6CW5
6CW5 is also designated EL86. Completed sales put the typical price at $14.15 per tube.
The 6CW5 is a power-amplifier pentode designed for use in the audio-frequency power-output stage of television and radio receivers and in high-fidelity amplifiers. It has a coated unipotential cathode and a T-6½ glass envelope with an E9-1 small button 9-pin base.
Construction
The tube has a maximum diameter of 31 inches and a maximum over-all length of 31 inches. The heater requires 6.3 volts AC or DC at 0.76 amperes. Pin assignments are as follows: pin 1, internal connection; pin 2, grid number 1; pin 3, cathode and grid number 3 (suppressor); pins 4 and 5, heater; pin 6, internal connection; pin 7, plate; pin 8, internal connection; pin 9, grid number 2 (screen).
Ratings and Characteristics
The 6CW5 has a grid number 1 to plate capacitance of 0.6 pf. Direct interelectrode capacitances are given as: grid number 1 to all, 13 pf; plate to all, 7 pf; plate to grid number 1, less than 0.1 pf; control grid to heater, less than 0.2 pf. At a plate voltage of 170 volts, screen voltage of 170 volts, and grid number 1 voltage of -12.5 volts, the plate current is 70 milliamperes and the screen current is 5.0 milliamperes. Under these conditions, the plate resistance is approximately 23000 ohms, the transconductance is 10000 micromhos, and the amplification factor (mu g2/g1) is 8. The internal resistance is 23 kilohms.
Maximum ratings include a plate dissipation of 12 watts, a screen dissipation of 1.75 watts, a peak screen dissipation of 6.0 watts, a DC cathode current of 100 milliamperes, and a grid number 1 circuit resistance of 1.0 megohm with cathode bias. The maximum heater-cathode voltage is 100 volts DC component, with a maximum total DC and peak heater-cathode voltage of 300 volts. The maximum DC component of heater negative with respect to cathode is 100 volts. The maximum signal power output is 5.6 watts.
The General Electric Company datasheet ET-T3021 gives the 6CW5 specifications.
| Designation | Evidence | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| EL86 | 59 independent documents | confirmed |
Equivalence is asserted only where the archive's own literature states it directly, in at least 40 separate documents. Tubes that merely substitute in some circuits are not listed here.
| Measure | Per tube |
|---|---|
| Median | $14.15 |
| Typical range (25th–75th) | $9.99 – $18.45 |
| Most sales (10th–90th) | $6.67 – $40.71 |
| Extremes incl. outliers | $2.59 – $58.39 |
| Completed sales | 28 |
| Brand | Median | Range | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| GE | $10.75 | $10.75 – $10.88 | 5 |
| Amperex | $13.04 | $12.09 – $15.96 | 4 |
| Telefunken | $17.48 | $16.50 – $53.81 | 4 |
| Sylvania | $9.70 | $6.67 – $18.29 | 3 |
| RCA | $3.00 | $2.59 – $11.55 | 3 |
| Condition | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| NOS | $16.30 | 21 |
| used | $9.99 | 7 |
Per-tube prices from completed sales, 2026-07-08 to 2026-09-20. Matched pairs and quads are divided out. See the price index for how these move over time.
Original manufacturer datasheets for 6CW5, hosted by Frank Philipse's Electron Tube Data sheets.
| Manufacturer | Designation | Datasheet |
|---|---|---|
| General Electric | 6CW5 | PDF (313 KB) |
| Tung-Sol | 6CW5 | PDF (301 KB) |
| RCA (HB3) | 6CW5 | PDF (74 KB) |
| Tesla | EL86 | PDF (2141 KB) |
| Philips | EL86 | PDF (982 KB) |
| La Radiotechnique | EL86 | PDF (321 KB) |
| Philips | EL86 | PDF (253 KB) |
| Mullard | EL86 | PDF (82 KB) |
Documents held here and used to write this page.
- **6CW5**
- MINISTERSTVO PŘESNÉHO STROJÍRENSTVÍ (filed under EL86)