About united electron tube

[skybird]

Good morning everyone£¡Please look at my Pictures.This is united electron tube 5687WA,I am wondering if anyone knows the true story behind this United Electronic Tube company?.Thanks!

[HollowState]

I doubt if I know the "true" United Electronics story, but they were located in Newark, New Jersey. The building is still there (I think) on Spring Street. The area is somewhat getto now. Years ago I visited the building long after they closed down, having been falsely told there was still equipment available for sale.

United Electronics specialized in the manufacture of medium power industrial tubes. Many were built for induction heating and diathermy use as well as transmitting service. I don't know if they ever produced small receiving tubes like the ones you show. When they closed their name may have been purchased and used by someone else for marketing. Here's a link to an old cataloge scan. http://208.190.133.201/tubes/unit59/index.html

[Wavebourn]

I beliebe JAN tubes were designed everywhere using JAN documentation (Joint Army and Navy, NATO)

[astouffer]

http://www.geocities.com/rxtxtubes/pa01070.htm

[HollowState]

From my attic stash the real thing, a pair of United 845's.

[AuroraB]

I'm usually not a big fan of bumping up old threads, but i've finally come to terms with sorting through my stash, which over the years have grown to unwieldy proportions.

My question is mainly as the OP asks... does anyone know more of this company. I have quite a fair selction of tubes in original "United Electronics" boxes, - 12AT7WCs, 12AU7WAs, and several more radio oriented types. The boxes look exactly as in Skybirds picture.
Some of the actual tubes are branded "United", some "National United", some are GEs, etc. etc. There are, of course, all sorts of other brands, as the "collection" amounts to several hundreds of tubes..... all NOS military surplus being salvaged on my request by good friends (?), just before hitting the dumpster!

[jjman]

I have a 12ax7 that also says SPAIN on it.

[FUCHSAUDIO]

Building is gone due to Newarks development over the last few years. They were a distributor who rebranded tubes made by others (in the case of receiving tubes). They may have made their own tubes for other applications, but the receiving end appeared to be tubes from other makers.

[kevinkr]

I can confirm that, and their receiving tube inventory was pretty unpredictable - no idea what you were getting until you opened the box.

This is one outfit I don't miss..

[bear]

Actually, no. United was a legit WWII era tube manufacturer.

Later they stopped making tubes, and what remained was a supplier of glass and other tube parts, as well as rebranding and selling tubes.

I visited there, the factory in the early 90s.

Took pictures.
Saw what was left of the hulks of the old tube machines and rigs. Looked at everything.
Left with some nice duds, examples of their work.
Including a 1000TL... nice big bottle.

So, the WWII vintage United stuff, like 838s and 805s for example, were actually made in the Newark factory.

Btw, the tube machines were really not worth rescuing.
They did have a large inventory of things like tube bases, and other assorted essential tube mfg parts when I visited. Looked like left overs from when they were still running.