[Boatanchors] NEED TUBE INFO

Sun Jul 22 11:43:02 EDT 2007

Well Sandy,

About all that's left to do is  call the tube (280A) non-existent.   
It's not a "mystery" tube.  Or for that matter, even a mystery.

"Someone back then bucking the system" is misleading.  Many tube 
manufacturers used their own form of branding and numbering tubes.  
Western Electric simply had their own.  Those reading up on tube 
history will find that the efforts of  the RMA (Radio Manufacturers 
Association) and it's successor the EIA (Electronic Industries 
Association) was not to "police" the tube manufacturers but to attempt 
to get standardization in place.  They were successful in many areas.  
Not so in others.  Just that not every manufacturer fell into line like 
good little soldiers.  The usual things called marketing, dominance, 
specialty offerings and other good capitalistic business methods often 
caused manufacturers to not register their products for the sake of 
keeping everything "universal" or "standard".  In the heyday of tube 
type television, this sometimes confusing "standardization" resulted in 
tube boxes being stamped with multiple tube types, yet containing only 
one tube.

Remember the evolution of capacitor color coding?  We went from painted 
dots to today's numbering system and nearly everything in between.  
Same for resistors.  Tube numbering and design was no different.

Here's two books to get one started on tube history and numbering 
conventions:  TUBE LORE --- Ludwell Sibley, author;  SAGA of the VACUUM 
TUBE----- Gerald F.J. Tyne, author.  Oh, there's another that's pretty 
good also.  70 YEARS of RADIO TUBES and VALVES ----- John W. Stokes, 
author.

Now these aren't Harry Potter books by any means and the reading can 
get pretty dry at times and, because of the wide number of tube 
variants, can be confusing.  But the information is there for the 
reading.

I've been around electronics for a long time also..............and I 
can humbly say I've seen the usual tubes associated with early radios 
(01A's and the like), military (as in 1625's), the all-american 5's and 
some number of television tubes using the odd filament voltages.  And 
maybe a European tube like the EL-xx types now and then.    Probably 50 
or fewer tubes in my actual memory or experience.  Compare that number 
to the hundreds of tubes manufactured around the world and I can say 
I've not really seen many tubes in my lifetime.

But the 280A is not an 82.  Or an 80.  Or a 280.  It is simply a 280A.

Look back a few messages regarding this thread and follow the link that 
Bob, K4ERR, posted.  It's a complete data sheet on the 280A..... even 
has a picture of one.

Well, that's enuf for me!  It's been real.................

On to restoring my DX-100................... Rectifier tubes et al.   
Hi Hi Hi

YMMV

Best 73 to all

W4MIL
Chuck

-----Original Message-----
From: Sandy <ebjr37 at charter.net>
To: gswynar at durham.net; brian.goldsmith at echo1.com.au; 
boatanchors at mailman.qth.net; cemilton at aol.com
Sent: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 10:48 am
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] NEED TUBE INFO

The big question is:  Is this mystery 280A tube actually an 82?

Evidently, someone back then decided to "buck" the numbering system and
confuse things by using a number of his choosing!

I have avoided getting into this thread because in all the years I've 
been
around "radio" the type number would VERY strongly indicate this "280A" 
was
nothing more than a generic type 80.  Now that mercury vapor rectifier 
and
2.5 v. filament comes on the scene, it suggest very strongly to me, 
what
this tube is would be a generic type 82.

Will that fit the requirements?

73,

Sandy W5TVW

----- Original Message -----
From: <cemilton at aol.com>

To: <gswynar at durham.net>; <brian.goldsmith at echo1.com.au>;
<boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>

Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2007 7:51 PM

Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] NEED TUBE INFO

> Hello to the list..............

>

> Seems there is no argument that a type 280 rectifier is the same as a 
type
> 80.  But the question remains, is there a tube with a type number of 
280A
> that has a 2.5v filament.

>

> The answer is YES!  The 280A is a mercury vapor rectifier that has a 
2.5v
> filament.

>

> Granted, it is an antique.................but it exists, and there is
> reference to it's existence.  The telephone company (Bell System) 
used
> them for years.  Complete with their 2.5v filaments.

>

> A fellow named Ludwell Sibley wrote a pretty good book a few years 
back as
> a reference for tube collectors.  Luddy did extensive research into 
the
> origin and history of tubes and their designs and put it all into his
> reference manual.  For those who are AWA members, you probably know 
of
> whom I speak.

>

> For the Non-Believers................ Obtain his reference manual.  
Look
> on page 158 under the designator 253A.  Read the specs.  Then, skip 
over
> to page 159.  Read the heading under designator 
280A...................

>

> For years, we've successfully interchanged type 80's with type 280's 
and
> they worked.  As well they should.  The much later 5Y3 is a variant 
of the
> type 80.  Basing is different, but in many cases can be used 
depending on
> circuit configuration.  But if you encounter a 280A, better check 
first
> before using more than 2.5v on the filaments.  Or you might have a
> collectible dud.

>

> Best 73 to all...............

>

> YMMV

>

> W4MIL

> Chuck

>

>

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: EP Swynar <gswynar at durham.net>

> To: Brian Goldsmith <brian.goldsmith at echo1.com.au>; 'BOATANCHORS'
> <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>

> Sent: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 7:20 pm

> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] NEED TUBE INFO

>

> Hi Guys,

>

> I don't know where the notion came up that just because a rig uses 
2.5

> filament tubes then, by default, the rectifier tube has to be 2.5 
volts as

> well...!

>

> Nothing is further from the truth...and I hate to tell the 
non-believers

> reading this, but an 80 is just like a 280, performance & specs-wise 
---
> the

> sole difference *could* be in the glass envelope used by each, i.e. 
the

> older 280-type uses a globe / balloon envelope, whereas the 80 (or, 
in the

> shortened form it became known as, the '80) has a shoulder-type
> envelope...

>

> Check any of the older issues of QST: you'll see power supplies
> illustrated

> therein using the abbreviated '80 designator (short for 280), 
hooked-up to
> a

> 5.0 VAC filament winding of the power transformer.

>

> I've interchanged 280 tubes with 80 tubes in my HB projects here, and 
have

> NEVER "flamed-out" the filament of ANY supposed 2.5 volt 280 by 
treating
> it

> like an 80, with 5 vac on the filament...that SHOULD have happened if
> there

> was a difference between the two types, and in very short order, too. 
But
> it

> never has, never will...

>

> Perhaps somebody here has 80 / 280 tubes confused with the mercury
> vapoured

> '83 tube...? Now, it --- or some other designation --- share the same

> characteristics, EXCEPT for the filament voltages, i.e. 2.5 vac 
versus 5.0

> vac...

>

> ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ

>

> ***********************

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: "Brian Goldsmith" <brian.goldsmith at echo1.com.au>

> To: "'BOATANCHORS'" <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>

> Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2007 5:12 AM

> Subject: [Boatanchors] NEED TUBE INFO

>

>

>>

>>

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: David Hollander

>>

>>

>> Brian - once again, the 280 rectifier is a 2.5 volt filament tube. 
It

> is

>> the2.5 volt version of the 80 rectifier. The National 5887 doghouse

> supply

>> uses one to power the FB-7 receiver 2.5 volt tube version. The

> National

> 5880

>> doghouse which is for the 2.5 volt version of the SW-3 also has a 
280

> in

> the

>> power supply. The doghouse supplies for the early national receivers

> using

> 6

>> volt tubes uses an 80 rectifier.

>>

>>

>> ***** The following people from the Tube Collectors Association do 
not

> agree

>> with you and present some data sheets to back them up.I agree with 
you

> about

>> the 280A.

>>

>> >>1) Re: 280 Rectifier

>>     Posted by: "Donald Daykin" daykin at ameritech.net drdaykin

>>     Date: Fri Jul 20, 2007 6:54 am ((PDT))

>>

>> Believe me, the 280 has a 5-volt filament. Since they need separate

>> windings, it makes no difference what the voltage is for the other

> tubes.

>>

>> Donald

>>

>> >>2) 2c. Re: 280 Rectifier

>>     Posted by: "Roger P. Walker" rp.walker at btconnect.com rp.walker

>>     Date: Fri Jul 20, 2007 7:23 am ((PDT))

>>

>> The 280A is a MV rectifier with a heater of 2.5V 3A but 280 seems to

> be 5V

>>

>>

>> >>3) From: tubecollectorsassociation at yahoogroups.com

>> [mailto:tubecollectorsassociation at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of 
Donald

>> Daykin

>> Sent: 20 July 2007 14:54

>> To: tubecollectorsassociation at yahoogroups.com

>> Subject: Re: [TCA] 280 Rectifier

>>

>> Believe me, the 280 has a 5-volt filament. Since they need separate

>> windings, it makes no difference what the voltage is for the other

> tubes.

>>

>> >>4) 2d. Re: 280 Rectifier

>>     Posted by: "Tony" tonydaggs at comcast.net bone433

>>     Date: Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:36 pm ((PDT))

>>

>>

>> http://www.nj7p.org/Tube4.php?tube=280

>>

>> Tony

>>

>>

>>

>> Brian Goldsmith.

>>

>>

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>

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> $$ For vintage radio info, see the HCI web site $$

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