"From Fleming to Fetrons"

 2004 - TCA's Sixth Year
When you join the TCA you automatically get the current year's back issues! If you have questions, please contact TCA's editor, Lud Sibley: tubelore@jeffnet.org.

Volume 6, Number 1 - February, 2004
 
  • The Elusive 205FA
    How this tube differs from the standard Western Electric 205F.
  • Odd Cathode Ray Tubes
    Long, short, thin, tall - pre-digital age design made for some interesting CRTs.
  • The Tune-A-Lite.
    A comprehensive review of the different US and European types of this neon indicator tube.
    •  
    On The Cover: An RCA labs thingamabob!
    Volume 6, Number 2 - April, 2004
     
    • Westinghouse Developments Leading to the WD-11
      A detailed historical report with MANY photographs documenting the development of this early dry cell tube.
  • Packing Those Big Ones
    How best to ship big glass tubes.
    • A History of General Electronics
      A history of this interesting east coast transmitting tube manufacturer.
    • The 6AX5 "Gammatron" Amplifier/Oscillator
      A project using a modern TV rectifier as a gridless amplifier.
    • Big Blue Tubes - IBM Part Numbers vs Industry Identifiers
      A compilation to help identify tubes with just the IBM part number on them.
     
    On The Cover: An early labeled Westinghouse WD-11.
    Volume 6, Number 3 - June, 2004
     
    • The 6324
      The commutator tube as developed by National Union.
  • A Remarkable Tube Cache
    Photos and descriptions of a remakable grouping of early tubes.
    • The VT-127A
      A decription of the hitory, uses, and manufacturers of this tube radar tube.
    • Western Electric Ballast Lamps and More on Resistance Lamps
      more information on these tubes first discussed in the December 2003 issue.
    • The Milkotron - Another Looks
      Aditional information on this unique deForest promotional item.
     
    On The Cover: The National Union 6324 commutator tube.
    Volume 6, Number 4 - August, 2004
     
    • Eimac Introduces the 4-125A
      From a 1945 technical report.
  • Notes on Clay Murdocks Trip to New York
    Clay Murdock of Eimac went to the IRE meeting in New York in January 1945 to present the 4-125. These are his notes showing interactions and reactions.
    • Additional notes on Clay Murdocks Trip to New York
      More details giving an insiders view of the industry.
    • Western Electric Broadcast Gear
      Who was using it and where.
    • Anton and Amperex
      The histories of several tube companies are revealed by the resume of Nicholas Anton.
     
    On The Cover: The Eimac X272 developmental tetrode of 1944
    Volume 6, Number 5 - October, 2004
     
    • The Strange World of Memory Tubes
      A discussion of early memory storage tubes, from Williams types to the selectron, radechons, graphecons, and their ilk.
  • More on the Selectron
    More information on RCA's entry in the computer memory tube market.
    • British Valve Nomenclature - Ferranti
      A short history of this British valve maker.
    • Orphan Tube Meets Discarded Power Supply - Regeneration Occurs
      A cheap tube used in televitions and a computer power supply team up to form a regenerative radio.
    • More on the Long-Ignored Compactron
      A continuation of information first presented in the December 2002 issue with information on some sweep/damper combinations.
     
    On The Cover: British Post Office Amplifying Valve No. 1
    Volume 6, Number 6 - December, 2004
    • The George C. Clark Tube
      The history of this unusual and early tube as discovered by Bill Condon.
  • The Armor AC-100 Tube
    The story of an early AC tube designed by Benjamin Miessner.
    • "Tubes" That Weren't
      A listing of photocunductors and photocells that were assigned 4 digit industrial tube numbers.
    • British Valve Nomenclature - Ever Ready
      A short history of this British valve maker.
    • Sweep Tubes in "Really Early" TV Sets
      Answers the question of which tubes did the job before the introduction of the 6BG6G.
    • Those 12-Volt Car Tubes
      An examination of the types specifically designed to operate with 12 volts on their plates.
    • July, 1937 (Invention of the Klyston)
      The invention of the klystron as told by its inventor, Russel Varian.
    • RCA Fixes 6BQ6 Quality
      An internal RCA memo shows how a major quality issue was tackled.
    • Johnsonburg Radio Corporation
      A short history of this not-so-minor independent tube manufacturer.
    On The Cover: An example of the George C. Clark tube
    Special Publication No. 7 - Summer 2004
    AWA Tube Collector Group Fact Sheets, Volumes 1-6
    Between 1976 and 1981, this group put out 21 newsletters on early tubes. With the help of AWA, these have been reissued in a single book. Some
    tubes in this volume are documented nowhere else.
     
     
    Special Publication No. 8 - December 2004
    Vacuum Tubes in Telephone Work
    This is a reprint of a 1929 Western Electric pamphlet. It gives a short history of vacuum tubes, and describes the operation and use of three of their most popular tubes: the 101D, 102D, and 104D. It even has a quiz at the end to ensure that the reader understood the important points of the pamphlet.