This is a list of vacuum tubes or thermionic valves, and low-pressure gas-filled tubes, or discharge tubes. Before the advent of semiconductor devices, thousands of tube types were used in consumer electronics. Many industrial, military or otherwise professional tubes were also produced. Only a few types are still used today, mainly in high-power, high-frequency applications.
Receiving tubes have heaters or filaments intended for direct battery operation, parallel operation off a dedicated winding on a supply transformer, or series string operation on transformer-less sets. High-power RF power tubes are directly heated; the heater voltage must be much smaller than the signal voltage on the grid and is therefore in the 5...25 V range, drawing up to hundreds of amperes from a suitable heater transformer. In some valve part number series, the voltage class of the heater is given in the part number, and a similar valve might be available with several different heater voltage ratings.
FL – Subminiature all-glass elliptical body and flat bases with long, inline "flying leads" (pigtails) that are soldered into the circuit
SL – Subminiature all-glass elliptical body and flat bases with short inline leads that can be soldered or can be mated with a special socket. (Flying leads can be cut short to fit into inline sockets.)
R8 – Subminiature all-glass round body and base with 8 flying leads or stiff pins arranged in a circle
The system assigned numbers with the base form "1A21", and is therefore also referred to as the "1A21 system".[1]
The first numeric character indicated the filament/heater power rating, the second alphabetic character was a code for the function, and the last 2 digits were sequentially assigned, beginning with 21
2H21 – Phasitron, a magnetically controlled beam-deflection phase modulator tube[2] similar to the 5593, used in early FM broadcast transmitters[3][4][5]
Lastly, manufacturers may decide to combine two type numbers into a single name, which their one device can replace, such as: 6DX8/ECL84 (6DX8 and ECL84 being identical devices under different naming schemes) or 6BC5/6CE5 (sufficiently identical devices within the RETMA naming system) and even 3A3/3B2, or 6AC5-GT/6AC5-G (where the single type number, 6AC5-GT/6AC5-G, supersedes both the 6AC5-G and the 6AC5-GT).
Often designations that differed only in their initial numerals would be identical except for heater characteristics.
A four-digit system was maintained by the EIA for special industrial, military and professional vacuum and gas-filled tubes, and all sorts of other devices requiring to be sealed off against the external atmosphere.
Some manufacterers preceded the EIA number with a manufacterer's code:
Eitel/McCullough and other manufacturers of high power RF tubes use the following code:[7]
An initial digit denoting the number of electrodes:
2 – Diode
3 – Triode
4 – Tetrode
5 – Pentode
Up to 2 letters denoting the construction type and the cooling method:
R or a hyphen ("-") – Glass envelope, radiation cooling
C – Ceramic envelope
P – Primarily for pulse applications
L – External anode, liquid convection cooling
N – External anode, natural convection air cooling
S – External anode, conduction cooling
V – Vapor cooled (anode is immersed in boiling water, and the steam is collected, condensed and recycled)
W – Water cooled (water is pumped through an outer metal jacket thermically connected to the anode)
X – Forced-air cooled (air is blown through cooling fins thermally connected to the anode)
A number to indicate the maximum anode dissipation in watts. This can be exceeded for a short time, as long as the average is not exceeded over the anode's thermal time constant (typically 0.1 sec). In Class-C applications, the amplifier output power delivered to the load may be higher than the device dissipation
One or more manufacturer-proprietary letters denoting the construction variant
4-1000A (8166) – 1 kW Glass beam tetrode popular in broadcast and amateur transmitters.
4CX250B – 250 W Ceramic tetrode, forced-air cooled, version 'B', favored by radio amateurs as a final amplifier.
4CX250DC – 250 W Ceramic tetrode, forced-air cooled, version 'DC'
4CX35000 – Ceramic tetrode used in numerous 50-kW broadcast transmitters, forced-air cooled, often in a Doherty configuration as in the Continental Electronics 317C series.
This system is very descriptive of what type of device (triode, diode, pentode etc.) it is applied to, as well as the heater/filament type and the base type (octal, noval, etc.).[1][8] Adhering manufacturers include AEG (de), Amperex (us), CdL (1921, French Mazda brand), CIFTE (fr, Mazda-Belvu brand), EdiSwan (uk, British Mazda brand), Radiotechnique (fr, Coprim, Miniwatt-Dario and RTC brands), Lorenz (de), MBLE(fr, nl) (be, Adzam brand), Mullard (uk), Philips (nl, Miniwatt brand), RCA (us), RFT(de, sv) (de), Siemens (de), Telefunken (de), Tesla (cz), Toshiba (ja), Tungsram (hu), Unitra (pl, Dolam, Polam and Telam brands) and Valvo(de, it) (de).
Standard tubes
This part dates back to the joint valve code key (German: Röhren-Gemeinschaftsschlüssel) negotiated between Philips and Telefunken in 1933–34. Like the North American system the first symbol describes the heater voltage, in this case, a Roman letter rather than a number. Further Roman letters, up to three, describe the device followed by one to four numerals assigned in a semi-chronological order of type development within number ranges assigned to different base types.
If two devices share the same type designation other than the first letter (e.g. ECL82, PCL82, UCL82) they will usually be identical except for heater specifications; however there are exceptions, particularly with output types (for example, both the PL84 and UL84 differ significantly from the EL84 in certain major characteristics, although they have the same pinout and similar power rating). However, device numbers do not reveal any similarity between different type families; e.g. the triode section of an ECL82 is not related to either triode of an ECC82, whereas the triode section of an ECL86 does happen to be similar to those of an ECC83.
Pro Electron maintained a subset of the M-P system after their establishment in 1966, with only the first letters E, P for the heater, only the second letters A, B, C, D, E, F, H, K, L, M, Y, Z for the type, and issuing only three-digit numbers starting with 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9 for the base.[9]
Notes:Tungsram preceded the M-P designation with the letter T, as in TAD1 for AD1; VATEA Rádiótechnikai és Villamossági Rt.-t. (VATEA Radio Technology and Electric Co. Ltd., Budapest, Hungary) preceded the M-P designation with the letter V, as in VEL5 for EL5.
First letter: heater/filament type
Heater ratings for series-string, AC/DC tubes are given in milliamperes; heater ratings for parallel-string tubes are given in volts
D – 1.4 V DC filament for Leclanché cells, later low-voltage/low power filament/heater:
0.625 V DC directly heated for NiCd battery, series-heated two-tube designs such as hearing aids. If either filament breaks, further draining of all batteries stops[10]
Wide range 0.9 V to 1.55 V DC directly heated for dry cells
Z – Vacuum full-wave rectifier (dual power diode with common cathode)
E.g. ECCnn is a 6.3 V dual triode; EABCnn has a single detector diode, a common-cathode pair of diodes, and a triode.
Following digits: model number and base type
For signal pentodes, an odd model number most often identified a variable-mu (remote-cutoff) tube, whereas an even number identified a 'high slope' (sharp-cutoff) tube
For power pentodes and triode-pentode combinations, even numbers usually indicate linear (audio power amplifier) devices while odd numbers were more suited to video signals or situations where more distortion could be tolerated.
1–9 – Pinch-type construction tubes, mostly P8 bases (P base, 8-pin side-contact) or European 5-pin (B base) and various other European pre-octal designs
10–19 – 8-pin German metal octal, G8A
20–29 – LoctalB8G; some octal; some 8-way side contact (exceptions are DAC21, DBC21, DCH21, DF21, DF22, DL21, DLL21, DM21 which have octal bases)
50–59 – "Special construction types fitted with bases applicable to design features used";[13] mostly locking bases: "9-pin Loctal" (B9G) or 8-pin Loctal (B8G); but also used for Octal and others (3-pin glass; Disk-seal incl. Lighthouse tubes; German 10-pin with spigot; min. 4-pin; B26A; Magnoval B9D)
60–69 – Pencil tubes – sub-miniature all-glass tubes, pigtailed (inline fly-leads in place of pins)
—Before the 1950s:
60–64 – All-glass tubes fitted with 9-pin (B9G) bases
70–79 – Pencil tubes with circular pins or fly-leads
Vacuum tubes which had special qualities (French: Securité - Qualité) of some sort, very often long-life designs, particularly for computer and telecommunications use, had the numeric part of the designation placed immediately after the first letter. They were usually special-quality versions of standard types. Thus the E82CC was a long-life version of the ECC82 intended for computer and general signal use, and the E88CC a high quality version of the ECC88/6DJ8. While the E80F pentode was a high quality development of the EF80, they were not pin-compatible and could not be interchanged without rewiring the socket (the E80F is commonly sought after as a high quality replacement for the similar EF86 type in guitar amplifiers). The letters "CC" indicated the two triodes and the "F", the single pentode inside these types.
A few special-quality tubes did not have a standard equivalent, e.g. the E55L, a broadband power pentode used as the output stage of oscilloscope amplifiers and the E90CC, a double triode with a common cathode connection and seven pin base for use in cathode-coupled Flip-flops in early computers. The E91H is a special heptode with a passivated third grid designed to reduce secondary emission; this device was used as a "gate", allowing or blocking pulses applied to the first, (control) grid by changing the voltage on the third grid, in early computer circuits (similar in function to the U.S. 6AS6).
Many of these types had gold-plated base pins and special heater configurations inside the nickel cathode tube designed to reduce hum pickup from the A.C. heater supply, and also had improved oxide insulation between the heater and cathode so the cathode could be elevated to a greater voltage above the heater supply. (Note that elevating the cathode voltage above the average heater voltage, which in well-designed equipment was supplied from a transformer with an earthed center-tapped secondary, was less detrimental to the oxide insulation between heater and cathode than lowering the cathode voltage below the heater voltage, helping to prevent pyrometallurgical electrolytic chemical reactions where the oxide touched the nickel cathode that could form conductive aluminium tungstate and which could ultimately develop into a heater-cathode short-circuit.)
Better, often dual, getters were implemented to maintain a better vacuum, and more-rigid electrode supports introduced to reduce microphonics and improve vibration and shock resistance. The mica spacers used in "SQ" and "PQ" types did not possess sharp protrusions which could flake off and become loose inside the bulb, possibly lodging between the grids and thus changing the characteristics of the device. Some types, particularly the E80F, E88CC and E90CC, had a constricted section of bulb to firmly hold specially shaped flakeless mica spacers.[14]
Later special-quality tubes had not base and function swapped but were assigned a 4-digit number,[8] such as ECC2000 or ED8000, the first digit of which again denoting the base:
S – Separate-cathode Counter/Selector Dekatron that makes all cathodes available on individual pins for displaying, divide-by-n counter/timer/prescalers, etc.
T – Relay triode, a low-power triode thyratron, one starter electrode, may need illumination for proper operation if not radioactively primed
U – Low-power tetrode thyratron, may mean:
Trigger tetrode, one starter electrode and a primer (keep-alive) electrode for ion availability to keep the ignition voltage constant, for analog RC timers, voltage triggers, etc.
Relay tetrode, two starter electrodes to make counters bidirectional or resettable
W – Trigger pentode, two starter electrodes and a primer electrode
X – Shielded Trigger pentode, two starter electrodes, a primer electrode and a conductive coating of the glass envelope inside connected to a separate pin
X – Large thyratron (including all hydrogen thyratrons and high-current types)
The following letter indicates the filament or cathode type, or the fill gas or other construction detail. The coding for vacuum devices differs between Philips (and other Continental European manufacturers) on the one hand and its Mullard subsidiary on the other.
Philips vacuum devices:
A
Backward-wave amplifier or Traveling-wave tube: Output power <1W
The second digit is a sequentially assigned number.
The following letter indicates the photocathode type:
A – Caesium-activated antimony cathode. Used for reflective-mode photocathodes. Response range from ultraviolet to visible. Widely used.
C – Caesium-on-oxidated-silver cathode, also called S1. Transmission-mode, sensitive from 300...1200 nm. High dark current; used mainly in near-infrared, with the photocathode cooled.
T – Multialkalisodium-potassium-antimony-caesium cathode, wide spectral response from ultraviolet to near-infrared; special cathode processing can extend range to 930 nm. Used in broadband spectrophotometers.
75B1 – Voltage reference tube, miniature 7-pin base
75C1 – Voltage reference tube, miniature 7-pin base
83A1 – Voltage reference tube, miniature 7-pin base
85A1/0E3 – Voltage reference tube, Loctal B8G base
85A2/0G3 – Voltage reference tube, miniature 7-pin base
90C1 – Voltage reference tube, miniature 7-pin base
95A1 – Voltage reference tube, miniature 7-pin base
100E1 – Voltage reference tube, "A" Base
108C1/0B2 – Voltage reference tube, miniature 7-pin base
150A1 – Voltage reference tube, "P" base
150B2 – Voltage reference tube, miniature 7-pin base
150B3 – Voltage reference tube, miniature 7-pin base
150C1 – Voltage reference tube, "P" base
150C2/0A2 – Voltage reference tube, miniature 7-pin base
150C4 – Voltage reference tube, miniature 7-pin base
Compagnie des Lampes (1888, "Métal") system
The first (1888) incarnation of La Compagnie des Lampes produced the TM tube since 1915 and defined one of the first French systems;[1][16] not to be confused with Compagnie des Lampes (1921, "French Mazda", see below).
B142 – 400 W RF power triode up to 50 MHz similar to 833A
B1109 = 3C24 – 25 W VHF power triode up to 60 MHz
B1135 = 5867 = CV1350 – VHF power triode up to 100 MHz
B1152 – 500W RF power triode up to 50 MHz
QT1257 – Touch button tube, an illuminated capacitance touch switch; a cold-cathode DC relay tube, external (capacitive) starter activated by touching; then the cathode glow is visible. 6-pin octal base
XL601, XL602, XL603, XL627, XL628, XL631 and XL632 – Cold-cathode, linear light source (glow modulator tube), gas diode with a blue-violet glow, modulation up to 1 MHz, 8-pin base, for rotating-drum FAX receivers, etc.
S – Separate-cathode Counter/Selector Dekatron that makes all cathodes available on individual pins for displaying, divide-by-n counter/timer/prescalers, etc.
TE – Trigger tetrode, one starter electrode and a keep-alive (primer) electrode for ion availability
TR – Trigger triode, one starter electrode only
A digit group:
Dekatrons: Stage count
Digital indicators: Display cathode count
Diodes, voltage references: Nominal voltage
Trigger tubes: Ignition voltage
An optional digit group after a slash: Pin count
One letter denoting the type:
A – Plastic base
B – Plastic base
C – Plastic base
D – Plastic base
E – Plastic base
G – 26-pin B26A base
H – 27-pin B27A base
M – B7G base
P – B7G base
Q – B7G base
W – Pigtails
X – Pigtails
Y – Pigtails
Marconi-Osram system
The British GEC–Marconi–Osram designation from the 1920s uses one or two letter(s) followed by two numerals and sometimes by a second letter identifying different versions of a particular type.[1]
The letter(s) generally denote the type or use:
Note: A preceding letter M indicates a 4-volts AC indirectly heated tube
Older Mullard tubes were mostly designated PM, followed by a number containing the filament voltage.
Many later tubes were designated one to three semi-intuitive letters, followed by a number containing the heater voltage. This was phased out after 1934 when Mullard adopted the Mullard–Philips scheme.
20D4 – Indirectly heated, triode/heptode frequency mixer, 9-pin base
Valvo system before 1934
Valvo(de, it) was a major German electronic components manufacturer from 1924 to 1989; a Philips subsidiary since 1927, Valvo was one of the predecessors of NXP Semiconductors.
The system consisted of one or two letters followed by 3 or 4 digits. It was phased out after 1934 when Valvo adopted the Mullard–Philips scheme.
Polish Lamina(pl) transmitter tube designations consist of one or two letters, a group of digits and an optional letter and/or two digits preceded by a "/" sign.
The first letter indicates the tube type, two equal letters denoting a dual tube:
P – Pentode
Q – Tetrode
T – Triode
A group of digits represents the maximum anode power dissipation in kW
An optional letter specifies the cooling method:
<none> – Radiation
P – Forced air
W – Water
The first of the two digits after the "/" sign means:
1 – Tube for radio broadcasting and radiocommunication equipment
2 – Tube for industrial equipment
3 – Tube used in TV broadcasting equipment
4 – Tube for radiocommunication equipment with unbalanced modulation
5 – Modulator or pulse tube
The second digit after the "/" is sequentially assigned.
Examples:
Q01 – Power tetrode up to 125 MHz, 0.1 kW (=100 W)
Q3.5 – Power tetrode up to 220 MHz, 3.5 kW
QQ-004/11 – Dual beam power tetrode up to 500 MHz, 0.04 kW (=40 W)
T01 – Power triode up to 200 MHz, 135 W
T015/21 – Power triode up to 150 MHz, 150 W
T02 – Power triode up to 60 MHz, 200 W
T05P/31 – Forced air cooled power triode up to 1 GHz, 1 kW
T2/22 – Power triode up to 60 MHz, 3 kW
T6 – Power triode up to 30 MHz, 6 kW
T8P/21 – Forced air cooled power triode up to 120 MHz, 8 kW
T10P/22 – Power triode up to 30 MHz, 10 kW
T-25P – Forced air cooled power triode up to 30 MHz, 25 kW
T60W/21 – Water cooled power triode up to 30 MHz, 6 kW
Rundfunk- und Fernmelde-Technik(de, sv) was the brand of a group of telecommunications manufacturers in the German Democratic Republic. The designation consists of a group of three letters and a group of three or four digits.
The first two letters determine the tube type:
SR – Transmitter tube
VR – Amplifier tube
The third letter specifies the cooling method:
L – Forced air
S – Radiation
V – Vapor (the anode is immersed in evaporating water, and the steam is collected, condensed and recycled)
W – Water
The first digit (or the first two digits in double tubes) indicates the number of electrodes:
2 – Diode
3 – Triode
4 – Tetrode
5 – Pentode
The last two digits are sequentially assigned.
Examples:
SRS301 – Radiation-cooled triode up to 40 MHz, 900 W
SRS464 – Radiation-cooled, vibration-resistant pulse tetrode up to 300 kW
SRS4451 – Radiation-cooled dual tetrode up to 500 MHz, 60 W
SRS4452 = QQE03/20 = 6252 – Radiation-cooled dual tetrode up to 600 MHz, 20 W
SRS4452 – Radiation-cooled dual tetrode up to 600 MHz, 20 W
SRS501 – Radiation-cooled pentode up to 50 MHz, 100 W
SRS552N = ГУ-50 – Radiation-cooled pentode up to 120 MHz, 50 W
Next number: Anode dissipation in W (if radiation cooled) or kW (otherwise)
The next letter specifies the cooling method:
<none> – Radiation
V – Vapor
X – Forced air
Y – Water
Examples:
RA0007B – Directly heated saturated-emission ballast diode. Acts as a heating current-controlled, variable series resistor in voltage/current stabilizer circuits; UAmax 600 V IAmax 700 µA, miniature 9-pin noval base
RA100A – 40 kV, 100 mA Half-wave rectifier with an E40 Goliath Edison lamp screw base and an anode top cap
RC5B – Bowl-type UHF power triode up to 5 W
RD27AS – Radiation-cooled power triode up to 25 MHz, 27 W
RD200B – Radiation-cooled power triode up to 60 MHz, 200 W
RD300S – Radiation-cooled power triode up to 200 MHz, 300 W
RD150YA – Water-cooled power triode up to 3 MHz, 150 kW
The Tungsram system was composed of a maximum of three letters and three or four digits.[26][25] It was phased out after 1934 when Tungsram adopted the Mullard–Philips scheme, frequently preceding it with the letter T, as in TAD1 for AD1.
Letter: System type:
Note: A preceding letter A indicates an indirectly heated tube
D – Detector diode
DD – Dual diode
DG – Tetrode with a space charge grid (the 2nd grid is the control grid)
Vacuum tubes produced in the former Soviet Union and in present-day Russia are designated in Cyrillic. Some confusion has been created in transliterating these designations to Latin.
1929 system
The first system was introduced in 1929. It consisted of one or two letters and a sequentially assigned number with up to 3 digits[25]
First letter: System type:
B (Russian: Б) – Power oscillator tube or barretter
V (Russian: В) – Rectifier
G (Russian: Г) – RF power tube (Russian: Генераторная "Generator")
Zh (Russian: Ж) – Low-power oscillator tube
M (Russian: M) – Modulator
N (Russian: Н) – AF amplifier
P (Russian: П) – Receiver tube
S (Russian: С) – Special tube, such as a pentode or a CRT
In 1937, the Soviet Union purchased a tube assembly line from RCA (who at the time had difficulties raising funds for their basic operations), including production licenses and initial staff training, and installed it on the Svetlana/Светлана plant in St. Petersburg, Russia. US-licensed tubes were produced since then under an adapted RETMA scheme.
In the 1950s a 5-element system (Russian: Государственный Стандарт "State standard" ГОСТ/GOST 5461-59, later 13393-76) was adopted in the (then) Soviet Union for designating receiver vacuum tubes.[30][31]
The 1st element is a number specifying filament voltage in volts (rounded to the nearest whole number; 06 means 0.625 V), or, for cathode-ray tubes, the screen diagonal or diameter in cm (rounded-off to the nearest whole number).
The 2nd element is a Cyrillic character specifying the type of device:
The 5th element is optional. It consists of a hyphen ("-") followed by a single character or a combination of characters, and denotes special characteristics (if any) of the tube:
V (Russian: В) – Increased reliability and mechanical ruggedness (such as low susceptibility to noise and microphonics)
R (Russian: Р) – Even better than V
Ye (Russian: Е) – Extended service life (≥5000 h)
D (Russian: Д) – Exceptionally long service life (≥10000 h)
I (Russian: И) – Optimised for "pulsed" (i.e. switching) mode of operation
K (Russian: К) – Vibration-resistant
Note: In most cases this means construction differences to the basic version, rather than a selection for those characteristics from the regular-quality production at the factory.
Professional tubes system
There is another designation system for professional tubes such as transmitter ones.[32][25]
6M-E10 – "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator, miniature 7-pin base B7G
6N-H10 – Nuvistor
6R-A8 – Power triode
6R-B10 – Beam power tube
6R-B11 – Beam power tube
Military naming systems
British CV naming system
This system prefixes a three- or four-digit number with the letters "CV", meaning "civilian valve" i.e. common to all three armed services. It was introduced during the Second World War to rationalise the previous nomenclatures maintained separately by the War Office/Ministry of Supply, Admiralty and Air Ministry/Ministry of Aircraft Production on behalf of the three armed services (e.g. "ACR~", "AR~", "AT~", etc. for CRTs, receiving and transmitting valves used in army equipments, "NC~", "NR~" and "NT~" similarly for navy equipments and "VCR~", "VR~" and "VT~" etc. for air force equipments), in which three separate designations could in principle apply to the same valve (which often had at least one prototype commercial designation as well). These numbers generally have identical equivalents in both the North American, RETMA, and West European, Mullard–Philips, systems but they bear no resemblance to the assigned "CV" number.
Examples:
CV1988 = 6SN7GT = ECC32 (not a direct equivalent as heater current is different and bulb is larger)
CV2729 = E80F – An SQ version of EF80 but with revised pin-out and a base screen substituted for the RF screen
CV4014 = M8083 – SQ version of EF91 or 6AM6 (The 'M' in the part number denotes that it was developed by the military)
Note: The 4000 numbers identify special-quality valves though SQ valves CV numbered before that rule came in retain their original CV number.
The principle behind the CV numbering scheme was also adopted by the US Joint Army-Navy JAN numbering scheme which was later considerably expanded into the US Federal and then NATO Stock Number system used by all NATO countries. This part-identification system ensures that every particular spare part (not merely thermionic valves) receives a unique stock number across the whole of NATO irrespective of the source, and hence is not held inefficiently as separate stores. In the case of CV valves, the stock number is always of the format 5960-99-000-XXXX where XXXX is the CV number (with a leading 0 if the CV number only has 3 digits).
U.S. naming systems
One system prefixes a three-digit number with the letters "VT", presumably meaning "Vacuum Tube". Other systems prefix the number with the letters "JHS" or "JAN". The numbers following these prefixes can be "special" four-digit numbers, or domestic two- or three-digit numbers or simply the domestic North American "RETMA" numbering system. Like the British military system, these have many direct equivalents in the civilian types.
Confusingly, the British also had two entirely different "VT" nomenclatures, one used by the Royal Air Force (see the preceding section) and the other used by the General Post Office, responsible for post and telecommunications at the time, where it may have stood for "valve, telephone"; none of these schemes corresponded in any way with each other.
Various numeral-only systems exist. These tend to be used for devices used in commercial or industrial equipment. The oldest numbering systems date back to the early 1920s, such as a two-digit numbering system, starting with the UV-201A, which was considered as "type 01", and extended almost continuously up into the 1980s. Three- and four-digit numeral-only systems were maintained by R.C.A., but also adopted by many other manufacturers, and typically encompassed rectifiers and radio transmitter output devices. Devices in the low 800s tend to be transmitter output types, those in the higher 800s are not vacuum tubes, but gas-filled rectifiers and thyratrons, and those in the 900s tend to be special-purpose and high-frequency devices. Use was not rigorously systematic: the 807 had variants 1624, 1625, and 807W.
Other letter followed by numerals
There are quite a number of these systems from different geographical realms, such as those used on devices from contemporary Russian and Chinese production. Other compound numbering systems were used to mark higher-reliability types used in industrial or commercial applications. Computers and telecommunication equipment also required tubes of greater quality and reliability than for domestic and consumer equipment.
Some designations are derived from the behavior of devices considered to be exceptional.
Mazda/EdiSwan sold their first tubes for 4-volts AC mains transformer (as opposed to home storage battery) heating with the prefix AC/ (for examplessee below).
The first beam tetrodes manufactured in the UK in the late 1930s by M-OV, carried a "KT" prefix meaning Kinkless Tetrode (for examplessee below).
List of American RETMA tubes, with European equivalents
Voltage stabilisers and references. Function in a similar way to a Zener diode, at higher voltages. Letter order (A-B-C) indicates increasing voltage ratings on octal-based regulators and decreasing voltage ratings on miniature-based regulators.
0A2 – 150 volt regulator, 7-pin miniature base
0A3 – 75 volt regulator, octal base, aka VR75
0B2 – 105 volt regulator, 7-pin miniature base
0B3 – 90 volt regulator, octal base, aka VR90
0C2 – 75 volt regulator, 7-pin miniature base
0C3 – 105 volt regulator, octal base, aka VR105
0D3 – 150 volt regulator, octal base, aka VR150
Other cold-cathode tubes
0A4G – 25 mAavg, 100mApeak Gas triode designed for use as a ripple control receiver; with the cathode tied to the midpoint of a series-resonance LC circuit across live mains, it would activate a relay in its anode circuit while fres is present
0Y4 – 40 ≤ I ≤ 75 mA Half-wave gas rectifier with a starter anode, 5-pin octal base
0Z4 – 30 ≤ I ≤ 90 mA Argon-filled, full-wave gas rectifier, octal base. Widely used in vibrator power supplies in early automobile radio receivers.
1 volt heater/filament tubes
Tubes with up to 1.4 volt heaters
1B3GT – High-voltage rectifier diode with 1.25 V filament common in monochrome TV receivers of the 1950s and early 1960s. Peak inverse voltage of 30 kV. Anode current 2 mA average, 17 mA peak. Derived from the earlier industrial type 8016. (International Octal base.)
1V2 – High voltage rectifier with 0.625 V/300 mA filament (B7G base)
Tubes with 1.4 volt DC heaters
1A3 – High frequency diode with indirectly heated cathode. Used as a detector in some portable AM/FM receivers.
1S4 – Power output pentode Class-A amplifier, anode voltage in the 45...90 volt range.
1S5 – Sharp-cutoff pentode Class-A amplifier, and diode, used as detector and first A.F. stage in battery radio receivers. Anode voltage in the 67...90 volt range.
1T4/DF91 – Remote-cutoff R.F. Pentode Class-A amplifier, used as R.F. and I.F. amplifier in battery radio receivers (B7G base).
1U4 – Sharp-cutoff R.F. Pentode Class-A amplifier, used as R.F. and I.F. amplifier in battery radio receivers, similar characteristics to 6BA6 (B7G base).
1U6 – Nearly identical to type 1L6, but with a 1.4 V/25 mA filament
1.25 volt filament subminiature tubes
The following tubes were used in post-World War II walkie-talkies and pocket-sized portable radios. All have 1.25 volt DC filaments and directly heated cathodes. Some specify which end of the filament is to be powered by the positive side of the filament power supply (usually a battery). All have glass bodies that measure from 0.285 to 0.400 inches (7.2 to 10.2 millimetres) wide, and from 1.25 to 2.00 inches (32 to 51 millimetres) in overall length.
These tubes were made for home storage battery receivers manufactured during the early to mid-1930s. The numbers of the following tubes all start with 1, but these tubes all have 2.0 volt DC filaments. This numbering scheme was intended to differentiate these tubes from the tubes with 2.5 volt AC heaters listed below.
1A4-p – Remote-cutoff pentode
1A4-t – Remote-cutoff tetrode
1A6 – Pentagrid converter up to only 10 MHz due to low heater power (2 V/60 mA) and consequent low emission in the oscillator section; also occasionally used as a grid-leak detector
1A7-GT – Re-engineered version of types 1A6 and 1D7-G, designed for use in portable AC/DC/Dry-cell battery radios introduced in 1938. Has 1.4 V/50 mA filament.
1B4-p – Sharp-cutoff pentode
1B4-t – Sharp-cutoff tetrode
1B5 – Dual detector diode, medium-mu triode. Usually numbered 1B5/25S
1B7-GT – Re-engineered version of types 1C6 and 1C7-G, designed for use in dry-cell battery radios with shortwave bands. Has 1.4 V/100 mA filament
1C5 – Power pentode (similar to 3Q5 except for filament)
1C6 – Pentagrid converter; 1A6, with double the heater power and double the frequency range
1C7-G – Octal version of type 1C6.
1D5-Gp – Octal version of type 1A4-p.
1D5-Gt – Octal version of type 1A4-t. (Note: This is a shouldered "G" octal, not a cylindrical "GT" octal.)
1D7-G – Octal version of type 1A6.
1E5-Gp – Octal version of type 1B4-p.
1E5-Gt – Octal version of type 1B4-t. (Note: This is a shouldered "G" octal, not a cylindrical "GT" octal.)
1E7-G – Dual power pentode for use as a driver when parallel-connected, or as a push-pull output. "GT" version also available
1F4 – Power pentode
1F5-G – Octal version of 1F4.
1F6 – Duplex diode, sharp-cutoff pentode
1F7-G – Octal version of type 1F6
1G5-G – Power pentode
1H4-G – Medium-mu triode, can be used as a power triode. Octal version of type 30, which is an upgraded version of type 01-A. "GT" version also available.
1H6-G – Octal version of type 1B5/25S. "GT" version also available.
1J5-G (950) – AF Power pentode
1J6-G – Dual power triode, octal version of type 19. "GT" version also available.
2 volt heater/filament tubes
Tubes used in AC-powered radio receivers of the early 1930s. All have 2.5 volt heaters.
2A3 – Directly heated power triode, used for AF output stages in 1930s–1940s audio amplifiers and radios.
2A5 – Power Pentode (Except for heater, electronically identical to types 42 and 6F6)
2A6 – Dual diode, high-mu triode (Except for heater, electronically identical to type 75)
2A7 – Dual-tetrode-style pentagrid converter (Except for heater, electronically identical to types 6A7, 6A8 and 12A8)
2B7 – Dual diode and remote-cutoff pentode (Except for heater, electronically identical to type 6B7)
2E5 and 2G5 – Electron-ray indicators ("Eye tube") with integrated control triode. (Except for heater, electronically identical to types 6E5 and 6G5)
2CW4 – Nuvistor high-mu VHF triode, 6CW4 with a 2.1 volt/450 mA heater; used in TV receivers with series heater strings
2CY5 – VHF sharp-cutoff RF tetrode
2EA5 – VHF sharp-cutoff RF tetrode
2EN5 – Dual-diode
2ER5 – VHF RF triode
2ES5 – VHF RF triode
2EV5 – VHF sharp-cutoff RF tetrode
2FH5 – VHF RF triode
2FQ5 – VHF RF triode
2FV6 – VHF sharp-cutoff RF tetrode
2FY5 – VHF RF triode
2X2 – High Vacuum High Peak inverse voltage diode, used as rectifier in CRT EHT supplies. Similar to 1B3 and 1S2 except for heater voltage.
Nominally 5 volt heater/filament tubes
5J6 – General purpose RF dual triode with common cathodes, a 6J6 with a 4.7 volt 600 mA controlled warm up heater[35]
5 volt heater/filament tubes
5AR4, GZ34 – Full wave rectifier
5AS4 – Full wave rectifier
5R4 – Full wave rectifier
5U4 – Full wave rectifier
5V4, GZ32 – Full wave rectifier
5Y3 – Full-wave rectifier, octal base version of type 80
6 volt heater/filament tubes
6A6 – Dual Power Triode, used as a Class-A audio driver or a Class-B audio output. UX6 base. 6.3 volt heater version of type 53 which had a 2.5 volt heater. Octal version – 6N7.
6A7 and 6A8 (PH4, X63) – SuperheterodynePentagrid converter – dual tetrode style. Based on type 2A7, which had a 2.5 volt heater. 6A7 has a UX7 base with top cap connection for control grid (grid 4). 6A8 is octal version with top cap connection for control grid. Loctal version: type 7B8.
6AB4/EC92 – High-mu triode (Pinout same as 6C4 except for pin 5 not having a connection)
6AD6-G and 6AF6-G – "Magic Eye" tuning indicators. Both have two "pie wedge" shadow indicators, one each on opposite sides of a single circular indicator target. Both shadows may be used in tandem or may be driven by two different signal sources. Type 6AE6-G is specifically made to drive each indicator with different signals. May also be driven by separate pentodes with different characteristics. E.g., a sharp-cutoff pentode like a 6J7 – which would be hyper-sensitive to any signal change – would drive one shadow, while a remote-cutoff pentode like a 6K7 – which would only react to stronger signals – would drive the other shadow. Both tubes have octal bases. Type 6AD6-G, with a target voltage rated from 100 to 150 volt, is designed for AC/DC radios. Type 6AF6-G, with a target voltage rated at 250 volt, is designed for larger AC radios.
6AE6-G – A driver triode specially designed for "Magic Eye" tuning indicator types 6AD6-G and 6AF6-G. Has a common heater and indirectly heated cathode, two internally connected triode grids – one with sharp-cutoff characteristics, one with remote-cutoff characteristics – and two anodes, one for each grid. The sharp-cutoff grid reacts to any signal change, while the remote-cutoff grid reacts only to stronger signal changes.
6AE7-GT – Dual Triode with a common, single anode, for use as a power triode driver
6AF4 – UHF Medium-mu Triode, commonly found in TV UHF tuners and converters.
6AF11 – Compactron High-mu dual triode and sharp-cutoff pentode
6AG11 – Compactron High-mu dual triode and dual diode
6AH5-G – Beam power tube for early TV use. Same as type 6L6-G, but with scrambled pinout. Used in some Philco receivers.
6AK5, EF95, 5654, CV4010, 6Ж1П – Miniature V.H.F. Sharp-cutoff pentode (Used in old Radiosonde weather balloon transmitters, receiver front ends and contemporary audio equipment) B7G, (Miniature 7-pin) base
6AK6 – Power pentode. 7-pin miniature version of type 6G6-G. Unusual low-power consumption output tube with 150 mA heater.
6AK8/EABC80 – Triple Diode, High-mu Triode. Diodes have identical characteristics – two have cathodes connected to the triode's cathode, one has a separate cathode. Used as a combination AM detector/AVC rectifier/FM ratio detector/A.F. amplifier in AM/FM radios manufactured outside of North America. Triode amplification factor: 70. North American type 6T8 is identical (but for a shorter glass envelope) and may be used as a substitute.
6AK9 – Compactron 1x high-mu + 1x medium-mu dual triode and beam power pentode, 12-pin base
6AK10 – Compactron High-mu triple triode for use as NTSC chroma signal demodulator matrix in analog color TV receivers, 12-pin base
6AL6-G – Beam power tube for early TV use. Same as type 6L6-G, but with scrambled pinout and anode connected to top cap.
6AL7-GT – Tuning indicator used in many early AM/FM Hi-Fi radios. Similar in function to "Magic Eye" tubes. Has two bar-shaped shadows; one grows to indicate signal strength, the other moves to indicate center tuning on FM.
6AM6, EF91, Z77 – Sharp-cutoff R.F. pentode used in receiver front ends and test gear such as VTVMs and TV broadcast modulation monitors.
6AN7, ECH80 – Triode-Hexode Local Oscillator/Mixer (radio)
6AN8 – Triode-Pentode used in frame timebase circuits for television. Electrically fairly similar to ECL80 but with a different pinout.
6AQ5 – Beam-power pentode, 7-pin miniature similar of type 6V6.
6AQ8/ECC85 – Dual triode with internal shield. Designed for use as oscillator and mixer in FM receivers. The heater to cathode insulation is inadequate for use in cascode operation
6AS6 – Pentode with a fine-pitched suppressor grid which could serve as a second control grid. Used in radar phantastron circuits.
6AS7, 6080 – Dual low-mu Triode, low impedance, mostly used for voltage regulation circuits.
6AS11 – Compactron 1x high-mu + 1x medium-mu dual triode and sharp-cutoff pentode, 12-pin base
6AT6 – Dual Diode, High-mu Triode, miniature version of type 6Q7. Triode amplification factor: 70.
6AU4 – TV "Damper/Efficiency" Diode
6AU6, EF94, 6AU6A – Sharp-cutoff pentode
6AV6 – Dual Diode, High-mu Triode, miniature version of type 75. Triode amplification factor: 100. (Triode section similar in characteristics to one half of a 12AX7.)
6AV11 – Compactron Medium-mu triple triode, 12-pin base
6AX4 – TV "Damper/Efficiency" Diode
6AX5 – Full-wave rectifier. Octal base. Similar in structure to type 6X5, but with higher voltage and current ratings which are comparable to those of types 5Y3 and 80.
6B6-G – Double-Diode High-mu Triode. Octal version of type 75. Has top-cap connection for triode grid. Later octal version, type 6SQ7, has under-chassis connection for triode grid. Miniature version: 6AV6.
6B7 and 6B8 (EBF32) – Double-Diode, Semiremote-cutoff Pentodes. Based on type 2B7 which had a 2.5 volt heater. Type 6B7 has a UX7 base with a top-cap connection for the control grid (grid 1). Type 6B8 has an octal base with a top cap. The diode anodes are most commonly used as (second) detectors and AVC rectification in superheterodyne receivers. Because their control grids have both sharp-cutoff and remote-cutoff characteristics, these types were used as I.F. amplifiers with AVC bias to the control grid, and as A.F. amplifiers. These types were also used in reflex radios. In a typical 2B7/6B7/6B8 reflex circuit, the I.F. signal from the converter is injected into the pentode and is amplified. The diodes then act as detectors, separating the A.F. signal from the R.F. signal. The A.F. signal is then re-injected into the pentode, amplified, and sent to the audio output tube.[36]
6BA6, EF93, W727, 5790 – Semiremote-cutoff R.F. Pentode (Often encountered in car radios)
6BD11 – Compactron 1x high-mu + 1x medium-mu dual triode and sharp-cutoff pentode, 12-pin base
6BE6, EK90, 5750, X727 – Pentagrid Converter (Often encountered in car radios)
6BF6 – Dual Diode, Medium-mu triode. Miniature version of octal type 6R7.
6BF8 – Sextuple diode with a common cathode
6BG6 – Beam tetrode, anode cap. Used in early TV magnetic-deflection horizontal-output stage.
6BH11 – Compactron Medium-mu dual triode and sharp-cutoff pentode
6BK4 – High Voltage beam Triode (30 kV anode voltage). Used as shunt regulator in color TV receivers and measurement equipment such as high voltage meters
6BK7 – Dual Triode with Internal shield between each section, used in RF circuits (Similar to 6BQ7)
6BK11 – Compactron 2x High-mu + 1x medium-mu triple triode preamplifier, 12-pin base; used in some guitar amps made by Ampeg.
6BL6 (5836) – Sutton tube, a reflex klystron used as a 250 mW CW microwave source, 1.6 to 6.5 GHz depending upon an external cavity. 4-pin peewee base with cavity contact rings and top cap
6BL8, ECF80 – General-purpose Triode pentode used in TV, audio and test gear
6BM6 (5837) – Sutton tube used as a 150 mW CW microwave source, 550 MHz to 3.8 GHz depending upon an external cavity. 4-pin peewee base with cavity contact rings and top cap
6BM8, ECL82 – Triode pentode used as the driver and output stages in audio amplifiers, audio output and vertical output stages in TV receivers and has even been seen in an electronic nerve stimulator.
6BN6 – Gated-beam discriminator pentode, used in radar, dual channel oscilloscopes and F.M. quadrature detectors (cf. 6DT6, nonode).
6BQ5, EL84,(N709) – 5.7 Watts AF Power pentode, noval base
6BQ6-GT – Beam Power Pentode, used as a Horizontal Deflection Output tube in monochrome TV receivers of the 1950s. Most commonly used in receivers with diagonal screen sizes less than 19 inches (48 cm). (However, may be found in some larger models.) Larger receivers often used similar type 6DQ6. Later versions of this tube branded as 6BQ6-GTB/6CU6.
6BQ7 – Dual RF/VHF triode with internal screen. The two sections can be used independently or in a cascode stage
6BQ7A – Improved 6BQ7 capable of operation at UHF frequencies
6BU8 – Split Anode TV Sync Separator
6BX6, EF80 – Sharp-cutoff RF/IF/Video pentode, noval base
6BY6 – Similar to type 6CS6, but with higher transconductance. 3BY6 with a different heater
6BZ6 – Sharp-cutoff R.F. pentode used in video I.F. circuits of the 1960s.
6BZ7 – Dual Triode. See 6BK7
6C4/EC90 – 3.6 W small-power V.H.F. triode up to 150 MHz; single 12AU7/ECC82 system
6C6 – Sharp-cutoff R.F. Pentode. Most common commercial uses were as a tuned R.F. amplifier, a detector, and an A.F. amplifier. Also used in test equipment. Has UX6 base with top cap. Based on type 57, which had a 2.5 volt heater. Similar to types 1603, 77 and octal types 6J7 and 6SJ7
6C10 – Compactron High-mu triple triode, 12-pin base – not related to the Mazda/EdiSwan 6C10 triode-hexode
6CA11 – Compactron High-mu dual triode and sharp-cutoff pentode
6CB6 – Remote-cutoff R.F. Pentode used in video I.F. circuits of the 1950s and early 1960s.
6CG7 – Dual Triode (used in TV and some audio amplifiers including modern solid-state designs often as a cathode follower, similar to 6SN7)
6CJ6 – Line Output Pentode
6CL6 – Power pentode
6CM5, EL36, EL360 – Audio and TV Line Output Beam Power Tetrode.
6CW4 – Nuvistor high-mu VHF triode, most common one in consumer electronics
6CZ5 - Beam pentode for use in vertical deflection or audio amplifier. In certain applications, it can be used in place of a 6973.
6D4 – 25 mAavg, 100 mApeak Indirectly heated, argon triode thyratron, negative starter voltage, miniature 7-pin base; found an additional use as a 0 to 10 MHz noise source, when operated as a diode (starter tied to cathode) in a transverse 375 G magnetic field. Sufficiently filtered for "flatness" ("white noise") in a band of interest, such noise was used for testing radio receivers, servo systems and occasionally in analog computing as a random value source.
6D6 – Remote-Cutoff R.F. Pentode. Most common commercial uses were as an I.F. amplifier or as a superheterodyne mixer, aka 1st detector. Also used in test equipment. Has UX6 base with top cap. Based on type 58, which had a 2.5 volt heater. Similar to type 78. Octal version: 6U7-G.
6D8-G – Superheterodyne Pentagrid converter, similar to type 6A8. Octal base with top cap. Has 150 mA heater. Used in pre-war 6-volt farm radios.
6D10 – High-mu triple triode for use as oscillator, mixer, amplifier or AGC tube, 12-pin base
6DA6, EF89 – R.F. Pentode used in AM/FM radios manufactured outside North America.
6DJ8, ECC88, E88CC, 6922, 6N23P, 6N11 – Dual Audio and R.F. Triode (often used in TV broadcast equipment, test gear, oscilloscopes and audiophile gear) similar to 6ES8
6DQ6 – Beam Power Pentode, used as a Horizontal Deflection Output tube in monochrome TV receivers of the 1950s. Most often found in receivers with diagonal screen measurements larger than 17 inches (43 cm). Smaller receivers often used similar type 6BQ6-GT. Also used as Audio Output tubes in Standel guitar amplifiers. Later versions branded as 6DQ6-B/6GW6.
6DR8, EBF83 – R.F. pentode which will operate with 12 V anode supply, used as I.F. amplifier in car radios which run directly off the 13.5 volt supply.
6DS4 – Nuvistor R.F. triode used in TV tuners immediately prior to the introduction of solid state tuning circuits. (RCA TVs equipped with a 6DS4 tuner bore the trademark "Nu-Vista Vision"); successor of the 6CW4.
6DS8, ECH83 – Triode-heptode Local oscillator-Mixer which will operate with 12 V anode supply, used in car radios which run directly off the 13.5 volt supply.
6DT6 – Quadrature detector used in TV audio circuits of the 1950s and early 1960s; cf. 6BN6, nonode.
6DV4 – Medium-mu Nuvistor triode for UHF oscillators; some versions had a gold-plated envelope
6DX8 – Triode pentode
6E5 – "Magic Eye" Tuning indicator. Has incorporated driver triode with sharp-cutoff grid which makes it extremely sensitive to any changes in signal strength. Has UX6 base. Based on type 2E5, which had a 2.5 volt heater.
6EM5 – TV Vertical Output Pentode
6ES6, EF98 – R.F. pentode which will operate with 12 V anode supply, used as tuned R.F. amplifier in car radios which run directly off the 13.5 volt supply.
6ES8, ECC89, E89CC – Dual Triode used as cascode R.F. amplifier in TV tuners and V.H.F. receiver front ends, also used as general-purpose dual triode in test gear, similar to 6DJ8
6EZ8 – High-mu triple triode, 9-pin base
6F4 – Acorn UHF triode up to 1.2 GHz, for use as an oscillator
6F5 – High-mu triode, equal to triode section of type 6Q7
6F6, KT63 – Power Pentode. Octal base version of type 42. Moderate power output rating – 9 watts max. (Single-ended Class-A circuit); 11 watts max. (Push-pull Class-A circuit); 19 watts max. (push-pull Class-AB2 circuit). Available in metal (numbered "6F6"), shouldered glass ("6F6-G"), and cylindrical glass ("6F6-GT"). Sometimes used as a transformer-coupled audio driver for types 6L6-GC and 807 when those tubes were used in Class-AB2 or Class-B amplifiers. Also used as a Class-C oscillator/amplifier in transmitters.
6F7 – Remote-cutoff Pentode, Medium-mu Triode. Has UX7 base with top-cap connection for the pentode's control grid (grid 1). Most common uses were as superheterodyne mixer ("first detector") and local oscillator, or as a combination I.F. amplifier (pentode) and (second) detector or A.F. amplifier (triode). Octal version: 6P7-G.
6FH8 – Medium-mu triode and three-anode sharp-cutoff tetrode for use in TV receivers and complex wave generators
6G5 – "Magic Eye" Tuning indicator. Has incorporated triode with remote-cutoff grid, which makes it less reactive to low-level changes in signal strength. Has UX6 base. Electronically identical to type 6U5 except for indicator. Both types had "pie wedge" shadow indicators. At first, the shadow indicator for type 6G5 was fully closed at zero signal and opened as signal strength increased. For type 6U5, the shadow indicator was fully open at zero signal and closed as signal strength increased. After World War II, type 6G5 was discontinued as a unique tube and all 6U5s were doubled branded either as 6G5/6U5 or 6U5/6G5.
6G6-G – Power pentode. Octal base. Low power output – 1.1 watt max. output. Has 150 mA heater. Used in pre-war 6-volt farm radios. Miniature version – 6AK6.
6G8-G – Double-Diode Sharp-cutoff Pentode (Used as Detector and first A.F. stage in Australian 1940s radios)
6GK5 – Miniature V.H.F. triode (Used as V.H.F. local oscillator in some T.V. Turret Tuners)
6GM5 – Beam power pentode, identical to 7591 and 7868 with a mini-noval pin base
6GV8, ECL85 – Triode Pentode (TV vertical output)
6GW8, ECL86 – Audio Triode Pentode (audio, TV vertical output)
6GY8 – High-mu triple triode for use as oscillator, mixer, RF amplifier or AGC tube, 9-pin base
6H6, D63, EB34, OSW3109 – Dual diode. Octal base. Most commonly found as a "stubby" metal envelope tube. Glass versions 6H6-G and 6H6-GT are also found.
6HS8 – Dual-anode pentode for TV receiver sync separation service or as a two-channel VCA
6J6 – Dual general purpose RF triode with common cathodes, operates over much of the UHF band (up to 600 MHz), equivalent to ECC91
6J7, EF37 – Sharp-cutoff Pentode. Most common commercial uses were as a tuned R.F. amplifier, a (second) detector, or an A.F. amplifier. Octal version of type 77. This type included a top-cap connection for the control grid. Later version, type 6SJ7, had its control grid connection on pin 4.
6J8-G – Triode-Heptode (radio local oscillator/mixer)
6JU8A – 9 mA, Four-diode bridge rectifier
6K6-G – Power Pentode, octal version of type 41. Low-to-moderate power output rating – 0.35 to 4.5 watts (single-ended Class-A circuit); 10.5 watts max. (push-pull Class-A circuit).
6K7, EF39 – Remote-cutoff R.F. pentode. Most common commercial uses were as an I.F. amplifier or as a superheterodyne mixer, aka 1st detector. Also used in test equipment. Octal version of type 78. This type included a top-cap connection for the control grid. Later version, type 6SK7, had its control grid connection on pin 4.
There are several variations. Except for types 6L6-GC and 6L6-GX, all have the same maximum output ratings:
11.5 watts (single-ended Class-A circuit)
14.5 watts (push-pull Class-A circuit)
34 watts (push-pull Class-AB1 circuit)
60 watts (push-pull Class-AB2 circuit)
6L6 (metal envelope) and 6L6-G (shouldered glass envelope) were used in pre-World War II radios and Public Address amplifiers.
6L6 and 25L6 were introduced in 1935 as the first beam tetrodes. Both types were branded with the L6 ending to signify their (then) uniqueness among audio output tubes. However, this is the only similarity between the two tubes. (Type 6W6-GT is the 6.3 volt heater version of types 25L6-GT and 50L6-GT.)
6L6GA – Post-war version of type 6L6-G, in smaller ST-14 shape with Shouldered Tubular, (ST), shaped bulb, revision A.
6L6GB – Post-war improved version in a cylindrical glass envelope. Similar to type 5881.
6L6GTB – 6L6 with Tubular, (T), shaped bulb, revision B, (higher power rating, as it happens. The 6L6GTB can always replace the 6L6, 6L6G, and 6L6GT, but a 6L6GTB running at maximum rating should not be replaced with another subtype).
6L6-WGB – "Industrial" version of type 6L6GB.
6L6GC – Final and highest-powered audio version of the tube. Max. outputs:
17.5 watts (single-ended Class-A circuit)
32 watts (push-pull Class-A circuit)
55 watts (push-pull Class-AB1 circuit)
60 watts (push-pull Class-AB2 circuit)
6L6-GX – Class-C oscillator/amplifier used in transmitters. Max. output 30 watts. (All versions may be used as a Class-C oscillator/amplifier, but this version is specifically designed for this purpose, has a special ceramic base.)
6L7 – Pentagrid converter often used in console radios of the late 1930s. Similar in structure to pentode-triode pentagrid converters 6SA7 and 6BE6, except that a separate oscillator – usually type 6C5 – is required. Also, grid 1 is remote-cutoff control grid, grid 3 is oscillator input grid. (In types 6SA7 and 6BE6, grid 1 is the internal oscillator grid, grid 3 is the control grid.) Because of low conversion transconductance, radios using type 6L7 typically have either a tuned RF pre-amplifier stage, or at least two stages of I.F. amplification. (A few models have both.)
6LF6 – Beam power tetrode with a duodecar Compactron base and anode cap, for CRT horizontal-deflection amplifiers
6M5 – Audio Output Pentode (Used as Class-A or C output stages of 1950s Australian radiograms) similar to 6BQ5
6ME5 – "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator, miniature 7-pin base B7G
6MK8 – Dual-anode pentode for TV receiver sync separation service or as a two-channel VCA
6MJ8 – Medium-mu triple triode for use as NTSC chroma signal demodulator matrix in analog color TV receivers, 12-pin base
6MN8 – High-mu triple triode for use as NTSC chroma signal demodulator matrix in analog color TV receivers, 12-pin base
6N3, EY82 – Half-Wave Rectifier
6N5/6N5P – Tuning indicator
6N7 – Dual Power Triode, used as Class-A audio driver or as Class-B power output (also 6N7-G and 6N7-GT). Max. output (Class-B) – 10 watts. Octal version of type 6A6.
6N8, EBF80 – Remote-cutoff pentode, dual diode. (detector plus RF or AF amplifier in radios)
6P5-G/GT – Medium-mu triode, Octal version of type 76, often used as driver for type 6AC5-G.
6P7-G – Rarely seen octal version of type 6F7.
6Q5-G – Triode gas thyratron used in DuMont oscilloscopes as a sweep generator. Identical to type 884.
6Q11 – Medium-mu triple triode, 12-pin base, for use as a sync clipper and gated AGC amplifier in TV receivers
6R3, EY81 – TV "Damper/Efficiency" Diode
6R7 – Dual Diode, Medium-mu Triode (also 6R7-G and 6R7-GT). Octal base with top cap. Miniature version – 6BF6. Amplification factor: 16.
6S7-G – Remote-cutoff RF Pentode, similar to type 6K7. Octal base with top cap. Has 150 ms heater. Used in pre-war 6-volt farm radios.
6S8-GT – Triple Diode, High-mu Triode. Octal tube with top-cap connection to triode grid. Has three identical diodes – two diodes share a cathode with the triode, one has a separate cathode. Used as a combined AM detector/AVC rectifier/FM ratio detector/A.F. amplifier in AM/FM radios. Typically, all sections of this tube are arranged around a single heater.
6SC7 – High-mu dual triode (Both sections share a single cathode)
6SK7 – Remote-cutoff pentode (Used in I.F. stages of North American radios) Miniature version: 6BD6
6SL7, ECC35 – Dual triode (Used in TV and general electronics)
6SN7, ECC32, B65, 13D2, CV1986, 6042? – Medium-mu dual triode (Used in Audio Amplifiers, Hammond Organs and Television; extensive use in World War II radar) Each section is equivalent to a 6J5. Miniature version: 12AU7
6SS7 – Remote-cutoff pentode (150 mA filament version of the 6SK7, found in some AA6 radios as both the RF amplifier and first IF). This is the only tube to have two of the same letters in its type.
6T5 – "Magic Eye" Tuning indicator. Has incorporated driver triode with remote-cutoff grid. Has UX6 base. Shadow indicator is fully closed at zero signal. As signal increases, shadow grows outward from the center, covering the entire circumference of the indicator. Electronically identical to types 6G5 and 6U5, which may be used as substitutes.
6T7-G – Dual diode, high-mu triode, similar to type 6Q7. Octal base with top cap. Has 150 mA heater. Used in pre-war farm radios.
6T8 – Triple Diode, High-mu Triode. Has three identical diodes – two have cathodes connected to the triode's cathode, one has a separate cathode. Triode amplification factor: 70. Used as an AM detector/AVC rectifier/FM ratio detector/A.F. amplifier in North American AM/FM radios. Identical to type 6AK8/EABC80, but with a shorter glass envelope.
6U5 – "Magic Eye" Tuning indicator. Has incorporated driver triode with remote-cutoff grid. Has UX6 base. Has "pie wedge" shadow indicator that is open at zero signal and closes as signal increases. Electronically identical to types 6G5 and 6T5 and may be used as a substitute for those types. After World War II, most new 6U5s were double-branded as either 6G5/6U5 or 6U5/6G5.
6U5G – "Magic Eye" Tuning indicator with triode, International Octal, (IO), base
6U7-G – Remote-cutoff R.F. Pentode. Most common commercial uses were as an I.F. amplifier or as a superheterodyne mixer, aka 1st detector. Also used in test equipment. Octal version of type 6D6. Most direct substitute: 6K7. Similar to types 58, 78 and 6SK7.
6V6 – Beam power tetrode, used in single-ended Class-A audio output stages of radios and sometimes seen in Class-B audio amplifiers (see also: 5V6 and 12V6). Electrically similar to 6AQ5/EL90.
6V6G – 6V6 with Shouldered Tubular, (ST), shaped bulb.
6V6GT – 6V6 with Tubular, (T), shaped bulb.
6V7-G – Dual diode, Medium-mu Triode. Octal version of type 85. Amplification factor: 8.3. Similar to type 6R7.
6W6-GT – Beam power pentode, used most often as a Vertical Deflection Output tube in monochrome TV receivers of the 1950s. Can also used as an Audio Output tube. This is the 6.3 volt heater version of types 25L6-GT and 50L6-GT.
6X4 (EZ90) and 6X5 (EZ35) – Full-wave rectifiers with indirectly heated common cathode. Type 6X4 has a 7-pin miniature base, the 6X5 has an octal base. Based on type 84/6Z4. No longer in production.
"7" prefix loctal tubes
These tubes all have 6.3 volt AC/DC heaters.
7A4 – Medium-mu triode, loctal version of type 6J5, often numbered 7A4/XXL
7A5 – Beam power pentode, loctal version of type 6U6GT
7A6 – Dual detector diode, similar to type 6H6
7A7 – Remote-cutoff pentode, loctal version of type 6SK7
7C5 – Beam power pentode, loctal version of type 6V6
7C6 – High-mu triode, dual detector diode
7C7 – Sharp-cutoff pentode
7E5 – Medium-mu high-frequency triode
7E6 – Medium-mu triode, dual detector diode, loctal version of types 6R7 and 6SR7, electronically identical to miniature type 6BF6.
7E7 – Semiremote-cutoff pentode, dual detector diode, similar to types 6B7 and 6B8
7F7 – High-mu dual triode, loctal version of type 6SL7-GT
7F8 – Medium-mu high-frequency triode, used as FM RF amplifier and converter
7G7 – Sharp-cutoff pentode
7G8 – Sharp-cutoff dual tetrode
7H7 – Semiremote-cutoff pentode
7J7 – Triode-heptode converter, similar to type 6J8-G
7K7 – High-mu triode, dual detector diode, similar to types 6AT6 and 6Q7
7L7 – Sharp-cutoff pentode
7N7 – Dual medium-mu triode, loctal version of type 6SN7-GT
7Q7 – Pentagrid converter, similar to type 6SA7
7R7 – Remote-cutoff pentode, dual detector diode
7S7 – Triode-heptode converter
7T7 – Sharp-cutoff pentode
7V7 – Sharp-cutoff pentode
7W7 – Sharp-cutoff pentode
Note: Types 7V7 and 7W7 are electronically identical except for base connections of pins 4, 5 and 7. On type 7V7, the suppressor grid (grid 3) is connected to pin 4, an internal shield is connected to pin 5, and the cathode is connected to pin 7. On type 7W7, the suppressor grid and internal shield are connected to pin 5, and the cathode is connected to pins 4 and 7. All other pin connections are the same. If interchanging these tube types is necessary, confirm that pins 4 and 7 are connected at the socket. (Pin 5 is usually connected to the chassis.)
7X6 – Dual rectifier diode
7X7 – High-mu triode, dual detector diodes on separate cathodes, used as FM discriminator and AF amplifier, often numbered 7X7/XXFM
7Y4 – Dual rectifier diode
7Z4 – Dual rectifier diode
12 volt heater/filament tubes
12A5 – Power pentode. UX7 base. Single-section tube with two side-by-side 6.3 volt heater-cathode structures. Each is connected together to form (1) a 12.6 volt 300 mA heater for series heater strings, or (2) a 6.3 volt 600 mA heater for parallel heater circuits. Mostly used in pre-war car radios.
12A7 – Power pentode, rectifier diode. Pentode section is similar to type 38. Diode has a low power rating – 120 volt, 30 mA – that limits the number of tubes that can be tied to its B+ circuit. Used in one-tube portable phonographs and a few two- and three-tube radios. Forerunner of such types as 32L7-GT, 70L7-GT and 117L7-GT. UX7 base with top cap. Not related to types 2A7 and 6A7.
12AE10 – Compactron Beam power tube and sharp-cutoff pentode[37]
12AL5 – Dual diode (similar to 6AL5 except for heater)
12AT6 – Dual diode/triode (Commonly replaced by 12AV6 in consumer radios)
12AT7, ECC81, 6060, B309, M8162 – High-mu dual triode. Commonly used as R.F. amplifier/mixer in VHF circuits.[37]
12AU7, ECC82, 6067, B329, M8136 – Medium-mu dual triode.[37] Two 6C4/EC90s in one envelope;[38] however, due to the lack of screening between the two sections, it loses 6C4's 150 MHz VHF capability. Commonly used in audio applications and TV receivers.
12AV6 – Dual diode/High-mu triode (see also: 6AV6)
12AV7, 5965 – Medium-mu dual triode. Principally designed for VHF amplifier/mixer operation.[39]
12AX7, ECC83, 6057, B327, M8137 – High-mu dual triode. Very similar to triode section of 6AV6. Commonly used in high-gain audio stages.[37]
12AY7 – Dual Triode. Medium gain but low noise, intended for low-level/preamplifier use.[37]
12AZ7 – Double Triode. Medium-mu, AF Amplifier, or combined oscillator and mixer, 9-pin.[40][37]
12BH7 – Dual Triode, Medium-mu, designed for use in equipment having series heater-string arrangement.[41][37]
12BY7 – Video Amplifier Pentode
12DT6 – Sharp-cutoff pentode
12DW7 – Dissimilar triodes. One half 12AX7 value, other half 12AU7 value. (also known as 7247 or ECC832)
12EG6 – Pentagrid converter, both grids 1 and 3 are sharp-cutoff, has 12.6 volt anode and screen grid voltage, for use with audio equipment powered by a car battery
12FA6 – Low-anode voltage, car radio version of 12BE6 pentagrid converter
12FQ8 – Common-cathode, dual split-anode triode for use in musical instruments, frequency dividers and complex wave generators[42]
12FX8 – Low-anode voltage, triode-heptode converter for car radios
12GA6 – Similar to type 12FA6, but with lower conversion transconductance
50HK6 – Power pentode (Filament is tapped for use with a dial lamp)
50A5 – Beam Power Tube (Loctal, similar to 50L6)
50X6 – Dual Diode (Loctal, commonly used as a rectifier-doubler)
50DC4 – Rectifier diode (Similar to 35W4 except for filament)
117 volt heater tubes
All of the following tubes are designed to operate with their heaters connected directly to the 117 volt (now 120 volt) electrical mains of North America. All of them use indirectly heated cathodes. All of them incorporate at least one rectifier diode.
Rectifier diode – Beam power pentode combinations
117L7GT
117M7GT
117N7GT
117P7GT
Rectifier tubes
117Z3 – Single diode, 7-pin miniature version of 117Z4GT
117Z4GT
117Z6GT – Dual diode, can be used as a voltage doubler
Other tubes with nonstandard filament voltages
The tubes in this list are most commonly used in series-wired circuits.
Note: Most of these are special quality versions of the equivalents given. Some manufacterers preceded the EIA number with a manufacterer's code, as explained above.
4000s
4042 – Ceramic/metal pencil-type disk-seal UHF power triode for pulsed operation up to 425 W
4062A – Ceramic/metal pencil-type disk-seal SHF power triode up to 4 GHz, mu = 100, Panode = 10 W
4065 – Directly heated electrometer triode, grid current ≤125 fA, 4-pin all-glass pigtail, for probe amplifiers
4205 – Directly heated power triode, 4-pin bayonet base with offset pin
4270A (3C/350E) – Directly heated power triode, 4-pin base
4275 – Directly heated power triode, 4-pin base
4300 – Directly heated power triode, 4-pin base
4307A – Power pentode similar to the output beam-tetrode type 807. It differs from an 807 by being a directly heated pentode rather than an indirectly heated beam-tetrode. Both types are contained in an ST-16 bulb with an anode cap and 5-pin "American" UY base
The SY4307A made by Standard Telephones and Cables/Brimar is historically notable because a pair of them in parallel Class-C was used as the output stage in a transmitter built in secret by Australian soldiers in Japanese-occupied Portuguese Timor during World War II in 1942. This transmitter, now reconstructed and on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, was called "Winnie the War Winner".[44]
4598, 7539, 7828, 8087, 8098 – Graphechon dual-electron gun scan conversion tubes, analog video transcoders with simultaneous R/W capability for realtime resolution and frame rate transcoding between different analog video standards. This was achieved by a CRT/camera tube combination; the CRT part writes onto a thin, dielectric target; the camera part reads the generated charge pattern at a different scan rate from the back side of this target.[46][47][48][49][50] The setup could also be used as a genlock
5331, 5332, 5514 – Directly heated power triodes, 4-pin base with anode top cap
5556 – Directly heated power triode, 4-pin base
5593 – Phasitron, a magnetically controlled beam-deflection phase modulator tube[51] similar to the 2H21, used in early FM broadcast transmitters[3][4][5]
5608 – Double power triode, designed for use with AC anode voltage and critical grid leak requirements
5651 – 86-volts, cold-cathode, glow-discharge voltage reference, 7-pin miniature base
5729 – Beam-deflection, 30-channel analog multiplexer for telecomms transmitting channel banks, internal electrostatic focusing and deflection to determine through which one out of 30 grids the electron beam passes to the common anode.[52] Cf. 5738, 6090, 6091, 6170, 6324
5731 – Narrow-tolerance selected 955Acorn triode for use in Radiosonde weather balloon transmitters
5734 – Mechano-electronic displacement sensor; a vacuum triode with its anode mounted on a shaft that extends through a thin, flexible metal diaphragm; shaft movement is reflected in anode current; Fres = 12 kHz[53][54]
5738 – Beam-deflection, secondary emission, 25-channel analog multiplexer, internal electrostatic focusing and deflection to determine which one out of 25 individually controllable dynodes receives the electron beam controlled by a common grid.[55] Cf. 5729, 6090, 6091, 6170, 6324
5749, 6BA6, EF93, W727 – RF pentode
5750, 6BE6, EK90, X727 – Heptode mixer
5751 – Low-voltage, low-noise avionics dual triode with separate cathodes
5814A – Industrial, computer-rated version of 12AU7/ECC82
5836, 6BL6Raytheon RK5836 – Sutton tube, a reflex klystron used as a 250 mW CW microwave source, 1.6 to 6.5 GHz depending upon an external cavity. 4-pin peewee base with cavity contact rings and top cap
5837, 6BM6 – Sutton tube used as a 150 mW CW microwave source, 550 MHz to 3.8 GHz depending upon an external cavity. 4-pin peewee base with cavity contact rings and top cap
5845 – Dual directly heated saturated-emission diode. Acts as a heating current-controlled, variable series resistor in voltage/current stabilizer circuits.
5876A – Glass pencil-type disk-seal UHF power triode up to 2 GHz
5930 – Ruggedized, directly heated power triode, 4-pin base
6080, 6AS7 – Very-low impedance double power triode, designed for series voltage regulator applications, now popular for output transformerless audio amplifiers
6082 – Ruggedized, indirectly heated power triode, octal base
6090 – Beam-deflection, 18-channel analog demultiplexer for telecomms receiving channel banks, internal electrostatic focusing and deflection to determine which one out of 18 anodes receives the electron beam controlled by a common grid.[57] Cf. 5729, 5738, 6091, 6170, 6324
6091 – Beam-deflection, 25-channel analog multiplexer for telecomms transmitting channel banks, internal electrostatic focusing and deflection to determine through which one out of 25 grids the electron beam passes to the common anode.[58] Cf. 5729, 5738, 6090, 6170, 6324
6146 – 60 MHz, 120 W Power AF/RF/VHF beam pentode
6146B (8298A) – Improved version of 6146, 6146A and 8298.
6170 and 6324 – Beam-deflection, 25-channel analog multiplexer for telecomms transmitting channel banks, external focusing and deflection by a multiphase, rotating magnetic field to determine through which one out of 25 grids the electron beam passes to the common anode.[59] Cf. 5729, 5738, 6090, 6091
6173 – Pencil-type disk-seal UHF diode up to 3.3 GHz
6196 – Directly-heated dual, compensating electrometer tetrode with space charge grids for use in the 2 branches of a differential-in, differential-out bridge circuit[60]
6218/E80T (CV5724) – Modulated, single-anode beam deflection tube for pulse generation up to 375 MHz; shock resistant up to 500 g[61][62]
6351 – Secondary emission pentode for wide band RF amplifiers
6263 – Pencil-type disk-seal UHF power triode up to 500 MHz, Panode = 8 W
6361 – Convectron, an inclinometer tube that senses tilt from the vertical by means of different gas convections around a heating wire in a glass envelope, of two 6361s aligned in a 90° V-shaped position to each other and the heating wires connected in a bridge circuit
6441 – 650 V, 100 mAavg, 300 mAsurgeTacitron, a grid turn-off hydrogen thyratron with a grid that forms a shield around both the cathode and anode and separates the two by a wire mesh, so the arc discharge can be extinguished by a negative grid that surrounds the positive anode with a field of opposing polarity and inhibits conduction, taking over part of the anode current during deionisation – similar to today's GTOs; Octal base[63]
6462 – Magnetic pickup tube, a 1-axis beam-deflectionmagnetometer with approx. 1 G (100 μT) resolution; an electron beam is electrostatically centered between two anodes while no magnetic field is present; the magnetic field to be detected will then deflect the beam more towards one of the anodes, resulting in an imbalance between the two anode currents[64]
6762 – Wamoscope, a TWT/CRT combination used to directly visualize an incoming microwave signal by electron velocity-sorting[69]
6835, 7570, 7571 – Single-electron gunrecording storage tube, an analog videoframe freezer tube. This was achieved by a CRT that writes the video image onto a thin, dielectric target and subsequently can read the generated charge pattern up to 30000 times from that target, producing a video signal containing a static shot that resembles a still photograph[70][71][72]
6877, 7233 – Power triodes, designed for series voltage regulator applications
6900 – Dual power triode for pulse applications in missiles, avionics and industrial systems; noval base
6922 (E88CC, industrial version of 6DJ8/ECC88)
6973 – Power pentode similar in shape, size, and pinbase to the EL84/6BQ5, but with a high gain for more than double the output range. Popular in some makes of 1960s era guitar amplifiers, though rarely implemented in modern times.
7199 – Split triode-pentode, noval pinbase. Similar to 6U8.
7229,[74]7230,[75]7231,[76]7232,[77]7439, 7440, 7441, 7595, 7596, 7597, 7598, 7599, 7600, 7602 – Krytrons, cold-cathode gas-filled trigger tubes with a primer electrode for use as a very high-speed, high-surge current switch[78] – second source to EG&G
7236 – Double power triode for use as long-life power amplifier in computer applications
7241, 7242 – Triple-grid/cathode power triodes, designed for hi-rel series voltage regulator applications
7414 – Time Totalizer, a metal-vapor coulometer, a cold-cathode gas-discharge tube where metal is constantly sputtered off the cathode and deposited on a collector element whose resistance therefore decreases with elapsed time[82]
7430 – Flat-envelope version of the 6AK5/EF95 sharp-cutoff pentode for use on PCBs in Radiosonde weather balloon transmitters
7548 – Secondary emission hexode for pulse generator and pulse amplifier applications
7551 - Noval-base beam power pentode with 12-15 volt filament. 6.3 volt filament version was 7558. Used in telephony, RF amplification, and more rarely AF amplification.
7554 – Ceramic/metal pencil-type disk-seal SHF power triode up to 5 GHz
7572, 7575, 7702 – Dual-electron gunrecording storage tube, a realtime analog videoframe freezer tube with simultaneous R/W, and storing capability. This was achieved by a CRT/camera tube combination; the CRT part writes the video signal onto a thin, dielectric target, which can hold the generated charge pattern for many hours; the camera part reads the charge pattern from the back side of this target, producing a video signal containing a static shot that resembles a still photograph[83][84][85]
7586 – First Nuvistor available on the market, medium-mu triode
7587 – Nuvistor Sharp cutoff tetrode
7591 – Beam power pentode, octal pinbase. Found in many guitar amps made by Gibson and Ampeg.
7763 – Beam deflection tube, used as IF amplifier/limiter where a constant phase shift over a wide range of input signal amplitudes is required[86]
7768 – Miniature all-ceramic disk-seal SHF triode up to 4 GHz
7868 – Beam power pentode, magnoval pinbase version of 7591. Found in many of the once popular Challenger series PA amps made by Bogen Communications, also found in some guitar amplifiers made by Ampeg.
8514 – 1 kV/10...800 µA Corona voltage reference, 7-pin with anode top cap
8515 – 1.6 kV/20...950 µA Corona voltage reference, 7-pin with anode top cap
8526 – Nuvistor-type medium-mu dual triode
8873 – 500 MHz, 200 W anode dissipation power triode
8874 – 500 MHz, 400 W anode dissipation power triode
8875 – 500 MHz, 300 W anode dissipation power triode
8877 = 3CX1500A7 – Ceramic, forced air cooled, 1.5 kW power triode
8974 (X-2159) – Giant water-cooled megawatt-class tetrode used for very high-power broadcast and industrial service; possibly the most powerful tube ever commercially produced
List of European Mullard–Philips tubes, with American equivalents
Most post-war European thermionic valve (vacuum tube) manufacturers have used the Mullard–Philips tube designation naming scheme.
Special quality variants may have the letters "SQ" appended, or the device description letters may be swapped with the numerals (e.g. an E82CC is a special quality version of an ECC82)
Note: Typecode explained above. The part behind a slash ("/") is the RMA/RETMA/EIA equivalent.
A - 4 V heater
AB
AB1 – Dual diode
AB2 – Dual diode
ABC
ABC1 – Dual diode - sharp-cutoff pentode, CBC1 with a different heater, 1930s European radios.
ABL
ABL1 – Dual diode - power pentode, 1930s European radios.
AC
AC2 – Triode for use as AF amplifier or as oscillator together with an AH1 mixer; 8-pin base, EC2 with a different heater
AC50/4686 – 3 mAavg, 300 mApeak, Argon-filled triode thyratron, 8-pin base with grid on top cap, for relaxation oscillators up to 50 kHz
AC100 – Triode for use as AF amplifier or as oscillator together with an AH100 mixer; AC2 with a different base
AC101 – Triode for use as AF amplifier or as oscillator together with an AH100 mixer; AC2 with a different base
AM1 – Top-view, "Magic Cross"-type tuning indicator, EM1 with a different heater
AM2/4677 – Top-view, "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator, identical to CM2 and EM2 except for heater ratings
AN
AN1 – 300 mAavg, 2 Apeak, 15 Asurge, Gas-filled triode thyratron with negative control characteristic. British 5-pin base, for industrial control applications
AX
AX1/4652 – 500 VPIV, 125 mA Gas-filled, full-wave rectifier, 4-pin base
Note: This particular 4652 is a Philips-proprietary designation and not an EIA number
AX50 – 500 VPIV, 275 mA Gas-filled, full-wave rectifier, 4-pin base
AZ
AZ1 – 100 mA Full-wave power rectifier, Ct8 base, 8-pin side-contact
AZ2 – 160 mA Full-wave power rectifier, Ct8 base, 8-pin side-contact
AZ3 – 120 mA Full-wave power rectifier, Ct8 base, 8-pin side-contact
AZ4 – 200 mA Full-wave power rectifier, Ct8 base, 8-pin side-contact
AZ11 – Full-wave power rectifier, AZ1 with G8A 8-pin German metal octal base
AZ12 – Full-wave power rectifier, AZ4 with G8A 8-pin German metal octal base
AZ21 – 120 mA Full-wave power rectifier, Loctal base
AZ31 – Full-wave power rectifier, AZ1 with 5-pin Octal base
AZ32 – Full-wave power rectifier, AZ2 with 5-pin Octal base
AZ33 – 120 mA Full-wave power rectifier, 4-pin Octal base
AZ41 – 70 mA Full-wave power rectifier, Rimlok base
AZ50 – 300 mA Full-wave power rectifier, Rimlok base
CH1 – Hexode mixer, AH1 with a 13 V heater, 1930s European radios.
CK
CK1 – Octode pentagrid converter, AK2 with a 13 V heater, 1930s European radios.
CK3 – Octode pentagrid converter, EK3 with a different heater, 1930s European radios.
CL
CL1 – Power pentode, 1930s European radios.
CL2 – Power pentode, BL2 with a 24 V heater, 1930s European radios.
CL4 – AF power pentode, 33 V heater, 1930s European radios.
CL6 – Power pentode, 1930s European radios.
CL33 – AF power pentode, CL4 with an octal base, 1930s European radios.
CM
CM2 – Top-view, "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator; has a 6.3 V/200 mA heater and was therefore marketed as C/EM2; identical to AM2 except for heater ratings
CY
CY1 – 250 V, 80 mA Half wave rectifier, Ct8 base, 1930s European radios.
CY2 – Separate-cathode dual[89] 250 V, 60 mA rectifier, Ct8 base, for use as half wave rectifier or as voltage doubler. 1930s European radios.
CY31 – CY1 with International Octal base, 1930s European radios.
CY32 – CY2 with International Octal base, 1930s European radios.
D - 1.4 V filament/heater
Note: D-type tubes except some rectifiers are directly heated.
DY51 – Half-indirectly-heated 15 kV portable-TV CRT EHT rectifier, filament internally connected to cathode, all-glass, filament pigtails on one end, anode pigtail on the other
DY70 – 10 kV CRT EHT rectifier, 3-pin all-glass pigtailed, anode on top wire
DY80 – 23 kV CRT EHT rectifier, noval base
DY86/1S2 – Half-indirectly-heated 18 kV CRT EHT rectifier, noval base, filament internally connected to cathode. Identical to EY86 except for heater ratings
DY87/1S2A – DY86/1S2 with chemically treated envelope to avoid flush-over in high-humidity and low atmospheric-pressure conditions. Identical to EY87 except for heater ratings
DY802 – Half-indirectly-heated 23 kV CRT EHT rectifier, noval base, filament internally connected to cathode. Identical to PY802 except for heater ratings
EA962 – 100 VPIV VHF Diode with extremely small distance between cathode and anode for extended frequency range, miniature 7-pin base
EAA
EAA11 – Dual diode, 8-pin base
EAA91/6AL5 – Dual diode with separate cathodes, miniature 7-pin base, identical to HAA91/12AL5, UAA91 and XAA91/3AL5 except for heater ratings, EB91 with a shorter envelope
EAA171 – Dual diode, separate cathodes, gnome tube
EAA901S/5726 – Dual RF diode, miniature 7-pin base
EABC80/6AK8 – High-mu triode, triple low-voltage diode (two on common cathode with triode, one with independent cathode). Miniature 9-pin noval base, used as an AF amplifier, AM detector and ratio detector in AC-powered post-war European AM/FM radios. Electronically identical to American types 6AK8 (usually marked 6AK8/EABC80), 6T8, and 6T8A; also DH719. Identical to 5T8, 6T8, HABC80/19T8, PABC80/9AK8 and UABC80/27AK8 except for heater ratings
EAC
EAC91 – Diode/triode UHF mixer
EAF
EAF21 – Diode - pentode, UAF21 with a different heater
EAF41 – Diode - remote-cutoff RF/IF/AF pentode, Rimlock base, UAF41 with a different heater
EAF42/6CT7 – Diode - remote-cutoff RF/IF/AF pentode, Rimlock base
EAF801 – Diode - remote-cutoff pentode, Noval base
EB4 – Low-power dual diode, identical to EB11 or EB34 except for basing
EB11 – Low-power dual diode, identical to EB4 or EB34 except for basing
EB34 – Low-power dual diode, identical to EB4 or EB11 except for basing
EB40 – Low-power dual diode
EB41 – Low-power dual diode
EB91 – Dual diode with separate cathodes, miniature 7-pin base, for FM ratio detectors, EAA91/6AL5 with a longer envelope
EBC
EBC1 – Low-power dual diode and triode, ABC1 with a different heater
EBC3 – Low-power dual diode and triode
EBC11 – Low-power dual diode and triode
EBC33 – Low-power dual diode and triode, EBC3 with a different base
EBC41 – Low-power dual diode and triode, EBC81/6BD7A with a different basing
EBC81/6BD7A – Low-power dual diode and triode, EBC41 with a different basing
EBC90/6AT6 – High-mu triode and common cathode dual diode, miniature 7-pin base, HBC90/12AT6 with a different heater
EBC91/6AV6 – High-mu AF triode and common cathode dual diode, for use in FM ratio detectors, miniature 7-pin base, HBC91/12AV6 with a different heater
EBF
EBF2 – Common-cathode dual diode and remote-cutoff RF/IF/AF pentode, P base, identical to EBF11 and EBF35 except for basing
EBF11 – Common-cathode dual diode and RF/IF/AF pentode, Y base, identical to EBF2 and EBF35 except for basing, and to VBF11 except for heater ratings
EBF15 – Dual diode and pentode, UBF15 with a different heater
EBF32 – Common-cathode dual diode and remote-cutoff RF/IF pentode, 8-pin base with g1 on cap
EBF35 – Common-cathode dual diode and remote-cutoff RF/IF pentode, 8-pin base with g1 on cap, identical to EBF2 and EBF11 except for basing
EBF80/6N8 (WD709) – Common-cathode dual diode and remote-cutoff pentode, noval base
EBF83/6DR8 – Common-cathode dual diode and pentode, anode voltage 6 to 50 V, for use as IF amplifier, detector and AGC diode in vehicle equipment, noval base
EBF89/6DC8/7125 – Common-cathode dual diode and RF/IF pentode, noval base
EBF171 – Dual Diode and remote-cutoff RF/IF/AF pentode; the first gnome tube, a modified and repackaged EBF11
EBL
EBL1 – Dual diode and power pentode, identical to EBL21 and EBL31 except for basing and heater ratings
EBL21 (WD709) – Dual diode and power pentode, identical to EBL1 and EBL31 except for basing and heater ratings
EBL31 – Dual diode and power pentode, identical to EBL1 and EBL21 except for basing and heater ratings
EBL71 – Dual diode and power pentode
EC
EC2 – Triode for use as AF amplifier or as oscillator, 8-pin base, AC2 with a different heater
EC40 – VHF Triode up to 500 MHz, EC80 with a different basing
EC41 – UHF oscillator triode, EC81 with a different basing
EC50 – Helium-filled triode thyratron for use as a horizontal sweep, sawtooth waveform generator in oscilloscopes
EC52 – RF triode for use as an oscillator
EC53 – VHF triode for use as an oscillator up to 600 MHz
EC55/5861 (R243) – 3 GHz, 10 W Disk-seal UHF triode
EC56 – 4 GHz Disk-seal microwave triode
EC57 (EC157) – Disk-seal microwave triode
EC70/6778 – Subminiature UHF triode for use as an oscillator in the 500 MHz range, 8-pin all-glass pigtailed
EC71/5718 – Subminiature UHF triode up tp 1 GHz, for use as an oscillator in the 500 MHz range, 8-pin all-glass pigtailed
EC86/6CM4 – UHF triode, PC86/4CM4 with a different heater
EC88/6DL4 – UHF triode, PC88/4DL4 with a different heater. This and the EC86 were often encountered in UHF TV tuners, the latter as a self oscillating mixer
EC90/6C4 – 3.6 W Small-power VHF triode up to 150 MHz; single ECC82/12AU7 system
EC91/6AQ4 – VHF triode up to 250 MHz
EC92/6AB4 – VHF triode for FM receiver frontends, single ECC81/12AT7 system, UC92/9AB4 with a different heater
ECC81/12AT7ECC83/12AX7 (6060, M8162, B309) – High-mu dual triode, for use as RF amplifier/mixer in VHF circuits, noval base
ECC82/12AU7 (6067, M8136, B329) – Medium-mu dual triode for use as AF amplifier in TV receivers, noval base, identical to XCC82 except for heater ratings. Two EC90/6C4s in one envelope;[38] however, due to the lack of screening between the two sections, it loses EC90's 150 MHz VHF capability
ECC83/12AX7 (6057, M8137, B339) – High-mu dual triode for use as a high-gain AF amplifier, noval base
ECC84/6CW7 – Dual VHF triode for grounded-grid/cascode amplifiers in TV tuners; section 1 cathode is connected to two adjacent pins and the screen between the two sections is internally connected to the section 2 grid; noval base. Identical to PCC84/7AN7 and UCC84 except for heater ratings
ECC85/6AQ8 – Dual triode for use as VHF oscillator/mixer up to 200 MHz, noval base, identical to HCC85/17EW8, PCC85/9AQ8 and UCC85 except for heater ratings
ECC86/6GM8 – Dual low (6.3-25 V) anode voltage triode, noval base, for use in VHF tuners in vehicle equipment
ECC87/6085 – Renamed to E80CC/6085
ECC88/6DJ8 – Dual triode used as cascode RF amplifier in TV tuners and VHF receiver front ends, or as general-purpose instrumentation dual triode, noval base, PCC88/7DJ8 with a different heater
ECC89/6ES8 – Dual Triode used as cascode RF amplifier in TV tuners and VHF receiver front ends, or as general-purpose instrumentation dual triode, noval base
Notes:
All ECC8x have separate cathodes
ECC81, 82 & 83 have the individual triode heaters internally series-connected, with the midpoint on a separate pin, so they could be run on both 6.3 V and 12.6 V (hence RETMA lists them as 12V types), which was useful in dual-system (6V and 12V) car radios
All other ECC8x have no heater midpoint tap; ECC85, 86 & 88 have the freed-up pin being used for an internal screen between the sections
ECC84 & 85 have their heaters internally paralleled; ECC86 & 88 have their heaters internally series-connected
ECC91/6J6 – Common cathode dual VHF triode, miniature 7-pin base
ECC92 – Common cathode dual triode for use as a flip-flop in computers, miniature 7-pin base
ECC99 – Separate cathodes dual RF triode, noval[89] base
ECC171 – Separate cathodes and separate heaters dual triode, 11-pin gnome tube with internal shield
ECC180/6BQ7A – Separate cathodes, dual VHF triode for cascode amplifiers
ECC186/7316 – Separate cathodes, dual triode for use in digital computers, withstands zero cathode current for extended periods of time
ECC189/6ES8 – Separate cathodes, dual variable-mu VHF triode for cascode amplifiers; identical to PCC189/7ES8, XCC189/4ES8 and YCC189/5ES8 except for heater ratings
ECC230/6AS7G/6080 – Separate cathodes, dual low-mu power[89] triode for use as series regulator in DC power supplies, servo applications, or as a horizontal booster triode in TV monitors, 8-pin base
ECC801S/6201 – Separate cathodes, dual RF triode
ECC802S/6189 – Separate cathodes, dual AF triode
ECC803S/6057 – Separate cathodes, dual low-microphonics AF triode
ECC807S – Separate cathodes, dual AF triode for high-gain preamplifiers
ECC808/6KX8 – Separate cathodes, dual AF triode for use as record head output tube in tape recorders
ECC812 – Separate cathodes, dual shielded triode for color TV chrominance outputs in SECAM TV receivers
ECC832/12DW7/7247 – Dual AF triode, a combination of one ECC83/12AX7 system for use as a high-gain amplifier and one ECC82/12AU7 system for use as a phase inverter or cathode follower
ECC960 – Common cathode, dual triode for use as a flip-flop in computers
ECC2000 – VHF separate cathodes, dual triode with neutralization screen, for use in cascode amplifiers up to 300 MHz, 10-pin base
ECC8100 – VHF separate cathodes, dual triode with neutralization screen ("Neutrode") connected to the heater, for use in cascode amplifiers, noval base
E80CC/6085 – Separate cathodes, dual triode for use as DC or AF amplifier
E81CC/6201 – Separate cathodes, dual triode for AF and RF amplifiers, mixers up to 300 MHz, oscillators, impulse circuits; withstands zero cathode current for extended periods of time
E82CC/6189 – Separate cathodes, dual triode for use as amplifier or multivibrator
E83CC/6681 – Separate cathodes, low-microphonics dual triode
E88CC/6922 – Separate cathodes, dual triode, gold-plated pins
E90CC/5920 – Common cathode, dual triode for use as a flip-flop in computers
E92CC – Common cathode, dual triode for use as a flip-flop in computers
E180CC/7062 – Separate cathodes, dual triode for use as a flip-flop in computers
E181CC – Separate cathodes, dual triode for use in digital computers, withstands zero cathode current for extended periods of time
E182CC/7119 – Separate cathodes, dual triode for use as a flip-flop in computers
E188CC/7308 – Separate cathodes, dual triode for use as RF/IF/AF amplifier
E283CC – Separate cathodes, dual triode for use as AF or instrumentation amplifier
E288CC/8223 – Separate cathodes, dual triode for use in IF, RF and cascode amplifiers
ECF
ECF1 – Triode - Pentode
ECF12 – Triode - Pentode
ECF80/6BL8 – VHF mixer/oscillator triode/pentode, identical to LCF80/6LN8, PCF80/9A8, UCF80 and XCF80/4BL8 except for heater ratings
ECF82/6U8 – Triode - Pentode. Identical to PCF82/9U8A and XCF82 except for heater ratings
ECF86/6HG8 – VHF mixer/oscillator triode/pentode, identical to LCF86/5HG8, PCF86/7HG8, 8HG8 and XCF86/4HG8 except for heater ratings
ECF174 – Triode and pentode, gnome tube
ECF200/6X9 – Triode and pentode for use as IF amplifier in TV receivers, decal base, PCF200 with a different heater
ECF201/6U9 – Triode and pentode for use as IF amplifier and sync sep in TV receivers, decal base, identical to LCF201/5U9 and PCF201 except for heater ratings
ECF801/6GJ7 – Triode and pentode for use as VHF mixer in TV receivers, noval base, identical to LCF801/5GJ7, PCF801/8GJ7 and XCF801/4GJ7 except for heater ratings
ECF802/6JW8 – Triode and pentode for use as reactance and sinewave oscillator in TV receivers, noval base, identical to LCF802/6LX8, PCF802/9JW8 and 5JW8 except for heater ratings
ECF804 – Triode and pentode for use as wide band amplifier, noval base, PCF804 with a different heater
ECF805 – Triode and pentode, noval base, PCF805/7GV7 with a different heater
ECF812/6FL2 – Triode and beam tetrode, noval base, PCF812/30FL2 with a different heater
ECL81 – Triode - power pentode. Identical to PCL81 except for heater ratings
ECL82/6BM8 – AF triode - AF power pentode, identical to PCL82/16A8, UCL82/50BM8 and XCL82 except for heater ratings
ECL83 – Triode - power pentode, PCL83 with a different heater
ECL84/6DX8 – TV sync sep triode - CRT cathode drive power pentode, identical to LCL84/10DX8, PCL84/15DQ8 and XCL84/8DX8 except for heater ratings
ECL85/6GV8 – Triode - power pentode used in TV receivers for vertical timebase, generally as a multivibrator, with the pentode section doubling as one half of the multivibrator and the power output device, identical to LCL85/10GV8, PCL85/18GV8 and XCL85/9GV8 except for heater ratings
ECL86/6GW8 – AF Triode - AF power pentode, used for audio amplification in European TV receivers, PCL86/14GW8 with a different heater
ECL113 – Triode - AF power pentode, Rimlock Pico-8 base
ECL200 – Triode - CRT drive power pentode, decal base, PCL200 with a different heater
ECL802 – Triode - Power pentode for use as vertical oscillator and output tube in TV receivers
ECL805 – Triode - Power pentode with separate cathodes, PCL805 with a different heater
ECLL
ECLL800 – Triode and dual screened power pentode, for 9.2 W (Class-B) or 8.5 W (Class-AB) AF push-pull power amplifiers. The triode shares its control grid with the 1st pentode and acts as a phase inverter for the 2nd pentode; both pentodes share screen and suppressor grids; noval base
ED
ED111 – 6 W VHF power triode up to 85 MHz
ED500 – Identical to PD500 except for heater ratings; considerable x-radiation despite the envelope being fabricated from lead glass
ED501 – 27 kV Color CRT EHT shunt stabilizer triode
EF8 – Selektode, a remote-cutoff pentode with a beam-forming extra grid between control and screen grids, intended to reduce screen current and hence anode/screen grid distribution noise (technically a hexode), EF38 with an 8-pin, side-contact base
EF9 – Pentode, identical to EF22, EF39/6K7 and EF41/6CJ5 except for basing
EF11 – Remote-cutoff pentode, EF111 with a different basing
EF12 – Pentode, EF112 with a different basing
EF13 – Remote-cutoff pentode
EF14 – Sharp-cutoff pentode, 8-pin base, identical to UF14 and VF14 except for heater ratings
EF15 – Remote-cutoff pentode, UF15 with a different heater
EF22 – Pentode, identical to EF9, EF39/6K7 and EF41/6CJ5 except for basing
EF27 – Pentode
EF36 – Pentode, EF6 with a different basing
EF37/6J7 – Sharp-cutoff pentode for use as a tuned RF amplifier, a (second) detector, or an AF amplifier; octal base with control grid on top-cap
EF39/6K7 – Remote-cutoff RF pentode for use as an IF amplifier or as a superheterodyne mixer (1st detector). Also used in test equipment. Octal base with control grid on top-cap, identical to EF4, EF22 and EF41/6CJ5 except for basing
EF40 – AF Pentode
EF41/6CJ5 (62VP) – Remote-cutoff pentode, identical to EF4, EF22 and EF39/6K7 except for basing
EF42 – Pentode, EF52 with a different basing
EF43 – Remote-cutoff pentode
EF50 (EF53) – Remote-cutoff pentode for use in the IF stages of 1940s TV and radar receivers
EF51 – Remote-cutoff pentode
EF52 – Pentode, EF42 with a different basing
EF54 – Pentode
EF55 – Pentode
EF70 – Subminiature pentode, suppressor grid available on separate pigtail and internally connected to a separate diode to prevent positive grid voltage, for use as a NAND gate in coincidence circuits; all-glass 8-pin pigtailed
EF97/6ES6 – Low (6.3-25 V) anode voltage, remote-cutoff RF/IF pentode, for use in vehicle equipment, Miniature 7-pin base
EF98/6ET6 – Low (6.3-25 V) anode voltage, sharp-cutoff pentode, for use as oscillator or IF/AF amplifier in vehicle equipment, Miniature 7-pin base
EF111 – Remote-cutoff pentode, EF11 with a different basing
EF112 – Pentode, EF12 with a different basing
EF172 – RF/IF/AF Pentode, gnome tube
EF174 – Pentode, gnome tube
EF175 – Remote-cutoff RF/IF pentode, gnome tube
EF176 – VHF Pentode, gnome tube
EF177 – VHF Pentode, gnome tube
EF183/6EH7 – Frame grid, remote-cutoff IF pentode for use in TV receivers, identical to LF183/YF183/4EH7 and XF183/3EH7 except for heater ratings[90]
EF184/6EJ7 – Frame-grid, sharp-cutoff IF pentode for use in TV receivers, identical to LF184/YF184/4EJ7 and XF184/3EJ7 except for heater ratings[91]
EF410 – RF/IF Pentode, Rimlock B8A base
EF730/5636 – Subminiature dual-control, sharp-cutoff RF/IF pentode for use as a gated or gain-controlled amplifier, 8-pin all-glass pigtailed, similar to 5784
EF816 – Dual-anode pentode for TV receiver sync separation service
EF860 – Long-life sharp-cutoff RF pentode for use as preamplifier in telecomms wide-area receivers. Identical to IF860 except for heater ratings (300mA)
EL35 – Power pentode, identical to EL5 except for basing
EL36/6CM5 – Audio or CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode, identical to EL12 except for basing and to and XL36/13CM5 except for heater ratings
EL112 – Radiation-cooled power transmitter pentode for 85W SW/VHF service, or for AF amplifiers. Identical to EL152 and EL401 except for basing
EL136 – Horizontal-output power pentode for 110° deflection color TV
EL151 – Power pentode
EL152 – Radiation-cooled power transmitter pentode for 85W SW/VHF service, or for AF amplifiers. Identical to EL112 and EL401 except for basing and to FL152 except for heater ratings
EL153 – RF power pentode
EL156 – Power pentode
EL171 – 4-Watts Power pentode, gnome tube
EL172 – 8-Watts Power pentode, gnome tube
EL173 – Power pentode, gnome tube, for TV receivers
EL180/12BY7 – Power pentode
EL183 – CRT cathode drive power pentode
EL300/6FN5 – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode
EL360 – Power pentode for use in radar scanners, series regulators and pulse modulators
EL401 – Radiation-cooled power transmitter pentode for 85W SW/VHF service, or for AF amplifiers. Identical to EL112 and EL152 except for basing
EL500/6GB5 – CRT horizontal deflection output beam power pentode, magnoval base, identical to LL500/18GB5, PL500/27GB5 and XL500/13GB5 except for heater ratings
EL502 – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode
EL503 – AF power pentode, magnoval base
EL504 – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode, PL504 with a different heater
EL508 – CRT vertical deflection output power pentode, PL508/17KW6 with a different heater
EL509/6KG6A – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode, PL509/40KG6A with a different heater
EL511 – Power pentode
EL519 – Power pentode, PL519 with a different heater
EL802 – CRT cathode drive power pentode for color TV, PL802 with a different heater
EL803 – Wide band power pentode
EL804 – Wide band power pentode
EL805 – CRT vertical deflection output power pentode, PL805 with a different heater
EL861 – Long-life sharp-cutoff RF power pentode for use as output amplifier in telecomms wide-area transmitters, identical to IL861 except for heater ratings
EL5070/8608 – Wideband video power pentode, magnoval base
EL8000 – Power pentode
E55L/8233 – Wide-band power pentode for use as CRT vertical deflection electrode driver in oscilloscopes
E80L/6227 – AF Power pentode, gold-plated pins
E81L/6686 – Long-life power pentode for use in telephone equipment, gold-plated pins (No relationship to EL81)
E84L/7320 – Power pentode for use in AF amplifiers and stabilized power supplies
E130L/7534 – Wide band power pentode
E235L/7751 – Power pentode
E236L – Power pentode
ELL
ELL1 – Dual power pentode
ELL80/6HU8 – Dual power pentode, miniature 9-pin base
EM
EM1 (4678) – Top-view, "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator, Ct8 Base
EM2 – Top-view, "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator; has a 6.3 V/200 mA heater and was therefore marketed as C/EM2; identical AM2 except for heater ratings
EM4 – Dual-sensitivity, top-view, "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator, EM34 with a Ct8 Base
EM5 – Dual-sensitivity, top-view, "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator, EM11 or EM35 with a Ct8 Base
EM11 – Dual-sensitivity, top-view, "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator, EM5 or EM35 with an 8-pin base
EM34/6CD7 – Dual-sensitivity, top-view, "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator, EM4 with a different base
EM35 – Dual-sensitivity, top-view, "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator, EM5 or EM11 with a different base
Note: Telefunken EM35s appear to have a different pin-out than examples from other manufacturers[95]
EM71 – Top-view, fan-type tuning indicator with an unusual offset cathode,[96] octal B8D/F base, HM71 with a different heater, no relationship to DM71
EM72 – EM71 with two segments of the fluorescent screen uncoated with phosphor, intended for indicating low and peak levels but not average level, useless for tuning but intended for recording level indication
EM80/6BR5 – Side-view, fan-type tuning indicator for AM receivers, noval B9A base
EM81/6DA5 – EM80/6BR5 with 25% greater sensitivity
EM83 – Side-view, "Magic Balance" band-type dual-channel tuning/level indicator, two DC amplifier triodes and one electron gun for two separate screen anodes, noval B9A base, mainly for stereo use in tape recorders
EM84/6DH7/6FG6 – Side-view, band-type tuning/level indicator, noval B9A base
EM85 – Side-view, fan-type tuning indicator, identical to HM85 and UM85 except for heater ratings
EM87/6HU6 (CV10407) – Side-view, band-type tuning/level indicator, noval B9A base
E82M – Side-view, rectangle-type dual-channel level indicator, two DC amplifier triodes control separate deflection rods before a 17mmx20mm screen anode, noval B9A base
EMM
EMM801 – Side-view, dual, band-type indicator with brightness control, for voltage comparison
EMM803 – Side-view, dual, band-type tuning indicator for FM-stereo receivers (field strength, 19kHz pilot present), noval B9A base
EN
EN31 – 10 mAavg, 750 mApeak, Helium-filled, indirectly heated triode thyratron for high-frequency timebases and control equipment, international octal base with anode cap
EN32/6574 – 300 mAavg, 2 Apeak, 10 Asurge, Gas-filled, indirectly heated tetrode thyratron with negative control characteristic; for industrial control applications, international octal base
EN70 – 20 mAavg, 100 mApeak, Subminiature, gas-filled, indirectly heated tetrode thyratron with negative control characteristic, 8-pin all-glass pigtailed
EN91/2D21 (PL21, PL2D21, CV797) – 100 mAavg, 500 mApeak, 10 Asurge, Gas-filled, indirectly heated tetrode thyratron, negative starter voltage, miniature 7-pin base, for relay and grid-controlled rectifier service
EQ80/6BE7 – Nonode for FM quadrature detection or as phase detector in TV flywheel sync circuits[98]
EQ171 – Nonode, gnome tube
ES
ES111 – TV sync oscillator (German: Kipp-Pentode), a special power relaxation oscillator pentode, an attempt to cut costs on TV receiver production; one ES111 each were needed for vertical and horizontal deflection; the output power for the deflection yoke was extracted not from the anode, but from the screen grid, the sync pulses were applied to the suppressor grid via a separate pin. The anode acted only as a small-signal amplified/gated-sync output which was added to the feedback from an auxiliary winding on the deflection yoke, and fed to the control grid. As there was no vertical deflection output transformer, a secondary, magnetically decoupled vertical deflection yoke received a variable, smoothed-out part of the screen grid current to compensate for its DC component in the primary vertical deflection yoke; it was variable to adjust the vertical picture position on the CRT screen. The screen grid delivered enough power even for an EHT winding on the horizontal deflection output transformer and for the 6.3V/0.2A heater of an RFG5 16-kV EHT rectifier.[99][100][101][102] German 5+3-pin steel tube base with 2 unused pins, screen grid on top cap; compare US111
ET
ET51 – Trochotron, an electron-beam decade counter tube
E1T – Trochotron with side-viewing, fluorescent-screen readout
E80T/6218 (CV5724) – Modulated, single-anode beam deflection tube for pulse generation up to 375 MHz; shock resistant up to 500 g[62][61]
EW
EW60 – 700 VPIV, 400 mA, Gas-filled, half wave rectifier, 9-pin Loctal base with 2 unused pins[88]
EY
EY1 – Half-wave rectifier, EY51 with a different base
EY51/6X2 – Half-wave rectifier, pigtailed version of EY1
EY70 – 850 V half-wave rectifier, 4-pin all-glass pigtailed
EY80 – Half-wave rectifier, identical to PY80 except for heater ratings
EY81/6R3 – TV horizontal output booster diode
EY82/6N3 – Half-wave rectifier, PY82 with a different heater
EY83 – TV horizontal output booster diode, PY83 with a different heater
EY84 – Half-wave rectifier for operation at high altitudes
EY86 – Identical to DY86 except for heater ratings
EY87 – Identical to DY87 except for heater ratings. Electrically identical to DY86/EY86 but glass envelope treated for high humidity or low pressure conditions
EY88/6AL3 – TV horizontal output booster diode, identical to LY88/20AQ3, PY88/30AE3 and XY88/16AQ3 except for heater ratings
EY91 – Half-wave rectifier
EY500A/6EC4A – Identical to PY500A except for heater ratings
EY802 – Identical to DY802 except for heater ratings
EY3000 – 800 V, 750 mA Half-wave rectifier
EYY
EYY13 – Dual power diode, separate cathodes
EZ
EZ1 – 250 V, 50 mA Full-wave power rectifier for 6V car radios, identical to FZ1 except for heater ratings
EZ2 – Full-wave power rectifier
EZ3 – Full-wave power rectifier
EZ4 – Full-wave power rectifier
EZ11 – Full-wave power rectifier for vehicle equipment
EZ12 – Full-wave power rectifier
EZ22 – Full-wave power rectifier
EZ35 – Full-wave power rectifier
EZ40 – Full-wave power rectifier, GZ40 with a different heater
EZ41 – Full-wave power rectifier
EZ80/6V4 – Full-wave power rectifier
EZ81/6CA4 – Full-wave power rectifier
EZ90/6X4 – Full-wave power rectifier
EZ91 – Full-wave power rectifier
EZ150 – Full-wave power rectifier, separate cathodes
GY11 – Half-wave power rectifier, anode on top cap
GY86 – Half-wave, CRT EHT power rectifier, anode on top cap
GY501 – Half-wave, CRT EHT power rectifier for color TV, anode on top cap
GY802 – Half-wave, CRT EHT power rectifier, anode on top cap
GZ
GZ30/5Z4-G/5AQ4 – Full-wave power rectifier
GZ32/5V4 – Full-wave power rectifier
GZ33 – Full-wave power rectifier
GZ34/5AR4 – Full-wave power rectifier
GZ37 – Full-wave power rectifier
GZ40 – Full-wave power rectifier, EZ40 with a different heater
GZ41 – Full-wave power rectifier
H - 150 mA heater
HAA
HAA91/12AL5 – Dual diode with separate cathodes, miniature 7-pin base, identical to EAA91/6AL5, UAA91 and XAA91/3AL5 except for heater ratings
HABC
HABC80/19T8 – High-mu triode, triple diode (two on common cathode with triode, one with independent cathode), miniature 9-pin, used as an AF amplifier, AM detector and ratio detector in AC-powered post-war European AM/FM radios; identical to 5T8, 6T8, EABC80/6AK8, PABC80/9AK8 and UABC80/27AK8 except for heater ratings
HBC
HBC90/12AT6 – High-mu triode and common cathode dual diode, miniature 7-pin base, EBC90/6AT6 with a different heater
HBC91/12AV6 – High-mu AF triode and common cathode dual diode, for use in FM ratio detectors, miniature 7-pin base, EBC91/6AV6 with a different heater
HCC
HCC85/17EW8 – Dual triode for use as VHF oscillator/mixer up to 200 MHz, noval base, identical to ECC85/6AQ8, PCC85/9AQ8 and UCC85 except for heater ratings
HCH
HCH81 – Remote-cutoff triode/heptode oscillator/mixer, noval base, UCH81/19D8 with a different heater
HF
HF85 – Remote-cutoff wideband RF Pentode, identical to EF85/6BY7 and XF85 except for heater ratings
HF93/12BA6 – Remote-cutoff pentode, miniature 7-pin base, EF93/6BA6 with a different heater
HF94/12AU6 – Sharp-cutoff RF/IF/AF pentode, miniature 7-pin base, identical to EF94/6AU6 and XF94/3AU6 except for heater ratings
HK
HK90 – Heptode pentagrid converter, miniature 7-pin, EK90 with a different heater
HL
HL84 – Audio power pentode, noval base, UL84 with a different heater
HL90 – Audio power pentode, miniature 7-pin, EL90 with a different heater
HL92/50C5 – Audio beam power pentode, miniature 7-pin, miniature 7-pin
HL94/30A5 – Audio power pentode, miniature 7-pin
HM
HM34 – Dual-sensitivity, top-view, "Magic Eye"-type tuning indicator, EM34 with different heater ratings, UM4 with different basing and heater ratings
HM71 – Top-view, fan-type tuning indicator, octal B8D/F base, EM71 with a different heater
HM85 – Side-view, fan-type tuning indicator, identical to EM85 and UM85 except for heater ratings
HY
HY90/35W4 – Half-wave rectifier, miniature 7-pin
I - 20 V heater
IF
IF860 – Long-life sharp-cutoff RF pentode for use as preamplifier in telecomms wide-area receivers, identical to EF860 except for heater ratings (95mA)
IL
IL861 – Long-life sharp-cutoff RF power pentode for use as output amplifier in telecomms wide-area transmitters, identical to EL861 except for heater ratings
KK2 – Octode pentagrid converter, KK32 with a different base
KK32 – Octode pentagrid converter, KK2 with a different base
KL
KL1 – Power pentode
KL2 – Power pentode
KL4 – Power pentode
KL5 – Power pentode
KL35 – 340 mW Power pentode
KLL
KLL32 – 1.2W Dual power pentode
KY
KY80/U26 – Half-wave rectifier. Noval base
L - 450 mA heater
LCF
LCF80/6LN8 – VHF mixer/oscillator triode/pentode, identical to ECF80/6BL8, PCF80/9A8, UCF80 and XCF80/4BL8 except for heater ratings[103]
LCF86/5HG8 – VHF mixer/oscillator triode/pentode, identical to ECF86/6HG8, PCF86/7HG8, 8HG8 and XCF86/4HG8 except for heater ratings[104]
LCF201/5U9 – Triode and pentode for use as IF amplifier and sync sep in TV receivers, decal base, identical to ECF201/6U9 and PCF201 except for heater ratings[105]
LCF801/5GJ7 – Medium-mu triode and sharp-cutoff pentode for use as VHF mixer in TV receivers, noval base, identical to ECF801/6GJ7, PCF801/8GJ7 and XCF801/4GJ7 except for heater ratings[106]
LCF802/6LX8 – Medium-mu triode and sharp-cutoff pentode for use as reactance and sinewave oscillator in TV receivers, noval base, identical to ECF802/6JW8, PCF802/9JW8 and 5JW8 except for heater ratings[107]
LCL
LCL84/10DX8 – High-mu TV sync sep triode - sharp-cutoff CRT cathode drive power pentode, identical to ECL84/6DX8, PCL84/15DQ8 and XCL84/8DX8 except for heater ratings[108]
LCL85/10GV8 – Triode - power pentode used in TV receivers for vertical timebase, generally as a multivibrator, with the pentode section doubling as one half of the multivibrator and the power output device, identical to ECL85/6GV8, PCL85/18GV8 and XCL85/9GV8 except for heater ratings[109]
LF
LF183/YF183/4EH7 – Frame-grid, remote-cutoff IF pentode for use in TV receivers, identical to EF183/6EH7 and XF183/3EH7 except for heater ratings[90][110]
LF184/YF184/4EJ7 – Frame-grid, sharp-cutoff IF pentode for use in TV receivers, identical to EF184/6EJ7 and XF184/3EJ7 except for heater ratings[91][111]
LFL
LFL200/11Y9 – Sync sep pentode - CRT cathode drive power pentode, decal base; identical to EFL200/6Y9 and PFL200/16Y9 except for heater ratings[112]
LL
LL86/10CW5 – Audio or CRT vertical deflection output power pentode, identical to EL86/6CW5, PL84/15CW5[93][94] and XL86/8CW5 except for heater ratings
LL500/18GB5 – CRT horizontal deflection beam power pentode, magnoval base, identical to EL500/6GB5, PL500/27GB5 and XL500/13GB5 except for heater ratings[113]
LY
LY88/20AQ3 – TV horizontal output booster diode, identical to EY88/6AL3, PY88/30AE3 and XY88/16AQ3 except for heater ratings[114]
Note:Philips sold a family of 150mA series heater tubes under this letter in South America: OBC3, OBF2, OCH4, OH4, OF1, OF5, OF9 and OM5
OZ
OZ4 (0Z4) – 30 ≤ I ≤ 75 mA, Full-wave gas rectifier with common cathode, 6-pin octal base[123][124]
P - 300 mA heater
Note:Philips sold a family of 300mA series heater tubes under this letter in South America: PAB1, PBF2, PF9, PH4 and PM5
PABC
PABC80/9AK8 – High-mu triode, triple low-voltage diode (two on common cathode with triode, one with independent cathode). Miniature 9-pin noval base, used as an AF amplifier, AM detector and ratio detector in AC-powered post-war European AM/FM radios and TV receivers; identical to EABC80/6AK8, 5T8, 6T8/6T8A, HABC80/19T8, UABC80/27AK8 and DH719 except for heater ratings
PC
PC86/4CM4 – UHF Triode, EC86/6CM4 with a different heater
PC88/4DL4 – UHF Triode, EC88/6DL4 with a different heater
PC97/4FY5 – Frame-grid VHF triode, identical to EC97/6FY5 and XC97 except for heater ratings
PC900/4HA5 – VHF Triode
PCC
PCC84/7AN7 – Dual triode for VHF cascode amplifiers, noval base. Identical to ECC84/6CW7 and UCC84 except for heater ratings
PCC85/9AQ8 – Dual triode for use as VHF oscillator/mixer up to 200 MHz, noval base, identical to ECC85/6AQ8, HCC85/17EW8 and UCC85 except for heater ratings
PCC88/7DJ8 – Dual triode for use as cascode amplifiers, ECC88/6DJ8 with a different heater
PCC89 – Dual variable-mu triode for use as cascode amplifiers up to 220 MHz
PCC189/7ES8 – Dual variable-mu VHF triode for cascode amplifiers; identical to ECC189/6ES8, XCC189/4ES8 and YCC189/5ES8 except for heater ratings
PCF
PCF80/9A8 – VHF mixer/oscillator triode/pentode, identical to ECF80/6BL8, LCF80/6LN8, UCF80 and XCF80/4BL8 except for heater ratings
PCF82/9U8A – Identical to ECF82/6U8 and XCF82 except for heater ratings
PCF86/7HG8 – VHF mixer/oscillator triode/pentode, identical to ECF86/6HG8, LCF86/5HG8, 8HG8 and XCF86/4HG8 except for heater ratings
PCF200 – Triode and pentode for use as IF amplifier in TV receivers, decal base, ECF200/6X9 with a different heater
PCF201 – Triode and pentode for use as IF amplifier and sync sep in TV receivers, decal base, identical to ECF201/6U9 and LCF201/5U9 except for heater ratings
PCF800 – (30C15) Triode - pentode
PCF801/8GJ7 – Triode and pentode for use as VHF mixer in TV receivers, noval base, identical to ECF801/6GJ7, LCF801/5GJ7 and XCF801/4GJ7 except for heater ratings
PCF802/9JW8 – Triode and pentode for use as reactance and sinewave oscillator in TV receivers, noval base, identical to ECF802/6JW8, LCF802/6LX8 and 5JW8 except for heater ratings
PCF803 – Triode - pentode
PCF805/7GV7 – Triode - pentode, ECF805 with a different heater
PCF806 – Triode - pentode
PCF812 – Triode - pentode
PCH
PCH200/9V9 – Triode - Heptode, for TV sync sep, ECH200 with a different heater
PCL
PCL81 – Identical to ECL81 except for heater ratings
PCL82/16A8 – AF triode - AF power pentode, identical to ECL82/6BM8, UCL82/50BM8 and XCL82 except for heater ratings
PCL83 – Triode - power pentode, ECL83 with a different heater
PCL84/15DQ8 – TV sync sep triode - CRT cathode drive power pentode, identical to ECL84/6DX8, LCL84/10DX8 and XCL84/8DX8 except for heater ratings
PCL85/18GV8 – Triode - power pentode used in TV receivers for vertical timebase, generally as a multivibrator, with the pentode section doubling as one half of the multivibrator and the power output device, identical to ECL85/6GV8, LCL85/10GV8 and XCL85/9GV8 except for heater ratings
PCL86/14GW8 – AF Triode - AF power pentode, used for audio amplification in European TV receivers, ECL86/6GW8 with a different heater
PCL200 – Triode - power pentode, ECL200 with a different heater
PCL802 – Triode - power pentode
PCL805 – Triode - power pentode, ECL805 with a different heater
PD
PD500 – 25 kV Color CRT EHT shunt stabilizer triode; considerable x-radiation despite the envelope being fabricated from lead glass; may be replaced by the PD510 after rewiring the arc-safety shield pin of the socket. Identical to ED500 except for heater ratings
PD510 – PD500 with a higher PbO content in the glass, improving the x-radiation screening, and therefore should never be replaced by a PD500 in equipment designed for the PD510[125]
PF
PF83 – AF remote-cutoff pentode
PF86 – Pentode for use in Transitron circuits in TV receivers. Identical to EF86/6BK8 and UF86 except for heater ratings
PFL
PFL200/16Y9 – Sync sep pentode and CRT cathode drive power pentode, decal base; identical to EFL200/6Y9 and LFL200/11Y9 except for heater ratings
PL
PL11 – Power pentode
PL33 – CRT vertical deflection or AF output power pentode
PL36/25E5 – British high voltage high frequency switching pentode valve. Used in TV receivers for horizontal output and/or EHT generation up to c1964. Octal base, anode connection cap on the top of the valve. Last consumer electronics use DECCA series DR101, 202, 303, 404, 505, 606 monochrome receivers
PL38 – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode, EL38/6CN6 with a different heater
PL38M – PL38 with an externally metalised envelope on a separate pin[126]
PL81/21A6 – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode
PL81A – Similar to PL81 but optimised for portable television designs
PL82/16A5 – CRT vertical deflection output power pentode
PL83/15A6 (N309) – CRT cathode drive power pentode
PL84/15CW5 – Audio or CRT vertical deflection output power pentode, identical to EL86/6CW5,[93] LL86/10CW5 and XL86/8CW5[94] except for heater ratings
PL95 – AF Power pentode
PL136 – Color TV 110° horizontal deflection output power pentode, octal base
PL500/28GB5 – CRT horizontal deflection beam power pentode, magnoval base, identical to EL500/6GB5, LL500/18GB5 and XL500/13GB5 except for heater ratings
PL502 – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode
PL504 – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode, replacement for PL500, EL504 with a different heater
PL508/17KW6 – CRT vertical deflection output power pentode for color TV, EL508 with a different heater
PL509/40KG6A – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode for color TV, EL509/6KG6A with a different heater
PL511 – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode
PL519 – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode, EL519 with a different heater
PL521/29KQ6 – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode, separate pin for grid 3 to minimize "snivets", magnoval base, identical to 21KQ6 except for heater ratings
PL802 – CRT cathode drive output pentode for color TV, EL802 with a different heater
PL805 – CRT vertical deflection output power pentode, EL805 with a different heater
PL820 – CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode[126]
SF1A – Sharp-cutoff RF pentode,[132] NF6 resp. RV12P2000 with a different heater
T - Custom heater
Note:Tungsram preceded the M-P designation with the letter T, as in TAD1 for AD1
TY
TY86F – 7.4 V, 77 mA heater version of the EY86 18-kV CRTEHT rectifier,[126] for use as a hotfix in early-production Ferguson Radio Corporation TV receivers 306T and 308T[133] where the horizontal-output transformer produced excessive heater voltage which destroyed the originally fitted EY86's
U - 100 mA heater
Note:Philips sold a family of 100mA series heater tubes under this letter in South America: UBC1, UBF2, UF8 and UL1
UAA
UAA11 – Dual diode with separate cathodes
UAA91 – Dual diode with separate cathodes, miniature 7-pin base, identical to EAA91/6AL5, HAA91/12AL5 and XAA91/3AL5 except for heater ratings
UAA171 – Dual diode, separate cathodes, gnome tube
UABC
UABC80/27AK8 – High-mu triode, triple low-voltage diode (two on common cathode with triode, one with independent cathode). Miniature 9-pin noval base, used as an AF amplifier, AM detector and ratio detector in AC-powered post-war European AM/FM radios; identical to EABC80/6AK8, 5T8, 6T8/6T8A, HABC80/19T8, PABC80/9AK8 and DH719 except for heater ratings
UAF
UAF21 – Diode - remote-cutoff pentode, EAF21 with a different heater
UAF41 – Diode - pentode, EAF41 with a different heater
UB41 – Dual RF diode with separate cathodes, EB41 with a different heater
UBC
UBC41 – Dual diode - AF triode, EBC81 with a different basing
UBC81 – Dual diode - AF triode, EBC41 with a different basing
UBF
UBF11 – Dual diode - pentode, EBF11 with a different heater
UBF15 – Dual diode - pentode, EBF15 with a different heater
UBF80/17C8 – Dual diode - remote-cutoff pentode
UBF89/19FL8 – Dual diode - remote-cutoff pentode
UBF171 – Dual Diode and remote-cutoff RF/IF/AF pentode, gnome tube
UBL
UBL1 – Dual diode - power pentode
UBL3 – Dual diode - power pentode
UBL21 – Dual diode - power pentode
UBL71 – Dual diode - power pentode
UC
UC92/9AB4 – VHF triode for FM receiver frontends, single ECC81/12AT7 system, EC92/6AB4 with a different heater
UCC
UCC84 – Dual triode for VHF cascode amplifiers, noval base. Identical to ECC84/6CW7 and PCC84/7AN7 except for heater ratings
UCC85 – Dual triode for use as VHF oscillator/mixer up to 200 MHz, noval base, identical to ECC85/6AQ8, HCC85/17EW8 and PCC85/9AQ8 except for heater ratings
UCC171 – Dual triode, gnome tube
UCF
UCF12 – Triode - pentode, PCF12 with a different heater
UCF80 – VHF mixer/oscillator triode/pentode, identical to ECF80/6BL8, LCF80/6LN8, PCF80/9A8 and XCF80/4BL8 except for heater ratings
UCF174 – Triode and pentode, gnome tube
UCH
UCH4 – Triode/heptode oscillator/mixer, UCH5 or UCH21 with a different basing
UCH5 – Triode/hexode oscillator/mixer, UCH4 or UCH21 with a different basing
UCH11 – Triode/hexode oscillator/mixer
UCH21 – Triode/heptode oscillator/mixer, UCH4 or UCH5 with a different basing
US111 – TV sync oscillator, a special relaxation oscillator pentode with the suppressor grid on a separate pin to act as a second control grid; German 5+3-pin steel tube base with 2 unused pins, screen grid on top cap. See ES111
UY
UY1 – Half-wave rectifier
UY2 – Half-wave rectifier
UY3 – Half-wave rectifier
UY4 – Half-wave rectifier
UY11 – Half-wave rectifier
UY21 – Half-wave rectifier
UY31 – Half-wave rectifier
UY41/31A3 – Half-wave rectifier
UY42 – Half-wave rectifier
UY82/55N3 – Half-wave rectifier
UY85/38A3 – Half-wave rectifier
UY89 – Half-wave rectifier
UY92 – Half-wave rectifier
V - 50 mA heater
Notes:
Apart from AC/DC radios,[135] "V" tubes were also used in miniaturized equipment with only one single supply for both anode and heater.[136]
VATEA Rádiótechnikai és Villamossági Rt.-t. (VATEA Radio Technology and Electric Co. Ltd., Budapest, Hungary) preceded the M-P designation with the letter V, as in VEL5 for EL5.
VBF
VBF11 – Dual diode and pentode, EBF11 with a 38 V heater[88]
VC
VC1 – Triode, 8-pin base with grid on top cap, 55 V[135] heater[88]
VCH
VCH11 – Triode/hexode mixer, 8-pin base, ECH11 with a 38 V heater[88]
VCL
VCL11 – Triode - power tetrode, 90 V heater, 8-pin base
VEL
VEL11 – AF Tetrode - AF beam power tetrode, 8-pin base with E-tetrode grid on top cap, UEL11 with a 90 V heater[88]
VY2 – 250 V, 20 mA Half-wave rectifier, 30 V heater, 8-pin base
X - 600 mA heater
XAA
XAA91/3AL5 – Dual diode with separate cathodes, miniature 7-pin base, identical to EAA91/6AL5, HAA91/12AL5 and UAA91 except for heater ratings
XC
XC95 – Triode, PC95 with a different heater
XC97 – Frame-grid VHF triode, identical to EC97/6FY5 and PC97/4FY5 except for heater ratings
XCC
XCC82 – Dual triode, identical to ECC82/12AU7 except for heater ratings
XCC189/4ES8 – Dual VHF triode for cascode amplifiers; identical to ECC189/6ES8, PCC189/7ES8 and YCC189/5ES8 except for heater ratings
XCF
XCF80/4BL8 – VHF mixer/oscillator triode/pentode, identical to ECF80/6BL8, PCF80/9A8, LCF80/6LN8 and UCF80 except for heater ratings
XCF82 – Triode and pentode, identical to ECF82/6U8 and PCF82/9U8A except for heater ratings
XCF801/4GJ7 – Triode and pentode for use as VHF mixer in TV receivers, noval base, identical to ECF801/6GJ7, LCF801/5GJ7 and PCF801/8GJ7 except for heater ratings
XCH
XCH81 – Triode/heptode oscillator/mixer, ECH81/6AJ8 with a different heater
XCL
XCL82 – AF triode - AF power pentode, identical to ECL82/6BM8, PCL82/16A8 and UCL82/50BM8 except for heater ratings
XCL84/8DX8 – TV sync sep triode - CRT cathode drive power pentode, identical to ECL84/6DX8, LCL84/10DX8 and PCL84/15DQ8 except for heater ratings
XCL85/9GV8 – Triode and power pentode for TV vertical output. Identical to ECL85/6GV8, LCL85/10GV8 and PCL85/18GV8 except for heater ratings
XF
XF80 – RF/IF/Video pentode, identical to EF80/6BX6 and UF80 with a different heater, noval base
XF85 – Remote-cutoff wideband RF pentode, noval base, identical to EF85/6BY7 and HF85 except for heater ratings
XF94/3AU6 – Sharp-cutoff RF/IF/AF Pentode, miniature 7-pin base, identical to EF94/6AU6 and HF94/12AU6 except for heater ratings
XF183/3EH7 – Frame-grid, remote-cutoff IF pentode for use in TV receivers, identical to EF183/6EH7 and LF183/YF183/4EH7 except for heater ratings[90]
XF184/3EJ7 – Frame-grid, sharp-cutoff IF pentode for use in TV receivers, identical to EF184/6EJ7 and LF184/YF184/4EJ7 except for heater ratings[91]
XL
XL36/13CM5 – Audio or CRT horizontal deflection output power pentode, EL36/6CM5 with a different heater
XL84 – Power pentode, EL84 with a different heater
XL86/8CW5 – Audio or CRT vertical deflection output power pentode, identical to EL86/6CW5, LL86/10CW5 and PL84/15CW5[93][94] except for heater ratings
XL500/13GB5 – CRT horizontal deflection beam power pentode, magnoval base, identical to EL500/6GB5, LL500/18GB5 and PL500/27GB5 except for heater ratings
XY
XY88/16AQ3 – TV horizontal output booster diode, identical to EY88/6AL3, LY88/20AQ3 and PY88/30AE3 except for heater ratings
Y - 450 mA heater
YCC
YCC189/5ES8 – Dual VHF triode for cascode amplifiers; identical to ECC189/6ES8, PCC189/7ES8 and XCC189/4ES8 except for heater ratings[137]
YF
YF183/LF183/4EH7 – Frame-grid, remote-cutoff IF pentode for use in TV receivers, identical to EF183/6EH7 and XF183/3EH7 except for heater ratings[90][110]
YF184/LF184/4EJ7 – Frame-grid, sharp-cutoff IF pentode for use in TV receivers, identical to EF184/6EJ7 and XF184/3EJ7 except for heater ratings[91][111]
Z302C – Unusual decade Counter Dekatron, a counterclockwise-only decade counter tube with separate odd and even extinguishing electrodes except "0", which is tied to a -300V supply so reaching the terminal count produces a negative spike on the anode voltage which can be used to advance the next counter stage with no intermediate active components
Z573C – Neon-filled 4 kHz bidirecional decade Counter Dekatron with aux anodes for direct control of Nixie tubes
ZE
Z862E – Noble-gas filled, cold-cathode electrometer tube, control current 10 pA, silicone-coated envelope for isolation, guard ring, envelope inside radioactively coated for a constant ignition voltage
ZM
ZM11 – Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 21 mm character height, top-viewing, showing a cross with a central dot and independent arms, for use in industrial control panels
ZM13 – Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 21 mmCH, top-viewing, showing a vertical line and a circle with a small gap, for use in industrial control panels
ZM13U – Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 21 mmCH, top-viewing, showing a vertical line and a circle, for use in industrial control panels
ZM14 – Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 21 mmCH, top-viewing, showing a vertical line, a circle, a triangle and a three-winged star, for use in industrial control panels
Z510M – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 15.5 mmCH, top-viewing, no decimal point
Z562S – Neon-filled, 4 kHz max. decade Counter/Selector Dekatron, envelope inside radioactively coated for a constant ignition voltage
Z564S – 25 kHz max. Decade Counter/Selector Dekatron, envelope inside radioactively coated for a constant ignition voltage
Z572S – Neon-filled, 5 kHz max. decade Counter/Selector Dekatron, aux anodes to directly drive Nixie tubes, envelope inside radioactively coated for a constant ignition voltage
ZT
Z50T – Subminiature, 6 mAavg, 24 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode trigger triode, 1 starter, 3-pin all-glass pigtailed, for use as switch in bang–bang controllers
Z300T (PL1267) – 25 mAavg, 100 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger triode, one starter, octal base
Z900T/5823 – 25 mAavg, 100 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode AC trigger triode, one starter, miniature 7-pin base
ZU
Z70U/7710 – Subminiature, 3 mAavg, 12 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger tetrode, one starter and a primer electrode, positive starter voltage, 4-pin all-glass pigtailed
Z71U/7711 – Subminiature, 7 mAavg, 12 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger tetrode, two starters, positive starter voltage, low impedance for audio frequencies, 4-pin all-glass pigtailed
Z700U – Subminiature, 4 mAavg, 16 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger tetrode, one starter and a primer electrode, positive starter voltage, all-glass pigtailed, for use in Dekatron circuits up to 2...5 kHz
Z800U – 2.5 mAavg, 10 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger tetrode, one starter and a primer electrode, positive starter voltage, noval base, for voltage control, sensitive relay circuits and timers
Z801U – 2.5 mAavg, 10 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger tetrode, one starter and a primer electrode, negative starter voltage, noval base, for use with Geiger-Müller tubes
Z803U/6779 – 25 mAavg, 100 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger tetrode, one starter and a primer electrode, positive starter voltage, noval base, for voltage control, sensitive relay circuits and timers
Z804U/7713 – 5 mAavg, 25 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode AC trigger tetrode, one starter and a primer envelope coating, negative starter voltage, noval base, direct operation from a 200...250VAC mains grid but should be triggered only while VA > 0
Z805U/7714 – 5 mAavg, 25 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode AC trigger tetrode, one starter, two primers and separate cathode and anode shields on individual pins, positive starter voltage, noval base, direct operation from a 200...250VAC mains grid, for relay drivers, timers, photoelectric controls, etc.
ZW
Z70W/7709 – 4 mA, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger pentode, two starters and a primer electrode, positive starter voltage, 5-pin all-glass pigtailed, for use in bidirectional counters
Z660W (GR43) – 12 mAavg, 50 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger pentode, two starters and a primer electrode, positive starter voltage, 5-pin all-glass pigtailed, envelope inside radioactively coated for a constant ignition voltage, for use in bidirectional counters
Z661W (ZC1010) – 8 mAavg, 50 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode AC trigger pentode, two starters and a primer electrode, positive starter voltage, 5-pin all-glass pigtailed, envelope inside radioactively coated for a constant ignition voltage, for use in bidirectional counters
Z700W – 4 mA, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger pentode, two starters and a primer electrode, positive starter voltage, 5-pin all-glass pigtailed, for use in bidirectional counters
Z806W – Gas-filled, cold-cathode trigger tetrode, one starter and dual primer, noval base, used in elevator controls
Z865W – 25 mAavg, 200 mApeak Gas-filled, cold-cathode AC/DC trigger tetrode, one starter and a primer electrode, low positive starter voltage for transistorized circuits, 9-pin base, envelope inside radioactively coated for a constant ignition voltage, for use as a relay driver
ZX
Z860X – 40 mAavg, 200 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger pentode, two starters, a primer electrode and an internal shield, positive starter voltage, noval base, envelope inside radioactively coated for a constant ignition voltage, for use in counters
Z861X – 40 mAavg, 200 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode AC trigger pentode, two starters, a primer electrode and an internal shield, positive starter voltage, noval base, envelope inside radioactively coated for a constant ignition voltage, for use in counters
Z863X – 40 mAavg, 200 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode DC trigger pentode, two starters, a primer electrode and an internal shield, negative starter voltage, noval base, envelope inside radioactively coated for a constant ignition voltage, for use in counters
XP1010 – 10-stage photomultiplier for r-ray and gamma ray scintillation spectrometry, selected 150AVP for low noise and resolution, blue-sensitive Sb-Cs cathode, Ag-Mg-O-Cs dynodes, duodecal (12-pin) base
XP1011 – 10-stage photomultiplier, blue-sensitive Sb-Cs cathode, Ag-Mg-O-Cs dynodes, shock and vibration-proof, duodecal base
XP1020 – 12-stage photomultiplier, blue-sensitive Sb-Cs cathode, Ag-Mg-O-Cs dynodes, 100 O output, duodecal (20-pin) base
XP1021 – 12-stage photomultiplier, UV/blue-sensitive Sb-Cs cathode, Ag-Mg-O-Cs dynodes, 50 O output, duodecal base
XP1023 – 12-stage photomultiplier with quartz window Sb-Cs cathode, Ag-Mg-O-Cs dynodes, UV/blue-sensitive, 50 O output, duodecal base
XP1120 – 17-stage photomultiplier for x-ray (λ > 200 pm) or UV (λ < 150 nm) photon counting in a high-vacuum environment, Nickel cathode, Cu-Be-O dynodes, coaxial outputs, built-in resistor ladder
XP1121 – 17-stage photomultiplier for ion (> 10 keV) or electron (0.1...10 keV) photon counting in a high-vacuum environment, Cu-Be-O cathode and dynodes, coaxial outputs, built-in resistor ladder
XP1122 – 17-stage photomultiplier for x-ray (λ > 200 pm) or UV (λ < 150 nm) photon counting in a high-vacuum environment, Nickel cathode, Cu-Be-O dynodes, coaxial outputs, built-in resistor ladder
XP1123 – 17-stage photomultiplier for ion (> 10 keV) or electron (0.1...10 keV) photon counting in a high-vacuum environment, Cu-Be-O cathode and dynodes, coaxial outputs, built-in resistor ladder
XP1130 – 17-stage photomultiplier for x-ray (λ > 200 pm) or UV (λ < 150 nm) photon counting in a high-vacuum environment, Nickel cathode, Cu-Be-O dynodes, coaxial outputs, built-in resistor ladder
XP1131 – 17-stage photomultiplier for ion (> 10 keV) or electron (0.1...10 keV) photon counting in a high-vacuum environment, Cu-Be-O cathode and dynodes, coaxial outputs, built-in resistor ladder
XX1190 – 1. Gen. inverter, 1-stage image intensifier
XX1192 – 1. Gen. inverter, 1-stage image intensifier
XX1200 – 1. Gen. inverter, 1-stage image intensifier
XX1211 – 1. Gen. inverter, 3-stage image intensifier
XX1270 – 1. Gen. inverter, 2-stage image intensifier
XX1400 – 2. Gen. inverter, 1-stage image intensifier
XX1430 – 1. Gen. inverter, 1-stage image intensifier
XX1510 – 1. Gen. 3-stage image intensifier
XX1610 – 2. Gen. image intensifier
XX1800 – 2. Gen. proximity focused, 1-stage image intensifier
Y - Vacuum tubes
YA
YA1000 – 5 kV, 5mA, Directly heated saturated-emission diode with pure-metal cathode for use in RMS converters of AC voltage/current stabilizer circuits, noval base[138]
YD
YD1000 – 120 kW, Water-cooled RF power triode
YD1001 – 120 kW, Air-cooled RF power triode
YD1012 – 360 kW, Vapor-cooled RF power triode
YD1130 – 580 W, Air-cooled, linear RF/AF power triode
YD1342 – 30 MHz, 530 kW, Water-cooled RF power triode
YD1352S (8867, DX334) – Neotron, a field-effect tube, 5 MHz, 3 kW, water-cooled, magnetically beamed RF power pulse generator triode
YG
YG1000 – Directly heated electrometer tetrode with an oxide cathode and a space charge grid, grid current ≤600 fA, magnoval base with input grid on top cap
ZA1001 – Neon-filled, coaxial, tritium-primed, sputtered-molybdenum cold-cathode switching diode with traces of heavy gas (krypton/xenon) for slow de-ionization, e.g. for low-frequency relaxation oscillators; meshed cylinder anode, all-glass pigtailed
ZA1002 – Neon-filled, coaxial, tritium-primed, sputtered-molybdenum cold-cathode switching diode, large difference between burning and ignition voltage, meshed cylinder anode, 3-pin all-glass pigtailed
ZA1003 – Neon-filled, coaxial, tritium-primed, sputtered-molybdenum cold-cathode switching diode for use as indicator tube in transistorized circuits, meshed cylinder anode, 3-pin all-glass pigtailed
ZA1004 – Neon-filled, coaxial, tritium-primed, sputtered-molybdenum cold-cathode switching diode, small difference between burning and ignition voltage, for use as indicator tube in transistorized circuits or as 86.4 V Voltage reference, meshed cylinder anode, 3-pin all-glass pigtailed
ZA1005 – Neon-filled, coaxial, tritium-primed, sputtered-molybdenum cold-cathode switching diode for use like a DIAC in thyristor circuits, meshed cylinder anode, 2-pin all-glass pigtailed
ZC
ZC1010 (Z661W) – 8 mAavg, 50 mApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode AC trigger pentode, two starters and a primer electrode, positive starter voltage, 5-pin all-glass pigtailed, envelope inside radioactively coated for a constant ignition voltage, for use in bidirectional counters
ZC1040 – 25 mA, Gas-filled, cold-cathode AC trigger tetrode, one starter and a primer electrode, positive starter voltage, noval base
ZC1050 – 2 mA, Gas-filled, cold-cathode, luminiscent trigger tetrode, one starter and a primer, 300 mlm light output[140] for use as self-displaying shift register cells in large-format, crawling-text dot-matrix displays;[141] all-glass pigtailed
ZC1060 – 20 mAavg, 5 kApeak, Gas-filled, cold-cathode, high-current trigger triode for e.g. capacitor discharge circuits. One external (capacitive) starter electrode
ZM1020 (Z520M) – ZM1022 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1021 (Z521M) – ZM1023 with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1020
ZM1022 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 15.5mmCH top-viewing, no decimal point
ZM1023 – A V Ω % + - ~ Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 15.5mmCH top-viewing, for use with ZM1022 in digital multimeters
ZM1024 – ZM1025 with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1020
ZM1025 – c/s Kc/s Mc/s μs ms ns s Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 15.5mmCH top-viewing, for use with ZM1022 in digital frequency counters
ZM1030 – ZM1032 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1031 – ZM1031/01 without the ~
ZM1031/01 – ZM1033/01 with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1030
ZM1032 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 15.5mmCH side-viewing, no decimal point, 5 dual cathodes and separate odd/even anode compartments for biquinary multiplexing
ZM1033/01 – + - ~ Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 15.5mmCH side-viewing, separate anode compartment for + , for use with ZM1032
ZM1040 (Z522M) – ZM1042 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1041 – ZM1043 with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1040
ZM1041S – ZM1043S with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1040
ZM1042 (Z5220M) – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 30mmCH side-viewing, no decimal point
ZM1043 – + - Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 30mmCH side-viewing, for use with ZM1042
ZM1043S – Y X + W U Z - Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 30mmCH side-viewing, for use with ZM1042
ZM1047 – ZM1049 with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1040
ZM1049 – T F S N Z Y G H M X Neon-filled digital indicator tube, side-viewing, for use with ZM1042 in numerical control systems
ZM1050ZM1070 (Z550M, 8453) – Neon-filled digital indicator tube, top-viewing, dekatron-type readout with common anode and common cathodes, pulsating anode voltage, controlled by 5-volts sensitive starter electrodes, for transistorized circuits
ZM1130 – ZM1132 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1131 – ZM1133 with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1080
ZM1132 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, side-viewing, left and right decimal point
ZM1133 – + - ~ Neon-filled digital indicator tube, side-viewing, for use with ZM1132
ZM1136L/R – ZM1138L/R with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1137 – ZM1139 with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1136L/R
ZM1138L/R – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 13mmCH side-viewing, left or right decimal points (specify)
ZM1139 – + - ~ Ω Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 13mmCH side-viewing, for use with ZM1138 in digital multimeters
ZM1162 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Long-life neon-filled digital indicator tube, 15.5mmCH top-viewing, no decimal point, rectangular envelope for close stacking in both axes
ZM1170 – ZM1172 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1172 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 15.5mmCH side-viewing, no decimal point
ZM1174 – ZM1175 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1175 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 15.5mmCH side-viewing, left decimal point
ZM1176 – ZM1177 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1177 – ZM1175, but right decimal point
ZM1180 – ZM1182 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1181 – ZM1183 with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1180
ZM1182 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 16mmCH top-viewing, no decimal point, semi-rectangular envelope for close horizontal stacking
ZM1183 – + - ~ Ω Neon-filled digital indicator tube, top-viewing, 13mmCH for use with ZM1182 in digital multimeters
ZM1184D – ZM1185D with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1185A (GR1420) – 1 2 3 4 5 6 U K E R Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 16mmCH top-viewing
ZM1185D (GR1430) – ∇ Δ Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 16mmCH top-viewing, for use in elevators
ZM1185E (GR1472) – 0 1 2 3 4 5 - t kg + Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 16mmCH top-viewing
ZM1200 – Pandicon, multiplexed 14-digit display tube with decimal points and punctuation marks, pin connections on both ends
ZM1202 – 12-Digit Pandicon
ZM1204 – 10-Digit Pandicon
ZM1206 – 8-Digit Pandicon
ZM1210ZM1212 – ZM1212 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1212 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 15.5mmCH side-viewing, left decimal point, all-glass pigtailed
ZM1220 – ZM1222 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1222 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Large neon-filled digital indicator tube, 40mmCH side-viewing
ZM1230 – ZM1232 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1232 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 15.5mmCH upside-down side-viewing, no decimal point
ZM1240 – ZM1242 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1241 – ZM1243 with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1240
ZM1242 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 16mmCH side-viewing, right decimal point
ZM1243 – + - ~ Ω Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 16mmCH side-viewing, for use with ZM1242 in digital multimeters
ZM1263 – ~ ⚫ Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 10mmCH side-viewing
ZM1290 – ZM1292 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1330 – ZM1332 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1331 – ZM1333 with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1330
ZM1332 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 13.1mmCH side-viewing, left and right decimal points, all-glass pigtailed
ZM1333 – + - ~ Ω Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 13.1mmCH side-viewing, all-glass pigtailed, for use with ZM1332 in digital multimeters
ZM1334 – ZM1336 with a red contrast filter coating
ZM1335 – ZM1337 with a red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1334
ZM1336 – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 13.1mmCH side-viewing, left and right decimal points, multiplex-capable
ZM1337 – + - ~ Ω Neon-filled digital indicator tube, 13.0mmCH side-viewing, right decimal point (!), all-glass pigtailed, red contrast filter coating, for use with ZM1336 in digital multimeters
ZP1600 – Halogen-quenched Geiger-Müller tube, 19.8 mm diameter mica window, X-rays, 6.0 to 20 keV energy, 60 to 200 pm wavelength range
ZP1610 – Side window, organically quenched Geiger-Müller tube. 7 x 18 mm mica window; X-rays, 2.5 to 40 keV energy, 30 to 500 pm wavelength range
ZP1700 – Halogen-quenched, cosmic-ray guard counter tube for low-background measurements; to be used with another radiation counter tube in an anticoincidence circuit
ZP1800 – Halogen-quenched Geiger-Müller tube for use at temperatures up to 200 °C, γ
ZP1810 – Halogen-quenched Geiger-Müller tube for use at temperatures up to 200 °C, γ, low sensitivity, up to 40 mGy/h
ZP1860 – Halogen-quenched Geiger-Müller tube, β and γ
QE05/40 (6146) – 40 W Radiation-cooled output beam-tetrode, popular amongst radio amateurs as a final RF amplifier
QE08/200 – 200 W Beam-tetrode
QEL
QEL1/150 – Air-cooled 150 W beam-tetrode
QEL1/250 – Air-cooled 250 W beam-tetrode
QEP
QEP20/18 – 18 W Beam-tetrode for use as a pulse modulator
QQC
QQC03/14 – 14 W Dual beam-tetrode
QQE
QQE02/5 (6939) – 5 W Dual beam-tetrode
QQE03/12 (6360) – 12 W Dual beam-tetrode
QQE03/20 (6252) – 20 W Dual beam-tetrode
QQE04/5 (7377) – 5 W Dual beam-tetrode
QQE06/40 (5894, YL1060) – 40 W dual beam-tetrode, internally neutralized, Septar base with dual anode top cap
QQV
QQV02/6 – 6 W dual beam-tetrode
QQV03/20A – 20 W Radiation-cooled split-anode tetrode made by Mullard and used in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s as a VHF frequency-doubling output stage with balanced output.
QQV07/50 – 50 W Dual beam-tetrode
QQZ
QQZ03/20 (8118, YL1020) – 20 W Dual beam-tetrode
QQZ06/40 (YL1030) – 40 W Dual beam-tetrode
QV
QV04/7 – 7 W Beam-tetrode
QV05/25 (807) – 25 W Radiation-cooled output beam-tetrode made by Mullard.
QV2/250C – 250 W Beam-tetrode
QY
QY3/65 – 65 W Beam-tetrode
QY5/3000A – 3 kW Beam-tetrode
QY5/3000W – Water-cooled version of QY5-3000A
QYS
QYS50/P40 – Pulsed power tetrode, Silica envelope, 50 kV anode voltage, considerable x-radiation, 810 °C anode temperature at 700 W anode dissipation, 40 A anode current at duty factor 0.0005, Vg1Cut-off (IA=1 mA@VA=55 kV): > -3.4 kV, gm: 38 mS
RGQ7.5/0.6 – 7.5 kV, 600 mA Half-wave mercury-vapor rectifier with anode top cap
RGQ20/5 – 20 kV, 5 A Half-wave mercury-vapor rectifier with anode top cap
T - AF/RF/oscillator Triode
TA
TA04/5 – 400 V, 50 W Radiation-cooled power triode
TA1.5/75 – 1.5 kV, 75 W Radiation-cooled power triode
TA4/2000K – 4 kV, 2 kW Air-cooled power triode made by Philips in the 1930s
TA18/100000 – 18 kV, 100 kW Water-cooled power triode
TB
TB04/8 – Directly heated Doorknob VHF power triode up to 600 MHz
TB2.5/400 – 2.5 kV, 300 W Radiation-cooled power triode
TB5/2500 – 5 kV, 2.5 kW Radiation-cooled power triode
TBL
TBL2/300 – 2 kV, 300 W Forced air-cooled power triode
TBL15/125 – 15 kV, 125 kW Forced air-cooled power triode
TBW
TBW6/14 – 6 kV, 14 kW Water-cooled power triode
TBW15/125 – 15 kV, 125 kW Water-cooled power triode
TC
TC03/5 – RF power triode up to 85 MHz, 5 W
TC2/250 – RF power triode up to 20 MHz, 250 W
TD
TD03/5 – Indirectly heated disk-seal UHF power triode up to 2 GHz
TD03/10 – Indirectly heated disk-seal UHF power triode up to 2.8 W, 3.75 GHz
TD03/10F – TD03/10 with internal feedback for use as an oscillator
TD04/20 – Indirectly heated disk-seal UHF power triode up to 13.5 W, 1 GHz
TD1/100C = 2C39BA – Indirectly heated, ceramic disk-seal UHF power triode up to 24 W, 3.5 GHz[142]
TD2/400 – Directly heated, ceramic disk-seal UHF power triode up to 600 W, 900 MHz
TD2/500 – Directly heated, ceramic disk-seal UHF power triode up to 500 W, 940 MHz
TE
TE05/10 – RF power triode up to 150 MHz
TX
TX12/12W – Water-cooled RF power triode
TX12/20W – Water-cooled RF power triode
TX10/4000 – Power triode, Silica envelope, 12 kV anode voltage, 4 kW anode dissipation, 1.6 A cathode current, gm: 4.5 mS, for use as self-excited high-power oscillator in induction heating equipment.
TY
TY2/125 – 135 W VHF power triode up to 200 MHz
TY12/50A – Forced-air cooled 45 kW RF power triode up to 30 MHz
TY12/50W – Water-cooled 50 kW RF power triode up to 30 MHz
TYS
TYS2/250 – Power triode, Silica envelope, 2.5 kV anode voltage, 250 W anode dissipation
TYS4/500 – Power triode, Silica envelope
TYS5/1000 – Power triode, Silica envelope
TYS5/2000 – Power triode, Silica envelope
TYS5/3000 – Power triode, Silica envelope, 6 kV anode voltage, 950 °C anode temperature at 3.5 kW anode dissipation, 2.8 A cathode current, gm: 15 mS. Used in RF generators for induction hardening.
X - Thyratron
XGQ
XGQ2/6400 – 2 kV, 6.4 kW Mercury-vapor tetrode thyratron with anode and grid1 top caps
XR
XR1/1600 (5545) – 1 kV, 1.6 kW Inert gas-filled triode thyratron with anode top cap
XR1/6400 – 1 kV, 6.4 kW Inert gas-filled triode thyratron with anode top cap
BG08220-K – Neon-filled, planar, base-24 display dekatron with four sets of guiding cathodes and a carry/borrow cathode, for use e.g. in direction-finding equipment
CH1027 – Curristor – Four types of nitrogen-filled, radioactive constant-current tubes with a current plateau from 25 to 500 V, all-glass pigtailed, active material is 226Ra with a half-life of 1601 years, for linear capacitor charging and draining in missile and ordnance mine timing circuits, instrumentation biasing, as current reference, etc.:
CK1366, CK1367, CK1368, CK1369 – CRTs with an unphosphored front glass but with fine wires embedded in it for use as electrostatic print heads; the wires would pass the electron beam current through the glass onto a sheet of paper where the desired content was therefore deposited as an electrical charge pattern. The paper was then passed near a pool of liquid ink with the opposite charge. The charged areas of the paper attract the ink and thus form the image.[144][145]
CK1383 – Dual-electron gunrecording storage tube, a realtime polar, radar PPI-to-rectangular, TV-type analog videotranscoder similar to the 7702, with simultaneous R/W, and storing capability. This was achieved by a CRT/camera tube combination; the CRT part writes the PPI-format image onto a thin, dielectric target; the camera part reads the generated charge pattern in TV format from the back side of this target.[146]
CL40 and CL41 – Indirectly heated, linear light source (glow modulator tube), mercury/argon-filled gas diode with primer electrode, 8-pin base, for rotating-drum FAX receivers, film soundtrack recording, etc.
CL42 and CL43 – Indirectly heated, low-noise linear light source, helium-filled gas diode with primer electrode, 8-pin base, for film soundtrack recording, interferometers, etc.
CL44 – Indirectly heated, low-noise linear light source, neon-filled gas diode with primer electrode, 8-pin base
CL50 and CL52 – Indirectly heated, linear light source, gas-filled diode with primer electrode, 7-pin base, for rotating-drum FAX receivers, film soundtrack recording, etc.
CL55 – Indirectly heated, spectrally pure light source, helium-filled gas diode with primer electrode, 7-pin base with anode top cap
CL56 – Indirectly heated, spectrally pure light source, krypton-filled gas diode with primer electrode, 7-pin base with anode top cap
CL57 – Indirectly heated, spectrally pure light source, neon-filled gas diode with primer electrode, 7-pin base with anode top cap
CL58 – Indirectly heated, spectrally pure light source, xenon-filled gas diode with primer electrode, 7-pin base with anode top cap
EN10 – Neostron, 400 Apk Gas-filled, cold-cathode tetrode thyratron, differential trigger electrodes, 8-pin base, for use as a relay or as a reddish 700 Cdstroboscope lamp
EN15 – 80 Aavg Neon-filled, cold-cathode tetrode thyratron, differential trigger electrodes, miniature 9-pin base, for use as a stroboscope lamp
EN30 – 250 Apk Gas-filled, arc-discharge cold-cathode tetrode thyratron, differential trigger electrodes, miniature 7-pin base with anode cap, for use as a relay or as a stroboscope lamp
EN40 – 250 Apk Gas-filled, cold-cathode tetrode thyratron, differential trigger electrodes, 8-pin base, for use as a whitish stroboscope lamp with a high actinism for photographic film
EN55 Single, EDN10 dual xenon-filled, arc-discharge cold-cathode tetrode thyratron, external (capacitive) trigger, 12-pin base, for use as a white 140 kCd stroboscope lamp
EN60 – Gas-filled, arc-discharge cold-cathode tetrode thyratron, external (capacitive) trigger, Edison screw lamp base with anode cap, for use as a white 900 klm@10µF@800V stroboscope lamp
GE10 – Directly heated saturated-emission diode. Acts as a heating current-controlled, variable series resistor in voltage/current stabilizer circuits. It has two shorted pins that can be used to disable the circuit if the tube is removed from its socket
GK
Cerberus:
GK11 – Touch button tube, an illuminated capacitance touch switch; a cold-cathode DC relay tube, external (capacitive) starter activated by touching; then the cathode glow is visible as an orange ring. 2-pin all-glass pigtailed
GR15 – 15 mA Gas-filled cold-cathode DC tetrode, one starter and one electrical primer and tritium-primed (half-life: 12.32 years), noval base, for voltage triggers, RC timers etc.
GR16 – 20 mA Gas-filled, cold-cathode, tritium-primed AC/DC triode, one starter and an EM shield, noval base, for voltage triggers, RC timers etc.
GR17 – 15 mA Gas-filled cold-cathode AC triode, one starter and an EM shield, noval base, for voltage triggers, RC timers etc.
GR31 – 15 mA Gas-filled cold-cathode DC tetrode, one starter and one electrical primer plus a tritium primer, noval base
GR44 – 12 mA Subminiature gas-filled cold-cathode DC pentode, two starters and one primer electrode plus a tritium primer, 5-pin all-glass pigtailed
GR46 – 12 mA Subminiature gas-filled cold-cathode DC tetrode, one starter and one primer electrode, 4-pin all-glass pigtailed
KN2 – 4 kV, 500 AsurgeKrytron, a cold-cathode gas-filled tube with a primer electrode, for use as a very high-speed, high-surge current switch; similar to a thyratron, lifespan 107 shots, 4-pin all-glass pigtailed[150]
KN4 – 5 kV, 2.5 kAsurge Krytron with a primer electrode, lifespan 25000 shots, 4-pin all-glass pigtailed
KN6 – 5 kV, 3 kAsurge Krytron with a primer electrode, lifespan 35000 shots, 4-pin all-glass pigtailed
KN6B – 8 kV, 3 kAsurge Krytron with a primer electrode, lifespan 35000 shots, 4-pin all-glass pigtailed
KN9 – 4 kV, 500 Asurge Krytron with a primer electrode, lifespan 1.5⋅107 shots, 4-pin all-glass pigtailed
KN22 – 5 kV, 100 Asurge Krytron with a primer electrode, lifespan 2⋅107 shots, 4-pin all-glass pigtailed, for laser pumping, to drive Pockels cells, also for educational purposes[151]
KN26 – 5 kV, 3 kAsurge Krytron with a primer electrode, lifespan 75000 shots, 4-pin all-glass pigtailed
PBG12201 – Neon-filled, planar, dual 200-segment linear glow-transfer bar graph display tube with three cathode strings,[152] for use in VU meters etc.; cf. BG08220-K
PBG12203 – Neon-filled, planar, dual 201-segment linear glow-transfer bar graph display tube with three cathode strings, for use in VU meters etc.
PBG12205 – Neon-filled, planar, dual 200-segment linear glow-transfer bar graph display tube with five cathode strings, for use in VU meters etc.
PBG16101 – Neon-filled, planar, dual 101-segment linear glow-transfer bar graph display tube with three cathode strings, for use in VU meters etc.; similar to ИН-33
RK61 – Miniature, gas-filled, directly heated thyratron designed specifically to operate like a vacuum triode below its ignition voltage, allowing it to both amplify analog signals and work as a relaxation oscillator, for use as a self-quenching superregenreative detector up tp 100 MHz in radio control receivers, activating a relay in its anode circuit when a carrier wave is received; 4-pin all-glass pigtailed, 1.4 V, 45 mA filament, Ua=45 V, Ia=1.5 mA.[157]
RK62 – RK61's predecessor, marketed since 1938;[158] this was the major technical development which led to the wartime development of radio-controlled weapons and the parallel development of radio controlled modelling as a hobby.[159]
TuneOn – Early neon-filled bar graph tuning indicator, a glass tube with a short wire anode and a long wire cathode that glows partially; the glow length is proportional to the tube current[162]
TuneOn Button – Early glow modulator used as a budget-priced tuning indicator – a neon lamp whose brightness is proportional to the tube current[163]
Tunograph – Precursor of the "Magic Eye" tuning indicator first introduced in 1933; a tiny CRT with 1-axis electrostatic deflection and a phosphored target at 45° to the electron beam, so the projected green dot can be observed from the side[164]
TH9503 – Scripticon, a character generatormonoscope for text mode video rendering in early computer monitors, with a square target having letters, digits and symbols patterned on it in an (optionally customer-supplied) 8x8 array. An electron beam selects and scans a character, both by appropriate magnetic deflection, and generates an analog video signal;[165] cf. 4560, CK1414
TM – Vacuum triode for amplification and detection of radio signals, developed in France and made since 1915.[166][167][168][169] It became the standard receiving and amplifying tube of the Entente countries during World War I, and the first mass-produced radio tube. TM's production volume in France alone is estimated at 1.1 million units; in addition, the production of TM and/or improved versions was started in the UK (Marconi–OsramR tube), the Netherlands (PhilipsE tube), the United States and the Soviet Union (R-5, Russian: Р-5).(ru)
The TM was developed in 1914–15 by the French military telecommunications service Télégraphie Militaire on the initiative of their technical director Gustave-Auguste Ferrié. He and his assistant, physicist Henri Abraham, visited the American laboratories on a number of occasions and were aware of the works of Lee de Forest, Reginald A. Fessenden and Irving Langmuir. They knew that de Forest's Audion and Henry Round's British tube were unreliable and imperfect, and Langmuir's Pliotron was too complex for mass production. They also knew about the latest German developments: Soon after the outbreak of the war, Ferrié received extensive information from a former Telefunken employee, the Frenchman Paul Pichon, who, upon return from a mission from his German employer to gather samples of the latest triodes from the USA, had to surrender himself and the samples to the French. The samples Pichon brought performed poorly due to insufficient vacuum. Following the ideas of Langmuir, Ferrié required the industry to guarantee a high vacuum in series production.
In October 1914, Ferrié, Abraham and François Péri from the radiotelegraph centre in Lyon/La-Doua(fr) went to the light bulb department of Société des Téléphones E.C.&Alexandre Grammont in Lyon to develop with them a triode suitable for mass production. The first prototypes, mere copies of de Forest's Audion, proved to be unreliable and unstable; the next ones were rejected for being too complex. Only the fourth prototype developed in December 1914, with a vertical coaxial system, an Edison screw lamp base for the filament and additional side terminals for anode and grid, was deemed suitable for series production, which started in February 1915 and stopped in October 1915 when it became clear that the vertical structure of "Abraham's Lamp" was too fragile and too many tubes were damaged during transport. Ferrié asked Péri to resolve the problem, and two days later Péri and Jacques Biguet came up with a horizontal coaxial system on the latest four-pin type "A" base. The series production of the Péri/Biguet tubes, named TM after Ferrié's service unit, began in November 1915 under Grammont's Radio Fotos brand; this variant became highly successful, and when demand started to exceed Grammont's production capacity, Compagnie des Lampes (1888) in Ivry-sur-Seine also started production under their Métal brand. Ferrié and Abraham were nominated for the 1916 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in the field of radio communications.
The TM is a cylindrical/coaxial triode; the directly-heated cathode is a filament made of pure tungsten with a diameter of 60 μm, the anode is a nickel cylinder with a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 15 mm. The dimensions and material of the grid depend on the place of production – the Grammont plant in Lyon used molybdenum wire, the CdL plant in Ivry-sur-Seine used nickel. The diameter of the grid spiral is 4 resp. 4.5 mm. The filament required 4 V and 700 mA to bring it up to white heat; the bright glow prompted Grammont in 1923 to start producing TM tubes with dark blue glass envelopes to protect the eyes of radio operators from the blinding glare, and hide the harmless, but unsightly plaque of metal particles inevitably deposited on the inner wall of the bulb while evacuating during production – but also prevented the triodes' previous, secondary use as light sources, which had earned them their nickname Loupiote ("little lamp").
The TM could be used for their intended purpose, amplifying and detecting signals in radio receivers, or as power oscillators in low-power radio transmitters, and also, by paralleling of several tubes, as AF power amplifiers. The Soviet analogue of the TM, the triode R-5, could withstand anode voltages of up to 500...800 V, and was able to deliver a power of up to 1 W in Class-C mode, but only 40 mW in Class-A mode. A typical single-TM radio receiver of World War I ran at Ua=40 V, Ug=0 V, Ia≈2 mA, gm=400 μS, Ri=25 kΩ, μ=10. With an anode voltage of 160 V and a grid bias of -2 V, the anode current was 3...6 mA, while the reverse grid current reached 1 μA.[170]
The problem of TM tubes was their short service life of 100 hours maximum – if the tube was manufactured in strict accordance with the specifications. In wartime, this was not always possible; due to raw materials supply problems, plants sometimes had to use substandard materials. Such tubes were marked with a cross; they differed from the standard by a higher noise level and were prone to catastrophic failures due to cracks in the glass envelope.
1602 – Directly heated triode used for A.F. amplification with low microphonics. 7.5 volt heater/filament. 12 watts of A.F. operating in Class-A. 15 watts of low R.F. operating in Class-C. Similar to type 10.
1603 – Indirectly heated pentode used for A.F. amplification with low microphonics. Similar to types 6U7, 57, 6D6 and 6C6. UX6 Base.
1608 – Directly heated triode giving 20 watts at up to 45 MHz. 2.5 volt heater/filament. UX base.
1609 – Directly heated pentode used for A.F. amplification with low microphonics. American 5-Pin(UY)base.
1610 – Directly heated pentode specially designed for use as a crystal oscillator. 2.5 volt heater/filament, American 5-Pin base.
1612 – Pentagrid converter; low-microphonics version of type 6L7. Both control grids (1 and 3) are sharp-cutoff.
1619 – Beam Power Tetrode, similar to 6L6 with directly heated filament, common in World War II battle tank transmitters.
1624, 1625 – Very similar to the 807, but with different heater voltage
1626 – RF triode, very similar to 6J5 but with 12.6 volt filament
29C1 – Directly heated saturated-emission diode; acts as a heating current-controlled, variable series resistor in voltage/current stabilizer circuits.
200s
203A – 40 W, Directly heated RF transmitter power triode, 4-pin base, anode on top cap
204A – 450 W, Directly heated RF transmitter power triode, 3-pin base, anode on top cap
205D – 1 W, Directly heated AF or modulator power triode, 4-pin base
7JP4 – Monochrome cathode ray tube common in early postwar TV receivers. Electrostatic deflection, P4 white, medium-persistence phosphor, 7" screen.
7JP7 – Monochrome cathode ray tube for use in early postwar radar displays. Electrostatic deflection, P7 blue-white, long-persistence phosphor, 5½" screen.
700s
703A – Directly heated Doorknob UHF power triode up to 1.5 GHz
713A – Indirectly heated Doorknob UHF power pentode
717A (CV3594, VT269) – Indirectly heated Doorknob UHF power pentode
8
800s
800 – Directly heated V.H.F. power triode, giving 35 watts up to 60 MHz and 18 watts at 180 MHz. American 4-Pin(UX)base with side locating pin.
801 – Directly heated power triode, used in pairs in Class-B in A.M. modulation sections of transmitters giving up to 45 watts of power at 60 MHz and 22 watts at 120 MHz.
802 – Indirectly heated H.F. power pentode, giving 8 watts up to 30 MHz and 4 watts at 110 MHz.
803 – Directly heated H.F. power pentode, giving 50 watts up to 20 MHz and 25 watts at 70 MHz.
804 – Directly heated H.F. power pentode, giving 20 watts up to 15 MHz and 10 watts at 10 MHz.
805 – Directly heated H.F. high-mu triode, giving 140 watts up to 30 MHz and 70 watts at 85 MHz.
806 – Directly heated H.F. high-mu triode, giving 390 watts up to 30 MHz 195 watts at 100 MHz.
807 – Indirectly heated H.F. beam power tetrode, giving 25 watts up to 30 MHz and 12 watts at 125 MHz. A variation of type 6L6 originally designed as a Class-C transmitter tube. Later used in pairs as push-pull outputs for high-wattage Class-AB2 audio amplifiers. Also used as a horizontal output tube in early TV receivers. One of the first commercial tubes that used the top cap to connect the anode (instead of the control grid) to the circuit.
808 – Directly heated H.F. high-mu triode, giving 140 watts up to 30 MHz and 70 watts at 130 MHz.
809 – Directly heated H.F. high-mu triode, giving 55 watts up to 27 MHz and 30 watts at 100 MHz.
810 – Directly heated H.F. triode, 10 volt filament and Zirconium Carbide anode. Base fits R.C.A. UT-541A Socket.
813 – Beam Power Tetrode possessing about 5 times the Anode dissipation of an 807.
814 – A directly heated Beam Power Tetrode giving about 130 watts at 30 MHz and 65 watts at 100 MHz operating in Class-C.
815 – An indirectly heated dual Pentode. International Octal, (IO), base.
825 – First commercially available klystrode, a VHF/UHF linear-beam transmitting tube, similar to a klystron
829 – A dual indirectly heated beam power tetrode. Two 6.3 volt heaters sharing a common tap.
830 – A directly heated triode giving about 50 watts at 15 MHz and 7.5 watts at 60 MHz operating in Class-C.
831 – A directly heated triode giving about 400 watts at 20 MHz and 200 watts at 60 MHz operating in Class-C. 11 volt heater/filament.
833 – A larger directly heated high-mu triode giving about 1 kW at 30 MHz and 500 watts at 45 MHz operating in Class-C. Usable up to 100 MHz at reduced power, (400 W). 10 volt heater/filament drawing 10 A. The anode of this device is fabricated from tantalum. Anode current of 800 mA with an anode voltage of 3 kV and grid voltage of zero. Anode current of 4.3 A at a voltage of 750 with 350 volt on the grid. Uses two-part R.C.A socket assembly UT-103.[177]
834 – A directly heated triode giving 58 watts at 100 MHz and 25 watts at 350 MHz operating in Class-C. 7.5 volt heater/filament. Fitted with an American 4-Pin, (UX4), base with side locating pin.
836 – An indirectly heated high vacuum rectifier with a peak inverse voltage of 5 kV and peak anode current of 1 ampere. 2.5 volt heater.
837 – An indirectly heated pentode giving 11 watts at 20 MHz and 5 watts at 80 MHz. operating in Class-C. 12.6 volt heater.
838 – A directly heated triode giving about 100 watts at 30 MHz operating in Class-C. 10 volt heater/filament.
841 – A directly heated high-mu triode giving about 10 watts at 6 MHz and 5 watts at 170 MHz operating in Class-C. 7.5 volt heater/filament.
842 – A directly heated triode giving about 3 watts at 6 MHz operating in Class-C. 7.5 volt heater/filament.
843 – An indirectly heated tetrode giving gain at 6 MHz and usable up to 200 MHz operating in Class-C. 2.5 volt heater/filament.
844 – A directly heated triode giving gain at 6 MHz and usable up to 155 MHz operating in Class-C. 2.5 volt heater/filament.
845 – A directly heated triode giving up to 24 watts if undistorted power in Class-A at audio frequency with an anode voltage of 1250. 11 volt heater/filament.
849 – A directly heated triode giving gain at 3 MHz operating in Class-C. Two 849s, working in push-pull Class-B are capable of delivering 1.1 kW of audio output with an anode voltage of 3 kV. Usable up to 30 MHz. 11 volt filament/heater.
850 – A directly heated tetrode giving 120 watts of power gain up to 13 MHz and 50 watts at 100 MHz, operating in Class-C. 10 volt heater/filament.
851 – A directly heated triode giving 1.5 kW of power up to 3 MHz operating in Class-C. 11 volt heater/filament.
852 – A directly heated triode giving 75 W of power up to 30 MHz operating in Class-C. 10 volt heater/filament.
857B – Large mercury-vapor rectifier used in 50 kW class broadcast transmitters. 22 kV anode voltage, 10 A anode current. Filament 5 V @ 30 A
860 – A directly heated tetrode giving 105 W of power up to 30 MHz and 50 watts at 120 MHz operating in Class-C. 10 volt heater/filament.
861 – A directly heated triode giving 400 W of power up to 20 MHz and 200 watts at 60 MHz operating in Class-C. 11 volt heater/filament.
862 – Large water-cooled triode for broadcast/industrial applications. Used in experimental 500 kW transmitter at WLW.
864 – A directly heated general-purpose, low-microphonics triode with a maximum anode voltage of 135 volts and anode current of 3.5 mA. 1.1 volt heater/filament.
865 – A directly heated tetrode giving 30 W of power up to 15 MHz 15 watts at 70 MHz operating in Class-C. 11 volt heater/filament.
866866A – A mercury-vapor rectifier with a peak inverse voltage of 5 kV and peak anode current of 1 ampere. Average anode current, 250 mA, forward drop, 15 volt. Heater voltage and current, 2.5 at 5 A. American 4-Pin(UX) base.
866A – Improved 866 with a peak inverse voltage of 10 kV and a forward drop of 10 volt.
872 – A mercury-vapor rectifier with a peak inverse voltage of 5 kV and peak anode current of 5 amperes. Average anode current, 1250 mA, forward drop, 15 volt. Heater voltage, 5.0 at 10 A. Base fits R.C.A. UT-541A Socket.
872A – Improved 872 with a peak inverse voltage of 10 kV, a forward drop of 10 volt and a heater current of 6.25 A.
879 – A high vacuum rectifier with a peak inverse voltage of ca. 15 kV and peak anode current of ca. 5 mA. 2.5 volt heater and American 4-Pin, (UX) base. Used as half wave rectifier for high voltage cathode ray tube supplies. Similar to type 2X2.
884 – An indirectly heated triode thyratron. 6.3 volt heater/filament, International Octal, (IO), base. Electrically similar to type 885. Once commonly used as a sawtooth horizontal sweep waveform generator in recurrent-sweep oscilloscopes. Marketed by DuMont under the type number 6Q5.
885 – An indirectly heated triode thyratron. 2.5 volt heater/filament, American 5-Pin (UY) base. Otherwise similar to type 884.
898 – Large water-cooled triode for broadcast/industrial applications. Updated version of 862, with 3 phase filament structure.
9
900s
934 – Vacuum Phototube, spectral S4 response (maximum sensitivity at 400±50 nm), 3-pin Small-Shell Peewee base
935 – Vacuum Phototube, spectral S5 response (maximum sensitivity at 340±50 nm), 4-pin octal base
950 – Power pentode with directly heated cathode, used in storage battery home radios with 2.0 volt filament supply. Similar to types 1F4 and 1J5G
951 – Sharp-cutoff pentode with directly heated cathode, used in storage battery home radios with 2.0 volt filament supply. Similar to type 1B4P
954 (4672/E1F) – Indirectly heated Acorn-type sharp-cutoff pentode giving gains of 2...3 up to 300 MHz operating in Class-A and usable up to 600 MHz with careful stage design; 6.3 V heater
955 (4671/E1C) – Indirectly heated Acorn-type triode giving a power of 135 mW up to 600 MHz operating in Class-A and 500 mW in Class-C with careful stage design; 6.3 V heater
956 (4695/E2F) – Indirectly heated Acorn-type remote-cutoff pentode giving gains of 3...4 up to 600 MHz operating in Class-A with careful stage design; 6.3 V heater
957 (D1C) – Directly heated Acorn-type UHF receiving triode; 1.25 V filament for portable equipment
958 (D2C) – Directly heated Acorn-type UHF transmitting triode with dual, paralleled 1.25 V filaments for increased emission, for portable equipment
958A – 958 with tightened emission specs
959 (D3F) – Directly heated Acorn-type sharp-cutoff UHF pentode; 1.25 V filament for portable equipment
Used in 1930s home radios powered by storage batteries.
19 – Dual power triode – also used in farm radios with 6-volt vibrator power supplies. Early version of octal type 1J6G.
20 – Power triode – Early versions numbered UX-120.
22 – Sharp-cutoff tetrode – Early versions numbered UX-222 or CX-322.
25S – Dual detector diode, medium-mu triode. Identical to type 1B5. Usually numbered 1B5/25S.
30 – Medium-mu triode, An upgraded version of type 01-A – Early versions numbered RCA-230 or CX-330. Can also be used as a power triode. The type 30 was popular amongst amateurs of the day. Early UX4 based version of octal type 1H4G.
31 – Power triode, UX4 based – Early versions numbered RCA-231 or CX-331.
32 – Sharp-cutoff tetrode – Early versions numbered RCA-232 or CX-332.
33 – Power pentode – Early versions numbered RCA-233 or C-333.
34 – Remote-cutoff tetrode – Early versions numbered RCA-234 or CX-334.
49 – Dual-grid power triode, similar to type 46
With 3.3 Volts DC filaments
Used in 1920s home radios powered by dry cells (filaments) and storage batteries (B-plus voltage).
V99 – Low-mu triode. Except for stub-pin bayonet base and pinout, electronically similar to X99
X99 – Similar to V99, but with standard pins and different basing arrangement (pinout).
With 5.0 Volts DC filaments
Used in 1920s home radios powered by storage batteries.
00-A – Detector triode with a trace of argon. "00-A" is the number used in most tube manuals. Numbers for earlier versions include UX-200-A and CX-300-A (long pins, push-in socket) and UV-200-A (stub pins, bayonet socket).
01-A – All-purpose low-mu triode, used as RF amplifier, detector, AF amplifier and power triode. The most popular tube of the 1920s. "01-A" is the number used for replacements manufactured after 1930 and in tube manuals. Numbers for early versions include UX-201-A and CX-301-A (long pins, push in socket) and UV-201-A (stub pins, bayonet socket).
Note: There were four tubes in the "01" series, each with different current ratings for their filaments. Type 01-A was the most commonly used.
Types UV 201 and UX 201 – 1.0 ampere
Type 01-A (UV 201-A, UX 201-A, etc.) – 250 milliampere
Type UX 201-B – 125 milliampere
Type UX 201-C – 60 milliampere
12-A – Medium-mu triode, often used as detector, audio driver or audio output, but not as an RF amplifier. This type is listed in tube manuals after 1930 for replacements purposes. Also referred to as type 112-A. Many early versions are marked UX-112-A or CX-112-A.
40 – Medium-mu triode – Early versions numbered UX-240. Introduced in 1927, this was an upgraded version of the "01" series. The "01" series had an amplification factor of 8, while type 40 had an amplification factor of 30. (By comparison, the two AC triodes introduced in the same time period – types 26 and 27 – had amplification factors of 8.3 and 9, respectively.) Because this was the highest-amplification triode available, advertising literature of the time lists it as a high-mu triode, although it is now classified as a medium-mu triode. Type 40 had the highest amplification factor of any triode until the introduction in 1932 of diode/triode complex type 2A6, which had an amplification factor of 100. It also had the highest amplification factor of any DC filament triode until the introduction in 1939 of complementary diode/triode complex types 1H5GT (octal) and 1LH4 (loctal), which both had amplification factors of 65.
Other directly DC-heated tubes
2HF – Tube-based "integrated circuit" with 2 tetrodes and passive components in the same envelope
3NF – Tube-based "integrated circuit" with 3 triodes and passive components in the same envelope. 4V heater
WG38 – Tube-based "integrated circuit" with 2 pentodes, a triode and passive components in the same envelope
Directly AC-heated power tubes
10 – Power triode – Early versions numbered UX-210 or CX-310.
26 – Medium-mu triode, used in early AC radio receivers manufactured in the late 1920s. Used as an RF or AF amplifier, but not as an dectetor or power output tube – Early versions numbered UX-226 or CX-326.
45 – Power Triode – Early versions numbered UX-245 or CX-345.
46 – Dual grid power triode – Grids 1 and 2 connected together for use as push-pull Class-B outputs, Grid 2 and anode connected together for use as single-tube audio driver.
47 – Power pentode – Early versions numbered RCA-247 or C-347.
50 – Power triode – Early versions numbered UX-250 or CX-350.
71-A – Power triode – This type listed in tube manuals after 1930 for replacements purposes. Also referred to as 171-A. Many early versions numbered as UX-171-A or CX-371-A.
Directly AC-heated rectifier tubes
80 – Full-wave rectifier used in early power supplies or battery eliminators (electronically similar to 5Y3G) – Early versions numbered UX-280 or CX-380
81 – Half-wave rectifier – Early versions numbered UX-281 or CX-381.
83-V – High-vacuum version of type 83, Early UX4 based version of octal type 5V4G.
Tubes with indirectly heated cathodes
With DC heaters
15 – Sharp-cutoff pentode, used in farm radios, in autodyne circuits requiring a separate cathode.
48 – Power tetrode, used in 32-volt farm radios. When two are parallel-connected, they can operate with anode and screen voltages as low as 28 volt.
For use with an AC heating transformer
Note: All have 2.5 volt heaters.
24 – Sharp-cutoff tetrode, UX5 based, Early versions numbered UY-224 and C-324
24-A – an upgraded version of type 24, see type 24 above. Early versions numbered UY-224A and C-324A
27 – Medium-mu triode, UX5 based, Early versions numbered UY-227 and C-327. The first North American tube with an indirectly heated cathode, which is necessary for detector circuits in AC powered tube radios.
35 – Remote-cutoff tetrode, UX5 based, (Commonly branded as 35/51). Early versions numbered UY-235 or C-335
51 – Similar to 35, see type 35 above. (Commonly branded as 35/51)
53 – Dual power triodes, Class-B, UX7 based, (Except for heater, electronically similar to 6A6 and octal based 6N7)
55 – Dual-diode, medium-mu triode, UX6 based, (Except for heater, electronically similar to type 85, and octal based 6V7G, but not to 75)
56 – Medium-mu triode, UX5 based, (Except for heater, electronically similar to 76, and octal based 6P5G)
57 – Sharp-cutoff pentode used in cabinet and mantel radio receivers, UX6 based, (Except for heater, electronically similar to 6C6 and octal based 6J7G, and somewhat similar to type 77)
58 – Remote-cutoff pentode, UX6 based, (Except for heater, electronically similar to 6D6 and octal based 6U7G, but not to 78)
59 – Power pentode, UX7 based.
For use with AC/DC or vehicle-based storage-battery power supplies
Note: All have 6.3 volt heaters except type 43
1-V – Half-wave rectifier with indirectly heated cathode, UX4 based, (often branded as type 1V/6Z3). Early version was KR-1.
36 – Sharp-cutoff tetrode, UX5 based. Early versions numbered RCA-236 or C-336
37 – Medium-mu triode, UX5 based. Early versions numbered RCA-237 or C-337
38 – Power pentode, UX5 based. Early versions numbered RCA-238
39 – Remote-cutoff pentode, UX5 based (Commonly branded as 39/44).
41 – Power pentode, Early UX6 based version of octal type 6K6G, and loctal type 7B5.
42 – Power pentode, Early UX6 based version of octal type 6F6G, Except for heater, similar to types 2A5 and 18.
43 – Power pentode, Early UX6 based version of octal type 25A6G, Commonly used in AC/DC radios.
44 – Similar to type 39, see type 39 above. (Commonly branded as 39/44).
75 – Dual-diode, high-mu triode. Early UX6 based version of octal types 6B6G & 6SQ7GT, and loctal type 7B6, and 7-pin miniature type 6AV6. Also except for heater, electronically similar to 2A6.
76 – Medium-mu triode, Early UX5 based version of octal type 6P5G.
77 – Sharp-cutoff pentode, Early UX6 based version of octal type 6J7G.
78 – Remote-cutoff pentode, Early UX6 based version of octal type 6K7G.
79 – Dual power triode, Early UX6 based version of octal type 6Y7G.
84 – Full-wave rectifier with indirectly heated cathode, (often branded as type 84/6Z4). Early UX5 based version of octal type 6X5GT, and loctal 7Y4, and 7-pin miniature 6X4.
85 – Dual-diode, medium-mu triode. Early UX6 based version of octal type 6V7G, except for heater voltage similar to type 55. Also somewhat similar to octal type 6SR7GT and 7-pin miniature types 6BF6.
89 – Power pentode, UX6 based.
Shielded tubes for Majestic radios
In the early 1930s, the Grigsby-Grunow Company – makers of Majestic brand radios – introduced the first American-made tubes to incorporate metal shields. These tubes had metal particles sprayed onto the glass envelope, copying a design common to European tubes of the time. Early types were shielded versions of tube types already in use. (The shield was connected to the cathode.) The Majestic numbers of these tube types, which are usually etched on the tube's base, have a "G" prefix (for Grigsby-Grunow) and an "S" suffix (for shielded). Later types incorporated an extra pin in the base so that the shield could be connected directly to the chassis.
Replacement versions from other manufacturers, such as Sylvania or General Electric, tend to incorporate the less expensive, form-fitting Goat brand shields that are cemented to the glass envelope.
Grigsby-Grunow did not shield rectifier tubes (except for type 6Y5 listed below) or power output tubes.
Early types based on existing tubes. (Non-shielded versions may be used, but add-on shielding is recommended.)
G-25-S – Medium-mu triode, dual detector diode for 2.0 volt storage battery radios. Glass type 1B5/25S used for replacement.
G-51-S – Remote-cutoff tetrode
G-55-S – Medium-mu triode, dual detector diode
G-56-S – Medium-mu triode
G-56A-S – Medium-mu triode, original version of type 76, but with 400 milliampere heater. (Not to be confused with types 56 or G-56-S, which has a 2.5 volt, 1.0 ampere heater.)
G-57-S – Sharp-cutoff pentode
G-57A-S – Sharp-cutoff pentode, original version of type 6C6, but with 400 milliampere heater. (Not to be confused with types 57 or G-57-S, which has a 2.5 volt, 1.0 ampere heater.)
G-58-S – Remote-cutoff pentode
G-58A-S – Remote-cutoff pentode, original version of type 6D6, but with 400 milliampere heater. (Not to be confused with types 58 or G-58-S, which has a 2.5 volt, 1.0 ampere heater.)
G-85-S – Similar to G-55-S, but with 6.3 volt heater.
Later types
6C7 – Medium-mu triode, dual detector diode, similar to later octal types 6R7 and 6SR7. Seven pin base. (Shield to pin 3.)
6D7 – Sharp-cutoff pentode, identical to type 6C6, but with 7-pin base. (Shield to pin 5.)
6E7 – Remote-cutoff pentode, identical to type 6D6, but with 7-pin base. (Shield to pin 5.)
6Y5 – Dual rectifier diode, similar to type 84/6Z4, but with 6-pin base. (Shield to pin 2.)
Other tubes unique to Majestic radios
G-2-S and G-4-S – Dual detector diodes with common cathodes. The first detector diodes packaged in a separate tube. Forerunners of octal type 6H6. Spray-shielded. Both tubes have 2.5 volt heaters. G-2-S is larger and has a 1.75 ampere heater. Type G-4-S has a 1.0 ampere heater. Later Sylvania replacement type 2S/4S has a 1.35 ampere heater.
2Z2/G-84 – Half-wave rectifier diode with 2.5 volt indirectly heated cathode. A lower-voltage version of type 81. Not interchangeable with type 6Z4/84.
6Z5 – Full-wave rectifier, similar to types 6Z4/84 and 6X5, but with 12.6 volt center-tapped heater.
Rarely used tubes
14 – Similar to 24-A but with a 14 volt, 300 milliampere heater. Used in Philco models 46 and 46E
17 – Similar to 27 but with a 14 volt, 300 milliampere heater. Used in Philco models 46 and 46E
18 – Similar to 2A5 and 42 but with a 14 volt, 300 milliampere heater. No known commercial use.
52 – Dual grid power triode similar to types 46 and 49. Has 6.3 volt filament. Most commonly used in early car radios.
64 – Sharp-cutoff tetrode (Except for 400 milliampere heater, similar to 36)
65 – Remote-cutoff pentode (Except for 400 milliampere heater, similar to 39)
67 – Medium-mu triode (Except for 400 milliampere heater, similar 37)
68 – Power pentode (Except for 400 milliampere heater, similar to 38)
69 – Wunderlich detector
70 – Wunderlich detector used in Mission Bell model 19 car radio. Listed in early Philco tube lists.
90 – Wunderlich detector
92 – Wunderlich detector
95 – Original number of type 2A5
181 – Power triode
182-B – Similar to 482-B below.
183 – Similar to 483 below.
213 – Early version of type 80 – Often numbered UX-213
216 – Early version of type 81 – Often numbered as UX-216-B
482-B – Power triode with directly heated cathode. Used in Sparton AC radios, circa 1929. Replacements often numbered 182-B/482-B. Similar to type 71-A, but with higher anode voltage.
483 – Power triode with directly heated cathode. Used in Sparton AC radios, circa 1929. Replacements often numbered 183/483. Similar to type 45, but with a 5.0 volt, 1.25 ampere heater.
485 – Medium-mu triode with indirectly heated cathode. Used in Sparton AC radios, circa 1929. Similar to types 56 and 76, but with a 3.0 volt, 1.25 ampere heater, and lower anode voltage.
FM1000 – Unusual pentagrid for use as oscillator and coincidence-type phase detector in a PLL FM quadrature detector. The anode signal is loosely coupled into the oscillator tank and pulls it to stay quadrature-phase-locked with the IF; manufactured by Sylvania and used in Philco AM/FM radios of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Predecessor of the nonode approach
XXB – Medium-mu twin triode, also numbered 3C6/XXB
XXD – Medium-mu twin triode, also numbered 14AF7/XXD
XXFM – High-mu triode, twin diode (one shares its cathode with the triode, one with separate cathode), also numbered 7X7/XXFM
TGI1-270/12 ТГИ1-270/12 – 12 kV, 270 A Hydrogen thyratron
List of indicator tubes
IN-33 ИН-33 – Neon-filled, planar, dual 105-segment linear glow-transfer bar graph display tube with three cathode strings, for use in VU meters etc.; similar to PBG16101
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ITM2-M ИТМ2-М – Four-color phosphored-thyratronlatchingpixel; 4x4 array of 4 subminiature dual-starter luminiscent thyratrons each for the colors red, yellow, green and blue (thus, 5 intensities per color yields 54 = 625 colors), 4x4 matrix of 10-volts sensitive starter electrodes, cubic envelope for easy stacking in both axes, 12-pin all-glass pigtaled,[179] similar to today's RGBA LEDs
ITS1A ИТС1А – Green phosphored-thyratron latching seven-segment display, no decimal point, 5-volts sensitive starter electrodes, all-glass pigtaled, rectangular envelope for easy stacking in both axes
MTX-90 МТХ-90 – Small neon-filled thyratron for use as a latching single-dot indicator, top-viewing, top of envelope acts as a magnifier, all-glass pigtaled, comes with a blob of solder on the end of each wire for rapid installing, like today's ball grid arrays
^ abRider, John. F.; Seymour D. Uslan (1948). "FM Transmission and Reception"(PDF). John F. Rider Publisher, Inc. pp. 130–135. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
^Miniwatt Technical Data, 6th Edition; 1958; Published by the "Miniwatt" Electronics Division of Philips Electrical Industries Pty. Limited, 20 Herbert Street, Artarmon, N,S,W., Australia
^"Miniwatt" Premium Quality and Special Purpose Tubes, Philips Electrical Industries Pty. Ltd., Australia, November 1957.
^5J6 data sheet - this particular Tung-Sol datasheet contains a copy/paste error in the description where it cites 6J6's 450 mA heater current when it should read 5J6's 600 mA.
^Wechselspannungs- und Wechselstrom-Stabilisierungsschaltungen mit der Diode YA1000. Telefunken Laborbuch (in German). Vol. IV. Ulm: AEG-Telefunken. 1967. pp. 189–195.