Ever found a 'sub-standard' tube?
 

My tester has found plenty, but this is the first time a tube has actually boasted being sub-standard in text to me. :screwy: :D
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4453/...091002cd_z.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4450/...0c8dc0fa_z.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4480/...e4e2024f_z.jpg
Strangely enough it tests and works fine. I got a good chuckle out of an RCA 6AC7 boasting it's shoddy quality...It was probably RCA's way of marking factory seconds, but I can't help finding it's wording/application about as funny as Motorola's "DO IT RIGHT" stickers.

That tube was made during WWII and had to be marked as such. It didn't quite pass JAN standards, for the Military.
THE MR meant "Maintenance and Repair" and could be sold to the public, as new radios weren't available during the war.
Some referred MR as being Military Reject, but the former is the true meaning.

interesting fact to know ....

Learn something everyday!

Thanks. I was wondering about that.I have a few here.

Interesting! I have tons of tubes of that vintage and have never seen one. Thanks for this informative thread.

jr

The calibration lab at work labeled substitute standard devices (calibrated to their primary standards) "SUB STANDARD." Nothing wrong with them, just an indication that they were at a step removed from the reference (and therefore not to be used for calibration of further devices of the same type).

Yes.I thought they were seconds.I guess I was close since they were not up too par for the military.

I've just found a second one in my Philco 38-116 the power rectifier has M-R stamped on the base, but lacks the amusing "sub-standard" text.
http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=269677