You can also leave your tubes outside on a hot day to get the getter going. Preferably on black asphalt. Just make sure nobody drives over them. 🙂
In our climate I'd have to wait until next july for any baking to happen. If I needed to soak them in water for 9 months, I could put them out now.

..Todd
The bad news - It's Tubelabs' driveway!....I want to see a photo, at least!
In my neighborhood the kids would smash them all in short order.
I spent some considerable time sorting zillions of loose tubes on the pool deck in the back yard (fenced). The little glass ones get plenty hot sitting in the Florida sun. The black metal ones get too hot to pick up after a few hours.
I never thought to try roasting a few in the sun. I still have some gassy Sylvania 6V6GT's left. I'll try it, but the getter may be too far gone on some of them.
I never thought to try roasting a few in the sun. I still have some gassy Sylvania 6V6GT's left. I'll try it, but the getter may be too far gone on some of them.
Don't forget about the picture, George! 😉
Don't wish to stray too far from the OP but I'm not clear how baking works.
I have some treasured NOS Mullards from the late sixties which I will probably bake out of prudence as it probably won't do them any harm if I keep the temperature below about 150c.
It seems to me that the getter works all the time and at room temperature. It will continue to work until it is saturated by gas particles. Gas particles will then build up inside the envelope. Also the getter will turn white because it has all been oxydised.
But this is not the case with my Mullards - They are still lovely and silver. Doesn't this mean there is still plenty of unreacted getter left.
Perhaps what is happening is the unreacted getter is physically excluded from taking part in a chemical reaction but becomes released by the heat of the oven.
This is less of an opinion, more of a stab in the dark, please correct.
I have some treasured NOS Mullards from the late sixties which I will probably bake out of prudence as it probably won't do them any harm if I keep the temperature below about 150c.
It seems to me that the getter works all the time and at room temperature. It will continue to work until it is saturated by gas particles. Gas particles will then build up inside the envelope. Also the getter will turn white because it has all been oxydised.
But this is not the case with my Mullards - They are still lovely and silver. Doesn't this mean there is still plenty of unreacted getter left.
Perhaps what is happening is the unreacted getter is physically excluded from taking part in a chemical reaction but becomes released by the heat of the oven.
This is less of an opinion, more of a stab in the dark, please correct.
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