Hello All!
I am shutting down a research and development laboratory (200,000 sq ft, 80 acres) that is 45 yrs old and found lots of tubes (2000 or more) still in original boxes. (This facility had an electronics lab and shop). Also, found lots of old electronic eqt such as tubed ocilliscopes, signal generators, etc. Lots of power transformers and other old electronic eqt. Also found old Altec Lansing Public Address eqt along with old Gerrard turntable. Still finding things daily! There is no shortage of old electronic eqt most of which I have no idea what it does!
I did research a bit on the tubes by viewing Vacuum Tube Valley's list of tubes (wwww.vacuumtube.com).
I know nothing about tubes, audio eqt but want to learn. I will be discarding lots of eqt unless I identify and hold on to this eqt. I don't have much time since demolition will begin soon.
Here's my question. Assuming some of this stuff is valuable to someone (if not me sometime in the future when I can learn to build diy stuff), how should I go about identifying good eqt (and parts of good equipment) for storage. Please note that much of this eqt is very specialized gear designed and used in a laboratory and research capacity.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! I would really hate to landfill some vintage pieces!
I am shutting down a research and development laboratory (200,000 sq ft, 80 acres) that is 45 yrs old and found lots of tubes (2000 or more) still in original boxes. (This facility had an electronics lab and shop). Also, found lots of old electronic eqt such as tubed ocilliscopes, signal generators, etc. Lots of power transformers and other old electronic eqt. Also found old Altec Lansing Public Address eqt along with old Gerrard turntable. Still finding things daily! There is no shortage of old electronic eqt most of which I have no idea what it does!
I did research a bit on the tubes by viewing Vacuum Tube Valley's list of tubes (wwww.vacuumtube.com).
I know nothing about tubes, audio eqt but want to learn. I will be discarding lots of eqt unless I identify and hold on to this eqt. I don't have much time since demolition will begin soon.
Here's my question. Assuming some of this stuff is valuable to someone (if not me sometime in the future when I can learn to build diy stuff), how should I go about identifying good eqt (and parts of good equipment) for storage. Please note that much of this eqt is very specialized gear designed and used in a laboratory and research capacity.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! I would really hate to landfill some vintage pieces!
fragman65,
keep those tubes, all of them. Later make a list of types and post it here. Tubes do not occupy much space. And you can offer to tube distributirs or to us what you do not intend to keep.
Gear: keep the oscilloscopes and signal generators looking best inside.
You can decide later if to use them or to slaughter them and salvage part and components you could not buy nor afford today.
keep those tubes, all of them. Later make a list of types and post it here. Tubes do not occupy much space. And you can offer to tube distributirs or to us what you do not intend to keep.
Gear: keep the oscilloscopes and signal generators looking best inside.
You can decide later if to use them or to slaughter them and salvage part and components you could not buy nor afford today.
This is how I make my living, companys going out of business
items being discontinuted or just sizing down. You might
have found GOLD...
Depending on what this lab was doing some of the old gear
is more vaulable now than it was when it was new
Western Electric being on the top, Tek has a Tube curve
tracer which are really hard to find (570) ........
The scopes you have if not working still might be good
for there tubes inside some tek scopes have european
types. And then the transformers, some values are
also hard to find and then can be costly.
Steve
Apex Jr
items being discontinuted or just sizing down. You might
have found GOLD...
Depending on what this lab was doing some of the old gear
is more vaulable now than it was when it was new
Western Electric being on the top, Tek has a Tube curve
tracer which are really hard to find (570) ........
The scopes you have if not working still might be good
for there tubes inside some tek scopes have european
types. And then the transformers, some values are
also hard to find and then can be costly.
Steve
Apex Jr
Where are you? There is bound to be someone in your area that can help you identify what is worth keeping and be willing to salvage parts from gear that is landfill fodder. I often pick up old unworking scopes and get what I want out of them and then give them on to a guy that will finish tearing it down so he can sell the alum. All that stuff has value even if just for scrap. If you are in the Texas area you can sell that stuff at the 1st Saturday Electronic flea market in Dallas. If you are in the Texas area I will come and haul off all you don't wan't.
old eqt.
Thank you all for your quick response.
Dice 45--So I'll store most of the stuff and decide later what is of value.
Apex Jr--I don't know about Western Electric but I may run into anything here. Do know that we have some old HP gear. I guess I should keep all the carbon resistors and the like (whatever that is?)
Thatch Ear--I am located in Colorado. What kind of business does one contact? PC recycler? Metal salvage company?
Thanks again,
Rick
Thank you all for your quick response.
Dice 45--So I'll store most of the stuff and decide later what is of value.
Apex Jr--I don't know about Western Electric but I may run into anything here. Do know that we have some old HP gear. I guess I should keep all the carbon resistors and the like (whatever that is?)
Thatch Ear--I am located in Colorado. What kind of business does one contact? PC recycler? Metal salvage company?
Thanks again,
Rick
Rick,
If you are in the Denver area call Ron Welbourne at (303) 470-6585. He has been in the business a long time. If you are not in the Denver area call him anyway as he should know most the guys up around there. If he wants to buy some of the tubes from you barter. He has kits, books, caps , resisters, wire, RCA plugs, well you get the idea. He will come out ahead because this is how he makes his living, but since it is not costing you, you might end up with a world class tube amp and some fancy cables for next to nothing. Horse trading will often get you more because he knows how much his stuff cost him and how much he can make off what he wants from you. And don't tell him you aren't paying for it, just that you can't keep all the stuff besides the tubes, the Altec system, turntables and selct pieces of test gear. He has to understand that you are keeping all the stuff that he would want before you start bargaining. Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.
Thatch
P.S. He has a catalog, get him to bring one for you.
If you are in the Denver area call Ron Welbourne at (303) 470-6585. He has been in the business a long time. If you are not in the Denver area call him anyway as he should know most the guys up around there. If he wants to buy some of the tubes from you barter. He has kits, books, caps , resisters, wire, RCA plugs, well you get the idea. He will come out ahead because this is how he makes his living, but since it is not costing you, you might end up with a world class tube amp and some fancy cables for next to nothing. Horse trading will often get you more because he knows how much his stuff cost him and how much he can make off what he wants from you. And don't tell him you aren't paying for it, just that you can't keep all the stuff besides the tubes, the Altec system, turntables and selct pieces of test gear. He has to understand that you are keeping all the stuff that he would want before you start bargaining. Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.
Thatch
P.S. He has a catalog, get him to bring one for you.
old eqt.
Perfect!
Great contact! I will get in touch with him soon.
Hey, while on this subject, below is a list of some of the tubes found. What do you think? Which should I keep for my personal (future) use? (These are simply the ones found that correspond to a list of tubes from Vacuum Tube Valley; there are lots more but I have not inventoried yet)
1L6
5AR4
6AM6
6AN8
6AQ5
6AS7G
6BG6G
6C4
6CG7
6CL6
6DJ8
6E5
6FQ7
6GH8A
6L6GC
6SJ7
6V6GT
12AX7
12AT7
12BH7
12BY7
5691
5692
5751
5763
5963
5965
6080
6201
6267
6922
7044
7247
7308
7591
EL34
EL84
Thanks again,
Rick
Perfect!
Great contact! I will get in touch with him soon.
Hey, while on this subject, below is a list of some of the tubes found. What do you think? Which should I keep for my personal (future) use? (These are simply the ones found that correspond to a list of tubes from Vacuum Tube Valley; there are lots more but I have not inventoried yet)
1L6
5AR4
6AM6
6AN8
6AQ5
6AS7G
6BG6G
6C4
6CG7
6CL6
6DJ8
6E5
6FQ7
6GH8A
6L6GC
6SJ7
6V6GT
12AX7
12AT7
12BH7
12BY7
5691
5692
5751
5763
5963
5965
6080
6201
6267
6922
7044
7247
7308
7591
EL34
EL84
Thanks again,
Rick
Re: old eqt.
I'm no tube expert (yet), but some that i know are short listed are all worth playing with.
5AR4
6AQ5
6AS7G
6BG6G
6C4
6CG7
6DJ8
6L6GC
6SJ7
6V6GT
12AX7
12AT7
12BH7
12BY7
6080
6922
EL34
EL84
just don't toss anything. You can probably eBay some select stuff to pay storage (ie if you have any Telefunken EL84 or 12AX7s (found in Tek scopes too) they fetch good $$$. And even things like the tube sockets in those scopes are worth salvaging.
dave
I'm no tube expert (yet), but some that i know are short listed are all worth playing with.
5AR4
6AQ5
6AS7G
6BG6G
6C4
6CG7
6DJ8
6L6GC
6SJ7
6V6GT
12AX7
12AT7
12BH7
12BY7
6080
6922
EL34
EL84
just don't toss anything. You can probably eBay some select stuff to pay storage (ie if you have any Telefunken EL84 or 12AX7s (found in Tek scopes too) they fetch good $$$. And even things like the tube sockets in those scopes are worth salvaging.
dave
A good place to check on market prices on tubes is <www.tubeworld.com/> some of those tubes you listed can be worth quite a bit depending on brand, how they test and the number you have if they are new in the original boxes. Lots of tricky stuff going on too. 5AR4 is one you listed. If you have one that is in a GE box and is labeled GE, if it has made in Great Britian on it, it will be worth maybe 3 times as much as a GE made in the US. A 6DJ8 made by Amperex that has a Bugle Boy logo on the tube is worth much more than a GE and the more intact the logo is on the tube the more it is worth so be careful handling the tubes. A 5751 thats interior plates are black are worth more than ones that are grey. A Telefunken 12AX7 that has ridges on the plate is worth less than one that is smooth and both are worth more the more intact the logo is. Back to the 5AR4. The one made in Great Britian is a Mullard. If is has the Mullard logo on it it is worth more than the one relabled GE even though it is the same tube. Or basically. There are production runs that date the tubes and that can make a difference on value too. Now that I have you really going I want you to know that I am no where near expert.
Banned
Joined 2002
Banned
Joined 2002
Rick,
well lets see what i recognize:
6AS7G
6080
dual power triodes with mu 2, very good for regulated power supplies or for canthode follower ampifiers or OTL amplifiers.
6CG7
6FQ7
noval version of the famed 6SN7,
super for audio
5691
fancy expensive mil version of the 6SL7-GT, you lucky bastard!!
5692
fancy expensive mil version of the 6SN7-GT, you lucky bastard!!
6DJ8
6922
7308
frame grid medium mu dual triodes, mayn audio applications.
6L6GC
EL34
7591
pentodes and beam power tetrodes widely used for audio
EL84
pentode, best sounding triode-wired
One of my preferences.
12AX7
7247
5751
high mu dual triodes, super for audio
12AT7
6201
similar to ECC81, not my taste for audio but widely used.
7044
similar to E182CC, low-mu trode with high transcond., super for audio
12BH7
5963
similiar to 12AU7, low-mu dual triode
good for audio.
5965
high mu dual triode. for toying around
See that you get your hands on a reprint of the "Essential characteristics" tube data book by General Electric. Should be cheap, terrific info source.
well lets see what i recognize:
6AS7G
6080
dual power triodes with mu 2, very good for regulated power supplies or for canthode follower ampifiers or OTL amplifiers.
6CG7
6FQ7
noval version of the famed 6SN7,
super for audio
5691
fancy expensive mil version of the 6SL7-GT, you lucky bastard!!
5692
fancy expensive mil version of the 6SN7-GT, you lucky bastard!!
6DJ8
6922
7308
frame grid medium mu dual triodes, mayn audio applications.
6L6GC
EL34
7591
pentodes and beam power tetrodes widely used for audio
EL84
pentode, best sounding triode-wired
One of my preferences.
12AX7
7247
5751
high mu dual triodes, super for audio
12AT7
6201
similar to ECC81, not my taste for audio but widely used.
7044
similar to E182CC, low-mu trode with high transcond., super for audio
12BH7
5963
similiar to 12AU7, low-mu dual triode
good for audio.
5965
high mu dual triode. for toying around
See that you get your hands on a reprint of the "Essential characteristics" tube data book by General Electric. Should be cheap, terrific info source.
Re: What
JasonL,
if i'd be you, i would be very careful with such statements unless i can back it up.
Even then .. others reading this may feel uncomfortable about you, not about the person targeted by you ..... gossiping always falls back on the gossip.
And if you intended to make a joke, you atleast could make use of those funny smilies.
Bernhard
JasonL said:
JasonL,
if i'd be you, i would be very careful with such statements unless i can back it up.
Even then .. others reading this may feel uncomfortable about you, not about the person targeted by you ..... gossiping always falls back on the gossip.
And if you intended to make a joke, you atleast could make use of those funny smilies.
Bernhard
Banned
Joined 2002
Bernhard,
I think the statement you are attributing to jason was really from earlier up in the thread from someone else, and Jason didn't get it imbedded in a quote with proper attribution. The original statement, IB was in jest, but from the posts not quite clear enuff that it was in jest.
At any rate, no-one (except perhaps his ex-wife) should have any worries about dealing with Steve -- he has a lot of useful surplus stuff and he is ready to stand behind it.
dave
I think the statement you are attributing to jason was really from earlier up in the thread from someone else, and Jason didn't get it imbedded in a quote with proper attribution. The original statement, IB was in jest, but from the posts not quite clear enuff that it was in jest.
At any rate, no-one (except perhaps his ex-wife) should have any worries about dealing with Steve -- he has a lot of useful surplus stuff and he is ready to stand behind it.
dave
Banned
Joined 2002
old eqt.
Appreciate everyone's interest and advice.
planet10--thanks for you info; will hang onto the stuff
Thatch Ear--All in new and original boxes. This is pretty complicated but fun! I appreciate your disclosure regarding tube expertise but you could have fooled me!
seangoesbonk--As the saying goes, "Even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while." With your help, my eyesight is improving!
JasonL--I took it as a joke just as planet10 did.
dice45--Mercy!!
With a list as you have presented makes me want to dash to this building and pad lock it and fast!
There are a lot of books around here, too. What info will I get out of the GE data reference? Assume it will become evident once I start a tube amp project. Although I've never soldered a connection, I have an electronics technician still employed at this facility--he will assist when needed.
By the way, care to suggest a design for my first amp? I think I have enough parts to cobble something together. I have read through this forum and noted plenty of first projects.
Thanks,
Rick
Appreciate everyone's interest and advice.
planet10--thanks for you info; will hang onto the stuff
Thatch Ear--All in new and original boxes. This is pretty complicated but fun! I appreciate your disclosure regarding tube expertise but you could have fooled me!
seangoesbonk--As the saying goes, "Even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while." With your help, my eyesight is improving!
JasonL--I took it as a joke just as planet10 did.
dice45--Mercy!!
With a list as you have presented makes me want to dash to this building and pad lock it and fast!
There are a lot of books around here, too. What info will I get out of the GE data reference? Assume it will become evident once I start a tube amp project. Although I've never soldered a connection, I have an electronics technician still employed at this facility--he will assist when needed.
By the way, care to suggest a design for my first amp? I think I have enough parts to cobble something together. I have read through this forum and noted plenty of first projects.
Thanks,
Rick
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