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Re: Help this pathetic newbie to tubes : )

Posted by Mechans (A) on August 5, 2006 at 19:37:01

In Reply to: Re: Help this pathetic newbie to tubes : ) posted by Jimmy on August 5, 2006 at 14:45:52:

Newbie (we are all pathetic especially the ones who think they are exceptions) Here is my take on the questions you asked which are straight forward but comprehensive.
I am not sure your analogy to horsepower is useful. More on that later.
Only in seemingly rare cases does anyone really end up with true New Old Stock NOS tubes. If you do, you are lucky. This is not meant as a slight to dealers because quite a few claim NOS and some way are certain about it, I just don't have faith. The tubes may seem to be as good as if they were never used but the proof is rarely known with absolute certainty. It seems to me the only logical way to know whether a tube has ever been used is to have bought it yourself personally 50 years ago or know the person who did.
The term is now being applied to tubes with emmisions that are as strong as the tube is are if were new. Sometimes called ?NOS and very strong tubes as ANOS. I have bought so many tubes from dealers with good reputations claiming NOS but the tubes show some sign of being used some have obvious pin wear or look a litlle cooked And no I am sorry but every brand new tube has has perfect getteering not brown or black no matter this nonsense of gasses being burned off discoloring the. The pin wear can be a function of testing. The term NOS on epray means nothing almost anytime it is used. I have been burned more times than I care to count.
The question "will they run out" as long as people buy them and use them they will run out. The real answer is already demonstrating. Another inmate pointed out that the prices of higher reputation 6922 types, have risen dramatically only one thing could be driving up price the "Law of Supply and Demand" nothing controls a market value other than that. If the 6DJ8 were as abundant as are some other NOS tubes the prices would be what the abundant tube's prices are much much lower.
Answer number one- being New old Stock has nothing to with the power of a tube per se, that is a complex interaction between circuit and the tube and absolutely yes, sadly any finite consumable will eventually and invariably run out. (Except for the clever fakes and rebrands etc.)
Should you hoard them,? most of us tube asylum readers probably have more of our favorite tubes than we can hope to use in a lifetime. If using the widely accepted 5-10,000 hour lifespan of a typical nine pin miniature double triode like what you use at lets say 3 hours a day then it will take about 3.3 day to reach ten hours. The tube gives you 1,000 3.3 day time frames. If you you really did get an unused tube then amigo each tube will last you 3,300 days. Too bad it didn't yield 3,560 days or ten years.
Answer number 2 buying tubes now has little to do with having for the future it's a collecting thing, always hunting for a better version, always finding one that is really really mint, or heaven forbid one that sounds better. So you too will end up filling boxes and closets with hundreds of tubes like the rest of us, if you are still using that piece of gear in twenty years you'll be ahead of the game but you will also be much richer if you stick with the realistic and pragmatic neeed and thus expense, by owning 2 or at most 3 such tubes. That is unless as many in this hobby, who sell or just upgrade or their equipment periodically or the piece or... dies, then you simply got expensive tubes and now that demand is high.
You will have to wait a while to get your money back, unless someone who doesn't you at all is willing to give big bucks for them because you swear they are great.
The tube dealer despite what we may want to believe, doesn't work as a charity for the NOS tube starved. Just ask them what they will pay for your matched NOS tubes even if you tell them to keep the money until shown to be perect using any testing. Compare that to the selling price.
It's not the same for modern production they can't put an arbitrarily high price on a tube the demand does not outstrip the supply.
Why aren't new tubes as good as old. All manner of reasons but sometimes they aren't better. Sometime the NOS as we are calling the older tubes simply crush the modern prodution ones. I use both and can testify that is simply the truth . I didn't figure on knowing metallurgy but if your going to read these threads you better know Thoriated Tungsten is essential not thermodynamic physics as it relates to the chemistry of dispersion oils used to create good strong vacuums. In any event as long as demand for a better new production tube exists there will be and already are good tubes you can buy made recently.
Reputable suppliers Hmmph!! Thats easy the guys that are dealers who post here. You should try their sites as they show an interest in the tubeophile community. Also try get some advice on dealers I could tell you that I like one or two but really I use all sorts of sources. As for a dealer there are many around and see if they meet your expectations. I'll give you a name of one other than Jim or Jesses just to be fair, try Tubemonger.com very professional, cheap no, but no one is inexpensive for what you want.
Finally microphonia. As already stated its sound that feeds back into the tube which produces all types of ill effects, The common description is of a ring tone, but the ones I have encountered js sounded distorted. Tap your tube with headphones on or even your amp and listen for the thud it shouldn't make an unpleasant twang or ring and decay noise and it should dampened sound quickly be quite benign.
Since you asked your already treading this sippery slope. Good Luck

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