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Recommendations for 6BQ5/EL84 tubes (in Canuckistan)
- Thread starter doctor fuse
- Start date
Sovtek EL84M?
Really, it's the relabeled Reflector-made 6N14P-EV.
And there's the longer-lasting rated 6N14P-ER.
Really, it's the relabeled Reflector-made 6N14P-EV.
And there's the longer-lasting rated 6N14P-ER.
Lavane
Lunatic Member
The 6P14P-EV's are supposed to be good for 5K hours, no? Where as the 6P14P-K's and 6P14P's are rated for 3K hours. What are the ER's rated for?
10,000 hours.
6P14P - 3000hr
6P14P-V - 1000hr
6P14P-EV - 5000hr
6P14P-ER - >10000hr
6P14P-K - 3000hr continuous vibration test! This tube is very rare.
Caveat emptor, the link you provided above for the 6N14P-ER's tries to hide their location, but it's a Russian business, and they use to be located in Chelyabinsk, Russia. So not sure how they're shipping to NA.
Having said that, I've had very good purchase experiences with Ukraine based tube sellers, no duty and the several tube shipments have been fast. I buy a bunch of tubes and then match them myself since they're so cheap. I've have had the odd tube in the sets not measure close, hence buy some extras.
Lavane
Lunatic Member
I have six of the K's. A quad in my Magnaxox 9303, and two in my little SE amp.
I read that these were used in Russian Submarines and were replaced every thousand hours of use, supposedly. Maybe in the com system? Or some other systems? Anyway, they sound really good. Better than the old stock Mullards I was using. The K's were available for a rather short period, then pretry much gone. There must have been a pretty short supply. The K's I bought were all used, but tested strong. Pretty much like new? I tested them as a 7189 comparing them to my newish quad of Sovtek EL84M's. The K's measured very close to the Sovteks. The matching of the K's was pretty close as well. I went to snag some more since the prices were very affordable, but there weren't any to be found. I didn't even see any NOS K's when I bought the used ones to begin with. I should have snagged more when they first showed up being sold by a hand full of sellers.
I believe the Soviets used those specially tested tubes in their navigation/sonar systems. Certainly not the comrade's ghetto blaster.
Other applications were fighter avionics and onboard missile guidance systems.
I guess that's why they were so tough.
Lavane
Lunatic Member
It was a good deal while it lasted. I had originally bought 2 quads of them.I believe the Soviets used those specially tested tubes in their navigation/sonar systems. Certainly not the comrade's ghetto blaster.
Other applications were fighter avionics and onboard missile guidance systems.
I guess that's why they were so tough.
One cost me $27, the other $17. But two out of one quad red plated right away.
They tested fine, but that doesn't tell the whole story. They may have tested good for the seller as well. Luckily those were from rhe $17 quad.
Right after the Wall came down, people were selling flats of mil-spec Soviet tubes. Like 100 pieces for $100.
Only to know then what we know now. Few even knew the correlation between Russian and Western nomenclature at the time.
Then, there are those old Mullard ads.
Only to know then what we know now. Few even knew the correlation between Russian and Western nomenclature at the time.
Then, there are those old Mullard ads.