Thought for the day: Entropy ain't what it used to be.
[THEME: Amateur radio]
Anybody remember the days of going to the drug store to test the tubes from your ol' television set? Once you found out which ones were bad, you could pick out the proper tubes from the cabinet beneath the tester, buy 'em, and be on your way.
Yep, that was back in the days when VACUUM TUBES were king.
This is just a small representation of vacuum tubes. They actually range in size (and shape) from quite small to very large. For most applications, they've been replaced by solid state components, but many amateur radio operators still have, use, and love their old tube rigs. Vacuum tubes are also still used in some of today's high-quality amplifiers
There's something exciting, and even a little romantic, about the glow of vacuum tubes in an old radio ... and you know what? They can keep ya warm on a cold winter's night, too.
I know some of you are blog-hopping, and don't want to spend long on any one post, but for those of you who have time to linger awhile, here are two videos you might enjoy. It shows the amazing process a Frenchman still uses to build vacuum tubes ... by hand!
I never knew about vacuum tubes before, but then again I've been learning about a lot of new things thanks to you! Now if only I could remember a thing or two! Julie
I remember the dreaded words, "The TV blew a tube". That meant it could be weeks, or maybe months till we had television again. If it was an inexpensive tube, the chances were it would be weeks, but if the big one went, meaning the picture tube, we would have to go back to listening to radio.
I was one of the final group of students who studied vacuum tubes in our Electronics course. The subject was eventually dropped from the curriculum. I really am old!
Udita- Vacuum tubes are still around; you just have to know where to look to find them. (Like at the home of a rock musician or amateur radio operator.)
Cro- Absolutely. Looking at the hands of that craftsman, it's easy to tell he's no spring chicken, and I can't help but wonder if he's passed his craft on to anyone in the younger generation. (sigh) Probably not.
Julie- Really? I'm surprised. I figured the TV and radio at your house (or your grandparents' house) when you were a kid would've run on tubes. (Maybe you just never looked at them?)
Delores- Tubes generally last a long time, but I can understand you not wanting to risk blowing them. You can still find a lot of replacements online, though. (And in our garage.)
Connie- Yeah, there are still some industries that use vacuum tubes, but I didn't realize air traffic control was one of them. Cool.
Lucy- I reckon a lot of the stuff we crammed into our heads in high school has fallen out by now. (If only I knew where to place the stopper...)
Arleen- Except for blowing a picture tube, it was actually easier to get a TV back on the air when it was just a matter of a DIY replacement of a tube or two. Today's sets rely on circuit boards that have to be ordered from the factory (if they're still available) and sometimes it takes weeks to get the sets up and running again.
Mr. C- Absolutely. Vacuum tubes provide awesome audio.
G- Nah, we're not old. It's all these whippersnappers around us who are so darned young ...
Carrie- Really. The various-colored glows from the tubes in an old transmitter or receiver is a sight to behold.
Laura- Thanks for stopping by. I do appreciate it, and will be returning the favor asap. Good luck with the rest of the challenge. (We've almost made it!)
Hi, Susan. I just hopped over from Frances Garrood's blog to see what you were about. Having graduated in electronics in 1973 I'm familiar with the good old valves. They were well on their way out by then for new designs but most of our existing equipment still used them. At least if they were glowing you knew they were probably working. Can't do that with transistors.
There is something alluring about the glow of a vacuum tube. I remember looking into the back of my parents old console TV once and seeing all of the tubes back there. Magical!! :)
Dream it- (I love your screen name.) We still enjoy the tubes around our place. My husband, especially, still enjoys getting onto the AM amateur frequencies, and nothing sounds better on there than the old tubed rigs. Thank you so much for stopping by, dear sir. I'll be happy to return the favor.
DL- Oops, you musta been typing a comment the same time I was. (Talk about magic!) Yes, alluring is a good word to describe the glow of those tubes. Thanks for stopping by. Whew! Almost made it through the whole challenge. You must be too pooped to pop.
Susan, you left a comment on my blog about your hot rod. It sounds awesome. I'm so old, that I actually studied vacuum tube theory and circuit design at a glorified radio and TV repair school back in 1958. The training was good enough for me to land a job as a systems technician for a defense company where I had to teach myself semiconductor theory. From there, I jumped into computers where I spent 45 years as a programmer. Ah, the memories.
DC- Thanks for stopping by. The hot rod really is awesome. I'll probably be posting another picture of it sometime next month. (We're hoping to enter her in a local show.) Very good about learning about vacuum tubes and circuit design, but it must've been more than a glorified repair school if it helped you land a job as a systems tech. Reminds me of how some GA Tech grads refer to it as a "trade school."
Dana- Stick with me, kid. I'm a walking, talking pile of memories. HA! Thanks so much for stopping by and for signing on as a new follower. Welcome aboard!
I don't remember those days but I just read about them in this: http://www.amazon.com/The-Idea-Factory-American-Innovation/dp/1594203288/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335699296&sr=8-1
Which makes me think about 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' and how almost every day we grow dependent on a new technology which we don't understand. I think this is why an engineering mind is one I value so much. I don't have those skills or natural talents but I have a plenty of natural curiosity!
And you're right, there is a certain romance to the glow of vacuum tubes in an old radio. Absolutely.
Suze- You're right. Allowing ourselves to become so dependent on technology that we're unable to function and produce without it is downright stupid and short-sighted. Just try buying something from a fast food restaurant when the computer is down. Most of the people in there are completely lost when it comes to giving change. Take away today's scientific calculators, and how many people can still do the advanced (or even simple) mathematics without it. None of my grandchildren know how to tell time on an analog clock. And on and on. That's one of the things I like about amateur radio. When all else fails, we still have communications via amateur radio.
Suze- The only time our older grandchildren are exposed to analog clocks are when they come to our house. (And then they look at the microwave oven to get the time.) However, a couple of the younger ones are fascinated with my (analog) watch and with numbers in general, so I made them paper plate clocks to play with, so there's still hope for them. (HA!)
Great choice for 'V'! Yes, vacuum tubes are now long gone, my generation never came across it at all!
ReplyDeleteThe ingenuity of mankind; as you correctly say, REMARKABLE!
ReplyDeleteI never knew about vacuum tubes before, but then again I've been learning about a lot of new things thanks to you! Now if only I could remember a thing or two! Julie
ReplyDeleteI still have a tube radio (it works). I try not to use it too often cause I have no idea where I might find replacement tubes.
ReplyDeleteI loved looking in the back of the old TVs when I was a kid. It was romantic and very cool.
ReplyDeleteMy dad says that they still use the tubes in some air traffic control systems.
I remember learning about vacuum tubes in high school physics. Unfortunately, I don't remember what I learned about them.
ReplyDeleteLucy
I remember the dreaded words, "The TV blew a tube". That meant it could be weeks, or maybe months till we had television again. If it was an inexpensive tube, the chances were it would be weeks, but if the big one went, meaning the picture tube, we would have to go back to listening to radio.
ReplyDeleteGood ole 6L6's still make the best guitar sounds possible. And that was back in the day when brogan maintenance actually worked.
ReplyDeleteI was one of the final group of students who studied vacuum tubes in our Electronics course. The subject was eventually dropped from the curriculum. I really am old!
ReplyDeleteOooh, yes. That little tube is most inviting. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteUdita- Vacuum tubes are still around; you just have to know where to look to find them. (Like at the home of a rock musician or amateur radio operator.)
ReplyDeleteCro- Absolutely. Looking at the hands of that craftsman, it's easy to tell he's no spring chicken, and I can't help but wonder if he's passed his craft on to anyone in the younger generation. (sigh) Probably not.
Julie- Really? I'm surprised. I figured the TV and radio at your house (or your grandparents' house) when you were a kid would've run on tubes. (Maybe you just never looked at them?)
Delores- Tubes generally last a long time, but I can understand you not wanting to risk blowing them. You can still find a lot of replacements online, though. (And in our garage.)
Connie- Yeah, there are still some industries that use vacuum tubes, but I didn't realize air traffic control was one of them. Cool.
Lucy- I reckon a lot of the stuff we crammed into our heads in high school has fallen out by now. (If only I knew where to place the stopper...)
Arleen- Except for blowing a picture tube, it was actually easier to get a TV back on the air when it was just a matter of a DIY replacement of a tube or two. Today's sets rely on circuit boards that have to be ordered from the factory (if they're still available) and sometimes it takes weeks to get the sets up and running again.
Mr. C- Absolutely. Vacuum tubes provide awesome audio.
G- Nah, we're not old. It's all these whippersnappers around us who are so darned young ...
Carrie- Really. The various-colored glows from the tubes in an old transmitter or receiver is a sight to behold.
Hello, Susan! This is really interesting. Thanks for sharing! Have a lovely week and happy A to Z!!
ReplyDeleteLaura- Thanks for stopping by. I do appreciate it, and will be returning the favor asap. Good luck with the rest of the challenge. (We've almost made it!)
ReplyDeleteHi, Susan. I just hopped over from Frances Garrood's blog to see what you were about.
ReplyDeleteHaving graduated in electronics in 1973 I'm familiar with the good old valves. They were well on their way out by then for new designs but most of our existing equipment still used them.
At least if they were glowing you knew they were probably working. Can't do that with transistors.
There is something alluring about the glow of a vacuum tube. I remember looking into the back of my parents old console TV once and seeing all of the tubes back there. Magical!! :)
ReplyDeleteDream it- (I love your screen name.) We still enjoy the tubes around our place. My husband, especially, still enjoys getting onto the AM amateur frequencies, and nothing sounds better on there than the old tubed rigs. Thank you so much for stopping by, dear sir. I'll be happy to return the favor.
ReplyDeleteDL- Oops, you musta been typing a comment the same time I was. (Talk about magic!) Yes, alluring is a good word to describe the glow of those tubes. Thanks for stopping by. Whew! Almost made it through the whole challenge. You must be too pooped to pop.
ReplyDeleteSusan, you left a comment on my blog about your hot rod. It sounds awesome. I'm so old, that I actually studied vacuum tube theory and circuit design at a glorified radio and TV repair school back in 1958. The training was good enough for me to land a job as a systems technician for a defense company where I had to teach myself semiconductor theory. From there, I jumped into computers where I spent 45 years as a programmer. Ah, the memories.
ReplyDeleteDC- Thanks for stopping by. The hot rod really is awesome. I'll probably be posting another picture of it sometime next month. (We're hoping to enter her in a local show.) Very good about learning about vacuum tubes and circuit design, but it must've been more than a glorified repair school if it helped you land a job as a systems tech. Reminds me of how some GA Tech grads refer to it as a "trade school."
ReplyDeleteI remember hearing my dad say once that the TV had blown a tube. I hadn't thought about that for years. Thanks for the memory!
ReplyDeleteDana- Stick with me, kid. I'm a walking, talking pile of memories. HA! Thanks so much for stopping by and for signing on as a new follower. Welcome aboard!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember those days but I just read about them in this: http://www.amazon.com/The-Idea-Factory-American-Innovation/dp/1594203288/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335699296&sr=8-1
ReplyDeleteWhich makes me think about 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' and how almost every day we grow dependent on a new technology which we don't understand. I think this is why an engineering mind is one I value so much. I don't have those skills or natural talents but I have a plenty of natural curiosity!
And you're right, there is a certain romance to the glow of vacuum tubes in an old radio. Absolutely.
Suze- You're right. Allowing ourselves to become so dependent on technology that we're unable to function and produce without it is downright stupid and short-sighted. Just try buying something from a fast food restaurant when the computer is down. Most of the people in there are completely lost when it comes to giving change. Take away today's scientific calculators, and how many people can still do the advanced (or even simple) mathematics without it. None of my grandchildren know how to tell time on an analog clock. And on and on. That's one of the things I like about amateur radio. When all else fails, we still have communications via amateur radio.
ReplyDelete'None of my grandchildren know how to tell time on an analog clock.'
ReplyDeleteMay it never be!!
I think this is precisely why amateur radio is so important. Case in point, your K post.
Suze- The only time our older grandchildren are exposed to analog clocks are when they come to our house. (And then they look at the microwave oven to get the time.) However, a couple of the younger ones are fascinated with my (analog) watch and with numbers in general, so I made them paper plate clocks to play with, so there's still hope for them. (HA!)
ReplyDeleteHi Susan .. I'll definitely have to come back and watch the vacuum tubes being made ..
ReplyDeleteand read all the comments - for now .. I'm a whizzing through to clear the decks for the Reflections posts ..
Cheers Hilary
Hilary- I'll have to call you the Whiz Kid, huh?
ReplyDelete