Which could be this Valve, with liquid?

Greetings !! and Namaste !

Just got a picture of a Valve ( yet to get the set for restoration, after lockdown), just wondering 

which is this valve. The person says it has red liquid ! Any idea of such valve?

Looking for advise

Warm Regards

Uday K

Bangalore , INDIA

• Which is this liquid filled valve? (58 KB)

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Dear Mr. Kalburgi,

a strange thing, indeed.

Let me describe the type of tubes I know that contain liquids. First, there's mercury, which is contained in some rectifiers, most of them large, industrial types. The amount of mercury contained in smaller rectifiers - as may be found in battery chargers - is like a droplet only. There are also mercury switches - small glass tubes mith a moving drop of mercury, sometimes employed in timers or position-dependent machine parts. Mercury is of bright silver colour, and appears black in thin smears.

There are other, coloured types of liquids used in certain Geissler tubes, for instructional and decorative purposes. These liquids are not exactly inside the tube, though, but in a separate glass envelope around the evacuated vessel. The discharge inside the Geissler tube would produce intense ultraviolet light, and bring the coloured liquids to flourescence.

The mystery device you are showing looks like an ordinary radio - small speaker, small tubes, power chord, metal chassis, wooden case. The liquid-filled tube has an upright electrode arrangement, which appers to be half-covered with liquid, which makes no sense whatsoever. The mica spacers and the overall appearance of the electrodes look very much like an ordinary, vacuum pentode. The tip of the tube is connected with a soldered-on wire, which is very untypical for a tube that has a regular 9-pin base, inside a regular piece of equipment. Assuming that the device could be a radio, it is also untypical to see a tube of this envelope and internal structure with a top connection at all (in a black-and-white TV set, it might be different).

The top the tube looks to me very much like someone broke off the tip. The getter (internal metallic area inside the tube cap) would then disintegrate, turn white, and dissapear. Now it would have been possible to fill the tube with liquid, maybe lamp oil? The top connection was later added to hide the broken glass.

Mr. Kalburgi, I am positive this is a hoax.

Nikolaus Löwe

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Thank You Nikolaus,

Sincerely appricate your time to reply in lockdown time ! 

After posting this, the person bought the set for restoration. The set is a local UMS made set, and the person has fixed FM kit and removed all Valve connections, and as you said, filled one broken valve with some liquid. May be just to fool the owner of the radio. Hmm, suck things happen !!

Thanks again !

Stay Home Stay Safe !!

Warm Regards

Uday K

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Dear Mr. Kalburgi,

I took a photograph of a real, early 20th century Geissler tube with orange liquid, to show you the real deal. 

Stay healthy, 

Nikolaus Löwe

• liquid-filled Geissler tube (57 KB)

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Nice One !!

Regards

Uday K

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