• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

6cl3, 6cj3, 6dw4, 6ck3, 6ay3

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Just figured I'd throw out some info I have found while checking out these tubes.

Going through my tube stash after seeing I had a couple sockets for these guy's.

The personal TDSL leaves a bit of info not posted on all these and some varying
reports on the sockets used, it incorrectly says B9A Noval socket for the 6AY3, 6DW4.

Well all 5 of these fit the same magnoval socket, I believe is what I have, all same pinout.

Some are marked as both of a few of these tubes but after some testing and identifying.

The 6CJ3, 6CL3 and the 6CK3 also perform different on a tube tester to where on mine at a load of
25 these will test full while a 6DW4 and a 6AY3 test full with a load of 30, it was consistent on all.

Seems if there is more then one marking on the tube, it's what comes first and or is printed on top.

What seems to be a true 6CJ3 would have the marking either first or on top and are somewhat taller.

I tested a total of 21 samples and believe I have propper data.
It looks to be all of these are a 6.3v 1.2a amp heater except the 6CJ3 is a 1.8 amp heater.

Yes there are different currents these can handle and that data is readely available.
(I didn't write it down, wish I would have, but for my app each is more then enough)

Reason for all this on my part was that I have a 3a supply and using a pair I wanted the 1.2 amp units.

Like I said, just throwin in out there in case it's any help to someone.
 
Thanks for taking the time to test these and this info is currently useful to me as i am using a pair of these in lieu of a conventional 5U4GB or 5Y3. I have some NOS of all three types and also like yourself found the different types to behave differently on a tube tester.

I have stock of the 6, 12 and 17 Volt filament versions. i plan on using in a S.E.T overall feedback free design with 6 Volt Filament Gain Tubes. will powering the Filaments off the same power transformer filament winding (6.3VCT @5A) and in parallel with the gain stage Tubes cause any abnormal hum problems? How large of a cap would be safe on the output without a substantial series resistance? T.I.A.
 
Has anyone used a 6DW4/6CJ3 with diodes in place of a 5AR4? I bought one and a socket and would like to use it in a Dynaco stereo 70 I am putting together. If I read the specs correctly it should handle the current and I hope the warm up time to be around 30 seconds or so. Is there any tricks to hooking one up correctly? Would I take my diodes to pins 2 and 7 and my output off pin 9? Should I remove unused terminals from the socket to reduce the possibility of any arching?
 
Can you remember if the 6DW4 worked ok? Will it handle the current demands of the 70? Do I have a correct idea on wiring it?
Sorry for the questions but I've never used one before and would like to make sure I don't smoke something.

I would be more than happy to purchase some from someone on the board. The problem seems to be the lack of Novar 9 pin sockets. So far I have found one supplier for them.
 
kegger said:
The 6CJ3, 6CL3 and the 6CK3 also perform different on a tube tester to where on mine at a load of
25 these will test full while a 6DW4 and a 6AY3 test full with a load of 30, it was consistent on all.

I know this thread is old, but could someone explain what the quote above means? I don't know the jargon; does "test full" at 25 versus 30 mean that the former works better at higher loads, or the latter?
 
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