Wich factory made this tube ?

[el156]

Hi ! I have some of this 12AT7 with Brimar brand, but i heard that Brimar never made tubes, and this ones dont have any data codes or any other numbers, just Brimar and 12AT7 on it...do someone have any clues about the make of it ? Is it a Philips ? Mullard ???
Thanks

 

[DF96]

Brimar was one of the major British valve makers. If the valve was made by them then it should have a date code on it. These are smaller and use a different code from Philips/Mullard. Look for a line of letters and numbers looking something like 1B4/1234.

That valve you have might possibly have been made by RFT, as Brimar did what everyone else did towards the end of the valve era: they remarked valves from Eastern Europe. The bright red pin seals can indicate Eastern manufacture.

 

[el156]

Brimar was one of the major British valve makers. If the valve was made by them then it should have a date code on it. These are smaller and use a different code from Philips/Mullard. Look for a line of letters and numbers looking something like 1B4/1234.

That valve you have might possibly have been made by RFT, as Brimar did what everyone else did towards the end of the valve era: they remarked valves from Eastern Europe. The bright red pin seals can indicate Eastern manufacture.

There are not date codes in this tubes...nothing ! Maybe the boxes can help to identify ???

 

[DF96]

No, the box will tell you nothing (except, perhaps, to an expert roughly when the valve was boxed). I believe the Thorn logo means a fairly late date, which tends to increase the chance that the valve might not have been made by Brimar themselves.

 

[316a]

Brimar used black anodes with either folded box or oval black anodes . Those have alignment holes and grey anodes . Possibly RFT although I cannot be sure . RFT 12AT7 usually had a distinctive getter support . If you can provide a picture of this I may be able to confirm

316a

 

[hooman]

i found some tube like russian 6x5 and rft12au7 in brimar box.i love original brimar hifi tubes . different sound

 

[v4lve lover]

Im going to spoil this one for you. Its a RFT ecc81

Notice the copper lead in wires, only Russian, RFT and TESLA tubes seem to have that.

Cheers, V4lve

 

[el156]

Brimar used black anodes with either folded box or oval black anodes . Those have alignment holes and grey anodes . Possibly RFT although I cannot be sure . RFT 12AT7 usually had a distinctive getter support . If you can provide a picture of this I may be able to confirm

316a

This are the best pictures of the getter i can get with my camera, i hope they can help to you to identify my tubes.
Thanks

 

[DF96]

Yes, almost certainly RFT - the getter supports are the giveaway. Possibly other 'Eastern' makers - I think I have seen Hungarian Tungsram which look like RFT designs.

Not made in a Brimar factory, but probably still a good valve. RFT had a good reputation.

 

[el156]

Yes, almost certainly RFT - the getter supports are the giveaway. Possibly other 'Eastern' makers - I think I have seen Hungarian Tungsram which look like RFT designs.

Not made in a Brimar factory, but probably still a good valve. RFT had a good reputation.

The funny thing is that i have some EL84 with the same logo on them, maybe they were made in the same factory as the 12AT7 that i have...have a look

 

[DF96]

The Brimar logo is probably genuine on both valves. That may mean they were painted in the same factory, or just that RFT were given a copy of the Brimar artwork to apply themselves. You need to realise that what is painted on the outside of the glass tells you almost nothing about what is inside the glass. The only difference between a fake and a genuine re-mark is whether the mark is authorised by the IP owner.