Buying used amps with limited tools/resources?

[turbofeedus]

Hey all, hope your respective holidays are treating you kindly.
I think many here share a fondness for seeking out older tube amps in need of love (as I do), but the buying process can be a bit hazardous. No one wants to end up with a lemon.
That said, sometimes circumstance doesn't allow for a full range of testing. Say the seller wants to meet at a police station, or somewhere without mains access? Or maybe you're at a swap meet, and making use of the amp isn't feasible? I thought it might be interesting to start a discussion on how you'd go about testing a used amp with limited resources, say just a DMM and wrenches/drivers? What steps would you take to best ensure you don't come home with just a bucket of parts?

[thetragichero]

if i can't test it, that's factoredin the price I'm willing to pay (this includes purchasing on reverb, although i am aware that they have a decent return policy if it's not as described)
if we're taking about *old* amps, at least they're easier to work on than newer pcb-style amps
really though, i enjoy working on/restoring amps and happen to be a cheapskate so i generally seek out amps that need some love

[xtian]

Because of the power black outs we've been having in CA, I bought a lithium battery backup. It puts out 120vAC, features 400 Wh, and weighs less than 10 pounds! Now I can play anywhere...or test equipment anywhere.

[turbofeedus]

if i can't test it, that's factoredin the price I'm willing to pay (this includes purchasing on reverb, although i am aware that they have a decent return policy if it's not as described)
if we're taking about *old* amps, at least they're easier to work on than newer pcb-style amps
really though, i enjoy working on/restoring amps and happen to be a cheapskate so i generally seek out amps that need some love

sure, and some sellers are reasonable in their asking price knowing it's an "as-is" sale. But if I'm buying an amp with shorted or open transformers, it's worth pretty close to $0, unless it's got some fancypants tubes or something.
Maybe that's it then? just checking for continuity on the transformers?

Because of the power black outs we've been having in CA, I bought a lithium battery backup. It puts out 120vAC, features 400 Wh, and weighs less than 10 pounds! Now I can play anywhere...or test equipment anywhere.

Interesting, is this thing mobile enough to be used at a swap meet? I'm thinking like if you happen upon an old amp at a flea market or something, the price is low enough, but you still want to make sure it's not scrap metal.
That's cool though, can you link the product info?

[xtian]

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Generat ... =8-1-fkmr1

[Kagliostro]

Install an inverter in your car

Something like this

https://www.amazon.it/Inverter-Invertit ... 4921&psc=1

so you will have at least one voltage source available

if it's a head, it might be a good idea to have a speaker box in your car

K