S3E Vacuum Tube

angsuman · 12th March 2008, 11:29 PM

Hello everyone, a friend of mine recently gave me an S3E vacuum tube, it is made by RCA and uses an octal socket with all 8 connections being made. It has heaters and that's about all I can gather from it. I'll post a picture of it soon. I can't find any data anywhere on the internet on this S3E tube which surprises me. Can anyone enlighten me on what the function of this S3E tube is?

kstagger · 13th March 2008, 12:13 PM

post a pic - I've never heard of a S3E tube, perhaps that is a factory marking or ?

316a · 13th March 2008, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kstagger
post a pic - I've never heard of a S3E tube, perhaps that is a factory marking or ?

Sounds like an RCA datecode !

cheers

angsuman · 13th March 2008, 10:48 PM

Hmm here are two pictures I took. "S3E Made in USA" and RCA are the only markings on this tube. This tube looks different from many other tubes I've seen before. You can't see any of the internal structures like grid wires or a anything just the shiny plate and the heaters coming up at one side.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1403176...04982/sizes/l/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1403176...n/photostream/

smoking-amp · 14th March 2008, 12:12 AM

I don't know what the S3E is about, but from the 1st picture it is obvious that it is a gas filled thyratron. Notice the small glass tube with an electrode inside entering the plate assembly from the bottom. This is the trigger electrode. Dead give away. Probably is argon filled, glows purple when fired. Not directly useful for audio, but likely could be used for a delayed HV B+ turn on relay. It's a HV switch or SCR like device. Try tracing the pinout if possible, then can look it up in the RCA tube base section.

Don

tubelab.com · 14th March 2008, 12:32 AM

I have some tubes that look exactly like these. They are 2050 Thyratrons. They were used in jukeboxes to control the machanism. The S3E is probably the date code. The actual number was on the glass and probably wore off. As stated they are useless for audio.

astouffer · 14th March 2008, 12:45 AM

Quote:

As stated they are useless for audio.

Not quite. They make great oscillators for synth work

nhuwar · 14th March 2008, 12:59 AM

Make your self a wretch Machine, Well a wana be one

Nick

tubelab.com · 14th March 2008, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Not quite. They make great oscillators for synth work

Use the 2D21 instead. They are common, the 2050 is collected for old jukeboxes, and not that common.

angsuman · 14th March 2008, 02:01 AM

hmm, thank you for your replies. Yes I think it's definitely a 2050 because I can see "20" on the bulb in the most faded slightly brown lettering possible, when I put it up to the light in the right way. I think it could be a 2051 as well.

I found a rather interesting article about this tube which discusses it's use in sampling but for encrypted telephony.

http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/recording/sigsaly.html

If it glows purple then maybe I could incorporate it into the 807 amplifier I'm building maybe as a voltage regulator or something.
perhaps to regulate the voltage for the 6AU6 driver stages in my amp.

12th March 2008, 11:29 PM	#1
angsuman diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Las Vegas NV	S3E Vacuum Tube Hello everyone, a friend of mine recently gave me an S3E vacuum tube, it is made by RCA and uses an octal socket with all 8 connections being made. It has heaters and that's about all I can gather from it. I'll post a picture of it soon. I can't find any data anywhere on the internet on this S3E tube which surprises me. Can anyone enlighten me on what the function of this S3E tube is?

14th March 2008, 12:12 AM	#5
smoking-amp diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Hickory, NC	I don't know what the S3E is about, but from the 1st picture it is obvious that it is a gas filled thyratron. Notice the small glass tube with an electrode inside entering the plate assembly from the bottom. This is the trigger electrode. Dead give away. Probably is argon filled, glows purple when fired. Not directly useful for audio, but likely could be used for a delayed HV B+ turn on relay. It's a HV switch or SCR like device. Try tracing the pinout if possible, then can look it up in the RCA tube base section. Don __________________ Ohms Law V = I R

14th March 2008, 12:32 AM	#6
tubelab.com diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: South Florida	I have some tubes that look exactly like these. They are 2050 Thyratrons. They were used in jukeboxes to control the machanism. The S3E is probably the date code. The actual number was on the glass and probably wore off. As stated they are useless for audio. __________________ Too much power is almost enough! Turn it up till it explodes - then back up just a little.

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13th March 2008, 12:13 PM	#2
kstagger diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Grand Rapids	post a pic - I've never heard of a S3E tube, perhaps that is a factory marking or ?

13th March 2008, 10:48 PM	#4
angsuman diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Las Vegas NV	Hmm here are two pictures I took. "S3E Made in USA" and RCA are the only markings on this tube. This tube looks different from many other tubes I've seen before. You can't see any of the internal structures like grid wires or a anything just the shiny plate and the heaters coming up at one side. http://www.flickr.com/photos/1403176...04982/sizes/l/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/1403176...n/photostream/

14th March 2008, 12:59 AM	#8
nhuwar diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cypress Texas	Make your self a wretch Machine, Well a wana be one Nick

14th March 2008, 02:01 AM	#10
angsuman diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Las Vegas NV	hmm, thank you for your replies. Yes I think it's definitely a 2050 because I can see "20" on the bulb in the most faded slightly brown lettering possible, when I put it up to the light in the right way. I think it could be a 2051 as well. I found a rather interesting article about this tube which discusses it's use in sampling but for encrypted telephony. http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/recording/sigsaly.html If it glows purple then maybe I could incorporate it into the 807 amplifier I'm building maybe as a voltage regulator or something. perhaps to regulate the voltage for the 6AU6 driver stages in my amp.

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