Tubes Asylum

Mil spec Philips-ECG 5AR4 miss-labeled 5V4GA

75.140.84.148

FenderLover

I noticed the seller on EBay is no longer posting these. I've been using them for several years now (like 5 years). No problems. I wondered if anyone else had like (or negative) experiences?
Tube in question is in middle. Correct labeled Sylvania 5AR4 on left. GE 5V4GA on right.
Thanks!

Edits: 07/26/17

Follow Ups:

RE: Mil spec Philips-ECG 5AR4 miss-labeled 5V4GA - Jim McShane 08:15:44 07/26/17 (3)
Steve,

You wrote: "I've been using them for several years now (like 5 years). No problems."

You won't have any problems! Why would you? As Steve O says these are real 5AR4s, full performance tubes. Philips needed to fill a military order for 5V4GAs and they couldn't so they supplied the 5AR4s labeled as 5V4GAs to fill it.

Philips did this sort of thing more than once. For instance they internally triode connected some 6AV5GAs and they were labeled as JAN 6B4G and worked fine for whatever application they were used in. The difference is that these were modified internally - the "5V4GA" tubes were simply relabeled 5AR4s.
- Not quite as tuff as Mullard - DAK 11:13:45 07/26/17 (2)
  I got a few of these 5v4ga a few months ago and put them in my dual rectified cLCLC power supply for my amps. And on turn on one of them arced a little. The Mullards never did that. This was for SE KT120 biased at 105ma each tube. When i dial back the current they are ok. I think the Sylvies may be used but they looked new. Who knows the story behind tubes you get nowadays.
  - RE: Not quite as tuff as Mullard - Jim McShane 12:57:53 07/26/17 (1)
    Well, Mullards certainly are fine tubes - but I don't like to generalize based on one experience. Suffice to say I'd have no qualms about using the JAN Philips in any socket designed for a 5AR4 since that's what they are!
    
    I had some of those in my stock for a while and I had zero trouble with them.
    - RE: Not quite as tuff as Mullard - DAK 13:47:57 07/26/17 (0)
      Like i mentioned i don't know the history of my batch, so they may have been rejects or used but they looked like new. You can't be sure about NOS. It seems like a lot of vintage tubes are making a giant circle going from hand to hand. Not like 20 to 30 years ago.
RE: Mil spec Philips-ECG 5AR4 miss-labeled 5V4GA - Steve O 07:09:40 07/26/17 (1)
The term "mis-label" tends to implie an error but in the case of these 5V4s it was entirely intentional. These tubes came from the end of Sylvania/Phillips production for the military. Since a 5AR4 can sub for a 5V4 in just about any app, one production run covered two types. No doubt a cost saving measure.

These particular 5V4s are every bit a 5AR4 and have held up very well where I've used them (ST70 & MK III). Snap them up whenever I find them for good price inc used.
- Thanks! Good to know. (n/t) - FenderLover 09:38:24 07/26/17 (0)
  mt

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