How to test a tube without a Tube Tester. Is this EL41 any good?
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- In my hobby restoring tube radios, I have so far resisted getting a tube tester. I believe they are too bulky and expensive for my limited needs. I normally just keep a few (known working) tubes on hand, and swap one in if I suspect a tube has failed. In my current project, I suspected an EL41 output tube to be faulty, but unfortunately did not have any others on hand.
I decided to try and test it, following the method that TRX Bench presented in a similar video. His video is here, and I highly recommend you see it.
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Hope this helps you, but remember that high voltages are dangerous!
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EXCELLENT!!! Man am I ever glad you made this video! I think it is an excellent idea to make that tester. It would be terrific if you would make a PC board design with all the necessary components needed to make that tester, including the multiple sockets for the various tubes/valves that might be tested (including both 6.3 volt and 12-volt heater voltages would be a nice addition) and making the boards available for others to purchase...well, perhaps at least think about it?
Do you think it would be a good thing for you to open a "store" and sell kits? Some sites make a decent amount selling shirts, cups, and such, but not sure if this would be something you would want to "mess" with or not. Just thought I would throw it out there for you to consider.
You and the wonderful videos you produce are very much appreciated and valued! Keep up the excellent work!
Great ideas. I’ll have to sit down and plan this well, if I decide to go ahead with it. The PCB is a great idea too.
Selling kits isn’t something I want to do. It takes up a lot of time and is a huge hassle, especially for me living on an island.
Pretty simple when you think about it and know the specs of the tube. In your case a limited homemade tester would be ideal but it will still take up space. I'd like to see you do it Manuel 🙂
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@@electronicsoldandnewI am waiting for some parts for built my 845 211 tube tester.
I am using the next
One 0-30 volts 5 amps switching power supply for filament
One 0-120 volts for negative grid voltage
Two isolation transformers from 115 to 220 volts with the outputs in series for the plate voltaje, máx 622 volts, regulated using a variac.
Two Flukes 27FM
One micronta analog Fet multimeter.
I am waiting for the socket only.
Best Regards.
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I've made a DIY tube-tester myself, using two PL84 to make adjustable g2 and a voltages, and just a potmeter to set the g1 voltage. using 5 analogue meters to read V for A, g2, g1 and mA for A and g2. there should be a video on my channel if you are interested in this.
Thanks. I’ll look it up.
That small "HV" PSU module can go up to 800V. It has two ranges - 50 to 400V and 100 to 800V. In fact, it has a voltage doubler on its output, this is why there are three screw terminals on the output, but be carefull, the negative of the low voltage input goes directly to center of the voltage doubler on the output. This is why the output is labeled as a -400V/0V/+400V, but it is impossible to get a single -400V from this unit, because the voltage feedback loop is taken from the positive side of the output only. But if you use it as a doubler, then it works great giving you 100V-800V on the output. But it has its downfall, if you ground the negative side of the 800V output, your low voltage input side PSU is lifted 400V above ground, which is almost instant death for typical lab PSU. So I converted that board to a regular 50-800V (two range) bench PSU using a 18V 50VA double insulated transformer to power the module, then I decided to remove the voltage setting trimmer and replace it with a propper multiturn potentiometer, which is easy to mount on almost any front pannel. With proper insulation of course, because one of its terminals is almost at the voltage level of negative terminal of the low voltage side input. So I used that module to build a totally independent HV bench PSU. Just to do similar things that you are doing in this video. It gives me much better results than using variac with a rectifier, because this unit has its output stabilised using the voltage feedback loop. (There are no current feedback from the output, so the output current is not limited. Shorting output means at least blowing the fuse in its input.)
I am also planing to buy another one of this module, remove the output rectifier and replace it with voltage multiplier and modify the voltage feedback to the output of it to build a 2.5kV PSU. I don't know whether this is a good idea, but I hope this is at least doable.
This module is indeed useful, and I’m aware of the ground problem if using it to get to the full 800V range. The fear I have is that this unit seems a little flimsy to use at extremely high voltages, as I’m not too confident about the quality of the components actually used to build it 😊 I have used this module before and the first thing I did was limit its use to 300V, and also replaced the high voltage filter caps with better quality ones.
I repair(ed) a lot of old radio's and the EL41 is not such a good tube (in my opinion). It is also getting very expensive. So, I always replace it with an EL83 (very unknown tube in audio-equipment, but has very good sound qualities, is cheap and easy to get and more reliable than the EL41. OK, you'll need to replace the rimlock socket with a B9A and rewire the setup, but that only takes a few minutes. With a Vb of 240-260V, use a 180 Ohms cathode resistor, uncoupled by a 100µF capacitor. The EL83 has almost identical specs as the EL41 in the Philips tube handbooks.
That’s a good tip. Thanks
Great idea. You have a manageable set of tube types. I suggest getting a few parameters from the tube data sheets from the radio operating points in addition to the tube checker card. Is it possible to inject an ac signal to see how it does with operating frequencies of interest and monitor with a scope? Nice project I always wanted to do this. Best wishes!
I definitely want to be able to do some sort of actual working test.
When I was taking my electronics 101 class and just starting to tinker with tubes individually setting up a jig to test and drive each tube was one of my projects to pick from.
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It's always useful to see other examples of how to test tubes. I would say yes to building it. What will be interesting to see is if the replacement tube, firstly resolves the low volume issue and secondly how the replacement tube compares with the original in your tester.
Yes. However, I think the problem lies elsewhere. I’m into the fault-finding right now.
Thank you for the time you took! The diy tube tester project would be very interesting! Looking forward! Thanks again and stay well!
Thanks Marco.
Sooner or later everyone wants to have a tube tester. But it seems to me more interesting to find and restore the old tube tester and use it.
Could also be fun 😊
YES , these carts are very usefull ........I made some myself for my Neuberger tube tester.
For octal and some other types one can use the sockets made for relais.....they have screw terminals and are easy to connect !
These older testers do test the correct operation points as well make it possible to teste tubes under the real conditions the tubes works in a real given circuit .........
Ok. I did a tube tester project after that video. It’s on the channel and may interest you.
This is brilliant news, I will certainly join this project and I'm sure that it will "grow legs" hmmmm maybe leakage test between electrodes, hmmm how about a reactivation element to the design, - yes Manuel, I'm with you on this one. Standing by !
👍 Thanks Rod
I think its a good idea. Good working valve testers are getting hard to find, not to mention expensive.
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Bit late to the conversation but it does sound like a good idea . Most equipment use standard valves as you stated , I have a friend who is into hifi stuff always bending my ear about valve testing. It would be a good idea for him to build it with a bit of help. I have radio ham gear and valve's slightly different but most the same as commercial radios which I have a couple of so would be good build a tester along with my friend. Great video and thanks for the work you put in. I am not sure if people know the time and effort needed. I used to document procedures for various things that took long enough!!
😊 Yes, it does take ages, but since I do this as a hobby, I can’t complain.
Yes, it will be a very useful tool. So far, it looks great.
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Bastante complicado para um iniciante mais é muito gratificante ver o seu trabalho parabéns tenha um bom fim de semana abençoado…
Obrigado. Bom fim de semana, José.
Hi Manuel, thanks for your videos, always a treat. Many valve testers like the one you have the card for were simply good / no good quicktest for busy radio shops. Back in the day a new tube was one of a million and only cost a few shillings here in the uk - sadly not the case these days!
Your plan with all the meters and all the voltages is much more useful in these days of used valves. Matching a pair of valves for hifi or really testing to see if a valve is still "good enough" for a few more years is a very useful tool.
I would personally use a real old mains trafo. All the voltages you need without the chinese buck boost pcbs!
You could even steal all the voltages out of a working radio with diverter switches to terminal posts on the back.
John UK
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Wonderful. I have been using this high voltage modules for years. I made a rickety tube tester with two of these modules. One module for screen and one for anode. Also for heating and grid bias i used dc-dc converter modules. With analog dials because they are easier to be put in circuit. Jumper wires to connect pins and their function. I really look forward to seeing you making a propper universal tube tester.
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Great informational Manuel! I’m going to watch the linked video as well. Building a test fixture would be awesome!
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I am lucky enough to have a properly working and calibrated Hickok752A which can test, and includes data for, virtually any tube that one is likely to come across in the US and most European tubes as well, from 4-pin oldies of the 1920"s right up to Nuvistors. It doesn't include data for some valuable Western Electric types but I can usually figure out the correct settings from a tube manual. It doesn't have a rimlock socket for these EL41 tubes but if I really needed to test those I'd make an adapter for it. I have other tube testers but the 752 is my favorite.
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Remarkable ideas .thank brother
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Good video. Carrying on the simplicity idea, you could use a couple of 9v batteries for the grid bias. They'd last for years and years as there's practically no current flowing.
true
Great video, yes it would be great to have this device, I vote yes!
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I've tested some tubes with same of a way, but have discovered that some pentodes (EL84, EL34 and some TV tubes) seem to oscillate and draw additional current. If I put my hand near them, they stopped oscillating and the apparent emission went down. I also have few tube testers and some of these do the same. If the tube is a high gain device, the self oscillation can occur easily. When checking the circuit without knowing the state of tubes, a, good rule of thumb is to look at the DC voltages across the load resistors. I've recently tested few ECC85s on a tester and also on a tuner. Anode voltages on a 25% of emission tube were about 195V, but the NOS tube with 110% emission dropped the same voltages down to 155V. Schematics said 165V. Interestingly enough, on that particular radio, both tubes performed the same, perhaps the better one helped to increase the ratio detector voltage for few volts. The tube with 80% of emission had the exactly the same results as the schematics said :)
Yes, oscillations … I didn’t have that and didn’t even think about it. The 1M grid resistor should help, but not too sure. In some applications the actual state of the tube is not that critical, as long as it still functions. When you get to the output power tubes, that’s a different story 😊
It would very handy having a common tubes tester and a nice project! Perhpas it would be an idea to put in a few sockets for different tubes (if there are ultimatly just a few different voltages?) It would be a nice project for the winter :)
Sure will 😊
I tested a beautiful 4212E triode like this with a very dangerous lash up on my bench with 1kV on the anode. Sadly emission maxed out at about 180mA max even with large positive grid voltage, when the filament should be capable of 4 Amps of emission according to the data sheet. Still, it's a work of art even if it is not too functional. In future I must be more careful, filter caps at 1kV can easily kill.
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You could well build a tester along the lines you have shown here. Also, often it is quite simple to break into the anode line of the set the tube uses, to just see if the tube is useful or not. Bit difficult to compare with the Funke tester's limiting values, the voltages in the set are probably different. But, it should give a ballpark. I have two different tube testers, and they don't always agree either :)
They must be like two lawyers: can never agree 😊
I'v actually been thinking about the same thing myself, like the last 2 - 3 weeks. Building a testcircuit for the few tubetypes I normally encounter. It seemes like a better idea than a generic tube tester that just test a few parameters of a tube. I'm sure there must be many DIY solutions out there that do this.
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Electronics old and new your utube video are awesome 👍👍👍👍📻😎📻😎😎😎😎😎😎👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks Greg.
Hi interesting video i use something similar myself and it is very useful to put some icing on the cake you can put an rf signal in the grid and look at the output with a scope and get a a good idea of how it performs in the real world...
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I always wanted [ have not got around to it ] build a power tube tester .
Many hams say put in unit / amp that it is for , I wish I had many amps - but the lotto hasn't shown up yet .
We can always dream of the lotto. Never give up 😊
I'm going to need another multimeter... Great video! Cheers!
Get two!
@@electronicsoldandnew You know it. :)
Very useful
ok
I would suggest a dynamic tube tester should find a home on Medina Island, but two factors that are probably affect you thinking. 1. limited amount of space. 2. The challenge of designing and the satisfaction of building and completing a fun project. P. S. Thanks for the reference of the other channels.
Space is probably my biggest concern. I have a storage unit in the garage of the building, but I don’t like having to carry equipment up and down the elevator once a month or do.
P.S. I always like to mention other channels. I see this as a close-knit community.
You said and started this, now you please think about a good design and build project. 😊 Maybe start with the power supply and make a series out of it.
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Hello 👋 sir I'm going Tru some issues rebuilding a power supply and didn't know that if the tubes are bad I'll make things go left very quickly....like i burn the RF coil and capacitor with the rectifier card.....and i done this job about 5 times till i got tired ...then one day i unplug the amp from the power supply and guess what.no more fireworks 🎆 lol.. anyway the point is that if i had see you video before would had known a few things that would had ovoid lots of problems....if tubes are bad ...the amplifier will bust burn well you know...73 thanks 🙏👍
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Great idea, Manuel. How about creating a mix between the Funke tester with the data on the cards and a measuring setup built like the EICO 667 for example, where you have all common tube bases wired in parallel (pin 1-9 and anode cap) then going to 10 rotary switches where you can connect the appropriate voltages to the right pins on the tube. Your grid negative supply could be an isolated low current supply 0-30v or so with the positive output connected to ground (cathode). And then just use those Funke charts. Boer maak 'n plan 🙂
En ‘n Porra maak twee 😊 The planning process has begun
I did some extensive tube characterization tests for their potential use in low voltage logic circuits (just for the heck of it) and had a setup of multiple home-brew variable DC power supplies (up to 24VDC) and multiple multimeters. I'd link to an image of the setup if UA-cam didn't delete posts with links. Anyway, I wonder if it might be possible to test the health of tubes using just low voltages, at least in a A(known healthy tube)/B(tube under test) comparison.
I’m sure that’s possible, but the reaction to high voltages may be quite different.
A nice transconductance test. Can graph grid voltage against Anode current to get this valve's characteristic.
Another test that can be done is for gas in the tube, which I think is done by shorting the 1 M grid resistor and noting whether the grid voltage changes (gassy if it does?)
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The Russian L3-3 "Kalibr" tube tester works very similarly to the Funke units. It does true Gm measurements with voltages up to 500V.
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Would love to see a diy tube tester project !!
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very nice vid
Thanks
Yep, built your own, the way to go isn't it? But be honest, you knew that from the start because this gives you full control and a reference from those cards... tube testers gives you a wild idea about the state. But no milliamps... this setup is also very good for double or quad matching. Yes build it!
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Has anyone got a list of test setup voltages against output current for more tubes? A copy of a stack those cards would be nice!
Here’s the link:
tuberocker.wordpress.com/2014/08/25/funke-w19-pruefkarten-download/
@@electronicsoldandnew Thank you
@@electronicsoldandnew Do you know if there is an index list?
No, I don’t.
Okay....now for yet another question..? Where can one order online a set of the invaluable cards? Thanks!
I have no idea 😊 I found some posted online as images
Perhaps you could replace the trimmer of the anode supply with a potentiometer, and so you would not have to worry about different anode voltages. And another module for the screen grid supply. Then a simple 6,3 V regulator circuit, and so you need only one 12 Volt power input. The negative grid bias can also be made from that +12 Volts.
True. Quite a bit of thinking needed 😊
I have some old tube type linear amplifiers for 27 MHz that I have not even open the tops on because the tubes use a 1K volt AC that I'm just not comfortable touching maybe one day I'll build a tube tester similar to this to play around with but not quite yet
That is scary 😊
BUILD IT!!!!!
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A “personalised valve tester”? Absolutely a brilliant idea! Just go for it my friend.
Best regards from Phil.
P.s, I wonder if it would be possible for your design, which will largely be for testing B9A type valves, to include some provision for adding additional valves for testing, say popular octal, B8G, British 4, 5, & 7 pin types etc. as and when at future dates?
The idea could be to add any tube type by adding modular sockets … just thinking out loud for now 😊
Hello Mr Canderra,
Great experiment. But instead of testing only for emissions, you could add a second and much more important test. Transconductance of a tube in mA/V is a much more important measurement for a tube. If you change the grid voltage for 1V, keep a close eye on the anode current. The amount the anode current changes gives a rough estimate of the transductance of the tube in mA/V,, which is in every datasheet. They way Funke is testing tubes is very, very basic. Not really recommended.
I certainly plan to do a transconductace test too.
@@electronicsoldandnew
Great! I should have known Mr Caldeira.
Good luck with the build.
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A 1Meg grid resistor is a bit on the high side for a power valve and you may get thermal runaway. Yes, the EL41 is quoted as 1 Meg max but that may put it on the edge of instability, particularly if it is slightly gassy. I wish you well with the Mende project, nothing to do with Sergio Mendes, I presume.
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Nice to see Manuel, but ..testing a tube is more then only the check for emmisions.
There can be a lot of things go wrong with a tube like internal shorts etc.
I have been using a Neuberger RP270 tester for many years now, using this tester is a pleasure, it's fast & easy, it takes only 1 minute to test a tube. I would not bother to make such a testsetup because it's too much effort & time to make a test & then it's still only a test for emmisions and you still are not sure that the tube is 100 % ok.
If you wan't to be sure ...then only a good tubetester can do this job. ( I used many but this Neuberger RP270 i like the best because testing is so easy & fast ) Now days it's not so difficult to find such a tester on ebay etc..
Greetings...Dirk
I agree, Dirk. However, my interest in this method is simply to solve an immediate doubt that I had with this tube. My main resistance to getting a proper tube tester is that I so seldom actually need one, and they are bulky to have in the home office I use as my “lab” 😊
@12:48 You mention what amperage you were getting and comparing it to what it should be......but where on the card did you see what it should be (and any range)? I am confused 😕. Thanks
The card has the mA meter scale drawn there that shows good, ?, and bad. That’s where I got the current that is considered as “good”
@@electronicsoldandnew : Yes, I found it after I watched the recommended video link 😄. It makes perfectly good sense now. Thanks.
pleasure
Yeah that DC thingy, have one of those too. The output stability is ... well ... horrendous.
I use mine with very low currents, and so far it has behaved itself. I’m sure if I tried to draw more amps it would fail 😃
I will be interesting to see you use that valve tester if you build it, Manuel.
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Here in the States I've never seen a "rimlock" type tube like this, as they are known (despite having handled many thousands of tubes). On the other hand, you've likely never seen a *10-pin* miniature tube such as (if I remember the the numbers correctly) a 6X9 or 6C10. There are two styles of 10-pin tube, one with a tenth pin in the center of the tube base, and another with 10 concentric pins in a circle. Kinda like a 12AX7 or EL84 with an extra pin!
You’re right, I’ve never seen the 10 pin tubes. The number of types of tubes is incredible, so most tube testers need to accommodate as many as possible. A tough task.
@@electronicsoldandnew, I've made adapters for a few types such as the WD11, and early 01's with short pins, so I could test them on my Hickok. Some later model tube testers were geared towards the TV repairman and often didn't include sockets or data for early types from the 1920s through the 50's, and obviously a tester from say 1947 wasn't going to test a Nuvistor or Compactron, or even a 9-pin Novar audio output tube such as a 7868 (like a 7591 but with a different base). Hickok and others made adapters to expand the usefulness of the earlier tube testers, but these could be a little clunky and inconvenient to use. Much nicer to have the capability built into the tester itself. The 539C is another one that will test almost anything but it's a little slower and clunkier to set up. The 752 and 752A were the reference testers for the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and they are fast and easy to use (they will test the 2nd half of a dual triode such as a 12AX7 with the push of just one button). They can be rather expensive nowadays however. It's also helpful to have a tube tester where the settings of the knobs conform to the actual individual pin numbers of the tube under test so that if you were attempting to test something for which you don't have exact setup data, you can more easily figure out how to set the tester up and then compare the readings to the data and curves in a tube manual.
@@electronicsoldandnew ,tthe Hickok 539C actually includes one style of 10 pin socket; The 9 pin socket with which you would test 12AX7 tubes also has a contact for the 10th pin, in the center of the socket. Which made it a little bit difficult to install install a traditional socket saver because normally those would bolt down through the center of the socket but had I done it that way I would have had to modify the socket in the tester.. Instead, I used a homemade socket-saver with flanges on it and bolted it to the same screws that hold the stick factory socket to the tester instead. Somewhere here I actually have a couple examples of both styles of 10 pin tubes but I've never had to test them, nor come across a piece of equipment that used them. I have tested Nuvistors from time to time because there are some late model tube type FM tuners that use them, Including McIntosh.
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My tube tester is a chop stick, I tap on the tube while my amplifier is running on high voltage connected to a speaker. If the tube makes a crackling sound, I known that tube is bad.
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it would be great if you would make your own tube tester and very interesting
I did 😊 look further forward in my videos and you’ll see the result.
Fabulous! I think a box of sorts to contain the high voltage bits with some simple meters and test points would be a great boon to us hobbyists. Like you demonstrated, it can verify whether a tube is functioning or not. Can your setup then be made to measure mutual conductance, or at least a relative value for same, as the value seems to vary from tester to tester and from tube to tube? For some time I've been thinking about building an extension fixture for my B&K 607 Tube Tester that will finally allow me to measure mutual conductance. Rebuilt mutual conductance testers are just too expensive to justify for hobby use.
I like the idea, and it’s actually not that difficult.
Might be worthwhile to inject a RF signal (455kHz or so) into the grid and see what the output looks like. Essentially put together a simple amplifier circuit that is close to how they're typically used.
That would be the best method. We’ll see.
I have toyed with the idea of a home made curve tracer. I have a box of100 NOS tubes and thinking this would be a way of selecting matched ones. Scope in XY mode, oscillator/amplifier to provide plate volts and fed to X input, Plate current fed to Y input. Bench supply to set grid volts. Maybe I will get around to it. If I had more time I would love to have a YT channel like yours with my stuff on it.
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I have 9 DMM's, so I know what you mean! 1 of them is an old Triplett VOM.
Get another one. Make it a round number 😊
Great video thanks any chance of a schematic
This is gonna be good...............
Do I detect a note of irony in you comment? 😊
@@electronicsoldandnew not at all.. I've yet to see you do something mediocre!!
Keep looking. It’ll come sometime, I’m sure 😊
I know master ... 😊🙏😉👍👏
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@@electronicsoldandnew thank you much 🙏😉
pleasure
Please do make a tube tester for standard tubes used in European radios of 50's and 60's. If you do so, then please share the schematic and parts list with your fans. Thanks!
If I do go ahead, I will certainly show the complete process.
Can you provide a link for that there handy dandy card please? Thanks much. - hobbyist
I think I can do a little better than that. Here’s a link to 500 of them 😊
tuberocker.wordpress.com/2014/08/25/funke-w19-pruefkarten-download/
No question, build it. Could it be just an extension to the cap leakage tester? Just an idea.
That’s a great idea. Didn’t think of that.
How did you know that I'm fooling around with a Marshall JCM900 which has 4 5881 valves, 2 look tired and 1 is cooked to hell. Negative bias failed :) this will be helpfull!
Edit: I wonder if a simple bias probe that uses the actual equipement voltage supply isnt good enough?
You can try with the actual working voltages, and in fact that would be the best way to test, but be careful. If there are shorts, the result could be a little like new year’s eve in Madeira 😊
Well in my case this thing has fuses all over. I guess older equipement doesnt. I'm making a bias probe out of an umbilical chord from an defunct tube tv and a tube socket :)
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Sure, go ahead and build your own Tube Tester!
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Unfortunately TRXbench has disappeard again.
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promise makes guilt, I'm curious, ;-)
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I think a tube tester would benefit you, you should build one
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You like to build your own devices anyway. Why dither? Build it!
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Valve tester
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We have, ahh, it works, actually I should, I got this value, you know, Blablablablabla, go find a brain
Thanks for the advice. Always appreciate any help I can get from intelligent, discerning viewers like your good self. Happy New Year.
If it’s so dangerous, maybe one should invest in a tube tester and play safe?? I certainly wouldn’t be showing anyone a more dangerous way to do something that can be performed more easily and safely.
True, but then this and many other channels show how to restore tube radios that carry hundreds of volts, when one could just navigate to the Radio Garden website and listen up any radios station in the world on a browser 😊
Here's a fascinating MOSFET: IRFP360LC. Grid capacitance is very low, Anode voltage possible and anode current are very high. Voltage for zero conductance is 3 V, Voltage for very high conductance is 4 V.... Go play... ;-)
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Yes to the tube tester.
Start of simple. If the idea works it might inspire yourself or someone else to do a more advanced version.
My contribution to the project would be this: I've noticed the commercially produced testers usually have many valve bases. But if you put the valve base on an adaptor board and use pin headers for the connections the tester becomes smaller and easier to add extra tube bases in the future. I tried to find a photo but apparently no-one has done it yet. Maybe there's a problem with the high voltages. They have done it to allow SMD devices in DIL sockets. Photo here: cdn.sparkfun.com/assets/learn_tutorials/4/0/1/assembled.jpg
Yes, I see what you mean. Thanks
I have been caught by the YT external links police again. My fault... In the sixties and seventies, not many options existed to learn electronics, and one of them was an expensive but high quality remote school, publishing their own books, and kits. The students built their own instruments as a practical exercise. There was a lampmeter, it's described there at triple w dot carnets-tsf dot fr. It's easy enough to find your way on the site, and although in French should not be an obstacle to get the most of it. The "databook" required to interpret the result has been coded, if you type the name without spaces you get one line of settings/expected values.
I have just read the sections you referred me to. Very interesting, thanks.