Bad Tube?

@newbee 

😊👍

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Sometimes new tubes are lemons it happens as suggested by newbee and ghdprentice contact your seller and get the bad tube replaced.

tritube, You did it correctly, biasing the tube to 40ma as recommended by the manufacturer. You would have done that with any voltage designation on the tube/box. Tubes can be too 'hot' or too 'cold' and be unable to meet the biasing requirement but this rarely occurs. That has happened to me a couple of times with tubes 'tested' at the factory. You should be OK.

I am going through nearly this very problem with some premium Linlai KT-88s, one power tube causing very low volume in whichever channel it is placed (Willsenton R8 with Skunkie mods.) whenever in ultralinear but not in triode. Bought as a matched quad, I am hoping for a matching replacement.

Stop using that tube immediately!    Not worth taking out a bias resistor.   

Thank you both for the responses. Much appreciated.  Question about the matched voltage of the tubes. The amp manufacturer says to bias the tubes to 40 mA and the tubes I received were a matched set with 30 written on them. What should I bias them to (I biased them to 40 on my meter)

ghdprentice, sorry about that. For all I knew you were from the East Coast. :-) Good to know you are not another New Yorker!

@newbee 

Hey, I’m not that old! I don’t go to bed before 7pm.

In case ghdprentice has gone to bed, if your tubes were bought as a match pair your vendor should be able to match the tube he sold to you. Each tube (or the box in which it came) should have the tested #. But, even if he can't/won't give you a matching tube, setting an identical bias should get you most of the way. Thing about a match pair is that in use the tubes won't remain matched forever any way, ergo the need to check your tubes bias regularly depending on hours of use.

Typically, they will know what  they sent you and will send you a matched single tube. Or the voltage (?) of your set will be written on the box your tubes came in… and you can send them the parameter to match.

@ghdprentice  Do I need do ask the vendor for at least a matched pair?

@newbee 

+1

This happens occasionally, most often with new tubes. Likely once replaced, all will be well for the rest of the normal tube life.

Sounds like a bad tube to me. Your vendor should give you a new one.