UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Faulty valves

FrankB · 9th Jul 2022, 7:55 am

I have a substantial box of "dead" valves/tubes. Mainly the large base 4,5,6,& 7 pin tubes.
It has proven a godsend when having to build extension cables to work on radios, etc.
not to mention helping out my ham buddies.
I also use them as bases for HB coil forms.
Typically, I toss the wire pin tubes that are bad and the octals that are missing any base pins.
I tossed literally 4 35 gallon garbage cans of bad tubes out (I sold tubes at Hamfairs and would only sell tested, good ones) a few decades back. My trash man was not happy with me either, because of the weight.
Anymore, I toss any tube unless it has the odd shape to make Steampunk stuff with. I had a local artist and gifted him with several shopping bags of "duds" to make Steampunk stuff with. He did a good business selling them on Etsy a few years back.

9th Jul 2022, 7:55 am	#40
FrankB Heptode Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Olympia, Washington, USA. Posts: 664	Re: Faulty valves - Scrap or keep? I have a substantial box of "dead" valves/tubes. Mainly the large base 4,5,6,& 7 pin tubes. It has proven a godsend when having to build extension cables to work on radios, etc. not to mention helping out my ham buddies. I also use them as bases for HB coil forms. Typically, I toss the wire pin tubes that are bad and the octals that are missing any base pins. I tossed literally 4 35 gallon garbage cans of bad tubes out (I sold tubes at Hamfairs and would only sell tested, good ones) a few decades back. My trash man was not happy with me either, because of the weight. Anymore, I toss any tube unless it has the odd shape to make Steampunk stuff with. I had a local artist and gifted him with several shopping bags of "duds" to make Steampunk stuff with. He did a good business selling them on Etsy a few years back.