| RCA 5583 Photocell Tube | |
| Written by AnubisTTP on 2021-10-07 |
|
The RCA 5583 is a small, common, gas-filled phototube with a curved side-viewing photocathode. This tube has a spectral response of S-4, with a peak sensitivity falling at around 400 nanometers. This tube has a 'pewee 3-pin' phenolic base similar to that used on many other photocells, though only two of the pins are connected internally. The tube produces a purple discharge under the influence of an ionizing field, and is likely filled with argon gas. The RCA 5583 has a maximum anode voltage of 100 volts. Tubes like this were commonly used in the sound-reproducing sections of film movie projectors, which stored sound data as an optically visible band on a strip of film.
RCA 5583 photocell tube.
The 5583 is a common device, and unused surplus tubes are readily available.
Return to Detection & Imaging Tubes
