Tube Dreams

[Chris Trask]

On Sat, 3 Jan 1998, Gary Pewitt wrote:

> Anyone ever speculate about how tubes might have developed if
> transistors had never been invented?  I am sure the trend toward
> smaller lower voltage receiving tubes would have continued.
> Cold cathode tubes would have drawn less current, produced less
> heat, and lasted much longer. The Compactron tubes suggest a movement
> in the direction of multiple circuits in a single enclosure.
>

        Myself, I would like to see the details about what the USSR was
up to in tube development.  They relied primarily on tubes for their
aircraft communications for GCI (Ground-Controlled Intercept).  Not
that they were backwards technologically, but tubes will survive a
nuclear theater and EMP discharge giving them a difinitive edge at the
outbreak of hostilities.  Not that this is a factor anymore, thank God.

     ,----------------------.       Circuit Design for the
    /    What's all this     \            RF Impaired
   / extinct stuff, anyhow?  /
   \  _______,--------------'        Chris Trask / N7ZWY
  _ |/                               Principal Engineer
 oo\                                 ATG Design Services
(__)\       _                          P.O. Box 25240
  \  \    .'  `.                  Tempe, Arizona 85285-5240
   \  \  /      \
    \  '"        \                     Technical Editor,
     .       (  ) \                      QRP Quarterly
      '-| )__| :.  \                     QRP ARCI 9464
        | |  | | \  '.
       c__; c__;  '-..'>.__      Email:  ctrask at primenet.com
                               http://www.primenet.com/~ctrask

                    Graphics by Loek Frederiks

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