Anyone good at valve IDing?

[Mr. Foxen]

I've been given a box of valves to sell for a friend, left to her by her father. I can pick out the standard 12AX etc and the EL34/6L6, but loads of others are a mystery, I photoed bunches [url="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/Incarante/"]here in my photobucket[/url]. Looking for any help as to which are valuable an worth getting tested. Also, I have a pile of mullard pre valves if anyone wants to make sensible offers before ebay (they'll be tested in the week).

[Slipperydick]

The ones in those pictures have numbers, is it that you dont recognise them. ECH81 for example was a populsr radio valve. Common once, but not available anymore so should ebay well I would have thought. Some of the others look like rarities to me, certainly before my time anyway. NOS octal based rare ones might be worth a good few bob to the right buyer.

Try putting them in this index. [url="http://www.r-type.org/search.php"]http://www.r-type.org/search.php[/url]

Edited July 30, 2011 by Slipperydick

[Mr. Foxen]

ECH81 don't look to go for much on ebay. I guess it is stuff that is still useful that goes. The massive ones are the fascinating ones.

[Ancient Mariner]

Some are good for amps, but not well known, like the 6SN7GT. Quite a few valves *can* be used provided the amp is designed around their requirements, but obviously you can't plug some of them straight into a standard amp.

[Mr. Foxen]

The temptation is to have an amp made around obscure power valves you can pick up for pence. Umph my usual techy nerd mate is recording today, so haven't been able to pester him. sadly with these it is a cash in job, so can't be using them for my own purposes.

[Slipperydick]

There are firms around specialising in oddball NOS valves, enthusiasts still restoring and repairing old radios. I sold a fair few valves on ebay that had been lying around for years, posted em out to people all over the world. popular audio valves went first, then radio valves went eventually, industrial and russian ones slower still, TV valves I couldnt give away.

When I was a lad I can remember having a Linear amp - who remembers them ? - that I modified to work with TV line output valves (PL36s) cos I couldnt afford EL34s and TV valves were stocked where I worked. Worked great, but a bloody death trap come to think of it.

Often wondered how well some of the big transmitter triodes would work in amps. They were available with huge power ratings 1kW or so, and probably still are.

[Mr. Foxen]

[url="http://www.chambonino.com/construct.html"]John Chambers[/url] makes amps with odd valves, and makes kilowatt amps.

Check these badboys:



Goddamn, you can still get those valves new production and they aren't crazy expensive, about 500w from a pair, for less than a £100, Try pricing up 500w in KT88.

Edited July 31, 2011 by Mr. Foxen

[ficelles]

The metal jacket ones look like early 6V6 valves... I ran one in a THD Univalve for a while.

ficelles

[Slipperydick]

I was thinking more along these lines. [url="http://www.r-type.org/static/mz2200.htm"]http://www.r-type.org/static/mz2200.htm[/url]

Probably have a problem finding transformers though.

[Mr. Foxen]

Can get transformers made easy enough. Likely it is supposed to be submerged in oil for cooling or something that is the implementation issue.