The Death of Tubes?


As you may or may not already know, incandescent light bulbs are banned after January 1 and, as I understand it, after then and after existing stock on store shelves are gone, there will be no more (at least of most watt ratings). The trouble being that all tubes are considered incandescent bulbs. I don't know how much longer after that it will be before even imported tubes are banned (or even if), but, presumably, all brand-new, domestic tubes, at the very least, will be banned from sale in the U.S after Jan. 1. If you are considering buying any such tubes, right now may be your last shot through your regular sources anyway, so stock up. I'm supposing that as available supplies begin to dry up, well, you know what will happen to their prices... But, we should all be made aware of the way things, at this point, seem to be shaping up. (I know, merry Christmas and a happy new year, right?).
128x128ivan_nosnibor
Audio tubes are not considered light bulbs as far as I know.
If they were part of the ban then anything under 40 watts
would still be ok.

I have seen nothing online that mentions audio tubes in the
ban. The reason for the ban is to force people to use more
efficient bulbs. In the case of audio tubes there are no
other alternative bulbs to use. It would not make sense to
ban the tubes themselves.

If tube based equipment was more popular I could see them
trying to ban it, but it is just a blip on the radar, and
not worth their time to worry about.
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I wonder if it is possible to design and manufacture florescent audio tubes.
"the light bulb conspiracy"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfzQzGNYaiU

It is a little long but interesting.
Will they be offering audio tubes in helical shapes like those energy saving light bulbs?
There is a workaround. These guys figured out how to stay within the guidelines, and still make bulbs.

http://www.newcandescent.com/store/customer/
Thanks everybody, good replies all. I will be keeping an eye on it in the future from time to time, but hopefully it won't be impacting us directly...
The light bulb regulations don't include tubes. No effort is underway, at least seriously, to regulate tubes.
Rumors of the "Death of Tubes" are exaggerated, to paraphrase Mark Twain.
Yes, Lewm to the contrary, thanks to old world places like the former USSR, Yugoslavia, China etc..new tubes are being born every day:

https://www.google.com/search?q=tungsol+kt+150&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=S4e8UralJM77oATW1IHwAQ&ved=0CD4QsAQ&biw=1280&bih=682
Yep, their commin',
gonna get your bulbs, tubes and tube of toothpaste.
The future is a vast wasteland void of light, music and filled with rampant tooth decay.
There is a new tube factory startup in Nevada! They were showing off their new 6L6 at THE Show (2014) right across the hall from us. They are called RCH Labs.
I doubt it.

Not a good sign in general if true.

Don't know one way or the other, but I doubt it.