Making our own valves (Tubes for the Non-English-Speaking Yanks)
 

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)?

If you'd like some beryllium oxide to get you started please let me know..

Steve H
"Airy R. Bean" wrote in message
...
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)?

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


Don't worry transistors are just a passing phase........

If you are serious, you might wanna snag-up all the tube mfg. equipment
going for cheap-cheap in Russia and China, before New-Sensor does.

--
Gregg t3h g33k
"Ratings are for transistors....tubes have guidelines"
http://geek.scorpiorising.ca

There is a bloke in London who makes his own design of valves in his shed.

I've seen him making them. Amazing!

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.

Expensive yes. Rare - not so - just 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.

Sounds good to me.

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?

Well - there could be a market in this - though would the 'tooling up'
be more of an outlay than you would reap back?

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)?

Was there any need to mention 'CBer' in this posting? Totally uneeded
and unrelated.

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)?



Why stop there? Why not make your own capacitors, resistors, crystals
etc. If you replace the valves (tubes) in your old TX with your shiny
new "home made" ones, what happens when some other component fails? Do
you pop down to your local electronics supplier (shop)and buy one of the
shelf, Just like a CBer? Or will you make your own?

Anyway as far as I can see you couldn't make a "bloody mess" without
buggering it up!

A *Real Radio Ham* would make his own Universe.

Cheers,

Micky

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)?




Maybe you would like to buy my wire. I have one spool of wire marked
"Grid Wire" and another
of Tungsten (filament wire ?). I picked them up from surplus and don't
know who threw them out.

Bill K7NOM

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.

================================

A rather dramatic statement!

Google will be with us for ever.

"Bill Janssen" wrote in message
...

Maybe you would like to buy my wire. I have one spool of wire marked
"Grid Wire" and another
of Tungsten (filament wire ?). I picked them up from surplus and don't
know who threw them out.


Unfortunately for Mr Bean, I'm almost certain, Social Security would not
wish to pay for them.

Regards
tox