Acquired A Bunch Of Tubes

[nic6paul]

I recently acquired a bunch of tubes from a person whose Grandfather was in the radio repair business. Everything here appears to be made in the USA nothing from overseas. I am trying to figure out what to do with everything. My gut says sell as much off as you can to fund some other projects. I found a few tubes I plan to keep (rca 6l6gcs and a few others). I am not even all the way through them. I still have a few hundred miniature tubes and a couple hundred smaller tubes new in the boxes. Most I have never heard of. Here is a list of what I have gone through so far. I wish I had a tester to see if they are even worth trying to sell. Any input from any of you that have come across large amounts these? Quantities are listed in ().

USED:
84 (5)
75 (7)
78 (5)
41 (3)
85
76
30
58
27
26 (6)
49 (2)
24a (7)
35 (7)
301(2)
171
201
6SN7 GT GTB GTA (30)
6BQ6GTB (8)
6BQ6GA (2)
6BQ6GT (3)
6BQ6
6CD6
12DQ6A (2)
12DQ6
6V6GT (6)
6V6GTA (2)
6L6GC (2)
12L6GT
6SQ7GT (2)
12SK7GT
1A7GT
6SJ7GT
6SK7GT
6X5GT
6AU4GT
50Y6GT
6AQ7GT
19AU4GT
6AH4GT
6D6 (7)
6A7 (5)
6C6 (2)
6G5 (2)
6B5 (2)
6Q7 (2)
6F7
6F6G (4)
6A6
6B7
25Z5
2A6
280
6KD6 (2)
30JZ6


New in the box
6KD6 (6)
26LW6 (3)
36LW6 (2)
6LW6
6LX6
6BY5GA
30JZ6
17JB6
38HK7
38HE7
33GY7A (5)
5V6GT
6X5GT

 

[rotaspec]

I did a quick scan down the list and saw at least 3 amplifiers I want to build.

In the words of Monty Python Life of Brian:
"You lucky, lucky, b******"

 

[Eli Duttman]

The 6V6s are fine in both audio and guitar amps.

The NIB 6BY5 is a dual damper diode that can be used as a FW rectifier in amps of modest power.

Strong, used, 6SN7s are worth some money.

Go through the minature types. 2X 12AT7s along with the 6V6s give you a nice leg up on building an "El Cheapo".

 

[Tom Bavis]

The 6G5 eye tubes, if bright, are worth at least $20 apiece. 171, 280, 201/301 will also bring a bit from the antique radio crowd. The sweep tubes (LW6/LX6/KD6 numbers) will bring a bit too - probably enough for the rest of the parts you need to build a nice amp.

 

[Geek]

In the words of Monty Python Life of Brian:
"You lucky, lucky, b******"

Indeed!!!!!!!!

Congrats!


I see lots of useful tubes. The 6BQ6 and variants are quite useful as output tubes. Miles Prower successfully made a lovely amp with them in PP AB2.

The 6KD6 are worth good coin on ebay.

6AH4GT loaded 5K in SE will be among the "sweetest 1-watt" you will ever hear.

A trio of 12DQ6. A pair can rattle the windows pretty good with a guitar.

Cheers!

 

[Tubelab_com]

The 6LW6, 26LW6's and 36LW6's are the biggest and baddest octal sweep tubes ever made. So far they are my favorite tube. There are several versions (I have 6 different kinds). The wimpiest of the bunch will take 50 watts of plate dissipation and a pair can crank out 150+ watts in push pull. The fat GE's with the extra heat radiating fins welded to the plates can double that!

The 6KD6 is also a big bad boy in a 12 pin bottle. They will fit right into Pete Milletts "engineers amp" and produce up to 150 WPC. I will stuff some of them into Petes board when I get some time to hook it up again.

The 6BQ6's and 6CD6's have already been used in some unusual amplifiers on this forum, and you already know about the 6L6GC and the 6V6.

The 6V6GT and 6V6GTA will work in a Simple SE but it requires a low voltage power transformer (Allied 6K56VG) It only produces about 2 watts per channel, but it is a really sweet sounding 2 WPC.

The 6SN7's are a very useful dual triode. It has been called the best sounding triode ever made by some "experts". They do work very well, and some versions bring big bux from the "guru's". I have a collection of about 50, most from the "tubes for $1" boxes at hamfests.

 

[nic6paul]

Well I have decided to build a small 6v6 SE amplifier. I have found a pair of output transformers for a decent price. Anyone have a power transformer they want to get rid of?

I found a pretty simple schematic on the boozhound site. Boozhound Laboratories

Pretty low parts count and considering I have the tubes already really all I need are some sockets, a few capacitors and resistors and the power transformer.

The majority of the tubes will be sold on ebay. I got everything for free so I am really not all the concerned if I can sell them. I hope to get a few dollars to help fund the Tubelab SE I would like to build...or perhaps his yet to be released p-p.

 

[Tubelab_com]

It's late here now, but it would seem that I have some things that you need (transformer, sockets, Simple P-P parts), and you have some tubes that I can use, I'LL get back to you tomorrow.

 

[nic6paul]

Sounds good. I will shoot you a PM with my email address.

 

[nic6paul]

Here are a few more:
6CG7 (8)
6K7G (4)
6U7
6A8
6L7G
6S7G
25Z6G
6X5G
6K6G
6K6GT (4)
6K7GT (2)
6Q7GT
6J7GT
25AV5GA
6BL7GT (2)
6BL7GA (2)
5Y3G (2)
5Y3GT (2)
6DG6GT
5U4GB (12)
7Y4 (3)
7B6 (3)
7C7 (5)
7A4 (5)
7F7 (3)
7B8 (2)
7C5 (5)
3473
3573LT
7A6
7C6
7B7
7Z4
14C7
14A7
14Q7
35Y4
3LF4
50A5
6AX4GT (4)
6AX4GB (2)
12SN7GT (5)
12SN7GTA (2)
25L6GT (6)
6W6GT (6)
6W4GT (8)
6SL7GT (4)
35Z5GT (3)
6J5GT
50L6GT (2)
12AX5GTA (2)
25Z6GT (2)
6AV5GA
6AV5GT
5V6GT
25W4GT

a big box full of metal tubes and still about 200 miniatures.

 

[moonbird]

Indeed!!!!!!!!
6AH4GT loaded 5K in SE will be among the "sweetest 1-watt" you will ever hear.
\!

Sounds interesting Geek -- can you point to a schematic?? thx.

 

[Geek]

Sounds interesting Geek -- can you point to a schematic?? thx.

Baby SET

Cheers!

 

[Eli Duttman]

Well I have decided to build a small 6v6 SE amplifier. I have found a pair of output transformers for a decent price. Anyone have a power transformer they want to get rid of?

I found a pretty simple schematic on the boozhound site. Boozhound Laboratories

Pretty low parts count and considering I have the tubes already really all I need are some sockets, a few capacitors and resistors and the power transformer.

The majority of the tubes will be sold on ebay. I got everything for free so I am really not all the concerned if I can sell them. I hope to get a few dollars to help fund the Tubelab SE I would like to build...or perhaps his yet to be released p-p.

On the power trafo front, if a swap is not forthcoming, $11.41 buys a Triad N-68X, from Allied. Greinacher ("full wave") voltage double that "puppy" into a modest value cap. stack. "Rat Shack" has low price 12.6 VCT filament trafos, in several current ratings. I leave it to your imagination how that "iron" gets used.

The 7 and 14 series tubes have Locktal bases. Several types are immediately useful. The 7Y4 and 7Z4 are, respectively, 70 mA. and 100 mA. rectifiers. The 7C5 is electrically "equivalent" to the 6V6. 😉 The 7F7 is a Loctal 6L6.

6CG7s are valuble. Except for the 9 pin package, it's the "same" as a 6SN7. Give Jim McShane a tickle. A swap of tubes for useful parts might be possible.

 

[Bandersnatch]

errr...Eli, type 7F7 is a Loctal-based 6SL7; high-mu twin triode, not a big beam power tube as is 6L6...🙂

That said, 2x 7C5 and 7F7 would make for a very neat implementation of the El Cheap-O amp.
cheers,
Douglas

 

[Eli Duttman]

Sorry about the typo.

The 6SL7, etc. are low gm/high R_P. That's just the sort of thing you don't want driving the C_Miller of "finals". Also, the NET distortion spectrum of 12AT7 small signal circuitry and PP "finals" is superior.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Sorry about the typo.

The 6SL7, etc. are low gm/high R_P. That's just the sort of thing you don't want driving the C_Miller of "finals". Also, the NET distortion spectrum of 12AT7 small signal circuitry and PP "finals" is superior.

Pentodes are very low on C_Miller. RCA SP20 ran two pairs of 6V6 from one set of lightly loaded 6AU6. Altec 260A ran 813's from a similarly loaded set of 6AU6's. 7F7/6SL7 have output Z less than half these stages based on 6AU6's.
cheers,
Douglas

 

[Eli Duttman]

Remember, a basic "El Cheapo" runs the O/P tubes in triode mode.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Remember, a basic "El Cheapo" runs the O/P tubes in triode mode.

Oh...interesting. Certainly some grid-plate capacitance there then. The reduced( to the U-L tap percentage ), of U-L is useful. I'd go with one of the tubes like 6EZ5 anyway; more heater current is a good thing...🙂 in addition to lower plate resistance.
cheers,
Douglas

 

[6f6]

You have a nice collection. Don't dump them. If you restore a vintage radio, you may need some of them. Nonetheless, there are plenty of tubes listed that make for good audio use even if they are not very popular.