PIN Chart/Diagram

[DrF]

Is there available a chart/diagram/quick reference. for identifing tube output pins for what they connect? (ie. cathode pin, grnd/ pin, etc.)
Any links to that?

[Enzo]

The basic symbols are pretty universal. Most any tube reference will explain the basic parts - plate, cathode, grid. There are variations in how they are drawn, for example on some really old schematics, the grid might be a zigzag line similar to a resistor, whereas today grids are drawn as dashed lines. The plate is usually a straight line, but in some drawings it is more like a squat box. I have seen a few wher the plate is a circle.

But if you mean for each tube, like on this 12AX7 which pins are plates, then you want the data sheet for each tube.

Tube makers used to publish tube manuals. The manual had a page or so per tube, and showed the base diagram, listed the specs, usually in more than one application, maybe some graphs of the tube curves. The manuals also often had tutorial chapters and some other data listings and selector guides.

One of the most popular of these was the RCA manual. It came out every year or so until 1973. As tubes were added, the book grew. You can find reprints of these books on the market today. Places like AES sell them. There are two RCA issues out. One is hte RC30 - the 1973 book. RC30 was the last one they did. There is also the much older RC17. The RC17 costs a lot less, and you might be tempted, but it doesn;t include a lot of the tubes we use a lot now, like 6550 and EL34.

NO tube amp shop is complete without a copy of the RC30 in my humble opinion. You can find scanned copies online. And that is all well and good, but I find it so much easier to whip out the book and thumb through it that to get it on my computer screen, which already probably is in use for the schematic.

There are others, I have several on my shelf.

AES is at Antique Electronic Supply

Many places sell tubes, and you can look up data sheets for individual tubes on their sites.

DUncan has a nifty Tube Data Sheet Locator you can even download. Lots of other great stuff on his site:

Duncan's Amp Pages

And you can always just enter the tube number in google and you will find links to data sheets galore.

And lastly I here attach something I put together years ago. I printed it up - well I Xeroxed it at the time - and put it in a plastic sheet protector and kept it by my bench. The base wiring of a few common power tubes and the 12AX7. (12AX7 base is the same as the rest of the 12A?7 family)

[DrF]

Thank you!

Thank you!! VERY appreciated!!!!!