ekco: AC86 (AC 86); Question to valves

I want to bring in more data on the model AC86 from Ekco, E.K. Cole Ltd. which has a nice and outstanding form in bakelite. When I looked up the valves in my set which are given here as FC4, VP41, V914, 354V, AC/Pen and UU3 then I stumbled first over the VP41 which is an octal valve. I think this must be an error and I would believe it should be something like an VP4 because my set features  a Mazda ACVP1 (ACV/P1 on the valve).

Who can tell and change this model to the correct tube?

Konrad Birkner helped me to find out equivalents to most of the tubes which I entered to the valves, not knowing if they are really the same therefore we decided to take the option "normally exchangeable" because the list offers such exchange.

Who could handle the many "near equal" or even "equal" relaitions within those valves just before the time where octals and other newer bases came to birth?

There is a AC/Pen given here but my set has no side contact and features a Mazda AC/2/PEN which we name as AC2/Pen. Who can tell us the correct type?

At last I find a tube which has been metallised new and there is written something like B5 or R5 for the 354V ? And the rectifier valve reads something like Cossor VD ... ?

I don't need a schematic but it would be great if somebody could upload one to both models (black and brown). The set has a 3-gang variable condensator (band-pass filter).

There seems to be also an export version with AK2 E438 E438 AB2 AF2 and AL2. I wonder about the two equal valves.

When has the set come on the market? 1935 might be correct - but where have we the information from? Do we have an exact date or first advertisements etc.? Too many questions  - I know ;-)
Thanks for any answer.

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I have two different versions of service sheets for the Ekco AC86, one from Ekco sent out to dealers and the other from the Trader Service Sheet series. Both show the valve lineup as FC4, AC/VP1, 2D4A (or V914), 354V, AC/Pen (or Pen 4VA) and IW3 (or UU3). I will upload a copy of one of these to the model pages tomorrow. The trader sheet gives the release date as 1936, although some other sources on the web give it as 1935.

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here are Mullard tables of Equivalents:
 

Attachments:

• Mullard-Equiv.pp78-79 (112 KB)
• Mullard-Valve-Equiv.-80-81 (186 KB)

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Dear John

Thank you for the information. Most interesting. Do you really want to express that it was a make of EKCO or just a branded tube from elswhere?

What about naming it VP41_Ekco - if we find out the maker?
Then we could use it properly.

I wanted to bring in the connections Konrad shows us in his first link. Working on the page 79 I stumbled over the fact that we show a AC/HL from Mazda (OK for me) but also a ACHL from Amplion, Alfred Graham, GB. Is that not the AC/HL?

1)
If it is a AC/HL, we should move everithing to the AC/HL including the Mazda data sheet (!).
Then we should change to a Code-9-Valve!
2)
If it is not the AC/HL, we also should move at least the data sheet. Then we should tell in the notes about this fact - also on the AC/HL and try to get data.

Roy is working very hard on valves. Especially for data sheets. Therefore I don't want to stress him with such additional work and would like to ask you, John, if you would like to get the rights to act as a valve admin, helping to get the British tubes to "good shape"? I can imagine that Roy would feel good to have a team worker. He would naturally have to give some instructions first ...

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Dear Ernst,

1.  I can confirm the VP41 story.   Mullard equivalent data from 1958 lists the two versions of the VP41, the Ekco being equivalent to the Mullard VP4B and also to the ACVP2.

I have entered it as VP41_Ekco.   We need a new Ekco manufacturer in the list!

2.  The duplicates and naming that you quote is just the tip of a very large iceberg!   There are very many duplicates with slightly different names.  When I come across them I change them where possible, but it is compounded by the fact that if the name is used in a model I cannot change it, so unless I ask you we have different names for the same tube in the models and the data base.    It is worse for the UK tubes because of the variation in the naming of a tube by the manufacturers themselves in their data and on the tube itself and also in the model data from the manufacturers and third party service manuals.      It needs a systematic look through the list.

3.  Thank you - if John is willing his experienced view on the UK valves would be most helpful as I have increasing load in responding off line to a variety of enquiries and adding new tubes after research.   This has somewhat curtailed the loading of data and the work on the CV system to which I hope to return soon.   

Kind regards,

Roy

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