Tim Reese's Home Page
The Garage Sale is not available right now - it's way out of date.
I'm going to sell some stuff at the MIT Flea, so if you're interested I might see you there.
Links Integrated with the Stuff on My Site
NB! last revision 1 February 2005, so contents are way out of date! As of 14OCT20 I removed some obsolete stuff, but no content has been revised since 2005
Electron Tube Manufacturer's Data
-
RCA R-10 receiving tube manual as GIF pictures that you can view
with your browser or download en masse. The files were supplied by Steve
Fellini and Doug Forbes; to the best of my knowledge, the original scanner
was Joseph Lowe.
- Jim de Kort's
VT-52 site has lots of data sheets for unusual but desirable tubes.
Included are
small signal DHTs
(directly heated triodes),
output DHTs,
small signal IHTs
(indirectly heated triodes),
output IHTs,
tube rectifiers,
Western Electric tubes
(very desirable),
other types
like pentodes, pentode-triodes and so forth,
semiconductors (feh!)
and another copy of the RCA
R-10.
- Mattjis de Vries' MachMat
pages has lots of data sheets of interesting tubes mostly in zipped form.
-
Duncan Munro's TDSL3 describes more tube types than anywhere else on the
net (as far as I know) and has an efficient search engine built in. Every tubeophile
should bookmark this page ... Note many of the tube data sheet locations, such
as Triode Electronics, WPS, NostalgiaAir, are indexed here and are not listed
separately.
- Franz Hamberger's
Roehrentabellen includes a lot of tabular data about mostly
European types.
- Another European source is Frank Philipse'
Electron Tube
Pages.
- Courtesy of Bill's Ham Radio WWW Server is the
Tube List, "a
compilation of many sources, public and commercial".
- While this page is in Japanese,
EU Valve, Tube and
Valve Data contains data sheets from important US and Euro types.
- Glenn Baddeley has an Australian site with links to
Valve Data with some
overlap to the links above.
- More to come ...
- Sound Practices
sadly, is officially defunct. Despite Joe's good intentions, he couldn't keep
it going without losing money. The 1999 Yearbook was never printed, although
Joe has announced that he will try to get the Yearbook material online in
the near future. There are a few back issue packages at
Southern Electric
Audio, and Joe has offered to apply any monies sent to him for
the Yearbook, subscriptions, or whatever as credit toward back issues or
Loth-X products.
Please don't contact me about money owed - contact Joe directly.
-
Sound Practices Mailing List (a.k.a. Joe List) - I've removed the
archives due to complaints about SPAMing of the addresses within. If you want the
contents, contact me for a massive download.
-
Tubes Asylum is an online bulletin board regarding tube audio topics. It's
part of the Audio Asylum which supports
various audio special-interest threaded bulletin boards.
-
SET (Single Ended Triode) Asylum is another forum from
Audio Asylum that I enjoy reading;
I even post there on rare occasion.
- Vacuum Tube Valley is
the best source for information on classic tube amplifiers, and an excellent
source of tube 'lore'.
- CyberVALVE
is the follow-on to the original VALVE club newsletter. The back issues
prior to 1999 are available on CD ROM and some of the 1999 issues are
here
.
-
Bottlehead Forum is part of
Audio Asylum which supports various audio special-interest threaded bulletin
boards. It originates from the
Bottlehead site due to Dan Schmalle
(Doc Bottlehead), and has a DIY/SET/parafeed flavor. Lots of articles re
Bottlehead
tube audio kits.
- Tube CAD Journal focuses
on innovative circuit design using electron tubes. Published with surprising
frequency.
- rec.audio.tubes is a so-called 'usenet' news group. It's best accessed
through the news reader supplied with your web browser, or using 'rn' or 'trn' on
UNIX platforms, or through Google's Usenet
Archive.
Electron Tube Vendors (in no particular order)
-
Triode Electronics is a good source for tubes in current production and NOS
types that are in good supply. Not so much rare stuff. Good prices and
Uncle Ned is very helpful.
-
Angela Instruments is also a good source for NOS tubes and plus some scarce
types. Wide selection of current production 300Bs. Can be pricey, but Steve stands
behind his merchandise.
-
Tube World has one of the largest selection of audio-related tubes that I know
of. Brendan's web page is amazing, he ships quickly, and occasional bargains can
be found. Often expensive, and very brand-conscious.
-
SND Tube Sales has an interesting selection of NOS tubes. Prices are
variable and brand-conscious (I've never bought from them). Interesting web page.
-
Electron Tube Enterprises (ETE) has a good selection of most NOS types at good
prices. Dick seems to cater to the radio market, thus is less brand-conscious.
-
Vacuum Tubes Inc. has a big stock at reasonable prices. Jim also picks out
the audio tubes and lists them separately. Interesting tube info too, and very
knowledgeable.
-
Antique Electronic Supply has perhaps the largest selection of tube types.
Their prices often set the market price. Get on their mailing list and check
out their tube bargains in their flyer.
-
Upscale Audio sells rare tubes. Kevin specializes in matching his tubes
to your taste in tonality. Great stuff, but beware of sticker shock. Neato
web site.
- Jim's Citation Amp and Vacuum Tube
Page obviously has some info and parts for the Harman-Kardon Citation amps,
but Jim also sells tubes. Fair prices, good reputation,catering to the audio market.
Electronic Parts Dealers that cater to Tube Audio
- Audio Transformer Dealers:
Bartolucci,
Hammond,
Magnequest,
One Electron,
Tamura,
have their own web sites but don't sell direct to consumers. Many of these
manufacturers offer power transformers and chokes as well as audio types.
-
Handmade Electronics has lots of really spiffy stuff including sockets and
some "boutique" parts. Tony ships quickly and his prices are good.
-
Triode Electronics has lots of useful parts including sockets and Dynaco
replacement transformers. Very helpful.
-
Angela Instruments sells many useful parts, including several good types of
coupling capacitors, some Tango transformers, sockets, Hammond transformers,
and lots of other stuff. Bargains sometimes appear.
-
Antique Electronic Supply also has parts, although they cater more to the
ham and antique radio market. Good source for twistlock high-voltage
electrolytic capacitors.
-
The Parts Connection has many of the high-end component parts that audio
hobbyists need. There is, however, a lot of the hype and overstatement typical
of high-end audio in their descriptions of products. (Hmmm... hype is probably
slang for hyperbole, which is synonymous with overstatement. Here "hype"
refers to the peculiar sales lingo which implies that any tube audio project
that doesn't use this or that outrageously expensive part is somehow substandard.
Ok, enough editorializing... just be aware and skeptical.)
-
Michael Percy also has many of the high-end component parts that audio
hobbyists need. A one-man operation, with an excellent reputation for good
service. Fair pricing and minimal hype.
-
Welborne Labs sells a full range of products, from components to finished
amplifiers. A nice catalog, especially for beginners. A good source for the pF
range Wima film-and-foil capacitors. Check out the "recommended speakers" page.
-
Hoffman Amplifiers caters to geetar players, but Doug has some cool stuff
for audio tubeheads. I like his turret kits for building point-to-point wired
amps on pieces of 1/8" G10 board.
-
Audio Electronic Supply is a subsidiary of Cary Audio and sells lots of
good stuff for tube audio, even their own brand of output transformers. Nice
web site too.
- Electra-Print Audio
sells iron-cored magnetics mostly (transformers, chokes) with a high-quality
product and prices somewhere between Hammond (low) and Tango (high). Give Jack
a call and he'll be happy to discuss your transformer needs.
- Bill at PEARL offers tube
coolers and cryogenically treated tubes. Although there's no link to it, Bill has
some interesting
technical articles online.
Electronic Surplus Dealers
-
Fair Radio is terrific for the tube electronics hobbyist. They have
tubes, chokes, plate transformers, old test equipment, and plenty of other
useful stuff.
-
Surplus Sales of Nebraska has chokes, plate transformers, and all sorts of
stuff. Pricey compared to hamfests or Fair Radio, but they have an excellent
catalog and a large, useful selection.
-
All Electronics has lots of modern electronics stuff which can be useful
to the tube electronics hobbyist. Good prices.
-
B G Micro is another supplier of modern electronics surplus. Some unusual
and useful bits at good prices - I like their 'Bag O'Capacitors'.
-
Hosfelt is yet another supplier of modern electronics surplus. More of
the same, although a good source for Teflon category 5 cable.
- Apex Jr. has some really useful stuff
and excellent prices, like 22ga teflon wire at 8c/ft.
More Electronic Parts Dealers
- Mouser Electronics has been my
first choice for generic electronic parts. No minimum, low prices and good
service. Mouser had been known for their high level of service, but they had appeared
to be slacking off in a few respects. Recently they have
consolidated their warehouses and the speed and fullfillment of orders has improved.
They've also started to use the USPS (instead of UPS) for small packages, which
improves delivery speed compared to UPS ground.
- Digikey Electronics is another good
choice for generic electronic parts. $25 minimum, low prices and good service.
A very 'modern' line, with lots of semiconductors. Best source for Panasonic
capacitors, like the excellent TSHA and TSHB electrolytics, and the ECQP(U)
polypropylene film coupling caps. Delivery time is about a week, but very
reliable and few backorders.
- MCM Electronics has a fun and
thought-provoking catalog, and is a source for all sorts of parts and
equipment, including speakers. Also a source for those low-noise
2SK170 or 2SK369 jFETs.
- Parts Express has the same
sort of line as MCM, but less extensive, with more speaker parts.
- Radio Shack ... well, the Shack
has its uses. They have a new 'commercial' catalog with some useful stuff,
like little right-angle brackets and some interesting ICs.
- Allied Electronics is my preferred
'big catalog' electronics supplier. They suffer small orders well, and sell
an interesting interstage transformer. Minimum $25 order with a PO, $50 otherwise.
-
Hamfests are typically sponsored by the American Radio Relay League
(ARRL) and are the best place to get all sorts of electronics ju... uh,
parts cheap. A
listing
for New England is also published by the
MIT Electronics Research Society, MIT Radio Society and Harvard
Wireless Club.
Tube Schematics Online
-
The Fi Primer, written by guru J. C. Morrison and posted here by
Dave Stagner, contains several schematics of proven and unusual homebrew projects.
You can visit Dave's
home page and enter the
UltraFi web ring, plus read JC's rap on phase splitters.
-
Triode Electronics has quite a few schematics, and for many of the more
popular vintage pieces.
- John Atwood of
One Electron has been busy recently, adding this page of
consumer electronics schematics as well as many other interesting
schematics in his
filing cabinet.
Great links too.
- Duncan Munro's
Tube Amp Schematics has links to a lot of schematics on other
pages, but some are local to his pages.
- Claudio Bonavolta's
Audio Electronics Page has lots of schematics, mostly for homebrew
circuits rather than commercial amps.
- Mattjis de Vries' MachMat
pages has lots of schematics, including the Loesch and revised Siren Song
2 phono preamp (plus others of interest).
- Raymond Koonce has pages for the
Scott 130
preamplifier and MacIntosh
MC30 amplifiers with the schematic and the complete owner's manual, and a
schematic for the
EICO HF22 and
HF35 amplifier. Nice house, Raymond.
- If you're looking for DYNACO schematics and literature, go to
Gary Kaufman's home page
or to Curcio Audio's Dynaco
Doctor page.
- More to come ...
Tube Projects Online
- My tube projects, such as they are... basically I've got lots of things
in the queue and too few finished. Check out the state of my projects, and some
other project-related pages of general interest.
- Integrated amplifier modifications using
the Heathkit AA-181. Converted to monaural amps with minimum changes to the
existing chassis and electronics. Includes useful information about
bypassing tone controls, replacement of coupling capacitors, and
preventative maintenance for fixed bias supplies.
- Double Darling variant - my version of
Bob Danielak's
Darling amplifier, using recycled parts and
a 6DJ8 driver stage.
- Brook 12A "clone" using recycled
output transformers from a Sansui 1000A receiver and vintage 6A3 tubes.
- Other stuff will appear as I have something to show, such as my
push-pull 6528 amplifier with Magnequest iron, and a single ended amp using
VT-62s (801s) with an A2 design similar to Shishido's circuit in SP
10 (no interstage, but a CF planned).
Email if you'd like
to comment or have questions.
- Ariel speakers from Lynn Olson's
design. An ambitious project... now my main speakers. Here is the latest
rev as far as I know - the
Ariel 5,
which appears to dispense with the variable bass port in favor of slots in
the base. Lynn's web page
Aloha Audio is here.
- Radio Shack LX-4 speakers modified
according to Dick Olsher's directions (thanks Dick -
Here's Dick's web page).
Some suggestions
for similar modifications applied to similar small speakers.
- How to smoke test vintage gear - actually
you should avoid smoke in your testing, but that's what it's called. Here's
what to do to prevent damaging your hamfest/ebay/junkpile treasure when
you first fire it up.
- The Variac FAQ - an entire page on these
humble yet useful and possibly mysterious devices.
- Those pesky Aluminum Can Multisection
Electrolytic Capacitors - the single greatest liability in vintage
tube gear. After 40 or 50 years they dry up, or short out, or worse, puke
corrosive goop inside your amp chassis. Sometimes they can be brought
back to a useful state by
reforming
but it's generally prudent
to replace them. Here's some suggestions on how to deal with them without
hacking a bunch of holes in your amplifier.
-
Gary Kaufman's home page has Gary's SE 45 and 2A3 projects, the continuing
saga of the two worst condition MC-60s in the known world, his version of
the 1626 Darling amp (see Bob D.'s page) and lots of other good stuff. Keyword:
DYNACO ('bot bait, since Gary has lots of Dyna documents).
-
Bob Danielak's Tube Audio / Electronics Page has plenty of easy and
inexpensive projects for the tube audio afficianado.Check out his SV811/572
amps, the original Darling, and a 2A3 push-pull amp.
-
Steve Bench's Projects (and Education) Page - every thermoionic
amplification enthusiast must have a link to Steve's page. Nifty home-brew
test equipment, discussion of push-pull load lines that really makes sense,
four different phono preamps, and much more.
-
TNT Audio has DIY projects including a tube preamp with a MM (moving
magnet) phono stage, and lots of DIY cable articles from Thorsten Loesch. I've
made the FFRC cables and ... well, my system sounds a lot better, but I changed
more than one thing at the time. Lots of fun little projects to fill
your weekday evenings.
- Lynn Olson's Aloha Audio
describes a few projects, including the
Amity and
Amity DHT push-pull
300B amplifier and a preamplifier called the
Raven.
- Ed Bellici's
Audio Bizzaro showcases
Ed's projects and the projects of many DIY constructors from around the
world.
- More to come...
Turtles, Snakes, Lizards, Crocodilians, Tuataras : Reptiles
-
Veterinarians usually don't know much about reptiles. This is a list
by state of the vets that belong to the Association of Reptile and Amphibian
Veterinarians (ARAV). Pick some names and start calling information.
- A list of riveting articles by
David Kirkpatrick
.
- There's a
Turtle Crisis in Asia ... "Southeast Asia is being vacuumed of its
turtles for China's food markets."
- Here are some links to reptile dealers on the net, mostly from the northeast
USA. Not a recommendation and in no particular order.
-
My Extensive Collection of Exotic Chelonians ... a collection of one
at this point. Clean water rules!
Tim Reese
Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging
Charlestown Navy Yard
13th Street, Bldg 149 (2301)
Boston MA 02129
