"Complete" list of sweep tubes

[Wavebourn]

Thanks everybody for the suggestions. I have added a bunch of types and will update the file tomorrow.

The Russian types are difficult because they aren't in most of the data sources I'm using. It's hard for me to identify which are sweep tubes. But if I have type numbers and can find datasheets, I can add at least some of them.

6P13S, 6P31S, 6P36S, 6P41S, 6P42S, 6P45S. That's it.

 

[Wavebourn]

 

[TonyTecson]

anatoly, the 6P21 is a direct heated pentode like the 4P1L yes? have you used them in an amp?

 

[Kay Pirinha]

Anatoly,
6P13S's and 6P31S's use to be sold als EL36 (the sweep tube one...) equivalents. Are they really, and to which extend?
Best regards!

 

[Sorento]

There was a long list of sweeps posted by smoking-amp on this forum:
Those Magnificent Television Tubes
Not all were sweeps but the majority I guess ...

6LF6 40W 1144mA@150V 15K@125mA Mu3 500mADC Amperex 1968
6KG6/EL509 34W 1135mA@150V 13K@150mA Mu3.2 500mADC Amperex 1965
6MC6 33W 1130mA@150V 14K@125mA Mu4 400mADC RCA (6LX6 clone) 1972
13E1 90W(absmax) 1120mA@150V 35K@500mA Mu4.5 800mADC AEI 1961
6MH6 38.3W 1100mA@150V 14K@125mA Mu4 500mADC GE (up-rated 6LX6,6KD6,26HU5) 1972
6MB6 38W 1085mA@150V 14K@110mA Mu3.5 400mADC Sylvania 1971
6LR6 30W 1085mA@150V 16K@140mA Mu3.5 375mADC Sylvania 1968
6LX6/6KD6/26HU5 33W 1080mA@150V 14K@125mA Mu4 400mADC GE 1969/1965/1969
6LW6 40W 1050mA@150V 12K@125mA Mu3.7 400mADC GE 1971
6KN6 30W 1050mA@150V 16K@100mA Mu4.5 400mADC Sylvania 1965 (later versions are 6KD6)
6LZ6 30W 940mA@150V 11K@140mA Mu3 350mADC RCA 1971
6LB6/A 30W/35W 825mA@150V 13.4K@105mA Mu4 315mADC GE 1967
6JE6C/6JS6C 30W 789mA@150V 10.5K@130mA Mu3 350mADC Sylvania 68/69
6JE6 24W 762mA@150V 9.6K@115mA Mu3 315mADC RCA 1962
6JS6/6HF5 28W 749mA@150V 11.5K@130mA Mu3 315mADC GE 1964/1963
6MJ6 30W 740mA@150V 11K@100mA Mu3.6 350mADC RCA 1973
6LG6 28W 740mA@150V 11.5K@90mA Mu3.6 315mADC GE 1967
6LQ6 30W 715mA@150V 7.5K@95mA Mu3 350mADC RCA 1967
6ME6 30W 700mA@150V 9.6@130mA Mu3.5 350mADC RCA 1971
6DQ5 24W 690mA@150V 10.5K@110mA Mu3.3 315mADC RCA 1957
6JF6/6JG6 17W 660mA@150V 10K@80mA Mu4.1 275mADC RCA 1965/1964
6KM6 20W 630mA@150V 9.5K@80mA Mu4 275mADC RCA 1965
6HD5/6HJ5 24W 630mA@150V 10K@80mA Mu4.2 280mADC Raytheon 1962/1963
6JR6/6JU6 17W 600mA@150V 7K@45mA Mu4.7 275mADC RCA 1968/1966
6JZ6/21HB5A 18W 560mA@150V 9K@46mA Mu4.8 230mADC GE 1966/1964
12HE7 10-15W 540mA@150V 8.8K@60mA Mu4.2 200mADC GE (15W if damper disabled) 1964
6CL5 25W 514mA@150V 6.5K@90mA Mu3 240mADC Sylvania 1955
6GB5/29KQ6/EL500 17W 500mA@150V 13K@100mA Mu5.1 275mADC Amperex 1961/Matsushita 1959/Philips 1961?
6KV6/A 20-28W 488/610mA@150V 6K@40mA Mu4 275mADC RCA (re-rated 6KM6?) 1967/1969
6HB5/6GY5/21JV6/6KE6/16KA6 18W 475mA@150V 9.1K@50mA Mu4.7 230mADC GE/GE/GE/Ray/Tung 1962/1962/1965/1965/1964
6EX6 22W 460mA@150V 7.7K@67mA Mu4.2 220mADC Raytheon (up-rated 6CD6) 1959
6CB5/A 23W 440mA@150V 8.8K@90mA Mu3.8 240mADC RCA 1954/1956
6CD6/GA 15/20W 422mA@150V 7.7K@75mA Mu3.9 200mADC RCA/GE 1949/1954
6GT5/6GJ5/6JT6/6JB6/6GW6 17.5W 380mA@150V 7.1K@70mA Mu4.4 175mADC RCA 1961/1961/1964/1962/1961
6GE5 17.5W 350mA@150V 7.3K@65mA Mu4.4 175mADC GE 1961
6GF5 9W 345mA@150V 4.7K@34mA Mu4.2 160mADC GE 1961
6JM6/6JN6/6FW5/6GC6 17.5W 340mA@150V 7.3K@70mA Mu4.4 175mADC GE 1964/1964/1960/1960
6DQ6B/6GV5 17.5W/18W 330mA@150V 7.3K@65mA Mu4.4 175mADC GE 1959/1962
6DQ6/A 18W 280mA@150V 6.6K@55mA Mu4.1 120/155mADC CBS/RCA 1955/1956
6JA5/10JA5 19W 276mA@150V 10.3K@95mA Mu5.5 110mADC GE 1971
6LU8/6LR8//6MY8 14//16W 265mA@150V 9.3K@56mA Mu6.5 75mADC Sylvania 1964/1964//1970(Toshiba)
6AV5/GA///6BQ6/GA 11W 255ma@150V 5.9K@57mA Mu4.3 110mADC CBS/GE 1949/1955 /// CBS/Syl 1949/1953
KT120 60W 221ma@150V 190mADC
KT90 50W 220mA@150V
6Y6G/GT/GA 12.5W 200mA@150V Ray 1937/KenRad 1939/Syl 1954
6550A 35W/42W 190mA@150V 11K@140mA 190mADC
6W6GT 10W 185mA@150V 8K@46mA Mu6.2 65mADC CBS 1939
KT88 35W 170mA@150V 175mADC
6CA7/EL34 25W 107mA@150V 11K@100mA Mu10.5 150mADC Philips 1952
6JC5 19W 80mA@150V 4.1K@43mA Mu7 75mADC Sylvania 1971
6L6/G/GA/GB/GC 30W 77mA@150V 4.7K@40mA Mu8 110mADC RCA 1936/Ray 1936/Syl 1943/Syl 1954/GE 1958
6HB6 10W 70mA@150V 20K@40mA Mu33 60mADC Raytheon 1961
6GK6 13.2W 65mA@150V 11.3K@48mA Mu19 65mADC CBS 1959
6BQ5/EL84 12W 65mA@150V 11.3K@48mA Mu19.5 65mADC Rogers 1956
6V6G/GT 14W 45mA@150V 4.1K@45mA Mu9.8 40mADC KenRad 1936/CBS 1939
6LQ6
6HJ5
6HD5
6JC5
21HB5A
38HK7
6FW5 (6JN6 without the top cap)
12GC6
25DN6
12CU6
EL236

 

[Sorento]

Correction to the last entry above:

EL236 should read E236L, a long life high reliability derivative of EL36

 

[lcsaszar]

... due to Pete Millett and Pete Traynor and Geloso and many many others co-opting H-sweep tubes for big audio use.

And not to forget Tim de Paravicini / Esoteric Audio Research, who opened (at least my) eyes that sweep tubes like PL519 can also be used for high end audio, and in an unusual topology (PPP, AKA circlotron).

 

[pmillett]

Thanks everybody. I have updated the list and posted it again here:

http://www.pmillett.com/file_downloads/sweep_tubes.xlsx

It would be cool if GoatGuy could format it again to be readable here

Maybe moderators should move this into the "Magnificent television tubes" thread?

--------------

A few comments/responses:

I cannot find any reference to 6HU5, only 26HU5. So I am not sure 6HU5 ever existed.

I cannot find any data on PL523.

I cannot find any data on EL506. 7868 was purpose designed to be an audio tube.

E130L / 7534 is not a sweep tuibe, but a wideband amplifier tube.

I cannot find any data on 6MB6.

The TV tubes list does have many of these tubes listed, and also vertical amp tubes and others. Still helpful, but my intent was to try and help answer all the questions I get about sweep tube substitutions. Having it in a spreadsheet lets you sort by plate dissipation, or base, or whatever you want.

--------

There are still a few unknowns (highlighted in yellow).

I tried to read the Russian datasheets, but if would be good if somebody (Wavebourn?) can confirm the data.

Anyway, thanks for all your help!

Pete

 

[Kay Pirinha]

And not to forget Tim de Paravicini / Esoteric Audio Research, who opened (at least my) eyes that sweep tubes like PL519 can also be used for high end audio, and in an unusual topology (PPP, AKA circlotron).

As far as I know Paravicini's PL519 designs, they weren't Circlotrons, but unity coupled, alike McIntosh's and Gow' patents.


Best regards!

 

[jdrouin]

Thanks for this! I've got a pair of 6CU6 that I want to develop into an SE amp, but the sweep tube category is generally interesting.

 

[lcsaszar]

As far as I know Paravicini's PL519 designs, they weren't Circlotrons, but unity coupled, alike McIntosh's and Gow' patents.


Best regards!

Indeed, thanks for the correction.

 

[TheGimp]

6P41S is spec'd up to 500V B+ in class B PP for audio purposes, 60W out, Screen bias is 170V.

They don't red plate until they hit 30W dissipation.

I've run them at 285V B+ in triode mode with Ik 60mA for over a year without problems.

 

[stephen_keller]

I cannot find any data on 6MB6.

Hi Pete,

Attached is the Sylvania data sheet for the 6MB6.

Stph

 

[stephen_keller]

There are still a few unknowns (highlighted in yellow).

Pete

I have some data on the 21KQ6 somewhere, I'll dig it up if someone doesn't beat me to it.

Stph

 

[Kay Pirinha]

I cannot find any data on PL523.

Hi Pete,

I also didn't manage that. I have to confess that I know this tube only by those photographs. Maybe only a few prototypes were manufactured? Maybe this huge sweep tube has become obsolete before it could see the light of the mass market, due to significant changes in TV sweep and/or CRT designs?

Best regards!

 

[pmillett]

Hi Pete,

Attached is the Sylvania data sheet for the 6MB6.

Stph

Thanks! It's a nice big one...

Pete

 

[Kay Pirinha]

...at a plate dissipation rating of whopping 38 watts perhaps the biggest one...

 

[Tubelab_com]

The RATED plate dissipation number for the 6LW6 is 40 watts. Peak cathode current is 1.4 Amps. I have not found a bigger sweep tube.

All 6LW6's are NOT created equal. The picture shows a 12AX7 and 4 TV sweep tubes. The two on the right are BOTH 6LW6's.

The smaller one is a Sylvania and it will eat 40 watts all day long. red plate begins to show in the 55 to 65 watt range depending on how well it was made.

The tube on the right is a fat bottled GE. There are at least three different variations on the fat bottled GE, and one or two different skinny GE's. Each fat boy has different flavors of additional heat radiators attached to it's plate. This one takes 90+ watts to provoke red plate.... Guess which one gets used in my next SE amp experiment?

Note that these two 6LW6's are DEAD. both victims of my attempts to run these guys in triode mode. I killed 4 6LW6's over two years in a triode mode SE amp. After #4 died, I dismantled the amp. All died while idling which is worse case in a class A amp, but then sweep tubes were never intended to idle.....TV sweep (line output) runs full "volume" all the time.

 

[TonyTecson]

nice thread, where is the "like" button?

i am linking this thread to the list of favorite threads here...

it would be nice if Pete's spreadsheet and smoking-amps' sweep tube testing could be merged into one....

perhaps someone with fresh eyes and patience can do this...

smoking-amps' list point to the fact that tv sweep tubes can do better than any of the so called audio power tubes...

cathode capacities of sweep tubes are simply too awesome to ignore......

few years ago i made a pp amp out of a quad of 12EN6, dollar a pop tube from rogalskie's.....when compared to a Leben 6bq5 tube amps, results were stunning..

at a price of 1:6 times, the performance ratio was 6:1 in favor of the 12en6 pp amps, B+ was not even 300volts, but lesser than that...

 

[Kay Pirinha]

...but then sweep tubes were never intended to idle.....TV sweep (line output) runs full "volume" all the time.

TV sweep tubes are operated as switches, which is comparable to class C or D operation, not to class A, I think.


Best regards!