Is there any obvious choice in 6BY6 vs 6BE6 in a product detector?

I've subbed one for the other in replacement uses and there wasn't any
hugely obvious differences, but maybe if someone told me what to look
for... :-)

Tim KA0BTD

On 5/16/07 12:10 PM, in article
, "Tim Shoppa"
wrote:

Is there any obvious choice in 6BY6 vs 6BE6 in a product detector?

I've subbed one for the other in replacement uses and there wasn't any
hugely obvious differences, but maybe if someone told me what to look
for... :-)

Tim KA0BTD


The 6BY6 was intended as a sync separator, and to run with 10V on the plate
at that voltage. My bet is the 6BE6 would be the better tube to use unless
your PD is running at reduced plate voltage.

Don

In article ,
Don Bowey wrote:
On 5/16/07 12:10 PM, in article
om, "Tim Shoppa"
wrote:

Is there any obvious choice in 6BY6 vs 6BE6 in a product detector?

I've subbed one for the other in replacement uses and there wasn't any
hugely obvious differences, but maybe if someone told me what to look
for... :-)


The 6BY6 was intended as a sync separator, and to run with 10V on the plate
at that voltage. My bet is the 6BE6 would be the better tube to use unless
your PD is running at reduced plate voltage.

Can the 6BY6 be used as a converter? The whole thing about the 6BE6 is
that changes in control grid voltage don't affect the cathode current much.
If you're doing the self-excited oscillator trick, I think you need the
6BE6.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

The 6BE6 has a transconductance, as an oscillator, of 7250 umhos while the 6BY6
has a transconductance of 1900 umhos, as a Class A amplifier.

Different critters designed for different purposes. Each will work in the
other's circuit, but at reduced performance.

You can compare their specifications he
http://www.pmillett.com/tubedata/HB-3/Receiving_Tubes_Part_1/6BE6.PDF



Tim Shoppa wrote:

Is there any obvious choice in 6BY6 vs 6BE6 in a product detector?

I've subbed one for the other in replacement uses and there wasn't any
hugely obvious differences, but maybe if someone told me what to look
for... :-)

Tim KA0BTD

On May 16, 3:41 pm, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
In article ,
Don Bowey wrote:

On 5/16/07 12:10 PM, in article
om, "TimShoppa"
wrote:

Is there any obvious choice in 6BY6 vs 6BE6 in a product detector?

I've subbed one for the other in replacement uses and there wasn't any
hugely obvious differences, but maybe if someone told me what to look
for... :-)

The 6BY6 was intended as a sync separator, and to run with 10V on the plate
at that voltage. My bet is the 6BE6 would be the better tube to use unless
your PD is running at reduced plate voltage.

Can the 6BY6 be used as a converter? The whole thing about the 6BE6 is
that changes in control grid voltage don't affect the cathode current much.
If you're doing the self-excited oscillator trick, I think you need the
6BE6.

In my case there's no desire for using the tube as an oscillator.

I was just doing a survey of my radios yesterday and the number of
6BE6's stuck in sockets labeled 6BY6 was astonishing :-).

Some discussions in the ham literature indicate that the 6BY6 is less
prone to overload.

Tim.

There are a number of things that can be considered when using a tube as a
mixer. I always thought the 6BE6 was more prone to microphonics than other
tubes. That does not show up in the tube manuals.

It is certainly possible that the 6BY6 may handle higher signal levels as a
mixer, even though not designed as one. Probably the best test is with a
signal generator and in the actual radio.

Colin K7FM

Tim Shoppa wrote:
Is there any obvious choice in 6BY6 vs 6BE6 in a product detector?

I've subbed one for the other in replacement uses and there wasn't any
hugely obvious differences, but maybe if someone told me what to look
for... :-)

Tim KA0BTD

In the famous HBR receiver design by sk W6TC, the product detector was a
6BE6 in the original circuit, but he later changed it to use the 6BY6
claiming that it gave better performance with less cross modulation and
overload.

Tim Shoppa wrote:
Is there any obvious choice in 6BY6 vs 6BE6 in a product detector?

I've subbed one for the other in replacement uses and there wasn't any
hugely obvious differences, but maybe if someone told me what to look
for... :-)

Tim KA0BTD

Here is the link to the HBR receiver tube lineup
http://www.qsl.net/k5bcq/HBR/hbr.html#Tube
showing the use of the 6BY6 as a product detector.

ken scharf wrote:
Tim Shoppa wrote:
Is there any obvious choice in 6BY6 vs 6BE6 in a product detector?

I've subbed one for the other in replacement uses and there wasn't any
hugely obvious differences, but maybe if someone told me what to look
for... :-)


Hallicrafters used a 6BY6 product detector
in their highly regarded SX-115 receiver.
Interestingly, they included a 3.3 ohm 1 Watt series resistor
in the 6.3V heater supply for that tube.

73,
Ed Knobloch