Ei Tube refers to those valve (plate) tubes, most known being Ei Ecc83 / 12AX7 tubes produced in the former Yugoslavia by Electronic Industry Nis (El Nis / Holding Korporacija Elektronska Industrija a.d. Nis).
A Brief History of Ei Tube
Ei tube factory was founded in 1948 in Nis, Serbia (former Yugoslavia) as a production facility for Institute for the Production of Radio Sets and Roentgen Machines – RR NIS.
In the Golden Age of this holding company. more than 10000 people worked here so it become one of the most important Yugoslavian companies.
Because of the bad management and due to lack of investing in research part of things, and most of all because of the economic embargo and other international commercial restrictions most of the company business and manufacturing facilities collapsed including the one of the few remaining line of production of electronic vacuum tubes.
Just for the record here are some numbers. In 2006, Elektronska Industrija had 73 subsidiaries and 360 production facilities including the line of production of the vacuum tubes Ei Ecc83 / 12AX7 which was the single breakeven one. Over all it generated revenues of EUR 6.2 millions but a net loss of EUR 13.4 millions. Value of operating assets was EUR 41.1 millions.
In 2016, after a decade of agony RR NIS was shut down and the Business Court declared bankruptcy and this is the moment we’ve lost the link with the ORIGINAL EI TUBES, those produced on Telefunken machinery.
Where You Can Buy EI TUBES?
Original EI TUBES are hard to find today. Ebay can be a good point to start your searches. If you need them for different applications, preamp or amps or something else you can take in consideration the clones for Ei Ecc83 / 12AX7 tubes because some of them will do the job just fine.
FAQs: Answering the Top Questions about Ei Tubes
This section provides brief answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding Ei Tubes that have been received through the search bar above. Efforts will be made to regularly update this section as new questions are received.
What are Valve (Plate) Tubes?
Valve tubes, also referred to as vacuum tubes or simply tubes, are enclosed electron devices that are vacuum-sealed in glass or metal. They were widely utilized in early electronics, including radio, television, and computer equipment. As a controlled source of electrons, they serve as amplifiers, rectifiers, switches, or oscillators.
The term “valve tube” describes the device’s structure, which comprises a cathode emitting electrons, a plate or anode collecting the electrons, and a control grid regulating the flow of electrons between the cathode and anode. The vacuum within the tube minimizes electron collisions with gas molecules, leading to efficient regulation and amplification of the electron flow.
What is the Difference between Valves and Tubes?
The terms “valve” and “tube” are often used interchangeably to refer to vacuum tubes, which are enclosed electron devices in the field of electronics. However, “valve” specifically refers to the early versions of vacuum tubes that were prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, while “tube” is a more inclusive term that encompasses both the earlier valves and the newer vacuum tubes.
The distinction between the two lies in the fact that valves are an older technology, while tubes are more modern. The early valves were comparatively larger and bulkier than later tubes and had a lower degree of reliability, requiring more maintenance. On the other hand, vacuum tubes, being more recent, were smaller, more reliable, and required less maintenance.