Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: RCA 811

Category: Electron Tubes

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : RCA 811
Reviews: 6MSRP: 25$-55 ea as of 2012
Description:
this is the one of most recognized and reliable of the 811 tubes made.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0064.5
N6CIC Rating: 2022-05-12
Good robust tubes, but watch for defects Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Due to the quality concerns with Chinese 811's, I have been buying and testing RCA and Russian tubes. As much as possible I hope they are NOS and tested by the sellers but this is often not the case. Of four RCA tubes that tested very good on my Sylvania tester, one was defective in my AL-811 amp. The only way I could identify the bad tube was to test them one at a time in the amp, following all safety precautions.

Once I had culled out the defective tube, I ran a comparison test of the three RCA tubes vs. three G811 tubes manufactured by Ryazan. With 60 watts drive, the RCA tubes produced 400 watts output and the G811 tubes 300 watts. To be fair, this was just one set of Russian tubes, and I have others not yet tested. However my conclusion is the RCA tubes are excellent as long as you watch for possible defects. I will keep the Ryazan tubes as spares.
KM1H Rating: 2019-07-02
Past excellence but aging is often a problem now Time Owned: more than 12 months.
While the RCA and other US built versions have a good reputation time is taking its toll on air seal integrity. The failure mode is a bright flash at turn on as the filament evaporates.
I rate them as a 3 now in 2019 as the NOS/NIB tubes Ive noticed for sale are untested and often with no guarantee.

Ive used these tubes since the early 60's as AM modulators and for RF.
K9MOV Rating: 2017-12-21
Great tube Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been running 3-- NOS, Jan/RCA 811a for over 17 1/2 years at 500 watts output almost 100% CW. At 500watts out just a dull red glow on the plates after over a min. of key down. These are the tubes the AL-811 and 811h were designed around, not the cheap, poor quality 811 produce now. The increased GM is also a big plus, as I can use my FT-817 at 5 watts and get over 70 watts out.
N8FVJ Rating: 2017-12-21
RCA 811A Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The RCA are much higher quality vs the new Chinese 811A tubes. The RCA have plate fins that allow much more reserve during tuning in amplifiers. The RCA is a true 65 watt plate vs the more realistic 50-55 watt non fined plates in newer tubes.

The trans-conductance (gain) is also higher at 1300gm+ for the RCAs vs Russian & Chinese 900gm average gain.

So, for SSB use in an Ameritron AL-811 or AL811H, these tubes are perfect at 600 watts PEP (AL-811) & 800 watts (AL-811H) And, the RCA tubes do not arc internally like many Chinese 811A tubes. I suspect the RCA have a much high vacuum that is very important.

Unfortunately, these tubes are getting rare & are expensive in new old stock.
KF7VXA Rating: 2014-04-24
Quality of Days Past Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I also found a set of new RCA 811A's.
I put them in my amp and really didn't notice any more power on some frequencies, but did on a couple of others, one thing I do know from the experiences of others, if treated right, they will still be in place pumping out the same amount of power they did years from now. The tubes that were in it were not all that old and are now spares
Should I do something a little rough on them, no doubt they will take it better than a Chicom tube would. They are getting harder to find, so if you can get a set at a decent price, scoop them up. One guy wanted $250.00 for 3 of them, pass, offer me 3 for $110.00...Sold.
73's John
VE7REN Rating: 2012-01-27
bullett proof Time Owned: more than 12 months.
i have ran these tubes for 5 yrs in an al 811,then a 811h. i find them used,and are solid and much better then the factory ameritron 811,or any chinese ones made today. still readilly available on the used amrket. cant go wrong with these babies.