WHat does NOS mean?? I know all about MOSFET, FET, LMAO, etc. I see this all the time when tubes are being sold. Yes I'm new to tubes (when I went to tech school, we TOUCHED on tubes). I find them interesting as to the development of solid state.

Dumb in NJ

Hi Joe

NOS means New Old Stock. These are tubes made a long time ago but never used.

Norm

:WHat does NOS mean?? I know all about MOSFET, FET, LMAO, etc. I see this all the time when tubes are being sold. Yes I'm new to tubes (when I went to tech school, we TOUCHED on tubes). I find them interesting as to the development of solid state.
:
:Dumb in NJ

Well I guess you really can't believe that with all the fingerprints on them.. All tubes are OLD STOCK. I was suprised when I ordered tubes for my old console a few years ago and the one tube was SOVTEK (Soviet Union). I figured this was a NEW tube but who really knows anymore. THanks for the info
Joe

:Hi Joe
:
: NOS means New Old Stock. These are tubes made a long time ago but never used.
:
:Norm
:
::WHat does NOS mean?? I know all about MOSFET, FET, LMAO, etc. I see this all the time when tubes are being sold. Yes I'm new to tubes (when I went to tech school, we TOUCHED on tubes). I find them interesting as to the development of solid state.
::
::Dumb in NJ

Sovtek is not NOS. The Russians,Chinese Czechs, etc. still make tubes. So much soviet electronic equipment used tubes (even in the 70s and 80s) that they had to keep making them... especially for military electronics.
I guess you might call this stuff NS (new stock). I have lots of military spec tubes made for WW II, still in the original MIL-JAN boxes with the contract number and date stamped on the box... that's NOS!

Rich
****************************

:Well I guess you really can't believe that with all the fingerprints on them.. All tubes are OLD STOCK. I was suprised when I ordered tubes for my old console a few years ago and the one tube was SOVTEK (Soviet Union). I figured this was a NEW tube but who really knows anymore. THanks for the info
:Joe
:
::Hi Joe
::
:: NOS means New Old Stock. These are tubes made a long time ago but never used.
::
::Norm
::
:::WHat does NOS mean?? I know all about MOSFET, FET, LMAO, etc. I see this all the time when tubes are being sold. Yes I'm new to tubes (when I went to tech school, we TOUCHED on tubes). I find them interesting as to the development of solid state.
:::
:::Dumb in NJ

Maybe someone thought that the tube was pretty and was constantly looking at it. Some of my tubes I've looked at so much that I've worn the labels right off of the bases. I wonder if the Russians make any tubes for the AA5 radios and such. That would be awesome!

Thomas

:Maybe someone thought that the tube was pretty and was constantly looking at it. Some of my tubes I've looked at so much that I've worn the labels right off of the bases. I wonder if the Russians make any tubes for the AA5 radios and such. That would be awesome!
:
:Thomas Thomas, I guess I would give both my eye teeth for some brand new, high quality 35z5 or 50l6 tubes! The AA5 radios are what I have collected the most of, they are still fair in price and really fun to restore. I have been lucky in respect, finding new old stock ones so far, a have about 10 full sets of AA5 mini and octals, all from Ebay in the past year. I am still working on getting some full AA5 loctal sets. Now, if I could just let go of my 30 or so nos green eye 6e5's and 6u5's and 6ab5's, I could get more radios to tinker with! If I honestly use two or three green eyes in the next two decades, that will be a lot for me. John.

Someone was selling Russian 6E5C tubes on eBay last year. They were selling lots of about 10 or so for $75. These are octal versions of the 6E5 tubes. I bought one batch and I'm happy I did. I can either rip the bases off of these and convert them to 6 pin bases (rather difficult), or I can put an adapter or different socket on the radio. They work well. If you can come across these, they may be a good low cost alternative. I know that there's an octal 12 volt eye tube out there, but that requires a voltage doubler. This isn't hard to construct, but just the same.....

Thomas

I guess that would be a "POOB" tube (pretty of of Box)
Joe Ferris

:Maybe someone thought that the tube was pretty and was constantly looking at it. Some of my tubes I've looked at so much that I've worn the labels right off of the bases. I wonder if the Russians make any tubes for the AA5 radios and such. That would be awesome!
:
:Thomas

Most foreign tubes are aimed at hi-fi and audio. Try this website to see a list of manufacturers.

http://www.tubedepot.com/tubesbybrand.html

Rich
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:I guess that would be a "POOB" tube (pretty of of Box)
:Joe Ferris
:
::Maybe someone thought that the tube was pretty and was constantly looking at it. Some of my tubes I've looked at so much that I've worn the labels right off of the bases. I wonder if the Russians make any tubes for the AA5 radios and such. That would be awesome!
::
::Thomas

Prices are decent, especially for the JJ tubes. Too bad modern manufacturers do not know how to make tubes beautiful anymore. They look like they came out of a computer or something. The Sovtek 5U4G is pretty, though.

Thomas

Thomas, You're SO right about looks. I'm re-doing a 33 Crosley (among my many projects) and it still has the original tubes which are tall and cool looking. I just got a replacement tube #58 (NOS...now that I know what that means)and it's not as tall or as appealing as the original. The replacement is a Sylvania(ECG) but it had NO fingerprints on it so I guess it's truely a NOS. Would LOVE to keep the original look but tubes 72 years old need to go to the retirement home.
Joe

:Prices are decent, especially for the JJ tubes. Too bad modern manufacturers do not know how to make tubes beautiful anymore. They look like they came out of a computer or something. The Sovtek 5U4G is pretty, though.
:
:Thomas

If you want original looking tubes, you can either demand them from www.tubesandmore.com (good luck with this because they often ignore your demand), or you can check out eBay. Tubes like this are often found on there. If your new Sylvania tube has the shoulder type glass like the original, then it is an old tube. The envelopes came in different heights. Usually the tubes got shorter as they got newer, but some variables did exist even during the time when your radio was made. Generally, by the late 1940s, ST style tubes tended to get shorter. A 6F6G of the late 1930s, for instance, usually is taller than a 6F6G of the late 1940s. If your tube has this shoulder style, though, it's probably from around the right time.

Also, by the early 1940s, tubular styles started taking over the bigger "coke bottle" shoulder style tubes. For instance, in 1942, you'd more likely find a 6K6GT (tubular) in a radio than a 6K6G (shoulder).

I love the old style tubes, though, and will take no substitutes in my radios except for temporary replacements because I have them at hand. Unfortunately it can be difficult to find strong NOS functioning tubes of this vintage. Keep this in mind when purchasing tubes off of eBay. Unless the person says in the auction that the tube has been tested and that it tests GOOD or NEW, the tube may be weak or even burned out. Weak tubes usually do the trick. Where you notice a weak tube is in oscillator, RF, AF power output, and rectifier circuits. Detector diodes and primary AF amplifier tubes can be somewhat weak with no decrease in performance. Eye tubes must be strong in order to be bright, and the phosphorous must be good. Even if the tube is strong, it'll be dim if the phosphorous is worn out.

Thomas

A weak tube may still function well or good enough, though, even if it is used in one of the "critical" circuits which I mentioned.

Thomas