Wrapping up our konstruktion korner topic is a couple of handy articles on tube life—and death.
First up there is The Rejuvenation Process by Heiner Jakobi, from sound practices issue 8. This is bloodcurdling stuff, waking directly heated triodes from the dead, giving them a new lease of life. There is also some information on the fabled AD‑1.
practical note: from the phrasing in the article I gather this recipe only works for directly heated tubes. I have no idea if it obviously does, or does not, work for indirectly heated ones.
Next, an even shorter article that is hiding in sound practices issue 7, page 15: Factors Determining Tube Life by A.V.J. Martin. Simply said: it pays to watch those tube ratings.
channeling jc morrison for a moment: there is no faster way to destroy an indirectly heated tube than to not observe the heater to cathode voltage rating. Don’t get jc started on Marshall guitar amps, it is murder out there at the kathode follower…
bonus tracks
Zombie tubes, tube survival. Got stomach for more? How about sick tubes… Read the more substantial Kinky Triodes: Testing the 300B by J.C. Verdier in sound practices issue 16.
That is it for konstruktion korner, from next week we’ll be spinning them disks: turntables.
Now go and read the articles, see you next week.
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