I recently got a Hickok 6000A tube tester off E-bay and the meter does not fully function. The needle does not go all the way to the left and when using the line adjustment control I can not get he needle to go to the center. The rectifer tubes test good in my 6000 tube tester. Can anyone tell me what might be the problem? Thanks.

Does the meter read zero with the power off? If there's a mechanical problem with zeroing, that needs to be fixed first. Does the pointer move freely, or does it stick?

: Does the meter read zero with the power off? If there's a mechanical problem with zeroing, that needs to be fixed first. Does the pointer move freely, or does it stick?

: Does the meter read zero with the power off? If there's a mechanical problem with zeroing, that needs to be fixed first. Does the pointer move freely, or does it stick?

The meter moves to the left when the power is off. After moving the tester it has moved more to the left and goes to far right, now. I have the tester out of it's box case since it was damaged by water or mildow. The electrical and mechnical parts seem to be fine. I did have to clean the entire face of the tester since it was extremely dirty.

I'm a bit puzzled as to just what the pointer is doing. Offhand, if the tester was damp enough to grow mildew, there could be some corrosion inside the magnet gap in the meter. It only takes the tiniest bit of rust to catch the moving coil. So the first step is to clean that out, with slivers of masking tape or nonmagnetic tools. It takes a very steady hand and close eyesight. Then the pointer should be balanced, and set at zero with no power applied.

: I'm a bit puzzled as to just what the pointer is doing. Offhand, if the tester was damp enough to grow mildew, there could be some corrosion inside the magnet gap in the meter. It only takes the tiniest bit of rust to catch the moving coil. So the first step is to clean that out, with slivers of masking tape or nonmagnetic tools. It takes a very steady hand and close eyesight. Then the pointer should be balanced, and set at zero with no power applied.

What is the best way to disassemble the meter from it's plastic face? How do I avoid any damage to the meter while the face is removed? Thanks.

Ross

Usually the can be pried off around the edges, but you need to remove the meter from the panel to see just where to pry. Don't put any pressure on the mounting studs.