ECL82/6BM8 substitute for ECL83?

[buddam]

Thread title says it all really. Just got a souped up HD83 off ebay (Sowter trannies, Kiwames, Black Gates, Vishays, BHC Aerovox, Maplin aluminium case - all the usual upgardes!) but one of the valves is dead. Wondered what members have swapped stock valves for.

Anyone tried the Amperex ECL83?

Anyone got a pair of 83s to sell?

Cheers

Adrian

[John Caswell]

Hi Adrian.
Any ECL83 will be OK. Main problem with the ECL82 is physical size, it is the same height as an EL84, so will not fit in the case vertically as the ECL83. ECL86 is also a similar size. The other snag is the the pinout is different between the 83 and 82 as follows:
83 82
1 = at gt
2 = gt kp,g3,s
3 = kt g1
4 = h h
5 = h h
6 = ap ap
7 = kp,g3 g2
8 = g2 kt
9 = g1 at
You could try a PCL83, and may be more avalable as it was a TV type, which is identical APART from heater volts 12.6V @ 300mA so would need an extra small heater tx of either 6.3V wired in series or 12.6v to replace the existing heater winding.
I believe that this is also a problem that Peter is/will be coming up against with the headphone 3

John aka Dr John

[Dave Senior]

Hi

I bought the Amperex ECL83's recently and they look identical to Mullards. I felt that I'd been duped! Haven't tried them for sound yet though.

Dave

[John Caswell]

Hi Dave,
Hope I am not teachng you to suck eggs, but as Amperex is/was North American Philips I am not surprised, and as I said many moons ago on the old WAD BB all the manufacturers used to buy from each other, so you would buy what you thought was a Mullard Valve to find it was Brimar, Mazda etc.

John aka Dr John

[buddam]

Thanks John for the details. I'll hang on for a pair of Mullards or Amperex

Adrian