{"type_number":"5Y3","canonical_url":"https://tubeofile.com/tubes/5Y3","manufacturer":null,"tube_type_key":"rectifier","tube_type_display_name":"Rectifier","base_name":"Octal","description":"Full-wave vacuum rectifier, filamentary twin-diode designed for power supplies with DC output current requirements up to 125 milliamperes. Directly heated (filament cathode). Widely used in guitar amplifiers and vintage radio equipment.","is_directly_heated":true,"completeness":"high","notes":["Directly heated (filament cathode) — the filament IS the cathode. Observe heater warm-up time before applying B+ to protect the tube and filter capacitors.","Electrically identical to the older 4-pin Type 80 tube but with an Octal base — not pin-compatible.","6087 is an indirectly heated drop-in replacement with slightly different warm-up characteristics (slower soft start). 6106 (Bendix) is a ruggedized military version (5Y3WGT).","Russian 5Ц4С (5C4S) is a functional substitute but may produce slightly higher output voltage than NOS 5Y3 types.","Relatively high internal resistance causes significant voltage sag under load — a characteristic valued in guitar amplifier designs for natural compression. The RCA datasheet does not state an explicit Vdrop figure; the 60 V value is an approximation at 125 mA from a rectifier comparison table. Actual drop varies widely with load current due to the high internal resistance.","Max first filter capacitor is 20 µF with capacitor-input filter. Exceeding this risks excessive peak plate current on the directly heated cathode."],"references":["https://frank.pocnet.net/sheets/049/5/5Y3G.pdf","https://frank.pocnet.net/sheets/127/5/5Y3GT.pdf","https://w140.com/tekwiki/images/8/8c/Rca_5Y3G.pdf"],"source_urls":{"r_type":"http://www.r-type.org/exhib/aai0014.htm","tdsl":"https://tdsl.duncanamps.com/show.php?des=5Y3","radiomuseum":"https://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_5y3gt.html"},"raw_equivalents":["5Y3G","5Y3GT","5Y3WGTA","5Y3WGTB","6087","6106","CV1862","CV1268","VT197"],"equivalents":[],"similar":[{"type_number":"5Ц4С","reason":"Functional substitute but may produce slightly higher output voltage — not a verified drop-in","has_detail_page":false},{"type_number":"80","reason":"Electrically identical but 4-pin UX4 base — not pin-compatible with Octal","has_detail_page":true}],"pins":[{"pin_number":"1","function":"No Connection","function_code":"nc","notes":null},{"pin_number":"2","function":"Filament","function_code":"h","notes":null},{"pin_number":"3","function":"No Connection","function_code":"nc","notes":null},{"pin_number":"4","function":"Anode 2 (Plate 2)","function_code":"a2","notes":null},{"pin_number":"5","function":"No Connection","function_code":"nc","notes":null},{"pin_number":"6","function":"Anode 1 (Plate 1)","function_code":"a1","notes":null},{"pin_number":"7","function":"No Connection","function_code":"nc","notes":null},{"pin_number":"8","function":"Filament","function_code":"h","notes":null}],"specs":[{"key":"Vh","display_name":"Heater Voltage","value":"5.0","numeric_value":"5","unit":"V","param_group":"heater"},{"key":"Ah","display_name":"Heater Current","value":"2.0","numeric_value":"2","unit":"A","param_group":"heater"}],"sections":[{"section_number":1,"section_label":"Rectifier","tube_type_key":"rectifier","specs":[{"key":"Va_max","display_name":"Anode Voltage (max)","value":"350","numeric_value":"350","unit":"V","param_group":"absolute_max"},{"key":"PIV","display_name":"Peak Inverse Voltage","value":"1400","numeric_value":"1400","unit":"V","param_group":"rectifier"},{"key":"Vdrop","display_name":"Voltage Drop (typical)","value":"60","numeric_value":"60","unit":"V","param_group":"rectifier"},{"key":"C_max","display_name":"Max C-input Filter Capacitor","value":"20","numeric_value":"20","unit":"µF","param_group":"rectifier"},{"key":"Ia_peak","display_name":"Peak Anode Current (surge)","value":"440","numeric_value":"440","unit":"mA","param_group":"rectifier"},{"key":"Idc_max","display_name":"Max DC Output Current (total, not per-anode)","value":"125","numeric_value":"125","unit":"mA","param_group":"rectifier"}]}],"synced_at":"2026-04-08T07:51:02.465Z"}