Still need these tubes for my drug store tube tester

Aren't drug store pyrex glass tubes used for smoking rock cocaine?

I can see it now...

"Dude, you gotta load that kush into this beam power tube, it's a blast".

Is everybody here too young to know what a drugstore tube tester is? Damn! The drugstore testers were crap; you needed to go to the REAL electronics store and use the REAL tube tester if you were serious.

I hope the guy is trying to put together an old one, complete with its proper complement of replacement tubes. We shouldn't forget our history.

Many were set so that a tube that was on the low end of being good would show up as bad. More sales that way.

It always paid to plug in the new tube just to see how well it tested. If not much difference, keep the old one.

That's exactly what Terry is up to.

istory.

Thanks Jeff.

I am filling the drawers :

Terry

Excellent!

A lot of this stuff is down-right microscopic today. Or will be pretty soon.

Tens of thousands used in Aussie B&W TV sets in the 1960s.

Also used as a P-P output pair in some Australian made guitar amps rated at 40 watts ( see Goldentone or Playmaster) has an anode cap so eliminates the chance of socket flash overs.

.... Phil

I love it when the guitar amp guys review tubes as if they are fine coffees or beers.

"A warm sound, rich in dramatic overtones, just the essential level of comforting distortion. Tasteful notes of chocolate and ginger, with a lingering smooth afterglow of mossy oak and a slightly pungent woodsy ambiance."

Guess I won't be finding THAT tube for my tester.

Hello Terry,

Main Electronics in Vancouver, Canada had a large collection of tubes in their basement. The business is gone but contacts for the tubes are at the foot of this page.

John's Jukes also had an extensive collection of vintage parts. They remain in business.

Regards, ... Peter E.

Thank you Peter!

You mean your tester doesn't have a chocolate and ginger meter ?

Primitive device...

Needs Monster cables to work properly. I thought everybody knew that.

I bought up most of Main Electronics' semiconductors, potentiometers, relays, wire, fuses, Velleman kits, and other odds and ends. Hope to add it all to the online store over the next while.

The tubes went to another person, who I understand picked out what he wanted then sold off the rest. I had considered buying the tubes, but hadn't a clue what to offer, they had several thousand of them mostly NOS. So I let them go to a tube guy.

John :-#)#

Terry

You might want to contact this guy on CL. He doesn't give a list but if you offer him more money he will probably try to find what you want.

Those are ones I have heard of.

That one I know, used many of them. it was superseded by the 6LQ6 and then the last better one was the 6MJ6. I know that is not the point.

Some techs said that using the MJ for a JE would burn up the flyback. Of co urse because the H out is running brute force and it was shunt regulated. I THINK those used the 6BK4. You could see a red glow in them when the brigh tness was turned down, and it darkening when the brightness it up.

I don't want to get into it too much but, if the MJ pulls more of the B+ ac ross that primary then it makes more ... power. That is totally wasted in t he shunt regulator.

There came lines of replacement flybacks and some of the were pretty good. Encapsulated instead of waxed, sturdier terminals. I usually want OEM but w hen the replacement is actually better... Now with a higher quality replace ment flyback it can probably take an MJ with no problem. Then a better damp er tube was called for. I THINK maybe, those sets came with a 6DW4 but ther e was another one you could use that was better, 6CJ3 maybe ? There was als o an upgrade for the 6BK4, which I bought. I always bought the highest in t he family of tubes and carried that practice to transistors. You want 10 2S D1554, 10 2SD1555, 10 2SD556. You get a price break on the 1556 at 20, so y ou order them at more money to get the shittier versions ? Hell no, you ord er the 1556s.

Mission accomplished! The tester slots are full, and no further tubes are needed. Thanks to all of you who helped me fill the tester drawers!

Terry