[Milsurplus] Re: [armyradios] OT: Silicon Valley Radar History

[Rian Robison]

Hi,

I have a little story to add to that making of those tubes....

My uncle (a ham and SK) was older and married with a family so he received state-side duty at that plant and here is some inside info...

1) When they were first trying to make the tubes hold up under firing (shell firing) they would put them in a shell and fire the shell into a nearby hill.  It would be retrieved and the tubes inspected....well the insides of the tubes kept being damaged so changes were ordered after each test.  Now the Army would not leave any people on the assembly line look at the damaged tubes even after repeated requests to do so.  Finally, they were able to see them, suggested a change and presto, they passed the test!

2) Each tube was tested as it came off the line.  They had long thin wire leads and had to be carefully inserted into a testing gig which took time of course.  One of the guys working in testing came up with an idea to make a plastic guide that had tapered holes drilled in it so the wires didn't have to be in perfect alignment for insertion into the test gig which sped up testing time.

3) Women made the best assembly line workers because they were better at standing up to the long hours of the real tiny assembly work required to make these mini tubes.  He told me men just didn't have the patience and wouldn't last long doing it.

4) The tubes visually inspected at various stages of assembly.  This project was so secret that any tube that failed visual or operational testing were thrown into a 55 gallon drum for disposal.  These were the style of drum that had a removable lid held on with a collar type band.  The full drums were taken to an area of the basement under the plant that was dirt under armed guard and buried there.  Now, I keep thinking, if these are still there, what will happen someday if they are dug up during some construction project with all of today's laws?  Would be interesting and I would hope somehow some pieces could be saved for history.

Rian


-----Original Message-----
>From: Gene Smar <ersmar at verizon.net>
>Sent: Jan 15, 2008 4:46 PM
>To: J Forster <jfor at quik.com>, armyradios at yahoogroups.com, Military Surplus net List <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Re: [armyradios] OT: Silicon Valley Radar History
>
>John:
>
>     Count me in.  Thanks.
>
>
>73 de
>Gene Smar  AD3F
>
>
>From: J Forster <jfor at quik.com>
>Date: 2008/01/15 Tue PM 03:44:54 CST
>To: armyradios at yahoogroups.com, 
>	Military Surplus net List <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: [Milsurplus] Re: [armyradios] OT: Silicon Valley Radar History
>
>Hi,
>
>Would anyone be interested in a video of the Raytheon manufacturing line for sub miniature tubes? I have it on DVD and can ask the producer about
>permission to put it up, if there is sufficient interest. It was made in about the late 1950s at their plant in Quincy, Massachusetts and also
>shows the insides of the proximity fuze.
>
>Best,
>-John
>
>
>
>Blair Shaw wrote:
>
>> John
>>
>> Thanks for the Silicon Valley Radar History.
>>
>> I have moved my Thermin book to the front of my
>> library!!
>>
>> Blair VE6AGH
>
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