[ARC5] Magnetron/Klystron 1936-40

Tom Dawson wb3akd at earthlink.net
Sat Nov 16 07:06:16 EST 2013


MIT Rad Lab series Volume 6 puts early magnetrons at about 1921, with the 
type used for microwave pulse radar being developed in 1939 in the UK.


https://www.jlab.org/ir/MITSeries.html


regards,

Tom
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Leslie Smith" <vk2bcu at operamail.com>
To: "ARC-5 List" <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2013 3:18 AM
Subject: [ARC5] Magnetron/Klystron 1936-40


>  G'day list.
>  This is interesting.  I remember a cover picture on the front page of
>  Electronics Australia when I was in high school.
>  (That was 457 BC, not BC-457)
>  An article in the magazine featured the Varian brothers, and stated
>  they developed the Klystron on a budget of $100, but this is an
>  approximation.
>  They were given a room to work in and a budget for materials of $100
>  in exchange for 1/2 the royalties on the Klystron.
>  They did this work between '36 and 39.
>
>  In contrast, the magnetron was developed in Manchester (or Birmingham)
>  I forget which in 1940.  The Brits got more power from their unit, and
>  their work assisted the US RADAR development a good deal.
> Cleeton got his PhD in the mid-30s, and he worked at about 1cm so ...
> this must be around 30GHz.  I'd take 24GHz as "close".
> Whatever he used - it swept the GHz region where ammonium absorbed.
> God only knows how they measured what they were doing at that
> frequency, back then.  Amazing!
> Anyway, Cleeton/Williams must have had more than an acorn 955 in their
> pocket.
>
>  What do other list readers know?
>  This is interesting.
>
>  73 de Les Smith
>  vk2bcu at operamail.com
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Nov 16, 2013, at 12:49, Geoff wrote:
>> I thought the Brits and MIT Rad Lab developed the magnetron during WW2.
>>
>> Carl
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Tom Dawson" <wb3akd at earthlink.net>
>> To: "David Stinson" <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>; "ARC-5 List"
>> <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Friday, November 15, 2013 2:50 PM
>> Subject: Re: [ARC5] 77 GHZ
>>
>>
>> >I think the prize goes to Cleeton and Williams at U Mich in the early 
>> >'30's
>> >for discovering the absorption spectra of Ammonia at 24 (I think)  GHz.
>> >
>> > Used Western Electric Magnetrons as models and scaled them down in size 
>> > to
>> > the desired frequency to generate the RF.
>> >
>> > Polished brass parabolic mirrors on transmit and receive, selenium rod 
>> > as
>> > a detector.
>> >
>> > Wavelength measured with metal diffration gratings.
>> >
>> > Ammonia at 1 ATM in a rubberized canvas bag, they observed absorption 
>> > of
>> > the microwave energy.
>> >
>> > The idea came from their consideration that if quantumtheory was true,
>> > then there ought to be an absorption line at 24 GHz or so, and they 
>> > found
>> > it. Opened up the field of microwave spectroscopy, as far as I know.
>> >
>> > Pretty durn neat for the time.
>> >
>> > 73
>> >
>> > Tom
>> > ----- Original Message ----- 
>> > From: "David Stinson" <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>
>> > To: "ARC-5 List" <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
>> > Sent: Friday, November 15, 2013 1:40 PM
>> > Subject: Re: [ARC5] 77 GHZ
>> >
>> >
>> >> Similar surprise:
>> >> I have an Aircraft Radio Corporation 1945 catalog, flogging their 
>> >> surplus
>> >> parts from cancelled contracts at the end of WWII.
>> >> All kinds of Command Set parts being offered.
>> >>
>> >> But they were also offering feedlines, cavities
>> >> and other "plumbing" for 21 GHZ.
>> >> Who knew anyone was "plumbing" 21 GHZ in 1945?
>> >> ______________________________________________________________
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