[kvtaco17]

Quote:

Heres a link regarding your codes  theres not much says GE means eh90 type http://www.triodeel.com/images/philipstubecodes.pdf      and this                  http://www.audiotubes.com/mullcode.htm                                 

Thank you much! I saw that was posted awhile ago and was digging for it!
 
Blackburn 1954 Aug/Sept week 1/2 is what I got out of that lol

 

[mordy]

Hi kvtaco 17,
 
Not that it makes a difference, but it could be 1964 instead of 1954:
 
 
After 1956, the code changed to the following several formats, with the manufacture year (Y) kicking in to the mix:

TTC FYM
Another variation with the addition of the week of manufacture:
TTC
FYMW
Another variation with a triple tube type number and the week:
TTTC
FYMW
And to completely confuse you, yet another triple type number variation without the week:
TTTC
FYM
The best way to become familiar with these variations on a theme is to get some vintage tubes and practice. For the most part, tubes made after 1956 are what is commonly found on the vintage market today. This will reduce the number of code choices you have, and the tube type codes of the tubes you use the most will become committed to memory.

 

[kvtaco17]

Quote:

Hi kvtaco 17,
 
Not that it makes a difference, but it could be 1964 instead of 1954:
 
 
After 1956, the code changed to the following several formats, with the manufacture year (Y) kicking in to the mix:

TTC FYM
Another variation with the addition of the week of manufacture:
TTC
FYMW
Another variation with a triple tube type number and the week:
TTTC
FYMW
And to completely confuse you, yet another triple type number variation without the week:
TTTC
FYM
The best way to become familiar with these variations on a theme is to get some vintage tubes and practice. For the most part, tubes made after 1956 are what is commonly found on the vintage market today. This will reduce the number of code choices you have, and the tube type codes of the tubes you use the most will become committed to memory.

very true! I'll continue living me lie lol
 
Anyways, the hum has almost completely gone away, however they so make some noise when touched... the right channel a lot more then the left... I tried swapping tubes and the phenomenon follows the tube... however they sound fine...

 

[mordy]

Been thinking about the "mystery" tubes where we do not know who made them (yet).
 
Did you ever hear of a company called Johnson Controls? Probably not. Well, this is what they do:
 

1. World’s largest manufacturer of lead acid automotive batteries for virtually every type of passenger car, light truck and utility vehicle.

1. Lead acid batteries sold under private label brands as well as our own VARTA^®, Heliar^®, LTH^® and OPTIMA^® brand names. Major OEMs and aftermarket retailers include Daimler, General Motors, BMW, Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, SAIC, Bosch, Walmart, Halfords, Interstate Battery System of America, Advance Auto Parts, and AutoZone.

 
In other words, they manufacture automotive batteries for almost all major brands of cars worldwide.
 
Seems that they prefer to be anonymous. You may think that you have a Ford, AC-Delco, Walmart, Interstate or AutoZone battery, but they are all made by the same corporation. (I am sure that they are made to different specifications etc.)
 
Now, translating this concept to tubes, which factory in  the past seems most likely to make very high quality tubes, and mainly for others (and very few with their own name on them)?
 
My hunch is that it is Ei (Elektronska Industrija) in Yugoslavia. Originally they purchased Phillips machines and later Telefunken machines. The original licencing from Phillips started in 1959.
 
In a documentary of Ei (Youtube) the narrator says that they make tubes for many brands, including Phillips, Siemens and Telefunken. (54 sec mark,   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxXrfU36aY8)
 
I seem to remember from the clips that maximum production was 17 million tubes per year.
 
 
 
Your thoughts and comments are invited......

 

[kvtaco17]

Johnson Controls also does switch and building maintains lol
 
I work with and round their techs a lot doing DC power and switch/data center (telecom mostly) work.
 
I think you may be on to something!

 

[frankie90]

Well, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on some 1983 Novosibirsk 6N6P-IR's over the 6H30Pi's for my MKIII, mainly because of price. I think they should pair well with my Voskhod 6ZH1P-EV's and my DT990, hopefully I like them! 
 
Now for the wait...

 

[Oskari]

Quote:

GE1
B4k1
 
GE1
B4L2

 
Quote:

Heres a link regarding your codes  theres not much says GE means eh90 type http://www.triodeel.com/images/philipstubecodes.pdf and this http://www.audiotubes.com/mullcode.htm

 
Additional links:
 

1. http://frank.pocnet.net/other/Philips/PhilipsCodeListAB-v10.pdf
2. http://frank.pocnet.net/other/Philips/PhilipsCodeList.pdf

 
Quote:

Blackburn 1954 Aug/Sept week 1/2 is what I got out of that lol

 
Quote:

Not that it makes a difference, but it could be 1964 instead of 1954:

 
True. With four-character second lines those are not 1954 tubes. The date codes tell that they must be 1964 or 1974 tubes (maybe even 1984 tubes, if they still made them).

 

[mordy]

Hi Frankie90,
 
Just got those exact tubes - took 18 days. As a comparison, I got a pair from Germany, which took 14 days. YMMV
 
(You have to sign for the  Russian tubes BTW)

 

[jaywillin]

Quote:

Hi Frankie90,
 
Just got those exact tubes - took 18 days. As a comparison, I got a pair from Germany, which took 14 days. YMMV
 
(You have to sign for the  Russian tubes BTW)

in disappearing ink ?

 

[Acapella11]

Quote:

Well, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on some 1983 Novosibirsk 6N6P-IR's over the 6H30Pi's for my MKIII, mainly because of price. I think they should pair well with my Voskhod 6ZH1P-EV's and my DT990, hopefully I like them! 
 
Now for the wait...

 
Congratulations. Mine are from the old Novosibirsk factory indicated by a pentagon in between month and year of production (1974). Besides other sound benefits, this tube also extends to a deeper bass as compared to 6H30P / 6N6P or 6N6P-I tubes. With respect to the driver tube, I second mab's recommendations. When you feel like like an upgrade for the upgrade, get some of the IBM 1680 6BE6 tubes from 1950 as long as they are available, particularly if your fancy goes to a good bass. Imaging is very nice as well.

 

[gibosi]

Quote:

Now, translating this concept to tubes, which factory in  the past seems most likely to make very high quality tubes, and mainly for others (and very few with their own name on them)?
 
My hunch is that it is Ei (Elektronska Industrija) in Yugoslavia. Originally they purchased Phillips machines and later Telefunken machines. The original licencing from Phillips started in 1959.
 
In a documentary of Ei (Youtube) the narrator says that they make tubes for many brands, including Phillips, Siemens and Telefunken. (54 sec mark,   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxXrfU36aY8)
 
I seem to remember from the clips that maximum production was 17 million tubes per year.

 
Mordy,
 
Ei is certainly a very likely possibility. Whoever made these tubes did indeed seem to want to be anonymous, as there are no unique markings or codes of any kind indicating who manufactured them or their country of origin. With their location in Europe and a production capacity of 17 million tubes per year they were certainly more than capable. We may never know who who made these "foreign" Siemens, but I think this is the best guess we have.
 
However, I have one more mystery Siemens. The tube on the left compared to the "Ei" Siemens on the right:
 
Thicker ribs, holes in plate different, shape of getter is different, a much darker getter flash, and other than "Siemens #201", no marks or codes. As I have only the one tube, I am still trying to find a match....
 
 

 

[mab1376]

Quote:

 
Congratulations. Mine are from the old Novosibirsk factory indicated by a pentagon in between month and year of production (1974). Besides other sound benefits, this tube also extends to a deeper bass as compared to 6H30P / 6N6P or 6N6P-I tubes. With respect to the driver tube, I second mab's recommendations. When you feel like like an upgrade for the upgrade, get some of the IBM 1680 6BE6 tubes from 1950 as long as they are available, particularly if your fancy goes to a good bass. Imaging is very nice as well.

Mine are from 11(pentagon)89, I ordered another from 1974 about a week ago i'm waiting on from ebay.
 
Even the ones from 89 sound really nice to me, i'll compare when I get the new ones.

 

[frankie90]

Congratulations. Mine are from the old Novosibirsk factory indicated by a pentagon in between month and year of production (1974). Besides other sound benefits, this tube also extends to a deeper bass as compared to 6H30P / 6N6P or 6N6P-I tubes. With respect to the driver tube, I second mab's recommendations. When you feel like like an upgrade for the upgrade, get some of the IBM 1680 6BE6 tubes from 1950 as long as they are available, particularly if your fancy goes to a good bass. Imaging is very nice as well.

Thanks everyone! Yeah I'm excited at this is my first tube amp...

Are those IBMs driver tubes? I just got Voskhods, are they better than those overall?

 

[gibosi]

Another mystery tube....
 
RSD EH90. I have no idea who made these....
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rohre-EH90-EH-90-6CS6-RSD-Tube-gepruft-NOS-/310264285657?pt=DE_TV_Video_Audio_Elektronenr%C3%B6hren_Valves&hash=item483d3149d9

 

[mordy]

Hi Gibosi,
 
You will not get the answer from this, but you will know more:
 
"RSD like ULTRON was a German relabeler.

In early days, RSD label tubes came from fine German sources like Telefunken, Siemens etc. or other British/W. European makers.

Later on, RSD was relabeling tubes from Eastern or Central Europe."