I think it would be really cool to build a baby-hadron-collider, a BHC per-say - patent pending - out of old vacuum tubes. Nothing super complicated - clearly, building a hadron collider is easy - but something that would let me measure some basic physics concepts. Has anyone else thought of that?
Check out fusor.net - lots of info on building home particle accelerators. Some folks are even doing proton-boron colliders. Just don't ask any questions until you've read the available FAQs or they'll kick you to the curb!
It was Frederick Guthrie who first reported the phenomena of thermionic emission. A student of his was Flemming. Flemming and De Forrest are the guys who made use of the effect with the first diode tubes.
I suspect the demise of the vacumn tube for most applications was brought on by the heating filament.
All that heating was a big waste of electricity in comparison to the transistor. And if you have even had a car radio that had tubes, you understand how vibration and hot filaments are doomed to frequent failure. Just about everything electronic and mobile rapidly evolved after transistors became common. (Of course, needing heavy transformers was another issue for portable electronics... most tubes need hundreds of volts to work well.)
But I do have to admit that I am nostagic about the warm glow of tubes. I like electronis with glass, black plastic, and brass face plates in big chunky chassis.. maybe with a oiled walnut cabinet of Scandinavian design. You didn't have to even turn things on. They were just nice to look at.
I enjoy listening to shortwave on my old Hallicrafters SX-110. Something about the faint hum and the aroma of all the bits and pieces warming up inside the case.
Yes - that hot tube electronics aroma! I started in electronics when it was all tubes, and still to this day, I'll go to ham fests and sniff the old stuff! I just bought a huge old 30 Meg wirewound resistor that's infused with that smell... it's like an incense for my office!
ValeT - the Fusor Forum is a fantastic resource for that kind of stuff. I'm in the process of gathering materials for a small fusor myself right now, 30kv, 30ma system - just enough to demonstrate neutrons and x-rays. If you decide to look into that kind of project, keep me in mind, I'll be glad to help if you need it. Just be VERY careful - lethal high voltages, high vacuum implosion risks, and radiation issues - all of which have been successfully navigated by many fusioneers, some as young as yourself. And some as old as me. It's an odd hobby, but you get to say that you built a working nuclear reactor in your basement!
I've some 4CX250B's (RF beam tetrodes) which have ceramic insulator: http://pe9ghz.org/cmsms/uploads/images/sale/4cx250b.gif
When carrying significant current (these things go to 0.25A or so at 1.5kV) the ceramic
insulator fluoresces bright electric blue! Its awesome. Not sure
what the ceramic actually is, hoping its not beryllia...
xanatos, if I get the time to build a fusor, I will definitely talk to you about it. I will need all the help I can get on not dying of radiation poisoning .
Keep me in the loop for the project please, as it will really help to learn from someone else's experience with this. Thanks!
xanatos, if I get the time to build a fusor, I will definitely talk to you about it. I will need all the help I can get on not dying of radiation poisoning .
Keep me in the loop for the project please, as it will really help to learn from someone else's experience with this. Thanks!
I'll certainly keep you posted. I'm currently gathering the vacuum equipment... you need a VERY low vacuum, nearly like the vacuum of space itself. I have most of the high voltage stuff since I used to build big Tesla Coils. It's an amazing project, and I've learned an enormous amount about energy, particle physics and related fields... the learning is - for me - the fun part. When I learned to convert between electronvolts, kilograms and Kelvin... it was a happy day. Unfortunately, to most folks my age, this is a bit weird! But you're young, and this stuff looks really good to prospective colleges on a high school transcript!
The reason there are so many hand operations in the OP video is that it's a specialty company making new tubes for audiophiles; they don't enjoy the kind of economies of scale that would justify more automation and their customers are prepared to pay a fortune for their labor.
erco
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I'll have to put glass blowing on my bucket list - that's one craft I haven't tried yet.
This is as neat as the making of a locomotive video.....just a matter of scale!
-Phil
Guess you can not embed the video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzyXMEpq4qw
Much respect to Thomas Alva for stumbling across the "Edison Effect" whilst trying to stop his incandescent light bulbs from blackening internally.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_effect
Ever since I saw "Angels & Demons", I stopped messing around with antimatter.
Great video.
Not sure what Thomas Alva has to do with it.
It was Frederick Guthrie who first reported the phenomena of thermionic emission. A student of his was Flemming. Flemming and De Forrest are the guys who made use of the effect with the first diode tubes.
All that heating was a big waste of electricity in comparison to the transistor. And if you have even had a car radio that had tubes, you understand how vibration and hot filaments are doomed to frequent failure. Just about everything electronic and mobile rapidly evolved after transistors became common. (Of course, needing heavy transformers was another issue for portable electronics... most tubes need hundreds of volts to work well.)
But I do have to admit that I am nostagic about the warm glow of tubes. I like electronis with glass, black plastic, and brass face plates in big chunky chassis.. maybe with a oiled walnut cabinet of Scandinavian design. You didn't have to even turn things on. They were just nice to look at.
If only I could become one of the youngest fusioneers...
@
http://pe9ghz.org/cmsms/uploads/images/sale/4cx250b.gif
When carrying significant current (these things go to 0.25A or so at 1.5kV) the ceramic
insulator fluoresces bright electric blue! Its awesome. Not sure
what the ceramic actually is, hoping its not beryllia...
Datasheet:
http://www.tubecollectors.org/eimac/archives/4cx250b(58).pdf
Keep me in the loop for the project please, as it will really help to learn from someone else's experience with this. Thanks!
I'll certainly keep you posted. I'm currently gathering the vacuum equipment... you need a VERY low vacuum, nearly like the vacuum of space itself. I have most of the high voltage stuff since I used to build big Tesla Coils. It's an amazing project, and I've learned an enormous amount about energy, particle physics and related fields... the learning is - for me - the fun part. When I learned to convert between electronvolts, kilograms and Kelvin... it was a happy day. Unfortunately, to most folks my age, this is a bit weird!
Does this project require a lot of welding?
As long as that remains solid, in chunks, it's OK.
Only respirable beryllia dust is hazaradous.
Not much, possibly none at all if you find a suitable vacuum chamber ready-made.
First I've heard of this. Very intriguing!