Valves and other stuff at local house clearance auction

[dennishoy]

Two black bin bags full of valves were rescued from my local house clearance auction. After throwing away many broken valves and a load of common TV types, some 350+ were worth keeping and put into a box for testing (thanks for volunteering, Paul !!).

The box contains seven layers of valves and this is the top layer.

   

[Radio Fixer]

Well saved Sir! Hope you get a good yield. Even duff are worth saving for the less common bases. Swapped a few bases over when using a substitute, not too hard.

Gary

[AlanBeckett]

Don't forget that the Valve Museum is always on the lookout for valves and boxes in good condition.

Alan

[Yorkie]

Some promising looking 'golden oldies' there Dennis. If you have any of the following I'd be interested for my AC77. (No need to test them, other than a filament check):

PEN A4
FC4
VP4B
2D4A
IW3

Not on the scrounge - happy to pay a sensible fee for any plus P&P of course.

The problem with old valves is that we never know whether they were pulled because they were past their best, pulled from duff sets but still with life in the valves, or NOS ones that haven't especially been looked after - just chucked in a box. Proof of the pudding is in the hearing (or not, as the case may be!). It's a reasonable bet that if there are several identical ones that are boxed, they'll be 'new in box'.

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Dennis, looks like a VCR97 base in there; very useful for those making scopes or repro early TV's

Ed

[dennishoy]

OK, give me a few days to have a look through them.
We have a Avo VCM163 tester so this will be put to good use.

Most of the boxes were mouldy and wet so I disposed of them rather than risk picking up a chest infection from the spores. The better ones have been kept.

Yet another find at tonight's auction - a couple of (German?) Voltacraft bench PSUs for £5. I've never seen this make before. I cut off the euro-style plugs and fitted a couple of 13A mains plugs. Those euro-style mains plugs have no fuse so I don;t know how you are supposed to protect the equipment.

Both are working - 0-30V, adjustable current limit too. One needs a new power switch as I had to bridge across the neutral terminals to power it up.

Stupid question, but I don't suppose anyone has a circuit diagram for these?

   

[ed731pdh]

The VCM is on hot standby, Dennis.

[Nick]

...a couple of (German?) Voltacraft bench PSUs ...Stupid question, but I don't suppose anyone has a circuit diagram for these?

"Voltcraft" are still around and there are a bunch of schematics for both old & new kit on German sites.

What's the model number?

[dennishoy]

Nick, thanks... it doesn't seem to have a model number stamped on it anywhere. A quick Google for 'voltcraft' shows this model to be obsolete.

Front panel - 'VOLTCRAFT DC POWER SUPPLY 0...30V/1.2A'
+ and - terminals
V and I indicators and adjustments
V and A meter switching
'NETZ' poer switch

Back Panel - 'Vor Offnen Netzstecker ziehen !'
'Nur fur trochene Raume !'
220V 50Hz 70W

Underneath - Earth symbol on a label.

Nothing else.... no stickers, no other markings.

Thanks for the help.

[boiss]

Hi Dennis,
I see from the Piccy that there appear to be some Oldies !!
I'm looking for some 4pin with side contact valves.
E442, Equivalents;-(S4V) (DW6) (H4100D)
E415, Equivalents;-(224V) (REN804) (41MLF)
506K The K is very important!
These are for a Philips 2514 that I have, at the moment I have 1 valve !!!
Let me know if you can help with any of these.
Cheers
Boiss