The Subminature Vacuum Tube: The Cycle of Technology

[adrian]

cool little video:

http://techtv.mit.edu/file/1125/

enjoy

Adrian

[dai h.]

that was REALLY cool. Thanks for the link adrian! I remember reading something that was kind of funny about those VT fuses where somebody on a production line (same ones used for the hearing aid tubes and VT proximity fuses) was wondering why it seemed that so many people needed hearing aids (they weren't told what the tubes were for).

[Jeff West]

Yes, very interesting, especially liked the Raytheon production line and workers.

I'd seen this following one awhile ago, a little good info about the tubes but kind of a downer to watch. Much like the one showing the bombing of Eindhoven.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33RhuzUrx_A

I've got a '40s article about the development of subminiatures for commercial use by Sylvania, if I can find it.

By sheerest coincidence, earlier today in my professional capacity I interviewed a guy who'd been an inspector in a federal munitions plant, part of his job was to monitor fuses on the assembly line with x-ray scanner, because sometimes they'd arm themselves on the line! This could be determined by x-ray. Implemented after they'd had a couple of fatalities.

[BryanL]

I was a production technician at MOV, Gateshead in England in 1955. We made Anti-Aircraft proximity fuse tubes. A triode, a tetrode, and a thyratron. CV122. CV123, CV61. No bigger than your little finger's nail! There are reports that they were fired up to a height of 20,000ft and then tested. As Wilma said in the Flintstones, 1965, why do the guys always bollix things up? True, the first ones were. OK, so where have the f****rs landed? Next to the test rig? get real.

At MOV, we fired them in a steel "bullet" down a 1metre barrel into a Lead disk from a compressed air cylinder. The bullet had to penetrate at least 6mm into the disk. Then the tubes had to test to their original test characteristics within 10%. They all did! Amazing.