VT to Commercial Vacuum Tube Cross Reference

Archive

-

Radio Alpha

AWA Old Timer's Bulletin Vol 31 No 3 1990. Courtesy Antique Wireless Association

AWA Old Timer's Bulletin Vol 31 No 3 1990. Courtesy Antique Wireless Association

Name/Title

VT to Commercial Vacuum Tube Cross Reference

Scope and Content

VT to Commercial Vacuum Tube Cross Reference

Category

Vacuum Tube, Document

General Notes

Note

This article presents an expanded and cross-checked cross-index of U.S. Army vacuum tube (VT) numbers and their commercial equivalents to assist collectors and equipment restorers. Compiled from historic military handbooks, naval indices, and radio society records, the reference goes beyond standard charts by integrating British Common Valve (CV) equivalents and adding clarifying commentary on obscure or canceled tube types. Additionally, the text details manufacturer-specific letter prefixes for transmitting tubes. The rapid evolution of early military electronics is contextualized through distinct "clusters" of VT-numbers designated for specific wartime equipment series, tracing the timeline leading up to the Army’s eventual transition to the Joint Army-Navy (JAN) prefix system in approximately 1943.