So there's a big party in Odessa, where my wife's side of the family is from. It should start here around midnight CST, which is 8:00am there. The crowd that gathers will be partially shown on this website.

Check it out to see all their fun!

www.ParhamData.com/Deribasovskaya.htm

Privet Odessa!

P.S. To Alex - Get us all some prices for those Svetlana 300B's and 2A3's as soon as possible. I think some forum members might be interested. If you don't post this information soon, I will put the picture of you eating hot dogs on this page and you will be very embarrassed. Lublu, tvoi brat.

I can get Svetlana 300B tubes for $95 (new), or matched pairs for $160 (matched within +/-3mA), $150 (matched within +/- 5mA) or $140 (+/- 10mA).

Tubes was made after November 2000.

You also have to pay shipping from Odessa, Ukraine.

The tubes SV300B SE will be available in the end of April. Soon I'll let you know all necessary info about them.

My e-mail: kvashnin@paco.net
I'll gladly answer any your question.

Alex Kvashnin

Are you going to Humorina today? I've been watching everyone there. If you do, better take your "50 kopecks."

Opera Audio uses Valve Art nickel plate 300B made in China as stock in their 300B amplifiers, due to its good price/performance ratio. However there are customers who want better 300Bs but find their choice is kind of limited inside China. I can check with them if they would like to try out the Svetlana 300B. FYI, Opera Audio is the single biggest customer of Sovtek in China but it seems to me Svetlana has a good reputation on 300B in particular. May be I should email Alex. On the other hand, we can supply VV300B with curve trace matching results too. My good friend bcherry has a nice outlet www.diyhifisupply.com

Cheers,
Stanley

What prompted this post from Alex is the large number of high quality tube owners - yourself included - that are participants in this forum. Many of those that own, or are currently building or purchasing Pi Speakers are also tube amp enthusiasts.

I've been in Odessa several times. My brother in law, Alex, and I usually spend most of the time together going places and doing things. Last time I was there, I felt that we should build an electronic ignition system for cars - because many of the people there have cars that still use contact breaker points. So we went to find a 15 amp, 250 volt transistor with gain in excess of 50. That's a perfect output device for a car's spark transformer coil, and the only expensive part in my ignition system's design.

This kind of part in America costs about $15.00 in single unit quantities, and it was less than $5.00 in Odessa. So we built the ignitors for a fraction of what they cost to build in America.

Since I knew that high quality tubes are also expensive, I suggested that Alex look for specific tubes in Odessa - just as we had for the ignition system's transistor. He's a radio man, and so he's as familiar with this stuff as we are, and he has found the best Russian brand - Svetlana. I've given him a couple of tubes to start with - the 300B and the 2A3.

I'm hoping that he will be able to get tubes there at a good price, and then everyone is happy. I also suggest that he be given a list of other popular tubes to find, so he can find information about price and availability for those devices as well.

Thanks for your reply, Stan. This may be good news for Alex, and I'm hoping that it is mutually good news for you, your customers and friends, and others on this forum as well.

Cheers,
Stanley

Welcome to Odessa! I'm sure, it'll be very interesting for you. This is the
multinational city, so you'll have opportunity to meet Ukrainian, Russian,
Jewish and other cultures being in the Pearl of The Black Sea, Odessa. By
the way, driving Volga here you'll be back to the early 80's.

So guys, come and visit me in Odessa! Summer time is the best time here!

Best wishes,

Alex