I purchased a quartet of GM70 from the Ukraine recently from a very reputable seller on eBay, they arrived today. Unfortunately three of the four did not arrive intact, the fourth having been subjected to the same shocks cannot be trusted, the problem was all in the packaging used. Check with your seller that they understand how to pack them to arrive intact. I've purchased more than a dozen GM70 on eBay from various sellers and never had one arrive damaged until today.
The filaments are all broken and the plate structure has been severely displaced in two of the broken tubes.
I will let the pix tell the rest of the story.
The filaments are all broken and the plate structure has been severely displaced in two of the broken tubes.
I will let the pix tell the rest of the story.
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Too bad!!
I've had shipments of tubes from a quite a few countries but never had a damaged one, lucky me! But tubes have to be shipped in loads of bubble wrap and the seller should know that...
I once sold a pair of vintage fullrange speakers (with bakelite basket) to Lithuania, and one of them arrived shattered to pieces... Obviously packages get subjected to being kicked around in "some" countries (buyer provided images...).
Will you get replacements?
I've had shipments of tubes from a quite a few countries but never had a damaged one, lucky me! But tubes have to be shipped in loads of bubble wrap and the seller should know that...
I once sold a pair of vintage fullrange speakers (with bakelite basket) to Lithuania, and one of them arrived shattered to pieces... Obviously packages get subjected to being kicked around in "some" countries (buyer provided images...).
Will you get replacements?
This is the first time I have had this experience buying GM70. I've filed a claim with the eBay resolution center since I had only 4 days left to do so - this due to delays in international mail here due to the government shutdown. (No time to resolve directly with the seller which I would normally try first, too much money involved to risk missing the deadline.)
I'm hoping the seller will actually send me another quartet properly packed this time. (Providing he has any left)
Sadly these looked nicely made (one arrived intact at least superficially) and were older production from "Souz" so I was psyched to get them.
I'm hoping the seller will actually send me another quartet properly packed this time. (Providing he has any left)
Sadly these looked nicely made (one arrived intact at least superficially) and were older production from "Souz" so I was psyched to get them.
Maybe they ran into this person on the way to you...
FedEx employee throwing items in truck - YouTube
FedEx employee throwing items in truck - YouTube
I'm going to wait to see how this turns out, and make a decision on disclosure based on the outcome. I can say the seller has perfect feedback, and I suspect just has not dealt with large fragile tubes much.
The simple addition of an outer box filled with foam peanuts would have resulted in an entirely different outcome.
The simple addition of an outer box filled with foam peanuts would have resulted in an entirely different outcome.
I have also had some GM70 turn up wrapped in foam just like yours. Mine were in the usual blue Russian printed box but the box was huge and full of newspaper. The tubes were fine as were eight 4p1l that were in with them. I was surprised they had not been smashed to bits by each other.
I'm sorry to hear your woes, I hope it is resolved sharply.
Cheers
Matt.
I'm sorry to hear your woes, I hope it is resolved sharply.
Cheers
Matt.
Exactly Kevin,
This is an old problem that never goes...lack of education in how to package ones best glasses, beit exactly the same for sensitive household items/removals. The foam and chips has never let me down, if only some would invest in it, perhaps with a slightly bigger box.
In my early days before paper and plastic shredding; it wasn't uncommon to have straw used as packaging, with same protective effect. 45 yrs messing with radio tubes....never experienced a destroyed item by mishandling.
richy
This is an old problem that never goes...lack of education in how to package ones best glasses, beit exactly the same for sensitive household items/removals. The foam and chips has never let me down, if only some would invest in it, perhaps with a slightly bigger box.
In my early days before paper and plastic shredding; it wasn't uncommon to have straw used as packaging, with same protective effect. 45 yrs messing with radio tubes....never experienced a destroyed item by mishandling.
richy
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Having been in the Ukraine and having dealt with their postal system I wouldn't buy anything fragile or of any value from there. Even if something is appropriately packaged the post office will often open packages and repackage them before sending them. I had a package of books arrive which started their journey in a stout cardboard box, when they arrived they were wrapped in brown paper and string.
I've had about a 50% success rate w/ eastern Europe tube shipments.. I've only ordered about four times, but 3 of 8 gu-29's were smashed in one order. 2 of 4 6c33's smashed in another, and a couple orders of smaller tubes had the same fate.. All the little 9 pin tubes made it, but the larger 8 pins were smashed.. (soviet equivalents of 6sn7's etc, have very thin glass and that box arrived sounding like a rattle!)
I've never had a problem (lots of different tubes including a dozen or more GM70 - all got here fine) until now, these were completely undisturbed from the point he packed them until I opened them. Improper packaging is the root cause here. I buy almost all of my Russian tubes from Ukrainian sellers, and have bought a variety of different types, from a number of sellers without issue until now.
I've not heard back from the seller yet.
I've not heard back from the seller yet.
I'm sorry to hear having problems with packing Kevin, BTW GM70 aren't cheap
Compared to the 300B I used in my last amp they are a positive bargain, but it's still a bummer - these were older and obscure, and the surviving one appears very nicely made. A total shame.
I designed and built these amps two years ago, two stage design with IT coupling, fixed bias, and power supplies on separate chassis. I don't plan to make the design available due to the high voltage involved.
I tallied all of the GM70 I have purchased - a grand total of twenty including these four. Fourteen through the mail, two locally, excluding the latest four.
I've got a couple of graphites with bubbles in the glass, not sure whether they are safe to use, and four new copper plates, and two well used ones, plus the graphite plates currently in the amps. I gave away at least four graphite plates hoping to encourage others locally to build GM70 amps, some of those may be returned.
I have no viable graphite spares, and I've come to the conclusion that I basically prefer them to the copper plates, and they are much less quirky wrt to corona in the bases.
I've got a couple of graphites with bubbles in the glass, not sure whether they are safe to use, and four new copper plates, and two well used ones, plus the graphite plates currently in the amps. I gave away at least four graphite plates hoping to encourage others locally to build GM70 amps, some of those may be returned.
I have no viable graphite spares, and I've come to the conclusion that I basically prefer them to the copper plates, and they are much less quirky wrt to corona in the bases.
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