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3-500zg


As you've deduced, they are the cheapest brand going. That means they are the most economical, and that's good. Are they the 'best' brand going? I really doubt it, the best is never the cheapest.
And just for for grins. That first number in a tube designator such as the '3-500' series, tells you the number of elements in that tube. That means that a '2-500zg' is one hell of'va big diode, or rectifier. A pair of them would make a very high current full wave rectifier and power supply. Bet the required transformer for that thing would weigh a ton.
- 'Doc

(I know it was a 'typo'.)
 
Just a general life question for you. Wouldn't it be better to ask if something is any good before you purchase rather than after?
 
As you've deduced, they are the cheapest brand going. That means they are the most economical, and that's good. Are they the 'best' brand going? I really doubt it, the best is never the cheapest.
And just for for grins. That first number in a tube designator such as the '3-500' series, tells you the number of elements in that tube. That means that a '2-500zg' is one hell of'va big diode, or rectifier. A pair of them would make a very high current full wave rectifier and power supply. Bet the required transformer for that thing would weigh a ton.
- 'Doc

(I know it was a 'typo'.)
Thanks. I was looking for economical.
 
At one time many years ago the brand name Taylor was a decent brand. Taylor tubes went out of business many years ago and RF Parts bought the name. Taylor tubes are simply Chinese tubes from the same factory the other Chinese tubes are made at but branded with the name Taylor and sold exclusivly thru RF Parts. IOW they are the same thing as the non-Taylor brand Chinese tubes. Nowadays you pretty much take what you get as there are only one or two factories still making vacuum tubes.
 
run your taylors for a while save up a get you some Eimacs


Eimac does not make any new glass tubes any more. With the gas leakage problem they had with the 3-500's I don't know if I would want to spend my $$$ on a NOS set and risk them arcing on the first try. There have been MANY cases of just that happening with the Eimacs.
 
Oh, I wouldn't worry much about over driving things. Unless that '220 is very heavily modified, as in redesigning it from the ground up, you certainly aren't getting that much power out of it on AM (or is that input power? :)).
- 'Doc
 
Oh, I wouldn't worry much about over driving things. Unless that '220 is very heavily modified, as in redesigning it from the ground up, you certainly aren't getting that much power out of it on AM (or is that input power? :)).
- 'Doc
Soooo Doc You are saying I can get away with driving the 3cx3000 amp with the SB-220? Actually when I think about it... it should work:thumbup: Just have to monitor my drive levels..
 
Drifter,
Do I think you can get away with driving that 3CX3000 with your claimed output from that '220?
Before I answer that, let me say this. I have made a very basic mistake by not going back and re-reading this thread. I am making an assumption about that SB-220 that I haven't confirmed, that it has not been modified very extensively to be getting almost three times the power out of it as a 'normal' SB-220. Or would that be four times the power, or even greater because of the way power was figured at the time that thing was designed? I'm also making an assumption from just the name of the tube's brand and my prior experience with them, that I shouldn't make. Things can change over time because of improvements in manufacturing and i didn't take that into accounting for your results. (I'm also not taking into account the moronic habit of people 'mixing' power measurement units for misguided reasons. Or should that actually be "more-out-ic" instead of moronic habit?)
So actually what I'm doing here is making a very embarrassing apology for making assumptions I shouldn't have. I'm also apologizing for not rectifying that mistake by re-reading this thread completely. I find I'm just not interested enough.
Now, having gone through all that, before answering you last question. Here's my answer...
I think I'd take a good look at that 3CX3000's input ratings, and the metered values from the front panel of that SB-220 (making another unsubstantiated assumption there) before mating the two.
- 'Doc
 

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