Q. I am seeing a blue glow inside my WE300B. Is this bad or a feature?

A. A blue glow may appear in the dome of the WE300B just below the upper mica and the top edge of the plate. The space between the plate and glass is small at this point (less than 1/8 in.) and appears to be the only area of the tube where this phenomenon takes place. The glow is caused by the electrons striking the plate, volatizing the surface, and dislodging atoms of nickel. High speed barium-strontium electrons from the filament collide with the atom, tearing off electrons, ionizing them and causing a deep blue color even in a well evacuated tube. The glow is a function of the plate voltage and the number of gas molecules in the envelope. In a good vacuum there are still billions of molecules. The electrons do not cause trouble because they all return to the positively charged plate. The size of the glow also varies with plate voltage and is not the same for each tube: it can vary from not discernable to very obvious even in daylight. It does not affect tube performance as can be shown by observing the characteristic curves during tube operation.

Dangerous levels of gas will ionize throughout the entire bulb from a high voltage spark. It is pink in color and will cause variations in plate current. Air in the tube will ionize in a similar manner i.e. throughout the entire bulb, but will be more blue than pink. It will oxidize the filament and cause the emission to drop dramatically.

Q.The WE300B has a center tapped filament that your competitors do not have. Why use the center tapped filament?

A. To prevent electrolysis and to balance

Q.Is the WE300B 100% American made?

A. The WE300B is manufactured in Huntsville, AL and is manufactured with 100% American made materials and components.

Q.What is the useful life expectancy of the WE300B?

A. The WE300B is rated for an average life expectancy of 40,000 hours when operated within published specifications. As far as we know, no other 300B tube available comes close to this life expectancy.

Q.How does the WE300B compare with other manufacturers’ 300B products?

A. We do not publish comparisons of our products against other manufacturers. For information of this nature we would refer you to product reviews in audiophile magazines such as:

Stereophile, January 1997

Glass Audio, January 1998

V&T News, September 1997

MJ Magazine,

Stereo Sound,

Q.What, if any, are the differences between the newly manufactured WE300B and the new old stock WE300B manufactured many years ago?

A. The WE300B tubes manufactured today are able to take advantage of manufacturing materials that are of a higher quality than were available in the past. The current tube enjoys a vacuum that is at least two decades lower (2x10**-6) Torr than previous runs, resulting in longer life. Although the tube is newly produced, the filament core material is from the original WE inventory derived from a 1963 melt.

Q.What is the warranty on the WE300B?

A. End Users receive a 90 day warranty on each tube. This will be extended to 1 year from date of purchase if the warranty card is filled out and returned within 10 days of original purchase. As of August 1998, Western Electric Export Corporation now offers a 5 year limited warranty on the WE300B tube.