What are the key specifications of the 5902?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 6, transconductance gm ≈ 4.2 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 15.0 kΩ, max plate voltage 165 V, max plate dissipation 3.7 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.45 A.

Is the 5902 still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the 5902 as Moderate availability. NOS (new-old-stock) examples from RCA, Mullard, Tung-Sol, GE, Sylvania and Telefunken trade among collectors; modern production where it exists comes mostly from JJ Electronic, Electro-Harmonix, Tung-Sol (New Sensor), Genalex, and a handful of small-batch makers.

What does the 5902 sound like?

Sylvania subminiature beam-power tetrode for aerospace / missile guidance, 1950s-60s. Flying-lead 8-pin (no socket — leads soldered directly). Small-signal output stage, NOT a preamp tube; NOT equivalent to 6AS6.. Sonic character also depends heavily on the circuit operating point, the surrounding tubes in the stage, and the output transformer when present — use the interactive loadline calculator on this page to explore the trade-offs.

5902 Pentode Vacuum Tube

Q: What is the 5902 vacuum tube?

The 5902 is a pentode vacuum tube designed for power (output) applications. Sylvania subminiature beam-power tetrode for aerospace / missile guidance, 1950s-60s. Flying-lead 8-pin (no socket — leads soldered directly). Small-signal output stage, NOT a preamp tube; NOT equivalent to 6AS6..

Small-signal pentode for low-noise voltage amplification

PentodeHeater 6.3 V · 0.45 A8-pin Submini (flying leads)Sylvania·RCA 1955

Plate dissipation: 3.7W
Max plate voltage: 165V
Amplification factor: 6
Transconductance: 4.2mA/V
Plate resistance: 15kΩ

5902

Characteristics

Datasheet values, once each. Every value cites its sheet.

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of 5902 — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.45 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of 5902 — Limiting values
Plate voltageVa max	165 V
Screen voltageVg2 max	155 V
Plate dissipationPa max	3.7 W
Screen dissipationPg2 max	0.4 W
Cathode currentIk max	50 mA
Grid resistorRg1 max	100 kΩ
Peak plate voltageVao	330 V
Heater–cathode voltageVhk max	200 V

Mechanical

Specifications of 5902 — Mechanical
Base	8-pin Submini (flying leads)
Rarity	Moderate
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of 5902 — Small signal
Transconductance	4.2 mA/V
Plate resistance	15 kΩ
Amplification factor	6

Capacitances

Specifications of 5902 — Capacitances
Input	6.5 pF
Grid–plate	0.2 pF
Output	7.5 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of 5902 — Character
Gain	6%
Power	9%
Drive	85%
Linearity	95%

datasheet cited · model or editorial reading · catalogue value, no citation attached yet · nothing invented

Using this tube

Applications

Voltage amplifier

Generic pentode power (output) stage

Replace or compare

Sources

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026Source : Sylvania 5902 datasheet · Reddit /r/diytubes feedbackActive model : Koren pentode

Manufacturer datasheets

6 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for 59026 verified

Triode-connectedSylvania Electric ProductsFEBRUARY 1957 (Page 1 of 12)

µ: 0.47

5902 DatasheetLocal mirror · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: Sylvania 5902 datasheet · Reddit /r/diytubes feedback
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: Koren pentode

Context

The 5902 is a indirectly-heated pentode from Sylvania·RCA, introduced around 1955. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 6 with 15.0kΩ plate resistance. Commonly used in power (output) applications. Sylvania subminiature beam-power tetrode for aerospace / missile guidance, 1950s-60s. Flying-lead 8-pin (no socket — leads soldered directly). Small-signal output stage, NOT a preamp tube; NOT equivalent to 6AS6.

History

Introduced: 1955
Manufacturer: Sylvania·RCA
Era: Golden Age

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