F18

Measure the heaters and plate voltages to make sure they are running within datasheet specifications.

Sure is and 50 years later it is still one of the best tube testers around.

Halfway restoring an avo vcm mk4. New painted side supports, cleaned knobs and switch holders, faceplate touched up and painted with couple coats of clear 2x, new replacement meter (expensive) installed. Still need to disassemble and clean roller switch, measure and test internal resistors and calibrate if necessary.

John I recall you owning the SRM-Monitor over 10 years ago?

Well Earles secret sauce is obviously a concoction of bacon but what is Peter Stein’s? That is the question!

50 to 60ma is nothing out of the ordinary for kt77’s or el34’s. Considering they measure up to 90-110ma for a new tube. Depends on what plate, grid and cathode voltages is present for the valves. The sq38u is fixed bias, newer gen sq38u may be different. The biasing is usually done near the transformers and back to the valves through a 100ohm or 10ohm resistor measuring links.

I'd leave it as-is and not touch/think about it. Only a slight cosmetic issue anyway.

He had those listed on ebay for $600, 300 now its free. To be fair they aren’t worth anything so its understandable its set to free now.

Do you still have the original laser assembly?

Don't touch the laser power and alignment trimpots unless you have the laser calibration service manual, an o-scope and know what you're doing. Most amateurs would touch this and it will work temporarily but the problem will come back or the laser would be dead. Use a cotton bud/Q tip bud with a bit of window cleaner solution on it and gently swipe the laser lens. Where did you buy the KSS213 laser from and what version? There are lots of variations of the KSS213 laser head and it is crucial you replace it with the right version.

At op: Listen to the actual product before making quick swipe impulse decision making assumptions that it should be better because somebody else said so.

Still available.

What that tech told you is false.

I meant the case. It has a small sized footprint for a phono preamp I have in mind. Can the top metal plate support heavy iron?

Looks good for a small footprint phono preamp.