[Boatanchors] OT (sorta) - long - Vacuum tubes were the 4th largest US export in 2011!!??

[Bry Carling]

Good point, Chris... is any company in the USA even manufacturing vacuum tubes any 
more? 
The last one I heard of was EIMAC/VARIAN. Perhaps they are still exporting large RF  
broadcasting type power tubes for the powerful SW stations like WYFR, Radio Netherlands 
and Moscow? 

I remember those ads years ago in QST with a picture of a baby in a diaper (nappy) sitting  
next to a gigantic power tube with ceramic body and metal contact rings by EIMAC VARIAN.  
The tube was far bigger than the baby.

> "Vacuum Tubes" were also in the top five exports in 2010, 2009,
> 2008,
> 2007
> and 2006! 
> 
> To those of you who know something about current vacuum tube
> manufacturing,
> could you please enlighten me as to what it is, exactly, that we
> are
> exporting that are called "Vacuum Tubes"?
> 
> Thanks,
> Chris
> W7JPG