Tubes & Tester

Inthefade
Inthefade Posts: 180
edited June 2013 in Electronics
Let me start by saying this stuff is new to me but I'm learning.


Long story short I ended up with a few boxes of tubes from fellow co-workers. I started to google the manufacturer and part numbers but my head is spinning.

My questions are,

Does someone know of a site I can find cross-references?

Some are dirty. Is there a way to clean them without rubbing off the numbers?

After a few searches I'm guessing I'm better off leaving them dirty. Once I find out which are worthwhile I was going to test them.

E one fellows father has a Jackson model 715 I believe. Is there anything that might need looked at on the tester before I plug it in to use it?

Thanks for any and all responses
Post edited by Inthefade on
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Comments

  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,806
    edited June 2013
    Tube Datasheet Locator will help you...
    http://tdsl.duncanamps.com/

    The other thing that will help you is to download an RCA Receiving Tube Manual (or two... or more) from www.tubebooks.org

    I reckon the Jackson is a simple emissions tester. If it hasn't been used in a long time; the capacitors in the power supply should probably be reformed - you can Google "dim bulb tester" (or search here at the Polk Forums) and/or "using a Variac to power up an old radio" (or something along those lines).

    Cleaning tubes is... interesting. Some have the type numbers etched on; some were deliberately made impossible to clean without defacing them; this was to dissuade unscrupulous types from cleaning and reselling used tubes ('pulls') as new ;-) It can be done; I use windex or water and a paper towel and I am just very careful around any printed lettering. If you have tubes with no visible markings, clean 'em up and try breathing on them so as to induce some condensation on the glass. The tube type lettering can often then be discerned.

    HTH... more to come...
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  • leftwinger57
    leftwinger57 Posts: 2,917
    edited June 2013
    Just asking here, I always thought people who pull tubes and roll them use cotton gloves or clean rag of some sort so not to get your natural hand oils on them like on camera lenses and that sort of thing.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,806
    edited June 2013
    People might do that... but there is absolutely no need to. Tubes (particularly output tubes) get hot... but not hot like projector lamps/halogen bulbs (which do require the 'white glove' handling).
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  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited June 2013
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    People might do that... but there is absolutely no need to. Tubes (particularly output tubes) get hot... but not hot like projector lamps/halogen bulbs (which do require the 'white glove' handling).

    Definately agree with this.
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,567
    edited June 2013
    Keep your greasy a$$ fingers off the tubes, always use gloves.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited June 2013
    F1nut wrote: »
    Keep your greasy a$$ fingers off the tubes, always use gloves.

    LOL! I am not saying you shouldn't use gloves Jesse. Just that it is not necessary for a "healthy tube". The life span will not be shortened if you don't use golves, but as you stated there may/will be fingerprints on them if one does not use gloves.
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,806
    edited June 2013
    exactly so - it does no harm... but it does no good either, in terms of the lifespan of a vacuum tube.
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