Hi All,

Excuse my ignorance, but where does one by radio valves these days within Australia?

I'm in Victoria and wondering if there's a supplier locally I can visit.

I see a lot of used 'pulls' online, but wonder if old radio valves are still in production these days for us to restore old model radios??

Thanx in advance.

A place called WES components sell some new valves, mainly audio stuff. Their retail outlet is wagner electronics in Ashfield (sydney)
EVATCO also sell some ones as well
Unfortunately the majority of older stuff is only available 2nd hand.

As others will tell you, valves are pretty robust, and most faults in radios are related to old dried out capacitors.

ben

wonder if old radio valves are still in production these days

http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/Tubes-by-Manufacturer.

Thanx Guys,

I currently work in pro audio although mainly with guitar amp items, so I was aware of several manufacturers making big power tubes, but I never came across listings of TV/radio/rf valves, hence my question

I have a handful of valve radios, all re-capped/re-resistered where needed, and a few of them do occasionally breakup/fart/motorboat and even drop/peak in gain after 1-2 hours operation.....

I've swapped valves with other radios to prove the valves are in fact faulty, so my intention was to find new valves to re-fit my radios with and prolong their life (again).

thanx again.
Marty.

I expect that the remaining manufacturers in Russia and China are geared to producing the valve types still in common use in guitar amps. Given the plethora of types made for radio and TV -- even considering the more common ones -- I doubt that those factories could make an economical argument to produce them today, and less so as each year passes.

The HRSA valve bank has a good supply of NOS and good used valves for members. I haven't dealt with them myself but I've heard mixed feedback from others regarding their 'good used'. Okay if you use the valve straight away but awkward if it's for stock and you don't discover a fault until a later date. Their valves are all tested, but as the saying goes, the only true test of a valve is in the circuit it was designed for.

Thanx for further updates, appeciated.

Yep, a sadly disappearing technology ;-(

Russia seems to dominate the supply of new valves at the moment with brands including Sovtek. They don't make many types though and cater more for the amplifier market than vintage radio. Types include 12AX7, EL84, EL34, 6V6GT and 6L6.

Their website is http://www.newsensor.com/.

As mentioned previously, there are numerous sources of second hand and NOS valves, including radio club valve reserves and don't forget auction sites. People sell valves there individually and in job lots on occasions. In the case of the latter, beware. If the valves aren't in boxes it may be that they are blown rather than just extracted from retired equipment. Go with your gut feeling...

Yeah, many radioheads have enormous valve collections, so you can post your wants on a forum such as this. I most often come up with friends' specific requests.
For sorting I have TV service caddies for those in original boxes and trays for used unboxed divided by: 7-pin, 9-pin, octal, old radio(pre-war), audio power, power rectifiers, audio pre-amp, non-standard filament voltage, TV Horiz O/P, dampers/HV-rectifiers/regulators, Loctal & Compactrons.

Beware of valves in boxes, too! Sometimes they're used. There was a common habit amongst have-a-go TV fixers to plug a new valve in, and stuff the old one in the new box and leave it in the back of the set just in case it was still usable.

Another one to beware of is 'Toshiba Electron Tubes'. In the late 1960s when I was at Hills Telefix, they tried switching to Toshiba (because of A$/Yen)(cheap) but their quality was appalling - microphonics/arcing - they soon switched back to reliable AWV! Back then Japan was like China today.

There are quite a few suppliers of whats known as NOS (new old stock) or used Valves
what you have to find is someone that knows what they are doing...and how to actually check them before they supply them...

As stated above the only real test is if it works in the circuit you use it in but tube testers if used correctly can give a good idea as to its health

Radio Valves, I know of no source but what was once made
(No new production...that I know of anyway)

The new stuff is Audio (and a very few *rectifiers) it is either china or Russia...any name of the past is just that, golden Age Names long gone.... its Russian or Chinese by any other name
(*seems new 5Y3 are not a true 5Y3 either so if you need the Vdrop sag get an old one)

There still plenty of Valves around but its a crap shoot and why your paying someone to have the headache for you to sort the wheat from the chaff

You may try Joe Oost... he advertises in the HRSA if you just need to get some
but finding unused valves will be harder and doesn't mean they my not be dudes as pointed out above...or fail..as in infantile failure
Joe does test and seems to have been in the game long enough to know what hes doing..
(sorry, he is Sydney based but does ship quick and I should have read your title more fully doh! )

Evatco will do NOS but you have to email them with what your looking for...I do believe I think they are trying to put a nos list back up but humm not sure were I read it on their site

There a few over seas suppliers like Brent Jesse Audio , Dougs tubes I think it is to name but two.... the killer is shipping & waiting I suppose ...

There is always heaps on Ebay but at Ebay prices and it becomes a real crap shoot.. thought there are a few that do know what they are doing there too..

Another alternative is stick a wanted here on the forums..you might get lucky

I do see your point thought..in time they will wear out if you listen to them often and a few spares isn't a bad idea...thought they aren't going to die like a 6L6 being pushed to the max by a metal guitarist

My personal thought is the most likely to die will be the rectifier and audio Valves over time
maybe someone from back in the Day that repaired them can answer that one for us but spares are good..i think anyway hope you find someone local

Edited for typos and some additional

If you join the HRSA they have a valve bank available to members to purchase tested valves.

There's no market for new radio valves to drive their production.
We are a minority that doesn't count, instrumentation amplification is where it's still happening.
I'll vouch for the new production valves if you don't mind the look of super-obvious new valves in old electronics.

I have bought a couple of times from this Russian place - Russia and its satellite countries seem to have enough old valve tech still in use to support some continuing manufacture.

They have quite a wide range and reasonable prices for new or NOS stock, so worth a look.

Siberian-shop.com.

Maven