Are tube radios dangerous?

Are tube radios dangerous?

AFAIK, these are all voltage regulator tubes and have the standard radiation symbol printed on them (unless it has worn off). 3) CRTs. These are dangerous because of their size and that they contain a vacuum. They can implode (not explode) violently if broken.

Are old tube radios safe?

An antique radio is essentially a very old electrical device. You should be very wary of all unrestored old electrical devices such as kitchen appliances, fans, signs, and radios. When properly repaired and inspected, these old appliances are safe to operate, but if the condition is unknown, beware.

When did they stop making tube radios?

1967

Can vacuum tubes explode?

… “the oily residue from your skin will get on the vacuum tubes. Then when they heat up it can cause them to explode- just like halogen light bulbs.”

What happens if a vacuum tube breaks?

Properly made vacuum tubes typically break from only one of two causes: a substantial impact or thermal shock. Due to the vacuum’s reverse pressure, GoSun’s cooking chambers actually implode if they break, they do not send projectiles of broken glass.

Can you touch tubes with bare hands?

There’s nothing wrong with touching tubes, skin oil on tubes, etc. The halogen lamp rules do not apply. The worst, though unlikely, thing that you could do with your hands (if you have toxic sweat as I do) is cause corrosion on the pins by touching them.

How do you know if a vacuum tube is bad?

When a vacuum tube develops an air leak (a small crack or bad seal by a pin for example) this getter color will change to pure white. If you see this you know with 100% certainty that the tube is bad. Third, look for a purple glow that is very focused around specific elements inside the tube.

How do I know if my amp needs new tubes?

These are the most common signs that tubes need replacement.

1. Excessive noise (hiss, hum) including squealing or microphonic tubes.
2. Loss of high end. Little or no treble.
3. A muddy bottom end.
4. Erratic changes in the overall volume.
5. A blown H.T.
6. The amp doesn’t work!

How do you check tubes?

For a quick test, inspect the tube for signs of damage and listen to the sound it makes….Plug the tube into an electrical device to check its glow.

1. The filament may be hard to see.
2. If the tube doesn’t seem to glow at all, try touching it.

Are amp tubes supposed to glow?

A: That blue glow is just a side effect of a power tube — a fluorescent glow in the blue spectrum. The tube is fine! It actually indicates that the vacuum inside the tube is very good, which is what allows this phenomenon to occur. It will not have any effect on the performance or tone of the amp.

Can a tube amp kill you?

Yup. To elaborate, the power caps for your tubes are rated 450 volts and up, which mean they charge to over 600 volts. This won’t necessarily kill you, though it can, it will definitely hurt. Don’t go poking around unless you’ve got some experience at tamer voltages and have educated yourself about power circuits.

Do tube amps need to warm up?

As a rule of thumb, your tube amp needs to be warmed up for 20 to 30 minutes at least before you can start playing your guitar. Most of the time, tube amps have warm up specifications included in their instructions for use.

Do vacuum tubes need to be broken in?

Yes, they do break in. Do they NEED a break in? Not really. Small signal tubes especially will sound good within a few minutes of warming up but they will tend to sound better after a while because everything gets “baked” and molded into shape so to speak.

How long do vacuum tubes last?

about 5,000 to 10,000 hours

How long does it take to break in tube amp?

C123666, yup, “congested and harsh” seems to indicate an entire amp [not just tubes, alone] that has not yet broken in. By 24 hours, you should notice an improvement… 72 hours should get you 90% there, for the tubes! Some equipment, especially speakers, takes quite a while to fully break-in.

How long does it take to break in a tube amp?

Tubes do not have any break-in time per my experience. However, coupling capacitors in the preamp do have a break-in time in-between 50 to 200+ hours. As time goes by you should notice a refinement in sound.

How long does a 12AX7 tube last?

about 10,000 hours

How long does it take to break in a speaker?

around 100 hours

Do subwoofers get louder as they break in?

Subwoofers should not get louder as they break-in. Instead, they will adjust to the varying frequencies provided and will most effectively play the sounds that are coming through.