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Mullard valves

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Good day all

I have some Mullard valves old stock not the new copies which have Foreign

written on them they look just like the original Mullards, has any one any idea were they were manufactured, they look as if they are made some were in europe.

Llan
 
The ones I've seen that were labeled foreign were Philips from Heerlen, Holland or Valvo from Hamburg, Germany. All decent stuff usually. Though some of the old Mullard "valves" will work fine for a bit then break your heart. The filaments might blow. Or the filament will be fine but they'll go wonky and draw more, or maybe less current through the "active" section of the tube. Anyway, don't build a circuit around say two old rare tubes unless you have a dozen or so backups.

Steve
 
Mullard codes

Hello lads


Yes quite complex, well the code on my ECF82 is 4X5 and under this line is r5F1
and yes its a little r and the other ECF82 as no code on it other than 11 under the base between the pins , but looking closer at the structures they seem to be the same well made valves they look like Dutch or German?


Llan
 
Llan,
Yours is a Canadian Philips valve.
4X5 is an ECF82/6U8. Little r is from the Ontario Philips plant. Probably made in June 1955 (or 1965?)

See the table I posted in post #5 and confirm it for yourself.

You find a lot of Canadian 6U8 / ECF82s under various brands, but most are marked Made in Canada.
Alan
 
Well I managed to figure out what an imported Mullard EF86 coded BY3 plus D9J4 it was made in Hamburg, but I can not quite make out what KBA for a CV181 is and like wise a KB/Z for a CV1438 any ideas lads


Llan

Ummm, well Philips codes only become unified around 1948 as it says in the introduction. These are older types and most likely pre-date 1948 when there was no rational to the coding.

But, you are quoting the CV (Common Valve) codes and these start during the Second World War. KB is a specification the A or Z are manufacturer codes (usually - not always.) Look here please. CV NUMBERS AND UK MILITARY DATE AND FACTORY CODES – MULLARD MAGIC
and here
CV valves

So the CV181 KBA is a Blackburn (Mullard) valve and the CV1438 is an Hammersmith (Osram).

Not straight forward is it!
 
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