Do you still use tube radios in (almost) everyday use?

[Titan1a]

I also have a Zenith K731 but it needs the pots cleaned. Great sounding radio!

[mr_rye89]

On my desk at work. Stewart Warner B61T2, ‘49 model

[init4fun]

Nice Pic, Thank You for sharing it

[vortalexfan]

i recently picked up a 1950 Zenith Trans-Oceanic Model G-500 that I've been using on a regular basis.

It gets real nice reception.

[Titan1a]

I have a 1952 (my birth year) Transoceanic H500 that has been refitted almost completely with solid state replacements. Works well but is due an overhaul.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Titan1a

I have a 1952 (my birth year) Transoceanic H500 that has been refitted almost completely with solid state replacements. Works well but is due an overhaul.

That's cool, I looked up those solid state tubes you were talking about and I wasn't able find anything. I found a lot posts online talking about the Solid State 1L6 tubes but I didn't see anything available online.

[old_coot88]

Dunno if this site is still good or not - https://www.solidstatetubes.com/index.html

[Jeffhs]

[QUOTE=zenith2134;3235695]Zenith K-725 tabletop, tube radio gets used every morning.
My hifi is solid state for now.
Tube televisions see near daily use. Vacuum tube chassis Zenith, RCA, Sears Silvertone, Magnavox, Admiral, RCA, GE.[/QUOTE

The only tube-type stereo system I ever had was a 1960s Zenith phonograph, which worked very well despite its age and despite the fact it was a trash find in the '80s, IIRC. I also patched a Knight-kit FM tuner into the audio system of my Zenith K-2739 (chassis 16K23, 23-inch) television, by connecting the tuner's audio output across the TV's volume control. It worked as well as I expected it would, since the Zenith TV had a 6BN6-6BQ5 audio system and a 6x9 oval speaker in the cabinet.

I eventually replaced both systems (the TV with the FM tuner and the Zenith phono) with a Zenith IS-4041 4-mode stereo entertainment system in the early 1980s. I moved to a very small apartment in 1999, so had to give up the Zenith system; however, I bought a new (at the time) Aiwa bookshelf stereo (AM-FM, cassette, CD) when I moved here. The system sounds great, probably even better than the Zenith 4-mode system I had at my previous residence, since the Aiwa system has a 4-channel surround-sound audio system (4x50 watts per channel). I don't and have not used the surround speakers, because my apartment is so small (one bedroom) and, again, I cannot run the system loud enough to make 4-channel surround sound worth the effort. To make matters even worse, I am almost deaf in one ear due to a brain injury at birth, so I cannot hear stereo normallly unless I use headphones; even then, I don't notice the stereo effect anywhere nearly as well as I would had I been born with normal hearing in both ears. . . . Oh, well.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by old_coot88

Dunno if this site is still good or not - https://www.solidstatetubes.com/index.html

There's definitely something there, but the price they want for that solid state 1L6 tube is about as much they want for a NOS 1L6 Tube over at Vacuum Tubes, Inc. Which they have some NOS 1L6 tubes for $35+Shipping last I checked, which was last week, and they want $44+Shipping for the solid state 1L6 tube, so it seems that depending on who you go with the difference comes out in the wash it seems.