Airy R. Bean wrote:
As time passes, valves of the sort and size that we use in our TX's
are becoming increasingly rare and expensive.

snipo
Armed with such a body of knowledge, could we Radio Hams, as a body
of
technically-motivated and technically-inspired aficionados, then
consider
manufacturing our own?


You really are a prize fool. The invention of the Thermionic Vacuum
Valve (tube) held up the development of transisters by around 20 years.
They were **** in the 30's and are still **** today. Just think what we
could be doing now, 20 years further down Moores Law curve.
You are living in the past Bean.
- a32ws

It was my understanding that some of the tubes from Russia were in fact
made by hand. I would like to know how you progress in this.
In regards to a previous negative comment, what compels someone to
write a derogatory comment about someone for their technical ideas? In
the Xtals crystals society there is a book on building a crystal set
from scratch, headphones and all without purchasing any built
electronic parts. More power to people who do it!!!

Airy R. Bean wrote:
As time passes, valves of the sort and size that we use in our TX's
are becoming increasingly rare and expensive.

There is nearly a century of folklore and industrial craft in
producing
valves and overcoming problems thereto, and it seems to me that now
is the
time to gather together this expertise before all the associated
craftsmen
and industrialists go to the grave and their knowledge becomes lost
forever.

Armed with such a body of knowledge, could we Radio Hams, as a body
of
technically-motivated and technically-inspired aficionados, then
consider
manufacturing our own?

Is it not, after all, our pride in such technical activity that sets
us
apart from
the CBer who buys all his gear from a shop (and even sends it back
their
if ever it needs repair)?

m005kennedy wrote:
It was my understanding that some of the tubes from Russia were in fact
made by hand.

You may have given too much credence to rumours about tubes like the
GS35 (photo on my website).

The anode cooler only *looks* like it was made by some be-whiskered
traditional Russian coppersmith, on a side bench in People's Samovar
Factory No 23. The grid only *looks* like it was hand-knitted by his
wife.

The latter is definitely not true. It's made from a tea strainer.


--
73 from Ian G3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek