Handling tubes

[Mike]

I remember a lot of heated discussion on that "other site" regarding the proper handling of tubes. Many, like me, felt it always best to handle with gloves. Others thought that was stupid and if you handle a lightbulb with bare hands, then a tube should be no different.

While reading my Cary manual, they gave an excellent explanation for handling tubes. They explained that you should always wear gloves when handling tubes because the oil from your skin can get on the tube and cause it to run much hotter than it was designed to do, subsequently affecting tube life.

Just thought I would share this in case anyone was wondering....


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[Rayooo]

I've typically just used one of the micro-fiber cloths to handle tubes, especially the big power tubes.

hmmmm, 'never thought a little hand-oil would cause a tube to run hotter...but why take the chance.. besides, I like to keep the big tubes free of dust and fingerprints anyway.

 

[BobM]

I don't think that small signal tubes, like 12AX/T/U/7's or 6299's and such really run hot enough that hand oil might be a problem. Sure, it does make sense to wipe them off if one is obviously gooey (don't wipe off the label though). Those big driver tubes might be a different story though.

Also, if a tube has a plastic base it only makes sense to handle it only by the base.

Not sure if the oil would have any effect on the sound, but it could possibly shorten the tubes life I guess.

 

[Petro85]

I remember a lot of heated discussion on that "other site" regarding the proper handling of tubes. Many, like me, felt it always best to handle with gloves. Others thought that was stupid and if you handle a lightbulb with bare hands, then a tube should be no different.

While reading my Cary manual, they gave an excellent explanation for handling tubes. They explained that you should always wear gloves when handling tubes because the oil from your skin can get on the tube and cause it to run much hotter than it was designed to do, subsequently affecting tube life.

Just thought I would share this in case anyone was wondering....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

i think its just smarter to wear some gloves, the oils can lead to tube failure, just like when you change the bulbs in your headlights, they say do not handle with out gloves. is it true? i dont know, but if there is a chance that i can hurt em why not. i got some thin white cotton gloves with some piece of equip i bought and i still have them and use them for everything including moving speakers around and equipment. i figure why not, cant hurt.

 

[Dizzie]

I don't think people realize how much "crud" their fingers leave behind. I do not just handle my tubes with cotton gloves, I use them to handle all of my equipment. I even grab a glove and use it like a rag to turn on switches. Maybe I have a recessive "Monk" gene. But I see some pictures of black equipment for sale and they look pretty gross. When I sell used electronics I get raves from the buyers because the equipment looks new.

As for tubes I always remember that certain types of bulbs (slide projectors--remember them? and car headlights) must not be touched with bare hands. I do not know where the distinction would be made for different types of audio tubes so I use gloves for all of them.