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

[manualman at juno.com]

I suspect it lumps vacuum tube and semiconductor components all under the
one tag. The tag "Vacuum Tubes" probably has been used by statisticians
who collect this data for decades. Changing it to "Semiconductor Stuff"
probably would make no sense to them when reviewing/comparing past years
rises and declines. HS 8540/8541/8542 probably covers all that's under
the "Vacuum Tube" umbrella. 

Pete, wa2cwa

On Sun, 1 Jan 2012 19:54:44 -0800 "Chris Kepus" <ckepus at comcast.net>
writes:
> Happy New Year to all.
> 
> First, I apologize in advance to others who subscribe to the same 
> multiple
> lists I belong and wonder, "Why in the *^%U&I* does this guy 
> splatter all
> the lists with his OT QRM?"  If you feel this way, please just hit 
> the
> "Delete" key now.
> 
> The reason I am posting this far and wide is because there are many 
> very
> knowledgeable experts in the business of electronics who only post 
> on one of
> the lists to which I subscribe and I want to hear back from you, 
> wherever
> you are, if you know the answer to a question about the subject.
> 
> One of my non-ham friends called me asking, "...you're a ham who 
> told me you
> use vacuum tubes and that new vacuum tubes came from China, Russia, 
> and
> other countries...I thought USA manufacturers of vacuum tubes
> were all dead.....did you know an AP article on top US Exports 
> appearing in
> The Salt Lake Tribune named Vacuum Tubes as the 4th largest US 
> export at
> $37.1 Billion!!! .....how is this possible?"
> 
> Astonished (and very suspicious of a misunderstanding), I Googled 
> and found
> a couple of references to this report as well as the AP article 
> here:
>
http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/sltrib/pages/printerfriendly.csp?id=5
320
> 6814
> 
> All the vintage boatanchor lists I monitor have been quiet on this 
> subject.
> Maybe, I thought, I'm the only ham who doesn't know this "secret".  
> God, I
> hate being ignorant!  
> 
> Another reference to supplement this information is this report: 
> "Best
> Export Markets for U.S. Electronic Components, 2010".  On this 
> website:
> http://static.globaltrade.net/files/pdf/20101216032232.pdf
> 
> This report appears to be a partial source of export information for 
> the
> "vacuum tube" category named: HS 8540: This category is defined as
> including: Thermionic, Cold Cathode or Photocathode Tubes (Vacuum, 
> Vapor  3
> or Gas Filled Tubes, Cathode-Ray Tubes, Television Camera Tubes, 
> etc.).
> 
> "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
> 
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