[L0rdGwyn]

A bit quiet in here, perhaps I can pose a question to the pentode cognoscenti. I recently received the Visseaux 6M6G shown below, but before using I noticed it has a "stray" wire coming out of one of the holes on bottom, as pictured. Is that a concern that it may could cause a short or other tube bad behaviour? Should I clip it the wire at it's origin it doesn't come in contact with the pins?

Don't clip it!!! Most likely that wire is continuous with the coating on the outside of the tube, which is a metal shield, I bet that wire is continuous with pin 1 with the intention of grounding pin 1. Check continuity between the wire and pin 1 with a DMM.

 

[triod750]

A bit quiet in here, perhaps I can pose a question to the pentode cognoscenti. I recently received the Visseaux 6M6G shown below, but before using I noticed it has a "stray" wire coming out of one of the holes on bottom, as pictured. Is that a concern that it may could cause a short or other tube bad behaviour? Should I clip it the wire at it's origin it doesn't come in contact with the pins?

I expect that the L0rd is right. Compare it to this experience: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-reference-6j5-thread-l63-6c5-12j5-6p5-etc.934653/post-17131736

 

[LoryWiv]

Don't clip it!!! Most likely that wire is continuous with the coating on the outside of the tube, which is a metal shield, I bet that wire is continuous with pin 1 with the intention of grounding pin 1. Check continuity between the wire and pin 1 with a DMM.

Understood and appreciated, with caveat I should have mentioned with original post: the wire flops around, it isn't fixed in position and the other tube in the pair I bought has no such wire emanating from the hole. Does that additional information change your view @L0rdGwyn?

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Understood and appreciated, with caveat I should have mentioned with original post: the wire flops around, it isn't fixed in position and the other tube in the pair I bought has no such wire emanating from the hole. Does that additional information change your view @L0rdGwyn?

Hmmm that is bizarre. I admit, I haven't seen this wire coming from the base of a tube before, typically it wraps where the glass meets the tube base and enters there. And given there is a second hole in the base, that does make me wonder if it is abnormal. Do you know if the tubes are tested? One big issues would be if this wire was from one of the tube's pins, came loose from the solder, and found its way through the hole. Pretty long wire lead though to make it all the way down there. I would also check continuity between the wire and all of the tube pins to see if it contacts any of them, could potentially cause a short.

 

[LoryWiv]

A bit quiet in here, perhaps I can pose a question to the pentode cognoscenti. I recently received the Visseaux 6M6G shown below, but before using I noticed it has a "stray" wire coming out of one of the holes on bottom, as pictured. Is that a concern that it may could cause a short or other tube bad behaviour? Should I clip it the wire at it's origin it doesn't come in contact with the pins?

Update: After checking in here and elsewhere, and noting tube is not connected to anything at free end, I tried it. Well, the tube worked quite normally, so I removed it, trimmed the wire as far as scissor depth would allow and reinserted using head-fi'er @Deyan's expertly made 6V6 --> 6AS7A adapter for Euforia AE. The tube works flawlessly, without issue. Strange yes but evidently (hopefully) of no functional consequence.

 

[Isaacc7]

I really need to stop “just looking” on eBay… I of course found something to bid on. Sigh. I keep telling myself that it isn’t anything expensive but my wallet is dying from a thousand little cuts lol.

Finally realized something that has been bothering me. Why do so many sellers on eBay have a single output up for sale? Buying singles might make sense for rare tubes but it doesn’t make much sense for regular tubes because of shipping. And how do you end up with a single 6v6 or 807 tube To sell? The number of single commodity tubes I see on eBay leaves me scratching my head. I tend to buy output tubes from dealers instead of eBay but it is fun to look.

 

[Isaacc7]

Does anyone have any experience repairing top caps or loose bases? I have three 807 tubes with loose tops and one with a loose base.

 

[gibosi]

Does anyone have any experience repairing top caps or loose bases? I have three 807 tubes with loose tops and one with a loose base.

I generally use "hard" nail polish. While it isn't as strong as super glue, it can be dissolved with finger nail polish remover if it ever becomes necessary to remove the base. So far, it has been strong enough, but perhaps I "baby" my tubes.

 

[Isaacc7]

I generally use "hard" nail polish. While it isn't as strong as super glue, it can be dissolved with finger nail polish remover if it ever becomes necessary to remove the base. So far, it has been strong enough, but perhaps I "baby" my tubes.

So how do you apply it? Do you put a coat just on the cap, tube, or both? And as someone that doesn't usually buy nail polish, is it actually labeled "hard?"

 

[gibosi]

So how do you apply it? Do you put a coat just on the cap, tube, or both? And as someone that doesn't usually buy nail polish, is it actually labeled "hard?"

Well this branding suggests that it is indeed "hard". If you have any women in your life, I suspect that one of them might be willing to help you find this brand or something similar.

And there is a brush applicator built into the cap. So I simply use the brush to apply it.



And then I use rubber bands to hold everything together until it dries. And further, I turn the tube upside down so polish can't drip down inside the base and short something out.

Good luck!

 

[Isaacc7]

Well this branding suggests that it is indeed "hard". If you have any women in your life, I suspect that one of them might be willing to help you find this brand or something similar.

And there is a brush applicator built into the cap. So I simply use the brush to apply it.



And then I use rubber bands to hold everything together until it dries. And further, I turn the tube upside down so polish can't drip down inside the base and short something out.

Good luck!

Oh, you were using the nail polish to fix the base? Do you think it would work for the top pin?

 

[gibosi]

Oh, you were using the nail polish to fix the base? Do you think it would work for the top pin?

I haven't needed to repair any tubes with loose top caps but I'm sure that nail polish would do the trick. And given that you never want that cap to come off, super glue would also be fine per @mordy.

 

[Isaacc7]

I haven't needed to repair any tubes with loose top caps but I'm sure that nail polish would do the trick. And given that you never want that cap to come off, super glue would also be fine per @mordy.

It turns out that the very top of the caps are where they were soldered. I had no idea! This makes all of the text I’ve read about resoldering the caps make more sense. Looks like I’ll need to get a soldering iron, flux remover, and some solder in addition to superglue/nail polish/epoxy.

https://k9uw.weebly.com/repairing-a-loose-grid-cap.html

 

[mordy]

It turns out that the very top of the caps are where they were soldered. I had no idea! This makes all of the text I’ve read about resoldering the caps make more sense. Looks like I’ll need to get a soldering iron, flux remover, and some solder in addition to superglue/nail polish/epoxy.

https://k9uw.weebly.com/repairing-a-loose-grid-cap.html

That little wire that comes up to the anode cap is very tricky. If the tube works with the loose cap I would not attempt to resolder anything - just hold the anode cap in place and put a little crazyglue around the perimeter of the anode cap. (Might be a good idea even if everything is OK if the tube is very old as a preventative measure.) Hold it in place for one minute and then set aside to dry for 24 hours.
If the the cap is missing or the wire broken off it gets much more difficult. Haven't done this myself, but in a case where the wire was to short to go up into the top of the cap, somebody filled up the anode cap with melted solder. Then pushed the tube upside down with the little wire sticking out into the cap; everything was held in place until it solidified.
I am sure there are other ways of fixing a loose or missing anode cap...

 

[Isaacc7]

Just won 10 Sylvania 6bg6ga NOS for $79. These are the same as the Sylvania 7581a/7027a. I'm glad to have more but I really don't need 10, bargain or no. I really need to stop "just a quick check of ebay." Glad I like cheap tubes at least!