Westinghouse 8417

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I was looking to purchase some NOS 8417 and came across a quad of Westinghouse branded 8417 tubes from Jim Cross at Vacuumtubesinc.com.
The Quicksilver amps I have are particular to the type of 8417 (GE's not holding up well, Sylvania/Phillips being the brand they were designed around). In reading the few posts here mentioning Westinghouse, one assumed it was a Sylvania/Phillips manufacture and another stated the original 8417 tube design belonged to Westinghouse.
This particular Westinghouse version has two top getters and a side getter, unlike any other version I've seen described. There definitely is confusion on this. Jim Cross insisted these were actually made by Westinghouse. Mike Sanders of Quicksilver did not think so. Here's what Mike had to say:
"There were 3 manufacturers of 8417 tubes inthe US: Sylvania, RCA and GE. The Sylvania had one top and one side getter. The RCA had two top
getters. And the GE had two side getters and a clear top. I do not know for sure whether Westinghouse or RCA designed the two top getter 8417, but RCA is the company that made them. I have seen Westinghouse 8417s with one top and one side getter that werre obviously made by Sylvania. I have also seen Westinghouse 8417s with two top getters made by RCA. My conclusion in that Westinghouse probably never made the tube but just bought them from either RCA or Sylvania. I have never seen an 8417 with two side getters and one top getter, but I guess anything's possible."
However, Jim is sticking to his guns. His response:
"I have to comment that Mike is mistaken. ALL of RCA's 8417s were purchased, that is, RCA never made any 8417s. This is verified by the RCA manufacturing archive (essentially 150 feet of shelf space of binderized manufacturing notes). This archive currently resides at the Tube Collectors Association Museum in Medford, Oregon.
The manufacturer of RCA 8417s is identifiable by the markings on the
glass and getters. GE used acid etching with a dot lot-marking code under the type number. Sylvania tubes have "8417" printed over "USA" in gray ink. Generally, Sylvania 8417s have 2 top getters.
You will see that the Westinghouse tubes are neither GE or Sylvania."
I hope this is of interest to any 8417 users. I'm trying them and hope this version holds up in the amps with the runaway grid problem of the GE's.
Stephen

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Topic - Westinghouse 8417 - sed 11:25:58 07/09/04 (1)

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