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The RG1-240A is a high voltage half wave rectifier. To deliver DC power to medium sized equipment, several would be operated together. Maybe six on a three phase supply.

Mercury vapour rectifiers of the GU1 class were introduced in the mid-1930s but, despite filling a real need, they became unpopular because they were troublesome in service. The RG1-240 was introduced in 1938 and the A variant some time later.

It took valve designers an amazingly long time to learn that the oxide-coated filament had to be shielded from the anode, that the anode-shield gap needed to be uniform and smoothly profiled, and that use of a thermal delay switch (e.g. DLS10) was essential. The RG1-240A is a later rectifier exemplifying these features. It was successful and widely used. Exhibit NU8 (equal to RG1-125) exemplifies an earlier, much less successful design which the Navy nevertheless went on using for years.

The maximum reservoir capacitor had to be limited to 5 µF.

The classic envelope is 44 mm in diameter and, excluding the B4 base pins, is 117 mm tall.

References: Data-sheet, ¹⁰⁴⁰ & ¹⁰⁴³. Type RG1-240A was first introduced in 1938. See also 1938 adverts.

Pin Connections

Absolute Maximum Operating Conditions^¶

PDF scanned from an original document held by the museum