[bigwig]

I just found out that a 1000 odd 5b255Ms were snatched up by the
Japanese. A reader of RAT told me this, and it is true. Is this what
happened to the 13E1? Hence the silly prices.
I dont really agree with this underhanded act because it forces the
market and I am sure this is what these types want.
How about some conversation about this subject?.
Matt.

[PeterD]

On Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:59:38 -0800 (PST), bigwig
wrote:

I just found out that a 1000 odd 5b255Ms were snatched up by the
Japanese. A reader of RAT told me this, and it is true. Is this what
happened to the 13E1? Hence the silly prices.
I dont really agree with this underhanded act because it forces the
market and I am sure this is what these types want.
How about some conversation about this subject?.
Matt.

Perhaps you are just upset because someone else did it and you didn't?
Next time be there first.

[tubegarden]

Hi RATs!

I hoard as many tubes as I can for as long as I can.

My enemies are not other hoarders, my enemies are those who crush them
in the manner they are instructed by insane business thugs.

Grow up, there is evil, but, you are not capable of recognizing it ...
you are just another ****ant Jingoist moron.

Happy Ears!

Al

[bigwig]

On 18 Jan, 17:42, tubegarden wrote:
Hi RATs!

I hoard as many tubes as I can for as long as I can.

My enemies are not other hoarders, my enemies are those who crush them
in the manner they are instructed by insane business thugs.

Grow up, there is evil, but, you are not capable of recognizing it ...
you are just another ****ant Jingoist moron.

Happy Ears!

Al

LOL, I guess I was just annoyed at my latest love being taken away.
The point with the 13E1 is why are they so expensive? As for the 5B255
I guess I should have bought more. Oh well, live and learn.
Matt.

[Iain Churches[_2_]]

"PeterD" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:59:38 -0800 (PST), bigwig
wrote:

I just found out that a 1000 odd 5b255Ms were snatched up by the
Japanese. A reader of RAT told me this, and it is true. Is this what
happened to the 13E1? Hence the silly prices.
I dont really agree with this underhanded act because it forces the
market and I am sure this is what these types want.


Perhaps you are just upset because someone else did it and you didn't?
Next time be there first.


Many years ago I talked to a Japanese guy who
used to travel backwards and forwards to the US,
buying up McIntosh tube amps to ship back to
his own country for renovation and sale at very
high prices.


We experienced the same thing in the UK, with
good examples of equipment by Leak and Radford
beig snapped up by the Japanese. In the past fifteen
or so years I have only seen three of four Radford
distortion analysers for sale. They were all bought
by Japanese buyers.


Now it's the turn of AVO tube tester, and early
Tannoy dual concetric speakers like the Canterbury,
Lancaster and GRF, which have been flowing steadily
in that direction also.


How about some conversation about this subject?.

What is there to say?

Iain

[Kimbal]

Originally Posted by bigwig

I just found out that a 1000 odd 5b255Ms were snatched up by the
Japanese. A reader of RAT told me this, and it is true. Is this what
happened to the 13E1? Hence the silly prices.
I dont really agree with this underhanded act because it forces the
market and I am sure this is what these types want.
How about some conversation about this subject?.
Matt.

Yes and I bought 2,500 of the same tube type - 807, 1625, 5B255/254M about 7 years ago as well as a bunch of large gas rectifiers 3B28 I think they were.
I did this because I can't get any quantities of NOS KT66/88 and EL34 tubes, so I shifted towards the 807 variety as it was still quite plentiful and reasonably priced. Top cap tubes are almost always seen as the cheaper option; and as many are scared to work with Top-cap Tubes; so very few want them. All the more for me !
I also go for more exotic Transmitter Tubes like the 833, etc; which are very hard to find in Australia.

There seems to be quite a large number of variations of the 807.
As they are similar ( but not the same ) to the 6L6, and some say also the KT66 Kinkless Tetrode - so what has one got to loose.
The 807 sounds "sweet" and are easy to use. A well designed class AB2 amp can deliver up to 120 watts from a pair of 807 tubes. If I had the money I'd buy more tubes.

Presently I have more than enough of the 807 style for my own needs, if I run them conservatively. You need large quantities for tube matching and high power output as well as running lower and safer B+ voltages.

One guy I know in England - John Chambers - has a 1,000 watter running 10 pairs of 807 tubes using only a 500 / 600 volt B+ rail.
Admittedly its a guitar amp, but it shows what you can do with cheap tubes.

Here are the links
http://www.chambonino.com/construct/const13.html
http://www.chambonino.com/construct/const17.html

Realistically - find a tube you like in big quantity and then buy as many as you can for yourself. This hopefully encourages the manufacturers to make more and get the market flooded with vacuum tubes again, maybe bringing down the prices on new tubes at least.
In so doing, the tube quality on new tubes should improve, as more demand is placed on the manufacturers to supply decent stock. That's the theory.

Tube buying is very addictive. It's a bit like drugs.

I'm also pressing the Electronic Component Stores to stock more ancillary tube parts. The big problem as it always is in Australia - is getting decent Audio Output Transformers and high voltage parts. ( For example most off the shelf resistors for today's electronics are only rated at 60 volts or so. Capacitors are not much better. Few stockists keep stuff up to 500 volts. )

The thing with the Japs - they buy up these NOS tubes and then loose the entire lot in a Tsunami or Earthquake.