philco 1y1 tube use and testing

[fumplet]

Hello I bought this tube off ebay just because Ive never seen one look like this before. Im hoping it glows like other current regulator tubes Ive seen but not sure how or what to test it with. I didnt see a tube category like on the ARF so I hope IM posting in the right spot. Not too much info I found on this tube other than a ballast tube book but that doesnt show test circuits for it.

[init4fun]

Originally Posted by fumplet

Hello I bought this tube off ebay just because Ive never seen one look like this before. Im hoping it glows like other current regulator tubes Ive seen but not sure how or what to test it with. I didnt see a tube category like on the ARF so I hope IM posting in the right spot. Not too much info I found on this tube other than a ballast tube book but that doesnt show test circuits for it.

Hi fumplet, welcome to Videokarma

I found that tube here;

https://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_1y1.html

And it's not a glow discharge tube like an 0C3 for example. It is more akin to a fancy light bulb, listed as having an Iron filament in a Hydrogen atmosphere. If I had to guess I'd bet it glows more like a "dim bulb" tester VS a nice bright vibrant purple or orange glow. For a quick test put your ohmmeter across the two fat pins and see if there is continuity

[WISCOJIM]

https://frank.pocnet.net/sheets/201/1/1Y1.pdf

.

[fumplet]

yes it does have continuity. I have the one that is the 150 volt purple current regulator and I think the 75 volt which is orange . My 600a hickok wont test this tube as far as I know.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by fumplet

yes it does have continuity. I have the one that is the 150 volt purple current regulator and I think the 75 volt which is orange . My 600a hickok wont test this tube as far as I know.

It's used with a Philco 3 volt dry battery used with a model 37-33 battery operated farm radio. The number 41-8011 dry battery that Philco made for that set had a socket on the battery pack for that ballast tube. The set was originally intended to use a 2 volt wet cell.
Philco did all kinds of strange things, like incorporating the B and C batteries in one pack, instead of individual batteries.

[fumplet]

yep looked up a philco 37-33 schematic. It just describes plugging the tube into the philco battery. I didnt see an actual schematical reference or the actual tube in circuit. I'll figure out some use for it

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by fumplet

yep looked up a philco 37-33 schematic. It just describes plugging the tube into the philco battery. I didnt see an actual schematical reference or the actual tube in circuit. I'll figure out some use for it

I have a Philco model 643 that uses a 1A1 four prong regulator tube. It has an empty socket marked 1A1, that has a metal jumper in the socket, that originally came with the set. Evidently, the set was always used with a 2 volt wet cell.
There has been a whole range of 1-1 tubes of this type 1A1, B,C, etc.
Information from an old Alfred Ghirardi radio book, dated May 1943.