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TUBE AMP WITH TUBES HORIZONTAL ??

groovking

groovking

Sep 17, 2000
394
5
beverly mass USA
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#1
ive got a mesa boogie 2x10 buster tube amp in my studio. i was wondering what your thoughts may be on playing this amp with it in its standup position rather than in the conventional position, in which the 6L6's are horizontal to each other rather than vertical?? i never tried it and i bet you shouldnt .....
 
#5
It shouldn't be a big deal but it IS possible to for it to cause internal parts of the tubes to sag and short to each other. The Aguilar DB359 uses horizontally mounted 6550's running at higher voltages than the Buster's 6L6's. Be sure to keep them well-ventilated if you find it necessary to run the amp that way, but I don't really recommend you do it.
 
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#7
Now I feel like a dummy, because I went to:

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and could not find any orientation information in the data sheets. Maybe I am remembering this kind of info for high powered radio transmitter tubes, or maybe it is in the general section of the receiving tube manual rather than in the sheets on specific tubes. Grrrr...

Here is what I dug up in the rec.audio.tubes newsgroup:

I have not seen any written in this case about 6L6, but it is similar to 6550,KT88 Beam Pentodes.

General Electric writes:

Installation The tube may be mounted vertically or horizontally. When tubes are mounted vertically it is recommended that the centers of the tube sockets are not less than 4in. apart and that pins 4 and 8 of each tube
are in line. When tubes are mounted horizontally it is recommended that the centers of the tube sockets are not less than 4in. apart and that pins 4 and 8 of each
tube are in the same vertical line. One tube should not be mounted directly above another. Free air circulation around the tube is desirable.
Click to expand...
 
#8
Cooling in horizontal position should be a fair bit BETTER than in vertical position. More of the tube gets fresher, cooler air, and there is some turbulence set up by the shape. Turbulence improves air cooling.

Vertical, the upper part of the tube gets air pre-heated by the lower part of the tube.....and the air flow is more laminar, which provides not as good cooling.

If there is no caution against it, for a particular tube, no reason not to use it horizontal. If, that is, it won't fall out, and nothing blocks air-flow that way........since "up" is then a different orientation relative to the chassis.
 
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