16 Feb
2010
16 Feb
'10
1:53 p.m.
Well, maybe not so off topic...
I have two things I'd like to ask about. First, I'll be replacing the
display for my main computer shortly. I'd like to get something larger than
20". I'm thinking an LCD wide format thingy. I'm considering getting a
"flat" television instead of a monitor. Most of them have DVI or VGA
connectors on them. But they also include component inputs, HDMI, and maybe
some other things that can ease connection to classic computers. A
composite RCA is a must. Can anyone suggest a TV model that that's
relatively fast (like < 8ms), and has a high enough resolution that would
also be good for the classic stuff? I'm thinking 1080p would be fine for a
windows desktop.
The next question pertains to console televisions. I'd like to find (much
to my wife's dismay) a console television like the one my parents had back
in the late 70s. I'd like to use it to play old video game consoles from
the 70s and 80s. I believe these were all vacuum tube sets though, is that
correct? Is there a good source for these things (the TVs and the tubes)
today? I imagine people threw them away mostly. If these are difficult to
find and/or maintain, I've considered trying to create a replica console
television from a newer set, maybe even something with an LCD in it. I'd
probably prefer an original though. Then i could invite my mother over and
sit too close to the television for her.
brian
16 Feb
16 Feb
1:58 p.m.
On Feb 16, 2010, at 4:53 PM, Brian Lanning wrote:
The next question pertains to console televisions.
I'd like to
find (much
to my wife's dismay) a console television like the one my parents
had back
in the late 70s. I'd like to use it to play old video game
consoles from
the 70s and 80s. I believe these were all vacuum tube sets though,
is that
correct?
It is absolutely NOT correct...They were tube up until the early
1970s, but were made in solid-state form (except for the CRT of
course) for many years after that. I purchased such a solid-state
console TV, brand new, for a family member around 1992 or so.
Is there a good source for these things (the TVs and
the tubes)
today? I imagine people threw them away mostly.
Pretty much. Check freecycle lists or craigslist until one shows
up. They're not uncommon.
If these are difficult to find and/or maintain,
Not either..
I've considered trying to create a replica
console
television from a newer set, maybe even something with an LCD in
it. I'd
probably prefer an original though. Then i could invite my mother
over and
sit too close to the television for her.
Oh good heavens. ;)
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
4:30 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010, Dave McGuire wrote:
On Feb 16, 2010, at 4:53 PM, Brian Lanning wrote:
Slightly related is the subject of tubes in radios. I get a kick out of
using tube radios. One big problem though is that there is no source of
brand-new tubes anymore. It's all new-old-stock. Tube-amp enthusiasts
have a ready supply of newly-manufactured tubes from a small variety of
eastern European makers, but those are almost entirely unsuitable for
making radios. I really wish some of these makers could be convinced to
make new signal tubes. I like my new-old Philco, but the fact that it
uses loktal tubes gives me an icky feeling when using it. Nobody is
selling AA5 loktal lineups on ebay.
--
David Griffith
dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu
A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?
The next question pertains to console
televisions. I'd like to find (much
to my wife's dismay) a console television like the one my parents had back
in the late 70s. I'd like to use it to play old video game consoles from
the 70s and 80s. I believe these were all vacuum tube sets though, is that
correct?
It is absolutely NOT correct...They were tube up until the early 1970s, but
were made in solid-state form (except for the CRT of course) for many years
after that. I purchased such a solid-state console TV, brand new, for a
family member around 1992 or so. 
4:38 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
?I really wish some of these makers could be convinced
to make new signal
tubes. ?I like my new-old Philco, but the fact that it uses loktal tubes
gives me an icky feeling when using it. ?Nobody is selling AA5 loktal
lineups on ebay.
Mostly because nobody wants them.
--
Will
4:42 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010, William Donzelli wrote:
What are the people with these high-end Tube Amps using for thier AM/FM
radio's? Or are they simply connected to high-end turntables?
Zane
?I really wish
some of these makers could be convinced to make new signal
tubes. ?I like my new-old Philco, but the fact that it uses loktal tubes
gives me an icky feeling when using it. ?Nobody is selling AA5 loktal
lineups on ebay.
Mostly because nobody wants them.
4:45 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
What are the people with these high-end Tube Amps
using for thier AM/FM
radio's? ?Or are they simply connected to high-end turntables?
They generally do not use their tuners, even if they have them. Even
so, 99* percent of the tubes used in AM/FM tuners are common as dirt -
no need for new production.
* Without doing research, name one that fits in the 1 percent -
generally not what you think.
--
Will
17 Feb
17 Feb
10:58 a.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
What are the people with these high-end Tube Amps
using for thier AM/FM
radio's? =A0Or are they simply connected to high-end turntables?
They generally do not use their tuners, even if they have them. Even
so, 99* percent of the tubes used in AM/FM tuners are common as dirt -
no need for new production.
* Without doing research, name one that fits in the 1 percent -
generally not what you think. 
3:34 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-
bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Tony Duell
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:59 AM
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
-
I just saw an article in an electronics magazine about a project with a 'Magic
Eye' tube. Apparently the Chinese are building them. -- Ian
> What are the people with these high-end Tube Amps using for thier
AM/FM
radio's? =A0Or are they simply connected to high-end turntables?
They generally do not use their tuners, even if they have them. Even
so, 99* percent of the tubes used in AM/FM tuners are common as dirt no need for new production.
* Without doing research, name one that fits in the 1 percent -
generally not what you think.
Some of the tuning indicators (Magic Eyes, Eye Tubes) are getting
harder to
find now. Was that beam-=switching pentode ever used in FM Tuners in
the
Ststes (it never was in the UK). It's very hard to find over here.but
that might be a country thing.
-tony
4:02 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On Feb 17, 2010, at 6:34 PM, Ian King wrote:
-
I just saw an article in an electronics magazine about a project
with a 'Magic Eye' tube. Apparently the Chinese are building
them. -- Ian
They're all over eBay..
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
> What are the people with these high-end Tube Amps
using for thier
AM/FM
radio's? =A0Or are they simply connected to high-end turntables?
They generally do not use their tuners, even if they have them. Even
so, 99* percent of the tubes used in AM/FM tuners are common as dirt no need for new production.
* Without doing research, name one that fits in the 1 percent -
generally not what you think.
Some of the tuning indicators (Magic Eyes, Eye Tubes) are getting
harder to
find now. Was that beam-=switching pentode ever used in FM Tuners in
the
Ststes (it never was in the UK). It's very hard to find over here.but
that might be a country thing.
-tony
5:53 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On Wed, 17 Feb 2010, Tony Duell wrote:
Some of the tuning indicators (Magic Eyes, Eye Tubes) are getting harder to
find now. Was that beam-=switching pentode ever used in FM Tuners in the
Ststes (it never was in the UK). It's very hard to find over here.but
that might be a country thing.
I've seen some videos of homebrew magic eyes. Most of them are
rectangular and move linearly rather than round and moving radially.
--
David Griffith
dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu
A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?
What are the people with these high-end Tube Amps
using for thier AM/FM
radio's? =A0Or are they simply connected to high-end turntables?
They generally do not use their tuners, even if they have them. Even
so, 99* percent of the tubes used in AM/FM tuners are common as dirt -
no need for new production.
* Without doing research, name one that fits in the 1 percent -
generally not what you think. 
18 Feb
18 Feb
2:16 a.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On Wed, 17 Feb 2010, Tony Duell wrote:
Some of the tuning indicators (Magic Eyes, Eye Tubes)
are getting harder to
find now. Was that beam-=switching pentode ever used in FM Tuners in the
I was very surprised when I was shown a new (*not* NOS) EM80. They are
currently being produces somewhere in the Eastern block, and they are sold
for 10 EUR here. I'd like to have new EM4, EM34 and UM4 (and more, of
course ;-)
Christian
16 Feb
16 Feb
4:40 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010, David Griffith wrote:
Slightly related is the subject of tubes in radios. I
get a kick out of
using tube radios. One big problem though is that there is no source of
brand-new tubes anymore. It's all new-old-stock. Tube-amp enthusiasts have
a ready supply of newly-manufactured tubes from a small variety of eastern
European makers, but those are almost entirely unsuitable for making radios.
I really wish some of these makers could be convinced to make new signal
tubes. I like my new-old Philco, but the fact that it uses loktal tubes
gives me an icky feeling when using it. Nobody is selling AA5 loktal lineups
on ebay.
I would think that there would be a definite market for such tubes. I know
the feeling you're talking about. I use a Stereo from about 1964 for
listening to the radio and 78's. Though I know where there is a 2nd
identical stereo I might be able to canabilize if needed.
Zane
5:30 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
The number of NOS tubes and good used tubes is quite large.
The cost to reproduce the quality of USA and EU tubes that we knew
through say 1980 would be extremely high, especially given the small demand.
About 15 years ago I had a long discussion with a couple of people who
had been intimately involved with making the good stuff way back when.
They commented that there was a fair amount of folklore involved in the
manufacture. Things not easily captured in the docs.
They also said that some of the component materials for some tubes were
also not being made in the same fashion and that the tube performance
would in their opinion, not be as good.
These two had each spent over 4 decades of their lives making VTs.
------------------
This, in general is very different than semicon mfg. Have not yet heard
about the feel of code executed on bit-slice being crisper than
something running on CMOS; but one never knows.
When I was a beginning HAM, a new small-signal tube cost about $3. A
6146B cost about $6.
Cost of education and cars has risen at least 10X since then. I buy NOS
small signal tubes for about $6 and 6146Ws (best version) for $14. Gear
and components are in general, cheaper at present than when in production.
-----------------
If you cannot find NOS, believe you will find good, tested, used tubes
as good, maybe better than NOS and also better than Soviet or Asian
tubes of later mfg
Consider getting a decent "tube tester" like a B&K, Hickok, AVO, or
TV-2, TV-7. Tells you what you've really got. It also straightforward to
build a good tube tester, as long as you don't need to test every base
ever made.
Most commercial ones are compromises at best.
GL,
Steve
Zane H. Healy wrote:
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010, David Griffith wrote:
Slightly related is the subject of tubes in
radios. I get a kick out
of using tube radios. One big problem though is that there is no
source of brand-new tubes anymore. It's all new-old-stock. Tube-amp
enthusiasts have a ready supply of newly-manufactured tubes from a
small variety of eastern European makers, but those are almost
entirely unsuitable for making radios. I really wish some of these
makers could be convinced to make new signal tubes. I like my
new-old Philco, but the fact that it uses loktal tubes gives me an
icky feeling when using it. Nobody is selling AA5 loktal lineups on
ebay.
I would think that there would be a definite market for such tubes. I
know
the feeling you're talking about. I use a Stereo from about 1964 for
listening to the radio and 78's. Though I know where there is a 2nd
identical stereo I might be able to canabilize if needed.
Zane
5:44 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
Zane H. Healy wrote:
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010, David Griffith wrote:
I run old ham gear, most made not less than 35-40 years ago and I have
very little
trouble finding tubes for them. The fact that they are NOS is not an
issue. Then
again most of the low power tubes are original and just fine. I also
build with tubes
and have a fine collection of miniature 7/9 pin stuff, the sub-mini wire
lead stuff
and a selection of the "hearing aid" (1ad4 and the like) types and a
bunch of
6CW4 and 6DS4 Nuvisters (very mini ceramic metal triodes). I even build
radios
Slightly related is the subject of tubes in
radios. I get a kick out
of using tube radios. One big problem though is that there is no
source of brand-new tubes anymore. It's all new-old-stock. Tube-amp
enthusiasts have a ready supply of newly-manufactured tubes from a
small variety of eastern European makers, but those are almost
entirely unsuitable for making radios. I really wish some of these
makers could be convinced to make new signal tubes. I like my
new-old Philco, but the fact that it uses loktal tubes gives me an
icky feeling when using it. Nobody is selling AA5 loktal lineups on
ebay.
I would think that there would be a definite market for such tubes. I
know
the feeling you're talking about. I use a Stereo from about 1964 for
listening to the radio and 78's. Though I know where there is a 2nd
identical stereo I might be able to canabilize if needed.
Zane from time to time just to use a few up. Parts like IF
cans are scarce
but I manage
to find them. The items I find getting hard to buy are variable caps,
those things
are still made but the prices are scary.
To me the definitive AA5 line up is the later and less costly 35W4,
50C5, 12BE6,
12BA6 and 12AVT6. I have a Sx120 and a common Firestone table radio using
that lineup. Also a battery/AC RCA portable with 1r5, 1t4, 1u5, 3v4 and a
selenium rectifier and it still works well.
Allison
4:42 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On 16 Feb 2010 at 16:30, David Griffith wrote:
Slightly related is the subject of tubes in radios. I
get a kick out
of using tube radios. One big problem though is that there is no
source of brand-new tubes anymore. It's all new-old-stock. Tube-amp
enthusiasts have a ready supply of newly-manufactured tubes from a
small variety of eastern European makers, but those are almost
entirely unsuitable for making radios. I really wish some of these
makers could be convinced to make new signal tubes. I like my new-old
Philco, but the fact that it uses loktal tubes gives me an icky
feeling when using it. Nobody is selling AA5 loktal lineups on ebay.
They aren't? eBay item 180467734678 among others.
--Chuck
4:51 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010, Chuck Guzis wrote:
On 16 Feb 2010 at 16:30, David Griffith wrote:
That's a pile of random loktals. What I'm talking about is a set of the
five tubes called for in an All-American-Five design. I might have to
rewire this thing for regular octals.
--
David Griffith
dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu
A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?
Slightly related is the subject of tubes in
radios. I get a kick out
of using tube radios. One big problem though is that there is no
source of brand-new tubes anymore. It's all new-old-stock. Tube-amp
enthusiasts have a ready supply of newly-manufactured tubes from a
small variety of eastern European makers, but those are almost
entirely unsuitable for making radios. I really wish some of these
makers could be convinced to make new signal tubes. I like my new-old
Philco, but the fact that it uses loktal tubes gives me an icky
feeling when using it. Nobody is selling AA5 loktal lineups on ebay.
They aren't? eBay item 180467734678 among others.
5:14 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On 16 Feb 2010 at 16:51, David Griffith wrote:
That's a pile of random loktals. What I'm
talking about is a set of
the five tubes called for in an All-American-Five design. I might
have to rewire this thing for regular octals.
The last 9 or tubes in his selection look to be of the AA5 variety.
These sellers don't know how to group them into sets. But I see
14Q7, 14B6, 14A7, 50A5 and 35Z3 in his lineup. Use the rest for
batting practice.
Loctals didn't enjoy a long deployment. They were probably obsolete
in consumer products by 1955.
--Chuck
5:14 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
There is no shortage of tubes, boh new, and NOS.
Sovitek and Svetlana make copies of all common audio tubes. No guitar player uses solid
state equipment. Emic still rules the high power RF world, as there is not a
semiconductor substitution for a TV / Radio transmitter final output yet.
Antique Radio Supply is a great source for not only tubes, but tube design books and
materials.
You can find the Radiotron Designers Handbook, as well as all the RCA and GE books on the
web if you look a bit.
Randy
KF7CJW
Extra
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:51:08 -0800
From: dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010, Chuck Guzis wrote:
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469230/direct/01/
On 16 Feb 2010 at 16:30, David Griffith wrote:
That's a pile of random loktals. What I'm talking about is a set of the
five tubes called for in an All-American-Five design. I might have to
rewire this thing for regular octals.
--
David Griffith
dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu
A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail? Slightly related is the subject of tubes in
radios. I get a kick out
of using tube radios. One big problem though is that there is no
source of brand-new tubes anymore. It's all new-old-stock. Tube-amp
enthusiasts have a ready supply of newly-manufactured tubes from a
small variety of eastern European makers, but those are almost
entirely unsuitable for making radios. I really wish some of these
makers could be convinced to make new signal tubes. I like my new-old
Philco, but the fact that it uses loktal tubes gives me an icky
feeling when using it. Nobody is selling AA5 loktal lineups on ebay.
They aren't? eBay item 180467734678 among others.
5:37 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
Emic still rules the high power RF world, as there is
not a semiconductor substitution for a TV / Radio transmitter final output yet.
No - modern high power transmitters use redundant hot-swappable
amplifier modules in quantity. A few manuafacturers may still make
tube based designs, but they are getting long in the tooth.
Hell, even Eimac is pretty much gone.
--
Will
9 Mar
9 Mar
6:20 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On Tuesday 16 February 2010 08:37:43 pm William Donzelli wrote:
The last time I saw some of those big jugs was last October, while visiting a
friend (somewhat older than I am, in his late sixties or early seventies),
and who knew them well. He had an assortment of them around, and was
talking to me about a bunch of them being destined for some sort of a display
exhibit...
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
Emic still
rules the high power RF world, as there is not a semiconductor
substitution for a TV / Radio transmitter final output yet.
No - modern high power transmitters use redundant hot-swappable
amplifier modules in quantity. A few manuafacturers may still make
tube based designs, but they are getting long in the tooth.
Hell, even Eimac is pretty much gone.
--
Will
6:45 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
This Thursday Barrie Gilbert is giving a talk at my local ham club TERAC, and promises to
bring some rare and exotic tubes. Im looking forward to it, and I will report the rare
stuff he brings to the talk. We are all encouraged to bring our favorite tubes, I'm
sure there will be some Emiac tubes there. Im bringing a 3BP1, a 3" CRT. I got a
pair of these new, in the original sealed government boxes from 1945. When I opened them,
I swear the air inside was from 1945, I felt like Indiana Jones opening a tomb.
(My project is a scope clock)
Randy
From: rtellason at verizon.net
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 21:20:55 -0500
On Tuesday 16 February 2010 08:37:43 pm William Donzelli wrote:
The last time I saw some of those big jugs was last October, while visiting a
friend (somewhat older than I am, in his late sixties or early seventies),
and who knew them well. He had an assortment of them around, and was
talking to me about a bunch of them being destined for some sort of a display
exhibit...
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
_________________________________________________________________
Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469229/direct/01/
Emic still
rules the high power RF world, as there is not a semiconductor
substitution for a TV / Radio transmitter final output yet.
No - modern high power transmitters use redundant hot-swappable
amplifier modules in quantity. A few manuafacturers may still make
tube based designs, but they are getting long in the tooth.
Hell, even Eimac is pretty much gone.
--
Will 
8:26 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
Randy Dawson wrote:
This Thursday Barrie Gilbert is giving a talk at my local ham club
TERAC, and promises to bring some rare and exotic tubes. Im looking
forward to it, and I will report the rare stuff he brings to the
talk. We are all encouraged to bring our favorite tubes, I'm sure
there will be some Emiac tubes there. Im bringing a 3BP1, a 3" CRT.
I got a pair of these new, in the original sealed government boxes
from 1945. When I opened them, I swear the air inside was from 1945,
I felt like Indiana Jones opening a tomb.
I picked up a few loctal tubes, and one had the orginal box and price.
I think it was $3.50 or $7.50, a small fortune in the late 1930's.
(My project is a scope clock)
Randy
Ben.
PS. My favorite tube is the humble 45.
9:35 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On 9 Mar 2010 at 21:20, Roy J. Tellason, Sr. wrote:
When I see the Eimac brand, I still think of Jo Jennings. (and *not*
the Olympic high jumper by the same name).
--Chuck
On Tuesday 16 February 2010 08:37:43 pm William
Donzelli wrote:
No - modern
high power transmitters use redundant hot-swappable
amplifier modules in quantity. A few manuafacturers may still make
tube based designs, but they are getting long in the tooth.
Hell, even Eimac is pretty much gone.
The last time I saw some of those big jugs was last October, while
visiting a friend (somewhat older than I am, in his late sixties or
early seventies), and who knew them well. He had an assortment of
them around, and was talking to me about a bunch of them being
destined for some sort of a display exhibit...
10 Mar
10 Mar
11:11 a.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
When I see the Eimac brand, I still think of Jo
Jennings. (and *not*
the Olympic high jumper by the same name).
Although presumably if you connect yourself between anode and cathode of
such a high power valve you are liable to break the high jump record by
wuite a large margin :-)
-tony
16 Feb
16 Feb
6:06 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On Tue, Feb 16, 2010 at 07:14:55PM -0600, Randy Dawson wrote:
There is no shortage of tubes, boh new, and NOS.
Sovitek and Svetlana make copies of all common audio tubes. No guitar player uses solid
state equipment. Emic still rules the high power RF world, as there is not a
semiconductor substitution for a TV / Radio transmitter final output yet.
Having visited a transmission tower for Swisscom Broadcast this week,
this isn't true. IIRC their setup no longer uses tubes, but is all
semiconductors. But instead of one big high power tube handling 10 kW
peak power by itself, they use parallel amplifiers and mix their output
to get up to the required power levels. Their current setup, while
handling way more channels, only uses a (rather) small fraction of the
space previously used by their old tube based setups. That particular
tower transmits DVB-T, DVB-H, DAB and UKW. It also has space for
several GSM/UTMS BTS and a bunch of microwave links - all in 185 m
of tower. A pretty impressive place.
Kind regards,
Alex.
--
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and
looks like work." -- Thomas A. Edison
17 Feb
17 Feb
5:24 a.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
On Tuesday 16 February 2010, Randy Dawson wrote:
There is no shortage of tubes, boh new, and NOS.
Sovitek and Svetlana make copies of all common audio tubes. No
guitar player uses solid state equipment. Emic still rules the high
power RF world, as there is not a semiconductor substitution for a
TV / Radio transmitter final output yet.
This is completely false. Many guitar players use solid-state amps, and
there have been solid-state high power transmitters for over 10 years.
For example, I know that Purdue's WBAA-AM has been solid-state for at
least 10 years since I went out and saw the transmitter, with the
original (antique) tube-based transmitter sitting as backup.
Pat
--
Purdue University Research Computing --- http://www.rcac.purdue.edu/
The Computer Refuge --- http://computer-refuge.org
16 Feb
16 Feb
5:36 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
--- On Tue, 2/16/10, David Griffith <dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu> wrote:
But this is a box of random 30 pin memory! I need a set of RAM chips for a Macintosh Plus.
No way I can use this!
Tubes are tubes. Find a replacement of the same number and plug it in. Contrary to what
the back of the radio says, you don't have to use only genuine Philco tubes. Also,
you'd have to be one heck of an unlucky guy to burn out all five tubes in one go.
-Ian
They aren't?? eBay item 180467734678 among
others.
That's a pile of random loktals.? What I'm talking
about is a set of the five tubes called for in an
All-American-Five design.? I might have to rewire this
thing for regular octals.
5:19 p.m.
New subject: Tubes (was OT: Televisions)
David Griffith wrote:
Slightly related is the subject of tubes in radios. I
get a kick out of
using tube radios. One big problem though is that there is no source of
brand-new tubes anymore. It's all new-old-stock. Tube-amp enthusiasts
have a ready supply of newly-manufactured tubes from a small variety of
eastern European makers, but those are almost entirely unsuitable for
making radios. I really wish some of these makers could be convinced to
make new signal tubes. I like my new-old Philco, but the fact that it
uses loktal tubes gives me an icky feeling when using it. Nobody is
selling AA5 loktal lineups on ebay.
Well the REAL AA5 radios used what ever was CHEAP at the time.
Tubes I have seen around, quality AM RF & IF transformers are
the problem -- none around! Soon now no music - just stupid talk
shows.
Ben.
PS. I read just recently they reduced the bandwith on BCB (am)
so you could jam in more radio stations. 15KHZ (1930's)
now down to 10 KHZ (1990's).
9:51 p.m.
Dave McGuire wrote:
On Feb 16, 2010, at 4:53 PM, Brian Lanning wrote:
As I recall, there was a period of hybrid technology in colour televisions,
around the late 60's, 70's. Tubes hung around in the high voltage and
deflection driver sections for sometime after the lower-level signal paths had
gone solid-state.
ICs started making inroads in the early 70's in sections like chroma
demodulation and sync separation, the reliability of colour TVs increased
significantly in this period.
Nonetheless, I don't relish the idea of maintaining such items.
The next question pertains to console
televisions. I'd like to
find (much
to my wife's dismay) a console television like the one my parents
had back
in the late 70s. I'd like to use it to play old video game
consoles from
the 70s and 80s. I believe these were all vacuum tube sets though,
is that
correct?
It is absolutely NOT correct...They were tube up until the early
1970s, but were made in solid-state form (except for the CRT of
course) for many years after that. I purchased such a solid-state
console TV, brand new, for a family member around 1992 or so.
10:41 p.m.
On 16 Feb 2010 at 21:51, Brent Hilpert wrote:
Before this Sony, I had a Zenith 27" console. All solid-state, with
the exception of the jug. I replaced the horizontal output
transistor twice on that thing. It was kind of interesting with lots
of plug-in circuit board modules.
Not a bad set, but I got rid of it when the plastic switches used in
it began to crack.
--Chuck
Dave McGuire wrote:
It is
absolutely NOT correct...They were tube up until the early
1970s, but were made in solid-state form (except for the CRT of
course) for many years after that. I purchased such a solid-state
console TV, brand new, for a family member around 1992 or so.
As I recall, there was a period of hybrid technology in colour
televisions, around the late 60's, 70's. Tubes hung around in the high
voltage and deflection driver sections for sometime after the
lower-level signal paths had gone solid-state.
5:32 p.m.
--- On Tue, 2/16/10, Brian Lanning <brianlanning at gmail.com> wrote:
The next question pertains to console televisions.?
I'd like to find (much
to my wife's dismay) a console television like the one my
parents had back
in the late 70s.? I'd like to use it to play old video
game consoles from
the 70s and 80s.? I believe these were all vacuum tube
sets though, is that
correct?? Is there a good source for these things (the
TVs and the tubes)
today??
Console TV's are easy to get. Just talk to your local flea market/junk shop, and let
them know you want them. They pretty routinely throw them away. Also check craigslist,
they show up for free pretty regularly.
I also collect old televisions. Repairing and maintaining tube type TV's isn't
that hard. The tubes are readily available and inexpensive. Primary failures are old
capacitors. Tubes are actually quite reliable. The only ones that are kinda hard to keep
running are the real early color sets, the ones with the round picture tubes. Convergence
is touchy and the power supply sections can be problematic. BTW, if you find one of these
and don't want it... let me know <grin>.
If you want a daily watcher, a solid state set will probably be easier to find and easier
to maintain. TV's used tubes up until the 60's and the very cheap sets of the
early 70's, later ones were solid state. In the 70's, Zenith made what is quite
possibly one of the best series of television sets ever - the Zenith Chromacolor II. They
came in tabletop and console models. They're solid state, extremely reliable, and have
a wonderful picture. Most console sets you'll find today are later ones from the
80's with digital controls, but you really will want an older one with knob tuners.
And don't sit so close to the screen! You'll go blind!
-Ian
6:09 p.m.
On 2/16/2010 3:53 PM, Brian Lanning wrote:
I have two things I'd like to ask about. First,
I'll be replacing the
display for my main computer shortly. I'd like to get something larger than
20". I'm thinking an LCD wide format thingy. I'm considering getting a
"flat" television instead of a monitor. Most of them have DVI or VGA
connectors on them. But they also include component inputs, HDMI, and maybe
some other things that can ease connection to classic computers. A
composite RCA is a must. Can anyone suggest a TV model that that's
relatively fast (like< 8ms), and has a high enough resolution that would
also be good for the classic stuff? I'm thinking 1080p would be fine for a
windows desktop.
Spring for the monitor, as they are sharper. TVs also sometimes
(cheaper models) don't allow you to disable the temporal noise
reduction, leading to an annoying delay or lag.
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
17 Feb
17 Feb
9:24 a.m.
Brian Lanning wrote:
The next question pertains to console televisions.
I'd like to find (much
to my wife's dismay) a console television like the one my parents had back
in the late 70s. I'd like to use it to play old video game consoles from
the 70s and 80s. I believe these were all vacuum tube sets though, is that
correct? Is there a good source for these things (the TVs and the tubes)
today?
Seems like there's always at least one sitting there whenever I do a run to
the local dump (about once a month) - not sure what their rules are on taking
them away / buying them, though. Never see any vintage computers, sadly :-(
(although maybe that's a good thing if they don't allow them to be taken away
once they're on the premises!)
cheers
Jules
11:11 a.m.
On 17 Feb 2010 at 11:24, Jules Richardson wrote:
Brian Lanning wrote:
> The next question pertains to console televisions. I'd like to find
> (much to my wife's dismay) a console television like the one my
> parents had back in the late 70s. I'd like to use it to play old
> video game consoles from the 70s and 80s. I believe these were all
> vacuum tube sets though, is that correct? Is there a good source
> for these things (the TVs and the tubes) today?
There's someone trying to give away a nice 27" RCA console (with the
turntable-style mounting) on the local CL. They're not uncommon,
just big and heavy--a lot of particle board went into those slab-
sided cabinets.
--Chuck
11:18 a.m.
On Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 1:11 PM, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
There's someone trying to give away a nice
27" RCA console (with the
turntable-style mounting) on the local CL. They're not uncommon,
just big and heavy--a lot of particle board went into those slab-
sided cabinets.
Yeah, I hate that stuff. When you try to cut it on a table saw, it tries to
get even with you.
I looked at craigs list last night and there is one out there. It looks way
too sleek and futuristic though. ;-) I'll keep watching.
brian
11:55 a.m.
On 2/17/10, Brian Lanning <brianlanning at gmail.com> wrote:
I looked at craigs list last night and there is one
out there. It looks way
too sleek and futuristic though. ;-) I'll keep watching.
I think I know the kind you are looking for (twice as wide as the
tube, left and right "wing speakers", cloth grille, decorative wood
features, sometimes with a radio or turntable inside, too), but I
haven't seen one of those at the curb in Columbus in many years -
people dumped those for black plastic WalMart specials a while back.
It would certainly be an interesting thing to showcase retro games on,
especially the Atari 2600, but they do have a large footprint.
I kinda wish I'd picked up a 19" B&W when those were $10 at the Thrift
Stores - I have plenty of pre-color gaming machines that would be
perfect on the crispness of a maskless B&W tube.
-ethan
12:13 p.m.
On Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 1:55 PM, Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> wrote:
I think I know the kind you are looking for (twice as
wide as the
tube, left and right "wing speakers", cloth grille, decorative wood
features, sometimes with a radio or turntable inside, too), but I
haven't seen one of those at the curb in Columbus in many years -
people dumped those for black plastic WalMart specials a while back.
That's about right. It didn't have a tuner or turntable. It was a nice
piece of furniture. It had two knobs, one for VHF and one for UHF, a power
switch. and it also had a volume wheel, up for quieter, down for louder. I
know this because I went downstairs at 6am when I was about 6 years old to
watch saturday morning cartoons. I turned the volume all the way "down"
before switching on the power to keep from waking them up.
When we moved in 1980, they replaced it with a crappier veneered model that
looked more modern and came with a remote. It was a big rounded wood box on
a low stand so you could turn the TV to face you. That was the feature my
mother was most excited about. Of course, she was also excited when
telephones switched to RJ-11 connectors instead of the old screw-terminals
so it didn't take much. :-)
It would certainly be an interesting thing to showcase retro games on,
especially the Atari 2600, but they do have a large
footprint.
We have a lot of space, so that isn't the main concern at the moment. My
kids destroying things and having the time to play with this stuff is a
bigger problem.
I'd like to get a hold of a few game consoles. I had a colecovision, but
only I think 5 cartridges. My parents got tired of spending money on them
in a hurry. That's all I had between 1982 when the colecovision arrived,
and 1987 when i bought my amiga.
I kinda wish I'd picked up a 19" B&W when those were $10 at the Thrift
Stores - I have plenty of pre-color gaming machines
that would be
perfect on the crispness of a maskless B&W tube.
My mother had a 12" black and white tv. I used to be fascinated by the
amber glow of the tubes visible through the vents in the back. She still
has a polaroid picture of the first moon landing on that tv. How's that for
retro? lol
brian
1:43 p.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-
bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Chuck Guzis
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 11:11 AM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: OT: Televisions
On 17 Feb 2010 at 11:24, Jules Richardson wrote:
ISTR some solid-state models - vacuum tubes were mostly '60s and early '70s, if I
remember correctly. -- Ian
Brian Lanning wrote:
> The next question pertains to console televisions. I'd like to
find
> (much to my wife's dismay) a console
television like the one my
> parents had back in the late 70s. I'd like to use it to play old
> video game consoles from the 70s and 80s. I believe these were all
> vacuum tube sets though, is that correct? Is there a good source
> for these things (the TVs and the tubes) today?
There's someone trying to give away a nice 27" RCA console (with the
turntable-style mounting) on the local CL. They're not uncommon,
just big and heavy--a lot of particle board went into those slab-
sided cabinets.
5182
days inactive
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38 comments
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ajp166＠verizon.net -
als＠thangorodrim.de -
ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
bfranchuk＠jetnet.ab.ca -
brianlanning＠gmail.com -
cc＠informatik.uni-stuttgart.de -
cclist＠sydex.com -
dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu -
ethan.dicks＠gmail.com -
healyzh＠aracnet.com -
hilpert＠cs.ubc.ca -
ian_primus＠yahoo.com -
IanK＠vulcan.com -
jules.richardson99＠gmail.com -
mcguire＠neurotica.com -
pat＠computer-refuge.org -
rdawson16＠hotmail.com -
rtellason＠verizon.net -
steve＠radiorobots.com -
trixter＠oldskool.org -
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