Pilot tube amps!!!!

Those are nice, indeed. I'm West of Mpls. and happen to know a few guys that mess around with tube gear. In fact, I know someone that owned a Pilot 260. I'd be happy to ask around if that would help. I tried the tube route, owned a few amps, receivers, tuners, never found the magic that my buddies have found. I have heard some really great tube systems, just couldn't replicate it as easy as using my SS gear.
I'm curious as to what you may have done with the rest of the console, I assume those were housed in a console.

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Originally Posted by tomt

try here -

diyAudio





gotta wonder , what needs restoration?

look fine from here ...

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tomt thanks for the link, I have just read that with these old amps you need to have capacitors changed out and the resistors, and transformers checked out. These pieces are from the late 50's so the are probably due for a little service!

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Originally Posted by westend9

Those are nice, indeed. I'm West of Mpls. and happen to know a few guys that mess around with tube gear. In fact, I know someone that owned a Pilot 260. I'd be happy to ask around if that would help. I tried the tube route, owned a few amps, receivers, tuners, never found the magic that my buddies have found. I have heard some really great tube systems, just couldn't replicate it as easy as using my SS gear.
I'm curious as to what you may have done with the rest of the console, I assume those were housed in a console.

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Westend9 It would be great if you could ask around. As far as the console If you would like you can have it. I have left the turntable in it is gerrard unit. As far as tube gear, what type of speakers did you try your EQ with? Thanks

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Originally Posted by juniper

need to have capacitors changed out and the resistors,

probably due for a little service!

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not always, but there are ways to be sure.

I'm curious.

You bought what appears to be mint vintage Pilot tube gear and you have never heard tube equipment?
And you know nothing about electronics?
Did you even know whether the stuff works or not?
How much did you pay for it?

Vintage tube gear can sound wonderful properly restored.
But it isn't for the casual audio amatuer unless you either know how to work on it yourself or have a good source who can.

Ron

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Originally Posted by RonSSS

I'm curious.

You bought what appears to be mint vintage Pilot tube gear and you have never heard tube equipment?
And you know nothing about electronics?
Did you even know whether the stuff works or not?
How much did you pay for it?

Vintage tube gear can sound wonderful properly restored.
But it isn't for the casual audio amatuer unless you either know how to work on it yourself or have a good source who can.

Ron

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RonSSS, well I have only been at this as a hobby for about 2 years and I have been through a lot of mid-fi gear and I have always heard that horn type speakers sound best with tube amps. As far as knowing nothing about electronics, I don't and the idea of playing around inside of a tube amp isn't my cup of tea! Ron when I said I haven't heard any tube EQ I meant as in listened to and no, I dont know if it works.
Thanks

Ok, so what are you going to do with them?

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Originally Posted by RonSSS

Ok, so what are you going to do with them?

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Ronsss, what would you do ? I have read, that these can be great sounding amps???

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Originally Posted by juniper

Ronsss, what would you do ? I have read, that these can be great sounding amps???

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Well, from the photos, your amp looks mint. Probably untouched. A quick search on ebay etc revealed that it's quite valuable. Around a grand. So I would treat it nice!

First I'd test the tubes. All are common and easy to find. And it has a nice tube compliment. Dual rectifiers even. that's a bit rare.

Next I'd plug the tubes in,and power it up slow with a variac. This allows you to adjust the line voltage from 0-120 very slowly. Doing this will reform the electrolytic power supply caps if they aren't dead. While doing this, a 1khz sine wave is fed to the input jacks for both left and right channels. 100mV usually works well. The outputs are terminated into 8 ohm 100W resistors and that is monitored with a scope.
At the same time tha B+ (main supply voltage) and output tube bias voltage is monitored with a DVM.
once you get to about 60 volts on the power cord, the amp will begin to operate. At about 90v it will operate pretty much normally but with reduced power output. Once you get to 120v, it should be singing!

Along the way any issues would be found. Either the B+ doesn't work, or the bias is all messed up, or the output looks bad.
Any issues during the slow turn on can be fixed. As I said, if the transformers are good, the rest is easy.

The whole process takes a few hours if all is well, and when done you can check power output, freq response, check square wave operation, and measure distortion.

Once it's all up and running, you go back and test all resistors and caps for value and change as necessary.

I'm a tube head and have all of this test equipment. I have worked at Tektronix for 34 years as a tech, eng tech, and now am in project management. We make oscilloscopes. And all other kinds of high end electronic test equip etc.

My own system is all tube and I built the power amps myself from the best parts stolen from vintage equipment.

Anyway, that's what I'd do because I can.
You need to find a local guy like me, or even better like my buddy who basically does this for a living now since he was laid off from Tek a number of years ago. No one I know is more picky, anal and a downright perfectionest when it comes to this work.

Ron

Nice score. I have been casually keeping an eye out for Pilot tube electronics since the seventies, but have not run across any.
Just out of curiosity, what speakers did they use in that console?