Quick question!

[F.Ace]

Does it matter if i lay a tube combo in the trunk of a car?..I mean,it's too big and i got to lay the amp on the vertical,can it damage the tubes if they are not at the horizontal?
..I know my english is not good fell free to awnser quickly,we got a practice tonight and i'd like to know before that.Thanks.

 

[plumptone]

I've been laying mine face up in the trunk of my car for 10 years and haven't had a problem yet. But...I ALWAYS check to see that the power tubes are seated correctly before I turn the amp on. That's something I've always done as a precaution. You should be fine.

 

[musicbox]

as long as theres nothing sticking up on the floor of the trunk that could bash into the tubes, it'll be fine. tubes can operate sideway's just fine.

 

[fdesalvo]

Ha, go ahead but never power it up on its side! Some of the elements within the tube can come into contact with each other and cause a nasty reaction!

 

[musicbox]

not true....vox ac30's run the el84's sideways, along with the orange combo's. tubes will work in any orientation. if they didn't, they wouldnt be used in supersonic jet's.

 

[Platypus]

not true....vox ac30's run the el84's sideways, along with the orange combo's. tubes will work in any orientation. if they didn't, they wouldnt be used in supersonic jet's.

+1, my Orange tubes are sideways and work just fine.

 

[srf399]

I always put pads or a heavy blanket down so the amp won't slide and has some cushion to avoid the shock of hitting bumps

 

[fdesalvo]

Let me clarify: Not all tubes can be operated horizontally.

not true....vox ac30's run the el84's sideways, along with the orange combo's. tubes will work in any orientation. if they didn't, they wouldnt be used in supersonic jet's.

 

[musicbox]

those being? i KNOW for a fact that any of the big bottles: el34, 6l6, 5881, kt66, kt77, kt88, 300b, small bottles: 6v6, el84 and preamp tubes: 12ax7, 12at7, 12au7 etc...work just fine sideways, upside down, 45 degree angle. i'm sure that theres nothing in a rectifier tube that would 'shift' if operated horizontally. i dont know where you get this information, but it's very much wrong.

edit: actually, theres tube rectifiers mounted sideways in an old osciliscope i have..so those are out to.

what tubes exactly don't work sideways?

 

[ylo]

I'm not sure whether fdesalvo is correct about elements touching, at least not in a GOOD tube, however, in some applications certain tubes should not be mounted other than in the recommended orientation without special provisions for cooling. This is supposedly mentioned in the data sheets if it is an issue.

As far as I know, orientation doesn't matter for common guitar amp tubes. For special tubes like thyratrons, I suspect the story is different.