This matched pair of OTK-MANUFACTURED black glass 6V6GT output tubes was tested on our Maxi-Matcher 2 for shorts, gas and transconductance. There were no shorts or gas.
Plate current measured 20.2 milliamps and transconductance was 2460 micromhos for Tube One (Raytheon-BRANDED). Tube Two (Ameco-BRANDED) measured 21.9/2460. (New US-made 6V6s typically test with plate current from the mid-teens to mid 30s with transconductance from 2300 micromhos or so.)
They have tall bases; medium bottles; anode radiators for cooler operation and longer tube life and saucer getters.
There were made by Sovtek's predecessor during The Cold War and, ironically reflect the communist dictum of "The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we hang them."
These tubes were made in the Soviet Union and sent to East Germany where, because of convoluted trade policies, they were forwarded to West Germany.
Where the labeling took place is anyone's guess as the Raytheon-branded tube is stamped "England" while the Ameco tube claims to have been made in the USA.
What makes this funny is that a major US defense contractor likely committed a number of felonies by smuggling communist Soviet tubes into the US at the height of the Cold War, indirectly funding The Enemy.
Again, these tubes were made in the Soviet Union during the Cold War and as such should be great for Godless Death Metal music. I am playing them in one my Radio Craftsman RC2 mono blocks as I write with Iggy Pop's "Raw Power" -- the closest I get to Death Metal -- and they sound excellent.
WE HAVE SCORES OF THOUSANDS OF VACUUM TUBES. IF IT'S NOT LISTED, WE MAY HAVE IT. PLEASE ALSO SEE OUT ETSY SISTER SITE "LOWTECHTWOO" AND/OR CALL OR TEXT US AT 202-372-6931 IF YOU DO NOT SEE WHAT YOU NEED OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
1. MOST FORMS OF SHIPPING -- EXCEPT MEDIA MAIL -- ARE AUTOMATICALLY INSURED UP TO $100. ETSY PURCHASE PROTECTION COVERS ITEMS UP TO $250 IN VALUE. IF AN ITEM IS MARKED "DELIVERED," AND YOU HAVE NOT ACTUALLY RECEIVED IT, THE FIRST STEP IS FOR YOU TO CONSULT YOUR MAIL CARRIER TO GET THE EXACT COORDINATES OF THE DELIVERY AND ARRANGE FOR YOUR ITEM'S RETRIEVAL. IF IT APPEARS THE ITEM HAS ACTUALLY BEEN STOLEN, IT IS YOUR LOSS AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FILE A REPORT WITH THE POSTAL INSPECTOR. ETSY MAY REIMBURSE YOU EVEN IF IT WAS STOLEN, BUT THAT DEPENDS ON THE LUCK OF THE DRAW.
2. MOST OF THE TUBES WE SELL ARE OVER 70 YEARS OLD. WE CANNOT GUARANTEE FOR FAILURES AFTER POWER UP AS THERE IS NO WAY TO DETERMINE HOW TUBES WILL INTERACT WITH YOUR ELECTRONICS OR IF THEY WERE MISTREATED IN TRANSIT; NOR IS THERE A WAY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY MAY HAVE FATAL FLAWS! WE CAN ONLY TEST FOR THE PARAMETERS MENTIONED ABOVE. WE CANNOT TEST FOR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. IF A TUBE FAILS AFTER YOU GET IT, IT IS YOUR TUBE THAT HAS FAILED. THERE IS A .1 % CHANCE THIS MIGHT HAPPEN. BE WARNED. NO REFUNDS IN SUCH CASES.
3. IN NEARLY 9000 SALES, WE HAVE HAD A DOZEN OR SO LESS-THAN-FOUR-STAR REVIEWS OR HAVE LOST A CUSTOMER BECAUSE I REFUSED TO EITHER ISSUE A REFUND FOR A TUBE THAT WENT BAD AFTER IT HAD BEEN USED OR A BUYER KNEW NOTHING ABOUT TUBE REBRANDING AND CLAIMED THAT SOMETHING MADE BY TUNG-SOL AND BRANDED BY EMERSON WAS MADE BY EMERSON, AN ELECTRONICS COMPANY THAT NEVER MADE TUBES!
4. TUBES ARE GUARANTEED GOOD ON SHIPMENT. IF YOU FEAR DAMAGE OR LOSS OF PARCEL IN TRANSIT, PLEASE INSURE THEM! OUR SHIPPING RESPONSIBILITY ENDS WHEN THE PARCEL IS ACCEPTED AND SCANNED BY THE US POSTAL SERVICE. ETSY IS CLEAR ON THIS. SOMETIMES THERE ARE INITIAL SCANNING DELAYS. WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME INFORMATION YOU DO AND IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DEAL WITH THE USPS SHOULD THERE BE DELAYS OR LOSS OF A SCANNED PACKAGE. PLEASE BE PATIENT FOR THE FIRST DAY OR TWO IF THE PACKAGE IS STILL MARKED AS "PRE-TRANSIT." WE SHIP THE DAY AFTER THE SALE IF THE SALE WAS AFTER 9:30 AM EASTERN TIME.
5. WE BUY TUBES IN BULK. 10-15% OF THEM ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR HIGH END AUDIO APPLICATIONS. THAT LOSS RATE IS REFLECTED IN OUR PRICES. I LISTEN TO THESE TUBES IN TUBE EQUIPMENT. SOMETIMES TUBES THAT TEST WELL HAVE PROBLEMS AND SOUND AWFUL. THAT IS ALL I CAN DO. IF THERE WERE A TEST FOR FUTURE FAILURE, I WOULD USE IT. THERE ISN'T. THERE IS RISK IN LIFE. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NO LONGER MADE. THERE ARE NO MANUFACTURERS TO TAKE PRODUCT BACK BECAUSE OF DESIGN FAILURES OR QUALITY-CONTROL ISSUES. THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT CYCLE IS OVER.