{"type_number":"6N3C","canonical_url":"https://tubeofile.com/tubes/6N3C","manufacturer":"Reflector","tube_type_key":"beam_tetrode","tube_type_display_name":"Beam Tetrode","base_name":"Octal","description":"Soviet beam power tetrode (6П3С / 6P3S) designed for output stages of low-frequency amplifiers. Glass envelope with octal base. The 6N3C is the Latin transliteration of the Cyrillic designation 6П3С, widely used in Soviet-era audio and communications equipment. Functionally equivalent to the Western 6L6G/6L6GT.","is_directly_heated":false,"completeness":"high","notes":["The designation '6N3C' is a Latin transliteration of 6П3С (Cyrillic), where П='P' and С='S'. In formal technical documentation, '6P3S' is the standard transliteration. '6N3C' is commonly used in marketplace listings and collector communities.","The standard 6P3S has significantly lower maximum voltage ratings than the 6L6GC: Va_max 375V vs 500V, Vg2_max 300V vs 450V. While pin-compatible with all 6L6 variants, it is NOT safe as a direct replacement in high-voltage 6L6GC circuits that operate near the GC's limits.","The enhanced variant 6P3S-E (6N3C-E) has tighter tolerances (Ah 880±40 vs 900±90 mA), higher Vhk_max (200V vs 100V), lower Ig2 (≤6 vs ≤9 mA), and rated lifetime ≥5000h vs ≥1000h for the standard 6P3S. Pin-compatible drop-in with superior ratings.","Russian datasheet specifies Rg_max of 500 kΩ — substantially higher than the Western 6L6's 100 kΩ limit for fixed bias. This suggests self-bias operation was the primary design intent.","Triode-strapped data inferred from the electrically equivalent 6L6, sourced from Tom Schlangen's 'Pentodes Strapped as Triodes' (2009). No specific 6P3S triode-mode data found in Soviet datasheets."],"references":["https://www.retroamplis.com/WebRoot/StoreES2/Shops/62070367/6026/9AE2/323C/927B/434B/0A0C/6D10/A6CD/VAL-RS-6L6GA.pdf","https://soviet-tubes.com/product/6p3s-tube-foton-tetrode/","https://vacuum-tubes.com/6p3s-e-tube-guide-equivalents-datasheet-pinout-specs/"],"source_urls":{"r_type":null,"tdsl":null,"radiomuseum":"https://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_6p3s.html"},"raw_equivalents":["6P3S","6P3S-E","6L6","6L6G","6L6GT","6L6GA","6L6GB","6L6GC","6L6WGB","5881","CV1286","VT115"],"equivalents":[{"type_number":"5881","equivalence_type":"direct","notes":null},{"type_number":"6L6","equivalence_type":"direct","notes":null},{"type_number":"6L6GC","equivalence_type":"direct","notes":null}],"similar":[{"type_number":"KT66","reason":"GEC equivalent with similar characteristics but different internal construction — verify bias compatibility before substituting","has_detail_page":true}],"pins":[{"pin_number":"1","function":"No Connection","function_code":"nc","notes":null},{"pin_number":"2","function":"Heater","function_code":"h","notes":null},{"pin_number":"3","function":"Anode","function_code":"a","notes":null},{"pin_number":"4","function":"Screen Grid","function_code":"g2","notes":null},{"pin_number":"5","function":"Control Grid","function_code":"g1","notes":null},{"pin_number":"6","function":"No Connection","function_code":"nc","notes":null},{"pin_number":"7","function":"Heater","function_code":"h","notes":null},{"pin_number":"8","function":"Cathode","function_code":"k","notes":null}],"specs":[{"key":"Vh","display_name":"Heater Voltage","value":"6.3","numeric_value":"6.3","unit":"V","param_group":"heater"},{"key":"Ah","display_name":"Heater Current","value":"0.9","numeric_value":"0.9","unit":"A","param_group":"heater"}],"sections":[{"section_number":1,"section_label":"Beam Tetrode","tube_type_key":"beam_tetrode","specs":[{"key":"Va_max","display_name":"Anode Voltage (max)","value":"375","numeric_value":"375","unit":"V","param_group":"absolute_max"},{"key":"Vs_max","display_name":"Screen Voltage (max)","value":"300","numeric_value":"300","unit":"V","param_group":"absolute_max"},{"key":"Pa_max","display_name":"Anode Dissipation (max)","value":"20","numeric_value":"20","unit":"W","param_group":"absolute_max"},{"key":"Ps_max","display_name":"Screen Dissipation (max)","value":"2.75","numeric_value":"2.75","unit":"W","param_group":"absolute_max"},{"key":"Vhk_max","display_name":"Heater-to-Cathode Voltage (max)","value":"100","numeric_value":"100","unit":"V","param_group":"absolute_max"},{"key":"Rg_max","display_name":"Max Grid Resistor","value":"0.5","numeric_value":"0.5","unit":"MΩ","param_group":"absolute_max"},{"key":"Va","display_name":"Anode Voltage (typical)","value":"250","numeric_value":"250","unit":"V","param_group":"typical_operating"},{"key":"Vs","display_name":"Screen Voltage (typical)","value":"250","numeric_value":"250","unit":"V","param_group":"typical_operating"},{"key":"Vg","display_name":"Grid 1 Bias Voltage","value":"-14","numeric_value":"-14","unit":"V","param_group":"typical_operating"},{"key":"mAa","display_name":"Anode Current","value":"72","numeric_value":"72","unit":"mA","param_group":"typical_operating"},{"key":"mAs","display_name":"Screen Current","value":"9","numeric_value":"9","unit":"mA","param_group":"typical_operating"},{"key":"ra","display_name":"Anode Resistance","value":"25000","numeric_value":"25000","unit":"Ω","param_group":"typical_operating"},{"key":"gm","display_name":"Transconductance","value":"6.0","numeric_value":"6","unit":"mA/V","param_group":"typical_operating"},{"key":"Pout","display_name":"Output Power","value":"5.4","numeric_value":"5.4","unit":"W","param_group":"output"},{"key":"rl","display_name":"Load Impedance","value":"2500","numeric_value":"2500","unit":"Ω","param_group":"output"},{"key":"Cgp","display_name":"Grid-to-Plate Capacitance","value":"1.0","numeric_value":"1","unit":"pF","param_group":"capacitances"},{"key":"Cin","display_name":"Input Capacitance","value":"11","numeric_value":"11","unit":"pF","param_group":"capacitances"},{"key":"Cout","display_name":"Output Capacitance","value":"8.2","numeric_value":"8.2","unit":"pF","param_group":"capacitances"}]},{"section_number":2,"section_label":"Triode Strapped","tube_type_key":"power_triode","specs":[{"key":"Va_max","display_name":"Anode Voltage (max)","value":"300","numeric_value":"300","unit":"V","param_group":"absolute_max"},{"key":"Pa_max","display_name":"Anode Dissipation (max)","value":"15","numeric_value":"15","unit":"W","param_group":"absolute_max"},{"key":"Va","display_name":"Anode Voltage (typical)","value":"300","numeric_value":"300","unit":"V","param_group":"typical_operating"},{"key":"mAa","display_name":"Anode Current","value":"42","numeric_value":"42","unit":"mA","param_group":"typical_operating"},{"key":"ra","display_name":"Anode Resistance","value":"1700","numeric_value":"1700","unit":"Ω","param_group":"typical_operating"},{"key":"gm","display_name":"Transconductance","value":"4.7","numeric_value":"4.7","unit":"mA/V","param_group":"typical_operating"},{"key":"mu","display_name":"Amplification Factor (μ)","value":"8","numeric_value":"8","unit":"—","param_group":"typical_operating"}]}],"synced_at":"2026-04-07T12:27:04.118Z"}