# large RF tubes



## oldgeek (May 8, 2017)

Does anyone have any yield data for this type of material? I am checking for a friend to see if these are worth the risk to process. I have already warned him of beryllium toxicity that is in the ceramics and possibly in the copper, are there any other dangers involved that need to be identified? From what I have read quite a bit about the beryllium, as long as you do not cut, grind or create any dust whatsoever would it be safe to handle them? The visible gold plating is likely very thin, but the braze looks promising if there is a way to safely and economically remove it.


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## oldgeek (May 10, 2017)

Wow! I thought someone would know about these. I will just tell him to pass on them, they just have too much potential danger.


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## jimdoc (May 10, 2017)

Make a lamp out of it.


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## Platdigger (May 10, 2017)

What was this out of?


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## Findm-Keepm (May 10, 2017)

Edit - It could be a driver /final output (triode) tube for an older Harris or RCA UHF TV transmitter. 
http://www2.l-3com.com/edd/pdfs/broadcast_IOTD 130D.pdf



Either that, or:

Looks like a coaxitron tube - used in high power radars - think FAA ground radars, AWACS and E-2C AEW radars and the like. The beefy lugs with the holes are likely filament connections - most have low voltage, high current filaments. 1 Megawatt power peak, but something like 400 Watts average - the peak power is pulsed power, there for a microsecond or less.

Yes, lots of BeO to deal with, so keep it whole. What part is gold? I've seen many coaxitrons, but I've never seen one with gold anywhere. Most are copper, beryllium, and plated (Ag) copper, with some having a tungsten slug for heat sinking, and maybe some copper mesh at the sampling port. We used to have to bust up smaller ones on the ship - dunk it in a 5-gallon bucket of water, strike it, and the bottom of the tube would come loose - and functioned as an ashtray...... :mrgreen: Then we'd dump the water over the side with the BeO contained...

_*Definitely*_ a collector item - there are lots of old tube collectors. Ebay, Antique Radio Forums, and Antique radio classifieds are just some listing options.


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## oldgeek (May 12, 2017)

Findm-Keepm said:


> Edit - It could be a driver /final output (triode) tube for an older Harris or RCA UHF TV transmitter.
> http://www2.l-3com.com/edd/pdfs/broadcast_IOTD 130D.pdf
> 
> 
> ...



I believe it is a version of the UHF transmitter you provided the link to. In the picture I posted there is gold plating on the inside where there appears to be threads, and on the rings above the threaded area. Now that I think about it, the braze is likely just 15% or better silver solder.


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