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Post by volkswagenvan on Apr 24, 2018 18:00:38 GMT -8
Just curious if anyone here still plays around with old tube amps and radios like I do? I myself love to make something from old TV tubes and radio tubes just because I can.
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Post by radioman on May 5, 2018 23:11:10 GMT -8
Actually, I am one of many that plays around with old tube amps and radios. My hobby is repairing them and I belong to an antique radio club. There is still a lot of fun utilizing tubes as a hobby, such as making regenerative radios and simple control devices. Though American tube manufacturers have been gone for years, there must still be an abundance of tubes of all kinds out there, though prices seem to increase as time goes by. As for ham radio, practically all my equipment is tube-based and most of it from kits or home-brewed.
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Post by volkswagenvan on May 6, 2018 22:25:32 GMT -8
Thank's radioman, I don't feal as alone now. Many radio tubes are still out there new old stock and used or foreign reproduction that will keep this hobby going for many years to come. Transistors don't give off any cool glow when transmitting but they are cool in there own way. I do love newer technology but I won't forget where it all started. But just think also that if they made electrolytic capacitors last as long as the tubes do we wouldn't have nearly as much to play with.
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Post by Gary Lecomte on May 7, 2018 15:19:03 GMT -8
I Haven't built any tube circuit in many years now, but I do have quite a few tubes. Some New but most are Used ones.
2, New KT88's in box 1, 604 in box 1, 80 Rectifier in box And a few other new ones.
Going to be a SHAME, as All this older stuff as well as all my newer parts will be going to the DUMP in the somewhat near future. Can't keep going with this much Longer.
A Limited Market here for Selling it and Shipping to the USA and other countries is getting more difficult.
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Post by volkswagenvan on May 7, 2018 16:13:30 GMT -8
Yea Gary it's funny how many tubes i have found in yard sales or flea markets that I had to have. Sometimes a radio or pa amp has followed me home when the wife wasn't looking. Really hard to hide the occasional Organ! The KT88's are still an Audiophiles Tube. I was always the cheep 6v6,6aq5 kinda guy because thats what was around most to play with. To many old tv's to part out as a kid I guess. Yea the dump would be a shame. I would gladly take tubes from anyone but the shipping if possible would be super high i bet. Glass adds up quickly!
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Post by volkswagenvan on May 9, 2018 17:33:41 GMT -8
Shipping not as bad as I thaught. From Postal Code V0X 1K0 to zip code 49644 looks to be about $74.73 using the cheapest route of Expedited Parcel for a thirty pound 16x16x12 box. But $276.10 for Priority Ouch! Well Gary, Just keep me in mind if you think of sending something off to the landfill and perhaps we can work somthing out.
I'm getting a couple friends kids into learning some electronics and they only get to play with nine volt batteries so far. One went out on his own and found out what an old TV flyback could do! He's just fine and likes the batteries Again for now.
Guess I learned alot by soaking up voltage with my finger over the years. High voltage... one hand behind your back!
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Post by KevinK on Jun 29, 2018 21:39:18 GMT -8
I used to have a Marshall JCM900 Guitar tube amp i bought new in 1992. It was 50w and used 2 EL34 tubes. I sold a few years back for not much less than I paid for it new. I don't play out anymore and emulators have just gotten to d**n good.
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