"Western Electric" considering expanding US tube operations; seeks input

[AusTex64]

My understanding is that JJ gets some internal components from Reflector in Russia and that’s causing some issues for them to work around.

I am surprised by this talk of US tube manufacture. Especially in CA. I thought tubes were too nasty to make enviromentally that there was no way to do it economically here. Thus China, Russia, Czech Rep., etc making all the tubes.

 

[soapfoot]

I am surprised by this talk of US tube manufacture. Especially in CA. I thought tubes were too nasty to make enviromentally that there was no way to do it economically here. Thus China, Russia, Czech Rep., etc making all the tubes.

This is a thing we read on the internet a lot, and like a lot of what we encounter online it may be true, or it may just be "truthy." I haven't heard an experienced, knowledgeable tube manufacturer weigh in on it recently enough to know which.

But even if that is the case, almost anything can be done cleanly enough if that's an objective/priority. Like any other objective, it just costs money to achieve.

If geopolitical pressures become more expensive than clean manufacturing, then what constitutes "smart business" will evolve.

 

[amplexus]

I am surprised by this talk of US tube manufacture. Especially in CA. I thought tubes were too nasty to make enviromentally that there was no way to do it economically here. Thus China, Russia, Czech Rep., etc making all the tubes.

They are a dirty thing to make, but like any manufacturer that has to deal with hazardous substances handling, there's no reason those hazards have to exist outside a hypothetical manufacturing plant itself, which of course increases costs over say somewhere where you don't have to worry about where you dump your waste.... However the difficulties and costs in meeting environmental compliance to do the making is greatly exaggerated. It's definitely a cost, but it's not the most substantial barrier to profitability in Western tube manufacture.

 

[pucho812]

speaking of u.s. tube making there was a company a few years ago trying to get into that. they were based out of nevada and their first tube made was a 6l6. The company was called rch labs. I don't know if it every got off the ground or what but it was mentioned. I supposed certain states would favor such an endeavor, especially Nevada were they used to test nukes, I am sure a little tube hazardous waste is not that big a deal

 

[flashlamp]

7199 power tubes?

 

[flashlamp]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7199

 

[emrr]

Richardson was still saying they could make 6L6’s and others alongside their transmitter tubes within the last 2 decades, I’ve never heard they got orders…..

 

[murrayatuptown]

I will just wish everyone else gets to buy new tubes of the type they want. I will be happy to take the undesirable and oddball NOS things like 7-pin pentodes. I'll also start thinking more about BSP and LND MOSFET's. I only build one-offs and don't care about industry standard tubes one can buy at the local store. Hoarding and favoring the unfavorable solve those issues for me.

 

[flashlamp]

https://www.greenstoneusa.com/

 

[flashlamp]

https://www.greenstoneusa.com/

could they make them?

 

[Ricardus]

One of my HAM Radio tube-hoarding friends came through with some 6922s for me. I'll be needing 4 and he had 2 JAN and 2 Sovtek. All he wanted in exchange was a beer.

 

[CJ]

Some of the chemicals used in the cathode might actually be illegal now, just a rumor i heard,
Hopefully somebody will start making the popular tubes again so we can buy vintage NOS for cheap!

 

[Ricardus]

Some of the chemicals used in the cathode might actually be illegal now, just a rumor i heard,

Worth looking into.

Hopefully somebody will start making the popular tubes again so we can buy vintage NOS for cheap!

WORD.

I second that.

 

[AusTex64]

Richardson was still saying they could make 6L6’s and others alongside their transmitter tubes within the last 2 decades, I’ve never heard they got orders…..

I didn’t know Richardson manufactered tubes. Thought they were a broker only for the audio tube range. Thanks Doug!

 

[AusTex64]

I heard or read Aspen Pittman was going to acquire or did acquire tooling from GE with the aim to manufacture tubes again in the USA, but was halted by the costs to meet environmental requirements where he was going to do it. Which I **recall** was Mississippi.

 

[AusTex64]

One of my HAM Radio tube-hoarding friends came through with some 6922s for me. I'll be needing 4 and he had 2 JAN and 2 Sovtek. All he wanted in exchange was a beer.

I use 6922 in a WCF circuit that is quite demanding. I tested many different old and modern 6922 and have found the JJ 6922/E88CC outperformed everything else I tested, new and NOS. Of course YMMV.

 

[Ricardus]

I use 6922 in a WCF circuit that is quite demanding. I tested many different old and modern 6922 and have found the JJ 6922/E88CC outperformed everything else I tested, new and NOS. Of course YMMV.

I put JJs in the first version of this preamp I built, and would have used them again, but since there are none in the world I am needing to look elsewhere.

And nearly free is good. Especially since each of those is getting $50 each these days.

 

[soapfoot]

Press exclusive interview with the new WE said today:

“No. Every material we use is considered safe and green. Western Electric strives to meet all OSHA and EPA standards and does not use any banned substances. We sell and ship vacuum tubes every day. We hope this is enough to demystify any old wives’ tales about tube manufacturing hazards.”

 

[gyraf]

I use 6922 in a WCF circuit that is quite demanding. I tested many different old and modern 6922 and have found the JJ 6922/E88CC outperformed everything else I tested, new and NOS. Of course YMMV.

Are you sure that were actually real JJ's?

..reason for asking is 1) that JJ did a lot of rebranding of NOS tubes to enhance perceived production quality (!) - I have a stash of nos tesla ecc88's rebranded as JJ 6922.. and 2) that every new-production ECC88-type tube from JJ I have tried since has been a significant disappointment in either emission, gain, or lifespan.. I'd love them being able to actually make this right, but I haven't seen it happening. And don't get me started on the "quality" of their 6386..

/Jakob E.

 

[rock soderstrom]

that every new-production ECC88-type tube from JJ I have tried since has been a significant disappointment in either emission, gain, or lifespan..

My expierence with JJ E88CC is totally different.

This is completely unscientific, of course, but my specimens (30 from two batches) that I bought about 10 years ago all perform really well, even under heavy load in an OTL output stage for headphones.

The microphonics were better than almost all my NOS darlings, the rest of the technical parameters were inconspicuous.

Maybe luck??