Valve bases.

[MALC SCOTT]

Hi, i notice that valve bases are very cheap from China. Has anyone ever used these? I need 4 new ones and may give them a try if they are any use.

[GrimJosef]

Most will be ceramic. My experience of them is that they work fine, for ceramic bases, although I've never pushed them very hard in voltage terms. But because it's hard to form ceramics to very tight tolerances they do have a tendency not to grip the metal inserts very tightly. So when you insert the valve you may find it's more free to wobble around than you're used to. The electrical contact is determined by the metal pieces and these are as tight in ceramics as they are in plastics. So the things work fine electrically. It's just the wobbling that bothers people sometimes.

Cheers,

GJ

[G6Tanuki]

I've used the chinese ceramic-octal and B5 bases for modulator and RF-output-valve applications [807 and equivalent] - fortunately these were replacing old leaky bakelite bases so I was able to re-use the coil-springs and retaining-rings already there.

If you're worried about your valves escaping, for a couple of quid you can still buy retainers:

http://www.hificollective.co.uk/valv...ses.html#anode

[Skywave]

For B7G and B9A valve sockets, there appear to be two common types found in vintage electronics: the differences I refer to are the type of construction of the individual pins in the socket that grip the valve pins. One type has split pins to make contact with the valve pins and the other has a 'wrap-around' type of construction to grip the valve pins. The split-pin type of construction (commonly labelled 'Mc Murdo') do seem to be unreliable in comparison to the 'wrap-around' type.
There is a clear analogy that can be drawn here with sockets for integrated circuits.

Al.

[daviddeakin]

I have used plenty of CHinese sockets with no problems. The only problems I HAVE had are with this type:
http://www.guitar-parts.com/sites/de...full/1194c.jpg
I bought a bag full. The mounting rings are badly pressed from monket metal, so some of them did not fit, and some were somewhat deformed so they snapped when trying to screw them down over the flange of the socket.

[MALC SCOTT]

I have now ordered 10 x B9a bases from China. Cost £6.22p inc free postage. How do they do it? I will report on the quality of them when they arrive, Malc.

[kalee20]

Originally Posted by GrimJosef

It's just the wobbling that bothers people sometimes.

Me too.

[mervyn]

Hi Malc
any chance of a web link
regards
Merv

[MALC SCOTT]

Hi Merv, i dont know how to show links but the dealers id is - cctvstore8. I hope this is of help, Malc.

[jonnybear]

Here you go.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10pc-9pin-...item1e74bac826.
John

[Skywave]

It's always intrigued me as to what are referred to as 'valve bases' are - in reality - valve sockets. To me a valve 'base' is the bottom of a valve from which the connecting pins emerge.

Al.

[Herald1360]

When did logic ever come into English?

Compare firm, infirm and flammable, inflammable and expressions like "The alarm went off" which logically should be "The alarm went on". The last one only caught my attention when it was queried by a foreign colleague at work yesterday

That said, an early valve plugged into a B4 socket did look rather like a glass bulb standing on some sort of bakelite base.

[turretslug]

I agree with Skywave- it's not only ambiguous but inaccurate. It does, unfortunately, seem to have become one of those misnomers that has become so commonplace that it becomes accepted and self-perpetuating in its "new" sense.

[David G4EBT]

Chinese e-bay sellers do in the main seem to use the correct terminology. I've just bought 8 octal valve bases with gold plated pins, correctly described, which were cheap but of high quality. I've also bought an 8-pin side-contact valve socket - again, correctly described. I think it's private sellers who in the main use sloppy terminology. A socket is female - a plug in male, but we often see people saying 'I'm after a mains plug for a Bush DAC90A'. No - the plug is the two male pins on the chassis rear apron - the socket is on the mains lead, thankfully!

[murphymad]

Has anyone had problems with these where the pins do not grip properly?

[ColinTheAmpMan1]

Originally Posted by Skywave

It's always intrigued me as to what are referred to as 'valve bases' are - in reality - valve sockets. To me a valve 'base' is the bottom of a valve from which the connecting pins emerge.

Hmm,
I see your point, but what then of the meaning of "Naval Base" and "Airforce Base" and that ilk ?
Colin.

[AC/HL]

It's quite obvious what is meant by the use of the word. Common usage of words, or mis-usage if you prefer, is a subject in itself and probably insoluble (in water at least).