I think I can say on our collective behalf; @leftside - you have a pretty beautiful and fantastic 6J5+Friends tube collection. I'm quite certain the total scope of your tube collection is museum-worthy. Pristine, boxed, gorgeous!
Thanks @chrisdrop. Only a few original boxes though, and some of those tubes have seen better days I think. Hopefully folks found the pics interesting and informative. I certainly learnt a few things the last couple of days - especially all the rebranding by the manufacturers. Taking the photos and posting on here has helped me identify all the posted tubes - so thanks to all for the informative identification comments.
It has certainly been a joy to read through all the information offered by the members here
Good eye! Yes (and no) to Brimar. One is a Brimar. The other is a Calverton that is identical to the Brimar in construction but was purchased for cheap on ebay. I was on the hunt for similar construction without the Brimar name and found it. They pair really well with the Verite Open and Chatham 6as7g.
In an attempt to complement this superb photo, here are all the designs of the brown base L63/CV1067 I have. They sure knew how to make pretty labels!And to finish the pictures this evening with some more tube porn. A few US tubes tomorrow.
Very nice! I will read again properly later today. There was also a year/month when they switched from inverted cup getter to D getter (around 1958 I think), and from D getter to O getter (late 60's - when only making brown base/tall glass with O getter).In an attempt to complement this superb photo, here are all the designs of the brown base L63/CV1067 I have. They sure knew how to make pretty labels!
Something interesting I noticed is the two main types of construction on MOV L63 tubes. All the brown base clear glass L63 I have have the 'half' plate construction, best seen on the rightmost tube above. However, in all L63 tubes which have grey glass, and those with metal skirts, or both grey and metal, they seem to have the full, symmetrical plates.
A picture of clear glass L63 that were for sale a while ago, the only MOV L63 like this I have seen so far, that show the plates of metal skirt L63 which are otherwise grey glass.
Two versions of the B65/36 also exist; brown base clear glass, and metal base grey or clear glass. From what I have found, the plate structures of the brown base tubes correspond directly, but I lack a metal base B65/36 to inspect closely myself and confirm. The top mica construction however is clearly different between my metal and brown base L63.
The brown base B36 has the exact same internals as the brown base L63, with the top mica adapted to fit two triodes. Moreover, it seems from date codes that the metal base grey glass, symmetrical plates L63 are an older iteration; hard to see in the picture below, but it is HE/4= May 1952. The B36 with code LM/4 = December 1955 has new construction. I haven't seen any metal base with newer date codes, or brown base with older date codes as of yet. So I believe the change in construction occurred somewhere between 1952-55. If anyone has any L63 with date codes J or K to fill in the missing years, that would narrow it down even further!
B36 from 1955, L63 from 1956 and L63 from 1952.
Top mica positioning and heater spaces 'diagonal' opposing for the brown base B36 (left). Asymmetrical and larger holes in top mica on brown base L63 (centre) vs. completely symmetrical mica and smaller holes on metal base L63 (right).
A pair of brown base B65 for sale on ebay right now with identical micas, getter and plates to the brown base B36.
Further searching for past sales, it seems only the clear glass(!) B65/B36 (2nd from left) has a symmetrical top mica and plate orientation as per the metal base L63; the grey glass metal base B65/36s have the same top mica construction as the brown base B65/36 and L63.
So now I'm wondering; perhaps the grey glass B65s actually have asymmetrical plates hidden inside them?
1. "Something interesting I noticed is the two main types of construction on MOV L63 tubes. All the brown base clear glass L63 I have have the 'half' plate construction, best seen on the rightmost tube above. However, in all L63 tubes which have grey glass, and those with metal skirts, or both grey and metal, they seem to have the full, symmetrical plates.".Something interesting I noticed is the two main types of construction on MOV L63 tubes. All the brown base clear glass L63 I have have the 'half' plate construction, best seen on the rightmost tube above. However, in all L63 tubes which have grey glass, and those with metal skirts, or both grey and metal, they seem to have the full, symmetrical plates.
A picture of clear glass L63 that were for sale a while ago, the only MOV L63 like this I have seen so far, that show the plates of metal skirt L63 which are otherwise grey glass.
Two versions of the B65/36 also exist; brown base clear glass, and metal base grey or clear glass. From what I have found, the plate structures of the brown base tubes correspond directly, but I lack a metal base B65/36 to inspect closely myself and confirm. The top mica construction however is clearly different between my metal and brown base L63.
The brown base B36 has the exact same internals as the brown base L63, with the top mica adapted to fit two triodes. Moreover, it seems from date codes that the metal base grey glass, symmetrical plates L63 are an older iteration; hard to see in the picture below, but it is HE/4= May 1952. The B36 with code LM/4 = December 1955 has new construction. I haven't seen any metal base with newer date codes, or brown base with older date codes as of yet. So I believe the change in construction occurred somewhere between 1952-55. If anyone has any L63 with date codes J or K to fill in the missing years, that would narrow it down even further!
B36 from 1955, L63 from 1956 and L63 from 1952.
Top mica positioning and heater spaces 'diagonal' opposing for the brown base B36 (left). Asymmetrical and larger holes in top mica on brown base L63 (centre) vs. completely symmetrical mica and smaller holes on metal base L63 (right).
A pair of brown base B65 for sale on ebay right now with identical micas, getter and plates to the brown base B36.
Further searching for past sales, it seems only the clear glass(!) B65/B36 (2nd from left) has a symmetrical top mica and plate orientation as per the metal base L63; the grey glass metal base B65/36s have the same top mica construction as the brown base B65/36 and L63.
So now I'm wondering; perhaps the grey glass B65s actually have asymmetrical plates hidden inside them?
