[R-390] TUBES

[CORYHINE]

I agree.... it would be nice.  If you go to the r390a.com site, there is a
solid state replacement for the 3TF7.... Chuck Rippel says it regulates
better than the old tube.  The inexpensive one goes for $55.....  Not for
the purist, but it beats paying $45 for a tube.  I have one spare 3TF7 that
I bought a number of years ago before we started running out of them.

Good luck on your idea.  I tried some time back to get the Russians to
reproduce the KWM-2A.  They were only interested in how much they could get
up front.  So, while a good idea, the Western mentality has not set in as
yet.  By the way, the Russian 811As I have work just fine in my 30L-1.

As far as receiving tubes go, I think that Art used mostly what was
available at the time.  Many of the tubes floating around back then were
from the production of  TV sets. Every house had one, and they all had a
5U4.  There are still a lot of 5U4s around.  I think there are some
companies that do tube rebuilds, but on the expensive transmitting types.
Could be possible though.......


Cory/N2AQS
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barry Hauser" <barry@hausernet.com>
To: "CORYHINE" <CORYHINE@msn.com>; <R-390@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 3:44 PM
Subject: Re: [R-390] TUBES


> Yup -- and we used to be able to put men on the moon.  Same thing -- went
> out of style <yawn>.  None of the moon rocks were diamonds, etc. so no
> reason to go back, and now it's a lost art.  I pass by the outfit that
made
> the landing module (Grumman) every day.  Big round white tank and lots of
> buildings.  Big tank used to say "Grumman".  Then they changed it to
> "Northrup-Grumman".  Now it's blank.  I think they're going to put a mall
in
> there.  We're good at that still, well mostly.  Roosevelt Field,
Lindbergh's
> takeoff field, was turned into a mall after WWII -- one of the first of
it's
> scale in the world.  Somewhere there's a plaque commemorating the flight.
> Probably not far from the "You are Here" map of the mall.
>
> But think of this.  Once upon a time, there were no tube factories, no
> machining, etc.  But someone hand crafted the first tube.  Ok, some glass
> blowing and a vacuum pump was involved.  Hey, and those guys didn't have a
> Dremel!  Heck, whaddya need, some glass, some pins, some thoriated
tungsten,
> some itty bitty pieces of beryllium copper.  Probably could harvest some
of
> the stuff from old tubes -- especially types that are in good supply but
not
> popular.  What about refurbishing old tubes?  Someone on the list has a
> technique for cleanly opening the glass.  Just go in there and restring,
> recoat the filament, elements, etc.  Use a microlaser to weld stuff --
> borrow one from the radial keratotomy guys ("one eye just $800, two for
> $1500")  Where there's a will there's a way. Maybe the Russian Toob Factry
> would take pity and send a rescue party. ;-)
>
> Actually, if it isn't clear, what I'm trying to do is provoke an extreme
> do-it-yourself fanatic somewhere out there, y'know put a bug in his head,
> push him over the edge.  Gimme a hand ....
>
> Barry
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "CORYHINE" <CORYHINE@msn.com>
> To: <R-390@mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 4:32 PM
> Subject: [R-390] TUBES
>
>
> > The trouble is that at the time these tubes were made, they were under
> contract and the volume and funding was there.  We still had a wartime
> mentality.....  Now, there are a few who would like to get the old tubes,
> but the factories, materials, and people involved are largely gone.  It
> would not be cost effective to reinstate what existed at that time.
Reality
> stinks!
> > N2AQS
> >
> >
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