Tube Depot Rant

[Leo_Gnardo]

CE has sent me a few wrong parts. They always made it right until recently, on one order. I just got authorization to return 10 bad can caps no problem. Btw, they were the 50/50-500 black cans. They all leaked at 500vdc. Would not form.

Were those CE branded?

Now I buy direct from new sensor, the matching has been very good and they replaced the one bad tube I had out of the hundreds I have received .

I'm impressed! How did you get your foot in the door with New Sensor. I tried, @ 20 years ago, basically they told me to "get lost" with my $500+ order. More recently, a local store started an account there, got a heap of tubes, mostly rubbish. Store owner told me NS had a bit of an attitude "don't bother us with your dinky orders. We want to sell $50,000 at a shot or it's not worth our time."

If New Sensor is now treating amp builders, repair people etc like they want our business, now that is news!

[cbass]

CE has sent me a few wrong parts. They always made it right until recently, on one order. I just got authorization to return 10 bad can caps no problem.
Btw, they were the 50/50-500 black cans. They all leaked at 500vdc. Would not form. 450 ok,

The made in tawain ones or the jj's?

[billyz]

CE has sent me a few wrong parts. They always made it right until recently, on one order. I just got authorization to return 10 bad can caps no problem. Btw, they were the 50/50-500 black cans. They all leaked at 500vdc. Would not form.

Were those CE branded?

Now I buy direct from new sensor, the matching has been very good and they replaced the one bad tube I had out of the hundreds I have received .

I'm impressed! How did you get your foot in the door with New Sensor. I tried, @ 20 years ago, basically they told me to "get lost" with my $500+ order. More recently, a local store started an account there, got a heap of tubes, mostly rubbish. Store owner told me NS had a bit of an attitude "don't bother us with your dinky orders. We want to sell $50,000 at a shot or it's not worth our time."

If New Sensor is now treating amp builders, repair people etc like they want our business, now that is news!

I had no problem with a $500 opening order. You do have a business license?
They are kind of quirky though. Invoicing is bad, never sure my orders really got thru until they show up.
Ask for Ralph , he is always helpful when I have a problem or question. 20 yrs ago they did have a $2000 order policy. It actually turned out to be more!
I did it , but the prices were dirt cheap. Like $3 for a 5881.
The current quality is the best it ever has been, not that you won't get a dud now and then. But much better than my experience with jj.

[billyz]

CE has sent me a few wrong parts. They always made it right until recently, on one order. I just got authorization to return 10 bad can caps no problem.
Btw, they were the 50/50-500 black cans. They all leaked at 500vdc. Would not form. 450 ok,

The made in tawain ones or the jj's?

The cheapest ones they sell. Made in Taiwan . Not the Mallory metal cans they make.
This one SKU:C-EC50-50-500CE.
I have had one leaky jj dual 50, out of 100 or so. I'm sticking with F&T for now. Wish F&T made a multi section 40/20/20/20.

[SilverFox]

Over the past 2 years I've noticed a significant slow down in our area. Hardly any traffic on the road and sales of discretionary items very slow.

I would be very cautious particularly of purchasing from someone new now and watchful of existing dealers to start going under.

Phase x is in motion economically now with the next group of business failures beginning to precipitate.

I found the GC article interesting. In the last year whenever I've been in the store regardless of the day of the week, in Medford Oregon, there were only about 5 other customers in the store at any one time. Tube Depot could be sliding into the ditch. It's somebodies life and can get hard to continue when everything around you is disintegrating. But maybe it was a one off event??

I might be set in that I began this rekindled interest in my early hobby- Radio Electronics and Tubes ect.. about 3 years ago. Seems as though every month for a year I purchased tubes, caps or resistors so I have a pile of new parts to work with. Lucky me I guess.

Silverfox.

[Satchmoeddie-II]

I think they were using a Maxi Matcher and a Hickock 539C last I checked, neither of which is very good. The vintage testers are all over the map for voltages. If you know how to make a regulated output mod for the Triplett 3444, or preferably the 3444A you will have a tester that will stomp an Amplitrex into the dirt. I use the 3444, or a Hickock 752A, but I know how to calibrate the Gmohs parts of both, and how to add MOSFET regulators on the voltage supplies. I am lazy when it came to the VR part of my KS15750, but I have it running steadily at +2% now. (close enough). The people they hire to pull parts might make $8/hr, and when they find a 250K pot, they figure, "that must be it" and give no thought of metric, SAE, 3/8", 1/4", 10mm, bushings, taper, 1/4" or 1/8"shaft, split knurled, "D", or solid. They also stock the parts, so sometimes you don't get what you wanted. I was rather un-impressed with the testers used by most retailers. I like The Tube Store for the Amp Ohm bee's wax caps, but do not like paying the higher shipping costs from Canada. Antique Electronics is just across town from me. Nothing to see there but a will call counter. It is only open from 3:00-4:30PM so I am always coming home in rush hour traffic too.

[martin manning]

Satch, what's your take on the u-Tracer? I've been gaining experience with mine as you can see here: http://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... 841#295841

[passfan]

Here is my last correspondence on march 28th:

Please understand, Mr. Grainger, that (and I promise) was not at all
trying to be accusatory. Not in the slightest...not towards you
anyway, not at all. I do apologize for anything that may have been
miscommunicated and lead you to feel that way.

Now, yes, a solution...let me read on and I will make sure this is
right. I only left it at that because I was continuing to look into it
as well...

I just wanted to address this part first...now, I will read on. It
looks like you've got some good info for me. Thanks. I'll get back to
you very quickly.


On Sun, Mar 30, 2014 at 2:06 PM, William S Granger <passfan1@verizon.net> wrote:
> Here is what is going on. You have 2 types of Alpha 1 meg pots. One , part
> number RV24A-10-15R1-A , is an 8 mm bushing. The other , part number
> RV24A-10D2-15R1-A is a 3/8" bushing. Someone on your end has screwed up your
> bins and you keep sending me the 8mm pot when I ordered and paid for the
> 3/8" one. Wondering how it happened doesn't get this amp finished and sold.
> I need a solution please.
>
>
> -----Original Message----- From: TubeDepot Information
> Sent: Friday, March 28, 2014 3:57 PM


Haven't heard a peep since then

[matt h]

(deleted)

[passfan]

There not fixing anything, he'll keep telling me he's on it as long as I email back. This is a blow off.

[cbass]

I was in memphis just week ago you should have mailed me the pot and I would have went down there and straightned their shit out