View Full Version : what are the most commonly used tubes in TVs 1939-1975


Electronic M
02-14-2011, 06:27 PM
I'm writing a program for my intro to embeded systems class, to replace the instruction manual for my B&K Dyna Jet 606 tube tester. I need to have it finished by wednesday and don't have time to coppy all of the tubes in the settings part of the manual. I'm going to try to include the apporximately 50 most common types from radio, TV, and HiFi. The oldest types the Dyna Jet tests are octals and loctals, so I can't use anything that pre dates them. See my similar posts in other parts of this forum.

Thanks, Tom C.

fsjonsey
02-14-2011, 06:35 PM
Rectifiers such as the 5u4/g/GA/GB Family were used in everything.

miniman82
02-14-2011, 07:38 PM
5y3gt, 6au6, 12av7, 6v6, 6bq6, 6cg7, 12fq7, 6GH8a x 10,000,000 lol
6dq5, 6au4gta, 6aq5, 6x8, 12bh7, 6cb5, 6az8, 6u8, 6sn7, 6t8, 1x2, 3a3, 6bk4.

And that's off the top of my head, only from sets currently own!

wa2ise
02-14-2011, 07:54 PM
6cb6, 6bz6, 6j6, 6ah6, 6HZ6, 1B3

truetone36
02-14-2011, 08:11 PM
12ax7, 12at7, 50c5, 6sn7

marty59
02-14-2011, 08:18 PM
6ax4, 6dw4, 6v6, 6l6, 6550, kt88, 6aq5, 6bq5, 35W4, 35Z5, 50L6

David Roper
02-14-2011, 08:28 PM
6AG5, 6BC5, 6K6, 6W6, 6Y6, 6AS5, 6AL5, 6AC7, 5V4, 6BG6, 12SN7, 25L6.

Nothing that was in TVs of 1939 that hasn't already been mentioned was used much if at all later except maybe 6SQ7, 6H6.

cwmoser
02-15-2011, 05:43 AM
I know the CRT is more unique than the other tubes, but were there any CRT picture tubes that were widely used?

Carl

Tubejunke
02-18-2011, 07:46 PM
Between the years 1939 and 1975, radio and television manufacturers had gone through a number of changes in what one might call a common tube. For instance, in 1951 you could pop the back off of nearly any TV set and pull, 5U4s, 6SN7s, 6CB6s, 6BG6s all day long. Most radios of the 50s had 50L6, 35W4, and 6AU6, but by 1961 most all of these tubes had been replaced by other tubes and semiconductors. In the late 60s and into the 70s smaller size had become the trend so you saw a lot of Compactrons come into play, and most tubes at that point had no keyed base like an Octal or a Loctal. Speaking of Loctal tubes, their use is centered around and after WW2 as the design was to compliment military equipment. Have you ever seen a loctal tube that was loose in its socket? I doubt it! In my mind and due to the time frame of my interests, the 5U4 diode tube was the most common as it was the diode of choice for most manufacturers from the 40s through the early 60s.