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346C

Western Electric three-electrode inert-gas cold-cathode tube for relay, rectifier, and voltage-regulator or control service without requiring a filament supply.

Directly heatedCold cathodeCommon cathodeDissimilar

Sections: 1
Base: -
Socket code: UX4
Base pins: -
Nominal heater: -

Description

Western Electric 346C is a three-electrode cold-cathode gas-filled tube for relay, rectifier and voltage-regulator/control service.

Socket description

Medium-shell UX 4-contact

General specifications

Tube and section characteristics

Properties common to every published source and operating point.

Heater and base

Base: -
Socket code: UX4
Base pins: -
Nominal heater voltage: -
Nominal heater current: -
Parallel heater voltage: -
Parallel heater current: -
Series capable: No

Terminal pinout

Electrical assignments shared by every tube using this base designation.

No verified pinout is recorded for this base designation.

Section ratings

1 physical section, each with unique specifications.

Section 1

Rectifier

X-ray radiationInterelectrode capacitances

Max cathode current: 35 mA
Regulator voltage: 60 V
Regulator starting voltage: 70 V
Regulator maintaining voltage: 60 V

Cold-cathode main/starter-gap device; regulator fields reflect the published starter/control-gap breakdown and sustaining values.

Source-dependent data

Operating conditions by source

Each block preserves the test conditions and published values from one reference. Values from different sources are intentionally kept separate.

Data set 01

2026 Western Electric 300s

Published operating points and test conditions from this source.

SECTION 1

Rectifier

Other

Maximum forward peak cathode current
100 mA
Maximum average cathode current
35 mA
Maximum inverse peak anode current
5 mA

Characteristic

Main-gap sustaining voltage
80 V
Control/starter-gap breakdown voltage
70 V
Control/starter-gap sustaining voltage
60 V

Construction

Radioactive krypton-85 content maximum
5 microcurie
By-product radioactive material; source states no special care in normal use