I’ve been making new, more reliable test jigs for all the most popular boards I sell. This jig for the BFA-555 MK1 features a replica of the entire output section of a GFA-555, but with only one pair of output transistors. Obviously, you can’t run much power through this, but it’s all I need to prove the board works.

Pogo-pins meet target pads on the underside of the board under test.