold my IT-17 to a young ham who needed a tube tester, last year. This year I was given a It 3117, downloaded the manual to understand it better. It turns out this tester has been in production since 1948 ! Beginning with the TU-1 . This must be heathkit's longest running product ! It will be interesting to compare the manual from early models and a late one like mine. I do not expect to find much difference. A tribute to the elegance of a simple idea.. although the switching is complex, and reflects a LOT of very patient work by the original designer ! Now.. I have to find a smashed example as a donor for my burned out special transformer ( I mentioned free, right ?).

[@aspensulphate]

"This year I was given a It 3117... It turns out this tester has been in production since 1948!" Huh? According to the video, the IT-3117 was produced from 1977-1981.

[@iamhe999]

Thank You...

[@floridagliderpilot4101]

Based on your video I recently purchased an IT-17 checker. Thank you. I'll also be purchasing your book! Could you tell me where you found a newer roll chart? My IT-17 roll chart is torn. Thanks

[@captlarry-3525]

this is interesting, and since my testers have all been Hickocks.. which are high end testers that measure Gm ( transconductance), I wasn't familiar with how an emissions tester worked.. only that it is inferior to the instruments like mine. I happened to pick up an IT-17, partly because I didn't want to sacrifice the tube sockets on my Hickock checking quantities of used tubes.. and partly because my Hickock is old enough to not test nuvistors or compactrons. However, I see that using this kind of checker, is a good deal more labor intensive, requiring many more operations to accomplish shorts, and leakage tests than the Hickock ( and No GAS test on the IT-17). Not any of this is attractive to me.. except the small size means you could take it to a swap meet. The quality of the information you get from this tester is as you point out.. much lower.. not really useful for critical applications such as low noise recievers, matching audio tubes, or etc. Far better than nothing.. the IT-17 looks useful for the hobbyist who might otherwise not know he was working with a weak or shorted tube.. which is hopeless. You cannot "tune away" a bad tube. You have to know what you;ve got. Given the high prices for hickocks, this is a good bet for those who cannot pay the price for more.

[@r.veiocomponenteseletronic9721]

I NEED YOUR HELP. Good morning. I bought the Heathkit IT17 recently on Ebay. The device dials the line. But when testing any valve, the pointer vibrates a lot. The pointer vibrates to and fro. It could help me to fix my IT17. What do you think this defect could be?

[@esnam6557]

Thank you very much for your video. Maybe it is not bad idea to offer an electronic version of your book with colourful pictures.

[@jjeson9115]

thanks very informative helped me lots.... you sound like Zach Galifianakis... btw lol..

[@KX36]

That's a really helpful video, going through the test procedure like that. I know about tubes but not testers and from watching your video I can derive pretty well exactly how this one works, e.g. the switches A-M are pins 1-12, N is the cap lead, top position is plate voltage, middle position is filament voltage and bottom position is ground. Connect one side of the filament to the filament voltage, the other side of the filament and the cathode to ground and every other electrode to plate voltage and it's strapped as a diode, then measure the current through it for a known plate voltage, the plate voltage setting calibrates where the needle reads in the bad-good scale. I have a question though, when it says leakage test, is that heater-cathode leakage?

[@r.veiocomponenteseletronic9721]

I NEED YOUR HELP. Good morning. I bought the Heathkit IT17 recently on Ebay. The device dials the line. But when testing any valve, the pointer vibrates a lot. The pointer vibrates to and fro. It could help me to fix my IT17. What do you think this defect could be?

[@mikesmuseum]

Great video! On my tester, I am having a tough time determining the 'light letters' vs. the 'darker letters', when doing the Shorts test. The silk-screened letters all look the same! Which letters are the Lighter ones?

[@jefftranter]

It is on the tube chart (paper roll) where the letters are indicated in darker text, not the tube tester itself. I think that is the area of confusion.

[@mikesmuseum]

Jeff Tranter Oh! Ok, thank you!

[@erin19030]

It's basically an EICO tube tester, good for emission only.

[@Moejoe69]

Great video Jeff. I purchased a TC-3 model which I restored. All of the green wires had a white powder on them. Almost like mold or fungus. I cleaned them with a brush. Do you think I should replace all the green wires?

[@jefftranter]

I would clean the wires and leave them as long as they are not cracked or brittle.

[@sonicpete]

Thank you for making this video. I have a Heathkit IT-21 and i'd like to use it to test some EL34 Tubes but i can't it in the roll chart. What should i do?

[@jefftranter]

You can generally use the same settings for equivalent tubes. There is a Heathkit manual that you can find on the internet called "Suppplement Test Data Sheet for use with Heathkit TC-1, TC-2, and TC-2P Tube Checkers." It has a section at the end with "America Equivalents to European Tubes". It lists, for example, EL34 as equivalent to 6CA7.

[@sonicpete]

@@jefftranter Another question: At 12.22 You said to preform the shorts test, move the levers indicated in light type between the indicated position and center. Howerver, it appears that you move ALL the levers between their indicated positions and their opposite positions? Did i misunderstand something?

[@sonicpete]

@@jefftranter Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[@jefftranter]

@@sonicpete The description was correct, but I incorrectly moved the levers all the way to the opposite direction rather than to the center position as I should have.

[@sonicpete]

@@jefftranter Thanks Jeff, I just wanted to be sure and not damage anything

[@shoppersplace]

at 13:47 I noticed you do not move the lever past the center position. Why was it not moved to the bottom position as mentioned in the instructions? thank you.

[@jefftranter]

You are correct - I should have moved the levers to the bottom position during that step to perform an opens test.

[@r.veiocomponenteseletronic9721]

I NEED YOUR HELP. Good morning. I bought the Heathkit IT17 recently on Ebay. The device dials the line. But when testing any valve, the pointer vibrates a lot. The pointer vibrates to and fro. It could help me to fix my IT17. What do you think this defect could be?

[@jefftranter]

It could be a bad connection in the wiring, switches, or sockets, or a bad part such as a diode, resistor, or diode. You should be able to find a manual on line. A visual inspection inside might show the problem, and moving the controls and switches might identify if one of them is macking a bad connection.

[@patlyle2621]

Jeff, Love your vids! I have a IT-21 and need to test the following tubs from a Heathkit AA-100 7591-7199-EF86-GZ34 these are not on my roll. I found a 28 page list on line that has these and many more but quality is so bad one can not tell the bold from the non bold letters to set up the switches. Do you have a site I can go to to get settings for more tubes? Thanks Keep up the good work. John Ocala Florida

[@jefftranter]

Try this (you will need to register to get access): www.mods.dk/downloadmanual.php?RefFil=IT-17_IT-21_IT-3117_Tube_Data.zip

[@nor4277]

I have a heath kit tc-2 and every chart I find is missing most of the AA 5 tube set used in 1960 era radios it's has one of two of these tubes but the tubes that start with 12 can't find anyone no where I can look ?or

[@jefftranter]

Try the roll chart here: tubularelectronics.com/Heath_Manual_Collection/Heath_Manuals_T-X/TC-2/TC-2%20TubeData.pdf

[@SteveAaron]

Hi, great video. I’m looking for the COMPLETE manual for the IT-17, as well as a good and updated printable tube chart. Anyone has an idea where I could find these? The only manual I could find is partial, and the tube chart I found was of very poor quality. Thank you

[@jefftranter]

I've only been able to find a poor quality partial manual on the Internet. If you are willing to pay for it, I've have good experience with printed manuals purchased from vintagemanuals.com.

[@SteveAaron]

@@jefftranter Thanks Jeff. What about the rolling tube chart? In the video you said you found an updated one.

[@jefftranter]

@@SteveAaron Try elektrotanya.com/heathkit_it_17_21_3117_tube_testers_tube_data_1979_sm.pdf/download.html

[@SteveAaron]

@@jefftranter Thanks Jeff. Appreciate it.

[@SteveAaron]

@@jefftranter Thanks again Jeff. I've recently acquired some more Heathkit test gear: IT-17, IT-12, IM-36, IP-2710 (heavy beast!!)

[@virutillaspino]

Hello, I have bought a Heathkit TC-3 valve tester, but from what I see in the roll of references, all or almost all are American, can you get the references for the European ones?, I would really appreciate your help, greetings from Tenerife España.

[@jefftranter]

The Heathkit roll chart supplements included a list of American Equivalents to European tube types. See, for example: tubularelectronics.com/Heath_Manual_Collection/Heath_Manuals_T-X/TC-2/TC-2%20TubeData.pdf www.rsp-italy.it/Electronics/Kits/_contents/Heathkit/Kits/Heathkit%20TC-2%20tubes%20list.pdf

[@virutillaspino]

@@jefftranter Thank you very much friend, a hug.

[@TheCleaner6969]

Can this test EL34? Is this just an emission tester?

[@jefftranter]

Yes, it can test an EL34 using the settings for 6CA7. It is an emissions tester.

[@TheCleaner6969]

@@jefftranter Thank you for that info!

[@erin19030]

It's basically an EICO emission tester. The results are better than none at all, however the tester is a gimmick for no nothing electronics enthusiasts. I test my tubes in a test jig that I built , based on RCA Tube Manual data. Shorts and leakage tests are a joke.