i

70 Years
of Radio Tubes
and Valves
Second Edition

A Guide For
Electronic Engineers,
Historians and Collectors

by John W. Stolces

Chandler, Ar izon a
 Sonoran Publishing, LLC., C handler, Arizona 85226
© 1982, 1997 by John W. Stokes. All rights reserved
First edition published I 982
Second edition published 1997

Printed in the U nited States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Stokes, John W. (John Whitley)

70 years of radio tubes and valves : a guide for electronic
engineers, historians <rnd collectors I by John W. Stokes. -- 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibl iographical references and indexes.
ISBN 1-886606 -11 -0 (pbk. )
L Vacuum-rubcs--1-Iistory. I. Title
TK6565. V3S68 1997 97-1 3766
621.384' 132--dc21 CIP

Cover-J<nown as a l:Jou/Jle-wing' Audion to distinguish it from earli er types, this De Forest Audion 1909
had two sets of plates and grids joined in parallel.
 Contents

Acknowledgements
Nomenclarnre-Tcrminology
Preface
Generic Vacuun1 Tube T echnology
Ch:lpt:cr Om: In the Beginning l
Chapter Two The Grid 6
C hapter Three W orld \i\Tar I 10
Chapter Four U.S.A. After World War l 15
Chapter Five Some Early American Independents 25
Chapter Six Another Grid 34
C hapter Seven A Turning Point 42
Chapter Eight Penta-Hodos 54
Chapter Nine Developments in Tetrodes 65
Chapter Ten Double-Filament and Multiple Tubes 74
Chapter Elcn!n The Rerurn of the Diode 82
Chapter Twelve Freguency Changers 88
Chapter Thirteen Metal Em·elopes 96
Chapter fourteen Octal-Based and Al l-Glass Tubes 102
Chapter l-'ifteen Power R ectifiers 109
Chapter Sixteen Electron R ay Tubes 123
Chapter Seventeen Transmitting Tubes 127
Chapter Eighteen Miniaturisation 133
Chapter Nineteen Contact 143
Chapter Twenty Bulbs 162
Chapter Twenty-One Some American Independents 165
Chapter Twenty-Two Canadian and Australian Tube Manuf:1cturc 183
Chapter 'l\vrnty-Three The British Electrica l Companies 190
Chapter Twenty-Four Some British Independents 208
Chapter Twenty-Five Philips 226
Chapter Twenty-Six U .S.A. After World War II 234
Chapter Twenty-Seven Audio Output 237
Chapter Twcmy-Eight Tube Collecting as a Hobby 246
Glossarv 254
General Index 255
Index bv Tube Number 257

v
 Acknowledgements
I am indebted to the various individuals and o rg:misa-
tions who have assisted, in one way or <mother, to com-
plete this book. Chief amongst them arc: Floyd Lyons of
San Francisco, California, U .S.A., Fin Stewart of Sydney,
N.S.W" and Lauren Peckham of Brecsport, New York,
U .S.A.
Others include: Thomas H. Briggs, Alan Douglas, Bro
Patrick Dowd, Gerald F.J. Tyne, Dr. Hemy E. Wcnden
(Ohio State University), all of U.S.A.
In Europe: A.J . Duivenstijn of The Evoluon and Franz
Driesens, both of Philips, Holland, Chris Petsikoupolos
of Athens, Greece, and George Jessop and John Ludlow,
both of England.
Back here in New Zealand: George Askey, Stan Bre-
haut. Also Ian Thwaiccs, librarian, Auckland Museum.
George Weston assisted by reading through the type-
script and spotting the errors.
Nomenclature-Terminology
Throughout this book the term 'mbc' has been used
when speaking of all non-British developments and also
when rctcrring to vacuum mbes in general. In deference
to Britishers, and this includes the residents of such En-
glish speaking countries as Australia and New Zealand,
the term 'valve' has been used when referring to British
developments. For English speaking people all other ter-
minology, borh in regard to mbe structure and generic
classification, is virtually identical. Those small variations
which do occur arc self explanatory.
Long before the first radio nibc had appeared there
had existed in the field of d ectro-chcmistr\' a svstem of
nomenclature which had arisen as a result of the special
needs of the branch of electrical science concerned with
the study of the flow of electric currents through liquids
- clectrolvsis.
. The British scientist Michael rarada\'. was
responsible for introducing these terms and it W:.lS Pro-
fessor J .A. Fleming as convenor of a Nomenclature :.lnd
Notation Committee of the Institution of Electrical Engi-
neers who in 1886 put forward the terms f'()r official
adoption.
VJ
A special thanks to my good friends Alan Douglas and
Floyd Lyons (USA), Fin Stewart (Australia), and Stan
Brehaut (New Zealand) who went to so much trouble to
provide photographs of certain tubes in their collections.
Thanks arc also due to the editors of QST (U.S.A.) m1d
Wi1·eless World (U.K.) for permission to use material from
these publications. The General Electric Co. , Schenectady,
New York, gave permission to use material from a hith-
erto unpublished document entitled The Developtnent ~v
the General Electric Company of Radio R eceiving Tubes.
March 1, 1929 (referred to in the text as 'GE Report').
Thanks arc also due ro others nor mentioned bv name
who have helped in some way to complete this bo(;k.
And, last but not least, tO my long-suffering wife who
provided much needed encouragement and assistance-my
special thanks.
J.W.S.
Some of these words were in turn later adopted in radio
tube terminology, for example-anode, cathode, ion, ;md
electrode. At the same t ime Fleming himself was respon-
sible for other definitions used in connection with early
types of discharge tubes, e.g. , Geissler tubes and Crookes
tubes, but only one of these is germane to radio:
'Vacuum Tube-A glass vessel containing air or other
gas which has been rarified to a pressure at which the
discharge ceases to be disruptive and takes the form of
a glow or brush-like through the space, is called a vac-
uum tube'. 1
This seems to be the e:irlicst use of the term vacuum
tube vet one cannot help wondering why :it that time
the more appropriate 'discharge tube' was not chosen, par-
ticularly as the presence of gas in the tube was an essen -
tial feature. In the event, discharge tubes continued to be
referred to as ' tubes' and the device which was to become
known as a 'vacuum tube' was not to appear until nnny
years later.
 Preiace
Radio or 'wireless', uscd as a mcans o f communication
between the dwellers of this planct (whether earth-bound
or astronautical) is of neccssity a two-way affair, thus the
basic requirements have always bcen a transmitter and a
n.:ceivcr. Because the radio tube was originally brought
into bei ng as a receiving dcvice, and continued to be used
exclusively in this role for over a decade, it follows that
historically it must be accorded pride of place in any dis-
cussion of rube evolutio n. Howe\·er, once the ability of
the three-electrode rube to generate osci_Uations was dis-
covered and put to use for the purpose of producing and
transmitting continuous-wave radio signals, the rransmil'-
ting tube qu i ck! ~, became equally important in the scheme
of things and thus rhc peer o f its receiving counterpart.
T o many people and for many years the word tube
meant only one thing-a ' radio' n1bc; that is, apart from
its use as a scicnrific term for such earlier devices as Geiss-
ler rnbes and X-ray tubes. To quote from the imroduc-
tion to the RCA Transmitting Tube Manual TI3 of 1938:
'V<lrnum tubes! T hc magic in these two words is best
apprecieltcd by the "Old Timers"- the amateurs, com-
mercial and government o perarors w ho have followed
the rapid progress of radio communication from its be-
ginning'.
Rad io was indeed a magic word and the aura of magic
lingered for many years after broadcasting had become a
part of everyday lifr. When in 1935 RCA marketed a
novel form of electronic tuning indicator it was dubbed
' Magic Eye'. A year or so latcr the rather more staid Dutch
firm of Philips was not abovc naming their version of the
indicator 'Magic Star'.
In this book an attcmpt has been made to outline the
evolution of radio n:cciving tubes and the part they played
in the development of the domestic radio receiver. The
information contained in the following pages is presenrcd
p1i marily for the benefit of n1bc collectors, particularly
American tube col lectors as there arc more of them! At the
same time it is hoped that the book will be of wider inter-
est and will be a source of reference to all who arc inter-
esrcd in the history and development of the vacuum tube.
Due to language d ifficulties no attempt has been made
to foll y document inventions and developments in coun-
tries other than England and U.S.A. Nevertheless, some
information will be found on early work done in other
countries, particularly when ir has had a bearing on the
course of tube development on a world-wide basis. To
facilitate an understanding of the text it is suggested that
the reader become fam iliar with the various terms men-
tioned in the following p;igcs before plunging directly into
the main body o f the book.
Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in the
matter .of dates and dcscriptions but the author ,,:·ekomes
any corrections o r criticisms from <my reader who feels
inclined to write.
J. \\'h itley Stokes
Auckland, New Zealand.
Vil
 Generic Vacuum Tube Terminology
Initiall~, thtTe was no need for any distinguishing no-
mcrn.:l:lturc bec:lusc as the three-electrode tube cirne imo
use the two-clement type faded from the scene; rhus for
many vears there was onl~· one basic t\'pc of rube in use.
Not unril the :ltivcnt of fou r-clement tubes cou ld anv need
have been ti.:lt f'or shorr simple names b~· which ca~h ba-
sic type of rube could be referred co. bTn the carlv four-
clcmcnt rubes played such an insignificant part in rhe
scheme of things th:lt the introduction of special gcncric
names (Ould hardly have been justified ;\t the time. In fact
it was nor until the invention of the tl\'C:-deetrode tube in
1928 that the increasing complexity of cube de,·clo pment
made it desirable, if not actually essential, to h:wc a sr;m-
dardised system o r terminology.
In 1919 Dr. W.H. Eccles, then of lvfanchcstcr Uni,·er-
si~'. is crnlircd with introducing the terms 'diode' and
' triode' to define two- and three-electrode tubes resp1:c-
ti,Tly. As in the case of other clectrit:al borro"·ings the roor
word$ had the same ho no urable origins in classical Creek.
H owever, Fkming wo uld have none of this, at least as far
as 'diode' was concerned. /\s the invemor of a two-elec-
trode rube he seemed to consider it his prerogati\'e ro
invent a na1nt· !·o r it tOO. Fleming not on ] ~· appeared ro be
quite upset ro sec his 'oscillation valve' rdcrred to as a
diode but also misr;,kcnly assumes the objenionable word
to have been of American origin as eviden(cd lw the
follo\\'ing:
'The imporrance of rhe inventio n is also sho\\'n b~· the
determined attempts made b~· American "·irekss men
to claim the invention for themseh'cs and tkprin: the
present writer of credit for it and rell10\T his 1umt::
from rnnncaion with it by n:-chrisrening idenrically the
same i1l\'enrion by orhcr strange names such as Audion ,
K rnorron, Tungar or D iode'.1
From rhe basic two-clemenr nibe, the diode, ha,·c sprung
triode, tnrode, pcntode, hexode, heptock (sexodc), ocrodc,
and nonode. For the ecvmologically minded- a word of
explanation. These composite words ha,·e been builr up
from the Greek word 'hodos', meaning a \\'a\' or p;uh.
\ ' JH
with the appropriate numerical index racked o n in front. In
the case of a two-clement rube the words di and hodos arc
united to become diode. l t appears to be accepted practice
when Anglicizing G reek words to drop rhe letter 'h ' in the
cause of euphony when it ot:curs berween vowels.
However, if o ne stops to a nal ~rsc the list there appear
to be some inconsistencies. For example, in the case of
tetrode, made up from n.:trn ;rnd hodos this could more
proper!~, have been rendered as tetra-ode or rcr-hode. Sim-
ilarly, in the case of pentode, pent-bode would have been
better and indeed the tivc-clemem rube W<\ S for man\' vcars
so referred to bv its Durch inventors. The onlr tr~ubk
here was that English speaking people habin;ally pro-
nounce words in which the letters r and h arc in conjunc-
tion ,,·ith a 'th' sound, thus pcnrhode was p ro nounced
pen-thode, so making no nsc.:nsc of the scheme.
Akhough this terminology has become accepted into all
European languages ir suffrrs from rhe dra"·back that its
usefulness is limited solclv ro indicating the number of
active clenrodcs operating in one electron stream, thus ir
fail s to give an~' indication of the function of any partic-
ular tube. Furthermore, the o riginal electrode terrnino log~' ,
anode and cathode, was inadequate for anything but two
electrode tubes and a~ fu rther electrodes, usuall ~1 grids,
were added new names had ro be introduced to define
thc.:111. Even the simple term grid was not always adequate
o nce further g rids were introduced- it became control
grid. The additional g rids were known as spacc-chargs
grids, screen-grids, suppressor g rids, o r \'elo grids depend-
ing on their parricular functions.
REFERENCES
l. Quoted in A Prncticnl Elcmmtmy Ma111tnl of Elcctrici~1·
by Andrew Jamieson, 8th cdirion 1914.
2. J.A. Fleming, The Thermionic Valve. Its Origin
and Devclop1rn:nt, Wirc/c.1:1' World, Sept. 30, 1925, pp.
417-422.
 Chapter One
In the B eginning
The srorv of rhe thermio nic \'alvc or radio tube mav be
fairlv said to have begun in 1880 with the discover;, bv
Th<;mas Alva Edison ~hat under certain conditions a' cu1:-
rent could be made to flow rhrough a \'acuum. This dis-
covery was made in rhe following manner.
One of rhe difficulties Ed ison had encountered in con-
nection wirh his carbon filament lamps was that after a
period of use the inner surface: of the glass bulb became
progressively darkened and this had the effect of reducing
the light o utput. In the course of investigating this prob-
lem Edison noticed two things: firstly that a thin clear line
was visible o n one side of any bulb that had become dark-
ened and secondly this line, or slit as it could more accu-
rately be described, was always in line with the plane of
the fi lament. Furthermore, when the bulb finally burnt
out the break always occurred at rhe negative end of the
filament. In this respect it is important to realise that Edi-
son was working exclusin.:ly with direct current (DC) and
that these sraremenrs would only hold true if the polarity
of the supply were not reversed during the lifetime of the
bulb or, alternati vcl~·, if the bulb h:id not been reversed in
its socket during this period.
During the course of his irn·estig:ition Edison formed
the idea that there mig hr be some previouslv unsuspected
current fl owing in the bulb. How right he was! To test his
theory he had an experimental bulb prepared, inside \\·hich
a metal place with a lead-out wire attached was mounted.
'vVith this bulb he disco,·ered ch:it when the lead from the
plate was connected through :rn indicating meter to the
positive side of the filament a current flow could be ob-
served. This phenomenon w:is quite inexplicable at the
time and indeed remained so for several years. And, as if
to make things even mo re rnnfusing, the 'carrying cur-
rent', as Edison called it, could be.: made to flow in onJy
onc direction, that is with the meter connected as de-
scribed. No current could be ob,~ervc:d when the plate
return lead was connected co the negat ive side of the fila-
ment. To put this in mnre modc:rn terminology ic may be
simply said chat the space current can be made to flow
only when the plate is maintained at a posit ive potentiaJ
with respect to the cathode. In Edison's case the positive
side of the 110-volt DC lini,: provided the necessary ' plate
voltage' whilst the more negative portion o f the fil:iment
constituted the 'cathode'.
Edison himself made no attempt co explain the pheno m-
enon, which is not surprising as it defied explanation for
several years. Nor docs it seem likely chat the uni-direc-
tional n~rure of the space current cm;ld have had any sig-
nificance to him. After all, he w;1s working solely with uni-
directio nal current all his life. Nevertheless, Edison, being
Edison, was canny enough to realise that perhaps some-
body else might find a use for his discovery so took steps to
invent a device embodying it whereby he could obtain a
patent. To this end he devised an electrical indicator which
could be llSed to indicate variations in the voltage.: of his
electrical supply system. This device was patented 011 Oc-
tober 21, 1884 (U.S. P:itent no. 307,031 ), and the patent
is now generally recognised as being the world's first elec-
tronics patent.
No evidence has ever been forthcoming to show that
the idea had any particular merit, nor was it ever devel-
oped any further.
As there has been some concroversy as to just wh:ic the
device was and what function it fulfilled it is ,,·orrhwhilc
trying to set the record straight. After reading through
the parent specifications and examining the accompanying
sketches it seems evident th:it, :ilrhough a workable device,
it was in essence little more th:in a form of mo\'ing-iron
voltmeter. An examination of the basic circuit ( Fig. I )
shows that although variations in the filament temperature
and plate voltage, caused by variations in the line voltage,
obviously affected the sp:icc current through the bulb thi,:
resultant indication could just as easily have been obtai ned
by operating the meter coil directly without the interven-
ing bulb . 'Whilst ic is possible that any clement of non-
linearity introduced into the circuit by the bulb would
have affected the working, :my such no n-line:irity would
have been incidental and by no means essential to the
operation of the device.
In practice the main effect of chc bulb was co reduce the
1
 T. A. EDISON.
EL!; cr~ICJ.L IKDIC!TOB.
?lo. 307 ,031. Patented Oct. 21, 1884..
Drawing from the world's first electronics
patent. Note lamp 'A" in circuit.
lim: voltJgc co a suitable value to operate the merer; a
resistor cou ld have done the job quite as effectively. So,
although Edison did c.:reate a workable device incorporat-
ing his discovery, the device had little merit. All rhar can
really be said f(>r the idea was that it enabled him to obtain
a valid parent, and that was probably all he e\'l'r had in
mind.
In formu lating an opinion as to whether the bulb was
actuallv a rectifier, as has sometimes bcrn claimed, it is
only necessary to bear in mind the fact the.: patented device
was designed solely for use on direct current. Further-
more.:, Edison himself was first and last a DC-onlv man
and could ha\'C had no conception of the basic princ.iplc of
n.::ctification. I-le was utterly opposed to the very idea of
an alternating current supply svstem and was always at
loggerheads with his rival George 'Westinghouse, the chief
protagon ist of AC. T his being the case the question of
whether the bulb \.Vas a rectifier cannot arise; the fact that
alternating current was not involved shou ld make this self
evident. If the bulb was never used on AC thcn its unilat-
eral conducti,·ity could never have had am· significance. lf
Ed ison m;1de no use of this one-wav feature then he did
not in\'l.:nt ;l rectifier.
Th1.: fact tlut the bulb was in esse111.:1.: a diotk and could
ha,·e been used as a rectifier is beside the poinr ;1nd docs
not, lw :111\" stretch of the imagination, constitute ;ln im·cn-
non.
In the same vcar that Edison had received his parent,
1884, a British 'electrician' John Ambrose Fleming (later
Sir Ambrose Fleming) who had attendc.:d ;1 rnc.:cring of the
British Assol.'.iation held in Montreal that vear also visited
the United States. Fleming had a voungc1: brother b~' the
name of Howard living in New Jersey whom ht: visited on
th is occasion in addition to calling on Mr. Edison in Julv
of the same \'Car.
At this time fleming was scientific ath·iser to the Edison
& SwJn Electric Light Co. of London and his ,·isit to
2
I
110V. DC.
I
v
Fig. 1
Basic circuit of Edison 's 1884 patent for an
electrical indicator. The galvanometer was
mechanically pre-set to give a zero centre-scale
indication under normal working conditions.
Edison was in connection with problems of electric light
distribution. It is not known whether Fleming was shown
any of Edison's c.:xpcrimenral bulbs on this occasion but it
seems unlikely in view of subsequent events. Fleming him-
self makes no menrion of it in any of his writings.
Another visitor calling on Edison that same year was
William Henry Preece, C hief Engineer of the British Post
Office. Preece, whose mune was later to become well
known in connection with wireless matters through his
close association with rhe young Marconi, was in America
ro attend an International ElcctricaJ Exhibition being held
in Philadelphia . In October 1884 Preece was given sam-
ples of Edison's mysterious bulbs which he in turn p:lsscd
on to Fleming afi:er carrying out experiments of his own.
It is Preece who is credited with coining the term 'Edison
effect' to describe the phenomenon of the space currcnr in
the bulbs.
Fleming, who in 1885 had been appointed Prof·cssor of
Electrical Engineering ;lt London University College, de-
cided to carry out furthe r investigations of the Ed ison
effect. Accordingly, he had some experimental carbon-
fi la.menr l<unps made up for him by the Edison & Sw~lll
Co.'s factory. In each lamp a metal plate was incorporated
and observations mJde on these bulbs enabled Fleming to
confirm Edison's discovcn'. of the unilateral conducti\'itv.
of the space between filament and plate. Additionally, he
also noticed the 3ppearance of the thin clear line o n o ne
side of the inner surface of any bulb that had become
darkened through use. Fleming gave the name 'molecular
shadow' to this phenomenon. At that time he bdic.:ved the
darkening coupled with the appearance of the line to be
solelv due to the evaporation of the carbon filament and ir
was not until the discovery of the electron in 1897 by J.J.
Thompson that further light was shed on the matter. In
1896 ati:er completion of the experiments the lamps were
put away in a cupboard of Fleming's laboratory where
they were to lie forgotte n for several years.
 In addition to his professorship Fleming had in 1899 ac-
cepted a position as scientific adviser to the newly formed
Marconi Company. In 1901 Marconi had decid~d to at-
tempt to transmit wireless signals across the Atlantic and
Fleming was requested to design the power generating
equipment needed to supply the transmitter. On this his-
toric occasion a coherer had been used as a detector at the

( I' '
receiving end. Disadvantages associated with such detec-
tors had led Marconi to invent a practical form of Ruther-
ford's magnetic detector some six months later. This new l
device whilst inherently stable in operation was somewhat
insensitive bur in the absence of anything better bee<m1e ' ~
i..L
the standard detector in Marconi eguipment for many
years. Meanwhile, the search for a better detector con-
titrned.
As is now generally known it was Fleming's search in
this direction which gave him the inspiration tO try one of
his experimental lamps, which had previously been found Replica of an Edison 110-volt carbon-filament lamp compared
capable of rectifying locally produced oscillations, as a with a commercial version of a Fleming diode.
detector of the weak signals pn:Sl'.nt in a receiving aerial.
What is not so well known is that Fleming had a personal
motive which activated his search for a better, or, rather
different, detect0r. Like his contemporary Edison he was
hard of hearing and was unable to read signals aurally,
thus he desired to find a detector which could be used to
provide a visual indication of received signals. Fleming
was later to write:

'Hence the author was desirous, if possible, of finding

some method of working a srnsitive relay by means of
the feeble damped oscillations o r intermittent telephone
currents. Furthermore, having become the subject of a
progressive deafoess the writer desired to find some in- Early unbased version of a Fleming Oscillation valve. Royal
strument to record radiotelcgraphic signals which would Ediswan c. 1905.
appeal ro the eye and not the car'. 1
The matter to be ascertained was, however, whetl1l'.r
Many years later, in a magazine article written in 1931 and
this would hold true for very high frequency currents. A
entitled 'Mv.. Wireless Memories and
. Inventio ns' Flcmino
b
~
single experitnent proved that it did. Therefore I asked
wrote:
the Edison & Swan Electric Light Company to make me
'I was familiar with the use of the mirror galvanometer a dozen 12-volt carbon filament lamps, and to place
of Lord Kelvin, as used for submarine cable signalling, round each loop filament a metal cylinder connected to
and wished to adapt it for wireless signalling. T o do a wire sealed through the bulb.
this it was necessarv to rectifv or convert into direct If then a mirror galv<momcter or telephone [earpiece l
J '

current the feeble alternating currents in thl'. receiving
aerial. After some ineffective experiments with electro-
lytic rectifiers, my old experiments in 1890 with vacuum
tube rectifiers occurred to me and before long I asked
my assistant to set up two large square coils which we
had and co create electric oscillation in one coil and in
the other coil circuit to inclutk a mirror galvanometer
and also one of the vacuum bulbs I had formerlv made
which contained a carbon loop filament and ~ metal
plate. When the filament was made incandescent by a
battery I knew that the space between filament and plate
would convey negative electricity only in one direction.
had one terminal attached to this cylinder, and the neg-
ative end of the filament (made incandescent by a local
battery) was connected to another wire and the two
placed as a shunt across the condenser o f a wireless
receiving circuit, tlus VALVE, as I called it, would rl'.c-
tify the alternating current <md detect it. Hence was
born intO the radio world the first thermionic or Flem-
ing valve'. *
*In view of an earlier parent by A. Wehnelt in January 1904 the
reader is left tO judge for himself whether Fleming w:is jusril'icd
in claiming to have invented the world's firsr thermionic valve.

3
 Thus ir was twenrv vcars after the start of his orioinal
experiments before f le;ning found a practical use fo~ his
'Oscillation Yake'. Now, however, the potentialities of this
applicatio n caused him to lose no time in applying for
British, German, and American patenrs.! These p:w:nrs,
J how he came to use the vacu u m tube detector De Forest
If
Photo courtesy Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences. N.S. W.
Two commercial versions of Fleming's ·oscillation Valve· by
Royal Ediswan. ·The smaller has a 4-volt filament. the larger
has a 12-volt filament c. 1905-06.
when granted, did no t belong to Fleming personally as in
the terms of his ;1g reemem with the Marconi Co. an~'
patents were to become the property of that compan~' · In
later vcars this was to be the cause of some heartburning
on Fleming's part for he once complained:
'As the original inventor of the thermionic valve l have
never received a sing le penny for it, other than the re-
tainer paid to me fr)r years by the Marconi Company'.
The nnt step was to sec if the o scillation detector ,·alve
cou ld be of use in commercial equipmenr. Fleming s1.·11t
some of the new ,·alves to Marconi's and after tests rhev
were dul~· put imo service in t\YO models of that firm 's r~­
ceivers. In o ne model ;\ second (spare) Yake was mo unted
on the panel alongside the one in use and wired to allow
immediate changeO\·er in the e\'cnt of failure.
In spite of their proved abilities it should not be imag·
ined that these new \'ah·es were an instant success which
swept ::\\v:iy all orhcr existing detectors. For o ne thing thl.'.y
were no mo re rcliabk, stable, o r scnsiti\·e than thl.'. car-
bo rundum mineral detector which was being used by
Marconi's as an alrc rnativc to the magnetic dctecror ;md
which remained in ust: until long after the end o f \Norld
War I.
At much the same timt: on the other side o f thl.'. Atlantic,
the problem of Vinding a satisfactor~' d<:tector was also
occupving the mind of an American i1wcmor, Dr. Ll.'.e de
Forest. De forest's nt.:ed for a detector had been brought
about through different circumstances from those whid1
ga,·e birth to the fleming ,·ah-e. As im-cntor of the De
forest 'system, or wireless telegraphy his pressing need at
4
that time was for a ' non-infringing' detector- a rypc of
detecror which he could use w ithout running the risk of
legal action by any competitors. In those days the owners
o f the various competing systems jcalous l ~, guarded their
rcspecti,·c patents and perhaps somewhat naturally refused
to grant licenses to competirors.
De Forest had been using in his recci\Trs a slighrlv
modified form of an ekctro lvtic detector invented bv the
owner of a rival wireless svst~rn, R..A. Fessenden. In ·1905
after being prevented fro1~1 fi.1rthcr use of this dctt.:ctor by
legal action De Forest cast about for a substitute:.: and this
led directly to his use of a cwo-clcmem thermio nic tube
which was, in essence, a Fleming valve. In the matter of
always maintained that it was an extension of earlier work
with an t:xperimental gas-flame detector. Afte r all, he could
hardly afford to say otherwise without acknowledg ing the
validil-y of Fleming's American patent. In a magazine arti-
cle written in l 940 De Forest wrote:
'By 1905 I had ad,·anccd to the point where I was using
a carbon filamcm lamp to heat the attenuated gasses in a
glass tube. In connection with this bulb I used , as I had
always used in my gas fl ame:.: cxperimenrs, a telephone
receiver with a B battery connected between the plate
and filament in the bulb. The device w;1s not a rectifier
but a genuine relay detector w hereby the electric waves
produced marked changes in the battery current which
was flowing through the tu bc':1
It was over the matter of the B batten' that De Forest
took his stand, for it was th rough its ust: that he claimed
an csscnri:tl diftcrcnce from Fleming's vah-e. Nevertheless,
the 1\llarconi Co. thought otherwise and prosecution c\·en-
rually ensued-bur that is another and oft rold swry. vVc
now know that both de,·iccs were diode recritiers diA-cring
in that whereas Fleming's worked near the botto m of the
characteristic curve, De Forest's, by the addition of a 22 1/2 -
Drawing of an ·oscillation Valve· and its associated circuit taken
from British Patent Application No. 24850 dated Nov. 16. 1904.
volt bactery, worked on the to p portion of the curve where
the nibc was approaching saturation po int.
De Forest's first commercial use of these 'Audions', as
they had been named by his assistant C.D. Babcock, was
in 1906 at a C.S. n:l\'al wireless station at Kev \/Vest,
Florida. In later years this led to the name ' Kc·,. West'
Audions being applied to them. So it is a matter of record
that although De f o rest later became famous for his in-
venrion of the 'grid' Audion he did produce and use a
diode detector at much rhc same rime as had Fleming.
REFERENCES
1. J.A. Fleming, The Thcr111io11ic Vnh1e i11 R..nrliotc!c._r1rnpl~)'
& Telephony, p. 48.
2. British Patent Application 24850, Nm-. 16, 1904;
Gem1an Patent D RP 186,084 granted 1905; U.S. Parent
803,648 gnu1ted 1905.
3. Lee de Forest, The History of rhc Vacuum T ube,
Radio NcJlls, Dec. 1940, p. 48.
5
 Chapter 'TWO

The Grid

Probabl~· no other aspect o!" \'acuum tube history has

been mo re widely discussed than the invention of the tri-
o de b~1 Lee de Fo rest. This inventio n represented the vital
step whereby, in modern termino logy, the vacuum rube
underwent the transitio n from a passive to ;\11 active de-
vice. In spite of the fact that the c.:rearion of this completely
new type of tube was to bring irs in\'entor undying fame it
was also to i11\'oh·e him in a great de;\] of strife, one wav
o r another, but through it all his srarus as ' the man wh;>
put the g rid in the vac.:uum tub<:' \\';ls l\C\'(T in g uestion. It
is onl~· in De Forest's acc.:ounrs o f how he came ro add the
vital third clectrO(k, \\·hen:in he drnies th;\t his Audion
owed anythi ng to fl eming's d iod<: \'ake, th;1t his wo rd has
been called into question.
In the pn.:,·ious chapt<:r it was related ho \\' De forest's
search for a dct<:cto r that did nor infring<: c.:xisring patents,
particul:irly those of his rival Fessende1~, k d hin~ to use a
two-electrode rube for this purpose. Ir \\'as the.: indifferent
results obr;iined whrn using such a dc,·ice which caused
De Forest to experiment with various \\'ays of connecting
th<: tube into t h<: tuned ci rcuit. lnitiallv it had been con-
nected directlv across the circuit and the resultant losses
when so conn<:cted prompted him to try another approach.
The next step was to connect the ;1erial to a piece of tin-
foil wrapped around the outside or the bulb. Encouraged
by the resu ltant improvement De f o rest then hit upon the
idea of inserting an additional decrrode inside the bulb,
and thus the triode was bo rn .1 Lee de Forest and his Audion.
The acorn from which th<.: mighty oak tree was co grow
had been planted! same year. It was still o nly Decernbc.:r when De f orest
O riginally the new 'control' electrode rook the form of a conceiv<:d the idea of formi ng the third electrode from a
metal plate, o f the s:une size and shape as the existing piece of wire bent into a zig-zag shape. Rather obviously
anode, positioned on the o p posite side of the filament. it was the resemblance of rhc new electrode to a mctaJ
Further encouraged by the results o brnincd De Forest's grid-iron that led to its bcing d ubbed a 'grid'. In the event,
next step was to insert a perforated metal plate in the its shape remained unaltered d uring the production litc-
spac<.: between the filament and anode, thereby inventing a t imc of such tubes, a matter of some twenty years.
rudimentary grid. De Forest patented thc earl iest form of three-clement
So far the dc\'clopment of the new rube had occurred tube, the o ne containing two plates, in 1906.2 T his is the
during the short space of time following rhe use of the now famous patent wherein the rube is described as : 'a
Key \Vest Audio ns in October 1906 and December of the device for amplifying feeble electrical currents', bur with-

6
out a proper grid it is difficult ro envisage bow such a
rube could be capable of amplification. Shortly afcerwards
came anothn patent, this time for a tube with a grid inter-
posed bc.:tween filament and anode:' By comparison the
specitications o f this patent referred only ro: 'Wirdess tek-
graphy n:ccivc.:rs or oscillation detectors'. In spite of the
rctcrem:c to amplify ing properties in the o riginal patenr
De Forest made no use of the rube for any other purpose
than detection. In face some six years were to elapse before
he or anyone else recognised the ampli~1 ing possibilities
of the Aud ion.
In its o riginal fo nn the 'grid' Audion was constructed
alo ng similar lines to its two-electrode predecessor; a tu-
bular bulb of si milar size and shape was used with thl'. grid
and plate bds scaled directly thro ugh the upper side walls.
A little.: later a seem seal (press) was used at each end of the
bulb and this stvle of construction was retained even afrc.:r
the use o f rububr bulbs was discontinued. The filament
connectio ns wen: terminated to a standard American 'can-
delabra' lamp base (a screw base slightly larger than stan-
dard miniarure Edison screw rype) whilst the grid and
plate connections were in the form of flying kads takrn
through the opposite end of the bulb.
If
x· ·
.
I
•
a
·'
rt
A McCandless motor-car lamp. Lamps or Audions
The G-161h bulb was also used McCandless made them
for Audion manufacture. both.
Because the tubes were made for De Forest bv ;1 manu-
facture r of electric lamps-the H.W. McCandless Co. of
New York- it follows that lamp-making techniques were
used in their construction. H owever, as tubular bulbs were
not normally used in lamp manufacture McCandless early
in 1907 suggested that the glass work could be simplified
by using readily available stock-sized G-l6V2 automotive
lamp bulbs. In American lamp-making parlance the letter
G stood fo r globular (shape) and the following numerals
indicated the diameter in eighths of an inch. The sugges-
tion was accepted by De Forest and thereafter, apart from
the n1bular r~·pe T of 1916, spherical bulbs rcm;1incd in use
for as lo ng as first generation tubes were in product ion.
This change was made purely as a matter of manufactur-
ing convenience and no alteration was made to the si7.e,
shape, o r spacing of the electrodes themselves.
A further change occurred in 1908 when two separate
filaments were fitted, one of which was acti,·ated whilst
the other was held in reserve as a spare. vVhen the first
filament burnt out the second could be brought into use
by connecting up a wire lead provided. In 1909 a second
plate and grid were placed o n the unused side of the fila-
ment drns making better use of the available emission. The
two sets of plates and grids were no rmally joined intcr-
nallv when the rcsulranr n 1bc became knmvn as a double-
'
wing Audion.
Up to about 1913 or 1914 tantalum had been used as a
filament material bur because ic was sofrcr than tungsten it
had a tendency to warp in service. To overcome this draw-
back a change was made to tungsten but it was then found
that the emission was lower than previouslv. 111 an :mempr
to improve matters a few turns of tantalum wire were
wrapped around the central cu rved part of the filament
and rubes so treated were described as ha,·ing 'Hudson'
filaments, the name being that of the im-cnror of the pro-
cess. Because of manufacturing difficulties associated with
Single-wing Audion 1908. Left: First commercial De Forest
note spare filament lead. Audion c. 1908. Right: De Forest
'double' Audion c. 1914.
wrapped filaments thjs technique was soon discarded in
favour of coating the central portion of the fi lament with a
paste made from finel y ground tantalum.
Because McCandless was the sole source of supply for
the De Forest Audio ns he was in dh:ct the sole manufac-
turer of tubes in the U.S. , at least up to 1915 when the
first of the so-called 'independent' manufacturers entered
the field. Details of this aspect of rube manufacture will be
found in d1e section dealing with early U.S. independents.
During 1914 the McCandless Co. was taken o,·er by
Wcstinghousc4 who carried on production of miniature
lamps under the name McCandless Westing house until
1916. With the closure of the McCandless works De For-
7
 est was kft wirho ut a source of suppl~· and conscqurnrly
had to underrakc tube manfac ture himself: As it happcncd
De r o rcst had rccemly set up a factory locatcd in Sedge-
wick i\\-c. in chc Bronx district of New York (sometimes
rcferrcd to as thc High Bridge factory ) and b\' hue 1914
o r early 1915 \\'as turning o m spherical Audions as " 'c..:1 1as
'Osei Ilio n' transmitting tubes.'
In addition to the.: spherical Audions a compktclv dif
tcrenr tube.:, known as type 'T', was introduced t:a;·ly in
19 16. This tubt: had a tubular bulb of small d iamrn.:r .rnd
closclv 1Tst:mbkd the Cunningham AudioTron in appcar-
ance, tho ug h it d iffered in having onl~' a single fil;1mcnr.
I-fowcvt:r, hardly had De Forest's Hig h Bridge t:Kto ry
settled d own ro making rubes when t ht: handing dO\rn of
a Courc decision in September 1916 on a legal action,
earlier bro ug ht b~· American Marconi agai nst Dt: forest
for infringcmcm of the Fleming patent, prc\"Cntcd further
manufacturc. T his decision resulted in a stalcmatc situa-
tion whercby both parties were pre,·emed fro m manufac-
n 1ring rriodcs because in doing so each company infringcd
on the o thcr's patents. By the same tokcn no o ne else
could makc or sell triode mbes either. T hus the General
Electric Co., who bv then had done a considerable amounr
of research and experimental work, were al.so prevenrcd
from commcrcial manufacture. The Telephone Company
o n the other hand were free to make tubes for landline
telephone.: work as these were not aftccted bv the Court
decision. Bcfore the full effects of the decisio n. had timc to
be felt America became embroiled in World War I whcn
in April 191 7 rhe U.S. declared war on Germanv \\'ith rhe
result thar all amateur wireless stations wcre cl~sed down
and all commercial statio ns taken o\·er b\'. rhc U .S. Na\'\'.
. be accomplished . Similarly, o nce the laboratories of such
Single-wing Audion with Hudson filament c. 1914 .
With thc i1wcntion of the grid Audio n De Forcst had
ser in motion a train of events that was to kad ro thc
rncuum tubc becoming the key clement around which for
the next half century the future develo pment of both re-
ceivers and transmitters would hinge. ln spite of this De
Forest himself played a very minor part in detcrmining the
8
course of events, even though hc had taken o ut no less
than fourteen vacuum rubc patents bcr\\"een the year.s 1906
and 1909.
It has been stated that when used as a detector the
triode Audion perf(>rmed lirtlc better than a plain diode,
and i11 view of whar must have been its extremeh· low
cfl!ciency this is no r surprising. O nce having achieved
a workable device Dc Forest appeared content to !cave
things a: they werc, with the result that it was left to
o thers to carry on the development of better tubes and
their associated circuitr~' · Not that De .Forest was by any
means idle during this pcriod for by 1949 he had over 200
patents to his credit in thc tidd of electronics.
Because the so-called 'soft' tube, i.e., one containing a
comparat ivcl~' poor vacuum, had been found to be consid-
erabh· more scnsitivc rhan a ' hard' n1be when used as a
detector this fact ac ru a ll~' hindered its development as an
amplifier. Not until the.: abi lit~' of a vacuum rube to oscil-
late in a controlled manner, as a rcgenerati,·e detcctor or
as a heterodyne oscillator for CW reception and finally as
a transmitting oscillator, did tubes reallv comt: into their
own. By this time ( 19 14) Armstrong in the U .$. , Franklin
in England, and tv.lcissner in Germany had all deYcloped
circuits using an oscillating nibe. In the case of the regen-
erative detector thc ntbe had ro be o perated at just below
the point of oscillation so that it could mo re correcclv be
said to be operating as ;\ positive feedback amplificr.
During this period the characteristics of the trio de werc
being examined scicntifically for the first time which for
one thing led to an appreciation of the importance of a
high degree of vacuum before stable amplification could
concerns as Western Electric and General Electric got to
work on the audio n (a generic name by then) it was not
long before morc efficient, more reliable, and more eco-
nomical rubes appeared. Unfortunately, howc,·er, apart
from tubes made by Wcstcrn Electric for telepho ne use no
others could legally be sold o r uscd commercially in the
U .S. due to patent rcstrictio ns. Even De Forest, it will be
recalled, could no longer sell tubes after September 19 16.
The development o f the three-electrode receiving rubc
initially took place in two main areas-the improvement
of its operating characteristics and economy of its opera-
tion, particular! ~, fi lament-heating economy. \i\' hcn it is
realised that bright cmitter tubes required from 4 to 5
\\·arrs of heating powcr the practical difficulties of supply-
ing these requirements, particularly when se,·cral tubes
were in use, assumed considerable importance. Starting
with an emissive efticicncy of I mA per watt of fi lament
power for plain tungstcn this was by 1923 improved to 25
mA per watt fo r thoriared tungsten and bv 1930 to 250
mA per watt for ox ide-coated filaments- a quite d ramatic
increase within such a sho rt period.
As fo r improvements in o perating characteristics, par-
ticularlv in the ;111 important figure-of-merit, mutual con·
ductance, these did not keep pace with improvemenrs in
emission, probably because an acceptable balance had ro be
maintained between performance and economy of opera-
tion. Nevertheless, certain British battery-operated output
triodes had, by 193 L attained the rcmarkabl~· high mutual
conductance figure o f 4 mNV(4000 micromhos), a figun.:
which represented a practical limit and which was not
improved on in later years.
REFERENCES
l. Lee de Forest, The Fat/m· of Radio, p. 214.
2 . U.S. Patent 841 ,387 applied for Oct. 25, 1906 issued
Jan. 15, 1907.
3. U.S. Patent 879,532 applied for June 29, 1907 issued
Feb. 18, 1908.
4 . Lee de Forest, The Frr.ther of Radio, p. 332.
5. Ibid., p. 333.

9
 Chapter 'Ifiree

World War I

British Developments war when it found limited applicatio n in Army radio

equipment.
Prior tO the o utbreak of World War I little developmen- Undoubtedly the most successfu l European wartime
tal work on radio vaves had occurred in the U .K. <lpart from mbe was the so-called 'French' design ;lttributed to Biquet
limited commercial use of Fleming's two-electrode detec- and Peri working under the direction of General Ferric of
tor by the Marconi Co. This was probably because of the d1e French Military Telegraph Service. The standardised
monopolistic position enjoyed by Marconi with the con- French design was manufactured by two companies under
sequent lack o f competitors seeking improvc.:d detectors. the brandnames Fotos and Metal and was known as type
Be that as it may, the triode remained largely a laboratory TM (Telegraphic Militaire). It was characterised by a high
curiosity until called into use by the exigency of wartime
demands. In later years even Fleming himself admitted to
being 'too busy' at the time to develop his oscillation valve
any further.
However, things were not entirely at a standstill in the
pre-war years as between 1911 and 1914 some work had
been done by H.J. Round of the Marconi Co. who was
responsible fo r the design of several types of 'soft' valves
intended for both transmitting and receiving use. By Au-
gust 1914 Britain was at war with Germany so that sub-
sequent developmental work on Round's o riginal desig ns
occurred during the war.
The Round valve was characterized by having a thin
tubular extension on the top of the bulb which in English
parlance was referred to as the 'pip'. This pip contained a
pellet of asbestos which could be heated, usualJv with a
match flame, in order to modi~, the degree of v;cuum as
required. The larger transmitting types had cylindrical an-
odes which were arranged to bear against the inner surface
of the bulbs in o rder to fac.ilitate cooling by oi.I immer-
sion.
Round valves were used ro a limited extent i11 certain
models o~ Marconi equipment; for instance, the type N
~vas used 111 the model 27 receiver and the types C and TN
111 the 'Short Distance' radio telephone. In addition to this
the British Post Office made limited use of the valves for
telephone repeater work. As with all soft valves thev were
somewhat erratic in operation and in this case also re.quired
expert operators handy with the match flame.
Another soft valve of different constructio n was known
as the 'White' valve and made its appearance during the
Frenc/1 Metal 'TM' tube .

10
degree of vacuum and a horizon tall~1 mounted cylindrical
(co-axial) electrode assembly. A spherical bulb fitted with
a 4-pin base was used and it is interesting to note that rhis
type of base eventually became the post-war European
standard although not adopted b~1 Germany until after
1925. The British rights to the Biquet and Peri patents
were acq uired by the Marconi Co. and formed the basis
for most of the earlv British pose-war designs. Similarly,
the French design was also used in Holland and e\"C:n
crossed the Atlantic where it was used by Westingho use in
thei r WRl l t ube.
T he success of the French tube soon Jed to its beco ming
used as a standardised type b~· the Allied armies. Manu-
facture of a British version, which became known as the
' R ' type, was first undertaken in 1916 by several electric
lamp manufacturers including GEC-Osram, B.T-H Edis-
wan, and Met-Vick. Subsequent developmental work re- Mu/lard NR4C (Candelabra base).
sulted in the production of several variants such as rvpes
R2, R2A, R3, R4, R4B, R4C, and RS. Of these the R2
and R4A made b~1 O sram and the NR4C made bv Mui-
lard were fitted with American srvlc candelabra-screw
bases as used o n the De Forest spherical Audions. The
'base' was cemented to the top of the bulb, covering the
seal-off tip, and the fi lament leads connected to it were
WIR,E L!:SS RECEIVI NG ,
draped around the outer surface of the bulb. On \'iewing 1

the resultant oddity one might be pardoned for imagining
it to be a rather nightmarish version of a De Forest spher-
ical Audion, and this is exactl\' what it was. The reason for
its production was tl1e obvi~us need for a British-mad<:
replacement for the originally used De forest tubes which
were by 1917 either difficult or impossible to procure due
to wartime conditions. As Audions had been used in Brit-
ish na\•al and military recei,·ers the availability of replace-
ments was of some impo rtance and so it was that the R
valve was adapted for this pmpose in the manner de-
scribed.
Ocher variants of the R valve were the A, made bv
B.T-H and the B, made bv B.T-H and Osram. In the case
of the r~·pe R5 the clecc~ode assembly was considerabl~·
smaller and at the same time a much smaller (tububr)
bulb, measuring about o ne inch in diameter, was used.
An unusual cup-shaped moulded base was fitced which
enclosed pan of the lower end of the bulb. The base was
provided "·ith three contact scuds, the fourth connection
being taken via a thin copper strip to another contact stud
cemented to the top of the bulb. T wo other vaJves of
similar construction were the types C and D made for the
RoyaJ Flying Corps. Because of the s~rmmetrical arrange-
ment of the contacts used on these three vah-es it was
possible to wrongly insert them into their mounting clips.
To guard against this possibility the letters A and G were
moulded in raised characters alongside the rcspecti\'c
anode and grid contacts; in addition some valves have
been sighted in which the word TOP appeared between
the letters A and G .
.· No. R.2 ·
No. A
OSRAM R.2 (Candelabra base).
Two of the most famo us wartime valves were the M:ir-
coni types Q and V.24, the design of which was due to
Capt. H.J. Round o f the Marconi Co. These ,·alves uti-
lised a unique form of construction whereby all four lcad-
o ut wires were taken to widcl~1 -s paccd contact points
mo unted o n the surface of th<: bulb. This design resulted
from circuit requirements calling for vaJvcs h~wing ,·cry
low inter-electrode capacitances for use in cascade stages
of RF amplification where valves of com-cnrional con-
struction were unsuitable. The Q was intended for use as a
detector and the V.24 for use as an amplifier.
It has prm·cd di ffi cult to obtain aurhorirative informa-
tion regarding the date o f introduction of these rwo valves.
Some sources give 1919 bur Round himself states 'issued
in 1916' 1 and this is confinncd bv the American E.H. Arm-
strong who, at rhar time, was a captain in the U.S. Arm~'
Signal Corps and who called on Round in Lo ndo n in
1917.1
Towards the end of World War I, o r sho rtly afterwards,
each of the three British Armed Sen·ices adopted its own
system of type numbering. In the case of the Senior Ser-
vice all type numbers commenced with the letter N, which

11
presumably stood for Navy. T his was followed bv one o r
more letters indicating very broadly thr.: valve's fun ctio n,
while the following numerals indicatt:d the sequt:ncc of
issue. Thus NR indicated Naval rcct:iving, NT indicated
Naval mmsmitting, NS indicated Naval stabiliser or n:gu-
lator, NU indicated Naval rectifier, and ~GT indicated
Naval gas-filled triode or thyratron.
T owards the end of World War II a new common S\'S-
tern of type numbering was adopted by the thret: arn~ed
services in which all valves were identified by the prefix
CV (Commo n Valve). This was in line with Amt:rican
practice where the formerly st:parate Army and Navy m 1111-
b<:ring s~1s te ms were replaced by the singk ' JA N' (Joint
Army Navy) system.

Army Type Numbering System

Jlmeric1.i n De11clopments
British Armv valves used a first letter A (for Army)
and, as in the N avy system, the following letters indicatt:d America's entry into W o rld War I in 1917 was the sig-
whether a particular type was intended for receivi ng o r nal for a revolution in tu be-making techniques, techn iques
transmitting use. The Army system was distinguished by a which were co have far-reaching effects after the end of
more detailed classification of function which was t:x- the war. B~r the time the U.S. entered the war radio was
pandcd as the need arose; bv W orld War II it included playing an increasingly important part in naval and mili-
twelve d ifferent categories. tary communications and this was rctkcted in the g rowing
demands fo r radio tubes. Whik pre-war demands had eas-
AR = triode ARTH = triode-hexodc ily been met by the De Forest Co. and the Western Elec-
ARD = diodr.: ARTP = triodc-pcmodc tric Co. these two companies could not cope with the
ARDD = duo-diode AW =stabiliser or tuning imfo:aror greatly increased wartime demands.
ARH =hexodc AT =transmitting rriode Although the De Fo rest CQ. 's High Bridge facto r~' sup-
ARP = prntode ATS = transmitting tetrode plied many tho usands of tubes to the U.S. govanment
ARS = screen-grid AU = rransmitring rectifier
during the war production facilities were inadequate to
supply all America's wartime needs. The Western Electric
Air Force Numberin"
;:. Svstem
. Co., on the other hand, were geared solely to the p roduc-
tion of telephone repeater tubes, the design of which was
Valves used bv. the Raval. Air Force carried the initial
quite unsuited to military applications, and in any case the
letter V (indicating valve) followed by a second letter R or
factory production techniques cou ld not be adapted to
T which indicated whether a particular valve was a re-
large-scale production. Because of this situation it became
ceiving or transmitting type. Howcvt:r, as some receiving
necessary to turn tO the tm1p 111anufacn1rcrs who were the
valves bore VT numbers there is some unccrraintv as to
only people with sufficient expertise in mass production
the application of this rule. As in the case of the Army
teclmiqucs to handle the problem. This is where the Gen-
svstem further letters were included as different classes of
eral Elc1..1:ric and Westinghouse companies, both of whom
\"alvcs came into use and bv World War II there were
had extensive lamp-making experience and the necessary
seven different categories.
facilities, entered the picture.
For the duration of the war any companv able to do so
VCR= carhode-rav rube VT = transmitting 1·ah-c
could 1mtkc tu bes for militarv use under govt:rnment-
VG =gas triode VI = tuning indicaror
VR =receiving \'alvc VU = rccri tler granted freedom from patent . infringement ~proceedings
VS = stabiliser or rcgularor and thus the stage was set for large-scale production.
Howcn;:r, before production could ger under wa~· it was
necessary tO decide on standardised designs and basing
arrangements. Many difficulties were encountered but they
were eventually overcome and in December 19 17, nine
months after America had en tt:red the war, the first order
was received from the U.S. Navv for 1000 tubes:' These
nibes were designated CG-886 and were fitted with a base
made from a black composition material. Three contact
pins were fitted to the botmm while the side locking pin
also serYed as the fourth contact. Anorher Nanr tube using
the same contact arrangement was the ·western Elccrri~
201-A but in this case a metal shell base was used.
The U.S. Army Signal Corps, on the other hand, had
been using rubes specially made for military ust: by West-
Marconi V24. Low-capacitance triode. ern Electric but the company was unable ro meet wartime

12
demands. After consultations between the S ignal Corps
and Western E lectric it was decided that the WE designs
were not adaptable co being made on lamp-making ma-
chinery and ic was lcti: co GE ro develop their own designs
which were required to have the same electrical character-
istics as the WE tubes.
First p roduction was GE's ,·ersio n of rhe cvpe VT-1,
which in its o riginal WE form had an oxide-coated fila-
ment and a grid punched from sheet metal- the so-called
'ladder' grid. Because the GE version, which was known
as VT-11, had a 4 -volt filament raring as compared to the
2-Yolt rating of rhc VT-I it was necessary to make provi-
sion in the receiver ro cnablc the use of either type of tube
without the need for an ~1 wiring changes. This was done
incorporating individual dropping resisrors wired to each
tube socket which were automaricallv shorted o ut when
using the GE rubes.< T he \Tf-11 rubes had one side of the
filament connected to the metal base shell in addition to
its being connected to the appropriate base pin in the
no rmal wav. In the n.:ceiver alJ rhc metal shells of the.: tube
sockets we;·e wired to one side of the batten' so that ,,·hen
using GE tubes the resistors were shorted our.
Some idea of die GE undertaking can be obtained when
it is known d1at the initial Signal Corps order was for
80,000 rnbcs, beginning at the rare o f 500 a week and
increasing co 6000 a week \\'ithin six months.; A furchc.:r

General Electric VT11.

order fo r 20,000 tu bes was received in June 1918 and the

Western Electric 201A. Note 3-pin 'Navy' base c . 1917.
Navy p laced an order for 10,000 tubes of the same type
(Naval designation was CG-890) . Production of transmit-
ting tubes for both services had also commenced at about
this time.
Apart fro m GE and WE the only other American war-
time tube.: manufacturers were De Forest and Moorhead.
Moorhead rubes were made by Oris B. Moorhead of Sm1
Fnuicisco who seemed contracts to supply both the Arner-
ican and British governments. For the British orders the
tubes sup plied were almost identical to the standard
French and British wartime designs which makes it obvi-
ous that the Moorhead rubes had to be cornplctcl~· inter-
changeable with them. Two versions were made.:, one
marked ' R ' which had a spherical bulb and a vertically
mounted electrode assemblv, while the other had a stu bbv
tubular bulb and a horizo~tal electrode assemblv and ".a:s
marked V.T .32. Both rypc.:s were fitted with the standard
Franco- British type 4-pin bases, the bases themselves being
made by Shaw using that company's patent moulding pro-
cess. Moorhead rubes made for the U.S. Navv were of
similar construction ro those made fo r the B;itish gov-
ernment but were fitted with a Shaw 4-prong Navy type

13
base. Th<.:se tubes were designated SE 1444 bv th<.: Navy
and it is interesting to note that the pretix 'SE' stood for
the Bur<.::w of Steam Engineering!
Amongst wartime tu bes mad<.: by D e Forest wen.: rhe
types VT 2 1 made for rhe Signal Corps and the CF 185
made for the Navy. The VT 21 is notable as being the tirsr
De Forest rube to employ a welded grid which was fabri -
cated in a unique 'chevron' formatio n, The CF 185 is
interesting because it embodies two tcarures o therw ise
unique to Western Electric tu bes-the use of an oxide-
coated filament and the use of a g lass arbour to supporr \
;\

n\I
·!Qi.
i'
.. .:;\

De Forest
CF185 VT21

the top of the clements. 'vVhere the CF 185 tube d iffered

Moorhead
VT32 R was that the vertical sectio ns of the g lass arbour were used
as lateral supports to wind the grid on. A 3-pin base made
o f a black composition material was used o n this tube, the
side locking pin being used for the fourth connection.
This was the original so-called 'Navy' base.
As mentioned earlier, the style of constructio n used in
W<.:stern Electric tubes \Vas not 'adaptable to mass produc-
tio n methods and in any case the us<.: of a glass support
rod wid1 its resulting fragility rendered the nibcs far from
id<.:al for military use. True, in che case of the type V I 1
the constructio n was modified by eliminating the glass rod
entirely and the resultant tube was very rugged indeed.

REFERENCES

I . H.J. Round, The Shielded Four Electrode Va!Pc, Cassel,

1927.
2. E.H. Armst rong speaking at SOth anniversarv of the
R ad io Club of America, New York, 1964 (recorded on an
Western Electric VT1 and VT2.
LP record).
3. GE Report, p. 18.
4 . hoc. I.R .E.. Vol. 18, No. 3, p. 385.
5. GE Repmt, p. 20.

14
 Chapter :Four
U.SA. Aiter World War I
The Radio Group
In 1919 ·with sornc cncouragemcnt from the U.S. gov-
ernment thc Radio Corporation of America ( RCA) was
formed to take over the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co.
of America. Behind that short sentence is a long story but
it is sufficient to sa~' here that the American government
desired to sec what was virwally a monopoly in American
wireless communication removed from foreign ownership.
Under the earlier mentioned tripartite agreement Amer-
ican Marconi continued to advertise and sell Marconi 'VT'
tubes until the middle of 1920. This thcv were able to do
because the agreement contained a clause requiring six-
momhs notice by any party before it could be cancelled.
Such cancellation if given soon after the formation of RCA
would thus have become cffrctive about the middle of
1920.
July 1920 is an important date in the history of Ameri-
c;m tube patents as during this month a far-reaching cross-
licensing agreement was concluded bctween the major pat-
ent owners- AT&T, GE, and R CA. Westinghouse joined
the group a vcar later. Dc Forest was not in the running as
he had earlier sold his Audion patents to AT&T. This
agreement had the effect o f clearing the air and it permit-
ted tube manufac ture by the parties concerned free of the
threat of legal action for patent infringement. At the same
time it also had the effect of a cartel, for independent tube
nukers were denied manufacturing licenses for many years
to come.
The stage was now set for the production of standard-
ised t) pes of tubes by GE and Westinghouse who were to
1
supply such rubes to RCA for distribution. This arrange-
ment remained in force until 1930 when an anti-trust ac-
t ion by the U .S. government resulted in a splitting up of
the combine. After nearly two ~1 cars of intensive negotia-
tions between the three companies the suit was finally
settled out of court in 1932 by what is known in legal
terms as 'consent decree'. Beforc this had happened RCA
had, in 1930, formed a new companv known as the RCA
R adiotron Co. which took over GE's Harrison Works in
Febrviuy, 1920 ELF.CTRICAL EXPERIMENTER 1073
U.cn of
Vacuum Tubes
The Marconi V. T. Patent is Basic
Unitc;d Stale• l..etlcu Pa.tcnt to F'lcming. No. 803,684,
November 7. 190S, hu becn held to be '°a.lid by Judge
Mayu o( the United Slates Di.t.trict Court for th!'
n...i.., J ' ... ~. . I.WU
O. f'or.-... f'.1. ~U:J"<l"~~J> Southern Di•triC't of New York, and by the United
Statu Circuit Cour1 of Aps>«I• foT th-c Second Ci~il.
It i.s :t l:satic patcnl a nd co ntrols br().')dly n,11 v9wu1J1 tulx.. u~ M d-e1~1ors. amplif1er:i; o:
~illiorui in radio work.
No on~ is authoriud to nmli:e. « II, import or u &e ,mc;h tubea for rodio purpo$-C.'1, ot1H:r th.:m
the owiH!r:t of the P.,.'\tcnt ftnd lice.n>cu 1he u:undcr. A ny others m..'lking. telling. importin2
or u.-ing them alone or in eombin:uion with o tf1er dcvic« . infringe upon the Fleming patent
and Mc li!'.'b lc t~ a suit fo r ir1junc1io n, ~nu1p,:C$ :rnd p ro6u. And they will be pro~«:uted.
THE AUDIOTRON AND THE LIBERTY Y ALYE ARE
NOT LICENSED UNDER THE FLEMING PATENT
The price of the a~ nuin c Marconi V. T. Do not take chances by maki.ni', importing,
delivered ia $7.00 eadi. The 1tandardttcd 1clling, putcha1ing or u1ing vacuum lubes
60Cket ia $1.50 additional. 111e 1 t..n.danl for ~d.io putp(>$C.1. Mt liccr.i.toed under the
rul1tan«, complete, c01h $1.00 and la ~i~i'i~ei:'=~~b!yf;;l~i:J;~ ~;;,a::~.::
madeo in the following 1ixic:a: 1/ : megohm, secure proh:ction under the Fleming p~tcnt
I me-sohm, 2 megohm•, 4 megohm•, 6 • nd avoid the ri•k of litigation for infringe-
mcaohms.. numt thctt0f.
11,;. wami.na i1 given to that the •r11de and public l'..f'"Y know the ftac-ts and be governed
accordi.ngly.
Se!.nJ all rf!n11'tt11n.:"' wlth f>f(ft!r fo COMMERClAI. DEPARTMENT
MARCONI WIRELESS TELEGRAPH CO. OF AMERICA
RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA
235 Broadway New York
(I"" ..t1 l.• ~"llhn lh""'· 0
6"<>'•1<1n.u,.,c1......,,n..1o
llo!•ll
.,.,.,.n,. ~·*"· l•lnJ., "°" ,....,,..t i.,, llt, "'" 'l'olllICIh c_.,,,.b
l:~I. l llu\ ......,., ""' .,..,.u., u,
......,;.... 111\IJ .. ............ #d. U t f •f• r o.I tit,""''"' Ho•1. $f'ol.~ ?•• l'l!ll<1.· hl1>ola. p._
~-
which to commence productio n of receiving rubes. Under
the new agreement RCA was given until 1935 to establish
its own receiver and tube-making facilities after which time
GE and \tVestinghouse were free to re-enter these fields .
Meanwhile, these two companies were to refrain from the
production of receiving tubes.
T o return to 1920, the first receiving tubes marketed
by RCA were the types UV-200 and UV-201, these be-
mg first advertised for sale in December 1920 under the
15
brandnamc ' Radiotron'. At the same time identical rubes
were marketcd bv the firm of E.T. Cunningh;un under the
type numbers C~300 and C-301. Before proceeding fur-
th<:r it will be as well to explain ho\\' the name Cunning-
ham came into the picture. The o rigin of nibes labelled
Cunningham was the outcome of an agreement reached
bcrwcc.:n R CA and a San Francisco tube maker bv the
name.: of Elmer T. Cwmingham which was concluded. early
in 1920. In the tcrms of this agreement Cunningham, who
had previo us!)' made tubes under his brandname Audio-
Tron, agreed to cease manufacture and become a distribu-
tor for RCA. This he agreed to do on the understanding
that the tubes supplied to him were to be branded w ith his
own name.:.
The strength of Cunningham's bargaining position has
never bcer. revealed and remains a matter for spcculatio n
to this day, but in any event he became an extremely active
distributo r with depots in N ew York, Chicago, and San
Francisco. ft is not known how lo ng this agreement with
RCA rcmained in fo rce but the use of Cunning ham as a
separate brandn:une continued to at least 1932. In 1931
the firm of E.T. Cunningham Inc. was taken over by RCA
and Cunningham himself entered their employ. By 1933
Cunningham had become president of the RCA Radio-
tron Co.' and from this time until 1935 all tubes made by
RCA were marked RCA C unningham Radiotron. After
1940 the use of rhe name Cunningham ceased cnrirdy.
T he first Radiorron/Cunningham tubes differed marked-
ly fro m GE's warrimc designs and represented a complete
break with rhe European influence which had hitherto
been apparent. The peacetime tubes had planar electrodes,
a type of construction which was to become an industry
standard for all types of storage battery tubes. Plain rung-
sten filaments arranged in the form of an inverted vcc
.- - needing rcch:irging. A more economical tube would o b-
. - -....
~·
-
Radiotron UV-199 dry-cell tubes.
16
'
Radiolron UV-201-A tub es 1923-1925.
were used, rhe rating being 5 volts, l amp. This voltage
rating allowed extended operation from a 6-volt battery as
it became discharged in use. 'A' hen using a fully chargcd
battery it was necessary to adjust the filament current by
means of a rheostat :ind in the absence of a suitable metcr
this could be done by making a visual comparison be-
tween the lig hted fi lament and that of a household tung-
sten-filament lamp; for this purpose viewing ports were
provided in the front panels of most receivers of the pe-
riod.
The tubes were fitted with the same type of base as had
been used o n the wartime VT-11. This base had four short
contact pins set into a porcelain disc held in position at the
bottom of the brass base shell. A small guide pin on the
side of the base served to locate the rube in its socket and
at the same time lock it in position. A tapered srraight-
sidcd (S-14) bulb was used, the dimensions of which had
previously been stand:irdised for use in 10-watt sign lamps.
The UV-200 was a 'soft' detector containing a small
amount of argon gas which had been foLmd to greatly
increase the sensitivity of tubes used as detecto rs. T he
UV-201 was a 'hard' o r hig h vacuum tube designed for
use as an amplifier and in later form, as the 201-A, was to
beco me the most widdy used tube of its day.
At the time of their introductio n there existed but a
smaU demand for rubes because broadcasting had hardly
commenced and the o nly listeners were experimenters and
ham radio operators . Even to the enthusiast, as all such
early listeners must have been, the heavy filament con-
sumption of the UV-200 and UV-20 1 meant that e,·cn
with a receiver using no more than two or three rubes the
A batte ~1 would last for only a matter of hours before
viously be welcomed with open arms.
In spite of this need the development of tubes with
reduced fi lament consumption was not the direct result of
research in chis directio n but came about largely because
of an accident. Because the GE tubes were made in a lamp
factory some of the laborato ry work was common to both
 lamps and tubes. In the making of tungsten-filament lamps
it had become scandard practice to add a minute amounr
of the so-called ' rare earth', thoria, during manufacture of
the mngstcn wire for reasons connected solely vvith lamp
making. Some of this wire was once accidentally used for
the filaments of vacuum tubes and it was subsequently
found that any such tubes exhibited a greater than normal
emissio n o n test."
Research into this phenomenon by Dr. Irving Lang-
muir, coupled with much developmental work, Jed in 1921
to the invent ion of a completely new type of filamcnr
having distinct advantages over plain tungsten. During the
course of the development of the 'thoriated' filarnenr, as ir
had come to be called, it had been foun d that tubes using
the new filament required a much higher degree of vac-
uum than had previously been the case and this in itself
led to t he development of new manufacturing techniques
which were to form an important part of all future tube
manufacture.
It is outside the scope of this work to relate the full
story of the dr'vclopment of the thoriated filam ent but one
aspect must be mentioned. It had been found that rhe
slightest trace of m.-ygen remaining inside the bulb after
evacuation had an extremelv deleterious effect on the emis-
sion from thoriated filamc1~ts. Before the new tubes could
become a practical realiry it was imperative to find a way
of clearing up any residual gas lcfr afrer evacuation, as wcil
as any occluded gas which might subsequently be released
during the life of the tube. A solutio n to the problem was
achieved by including a small pellet of magnesium which
was attached to the anode during assembly and which was
subsequently 'fired' or vaPorised during evacuation. The
vaporised magnesium then condensed on tl1e inner walls
of the bulb giving it a characteristic silvery appearance.
Magnesium has the ability to readily a bsorb m..·ygen, so
that as well as contributing ro the process of evacuation
when it is vaporised during firing it continues ro absorb
any subsequently released oxygen during the life of the
tube. In the former case it is known as a 'getter' and in the
lat ter as a ' keeper' . This important step in tube manufac-
turing, although improved by the later use of mixed get-
ters, remained a basic feature thereafter.
For a short period in the early days of thoriated-fihun ent
rubes a mixed getter containing red phosphorous was
sometimes used \\.foch resulced in such tubes exhibiting a
multi-hued appearance and being rctcrrcd to as 'rainbmv'
gettered. It has been stated that in the case of rhe earliest
GE tubes those made at the H arrison factory used mag-
nesium gettering while those made at the Cleveland fac-
tory used a mixed getter containing phosphorous.-1
The first thoriated-filament tubes were the types U V-
199 and UV-20 I A; they were produced by GE late in
1922 but were not available for general sale until well into
1923.~ The 20 1A was ident ical in appearance to the 201 as
it used the same size electrodes, base, and bulb but was
d istinguishable at a glance because of the silvery appear-
ance of the bulb . T he new n1be as well as being consider-
ably more economical of filament power also had a greatly
increased emission resulting in an improved performance.
At 0.25 amps the filament consumption was only a quar-
ter of that of its predecessor. For the next SL'X years the
201A was to reign supreme and, apart from a minor mod-
ification made during 1923 which resulted in a slightly
increased mutual conductance, its characteristics remained
unchanged throughout its production lifetime.
M arch 1924; saw the introduction of tipless (stem ex-
hausted) bulbs and in O ctober of the same year bakelite
bases were used for the first t ime to supersede rhe earlier
brass bases. Next came the ' UX' style base in August 1925
bringing with it a change in the type number to UX-20 I A.
Finally, after the intro duction of the 'ST' style bulbs in
1932 the bulb shape was changed from S-14 to ST-14 and
at the same time the type number officially became OlA.
At the time this was going on similar changes were
taking place in the case of the UV-200 which became the
UX-200 in 1925 and the UX-200A in 1926. The final
version differed in being filled with caesium vapour in-
stead of argon gas but even so was defmitely obsolescent
at the time of its release and the tube was never used
commercially except as a replacement for the earlier types.
Coinciding with the release of the UV-201A was the
arrival of the first dry-ccll tube made by GE, the type
UV-199. T his tube was intended for use in portable re-
ceivers as well as in home receivers using dry batteries.
Like its bigger brother the 199 used the same type of
thoriated filament which in this case carried a rating of 3
volts, 0.06 amps, making it suited for running on three
series-connected 1.5-volt dry cells. The rather large dif-
ference between battery voltage can be explained by the
desire to have something in hand as the battery voltage
dropped off during use . Even so it was found des irable to
increase the filament rating to 3. 3 volts about a year after
the initial release.
Physically the J.99 was much smaller than <U1Y previous
GE tubes (it used a T -8 tubular bulb) which was in keep-
ing with its intended applicatio n in po rtable receivers.
Cylindrical electrodes were used together with an a.xial
filament inherent to this type of construction. Initially a
brass base was used which, because of the smaller diame-
ter bulb, was of appropriately smaller d imensions than the
standard UV style . This special small UV base \Vas unique
to the 199 and was never used on any other type of tube.
T iplcss bulbs were introduced early in 1924 and bakc-
litc bases came into use during October of the same year.
August 1925 saw a change to a UX style base which,
although fitting the standard UX socket, was of much
smaller diameter and in addition had a characteristic re-
verse taper shape. Because of this the UX-199 could not
fit the earlier UV style socket and it was thus necessarv
to continue product ion of UV- l 99s for replacement us~.
17
 From about 1932 the two types became known as V99 performance that was soon to be eclipsed by the develop·
and X99 respectively. menr of more efficient tubes with oxide-coated filaments.
In October 1925 a companion to the UX-199 in the Following the introduction of thoriated-filament stor-
form of a 'power' output tube, type UX -120, was issued. 6 age battery tubes RCA's policy was to issue new t ypes
The inverted commas around the word power arc deliber- only where a proven need existed. Two exceptions were
ate as ar its maximum plate voltage of 135 volts the 120 the UX-200A a gaseous detector whose arrival in 1926
was capable of only 110 milliwatts output, a figure only was a non-event, and the UX-240~ a high-mu triode in-
slightly higher than obtainable from the general-purpose tended for use in resistance coupled circuits. Neither tube
201A. was ever used in commercially built receivers.
The first power tube capable of an output in excess of The next significant advance in che design of storage
a watt was introduced in October 1925 under the type battery tubes was made when Westinghouse introduced
number UX-210. 7 An earlier version, type UV-210, is <)utput tubes using oxide-coated filaments. The release of
known to have been made but was not available for gen- such tubes early in 1926 marked a turning point in the
eral sale. The UX-210 was a successor to the UV-202 ...and histo1y of battery-operated tubes as thereafter no new
had a thoriated filament rated at 7.5 V, 1.25 A. It was types of thoriated-filament tubes were produced.
\.Videly used as an oscillator by amateur transmitters of the A Radiotron tube, rare in he U.S. because it was appar-
day in addition to being used in its intended application ently made only for export, was the type RCA-221. This
as an output tube in early all-electric radios and electric tube had similar characteristics to the 201A but differed in
phonographs. At the maximum plate voltage of 450 volts requiring only 0.06 amps of filament current. Obviously
the UX-210 was capable of an output of 1.5 watts, a such a low drain could onlv" have been achieved bv.. the use

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,,,
l.~ L '•~
:r. ~1• ,..;~.'

""·
~.:')('{I l!:.O
WllOlliC~
ux-210
Ampli!ler
Oicillator
RCA
U 1r.eSb11d31~
ux e.Jv.
,- .
1-1-l-"""·
.~·\"" iif
::
b
~ ·i
-ra~- -
"'
l!;- -1.~-

i' .
!>l«I

-~,!tr
'J.'W
H\I?
l'C>'l

U~
/1)
~~

n
2r ,. ~r

VoltJ&:oe RCA A.:i!c~ v~ :::1~c: ~Volt::. D. c.

1Wl13~:~1
Rctwl;i1or lalt'.S!l:ll!Jrd Sb tt;nz vo:1;:iz;~ it$ Volt.: o. c . 2ii'' 5~ ..
UX-874 lube ux e11se M&•Jrn1.1f!'. 0. C. Cur1en.1: 50 t.t+lli;>rnpc.~ l~;,._...t
Slanda;d
R~c1om:1 Sallasl Ctm.:nt Ratinis: 1.7 Amper~s •'ffu" :. a"
Tube r.tceul1)'j:e Votli>g<: Ra ng~; 40 to 60 Volt~
UY-STS ~(('ff~st

1· ...
Oil11tl*Ctlnbct
lt.IOWTP.C:l Protccfr1e ~l~7· .z·

3E . .
uv-m Tub< ea}c:ict ,,..~...t ,,,.._., 11• 2;
(S•¥ JV!A•') f\'Jlomobacf)ll' ..~·: ,8 ~::::::;;~:t
RC~ r.:.:imcr.t Tt•11•i11J1 ···~:~~' $0\'.::1~
REC!ll~ Full Vla·10 t.a1eeSl3nd~1d ~=Ill~C~~~. .o!~o ..~22..~·.-~"011. c. i1'. M. s.•o-4.40 ...t~.$ ~!!~, {SH ,..;C,J)

I .. ,..
UX-213 Rectlfi:t UX~:< t.!·x. o. c. l"'1 ('ol'Tr~• : f':> t.!i:I' ·' ·;:e•cs
- RC4 :1::::..."of.li·;;-,,;-~;:)
i;i;.;::::~»- ;..
ntcr.:~K Halt \Y;.ve r t.,rr.!· : r.....,~nt :1.:-:.1...•: ;es 2)& 5 ~
La1i·?Stm!11d Ma '" e. 1«;;;,t \'tlb~ : !.!>l•\C. 1.1. M.S.) ts..t:tw!J 8
ux-21u-a R~ctif.~r
UX Bl" ,,~ !.'(. 0 . c. Le.l~ 0-.:lltlll :65M;~, ....,,;i·:~

==-
.• }.'Cfi'EI "'((t.nil '1WJli1u1i~• clb,: !. It~)( ti UIO ci;J) .: J
N<YfP.Z n:~ ... ::i1~ tw •1m;: 1n!idD b Jl5 ioll~.
;\'fJTf: 1 s.
It, iA lr4~1U ~~1 \le:,, ~Wit'' JS i1d:-t~d ~II Iii A. c. .:l!r..ttn. ·Nore' me ~:01»:1 ~ ,. 4Jlt(!)'liu.
1i0T'{:;$ t:a.'l'.tt:~ 1~~~d~foit,itdl!11r.b:l '"fallblr1:lt ::lllll1it · tto:Aloll f611!l.l ilOTG 1 't(.'lcn$,.;t ;~r.;1, iS m4, N •ftc~ln ~ 1<Q;i1td.
NOT&s n.e~ll! t\lll'??t\'~U ii:~t i!~ ltU l!ln lh.:::.:-!~!Ji ;:~ ;.Jb l(f·! iti!-, b'JI ~It lt.CCUllt. llt ,
:cho~:Y ~1b:Mf•lla lhe M..: i;o.;tr.:tJ ,t \n:i~lcd v$o1~ ~1 ;t::t~lll't- ,rd 11i.J b:.t.s t;!t.I?!,

The entire total of all receiving tubes listed by RCA in 1925 was 17. Eight years later in 1933, it had grown to 7 4.

18
of an oxide-coated filament though confirmation of this
assumption is lacking as published informat ion on the 221
is almost non-existent. The 221 was intended for use as
a low-drain replacement for the 201A though, as men-
tioned, it was not marketed in the U.S. The author be-
lieves that the 221 was produced specifically for export
to areas where the sales of Radiotron tubes were being af·
tccted by competing low-drain tubes made in England and
Holland. However, because the 221 was not marketed un-
til early in 1930 it came rather too late to have much effect
on the situation as by chat time the demand for batte~,
rubes was shrinking.
The first tubes produced after the establishment of
RCA's own factory were types RCA-230, RCA-231, and
RCA-232. 0 They were the first American 2-volt barrcry-
operared tubes and their arrival, in June 1930, signalled
the end of the era of 5-volc tubes. Incidentally, it may be
mentioned that 2-volt valves had been available in the l.J.K.
since 1925 so by comparison the American tubes were
RCA-221. The 'export only' tube. Filament
comparative latecomers. Shortly after the introduction of rating was 5V, 0 .06A.
the American 2-volt rnbes a special air-dt:polariscr battery
known as the Eveready 'Air Cell' was developed for use third member of the Radio Group, was the Westinghouse
with battery-operated receivers and because of this the Electric & Mtg. Co. Westinghouse had done compara-
tubes were sometimes refr.rrcd to as Air Cell tvpes. tively little radio work prior to or during World \l\Tar I but
In their original form the 30 and 31 were fitted with following the establishment of what has been called the
T-8 tubular bulbs which in 1931 were changed to S-12 world's first broadcasting station, KOK.A Pittsburgh, late
size and then, in 1933, to ST-12. Other earl~, types in the in 1920 their products became better known. The story of
same series were the type 33 O / P pentode, type 34 vari- this pioneering effort has become an oft told tale which
mu pcntode, type 49 O/ P tetrode, and type.: 19 Class B has no place in a work of this nature; sufficient to say that
twin O/P triode. it was, perhaps more than an~1 thing else, responsible for
the early and rapid growth of broadcasting in the United
Westinghouse States.
Once people knew there were voices and music in the
The other old established electrical m:mufacturer who air a demand soon sprang up for receivers capable of re-
also entered t he radio field and a little.: later became the producing these sounds in the home. To help satisfy this

.'

--- I "i t
.b.2.-::
" "'. .
~. -·-
,.

f/1e ·01-A story-the final issue had an oxide-coated filament.

19
demand Westinghouse conuncnccd to manufacture a line
of receivers under the name 'Aeriola'. VVhile thev were not
strictly the first made by 'Westinghouse they we.re the first
produced specifically to cater to the demands created bv
the growing numbers of radio listeners. ·
Tubes to equip these receivers were also made bv Wes-
tinghouse and in this connection it is interesting t~ com-
pare the different approach to tube manufactur; adopted,
bearing in mind that both Westinghouse and GE were
lamp makers too. The Westinghouse tubes bore a marked
resemblance to wartime Bri.tish m1d i-:rench types as they
used the same style of cylindrical anode and spiral g rid
together with an axial filament. Addiriona!Jv, the S;1111e.
4-volr filament rating and the same style of 4-prong base
were used; in fact the onlv differenCl: lav in the use of a
tubular bulb in place of a ;pherical style. ·
T he first production was of a tub<.: known as the WR21
which \vas made in two versions known as \VR21A :rnd
WR21D,w the letter A indicated Amplifier while the letter
D indicated Detector. These tubes were known as Aerio-
trons and were intended soklv for use in a \ 1Vcstinghouse
receiver produced in 1922 known as the Aeriola Grand.
Meanwhile, also in 1922, a new Aeriorron type WD-1 l
was introduccd. 11 This tube was almosr identical in appear- Radiotron UV-201-A made by Westinghouse.
ance to the W R2 l but differed in having an oxide-coated
filament rated at 1.1 V, 0.2 A designed for operation from intended to prevent the accidental insertion into a socket
a single d~' cell. It was the world's first such tube in- wired for a 4-volt tube.
tended for use in household receivers and in this connec- After joining the Radio Group in July 1921 \Vesting-
tion remained unique for many years. house, like GE, supplied receivers and tubes to RCA who
In its original form the w·D-_ 11 had no gcttcring bur were the sole selling agent. This setup resulted in the
soon after a chemical getter in the frm11 of a whitish paste names Acriola and Acriotron being phased out and after
applied to both sides of the press was used. This was the about 1923 Westinghouse's radio products were sold un-
so-called Sutherlin lime getter and its use continued for der the brandnames Radiola and Radiotron respectively.
some years after magnesium gettering had come into grn- Special-purpose and transmitting tubes which were not
cral use. The WD-11 was fitted w ith a modified version of subject to the agreement co uld be sold directly under the
the type of base used on the WR-21. It differed in having company's own nan1e.
a larger diameter pin for the plate wnnection, a tkvice Under the Radiotron brandname WD-11 tubes were
first used as initial equipment in Radiola receivers but by
the middle of 1923 these tubes were being oflcrcd for
general sale. Production co ntinued without change umil
September 1924 when the bulb size was reduced to T-8
and a bakclite base superseded the former brass type. A
final change occurred in February 1925 when a tipless
bulb and 111<tgnesium gcttering were introduced.
A variation of the WD-11, knO\.Yn as the WD-12, was
introduced in 1923 to allow the conversion of certain
Radiola and Westinghouse storage-battery receivers to
dry-ccU operation. The VVD-12 was fitted with a standard
UV style brass base and used the same T-10 bulb. A re-
duction in overall height occurred due to the lower por-
tion of the bulb being 'buried' in the base shell.
From January 1925 the WD- 12 presented a much-
changc.d appearance due to a reduction in the bulb size to
T-8, coupled with the use of a bakelite base of unique
Aeriotron WD-11 (left) Radiotron WD-11 (centre and right) . shape. Because the reduced bulb diameter could not con-

20
veniemly be matched to the diameter of a standard UV pull service when a pair of tubes could provide about 5
base it was necessary to design a new base which, while watts output. When first announced early in 1929 the 245
small enough internally to match the T -8 bulb, had an was fitted with an S-17 bulb which was lacer changed to
outside diameter of scandard dimensions. Instead of using ST-14 for replacement types issued after 1933.
a thick-walled base the effective outer diameter was in-
creased by the use of four raised flutes moulded onto the
(The Telephone Company'
surface. Because this prevented the type number from be-
ing hot-branded on the side of the base it was conse-
An important step in the early days of vacuum tube
quently moulded in raised lettering on the underside.
development was the _w ork done by the American T clc-
Westinghouse also made a limited quantity of UV-201
bright emitter tubes which differed in several respects
from those made by GE. These tubes used cylindrical cl-
ements and an axial filament rared at 4-volts, 0.8 amps and
•
were fitted with a tubular bulb. All these features, it will
be recalled, correspond with those of the WR-21. The
question now arises as tO whether the VVcstinghouse UV·
201 could have actually been a WR-21 fitted with a UV
base. By slightly over-running the filament by applying 5
volts to it the resultant current would have been close to l
ampere, whilst the use of a cylindrical electrode structure
would not in itself result in a tube having different charac-
teristics.
It was in the area of po\.ver output tubes that \Vesting-
house did much pioneering work. For example, the first
tube co have an output in excess of 100 milliwarrs, t~'pe
UX-112, and the first to have an output of over 400 mil-
li·w~ms, type UX-171, were both from the Westinghouse
stables. In order to obtain a larger emission an oxidc-
coaced 'M' shaped filament was used for the first time; it
consumed 0.5 amps at 5 volrs. The UX-112 was released
towards the end of 1925 12 while the UX-171 although pro- Radiotrons WD12 and WX12.
duced at the same time was nor advertised until weU into
1926. Only a vear larer furd1er improvements in filament
efficiency led to the production of the types UX - l l 2A and
UX-l 71A both of which had quarter amp filaments. But
because these tubes arrived on the eve of the all-electric
era the 17 lA became more widely used in AC-operated
receivers than in battery sets.
In 1928 there appeared a new power tu be capable of
what was then a phenomenal output of 4.6 watts, or over
10 watts when used as a push-pull pair. u This tube was
Westinghouse's UX-250, the 'big daddy' of power tubes
which remained supreme until superseded by RCA's 2A3
in 1933. The S-21 bulb as originally fitted was the largest
ever used for a receiving tube and gave the 250 an impres-
sive appearance commensurate with its power handling
ability. From 1933 replacement types were issued fitted
with ST-19 bulbs.
The fina l output tube of the period was the UX-245 , the
production of which represented a decisive step away from
the use of high plate voltages in the outpur stages of radio
receivers. At its maximum plate voltage of 250 V, the 245
was capable of 0.8 watts output, a figure which was twice
that of the 210 when operating at the same YOltage. How-
ever, the 245 was most co1ru11only used in Class A push- Radiotrons UX-171-A and UX-112-A.

21
 ~.
" POWER-AMPLIFIERS
Htul1t>tron
ux. 120

The R:icliotro n The Radiot ron

UX- IWis np ower- ux.Jil isapower·
amp lific.-r Rad io· J11npJjfi ..:r R;n)io·
tron for use onl ,. ( t't"•n fru· u~i.· in (he'
in the last s inge ,;f la~( stage· of audio
audi o frc'1u C11c.•,· ft CC]llC O (' \" o n ly.
amplificration Or This R ,1tliot ro n
dry-hattcry Opcr· CH.'t'upic~ 3 pla.C'C
atc\1 ~ch. in ll()\\:cr o utpu t
It is em rl<wc<l ht.· tw e en t h e:
in the v:ell-knov:n Rnc.linb~ n~cn· l(:ulintron t:X.I 12 nnd th< Ra.lio.
tionctl rue,·iously in tlu::i.c page~. tron U X -2IO.
Ownc.s of Radio!;. Surer-VIII, The 11.lanu.:n t ma,v be opcr,"t ll'd
Rutllola Super-Heterodyne se mi . t.•ithcr · from tlw ~lu1·ngc batter~· or
porl11 lilc :incl Radio!"' I I I :.ml I [ l.1\ from ~llle1·n;ttiu:.: \' lllT\.' 11 l. '
wi ll £ind an impl'O\'Cmcnt in the The use of tl;i~ n ad io tron in lhc
..-olunu: nod tone qunllt.v of their l,,st ~lag<: of a .;l o rngc hatt erv re·
receivers by the arltlition of this l'civt·renahles tlu: lwndling of src01 tt.•r
Radiotron UX-250 (1.) made by Westinghouse. <.:enrre a11u R:idio lro n. Your dc:tll·r can ttdvisc \•olume withoul di~to ttion .
right- later type 50 tubes showing bulb shape development. you or tlctails .
Rndiolron UX-120 .... $2.50 Ra(liotron UX- 17 1 .... $(>.00

phone & Telegraph Company in adapting De Forest's tri- Rac.l iotron

U X.Jl 2
l(mJiutnJ n
UX-21U
ode Audion for use as an am plifier in line telepho ny. Tlic Radiotron Tl1e Radiotron
Where previously Audions had been produced bv a small U X-1 12 is n .tor- t:X -~llli.< ~ <"I"''·
age btttcery o per· 1•H \\ e r amplifie r
lamp m anufacturer merely as a side-line made without anv ale.I P o wer Am- l n.liotron. It is
plificr. It is par- tll':-is 11ctl for u:-;c
direct supervision and with no understanding of the fun~­ ticubrl.v clesisnccl rn'I ,. in the la5t
for use in the l.o.sl , t.,i;c of audio fr.: ·
tio ning of the device, o nce AT&T became involved a turn- stag l' 0 r il u d l 0 4p1cul.~.,. ampli lic :_, .
fr e qucnc:· n m - twn. It ma,· be
ing point in vacuum tube histo ry was reached. As a result plific:,tion where o perilted froi°n \ut
of work done by the company's Bell Labs the Audion was it will give: pure qualit.'· nt gren tcr 8 - volt s to r<.lgc- U.-ttcrv or from pr\lJ)·
vuh11nc. cl'ly trnnsform\'d o)tcrrtatinl:) CUI' ·
transformed into a stable, reliable product of workmanlike This Power Ampl ifi<·r Rr,diotron 1·cot.
amplifies am.I pv.sst.·s Co the loud - Thi, is the most pow~rful rccci" -
construction. spcakcr unl fo•fortcd :>ig11nl;-. :tlr(·~Jy iug Radiolron nunlc. [t is uscrl in
l>rv1Jg hl lo grc~i inkn;ily (,y the tho HCA Power Amplifier Unit, the
AT&Ts interest in the Audion had arisen as a direct e •c«c.lins Ra1liotrons. Onh· n l.m1tlspc.,keT M odels 102 and 104,
result of an approach made by De Forest in 1912 \\'hen he Power Ratlio tron can dn this~ nnd the R•u.liob .30.
Rndiotron U X-1I 2 .. . . $6.50 Radiolron U X -210 . . . . $9.00
demonstrated an audio amplifier to officials of the com-
pan~· · Prior to this t ime, an d indeed to several vears later,
~ NEW YOR.K • CHICAOO ·SAN FR.ANCIS CO !)
the only way of overcoming losses occurring on long-
distance lines was bv the use of electro-mechanical rclavs,
The first Radiotron power ampli fiers (1925) .
or 'repeaters' as the)1 were known in telephone parlan~e.
Whilst these were quite satisfactory for Morse telegraphy
they were unsuitable for telephony so that at the time a the company's moves in these fields. F inally, in 191 7, De
very real need existed for a bcner repeater. following De Forest disposed of his remaining tube patents to AT&T,
Forest's demonstration of the amplif~1 ing capabilities of his though retaining certain no n-transforablc personal rig hts.
Audio n bulb engineers of the Tekphone Company's man- N ow, fully secure in the possession o f the necessary
ufacturing subsidiary, the Western Electric Co. (WE), patents Western Electric cou ld proceed to develop and use
were sutliciently im pressed by its possibilities to recom- ,·acuurn tubes for any purpose they desired. This they pro-
mend that the company enter into negotiations co enabk it ceeded to do with but one exception; apart from a very
to manufacture vacuum tubes fo r telepho ne use. limited activity in the earl iest days the company never rn-
In 19 13 De Forest, short of mo nev as usual, was dri\'en tcrcd the field of domestic radio production with either
to accepting the sum of $50,000 fro m AT&T for the ex- receivers or receiving mbes. On the other hand, Western
clusive wire rights of several of his patents. De forest later Ekctric became well known as a manufacturer of broad-
claimed that the Telephone Company had been prepared cast transmitters, motio n picture sound systems, and avia-
to go as high as half a millio n do llars and that a smart tion radio, to name but three o f their non-telepho ne activ-
lawyer, aware of his financial straits, had tricked him into ities.
accepting o ne tenth of that amounc. 1• Following the acqui- The development of rubes for telepho ne work is a story
sition of these first parents AT &T later, in 1914, next in itself: o utside the scope of this book, though it is in-
acquired a license to use o ther Audion patents for wireless teresting co compare one aspect of it with the entirely dif-
telegraphy and telephony, this action obviously presaging ferent approach adopted by the manufacturers of rubes

22
intended for non-telephone use. Because any telephone
system is regarded as a public utility and because it is not
affected by the same sort of cut-throat competition en-
countered within the radio industry, vastly different cquip-
ment requirements resulted . This, coupled with the fact
that telephone equipment is normally leased, nor sold, to
subscribers made the development of reliable long-lasting
equipment of panunount importancc. Apart from thc dc-
sire to avoid breakdowns in an csscntial medium of com-
munication there is the commercial aspect that the more
reliable and long-lived the equipmcnr is the mo re mo ney it
makes for its owners.
The vacuum tubes which became an essential part of
long-distance telephone equipment \\'CIT of course no ex-
ception to the above requirements. In fact as the wcakest
links in the chain special precautions had to be taken to
ensme their reliability in service. Thesc factors, coupled
with the comparativel~1 small qu•llltitics rcquired, resulted
in the development of a special breed of tube which was
largely handmade in comparison with o rdinary radio tubcs
which had to compete in the marketplace and which \\·en.:
later turned out bv the millions.
ln 1915 Westem Electric's growing inrcrest in the pos-
sibilities of the fumre long-distance t ransmission of speech
by wireless telephony was demonstrated b~· the now fa-
mous occasion when the human voice was carricd across
the Atl<u1tic by radio for the first timc.
Following America'a entry into Wo rld War I in 19 17
\VE, in common with other tube makcrs, became active in
developing tubes for military appli<.:ations and brief men-
tio n of their work will be found in the chaptcr dealing
with wartime developments.
After the war AT&T entered into agrecn1enrs with the
so-called ' Radio Group' ( RCA, GE, Westinghouse) in-
tended to delineate the trading activities of the respec-
tive companies. In essence chis was a cartel agreement but
Western Electric 201-A.
in the event it led to much squabbling between tl1c Tele-
phone Co. and the Radio Group over their respective
rights. Amongst other things AT&T had agreed not to
compcte in the manufacture and sak of broadcast receiv-
ing cquipment but in spite of this were soon oftering such
items as loudspeakers, headphones, and even mbes for
general sale.
In 1925 after prolonged discussion and arbitration
AT&T was permitted to manufacture and sell on a re-
strictcd basis broadcast receiving devices, including tubes.
By tl1is time, however, the company appeared to have lost
interest in continuing with this side of their business and
C\'entuallv. retired from this activitv.
.
One of the best known of the early \<\TE recei\·ing tubes
was the so-called 'peanut' mbe, identified as type 215A. It
was at the time the smallest rube in existence and noc until
1938 were any rubes of comparable size produced by any
other American manufacturer. The 2 15A is also histor-
ically interesting because, like Westinghouse's WD 11, ir
boasted an oxide-coated filament at a rime when either
plain or tl1oriated filaments were the rule. Indeed oxidc-
coated filaments became the distinguishing feature of all
W E banery-operated rubes, regardless of their application.
Readers interested in Western Electric mbes will find a
detailed and authoritative account of their development in
Gerald Tyne's Saga of the Vacmmz Tube.
For the purpose of this narrative further mention o f
AT&T is confined to a brief account of Western Elcccric's
overscas trading activities which were greatly affected b)'
changes in the corporate structure of the company which
cook place shortly after the end of World War I. The
Western Electric Co. was originally an independent manu-
facturer which was acq uired by the Telephone Co. in 1882
and became its manufacturing subsidiary. Following this a
company named the International \.Yestern Electric Co.
was set up to handle overseas business. In the following
year a British office was established which became tl1c
Wcstcrn Electric Co. Ltd. (British WE) .
Western Electric 205-D.
23
 In 1920 a newly fonm:d comp:111 ~1 bearing the name
International Telephone & Telegraph Co. (IT&T)* was
n.:gistercd in the statc o f New York b ~· one Sosthcncs
Behn. Referring ro IT&T Time magazine.: once commcmcd
on the adoption of such a name.: as 'an unabashed d forr ro
trade o n the reputatio n of the g ianr AT&T Co.'1' Be.: rhar as
it may, IT&T itself evcntually grew to bl.'. one.: of the g ianrs
in the communications industry, bl.'.1:0111ing wlut is now-
adavs known as a multi-national.
Ry 1925 IT&T had bc.:rn successful in purchasing from
AT&T the International Western Electric Co. whil.'. h was
then renamed the Internatio nal Standard Electric Co.
(ISEC). This move ga,·e IT&T control of ;\II business for·
mcrly conducted outside.: the U.S. by Western Electric,
with the exception of morion picture sound systems. In Western Electric 264C. 2 21-D, 239-A. The 221-D was
this field WE continued to trade both inside and outside equivalent to RCA's 201-A.
the U.S. under their o wn na1m:, though man~· ~ 1 cars later
the co mpany name was changcd to Western Elccrronics
when the products brandname beeame Wcstrex. The cffcct
of ISEC's formation on the British scene will be covered
in the chapter dealing with Standard Telephones & Cables
Ltd.

*In 1959 d11: company logo w;is alren:d ro ITT.

)' '.:.?'- ~

~ ~
~ !!!!!!!!
---~ · . . ,. Western Electric 'doorknob' tubes designed for VHF and
UHF use.

-~-' ~ 4. Ibid., p. 34.

5. Ibid., p. 39.
~!!::-=±=;:::::::~::;;;~ 6. Ibid., p. 42.
7. Ibid., p. 42.
Western Electric ·radio' tubes. 8. Announcement, QST, April 1927, p. 26.
9. News for Shop and H ome, Rnrfio Cmft, July 19 30, p.
27.
REFERENCES I 0. GE Report, p. 24.
11. Ibid., p. 24.
1. News of Industrv, Rndio E1~11il1ccril~11. April 1933, p. 12. Ibid., p. 42.
23 . 13. Announcement, QST, April I 928. p. 36.
2. GE R eport, p. 39. 14. Lee de Forest, The Fat/Jcr of Radio, p. 3 10.
3. Ibid., p. 39. 15. T ime magazine, Sept. 8, 1967, p. 54.

24
 Chapter J'ive

Some Early American Independents

Apart fi·om D e Forest o nly two manufacturers of any
sig ni fi cance had marketed tu bes before 191 7 and this had
been done o penly and witho ut benefit of patent licence
fro m De Forest. Whether bv coincidence o r otherwise
bo th these tube makers were located in San Francisco
which may have been the reason why their respective prod-
ucts were so similar even tho ug h they differed rad ically
in constructio n and appearance fro m De Fo rest's Aud io ns.
T he first and probably best known of the two indepen-
dents was o ne Elmer T . C unn ing ham, whose name was

LICENSED BY DE FOREST
AUDIOTRON
The Original Tubular Vacuum Amplifier
The .r\·udioT ron Vacuum T ube is now manufactured and sold as
a genuine audion licensed under DeForest P atents Nos. 841,387 and
879,532 to be used only for amplification in ra dio communication and
only for experimental and amateur purposes and only in a udio frequency
circuits.
The A udioTron has a double fil ament of spec ial thorium t ungsten and the operating
li fe is ove r 2poo hours. No special socket is re qu i red. Th e electr ical and mechani cal
d imensions result in a heavy pl ate current and co r responding signal streng th. Plate volt-
age under 40 . Ou r g ua ra ntee insures sa ti sfaction.
PRICE $6.00 EACH
If your loca l dealer cannot supply you we w ill ship postpa id when cash accompa nies
o rder.
Th e A ud io Tron Exclusive Guaranty : Each and every Audi oT ron is gua ranteed to
arrive in good cond ition and to prove full y sat is factory. R eplacement of unsat isfacto ry
tubes will be m ade fr ee of charge.
AudioTron Audio-Frequency Transformer $7 .00
Laminated closed core, two coil type.
D EALERS :- ////rite f or our attra ctive tt-ade Propositio n.
AUDIOTRON SALES CO. Lick Bldg. . SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.

You bcutlit b.>· mt11tioning the 1oE/tctrical E.rptrime11tt'r" when :oritir.g to adverti1er1.

In spite of the c laim the Audiotron was not licensed by De Forest.

25
later tO become well known for orhcr reasons. Cunning-
ham's tubes were sold under th<.: name of AudioTron, or
Audiorron, and were marketed bv the Aud ioTron Sales
Co. of San Francisco. For som~ re:\son Cunningham's
name did not appear either on rh<.: tubes thcrnscl\'(:s~nor in
advertising during the fi ve-year pe riod in which thev \\'1.·rc
made and sold. Just whv this sho uld have been so can
possibly be explained by; desire o n C unning ham\ part as
an unlicensed manufacturer to prudently conceal his idrn-
tirv.
The AudioTro n tube was of unbased, tu bular, double-
ended construction ha\·ing twin axial filaments. The cdin-
drical anode was of only ;lightly smaller diameter rha1; rhe
inside of rhe bulb and rhe grid consisred of a coarse spiral
of thick wire supported ar only one end. Both the long
filament and wobblv grid could \·ibrare frecl~·; a type of
constiucrio n more prone ro microphon~· \\'Ould be difti-
cult to imagi ne.
Cunningham Audiotron tubes of the 1916-1919 era.
As an unlicensed manufacturer C unningham \\'as soon in
tro uble \\'ith D e Forest over the matter o f patent infrings-
ment and although a satisfactory settlement was reached It seems almost certain that Cunningham was quire
similar trouble occurred later \\·ich RCA. This time a settle- happy to allo\\' his rubes co be sold by others under \'arious
ment bCt\\'cen the C\\'O parties resulted in Cunningham brandnam<.:s, judging b~· the identical appearance o f sev-
agreeing to cease manufacture and become a distributor eral diflcn:mly labelled cubes \\'hich appeared at the time.
for RCA. Mention of Cunningham's later acti\·iries "·ill be Onlv o ne \\'ill be mrntio ned here- the Roome 'Osci llau-
made in another chapter. dion'. T he e nterprising promorcr of the O scilbudion \\' ;\S
o ne Harr~' V . Roome of l.os Angeles. ln an advcrrising
pamphlet (undated but apparently produced in 19 16),
Roome claims to have supplied his 'Super Sensiti,·c Oscil-
laudions' to no less than rhi rrccn American uni\'ersit ies and
colleges and t\\'o in Canada. Also included among his (sat-
isfied?) customers \\Tr<.: the U.S. Army Signal Corps, the
Roval Australian Na\'\', and the Astronomical Obscn·arorv
of ~cw South \!Vales: Australia. No r ew Zealand cusron~­
ers arc listed buc someo ne must ha\T been sufficienth'
interested to \\'rite fo r the leaflet no\\' in the author's pos-
sessio n.
However, these claims arc rclll)1 not rcle\'anr to chc
matter under discussion which is the similarirv of Roorne's
tube to C unning h a111's Aud ioTron. Comparison berween
illustrations of the Oscillaudion and several sm11pks of the
AudioTron leaves no d o ubt in the author's mind that rhcv
were one :rnd the same rulx.
The second West Coast m:mufacturer \\'as Oris R. Moor-
head who originall~1 made a mbe of almost identical con-
struction to the AudioTron wh ich was sold under the
name of Ek crron Relay by the Pacific Radio Laboratories
., Sales Co. Like Cunning ham, Moorhead also became in-

/}
volved in patent infringements b ut was able ro carr)' o n

r
unril 'saved by the gong' fo llowing America's entry into
, World War I in 1917. During the war Moorhead, like
anyone else, was free to manu facture tu bes for militar~·
G purposes without ~car of incu rring lawsuits, and this he
Right: Moorhead ER Electron Relay. 1917. Left: Lumion N.R. proceeded to do. Notable amongst Moorhead's warrime
(maker unidentified). productions were rubes made for the British government.

26
Honest Advertising Courteous Treatment Square Dealing

~~There is Only One Oscilaudion--The Roome" DETECTOR

AMPLIFIEU
OSCILLATOR
SUPER-SENSrfIVE

OSCILAUDION
DOUBLE FILAMENT
$5.25 . . POSTPAID

HARRY V. ROOME
940 West Twentieth S1recl
Los Angeles, Cal.
C(lrr 4'CI Me1hotl or Mounting
1l1 c 0.-ciluutlion

Roome Oscillaudion 1916.

Such tubes were based on a standard French milirarv de-
sign which was also being used by British val\'e 1rn~kers.
Two versions were produced bv Moorhead, che first of
which had a verticallv mounted electrode assemblv and
was fitted with a spl{erical bulb having the letter il ink
stamped on the side. The second version had horizontally
mounted electrodes and was fitted with ;1 srubb\' tubular
bulb bearing the marking V.T.32. In British milirarv par-
lance of the day the letters V.T. stood for Valve, Trans-
mitting, from which it is obvious that any tubes so marked
must have had a sufficiently good vacuum to enable their
use in tl1is application. Both rvpes were fitted with ;1 Shaw-
made version of the Franco-British 4-pin base.
Under a U.S. Supreme Court decision of 1916 the
manufacture of tubes for general sale was again prohibited
following t11e end of the war. For a short rime Moorhead
continued ro make his double-ended Electron Rclav and
also offered a new type ob\·iously based on the \\'arti.me R
design. The new model, listed as t~'pe R, was a singlc-
ended unbased rube abour one inch in d.i;uneter, and a
little O\·er three inches in length. This tube \\'as described
in an undated sales leaflet, circa 1918, issued bv the P;Kific
Laboracories Saks Dept. as being equivalent to the British
R type. A higher ,·acuurn version of che S<11ne tube was
listed as type RH and was said ro be suitable fo r low
power transmitting use. A third type \\'aS also mentioned
but no derails were gi,·en apm·t from the fact that it could
operate wim 500 volts on the plate.
Moorhead was eventually successful in obtaining man-
ufacturing licenses from De Forest and American Marconi
but the arrangemenc under which the rubes were sold was
unbelievably complicated. firstl y they were sold to De
Forest personally who then sold them to American Mar-
coni who sold them to the De Forest Radio Tel & Tel Co.
Hardly had the agreement become effective when the take-
over of American Marconi by the newly formed Radio
Corporation of America resulted in its cancellatio n which
bee<1111e effective in July 1920. Meanwhile, ho wever, pro-
duction of rubes under the tripartite agreement continued.
These were made in rwo versio ns which had a similar
form of construction differing mainly in the relative diam-
eters of the cvlindrical plates a.nd grids. Those marked
V.T. on the bulb had a place about 0.37 inches in diameter
while the type marked E.R. had a plate nearl~· twice that
size. Both types carried dual markings die-stamped into
the base-Marco ni VT on one side, De Fo rest Audion o n
the other.
Aft:er the expiration of the agreemenr Moorhead con·
tinued to make rubes which were sold under the name A-P
(Atlantic-Pacific) for a short period but all production
ceased in 1923.
A third name among earl~' independents was that of
Elman B. Myers. Originally M~1crs was employed b~· De
Forest and in 1915 was put in charge of the Pacific Coast
division of the Radio Telephone & Telegraph Co. It was
in chis same year that the Pan-Pacific Internatio nal Exposi-
tion was held in San Francisco to mark the opening of the
Panama Canal. De Forest secured a displa~' booth ar the
Exposition at which he personally attended in company
with 'Chief' Myers, as the latter was known to him.
Later in the year Myers ldi: De Forest to commence
making cubes on his own account. In a testimo ny given as

27
a wirness in a lawsuit several years later Myers claimed RAC3 was produced . It was a compact, sn1 rdily builr tube
to have made tubes in 1915 under the name ' Radiotron' o f do uble-ended constructio n which differed from o ther
which he sold to Elmer T. Cunning ham of the Halle r· dublc-ended tubes of the day in being fitted with bake-
Cunningham Co., Market St., San Francisco. T his was lite end caps carrying the contacts . A spec ial holckr W<\ S
a short-lived venrnrc for after a tcw mo nths Mvers w;1s needed to mo unt the tubes and this was available from the
warned that he was infri nging D e Forest patents where· company. Because both ends of the tube were the same
upon he ceased further manufacture. thev w1.:re coloured red and black to ensure correct place-
Apparently there were no hard ti:cl ings as Mvers n.:· mc;1t in the holder which carried the markings RED at the
turned to work for De Forest in 1916 where he remained upper end and BLAC K at the lower end. The Radio Aud-
until 1918. After leaving De Forest fo r the second time io n Co . continued co make rubes unril 1922 when they
M yers worked first at GE and then at Western Elct:tric were forced o ut o f business by legal action instituted by
before becoming associated with a company kno wn as patent ho lders.
the Radio Lam p Corp. After being warned bv R CA over No t ro be outdone, M ven; then hit o n the idea of estab-
patent in fringement chis co mpany changed its name ro lishing a factory in some ·place where, presumably, he con-
the Radio Audion Co. and moved from ew York to Jer· sid1.:red he would be safe from the threat of legal proceed-
sey Cicv. At this locatio n a tube known as the Myers ings fo r patenr infringement. T hus it was that E.B. M ~ 1ers

•• n e ri«id nato:r~ of the MYERS nl•tt IQ tbt ucor.d

teCC•"tr· bowutr, JC'tmitted lli GR Wllb.OCll lbtH l'fOnMt-
~omt microoboak ooisn.•• •
:£.J.!r<M.f /~ rle htl"i•t!t» •l"P!.I.'""' /Ill\ 1•'f.\>. f'i!I
;r,/~~·::~~::.~':.':ir.:~;:.,':t-:~·,~;,~~::!;.1!"-:••tr<t ..._______lll(j
I hr ' ' ,,ll1,.lo• u •.t U1t
'1.1\ I f(~ l"""- u '""'''.le~·
:1! i',':"·~...;;,t~:,;~ ~·:· •1•;:!r
1 11
lb;u :i1YERS '"''' " U$d and pronou:octd s.acul1.clor u ,-.ur a11.d'
10 lbe 000o-·mi«0pbo aie \41h(". Th,. '.'itrn-111,. ~•
,{.... \ l\I U:-..;ir.. _.,.. 11~ 1 r ,...,,It•••'' "'"'
tbotUU(lhtt l)f ~markable s 1n-111!t\ wluk 1r~..r11 fri.f11 •" •) 11+1u . . . .nupflh; 11.: ,,.,• ••, . :.n·
Jtbo111c nd!t \llh:l.l.M.ll'uir r nuit." f:..,m thf' ,. r\' 11111t ,.111 ""''',:" ..: .- l'-l-111\ u;111.1rh..1Mt' t ,.lom>:
~ tivY" 4..'lfCl1t1u ... lltM(Mfx•. r.\u ffl)f't1h· c•/ llu ,\/ l I/.'' r• >-i,: ....,, "\" ''th1.,~ 1ntn •-'""111ii
-,f (Al -.•'11)' f!1(-t ...11Stf(t ft>kkotU ;..4",...li ,_,•Al ."Ito \/\} f~ \lYf l-tSMrl1• ••Ill\ •·•!'n
f'rt•trnir:t•U• .ll,'£RS.1u gJtro:;Jil;,_f'Htf''•l.1.t \•~•: .. ~l.1:1111<'hl• ol~ ... " " ·

Mvers AGE..\'TS
Lor.clo-n · Tb•
l'dlulh ..,.n--1
Dull
Emitwr v~IYt Co.. "''
1vn-..ut.;;I··• ' \ \
!~l\f'l•l•• ..1•\\11.
~.a.r.cba•tt R. Dann &
"uth

Soru. \ '''' ru I" U .-.!od

K before thethedaysoriginol
NOWN :tS HJ.MU rubes
of BCL;

Valves Preferred by am31eurs ond experts be-

''-1 \\.-.r&.• lt1lt•tt\ ''-
:S~·culJe ~nlon Ha11tt1
& Co.. ( ,,....,.u \ b:un• fore the lirstpapularreceivingsc<was sold;
1"1'"1', l"llr.•ru '1••""1
Ll\·erpool A;iu Hltc1ricaJ Progressively improved in construction
Supp.Ir Co.. ~·1 1 1)J 11.,11
~tr<('I nnd performance;
Gl l.!-~O\" Milllc.1n 1 Wue--
PRAC TI C ALLY UNBR E AKAB L E Mode in the newest o.nd best C<juippcd
I ''' ' ,.r,;111. 12 6 , \vhs .1• .1mr.
, ..
....lei:s,.....co ., • ''"' l11C'b<1ll
pbnt in America .
l >r-' u,'lf"'"·· 21 . -i "'It" :' .:111.r Yo:kshlr1 H. Wadsworth
~ l ets. !'-1o111•t..1tt ll•ultl·
l'J.l.tl"'-UJt.:11{1'; }()()\,.Jl•
Cd the World on Your D ial
!-::.u obk-T\ .ltKe t>f Hhcos.ut i:dt:uc:ta=.....-.. b 11111• 11 .. 1 ""'·'-""'" IVilh M11cr$ Tubes
'At tbt-ni htiint )Mlt ,1~.,,n rr l.ot'ail'f"I !-"lht ~ ,,ttnt

C u nningham and M orrison

49. Wa.rwiclt Road. Earl°• CouTt. Londo n. S.W 5
•pltflro.L; l\t.rUlllftJOfl 7~1<1o..
A British ad for Myers 'valves·. July 1924.
I"" •1 I ••'·
'(,,,rnu;' ..\h'f"r!Jvr,ot\ •
.,.., ...
Sotalhttn Coalio
D.E.O.A•• I 1 U-lfll H ....J,
B;rmim;bm
~..,.~
J . Boodlt,
Low ;mp<dmc., h;gh ampl;fiarion coruuru, hlgb
r:numa1 <"Onduct.tnct!. Bnc: rts:ulLS in a.ay cirruit
tt l ff1tb :O.l1~1. Mr.•tb· - i.mpecb.nce._ 1es~.mce or tr:anJformtr coupled.
I.,,.,,...,, I (1tuir.11 ' "'"1t..k. fhtnllu:.h..-m
Ol!t Yc-11, 9'>t1fn',
!llycra Radio T ube Corporation
CJcvcland, O hio

List Price
Typo 01
$2.00
Type99
$2.25
AIY...... ~a

Myers tube and cartons. Last Myers ad ( 1926).

28
Co. Ltd. of Montreal came into existence. T he Canadian
facro ry continued makino- tu bes o f the same design bur in
rwo srvks; the 'UniversaP which had a filament raring of 4
V, 0.6 A, and the 'Dry CeU' which was rated at 2.5 V,
0.25 A. The tube carto ns bore the legend ' Made in Canada
U nder Canadian Parent No. 229, 182- 229, 183-229, 184.'
The Canadian patent application d:ltes were dared 14th
Januarv l 922.
During, 1923-24 Myers rubes were expo rted to several
countries including Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.
In spire of the ban o n their manufacture in the y.s. the
Canadian rubes were advertised and sold by mail to cus-
tomers in that cow1trv.
By 1925 M yers apparently considered it s~fo for him to
rentrn ro the Scates and the Canadian o peranon was trans-
ferred co C leveland, Ohio, where it was cstablished as the
Mvcrs Radio Tube Corporatio n. ln 1926 tubes of the
origin:ll d o uble-ended design were still being advertised
tho ugh by this time were completely obsolete. 1 P.-t the sa~ne
time a range of four standard type rubes was offered which
were described as being 'Made in the Newest and besr
equipped plant in America.' As n ot~1ing further \~as. heard
o f rhe Cleveland facrorv after rhe middle of 1926 1t 1s con-
cluded rhat operations .ceased ar about that time.
Mvns' name next appears in connection with the im·en-
tion ~fa ' vacuumkss' radio tube known as the 'Thermion' .2
This tube can be politely described as being of unusual de-
sign and understandably was never developed beyond the
laborarorv stage. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note thar
it rated a~ men~tion in a British book published in 1928.;
In the few vears drnt had elapsed between the end of
World War I a.nd the begitming of broadcasting what little
demand there \\·as for radio apparanis was provided by
the small but growing number of experimenters and early
amateur o perators. However, o nce the idea .of broadc,:st-
ing had 'caught on', interest in the new medium grew l~ke
wildfire, and the demand for the necessary hardware, 111-
cluding tubes, mushroomed almost overnight. Whilst it
was n~t too ditlicult for a large number o f component
manufacturers ro esrablish dmnsclves ro carer for this de-
mand such was nor the case with tube makers. Herc, the
possession of parents by the big four-AT&T, GE, RCA,
and \1Vcst inghouse, coupled \\'irh a polic~· o f not grancing
manufacturing licenses to aspiring independent tube mak-
ers, effecriveh" created a m~nopoly situation for the parent
holders.
lnevitablv this restrictive policv led to the production o f
' bootleg' n;bes, that is, tubes m:~de without the benefit of
patent ~license, by manufacturers who were prepared to
face rhe risk of infringement proceedings. During the next
tcw vcars the number of independents grew by leaps and
bou1~ds, reaching a peak around 1925 when it is estimated
tl1at over 80 were in existence. Of these the majority were
small fl~1-by- night operators who came and \\'ent ~\'ithour a
trace. Ir hns been suggested some o f these o peranons were
.,
Myers tube holders Can adian (L.), USA (R.) .
on such a small scale that in the event of threatened legal
action the operators could move the entire plant u nder the
cover of darkness and ser it up elsewhere under a new
name bv the followi ng dav!
lkca~1se of the sheer ~veight of numbers of these of-
fenders, coupled witl1 their manner of operating, it was
\'irruallv impossible to stamp out their large~y clan~esr inc
acti\·ities and bootlegging contin ued ro flounsh. It is only
fa ir to emphasise that not all were bootleggers by choice
and, given the o ppommity, many would undoubtedly have
been happy ro legalise their status. Indeed, several of ~he
largest evennially became licensed and well-respected 111-
dependent manufacturers competing o n more or less equal
terms with RCA and even patenting their own improve-
ments and developments as time went by. Before this
could happen, howe,-cr, nearly a decade was to elapse.
Because certain of the original tu be patents were due to
expire in the early 1920s some independents ap parently
thought that after tl1is time they would be free to engage
in unrestricted nibe m:mufocture, but such was not to be.
T here were still numerous other patents which had longer
w run and which were equally effective in preventing in-
dependent manufacture.
Fleming's original diode patent expired in 1922 and
although this then allowed the unrestricted manufact_ure
o f diodes with bright-emitting fibrncnts it was really ot no
help as signal diodes were as dead as t!1e d odo and as yet
there was no demand fo r power recnficrs. The first De
Forest patent expired in January 1924 and this. roo gave
fresh hope to 1mrny independents who then believed they
would at last be free ro legally fo llow their chosen avoca-
tio n. That thev were in error in their assumption is evi-
denced bv•. the foUowin<T
t> :1nnounccment published by RCA
late in 1923:4
'The expiration on Jan 15 , 1924 of the vacuum tu be
parent No 841,387, will nor permit the general manu-
facture, sale, importation or use of three element \":K-
uum tubes as generaJly constructed, in which the grid
29
 Experimenters!
FOR RESULTS USE

Triode (Trade Mnrk)

Vacuum Tubes
Immediate Delivery $ 7.00 Each Postpaid
FOR DET ECTORS OR AMPLIFIERS
WILL FlT ANY STANOARO FOUR.PRO:\C SOCK.ET
TRIODE A ppli3nces "bco indudc Eaton Oscil1ator$,
Two·:!!h:p A m plifie r,,. V:icuum Tube Sockets. Cnd
Lock$ ti.nd Audi on Frcqucn <:)' A mplifying T ran~form­
en. \'/1\en 0 1dc1i ng l ~(li o nppa ntCUS $p cc;,ify TRIODF.
to insure r ec::ei,·inlt o nly h.flll f\ r1Hu1H'lnd app lianeeuup -
plic:d h y the \'Vi1d cu Sp e(-inlty App;;ir::ttus Comp:my.
C.1lalog will he sent (Jn rc<>c ipl or 2Se: in ~tamp :i .

WIRELESS SPECIALTY APPARATUS CO.

BOSTON, U. S. A.
19!0

BOY SCOUTS AND OTHERS!

You t':\11 ri1a.\ e r t-a l mOIH''Y t1il,.1 ~ d 1011 I or iu t h" •·• E-Cd 11;:.
\ 'nu t'aJI <lf'\ OIE" 1.:an or fu 11 tl uw .
~~?~' ,·::~'\. ·=:::~e-"-r1' \\.r~~~:? ichlC'~ rdi11i: 1•roduf'1 s Maiuuiacl ur-ing Co.
1 11 ir1 ynur ''"rn M nclghb?Thood.
1t11dlo 1•t111nl\ 1ha1. ust' a tubr :-t-1 mus t hni-(' llllJt'5.
n ur 1•rn11osl1.ion will i n terest you.
ti:q wr lt•1u·i: 001 1 1 t> l'l·~ ~a r.\'. \\'rlt 1• us todu} and h•< •Ji:> tt.•11 H •ll abou l It.
SPECIA L DETECTOR
"The '/'ubc You Have Been /Fai1.i11g For"
Mode l S. 200- 6 V olt. \I.I Ampere Pla te V ol tage. 16-45 . . . . , . . '' . ' . .. $5.00
MODELS. 300
I 'f.: \ '•)1t Or,'/ CC'll T ube .
s tar1d;tnl h:. ~ t".
amp"n'
l·~,, r o ne d ry cell U$e.
*
Tiu• tl('\\' l.t i11 t'Cnl<'•! !''c l1i1:kQrll n J,: ' f r l ·
1u nth• l'l 11 t\~ \'aC\lu rn Tube murks a uuw
d upa rum• in ri;ililJ prog ress. ~ norm 1 S. or
$5.00 11mt;1tltkeut \'u lurue. lio uidly tle..d b lc. ,,(
MODELS. 4 00 ,11h•ihlh.I nmt:~ . h lends i l :\d f wh h ('OC1Stllll ·
:; .\'oil O ry t 'ell .Tobf'. 1· 10 am11N< 1111110 ~ rn~ to tht· ~ reatts t opn :H lc ul11 s,
s1.anrtartt ha ~t". \\"od :s well on t wo •.IQ 1h 1• slin p l~1 b i! !lai.i;;,, or tJ1e pA ~q;lim :, h· t11·
r e-Us. D r t(•t·tor antl amplifier, 22 10 t 1t•i1t Y ;md raith of rt'li:;ious rnn~. i.· r t f'
!tfl \' 0118.
11f tfls to r1 io11. 3 JlCTf('tt re\·e lation: anti 11it
$5.00 ' 1111 lls kn, t l:t• r ic:hJW':'~ of tcmt>. llw , ,., .
H•I 1-1n1•utl11u•ss of (lUtl"X•urins moll')d ,\' wi ll
MO DELS. 500 l•rl :>f\ llW :'i U,!.!t•rs lhE'ltlSCft'CS ill nit I h<•l r
~ - Volt, 1.{ ,\ ru110-rt·, Xuoe r Amolifier.
i:;lamhtr(t ht1!'!<'. l•:xc:(~pliomt l nJlu mr. l'111,!.!' l••c h 1111 ' ' "'' <:11a r mi 11g pcr&onttl lO· h('.·
Am11110os 111 •I f• 10 !tO \'Qlls. 1'"'i11t• f •11'(' ~·nu .
d ctcclor. :! 2 to 15 ,·oil..".
$5.00 /)eafo rs a11d Jobbers IFrill! fo r
MODELS. 700 Di.sco1t11ls and Attrac1.i ve Prr>-
"·Volt. ~\i ,1mpere . Power Tub.P.
~ta ndard hn:m. For loud speakera nf position.
AJlY rnakr. t: IN'lr a s a ~II. No t.11$·
t°'ni<>n . ~ O 10 120 ro!t r.\:lte battery. ) l :it!c l '1ltfPr ticen se uf t::-..'!"JTl<:O ~:r .n· 1.;~
PA Tl'~"T R l(Jf!T S BY
$7.00
PRODUCTS MFG. CO.
SCHICKERLING 313 Halsey St., Newark, N. J ., U. S. A.
O pen E venings Until 8 O' Clock

Note vague and untrue claim regarding patent license.

30
 Typical 'bootleg' tubes of the early 1920s. Magnavox A tube (1924), a gridless triode.

equivalent is interposed or located between the filament rending over several years, to conuncrcialisc his invention.
wd pbtc. H.P. Donle of the Co nnecticut Telephone & Electric Co.
T his type of vacuum n1bc is still covered by U.S. started work on his first rubes in 1919 and continued to
Letters Patent No 8 79,532, under which Radiotrons arc 1927. During this time Donle's tubes rook many strange
manufactured and sold to the public. forms starting with an i:xternal anode type through ro one
This latter patent has been sustained by the Courts, using a liquid sodium ;rnode (this tube could only be used
and unlicensed tubes have been held by the Courts to be with the bulb downwards) and thence to a type filled with
infringements of this patent.' sodium vapour maintained at a certain temperature by
means of an external heating clement. 5 Commercial ver·
Well, that was telling 'cm, but what it didn't tell them
sions of Danie's tubes were the Co1mecticut Jl 17 and the
was that the patent quoted had on l~· about another year to Sodion t~1pes SlO, Sll, $13, $14, D21, followed by the
run. After February 18, 1925 RCA would have Jost an-
Donte types B6, DR4, DP10, DPll, BS, the last five
other weapon in its armoury bur the Joss would b~· no
types being made by the Danie-Bristol Corp.
means be sufficient to substantially weaken RCA's posi-
An lmusuaJ tube of somewhat surprising o rigin was
tion. In 1925 there were still 22 patents operative. Judg- made for a short period by an old established manufacturer
ing b~1 the increase in the number of independents, which of loudspeakers, the Magnavox Co. of Oakland, California.
reached a peak during 1925-26, this warning had little
effect on their activities.
Because the existence of the De Forest 'interposed grid'
patent was considered by some o f the earliest tube manu-
facturers to be the main stumbling block in their path
towards independent production this sometimes led to
,·arious peculiar 'odd ball' schemcs ro circumvent the pat-
ent, and o ne or two of these will bi: mentioned here.
Possibly the earliest of such tubes was rhc so-calkd
'W eagant Valve' invented by Roy A. Weagant, chief en-
gineer of the American Marconi Co., and patented by
him in 1918. This ntbc used an external control clectodc
clamped to the o utside of the.: glass envelope in place of
the normal grid. Because the Weagant valve was not pro-
duced commerciall\' it will not be discussed further. Wca-
ganr himself later became vice-president and chief engineer
of the De Forest Radio Co. in 1925 .
Another of the early non-infringing tubes, known as the
'Sod io n', deserves mention perhaps not so much because
of its peculiarities but frir the dogged determination dis- Schickerling SX400 and S-4000 typical 'bootleg· tubes of the
played b~1 its inventor in his long-standing attempts, ex- 1920s.

31

Sodion S-13 and D-21 .
Juse how Magnavo x came co be involved in making tubes
is not known although the company had been producing
amplifiers for use with their speakers. In I 924 Magnavox
cornmenced productio n of radio recci\·ers and it was at
chis time that the first cubes were made. Presumablv these
two ventures were complementary but as it happened they
were both short-lived.
The Magnavox 'A' tube was first advertised for general
sale in October 1924'' and no further ads appeared afrer the
end of 1926. In its original form the tube was fitrcd with a
tip-scaled bulb and brass UV base but earlv in 1926 a
change was made to the use of a ciplcss bu lb and bakelite
base. The notable feature of the .Magnavox wbe was the
use of a special control electrode in place of a normal grid.
This electrode was made of thin sheet metal punched into
the form of <U1 inverted vce having serrated edges. ' This
electrode was of the same contour as the filament and was
positioned closclv to it. In spite of being cxtensivcly ad-
vcrriscd the tubes nc\·er bec;une popular which, in vie\\. of
what must have been an indifferent perlormancc, is not
surprising. Productio n of both tubes and receivers appears
m have ceased at the same time though speaker manufac-
ture was unaffected by this move. Incidentall~1 , Magnavox
n:-cntcred the receiver field many vcars later with the pro-
duction of high qualit~' radio-phonograph combinations.
Apart from those manufacturers who attempted to pro-
duce non-infringing tubes the majoritv seemed content to
follow established Radio tron designs fairlv closely but as
time went by examples of rubes with non-stamhrd charac-
teristics began to appear. One of the tiriit of such mbes
w:-is Clcartron's type I 0 U\ , a high-mu type intended for
use in resistance coupled audio circuits. It was announced
towards the end of 1925; some 18 months before RCA 's
UX-240. Other high-mu tubes were CeCo's type- 'G' (Ma\'
32
1927) and an unidentified type by Ken Rad (December
1926). Also in 1926 o ne manufacturer, Sornmon, pro-
duced two different types of high-mu tubes and at the
s;unc time claimed to have '. .. the largest range of radio
tubes in the world.' (No comments! ) The De Forest Radio
Co. also got in on the act with their rangl'. of 'Specialist
Audions' produced in 1926-27; the word 'Specialist' in
this connection indicated that the tu bes had \·arying char-
:icteristics enabling their use in specialised applications.
Other innovations during the period were the use of an
'M' filament bv Perryman in January 1926; the introduc-
tion of low-d~ain m.bcs, known as .type 201B, by CcCo
and Sonatron in 1928, and the use of oxide-coated fila-
ments in 201A type tubes by Arcturus and National Union
in 1933.
f urther examples o f non-standard productio ns were the
so-called 'adaptor' tubes. These fell into cwo groups; the
tirst consisted of a standard type rube fitted with '' type of
basl'. normallv used on a different rube. An example from
this g roup is the Sonatron Al99 which was a 199 tube
f'itted with a standard sized UX base. Such tubes could be
HE engineer;; who developed the
famous Magnavox line oi radio
reproducing ;md amplilying equip-
ment have now prochicti.d a vac·
uum tube equally d istinctive and
s11ccessful in its o wn field.
One trial convinces the 11\0~t cx~lcting user thac
rhe Magnavox will replace ordinary mbes to great
ndv;mrnge in any receiving sec.
Magnavox P1·oducts
rt.:rirodtu:cts~f e!~<:tr<><!ynamk Pow"'' 1\nwliiicrs lot :mdh.:i·
and ,;..o:ni-dyu.:u:Ue typ:. fo.rall fr«1t1cucy ~mpHfi:ation. One.
v.acuum tu.he ~h;fti ~t."; t wo, and r h.:~;,;t>:
'$?5.l'O fO $50.QO :S?/.51."' to S00.00
Combin:.uio n Seu. OC)mhinint a \':1cu u111 T u l>D: A S?<lr.tg(' lui:·
fle.pn.xh:eer cmd PQwer A m· l~"fY tube o! nev.· ::md •pprov·
pli6~ in enc unit; C\'.I dco:ls.n for :ill Sl~.nd.;.rd <i:'··
vVf~~A~~~:i:~~?~~·~:~~~~ S59.00, SS5.QO ~"U it• • ss.oo
!o>o 1.1..c '" ...,,1;o Ir~~! V\dl"'llo~ 1,.....,.,..: ,
~,f..,rin .!.l :1"..~J1:td ciw.i:nf.)ild•lttte<••"'
111,.r.tl...i .J'°fo" .!"''°''Nu~. TI1IJl\1bt t •11;o1
~Llgll!lvoli R.'lrlio PrOOue1~ are sold b)' reliable deniers evcrr
C•m~.t.l<•I i.d!u>1.....,:tfio~:r• '" ti'>;•l•I" ' '' ll1.o where. U unacqu<1im~l wid1 the M11gm1vox store in yout
~.... r.1.....,.,,, ..... .....mrcio:o• .... ~ '"'~".. ,..1....
vici11it) 1wriu: us for informa~io11.
1
'l't... 1~1 u~-ubltfum"" ...! d ..i-.,,.,,., M.•lt"""' '"
1~....11... T~lictu"~ ;,, .,1;....,;,,.,_;,.u11w 1t1hl.
Th <? :1omc •«t•U1•t1vo,\ ' ifl ~·ou r ltS ·
s11r1Jnct: or quali ty M •<I 01m c;.w1:s.
u..i."-" '"" 01.-tir.."~· ~"'" t-)l\o:'•r tu~. M••,
...,,,,,. T11t...~i:i"<' th" f'kl!<:!M~n wwl'"(1u.;1i:-;I
~·i:c- bc:w~....,. 66=.1 .cJ i:l..i~ r ib 1tw THE MAGNAVOX CO., OAK LA1'0, CALlf'.
l'ftu?t 1b..ttl-... ~L,......,...~n:..1.... ,1o;i,..,.,..hall
o...i.-n...1c;o;-~•ncf.od.-:r ~i:.,.qt.i~ .,TI".
Nt."\\' YOR K
C.0..4~,. p,·,:ri~l<>t'O: P~·.S.ioH F,f~tth'.'
St\:-0 1: 1\A~C ISCll
l.imitc,l,TuNIU..t, ~l.;.nuc,;,J , \\'il'lnil"(''!
used to cmwcn a wet-batten· receiver to dr~1 -ccll opera-
tion. The second group consisted of tubes tiered with a
modified r~·pc of UX base carrving four terminals mounted
on a flange. These were power output tubes having inter-
rnpted grid and plate connections to enable the use of
additional grid bias and plate voltage without disturb-
ing tlK internal wiring of existing receivers. This was a
rather clumsy expedient to enable the use of a power tube
in the last stage of any receiver no rmally using a general
purpose rube in this position. Examples of such tubes
arc Magnatron DC12, Sonatron 171, Van Horne 5VCX.
No·wadavs these ntbes are of interest to collectors due to
their comparative rarity coupled with their unusual ap-
pearance.
FOR THE LAST AUDIO SOCKET
Van Horne Adapted Mogul
5 VCX Power Tube
The Mogul 5 VCX is a double capacity power
tube-specially to carry all of the si,gnal to the
speaker without distortion or loss of signal qual-
ity.
Because it can be used in you r set without a
cha nge in wiring it is an addition
that you should make for that in-
8
crease in vol ume and improveme nt
in reception chat is absent when an
ordinary tube of un sufficient capac-
ity is used.
Ask your dealer to demonstrate this
rem;rkable tube to you.
THE VAN HORNE CO
FRANKLIN, OHIO
After 1928 the rapid growth of such large receiver
manufacturers as Atwater Kent, Crosley, Majestic, and
Philco, who required vast quantities of tubes to keep their
production lines running, led to rapid changes in the tube
industrv. Henceforth, only those tube manufacturers ca-
pable of large-scale prod~1ction would survive into the
1930s. Almost overnight the number of independents
dropped dramatically, such were the changed conditions.
Of those in existence in 1926 fewer than half remained by
1928 and the process of attrition continued until 1931
when o nly 19 remained. Few of the earliest independents
successfl.1lly made the transition from battery ntbe manu-
facture to large-scale production of AC tubes, some of rhe
better-known survivors being CcCo, De Forest, Ken-Rad,
Ravtheo n, and Sylvania.
Although several new independents became established
after 1927, examples being Arcturus ( 1927), Perr~1 man
( 1929), Triad ( 1929) , Champion (1930), and National
Union (1930), o nly the last named survived World War
II. In Octo ber 1929 an article in Radio News made refer-
encc ro 'o\·er 50' tube manufacturers of whom onlv about
a dozen w1:n: RCA licensees and went on to suggest that
tube manufacturing ' may conceivably be O\-crdo ne'. It
must be realised, however, that the small percentage of
RCA licensees at that tin1c was largely the result of RCA's
former policy which until 1929 had denied licenses ro the
independents.
By 1930 the tube industry had become established o n a
firmer footing with about 15 licensed manufacturers, apart
from RCA, in existence. This was a far cry from the cha-
otic days of 1926 but the number of independents contin-
ued to drop throughout the 1930s until by 1935 only 8
receiving tube manufacturers remained. Not all the casual-
ties occurred as a result of the highly competitive condi-
tions within the industrv for it must be remembered that in
the early thirties the prevailing economic depression was
at its worst and this in itself was the cause of the demise of
many smaller companies. Although by 1932 twenty com-
panies had been successful in acquiring manufacturing li-
censes kw o f them survived long enough after that to ob-
tain the benefit of their new status.
Between 1935 and the time of America's enny into
World War II the number of independent tube manufac-
turers remained fairly constant and comprised the follow-
ing: Arcturus, Champion, Hytron, Ken-Rad, National
Union, Raytheon, Syl\'ania, and Tung Sol. Of these all but
the first two remained in existence throughout the war
and were active in producing tubes for militar)' purposes.
In some cases o ne company acted as a sub-co ntractor mak-
ing specialised types of rubes which they did not normally
produce. For example, Tung Sol made the Western Elec-
tric type 7l 7 A (VT-269) doorknob tube and Sylvania
made the Philips-Mullard type EF50 for the British gov-
ernment. However, the important part played by all types
of vacuum tubes during World War II is a story in itself
which is outside the scope of this book.
REFERENCES
1. Sec, for example, advt. QST, April 1926, p. 71.
2. H.G. Silbersdorff, The Vacuumlcss Tube, Radio NeJlJs,
May l 925, p. 71.
3. G.G. Black, History ~f Radio Telephony & Telephony
(1928), p. 259.
4. Quoted by John B. Brady in The Vacuum T ube Pat-
ent Situation, Radio News, May 1924, p. 1573.
5. John V.L. Hogan, A New and Ultra-Sensitive Detec-
tor, Radio News, December 1923, p. 686.
6. Sec advt. Magnavox Co" Radio Nnvs, October 1924,
p. 359.
7. N ew Developments in Vacmun T ubes, Radio News,
Feb. 1925, p. 74.
8. Sec advt. Clcartron Vacuum Tube Co., Popular Radio,
December 1925, ads. 74.
33
 Chapter S~

Another Grid

1n o rder to trace the o rigin of the first four-clement
tube, o r tetrode as it later c1me to be called, it is necessary
to go back to a period in history during Wo rld War I. At
that time the German Army was seeking a tube which
could operate satisfactorily on a low place voltage in por-
table field equipment where considerations of bulk and
weight were of prime importance. Any tube that could
folfil this req uirement would allow a much smaller and
lig hter HT battery tO be used. T his led to research on the
part of Dr. Walter Schottky o f tht· Siemens & Halske Co.
which resulted in what came to be known as the Sicmens-
Schottky double-grid tubt:.
In this tube an additional g rid, held at the same po tt:n-
tial as (bur not connectt:d to) the plate was intt:rposed
between the filament and co ntrol grid. In practice the volt-
age applied to the inner grid and place was often as low as
10 volts. T he effect of this extra grid was to neutraJise the
so-called 'space charge' existing between the filament and
grid, thus allowing a higher degree of amplificatio n at
quite lo \\' plate voltages.
Scho ttky patented two fo rms o f this new m be in 1916 1
which cowmy the rubes were sold in. For the European
market the \v'artimc Franco- British 4-pin base fittc.:d with
a side-moum:ed terminal was used, but in addition th1.·
French Radiola large 5-pin metal-shell base was also avail-
able. For markets outside Europe the American UV metal-
shcll base was used , modified by ch<.: additio n of a cle\'erly
designed contact strip to which was affixc.:d a screw ter-
minal. Such an arrangement was necessary due to the sur-
face of the base shell be ing covered when the tube was
inserted in its socket.
In 1926 a new version, available in four ditfrrent volt-
ages, was issued; the rypc Al41, A241, A34l, and A441
were rated at 1, 2, 3, and 4 volts respectively. These tubt:s
were fitted wid1 smalkr tapered bulbs, the innc.:r surface of
which was obscured by a heavy gccccr deposit. four-pin
bases of the now standard European type, modified by the
addition of a side terminal co which the inner g rid was
connected, were used.
,...
\

and 1917 and also produced a versio n in which the addi-

tional g rid W<lS placed berwet:n the conrrol g rid and plate.
However, as this version proved less suitable for the.: par-
ticular application it was not developed beyond the labora-
tory stage.
Following the end of \Vorld \Var I manufacturers in
other countries turned their attention to this new type o f
ru be. Amo ngst the first in the field was the Dutch firm of
Philips who had for many ~rears bt:cn engaged in the manu-
facru re o f incandescent lamps. Their lirst double-grid tube,
type Q, was marketed in May 1923. 1 In 1924 the type Q
became type D-VT, follo wing a change in Philips number-
ing sysccm;1 and at the same time another tube, type B-VI, Double-grid tubes 1924.
was introduced. The two earlier productio ns were brig ht
emitters with filament ratings of 3.5 V, 0.5 A, while the Although the double-grid tube originated in Ge rmany it
B-VI was a dull emitter requiring 1.8 V, 0.15 A for its docs not appear to have been widely used there. Examples
filament. Place and inner grid voltage for all tvpes was l 0 arc the Telefunken typt:s RE82 and RE074d. The.: formc.:r
volts max. was the earlier of the two being fitted with a special Tele-
Three different styles of base were used, depending o n funken 5-pin base, whilst the latter was fitted with a stan-

34
 OC"ruur.11 1, 10"!1 ~~ \\'OHLJ.> AXO RAl.>10 ll£\'JE\\'
THE \\.IRElA·...

dard European 4-pin base modified by the addition of a

side tenninal.
France was reaJlv the home of the double-grid tube
since a greater variety of types was produced and they
remained in use longer than in ;my other country. Known
as the Bigrillc (or Bigril, depending upon the whims of 4 Electrode Valves
the particular maker) the French tube was used mainlv as
a frequency changer in superheterod~1 nc..: receivers. From ·~ Types DE.7 and FE.3
about 1930 onwards this type of tube was also produced \ Type DE. 7
in an indirectlv heated version which remained in use until
tinally ousted by the coming of the more modern heptode
( r. ~
J!,, I Filament Vohs •
.. Current
DULL EMITTER
.. t ·8 volts.
o·.i amps.
and triode-hcxodc tubes. Examples of the earlier French Anode a!ld Inner Grid Volts 6- 1) volts. mnx.
double-grid rubes arc the Metal DG and the Radio Micro PRlCE 3 7 / 6
R43 .
On the British scene the M-0. V:tl\'(: Co. was in a unique Type FE.3
position in that it could claim to h:ive made four-electrode BRIGHT EMITTER
Filament \'ohs. .j \'Ohs.
valves fo r longer than most European manufacturers. This ,. Current 0·65 amps.
was quite true but it should be pointed o ut that the valves Anode and In ner Crid Vohs 6- 1j vohs. mnx.
referred to, such as the FE! of 1920, were screen-grid, PRICE 27/ 6
not space-charge grid types. The first British double-grid Four·elcctrod e valves have been manufactured by the M .O. Valve
valves advertised for sale were the rypes FE.3 and DE.7: Co., Ltd .. for a con•iden•ble number of years, and have been widely
used in various types ot comme.rc1al rece.1vers. These two new
the electrode structures of which were closely modelled on types have been specially designed for broadcast reception.
the ubiquirous R valve. Filament ratings were 4 V, 0.65 A ADVANTAGES:
and 1.8 V, 0.4 A respectively and both types had a rec- Reduce bulk ol H.T. B>ttcry fcq u;rcd.
Gi,•e greater rnnge for same number or V,:\)ves.
onunended voltage of from 6 to 15 volts for the inner grid Pfo\·tde a va.ticty of intcrc1tinw cjrcuits (or the cxpcr!mcntcr.
and anode. Economical in currer>I con•umrition.
Lo,..· ,·olue of inncf vtd current.
Some idea of the insignificant part played by the spaee- Flued \\•ith ftandar<l 4-J.'in C41:>. the inuer grid being connected
to n tcl'minal on the metal cap. thus obviating 1he need for
charge tetrode can be gained fro m the fact that in 1925 special valve holder.
only two manufacturers, Mullard and M-0.V ., listed dou-
:\I \'.'I I A\ ll ' l._l. ~1' I\\ IJ( •l.I :t,\ L I~
ble-grid types. B)' 1932 there were three makers, Cessor, TME CE':'rnn:\L ELECTH.11..: t;O .. l.TO .. )tngoCL
UXLV -
House. 1-\.ingswuy, W.t:.2
Mullard, and M-0.V- producing double-grid valves de-
signed for use as frequency changers in battery operated
superhets. Within two years, however, these were com-
pletely superseded by the coming of the heptode fre-
quency changer.
Before leaving the space-charge tetrode mention must
be made of an attempt during 1924 to revive interest in its Mu/lard PMIDG .
use by the publicising of a circuit known as the 'Unidyne'. 1929
The Unidyne was the brainchild of G.V. Dowding and
K.D. Rogers, of the London weekly publication Pop11lm·
Wireless, who devised a circuit wherein the normal HT
battery was dispensed with.
A four-electrode ,·alve, originally known as the Thorpe
K4 and later as the Unidyne valve, was specially produced Philips A141. 1926.
by the Bower Electric Ltd ., London, for use in the Uni-
dvne
. circuit. 5 This valve bore a fairlv
. close resembl:tncc to
the M-0 FE.3 and carried a filament rating of 4 V, 0.42 A.
- ~ ~.

f
Unlike rhe M-0. valves the Unidync was fitted with a
special 5-pin base requiring a m:itching 5-pin socket. In- ~'
rcu'"..,.,....'""4
:>
&(,("h,1c •
, .; ;7.-1
cidentally, this is the first known use of a 5-pin base by li.t;·;i.

a British valve maker and in this respect the Rower Elec- • 1

tric Co. was a pioneer even tho ug h their base did not
become the one adopted as the industry standard some
five vca rs later.
Two German double-
The idea of attempting ro operate a valve without using grid tubes.
1927 1925

35
an HT battery may seem absurd yet an eX<lmination of the
circuit reveaJs that although no sep<lratc battery was used
the plate did receive a positive voltage, albeit a small one,
due co the plate return being made co the positive side of
the filament supplv. 13~, using a 1. 8-\·olr vah·e, such as the
M-0. DE. 7, with the filament tapped across the most nega-
tive cell of a 6-volt LT battery the remaining four \'Olts
were then available co suppl y the plate and inner grid. The
Unidvne used a 4-volt vah·e with onh· a 4-volt batten•,
howe~·er. · .
Not surprisingh', the idea of a receiver which could be
operan:d without the need of the usual HT batten' met
with considerable skcpticism and in June 1924 Hlireless
Wm,ld published an editorial supported by letters from six
'eminent authorities' po inting out the futilirv of trving to
obtain something for nothing." A month later, hO\vever,
probably in an attempt to show lack of bias, the same
journal published an article on the construction of a re-
ceiver making use of a four-electrode valve operating with-
out an HT battery.
In spite of the publicity given to the Unidync little more
was heard of it and by the end of the year it had passed
into limbo. Before this had happened, however, the Uni-
dyne had crossed the Atlantic where its cause was espoused
by none other than Hugo G ernsback, then editor of Radio
News. Writing editorially in the August 1924 issue Gcrns-
back mentions having secured the American and Canadian
publicatio n rights to the U nid~·ne circuit, now renamed
'Solodyne', and also stated that the word had been regis-
tered as a trade-mark by Radio Nt·ws.
The absence of any American double-grid nibe was soon
remedied bv the production of one b v the N urron Mfg.
Co. of New Jersev. Known as the Nucron Solodrnc·, this
tube resembled ti1e u biquirous UV-201 A in at~pcarancc
but diflcred from its E uro pean counterparts in having no
actual terminal for the inner grid connection. Because the
UV type base did not readily lend itself ro the addition of
a side-m ounted terminal the inner g rid connection was
made directly to the tube's metal base shell. Of course this
meant that it was essential co use a socket which also had a
metal shell in order that electrical contact could be made
with the base of the tube.
In America as in Britain the B-batteryless circuit proved
to be a flash in the pan and within a similar length of
time both the circu it and the tube were cornpletdv forgot-
ten.
Another form of tetrode, almost equally as old as the
space-charge type, was o ne in which the additional grid
was placed between the control grid and plate. AJthough
no commercially produced rube ever resulted sold~· from
the insertion of an extra g rid in the wav that occurred in
the case of the spacc-charge tetrode, the idea c\·enrually
resulted in a completely new type of tube.
One of the first-encountered inadequacies of rhe triode
was its inability ro provide a satisfacrory degree of arnpli-
36
fication at radio frequencies without instability or feedback
and oscillation occurring due ro the internal plate-to-grid
capacity. Developments of triodes having extremely small
inter-electrode capacities had reached a practical limit with
the production of Round's wartime type V .24 vah·e. Cir-
cuitwise, attempts were made to overcome the problem of
attaining stable amplification bv either of two ditrerem
methods. The simplest and crudest of these was ro add
d;unping ro the circuit bv the inclusion of a resistor in
series with tl1c grid of the rube-the so-called 'losser' svs-
tcm.
TliE \l'Ulll l.BS.~ IVOHJ.D AND nADIO RBl'IEll' .lu~t; 11, 1924
··>
THE MAGIC VALVE WITH
THE FIVE LEGS AND
THE ONLY VALVE FOR
THE 'U1d1d\!Jl~e.. CIRCUIT
T\.e THORPE ){., (Fei.Jr• £lt«rodtl V.'-1. VP. •u caed by tU !.::.~ti::in
d!!~;:r~:c-;1~~~r;;i;~~~!.l~h~J:~~u~ ~:.a '~ ~:a!!,
n.c. TUORl'e ~. , H '~ ocl1 (U.&fU.l.Hd VL't Oil. t~ rw~rt
no ru0Rr1: l{.4 ....11..:i 0$ed t.."I :otmHnta1 ,.,.,, b t4 U:1~!!.fU-t' Cua!.~
11:w.11n~
LKSS. RUN'NUfO con. GREAT ru:DUCDOS L'i DlS-
TORTIOS, LRSS RI.SJ( Of' BUR.~l'-OUT \'ALVES.. Pl1R£R
'fOSIS.
~ -~~l~;!ify'' ~!~:u:.'ul\r~!c, Ttl~ (li:~l7~Ja1'f:r1fugb~~r:~1~-:.
SOWER ELECTRICli4
U OllAPB Srn.&ET. SllAM'Y,SDURT
A\Utrr.:. W:'f1>0K. W.O.
We Ac.ab fl>:' J.,neat ldro 11.11d C110:11!ro! PILAJllEllT LOOS:
Ttlt l'AIJ.t"l llll W 11tl'l.I :<' l'.~l'trM ~ ' r co.,
19 J11idcc S1tcc:, DN11 ~1:;U ••, !ll :m~hotrr.
VOLTAGE fOR Tiil!
4'0 AMP. 5
~· A~tt lor Seotland : l<m•11 l!11CJJ1,
~~~~t, ~~~;,£o~~;,,J>~ I-foul(', 69 Wt~l ·uu. LEGS.
The second and m o re efficient method consisted in
coupling an out-of-phase voltage from the plate circuit
back to the grid, which had the effect of neutralising the
plate-to-grid capacity of the rube allowing a reasonable
degree of R.F amplification to be obtained . The best and
most widely known of such schemes was tl1e so-called
'Neutrodyne' circuit developed bv Pro fessor L.A. Hazel-
tine of the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jcrse~·
as far back as 19 .I 9. Later the Hazeltine Corporation was
formed which licensed receiver manufacturers to use the
patents.
Radio News for September, 1924

NEW! STARTLING!
A Revolutionary Developtnent!
The Tube That Eliminates
"B" Batteries
T HE impossible hasof been
AMPLIFJCATION
achieved, namely the
R adio Signals without a "B" Battery.
and DETECTION

It is no lo nger necessary to be in danger of blowing out tubes.

(80% of all tubes are blown out-only 203 burn or wear out
naturally). The Nutron Solodyne Tube makes the Solodyne Cir-
cuit possib le and thereby eliminates the " B" Battery with its
disagreeable noises, high expense and bulk.
The Nutron Solodyne Tube w.:s d eveloped by our engineers
especially for the first tests of the Solodyne p rinciple made by
Radio News and fully d escribed in last month's issue.

~\l'TR~~ Mr. Gcrnsback says: "We arc confident that du rinl! 1'11c next few years the
Solodyne principle will be ado pted in the majo rity o f receiv ing sets." By all
means get acquainted with t he Nutron So lodyne Tubes which give the So lo-
SOLODYNE d yne Circuit untold possibilitic:d C o mp lete di.-g rams a.nd instruccions are
iocl•.1ded wich each Tu be , . . . . . . Price $6.00
GUARANTEE. E~1.:h N t•tro n Sorodync Tube is g iun a nlccd in c1,cry way and will

TUBES
Nutron Pm· ts for Solodyne Cfrcuits
be r<?pictced "'once ij, within ro days, ic should not work m id the: /ila.nu.mt still lights.

Nutrnn Standard T 1tbes

For best results from the So lo J yne Circuits you must use only
the best of n'l.~Hcri:tls. T ht:rt: i:s no t much energy to lose. Low.. (oss
condensers and co ils will g ive results . The fo llowing pares have
been es pecia lly d(!signcd by our e ng ineers for use in Solodyn c
Circuits and con seq uently w ill g ive superior results in standard
circuits by reaso n. o f th eir unusually fine construction.
Nutron Co nde n ser (Vernier T ype). A low-loss condenser, 23·
place. volume o u d ist:i. ncc st atio ns co ntrolled by Vernier.
Price $ 3.50
Nutro n Trans forrnc r {I- HJ ratio). Has exceptiooally high m1m-
ber of t u rns o n s econ dary Price $3.00
Nutro n Co upler. Ti ck ler is wound as per specifications of rhe
Solody nc C ircuit. 'Th is is !l 3.-ci rcuit coupler \vich rap ped s eJ
co ndary and aperiodic primary P rice $3.50
Nutron G rid Leak. This grid leak is highly critical as to adjust-
rricnc because t·hc rcgcncrario n is contro ll ed by ic. It is very
positive in its action and is c;pecially d c,signed for Solodyne
Circuit Price $1.25
N11tron Tuned Radio Frequency Kit
14
At lust yo u cnn build :it n ve ry moderate cost l'hat big set'• you
h uvc wnntcd . Bui ld o 5-tube N cutro dyoe Receiver o r other tuned
ro1dio or tuned 1·c,::cncr:Hive receiver. Send for this laboratory ..
rcstcJ kit and be sure o f dista11ce nod selectiv ity.
\Xie make the :l$$t:rtio n th~1t there is not ~ becter set of trans..
formers. Jo w-lo:;s condensers or Nucrons (for neutralizing) on the
murkct rha1\ this Ki t con tnins. If you want the best results you
m ust nlways use rhc best nrntc rinls nnd workmanship. The Nutron
T u ned Radio Freq uency K it furnish es t he very best available ma-
terial and wo rkmanship ut the lowest possible price.
Each Kit is com1>letc w ith 3 very low-loss Condensers, 3 labor-
ncory ·«:srcd R.F. Transfo rmers assembl ed ready for panel m o unt-
ing, 2 moun ted Nurro ns for neutralizing . Price, only $14.00
Eighteen years of radio ma n ufacture enable rhe Nutron Mfg.Co.
to offer yo u t he very best in tube dcvclopmc nt - cspecially in chcse
t wo st andard types.
N utron Tube Standard Type .028 Amp. Tubes have valuable
characte: :sties n ot obtainable in '"'Y o the r tube of this type.
The mutual conductance of these wbcs nt 90 vo lts is over
800. As.a power amplifier t hey a rc no t equ l1llcd by any other
cube. They are a s uper tube. They m ust prove satisfactory co
you or be returned w ith in 10 days and repl aceme nt will b e
ma.Jc at once, provided the fibmcnc s cill lights -no wa iting.
Dist ributors :l pprcciate the vnluc o f o ur unusual service..
Nurron Tube Standard Type (.OZS Amp.) $4.00
N urron Dry Battery Tube ( I :If V olts) 4.00
There arc n o ne bette r at nny price.
lm/>0rta11t ! Something New! Coming!
Pans an<l di;igrams for Solodyn c drcuirs consisting o f one stage
radio frequency :ind two stn gts o f aud io frcq ucnc't' nmpJification
a re be ing manufactured and will be o n rhc rria rk cr in August.
This is something that h;is b een sought for yen rs and is now
completely d eveloped . Our en gin eers have spared neit her effort
nor expense in perfecting these hook-u ps und yo u will be shr1ply
amazed at t he results t hey have secured. \Xlat~h for further an-
nouncement 3t an ea rly date :'Ind do n'r miss 1·hc e njoyment in.
store for you!
CAUT I ON!
Be sure you u se Nutron parrs fo r So lodync C ircuirs. They are the
approved laborntory· restc d pans nncl there is absolute certainty
of secu rlng bt·st
resul t s '~'hen
t hey are used. Nutton Mfg. Co.
TheNutron Mfg. 715 Main Avenue, Passaic, N. ].
Co. believes that Please send me the follo wing Nutron parts
"the best is no ne indicated by X. Encl osed is check, money-order
coo go od." for same. (Payment must nccompany orders).

DISTRIBUTORS ATTENTION
To pro vide for the enormo us demand being made for Nutrol\ Solodyne Tubes
we suggest thnt distributo rs order the ir supply at once. Full ptotcction is ex-
tended to recogn ized clistribuco rs as to discounts, replacements, dealer heJps, etc.
All o rders receive prom pt attention bu t preforence is given to those first received.
Nam e - - - - -- -- - - - - - - --
NUTRON MANUFACTURING CO St r ee t,_ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ __ _ _ __

715 MAIN A VENUE PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY City ____ _ _ _ _ State,___ _ _ __

37
 As an Rf amplifier for broadcast-band reception the
neutralised triode reigned supreme for many years, both in
battery and AC-operated receivers but on shorter wave-
lengths it was a different matter. Even with the best and
most carefully adjusted neutralised circuits it ·was impossi-
ble to obtain appreciable amplification below wavelengths
of 50 metres. A further practical difficulty was that neu-
tralisation remained effective over only a very narrow band
of frequencies in any particular tuned circuit and was thus
impracticable where a wide tuning range was required.
One of the earliest attempts to improve on the radio-
frequency performance of the triode was made as early as
1920 by H.J. Round of the .Marconi Co. Taking as a basis
his existing low-capacity V24 triode Round added a wire
mesh screen between grid and plate in an attempt to re-
duce the grid-to-plate capacitance. The resulting valve was
known as type FEl, the letters FE indicating Four Elcc-
mxk.s That this design was only partially effoctive is ad-
mitted by the valve's inventor but nevertheless it muse be
regarded as the progenitor of all later British screen-grid
valves. The FE l valve is known to have been used in a
Marconi shipboard receiver Type 91, ciml 1923, but not
in screen-grid mode. 9 A somewhat smaller version of the
FEl known as the FE2 is known to have been produced
two new types of screen-grid valves patented by him in
1926. 10 The first of these and the one forming the basis for
the first commercial development was a valve of uncon-
ventional design wherein a V-shaped filament was enclosed
by a grid in the normal manner but only one side of this
assembly was presented tO the. remaining t\\!O electrodes.
The anode took the form of a flat metal disc positioned
'end on' to the filament and grid, while the screen com-
pletely enveloped the anode. The screening-grid extended
crosswide to the walls of the bulb and in use the valve was
positioned so that it protruded through a hole in a sheet-
metal partition, the edges of which had to be aligned 1,-vith
the edge of the screen-grid to form an electrical extension
of the latter.
Round's second design, although patented only two
months after the first, differed substantially in construc-
tion as the plate and screen were arranged in the normal
co-axial manner and all electrodes were mounted on a
single pinch. As shown in the patent specification, the
plate was taken through the side of the bulb but apart
from this the design foreshadowed furnre developments.
~THING ELEC'rRICAL

but no reliable information on its characteristics or use is

available.
osr~
CJ(£~.
It must be borne in mind that at this period in history
broadcasting had hardly begun and ,shortwave communi-
cation was very much in its infancy which meant that
there was consequently no market for Round's valves and
thus little incentive to make further improvements. By scieen-gr;ct
1927, however, broadcasting was becoming well estab-
lished in Britain and the growing number of both home
constructors and receiver manufacturers was creating new
8625
THE MOST REMARKABLE
demands for better valves. At this time, and indeed for VALVE DEVELOPMENT
several more years, the most popular receiver whether OF THE YEAR.
homemade or factory built, was a three-valve set consist- TIIE wonderful amplif~~iog p1·01>e1tic» c.i .thc-
Jo(:w &:rccn-Grid Valve-the OSnAM SG25
-·bring in the cl!st:mt s t;t.tions with p~rfoct
ing of a regenerative detector folio-wed by rwo stages of •.1ualiiy OJl lhe sitnplc:.-st of sets.
AF amplification. As in America the problem of obtaining
stable RF amplification remained and although neutralised
triodes \Vere by no means unknown thev were not as
widely used. . ·
Doubtless this was partly due to the fact that the aver- YOU CAN NOW CHOOSE
YOUR fROCHAMMf,
age British receiver used no more than three valves, and WJTll ClRTAUfT\'
IU'.SULTS.
Of

as stages of transformer coupled audio resulted in much READ THESE POINTS

1. Thi! poc.~iblc ll.fl\l)lifiCillloll i;o ('110nmrJ~lbdtul (•Ilk
higher overall gain a valve could not be spared as an RF :.
b )' tbe dilci•:•~C)' \ll lbe tu~1i.11t;: «iUi US.!1L •
'fhr. ~(t'«!l·~iid e1ial.ik~ tJ!i'"J ::r:iplif.t :ifa•:i I~ lo(:
amplifier. When RF amplification was used it was nor- <;llL~if•CO:I Wi l!l
~~.u:ility 9f re1Hed ut(W1~ i~
w 1~~ll)' ((lr rc:1c; So1t.
l•tri\~t ~l11bi!it)'.
i.ioprov« I (•Wi11;: t:, t i<~ .) lnt:i:·~

mally limited to one stage, and any additional selectivity SIMPLE TO INSTALL
needed obtained by the use of a bandpass filter to the grid EASY TO OPERATE
fAR REACHING RESULTS
of the RF valve. In order for it to be really worthwhile to
spare a valve for RF amplification clearl)' that valve had to PRICE Writefo.r9ull
be able to 'pull its weight', but before that could happen a
much more efficient type of valve was needed. The stage
22 "6 Pa11ticula¥s mul
fl..qpical Cit'cu.it
MADt JN ~NGl.ANt>,

was set for the appearance of the screen-grid valve. Al~;. .,• ·r.v 41: •· >,;~;:• ((, C"- U.t,. Jl~r.w: U1mst, J:r..; :i:.•J·. L ..11,(011, W.C~

Captain Round's name now appears in connection with )t!C./417

38
 1 llt'. u JIH. I I· SS n t,JRJ.U
makers with the exception of Cosmos were marketing stan-
dard type valves with 4-pin bases and top-mounted anode
terminals.
The use of an insulated screw terminal on the top of the
bulb for the plate connection remained an industry stan-
dard, in both Britain and the continent, for alJ types of
SG val\'es throughout their production lifetime. This was
in direct contrast to American practice where the grid
connection was always taken to the top cap.
As in the U.S., vari-mu valves were first produced i11
indirectly heated form, though as a matter of interest Cos-
sor had marketed a battery version, type 220VS, in De-
cember 193 1.
As a species the scn:cn-grid valve had the shortest pro-
duction o f any generic type, being completely eclipsed
within the space of seven years by the radio-frequency
pentodc.
l.filln~rto only 6-,·oll
~ :.). ...!!' :.l•\(l,, Sctro.!llf•l A G,AIN f:u...•'!r.lt:m:ltt tl1u wn,·.
S nt••·m~l Gnd ~·llfv~ w.,,.,~ hc~.:n .-v11ilAl1lu. Now As has so o fi:en happened in the history of mankind's
.,........' """"" "1
c:.1.t 1.11" .. . tlm 1~X (;1•pliOUUI ctn,:it~RCJ 11nd tbc ('nOl'OlOIU! ('RI•

':;.;:~:.~i~j",~ c:~.:::.,:,';, :11K~,:~;•'r~.)1':'c:. 1

1
s:r::::. inventions, it wi ll be found that similar \.vork was going
'.!.'.!./<• glv~
l ;ri.i ""'''': ..gn fnrl1i .. l1tt slandllt'd orpc.tformautt. on at much the same time in diftcrent countries and the
c;urrcut <'OtJ!IHmi•tiou b~9 ~en redu~.:d tu om~ tt:uU1
1,..... nr llll 1u1tp(:.n ..
;\,..,•• (,,, ..11
u~r. lltil' wondtrrf11l tl('W C06!IOC'\'aln: iu wn Sel • .•, ....re case of the screen-grid tube was no exception. In the
'''""'"'"'II""'
~:.~.:1:::·~~,:~:;~.;:~~~~,1i'1~a:~~~~:i;:~·.:i'!~f.~:it~'::~
' I "'""

n ro11•ilt1-r•hle ~conowy iu uulnt erutnc~ All

Col!l!OT
United States the first :lpplicatio n of the screen-grid prin-
S<""~11.-1I Grid \ 'aheii ~ Gu~ ,.itb .SlandaJ<d double-
ciple occurred in 1924 when Dr. A.W. Hull of GE was
(=~ 'V:t,.~..a:~~,~:~n~~~~Jr~ti~~~=:e.;
w'1t-el1 f m 1'Jl be able io piek u.p diiit.a.u.t Stat.ionie at tr...-
mf'-.:lo u_. ..-ol ~. 11l<r a ew Cci.;;.o:ur ~«nl:'d Crid
seeking a high-gain llF amplifier for laboratory use in
Vain ~ H•dio't l•ttsl--d gi-~t.eo!it-d"C'"t:lopm<:C~
investigating the problem of tube noise in the early Arm-

..... .,, .. c c--

Mr.Uo<• .r 00
~ ,..

f ...
.......... a..-,..,
• •••·ff u r .. u.•· ..,.....,
Coss or
-tl' ·'-t' . . .~... . ..,,._• ...;J ...,_, 1•-M fi:(.,: -
~\r;JO

t.i
strong superhcterodynes. The amplifier was required to
have an overall gain of at least 10,000 times and in order to
achieve this Hull had to design a special tube for the pur-
pose. T he outcome was the production of the first Ameri-
can screen-grid tube, a laboratory type which formed the
Somewhat surprisingly, howe\'er, the first commercial pro- basis for rhe development of a future conunercial type.
duction was of a val\'e closely resembling the one described
in the earlier patent.
In principle.: both these.: valves were.: identical to one of
American design due.: to A.W. Hull of GE. Hull's screen-
grid tube h:ld been patc.:ntc.:d 11 in the U.K. at much the
same time as the.: two valves of Round's but it is not known
what influence.:, if any, the patent had on British develop-
ments.
The first commcn.:ial version of Round.'s valve was re-
leased in O ctober 1927 under both Marconi and Osram
brandnames as type S.625. Marconi kitsets, models T. l
and T.2, using the new v:llve were on display at the 1927
Manchester Show held in October of that year. In De- Marconi-Osram S625 screen-grid valve .
cember Wireless World described their first screen-grid re-
ceiver and during 1928 the first factory-built sets incor- That the design was successful may be judged from the
porating screen-grid valves were marketed. fact that Hull was able to obtain a gain of over 4,000,000
Cossor was the only other \'alve maker to produce a at 400 metres from a four-stage amplifier. The higher
double-ended V:llve modelled on the S.625 and it ,,.as of- amplification of the tetrode was a welcome additional
fered with a choice o f either 6-,·olt or 2-\'olt filaments. 12 A cliaracterist ic in add itio n to its lower inter-electrode capac-
militar .v \'ersion of the S.625 was made bv. Cossor and itance, assuring it of an important place once a commer-
MO-V under the Army rype number ARS6. cial form had been developed.
Mullard had also announced screen-grid valves at the In February 19271.1 GE started small-scale production of
1927 Manchester Show but these were not advertised for an SG rnbe bearing the type number UX-222, and in Oc-
sale until well into 1928. Bv the end of 1928 alJ vah'e tober RCA announced its public rcleasc. 1• The 222 had an

39
 Radiotron UX-222. Note spiral wire screen in tube on right .
axial filament of tho riated tungsten rated at 3.3 V, 0.132
A which put it in the dry-cell or 199 class. The use of an
axial filament was of course a retrograde step in 1927 but
was apparently a matter of convenience in manufacture.
To further reduce inrc r-clcctrodc capacitance the grid con-
nection was broug ht o ut to a small metal thimble cemented
to the top of the bulb and the remaining electrodes con-
nected to a standard 4-pin UX base. Incidentally, this
method of connect ing the g rid became standard practice
for all future types of SG rnbcs, and indeed for RF pen-
todcs too, up to the time RCA introduced the so-calkd
'single-ended' types latt: in 1938.
Amongst thoriated-filament tubes the 222 was unique
in having the magnesium getter fired from an inverted cup
thus confining the condensed deposit to the lower wall of
the bulb, unlike o ther tubes which had their bulbs com-
pletely obscured. This procedure was obvio usly necessary
in o rder to pn:vcnt the metallic condensate coming into
contact with the intt:rnal grid lead to cht: top of the bulb.
from about 1932 o nwards replacement versions of the
222 exhibited constructional differences from d1e original
type. The filam<.:nt was changed from :t.xial to irfferted 'V'
and was now oxide-coated ,,·hik the remaining electrode
structure was considerably enlarged, presumablv to ac-
commodate the brgcr filament area. At dle same time the
bulb shape was changed from S-14 to ST- 14. In chis form
the 22 was made by all the larger independents, including
Ken-Rad, N.U., Raytheo n, Sylvania, and Tung Sol. By
comparison, very tcw independent tube makers produced
40
Ceco type RF22. equivalent to Radiotron UX-222.
the type UX-222, o ne of the earliest being d1e Shicldplate
Tube Corp. of Chicago who advertised their type SP-22 in
January 1928. 1; Another was the C.E. Mfg. Co. Inc. of
Providence, R.I. who advertised their CeCo type RF-22 in
Mav 1928. 1•
One reason for the lack of interest in the 222 was prob-
ably because at the time of its appearance in 1927- 28 the
attention of the industry was focussed on the development
of AC-o perated triodes and thus there was little incentive
to develop new types of battery-operated tubes.
Compared with the positio n in Europe only a minimal
number o f diffLTcnt types of battery-operated SG tubes
was produced. Apart from the dry-cell type 22 there was
only one, type 232, in the original 2-volt Air Cell range. le
was, o f course, a sharp cue-off type as vari-mu tubes had
not then b1.:en invented. By comparison with its predeces-
sor tht: 232 had a considerably reduced filament co nsump-
tion and at rhe same rime required only half the plate
current as well as having improved performance.
No remo te cur-off tetrode was issued in the Air Cell
range but lacer o n some manufacrnrers produced t<.:trode
versions of existing 2-volt pencodes. The tubes in q uest ion
are types 1A4 and l 84 which had dual generic identit ies
depending o n which company made dlem. In o rder to
d ifferentiate between them it became necessarv to add dis-
tinguishing symbols to their type numbers-thus the 1A4
became 1A4T o r 1A4P, depending on whether it w::is made
in tetrode or pencode form , the same applied to the type
1134.
 /~t~l~~ The Greatest Forward Step
( . .· ~-; \ in Radio Since Its Invention
\
).
. I) :
T HIS startling new achievement guarantees the
development of superior receiving sets. Leading
,~ radio engineers already have designed circuits incor·
porating the use of the new type SP-12 2 Sh ielded
• G rid Tube. C ritics acclaim these receivers the most
outstanding development in the r adio industry.
I
SPECIFIED!
The Shieldplate Shielded Grid Tu be, Type SP -122, is r------ ---------
1 SHIELDPLATE TUBE CORP.
exclusively specified for use in the "'Tyrman Shielded I lOI S. L.Salk Strttt ( Dept. N , ,
G rid 7," as described in Radio News. Other radio pub· I Chkaao. llJlnoh1.
Jications which specify this tube in new circui ts are: I Kindly nnd free booklet deacrlbin~ 1hc
I Shielded Grid Tube, Type S P · l :t2, and it~
Radio, Citizens Radio Ca ll Book, Radio Review, Radio f m tmy U:t-U.
\.Vorld, and many leading rnetropolitnn newspapers. I
I Stenn.I . .... . . . . . . ..

IUl(Jfl1ml'1Mtwnu1,1•1cnnn~ j :::~:: ··. Suite: • . . .. . . .

REFERENCES

1. German Patent 300,61 7 of] une I, 1916. British Pat·

ent 145,421 o f May 1916.
2. Information received from Ir. F.J.J. Dricscns, H ap·
crt, Holland.
3. See Philips catalogue dated June 15, 1924.
4. See advt. Wireless World, O ct. 1, 1924, p. xxxi.
5. Sec advt. Wireless World, June 11 , 1924, p. 267.
6. Sec editorial ·wireless World, June 4, 1924.
7. Sec advt. Radio Nc111s, Sept. 1924 , p. 393.
8. H .J. Ro und, The Shielded Fo1t1' Electrode Va!Pe, pub.
Cassell, 1924.
9. See Hm11is111011:/J~f Wii·clcss E111:y clopedia, 1924, p. 960.
1

10. British Patent 275,5 35 appln. date May 5, 1926 and

British Patent 279, 171 appln. date July 22, 1926.
11. British Patent No. 255,441.
12. See adn . Wireless World, Oct. 19, 1926, p. ad. 12.
13. GE R cpo1-r:, p. 53.
14. Ibid.
15. Sec advt. Shicldplatc Tube Corp., Radio News, Jan .
1928, p. 813.
16. Sec advt. C.E. Mfg. Co., Radio News, May 1928, p.
Radiotron 232 and 32 2-volt S.G. tubes (1930-31) . 1279.

41
 Cfr.apte.r Seven
A Turning Point
A 111cr1i:a11 De11clop111c1/fs
The production of receivers that could be operated di-
rcctlv from the household AC mains (rhc so-called 'all -
elcctric', 'socket power', or 'battcryless' recci,·crs) resulted
from the inconvenience and expense attendant o n the use
of battery-powered secs. The appeal of such receivers was
undeniable and, more than anything else, enabled the idea
of 'a radio in cvcrv. ho me' to become.: a rcalirv.
. the fragility of their fi laments made it desirable to use the
Although the production of mains-operated receiv<.:rs
hinged largely on rhe development of special AC tub<.:s,
some receiver manufacturers iniriallv. fou nd wavs . of mak-
ing sets incorporating existing battery tubes. This was
done because the new AC rubes were both expensi,·e and
hard to procure; for example, the bulk of Radiotron pro-
duction was at this time being reserved fo r use in RCA
Radiola receivers. Furthermore, man~' early AC tubes wer<.:
often less than satisfactorv in servic<.:.
As it was impossible to use 'raw' AC ro supply the
filaments of battery mbes, wid10ut the resu lcanr audible
hum spoiling the quality of reception, ways and means
were sought to provide a supply of DC for the purpos<.:.
The simplest way to do this was ro incorporate a built-in
'A' battery eliminator capable of supplying as many paral-
lel-connected tubes as were used in the receiver. Due to
the excessive cost and bulk of such a svstem it was seldom
used conuncrcially though at least o ne manufacturer re-
sorted to it. 1 This particular model used five scrics-t:on-
ncctcd 201-A ru bes fed from a pair of Tungar 0.6-A recti-
fiers used in a full -wave circuit.
A second, and more economical, method of feeding se-
ries-connected filaments was to make use of the existing
high tension or 'B' supply to provid<.: the filament current
in addition w its no rmal function. Such a scheme was
practicable only if the total filament drain did nor excccd
the capabilitcs of existing HT rectifiers. By using type
UX-199 low-drain tubes the current necdcd was only 60
mA. Reasonably satisfactory operation of a multi-rube re-
ceiver could be obtained provided some other arrange-
ment was made for supplying d1e ourpur tube, which, of
42
necessity, needed more filament po wer. Fortunately it was
fo und possible to run the filaments of directly-h<.:ated out-
put tubes o n AC without encountering problems with hum
and, as a matter of interest, the use of directly-heated out-
put tubcs remained a common practice for many years
afi:cr th<.: universal use o f indirectly-heated tubes in all od1cr
stages of a recei,·er.
Although 199 tubes were eco nomical of filament pO\\'er,
more rugg<.:d 201-A mbcs in their place. Howe,·er, this
was not possibk until a rectifier capable of handling the
250 mA required, plus the receiver's HT requirements,
had become available. Bv the end of 1926, however, the
productio n of a 350 mA gaseous rectifier by R::iyd1con
solved this probkm.
An indkatio n of just how far receiver manufacturers
were prepared to go in devising methods of using battery
tubes in AC sets can be seen in the case of one model
produccd by the Balkitc Mfg. Co. of Chicago in 1928.
This company drean1cd u p ::i unique method of supplying
five series-connected 201-A rubes by feeding the filaments
with a 4 MHz current generat<.:d by a UX-210 tube func-
tioning as an Rr oscillator. 2 Of course the frequ ency cho-
sen had m be not on ly supersonic but also outside the
limits of th<.: broadcast band in o rder to prevent hetero-
d yne intcrfcrcncc. Appar::intly the idea was quire practi-
cable as well as being comparatively inexpensive as no
fi ltering of th<.: lilamcnt supply was needed.
Meanwhile, rec<.:ivcr cngincers were awaiting the arri-
val o f a new type of tube that could use AC d irectly on
its filament . In Septembcr 1927 such a tube was intro-
duced by RCA under the type number UX-226. 3 Th is tube
closely n.:semblcd the 201-A, both in physical appearance
and characteristics, th<.: main difference being that it had
an oxide-coated filam<.:nt. Whilst tbis latter feature gave
the tube a somewhat better performance it had no bearing
o n its su itability for use o n an AC filament supply.
It had been found that there were two factors connected
with the running of tube filaments on AC which caused
mo dulatio n of the emission by the alternations of the sup-
 Next Year·s Radio Set Will Be
Designed to Operate On
House Electric Current!
Have Next Year's Set Now
- - ----- --
by Using the New McCullough AC Tube
The New McCullough
AC Radio Tube
is nnw b.: i n g manufoetured . for the
~lVT-J~~l.11~~r~Rt$. ~o::;~~P~~c~agx
PANY, CHICAGO.
J\n n ~urn ncc of &11\lldlud of qu.,lity
l.'lnd uoifoonity. &nd of suffic.icnr produc-
tion tu (ucet thoe tre mendous nati(ln·wide
cJcml.'ln<I for t hi• r,·re-.,tost· o f-&U ad\.·anc:;e
in 11.:idio dc., . e(upriH:nL
An ALTE:RNATING CURRENT Tube.
nper..tcd by sintply plugsing int() the AC
ll~ IHi11g socket ( throi:gh ~mil ll step-do".,,
trfl.1u!ormc r ). Develo ped lo perfec;tion
_.ho fulfill1ner1t of radio's g:rcatc"t
tc<1uircmcnt.
A ·rube with greatct clcd.ton e:ni~i on
11nd iMrcaicd $i.{;:n&I rc:1pon~~ A Tube
£~"'LJr.£."~"f;cd co:imur..tion and LONC-

LIST PRICE $6.00

R:.dio Set M:inu_f;.ctuicrs ""nd Job-
~u of Rildio Tubc..s is.re 1.nzed 10 get
in line with this impo n:.nt develop·
men I.
Tubc1 Rudy For Prompt O~Ji,•e:ry

McCULLOUGH SALES CO.

OIS1'MUIV1'0RS MfCULLOUCH AC TUBES
flGl Ube(t)' Anauo, f'iuabo:rrb. P•.
N~.., Yo~i.1 ci.;care>:
2:> W. JIN>•d""">' $33 Wt1_b.Jh. Avet.

Outstanding Features of the McCullough AC Tube:

OP£RATF,-5 FROM ALTE.l\NATINC CURRENT WIHI·
OUT A HUM, Le~"""'" 11,,. ;.\ C -.:ir~ui1 ;, i t1_.ut.. 1~,1 J.~..,, 1ho
w iri~c wh•r.!. ""tritt .,is:o11 l impu}tt,.
cm:A1'EI( EFFICIEr\C:'~' THAN RF.ST STORAC.E LlA'l'·
Tr;RY TUBES. due pr i11 t ip11.llr to ttoe il•cllll:' d<: c:ll<>11 crnit·
,;,,\: u 1..-l11te of the c11.1h1>1lo:, ...,1,;...i, ,.,,.,1,..,,,... •l•n """""'"">'
llln"'"'"t.
BE'TTF.R QUA Ll'l'Y or. SOUND m~rRODUC'rlON, L~·
u ......... r " l1>nt,:1•• ... ..~ i::h.~ ro •~iori or 1l1c tube'~ o:l1nr n "1~. ;•.•
1ir.n••"""'
t'lf ,.l.()1>t ),nll 1lu11 ..r •l<Hi•1tn l•au uy h.1b~. 1hu, decreulog
w~.. , ~"' ,.l.,tlf1>n ""'in in'= ..u1l11tc,
FUl~f.llO M nlOM MICROf'HONIC NOISES, bwniu: t:•id
~IHHI •" ~''"" ,,( ~•1thodc 11re\· r:rou ~·ib1·111l<m.
GHl·:A"mR f.C:ONO MY-1h., nlimin•tion o i o:p"n~ of
,.A'" 1,,,,,,.,,., d 1iflflo{IH, .,1c., JilOtr: th.\n juuifie• doc i:•e..,,,lr.r
lnl1i;•I '~"'' ••' 11,,. AC "'"" ·
llU'r SIMPLE CM1\NCES l\EQUIREJ) IN 1'1 IE CIRCUIT
O F ANY M-:T 1'0 USI~ \\l<-.Cl,JIA..OUCH AC TUBES.. / \n
i'"""'~ll t1 11 duo..-1 ""do•ed wi•h ev,.ry tube eirpl.tiou ~lil),ht
donn~·,. " ~ ~., ..."•'·

ply. The first of these was the electro-static field produced mcnr supply. The Westinghouse Co. were pioneers in the
by the voltage drop across d1e filament; whilst the second field of AC tube design and much of their work formed
factor was the electro-magnetic field set up by the current. the basis for future developments. A tube wherein the
By carefully proportio ning the ratio of voltage to current filament was no longer the emitter but served solely to
it was found possible to keep the resultant hum level to a heat a separate emitting cylinder was patented by two
minimum. In practice a one-to-one ratio of 1.5 volts at Westinghouse workers, Freeman and Wade, as early as
1.5 amps was found to be the most effective. This, to- 1921. ·• In its original form this tube was of double-et;ded
gether with a centre-tapped resistor across the filament, or construction with the filament, or 'heater' as it was now
a centre-tapped winding on the supply transformer, re- called, taken out to separate contacts located at the cop of
duced the hum to <ll1 acceptable level, enabling the 226 tO the bulb. This type of construction was adopted in order
be used in any stage except the detector. For use in the to isolate the AC heater circuit from the signal carrying
critical detector position it was necessary to develop a circuits. Although the double-ended design was not de-
completely new type of AC tube. Surprisingly, in view of veloped beyond the laboratory stage by Westinghouse, it
the Radio Group's efforts, such a cube had actually been did serve as a basis for the commercial production of sim-
marketed some two years earlier by an independent com- ilar tubes by at least three independent tube makers.
pany. The first indirectly-heated AC tube was anno unced in
In connection with the development of the AC tube it 19255 and it was also first advertised for sale at this same
had quite early been recognised that if a tube's filmncnt time by a company named t11e McCullough Sales Co. of
could be made to serve only as a source of heat without Pinsburgh . This mbc was the brain-child of one F.S. Mc-
being the actual emitter of electrons, a way lay open to Cullough, a former Westinghouse employee who had sev-
obtaining an electron stream unpoUuted by an AC fila- eral patents to his credit. 6 Early in 1926 it was announced

43
that the McCullough tubes were being made by the Kel-
logg Supply & Switchboard Co. of Chicago.
The double-ended construction of the McCullough
rubes, apart from its intended hum reduction feature, also
enabled the tube to be used for elcctrit:-•ing existing bat-
tery-operated receivers. The electrically isolated hearer al-
lowed any number of tubes to be supplied by means of a
separate ' filament' transformer without the need for alter-
ations to the wiring of such receivers. Furthermore, the
rube's characteristics closely matched those of the ubiqui-
cous 201-A and thus the receiver's performance was unaf-
fected.
Just how a pre\'iously unknown independent was able ro
produce and market an indirectly-heated nibe some two
years ahead of RCA has ncver been satisfactorily explained,
although it has been suggested that it was done with the
tacit approval of the Radio Group in order to allow the
McCullough tube to play a guinea pig role. Be that as it
may, McCullough soon relinquished his control o f pro-
duction and marketing arrangements which, later in 1926,
passed into the hands of the Kellogg Supply & Switch-
board Co.
Tubes under the Kellogg brandname became aYailablc
during the larrer part of 1926, being used in Kellogg re-
ceivers as well as in several other commercia1lv built re-
ceivers of the 1926-28 period. However, folfowing the
introductio n of standard type tubes by RCA and other
tube markers, late in 1927, Kellogg tubes soon waned in
populariry leaving only the replacernenr market to be ca-
tered to.
For the information of tube collecrors the following
details arc included. The earliest McCullough tubes were
fitted with brass UV bases and had the bulbs obscured bv
a heavy getter deposit; identification was by means of ~1
ink-stamp marki ng on the base- McCullough AC Tube.
Second production used a Shaw bakcl ite UV base and had
the wording McCULLOUGH PATENTED AC TUBE
contained within a circle imprinted on the surface of the
bulb. The cartons carried the marking TYPE 400. Pub-
lished details on the characteristics and ratings of the earli-
est tubes arc lacking but it is presumed that they were
ftl:LU>GG
-A~C TUI!
TYK 401
•
i'"
.,
I ===
. - ,. .
_._,.
-
! .
Final production type Kellogg 401 (L.). Unbranded 401
replacement (R.).
44
similar to the later type 40 I. Final production used a Shaw
bakelire UX base hot-branded McCULLOU GH TYPE
401 AC TUBE.
The first production under the Kellogg brandnamc dif-
fered only in ha\'ing tht: word ' Kellogg' in place of 'Mc-
'Cullough' hot-branded on the base. The second, and prob-
ably final , productio n had a b~tkclite UX base marked on
the underside w ith the letter 'K' in raised moulding, the
same marking being applied to the top cap connector. In
addition to the type 40 I rwo power ntbes, types 402 and
403, were later introduced. T hese were of similar con-
srrucrion tO the 401 , using the same style of base and rop
connector. T he shape of the bulb d iffered in being rubular
as compared w ith the distinctive 'reverse taper' or bullet-
shaped bulbs of the general purpose McCullough-Kellogg.
Heater rating of the power tubes was 3 volts at 1.5 amps.
T here is no record of either the 402 or 403 being used in
commercially built receivers.
During these formative years several other independent
tube makers, fo r example, Arcturus, Cardon, Marathon,
and Sovereign, produced t heir own individual styles of
indirectly-heated AC rubes. O f these the Sovereign most
closely resembled the McCullough design in having its
heater connections terminated at an insulated top cap.
There was a slight difference in the actual style of connec-
tions which were in the form of screw terminals, and the
bulb shape diflcred in being tubular instead of tapered.
The Cardon and Marathon both had elongated UX bases
with the heater connections taken to side-mounted ter-
minals. The two makes were not interchangeable because,
apart from a difference in heater voltages (6 volts for the
Marathon and 3 volts for the Cardon), the styk of side
contacts were dissimilar. Cardon rubes were used exten-
sively in Spartan receivers during 1927- 28. Reference to
Arcturus tubes will bc found in a separate place.
To revert now to mainstream developments: the origi-
Kellogg 403 power output
tube.
nal Westinghouse design, being of double-ended construc-
tion, had proved to be unsuited to mass production and
was accordingly redesigned in single-ended fo rm. Apart
from the resultant benefit of simplified manufacture the
receiver manufacture also benefittcd in that the new de-
sign allowed the clumsy overhead wiring formerly needed
tO be dispensed with. In May 1927 a practical form of
single-ended nibe fitted with a 5-pin base was announced
by RCA under the type number UY-227. 7 T he 227 was a
landmark tube as, apart from being the first standardised
indirectly-heated tube, it ushered in the era of the mass-
produced all-electric receiver.
The 227 was the first tube to use both a standardised
heater voltage and a standardised 5-pin base. The figure of
2.5 Yolts chosen for the heater voltage was to remain an
industry standard for all rypes of AC tubes produced over
the next five years. AJJ UY-227s used S- l 4 sized bulbs
until 1932 when the type number was officially changed
to 27. Fro m then on a smaller, ST-12, bulb vvas used and
the base diameter was reduced to match.
In its original form the 227 used a hairpin-shaped
heater, insulated from the cathode by means o f a twin-
bore cenunic tube. A coating of metallic oxides was applied
to the outer surface of the cathode tube which formed the
electron emitter. This was in essence the principle of the
indirectly-heated cathode. H owever, the actual form of
construction was to undergo many changes and refine-
National Union NY67 (6.3 volts). A landmark tube. April-May
ments during the next few years.
1931.
A practical disadvantage resulting from the original
form of construction was the long time taken for the cath-
ode to reach emitting temperature and in an effort to im-
prove matters a new design was introduced in J928. This
later production used a tightly coiled spiral heater support-
ed and cencred witl1 the cathode by a porcelain bush at
each end. Although the absence of any solid insulation
between heater and cathode dramatically reduced warm-up
time, the use of a single-coil heater resulted in an increased
hum level which necessitated a further change. A return
was made ro the earlier style of construction in a modified
form which resulted in an acceptably short warm-up time
coupled with a satisfacto111 hum level. For the next frw
vcars the twin-bore insulator remained in use on Radio-
tron rubes tmtil finall y ousted by the slip-coated heater
which came into use from 1933 onwards. \Vhilst only the
cype UY-227 has been singled out for specific mention the
foregoing remarks apply equally to the companion types
UY-224, 224A, and 235.
During this transitio nal period of development several
different designs of heater construction and methods of
heater-cathode insulatio n were tried and discarded. One of
the earliest attempts to dispense with a solid insulator was
made by Eveready Raytheon who, in 1929, succeeded in
producing a design in which a hairpin heater was insulated
solely by means of a coating of kaol in (aluminium silicate) Experimental AC tube,
applied to it." Althoug h this design resulted in a reduced prototype of UR-227. Note
heater connections at top
of bulb.
45
gio---------·-- --"ll
<> ir>--·---·--·-·----1
~ ~~ ~f~11
:;;;J9
l16]r~
~- - 0 ~l!l HEATEA. TERMINALS
TO A .C. SUPPLY
'-.."1/lrii!W~
. /. '1

HEATUI

,
1
11 ~I GRIO CATHODE

PLATf. GI.ASS
BEAD

B~ttuy-Less

J ~
'
I\&!Il»ce
FOil

CY.l"Oll'; O!<i"'A.RTM t.N'T.

- '1?"1.-.$
c:., r..a x:ou s1..00.
. ~J.11.\..
Receivers
Alt El1m1nl' Ri9icitv Supp0rltd
''Both End•

,fJ·f rmulactuti:•l bv
S4•ctional Vit•uJ of
SOVEREIGN ELECTRIC (J MFG. CO.
J2l-l27 N. S..rngamon St .. ChiUJ.tO. lll. Sovmign 1\-C Tube
&-·- · -oS Bo----••~r•c~•w •·C"''c---~

UY-227. Note glass bead in earlier type on the left.

·.~··
. .,...
~
\'\
\
"'

Fa rad- an early AC tube. Note twin

Marathon AC608R. Note heater connections on sides of base. heater-cathodes.

46
warm-up time it was not entirely successful due to crack- the figure of 6.3 volts came to be selected as the heater
ing and flaking of the coating after a period of use, and voltage for d1esc new tubes.
further research continued. In 1931 Evercadv Ravrhcon The heater voltage having been pre-determined by the
were using a coated hearer made in the form of a reflexed voltage of the car battery it only remained to select a suit-
helix centred under tension wid1in che cad10de; later in the able current rating for the new tubes and here d1crc was
same year the design was modified co include a central an initial lack of standardisation. In May 1931 National
ceramic core or 'beanpole' around which the heater was Union announced a range of 6 .3-volt tubes having a cur-
t'lvined.'1 Variations o f this form of construction, which rent racing of 0.4 amps. to Incidentally, these were claimed
included a floating beanpole, were in general use up to to be the first 6.3-volt rubes to be marketed. The series
about 1933. consisted of four types- a sharp cm-off tetrode NY64, a
Some tube makers, notably Ken-Rad, continued using vari-mu tetrode NY65, a triode NY67 and an output pcn-
ceramic heater insulators up to as late as 1933. ln the case tode :t\TY68. Majestic also produced a similar range but
of 6 .3-volt tubes rhc use of 4-bore insulators of incredibly minus the output pcntodc.
small dimensions resulced in a cathode diameter no gn:at~r Following the release.: o f the 0.4-amp series it was but a
than that needed fur a 2-bore cvpe. Ken-Rad arc kn~\Vn to short time before the remaining tube makers came down
have used a 6-bore insulator in che case of certain power heavily in favour of the figure of 0.3 amps for the heater
output tubes having high-voltage beaters where a large rating. Amongst the first co use this rating were Arcturus,
cad10dc area was needed in order to secure adequate Raytheon, and Ken-Rad who marketed types 236, 237,
emission. 238, 239 during July. 11 At much the same time RCA and
By the end of 1933 all previous styles of heater-cathode Sylvania also joined the ranks. As a result of the majority
had been discarded in favour of the free-floating heater
insulated by means of the slip-coating process originally
invented in England in 1927. Depending hlrgcly on the
voltage rating of the heater, it was made as a tightly-
wound reflexed spiral or else in bundled zig-zag form.
By the standards of even a few years later the heater
wattage of the 227 was high; 4.575 watts compared with Sparton AC tube with side
2.5 wans for its successor the type 56 introduced in 1932. connections for heater wiring.
Because AC power was so much cheaper than the battery 1927.
variety there was no particular incentive to improve effi-
ciency solely on the score of more eco nomical running.
From the point of view of pe1formancc, however, de-
creased beater wattage allowed cooler running which in
turn permitted closer electrode spacing with resultant im-
provement in characteristics. Nevertheless, had it not been
for the introduction of automobile receivers, with their
quite ditlc rcnr tube requirements, the 2.5-volt heater rat-
ing might have remained in use for another decade. In
point of fact in European countries where the motor-car
did not find such rapid acceptance, the originally used
figure of 4 volts remained in current use for over ten
years.
KELLOGG
Once the idea of radios in motor-cars began to be taken
seriously by the radio industry it was soon realised that
:~ l~adio ' ~·

existing tubes were quite unsuited to d1is application. Not

onlv. was t he heater watta<~e excessive when viewed as a
· Tube? ~
;;_ TY?E l<. 21 ;-~·
0
drain o n the car's electrical system, but the 2.5-volt rnting , llTlmli..IJl'llll F
. u HfAmt (~
prevented parallel connection of tube heaters. Addition- ,
~ SWJTOilQ\m) _t'.>.
f, SutU 09U'IUY

ally, the restricted space available for mounting a radio in

a car imposed limitations on the size of the set which in
,\??E::~o
turn led to a demand for smaller tubes.
The obvious step was to design a series o f tubes cspe-
cialJy suited for use on the 6-volt electrical system then
universally used in American vehicles. This, then, is how Kellogg version of the standard type '27 tube.

47
decision in fa\'our of the 0 .3-amp raring the earlier 0.4-
amp rubes quick!~· became obsolete.
Once the current raring had become scand~1rd iscd for
car radio use it \\·as found com·enienr to use the same
rating, and indeed the same tubes, for 110-rnlt AC/DC
applicatio n when.: the heaters were series-conne((ed. T his
obviated the need for a separate range of special AC/DC
type except in the case of outpll( rnbes and rectifiers which
called for a g reater emission than could be prm·ided by the
6.3 \/, 0.3 A rat ing.
<.A11uouu ci11g

ARCTURUS
A-C TUBES
NEW
: .... :ARVELOUS
DETECfOll- AMPl.IFllol\ -

Nrn v t o th~ ro111•tmitw ec mu/ rrfJ110lll)' (If

A·C opn·,11ion is 111/r/(I/ unfoi lmg
POWm~

IMPROVEMENT
q11a/J'IJ reup1io11 wilh flu rdi:tblc
A r<tumt A· C 'J'ub~.
All A.t<CIJNt n•h«• ate o( che hunr ''&::· ('rn.
1
t~t~g tb.~qd1~io!~~ ~1:::,~:o~~ ·:.~,':::
w.rgtt:t.. Ul'li.QIH (a11.110 •l.d•c ponlblc vc·
IN RADIO TUBE S ::::,h::~r.t:,.:fa,::;::!oi~oOOrc:!i:I
All lc-~t.hftlH 11ul •l~Muo.uc-bfOll!hC
dowo co a sc:udud f!Wr p«NIJ h.i.w. ku
EVEREADY RAYTHEON TUBES ~~·~A!::;:!e~~~,~:~L~ ~~
anv Othu A·C Tub-ct..
vie h.lo\'e Pf'• PU•d •ngh1«rl,.j; .1nJ t<t•
G I YE A S U P E R LA T I Y E D E G RE E \iclctg d.a.u Oft 1hnc tubn ,,..-hl<h """
$Nill be plc,ucd m n..J Oft rcqQ <•"
OF PERFORMANCE ARCT U R US H.A OIO COMPANY
l 11r111r1t•1lo1.-1I
2 6 l Sherman J\vcnur, Ncw11rk, N. J.
of new
1Hft1' A 1.L ll Act Tho clement= in eoc:h Eveready Raytheon
T ubes nrc "old by d ttl•
Rvere1uly RAythcon
¥~b!c:~,r~Y u~r;·~~~~ crs cverywhert.
~c~~~~ :::"r~;~.:~\',i: ~~: ~j,~~~~; ~~os1s0~'!o:~~~~f NATtowA.t. CAnnoN Co.
:~\:·!~~ :1~11:1 :.~~~J>l!~'~ tOI) and bottom. T hey
fnc tJrl)orntcd
Genctral Offices
nentthlvlty, Quiel< hc.-at- :ire accurately spaced
lng trnd t1ulc k acting, wlthln one - thouundth New Yuri<, N. Y.
Uc-hind ~11 thi!I i!I :.
rcvolutlon :iry improve-
of an inch when they ar•
made. And •o rigidly l!I!!
Unit 111 U11io11 CMM4"'
ment In comitructlon. braced that the 1pacing .u.:! Catb11n Corpo.r;icion
cannot ehanic w1th tlu November 1927. A carbon heater was used but the
knocks and jolH of •hip.-
m cnt and handling, illustration was deceptive.
In tubu of th<:: 280
t>'fC a-nd the. 22i Kruft..
>tnd typ-e. which Mv•
heavier e.lemvns, this
rugged 4.pfJlar coa.
$a1tcfioa is of pan.lcu•
Jar im.portuc:e.
Only with Evcrudy
Briris/J DcPclopmmts
Raytheon T ul:iu can rov
~:ave thi.s conatrvciion
adv3ntage. h i.t •xclu..
,io..-c and 5>atcnted, Ever.
e.ldy R;iythe:on Tubes
Production of AC valves in England commenced slightly
c:ome: in every iypc. In..
eluding tubu £or tclt· later than in the U.S. which accounts for the seeming para-
..·h;ion transmi13ion nnd
rcc.eption. dox that indirectly-heated types appeared before directly-
Sltuw(n t tll~ • • d ull'"• F.vr1•<14y Rayt/l.o" £It hcated ones. Strictly speaking, however, this statement
, ;,icplfUtl ~'flfl flf~•tl Ri11· 21• S<tutt-Gdd Tubr. Ttl•
tlt"'v" 1·PUl"r c.n11111n1<.llGn. 1•Pillarcoro1tn1ctl11np.,1n:i.t•
"""''' holJs ti.• lo1Jt n ••..,, applies only to the products o f J\11-0.\/. as this was the
...,." """'
Nol• rh" 111uro/y ' "' '"'"" "
"' u~ fllra111b
wll ~• ffl• lour /lf8VT w1,..
•l•>•HIUS !If flli.S $.U p .,t•
.-"ufrl'vr cubeo ;,. t}., Ptl•
:t:t::k. !b!:c .:~ .~':. /tt:f twt·ir/ort wbkA ,.,_i.i,,,._
bb!f.HfotY ,.irrl11rta~.u•..
o nly firm to produce a range of directly-heated types.
T he first Osram d .h. valves were marketed towards the
end of 1928, nearly two years after their first i.h. types
had appeared. 12 T he design of these valves may be consid-
ered as being a development of the American UX-226
By 1932 the use of 6.3-volt n1bes was being extended whereby the filament was made even thicker and the volt-
into the field o f AC-operated receivers, and by l 934 the age and current ratings adjusted accordingly. Actual rat-
figure o f 6 .3 volts had become the industry standard with ings were 0.8 amps at 0.8 volts from which the name of
no new 2.5-volt types being released from then onwards. the series- ' Point 8'-was derived . Included in the range
Although the heater consumption of 1.89 wans was not were three triodes including a low-power output triode, a
appreciably lower than the figure of 2.5 watts applic 1blc screen-grid and a special detector consuming no less than
to the later 2.5-rnlt types, it represented a practical mini- l.6 amps at the same 0.8 volt rating. u The thinking behind
mum as evidenced by the fact that 0 .3 amps remained the this last named production appears to have been based on
standard for most types not requiring a greater emission the idea that if point eight is good then double that figure
than this rating could provide. should be even better; in o ther words an attempt was

48
~1ARC ll 21 ST. I 928. THE l\' JRE J.ESS WOR LD .'\ DVERTISEM ENTS.

I! . '
~. '

"Cosmos-Met-Vick't A.C. Valves, They prov ide the complete solution

Green Spot and Hed Spot, are the for, ancl, in conjunction with the use
res11lt of investigation and experiment of 'Met- Vick' Eliminators, overcome
by one of rhe fin est Research organ- all the diffirnlties of direct operation
isations in this Country. from the Electric Light Supply.

"Met-Vick-Cosmos" A.C. Valves not only provide the solution of the complete operation of
wireless sets from the Electric Light Mains, but they also provide great volume a nd extreme
sclccriviry free from distortion. B y their use you can swi tch on your set like electric light, and
yet lose nothing in effect, in fact a mains operated set with Mer-Vick-Cosmos A.C. Valves is a
much be .ter set.

Sec what Mr. A. P. Castellain says in the "Wireless
W o rld" for March 7th:- ·
"Remarkably High Mutual Conductance-
Fo r th e AC G valve the mutual conductance is enormous
wh en j udged by o rdinary valve standards-ab out 2
milliamperes per vole fo r an amplificatio n factor of 36-
:rnd the heater curre nt is only I amp ere at 4 volts. T he
la1 1'er figures are quite comparable with valves of the 4~
volcO·B ampere L S. class. For the AC/R valve the ampli·
fic;itio n factor is about 10, a nd the mutual conductance
4 milliam p!res per volt, giving an A.C. resistance of
a bout 2,SVO ohms."
The writer continues by comparing the Cosmos AC/ R
Valve, very advantai;cously with o ther makes of valves
for similar duties.
N ote also what Mr G. A. Exeter, the London Area
Manager o f the Radi o Society of Grea t Brirain says
abou t che "Cosmos-Met-Vick" A.C. Valve-"....... .
in view of the results I hav.: obtained upon trial, u nder
decid edly adverse co nditio ns, I now think you a ce
indeed to be congratul nrcd upon producing a great
improvemen t in the technique of radio. Undoubtedly
this is the valve of the future."
The power handling ca.pac ity of the AC/R Vake is as
great as that necessary for Public Address Service and is
sufficien t fo r operating 'moving coil' Lou d Speake rs to
the gre<ltCSt adva ntage.

B y using the ingenious "Cosmos" D isc Adaptors, these five-pin valves can be
used in a sec wired for accumulator valves, withou t al tering the wiring.

MET..VICK
Valves, Components 8 Sets
Metro-Vick Supplies, Ltd., 155 Charing Cross Road, London, W .C.z

lld11erlise111c11ts for " T he ll'irclcss World ., arc only acce pted from fi rms we belie'l!c to be thoroui;lrly rdiubl"

49
 THE WIRELESS WORLD ADVERTISEMEl'TS.

WITH THf ...

AC/Pl
The There is no need lo use a directly healed
MAZDA AC/ Pl output valve in your all-mains set - wilh
CHARACTER ISTICS: consequent risk of hum and the additional
Fil<1ment Volts 4.0 inconvenience of having to provide a sep-
Filament Amps (approx.) . 1.0
M ax. H.T. Voltage . 200 arate L.T. winding on your transformers. Use
Amplificalion Factor 5 the AC/Pl - /he lines! output valve ever
Anode A.C. Resistance (ohms) . 2,000
devel oped /or all-mains sels, a valve which
Mutual Conductance (m A/V) . 2.5
gives a huge oulpul at on ly 200 volt H.T. !
PRICE 17/ 6

-------- ti~~
~
---------
THE EDISON SWAN
NIES
ELECTR IC CO., LTD. ~4()1 ()
/11a;,1f>or111ini the Wifing S11ppliu, Li1,h1iug Eng1nttri11g. Rtfrigtr·

VALVES
111io11 a11d Radio Busirrm oftbt Britisf) Tho111sor1-l/ou11on Co., Ltd.
Raclio Division:
fa Newman Street, Ol<ford Slroet, W. f
Showroom1 i11 all tin! Pl'iuti/1r1/ Toums

~DISWAN
50
SEPTEMBER 2NL . 1931. THE WIRELESS WORLD ADVERTISEMENTS.

A MULLARD A.C. MAINS

COMBINATIO

054V
Mox. Heater Voltag e 4.0 volts
354V Heater Curre nt 1.0 amp.
Max . Heater Voll~ge 4.0 volts Max. Anod<t Voltage 2 0 0 volfs
Heater Current 1.0 a mp . * Anode Impedance
Max. Anode Vo llage 200 vo lls 1, 250 o h ms
S4VA * Anod e Imp e d a nce - t 0,0 00 * Amp lilic a lion Faclor s
*Ampl ification Facto r 35 *Mutu a l Cond u cta nc e
Mox Healer Voltage 4 .o vol rs " Mutual Cond uctance 4 .0 mA / vo ll
Heate r Curr ent 1.0 amp. 3.S mA /volt * A t Anode Vo lts 1 00.
Max . Anode Voltage 200 vo lts *At Anode Volts t 00. Grid Volts Zero.
Sc reen Volta g e • 75- 100 volts G rid Volts Zero.
*Anode Impedance PRICE 10/-
4 30,000 ohms PRICE ts(-
*Amplification Factor · I.SOD
*M utua l Co nducta nce
3 S mA ivoll
*At Anode Vo lts I oo. Screen
Vo ll s 75. G rid Voll s tero.
PRIC E l2 °6

The latest types of Mull ard indirectly-heated A.C.

mains valves in your ne w-season's receiver will ensure
perfect reproduction. S4VA for the H.F. stage;
354V the improved super-detector; and 054V the
new indirectly-heated output valve.
This combination will give you great se nsitivity,
perfect quality, and ampl e power for operating a
large moving iron or moving coil speaker. W E ARE EX H fl31TING AT

Mullard
THE ·MASTER. · VALVE
Advt. The Nlullard Wireless Service Co., Ltd., Jlfollard H ouse, Charing Cross R oad, London, W .C.2.
A<lucrlisc111e11 t s f or " Tli~ ll'ircless World " nrc 011 /v accepted from fi rms we believe t o be tTzoro ughly reliaoie.
51
mad<.: to furrher increase the rhermal inertia of rhc emitter
by using a still heavier fi lament.
T he design of the Point 8 series docs nor appear to ha\T
been particularly successfol even though ont: o r two types
had been incorporated in co mmcrciallv made receivers.
T hey appeared rather bre in the day and by l 930 had been
entirely superseded by a completely new J\11-0.V. range of
srandard 4-volt indirecrl~1 -heated types.
A somewhat similar occurrence cook pl.lee in Germany
at much che same period according ro a repo rt appearing
in Wii·clcss World, where ic was stared chat directly-heated
tubes appeared afrer che imrod ucrion of ind irectly-heated
rypes. 1•
In spite of the lack of success of directly-heated Yalves in
general, they continued to be used as o utput types in both
triode and pentode form for se,·eral ~·cars after other in-
direcrly-heatcd types had become firm!~· cst:iblished. Par-
tic.:ularly this was t rue in the case of triode output vah·es,
altho ug h it must be borne in mind that after about 1932
triodes were seldom used in o utput stages by comparison
with pcntodes and this fact may account l·or less emphasis
being placed o n their development. In fact it rnav be said
that such triodes were never de,·doped to rhe extent thar
rhey superseded d .h. power ourput types. British po"·er
o urput rriode devclopme nr reached a peak with the pro-
ctucrio n of highly efficient types ha,·ing plate dissipations
of up to 25 watts which became avaibbk from 1933 on-
wards. Some examples arc: M-0 .V. PX4, PX25; Cossor
620T, 660T; Mazda PP3/250, PPS/400; Mullard AC044,
0024. Some of these.: had mutual conductances in rhe
o rder of 61nA/V ro 8mAN, which represenrcd a maximum
for ,-ah-cs of this class.
British work on the de,·clopmem of the indirectly-heated
cathode, although i niti aJI~, a little behind rhat \\·hich had
occurred in the U.S., was in the event to have fa r-reaching
ctll:crs. From a purely manufacturing point of view the
change from filamcntarv to i.h. cathode was ro create many
problems which had hitherto been undreamed of. One of
these problems was to find a s:uisfactor~· means of insulat-
ing the heater from the cathode. The insularing medium
had to be capable of withstanding hig h temperatures and
remain srablc throughour the lifetime of the tube. The
origi nal American rype of i.h. cathode had made use of a
rigid ceramic ru be as an insul:itor and rhis design formed
rht: basis for nearly all subsequent designs for the ne.xt
four o r fi,·e years. During thie period other materials such
as silica or magnesia had been cried as insulators, with
varying degrees of success, and the use of a solid insulator
remained standard practice until 1932.
Because of its importance in the development of all later
AC tubes and, as a corollary, the development of the mains-
opcrated receiver itsclt~ it is worth recording here some·
thing of rhc work w hich led to the uni,·ersal adoprion of
the subsequenr so-called 'slip-coated' hearer design. Quite
apart from the work done in America two compkrcl~· dif-
52
tcrt:nr lines of approach had been followed in England
d uring 1926. T he firs r of these appears ro ha\T been based
on earlier work done by H .J. Round of the Marconi Co.
who had patented a fo rm of i.h. cathode man~' ~·cars car·
lier alrhough it was never used commercially. In Junt: 1926
C.W. Stropford';; of M-0.V. patented a unique design of
i.h. vah·e in which no solid material was placed between
heater and cathode; insread the heater was supported b~·
bt:ing coiled around a silica rod w hich scrYed sold~· ro
centralise it within rhe carhode rube. The first of such
valves to be offered for sale was known as type KL l and
appeared in January 1927, and later in the same ~·ear a
seco nd valve, type KH I, was marketed. 16
T he second British approach was also uniqut: but in a
quite different way. Onl~r twelve days after tht: Stropford
patcnr E. Yeoman Robinson of Mer-Vick lodged a patent
for a valve of entirclv ditll.:rent constrnction. 1• The Ro bin-
son valve made use of an extremclv small -diameter cath·
ode with the heater insulated solely by means of a special
coating applied to its surface. Originally this coating had
been applied by dipping rhe heater into a po rc.:clain slurry
but later a paste made from powdered alumina \\'as used.
This revolutionary method of insulating the heater c,·cn-
tually completely superseded all former merhods and be-
came uniYersallv adopted.
The many advantages of the slip-coating proct:ss, which
include rapid warm-up timt:, lower heater temperature plus
simplicity, and lower cost o f manufacture, mark it as ;1 vi-
tal invention in rhe develo pment of the indirectl~1 - hea red
tube AdditionaUy, the closely-spaced elccrrudcs of the
Cosmos Shorr Path design which resulted in a higher mu-
rual conductance foreshadowed the course of development
in the years to come. So it may be fairly said thar E.
Yeoman Robinso n's name deserves to rank alo ngside o ther
better-known ones that have rated mention in the annals
of radio historv.
By September 1927 two valves types AC/ R and AC/G
made by Met-Vick were offt:red for sale under the Cosmos
brand. Both had heaters rated at 4 V lA, a figure that was
to become an indusrry standard. The superio rity of the
Cosmos design was reflected in the high efficiency of these
valves, the AOR having a mutual conducranc.:c of 4.0
mA/V; a figure thar W;\S no t attained by any ocher manu-
facturer for five vears. Furthermore, the Cosmos design,
unlike others, was completely successful righr from the
srarr.
Other earlv Brirish i.h. valves \\'ere made b,· Cossor
and Ediswan. Both these resembled the America 1~ McCul-
lough -Kellogg design in being of double-ended construc-
tion with the heater connections brought out to contacts
o n top of the bulb. Valves in these rwo brands appeared
towards the middle of 1928 but were superseded \\'ithin
the space of two vears.
A type of i.h. small power output triode which may be
regarded as being peculiar!~· British, in that its de,·elop-
mcnt continued unti l the end of 1931, was prodw.:cd o rig- 2. Sec schematic Balkite Symphonium model B 111

inal!~· by Cosmos and Cessor in 1928 and later bv tvlazda Rider's, Vol. 1, p. 1.
and 1'v!ullard in 193 l. Bearing in mind that somewhat 3. GE R eport, p. 44.
simil:ir tubes had bccomc available in the U .S . in 192 7-28 4 . U .S. Patent No. 1,909,051 (fi led 1922, granted
but had q uickly bccomc obsolete, the continued develop- 1933).
ment of such valves in Britain is interesting particularly 5. Sec, for cxampk , Radio No111s, July 1925, p. 25.
when the impressive pcrformancc figures arc no ted. The 6. See, for exam ple, U.S. Patent No. 1,806,108, filed
mutual cond uctance of the Mazda AC I/ P 1 was 2.5 mM/ Jan. 6, 1926.
while the figu re for the Mullard 054\1 w:is no less than 7. G"F, R ep01-t, p. 47.
4 .0 mA/V. Tn spite of their high efficiencies none of these 8. H.W. Kadel!, T he Evolutio n o f the Cathode, QST,
valves had a powcr o utput capability cxcccding I watt, June 1931, p. 3 1.
which in 193 l was lo w even bv the standards o f the.: dav. 9. Ibid .
Judging by the fact that s uch \;alvcs were seldom used in 10. New Types of Receiving Tubes, Rndio Craft, Mav
commc rciall~1 built receivers they muse have had little ap- 1931 , p. 563.
pcal to set makcrs. h 1rthennore, it seems to ha\'e been 1 L Ibid.
uneconomical to dc\'clop higher power versio ns tho ugh it 12. The Trend of Progress, Wireless World, Oct. 3, 1928,
ma~' be mentioned that in 1937 American i.h. Olp triodes. p. 465 .
types 2A3H and 6ASG, having outputs of 3.5 wans pcr 13. Valves of To-day, Wiidess World, Octo ber 2, 1929,
single rube.: were succcssfullv developed. p. 377.
14. The Berlin Show, Wireless World, September 12,
REfERENCES 1928, p. 310.
15. British Patent 277,756, filed 1926.
l. Sec schematic Stromberg Carlson model 734 111 16. Sec announcement Wireless W01·td, January 26, 1927.
Rider\ Vol. l, p. 1 l. 17. British Patent 278,787, lodged July 7, 1926.

Marconi-Osram Kll (1927) . A landmark British Valve. Mazda ACIHL (1 929). An early Briti sh AC Valve.

53
 Chapter 'Eight

Penta-Hodos

Enrlv Dn\'S

Quite early in the histo rv of the tetrode it had been

found that this chlss o f tube was unsuited fo r use as an
audio-freq uency power arnplitie r. This was because under
certain operating conditions e111.:oumered in this class of
service the tetrode exhibited a neg:ui\'C-resistancc charac-
teristic caused bv secondary t:missio n fro m tht: anode bt:ing
attracted to the positively charged scrt:rn. Although this
pernliarity did no t affect the tetrode\ perlormancc as an
Rf amplifit:r ic did prevent its use as an output tubl', at
least for several years until certain specialised dt:vd op-
ments had occurred.
Meanwhik, it followed logi ca l!~· that if by srnrn: means ERE is a mir:iclc mulli·
the secondar~1 emission could be prc\·enrcd from reaching H eJcment tuhc for· your radio.
It's the Philip• PT!NTllO DI>.
thl' screen grid, rhen prcsumabl~1 tht: li1 ll capabi lities of the PoKSCl'ifiins: fi»c ckm ent1:1 lht.: ll·M J iR
dcs i~ncd for audio :11nplificntio11.
In the power i:;ockct it will i;:i vc
tube cou ld be n:nlised. So it was that tht: idea of phicing an tremendo us Vf>h1mc. Usctl in a
s in s:le audio sta,::e in conjunc 1ion
additional grid, held at cathode (fi lament) po trntial, be- wiLh :i Philips 1ra1tsformcr re!o-uhs:
ar~ ;thout e·q ual to the us ual two -
rween the anode and screen fultilkd this n:quircment and tub~ ;implifier.

resulted in a ru be having the inherenrly high efficiency of
a tetrode bur without its drawback.
The penrode was born! And its arrival must be regarded
as one of the most important steps in the history of vac-
uum tube de\'clo pment.
Initially the third grid was somt:times referred to as the
'cathode' grid but later it became kno\\'n as the 'suppres-
sor' grid in ob,·ious recognition orits role in suppressing
the effects of the secondary em ission. From this decep-
tively simple add itio n of an extra g rid sprang a \\'hole
new t;unily of tubes which before lo ng \\'ere to render the
screen-grid tube obsolete and to toppk the triode from its
position of s upremac~· in man~· applications. Indeed, so
rapid was rhe 1.kvdopmenr of this new tive-clement tube
that within the space of rwo years of its American dcbur in
193 l an all-penrode rccei,·er was not mt:reh· a possibi lity
but a practical rc;1li ty.
Credit for the invention of the pcncode is due to two
Dutch workers, Drs. Cilles Holst and Bernard Tellegen of
Philips Research Laboratories w ho applied for a Du tch
patent in December l 926.1 Although Holst's name ap-
T here is no ··trick" cir·c uit. no
need to alter the- wirinJ: of your
prC~i.'nt reeci\ler. s imph· c·o nnect
the h:rminal o n th e side to n hiJ:h
.. n ·· v ('l1t;igc..
AS K YOUR D EAi.Eil FOil A
P.-'M•" :·JL J::T.
SRI•!'\
"M IWI WAT TS "
l\o\•cmht r 10, 19.18
pcared with Tclkgen's on the parent application it was
acruallY the latter who was responsible: for the design of
the pentode in its practical form. Ry :111 odd quirk of fate
the patent application lapsed before the nt:ct:ssary forma li-
ties were completed and no Durch parent was evt:r issued.
Legally anyone was free to manufacture pemodes in Hol-
land' Such was certain !~, not the case elsewhere for Philips
quickly took steps to safeguard their new in\'cntio n by tak-
ing out patents in no less than 18 other countries.i·11

54
 In September 1927 the world's first penrodc, Philips
type B443, made its appearance. Ir was inrnrporated as an
output nibc in the firm's model 2502 recei,·er; an e\Tll(
which const ituted both the first commercial production of
a prncode and of a recei,·cr using such a tube.:. Towards the.:
end of 1928 Philips' pcntodes were issued for general sak
in several countries including Australia and New Zealand.
Also at this time a British version, idcntic;1l to the 13443,
was issued by Mullard under their type number PM24.
On the American scene an nisting marketing arra1wemenr
brnvecn RCA and Philips dc.:byc.:d the rclea~c.: of d~ pen·
todc.: in that part or the world for a fu rther three vears,
a lthough the delay was partly due to the American ~icsire
for a higher power version which called for fo rthcr devel-
o pmental work.
Altho ugh the 13443 was essc nriall~, a b:mc.:rv· operated
rube its arri val o n the eve of the era of mains-operated
receivers resulted in its being prcss'-=d into service in this
appl ication as a stop-gap 111(.;asurc.: until more pO\\Trful
,·ersio ns could be developed. Larger powc.:r o utputs were
su bsequent!~· achie,·ed by the production of tubes requir-
ing plate ,·oltages as high as 300 or 400 ,·olts and this had
Philips Type 8443. The world's first pentodes (1928).
the cHcct of delaying the general acceptance of the earlv
Phi lips-designed tubes becaus'-= such voltages were great!;·
in excess of those normal]~, encountered in do mestic re· these vah-es were const ructed enabled them to be substi-
ceivers. tuted for existing triodes with a mjnirnum of bother as no
The first penrodc designed frw mains o peration, type wiring changes were needed in tl1'-= receiver. In practice a
C443, appeared in 1929, its rated maxi111u111 o utput of just pcnrode could simply be plugged into the output valve
under 2 watts requiring tl1'-= us'-= of 300 volts o n the plate. socket, a terminal on the side of the valve base allowing
Also in 1929 the first pemode, type E443, ro ha,·e an the necessary connectio n to the screen-grid to be made
o utput of O\"Cr 3 watts appeared but it required 400 \'Olts directly to the HT battery. The pentode's suppressor g rid
on the plate to achie\'c this. T o obtain an output of 3 was internallv com1ccted ro the centre point of the fila·
warts without the need for a plate voltage of more than ment and this arrangement was to become standard prac·
250 volts it was obviouslv necessarv ro increase the tube's rice throughout the world fo r all types of directly- heated
ctlicicncy and in 1933 chis was do~c by the production of pcntodcs.
the rypc E443H, a rube which had a mutual conductance Early in 1929 aU the major British valve makers were ot~
of 3 rnAIV . B~· this time the 'power P'-=ntode' had well and fcring at least one pcntode in their resp(;ccivc ranges, ex-
tru ly arrived . amples being: Ediswan 5£225 , Cossor 'Quinrode' 230Q,
Mullard's access to Philips' designs and production Osram PT235. An unusual form of pcnrode produced by
111(.;thods naturallv resulted in their beint?; tlK first British Mazda at this time (typ'-=S 230 Pen ~md 425 Pen) had tl1'-=
maker co 1narket. pcnrodes in the U.K. furthermore, thcv suppressor grid connected ro the scrern instead of to the
were the first to offer a range of 2-, 4·, and 6-volt n •pe.s filament. " The reason for this unorthodox procedmc was
known as PM22, PM24, and PM26 rcspect ivdv." There is stated ro be that in the event of a plate-re-suppressor short
also record of a I-volt type known as PM2 l which was circuit occurring all the other valves in a receiver would
the equivalent o f the Philips () 143. At the time of their no t be burnt our as would have b'-=rn the case had the
first production Mullard intmduc'-=d the tradrnan1'-= ' PEN· normal method of connectio n been llS'-=d.
TONE' fo r all pencodcs, a \\'Ord which rrn1ained in use With the increasing popularity of mains-dri\'en r'-=cc.:i\'ers
until the (;ra of miniarurisario n fo llowing World War II. which, unlike their battery-operated counterparts, W(;re
Philips o n tl1'-= other hand used the word 'PENTHODE' not restricted in audio o utput by consideration of econ-
for a somewhat shorter period- up to approximate!~· o my, more powerful v(;rsions of the pentode soon made
1936- at least as far as ru be markings arc concerned. their appearance. By 1933 the major British makers each
When pentodes were first rekased in the U. K . in 1928 had at least one ,·alve in product io n capable of 3 watts or
the init ial marketing policy was aimed by persuading the more outpur. Even so the use of a penrodc output stage
rdarivdy large number of home constructors and owners was by no means universal amongst receiver manufacmr-
of battery sets to 'tr~· a pentodc'. The mann'-=r in which crs at that time and the development of output triodes

55
 types its arrival passed almosr unnoticed and ir rcm~1ined
for manv vears rhe sole represcntatiYc of its dass. On
rhe other hand, the development of indirectly-heated types
proceeded apace.
Just which manufacturer produced the fi rst American
·pentodc is o pen ro q uestion bur it is a matter of record
that as early as April 1930 o ne company had anno unced
a radio -frequency type. ~ T his t ube was a product of the
C.E. Mfg. Co . and was known as the CeCo type P- 1. It
was unique in being constructed to o perate in the so-
i:alled 'space-charge· mode with rhe innermost g rid con-
nected to a porcntiaJ of + 10 vol rs.
The P-1 may be regarded as being a lineal descendant of
the European space-charge tetrode which had created a
brief fl urrv o f interest some six vears earlier and then
quickly faded from the scene. Bccat;sc o f the known draw-
backs associated wid1 space-charge o peratio n it is some-
what surprising that a rube such as rhe P-1 sho uld ha\'e
been introduced bur, in the evenr, ir remained rhe on ly
Philips F443 Osram PT25
one of its kind . Its brief moment of glo ry came when a
Giant European pentodes of 25 watts anode dissip. There were
no American equivalents. receiver m anufacturer, the Norden-Hauck Co., used the
P-1 rube in the RF stage of their model 'Super DX-5' in
conrinued for the next five years or so. Nc\·crrhc.:kss, the 1930. It " ·as the first and on l\' known conuncrcial use.
pcntodc had come to stay, its high efficiency e\·emually Throughour 1930 rumours of the impending release of
result ing in its becoming the most commonly used type of power o urpur penrodes was rife and in May of that year
output valve. advance data on an Arcturus pcm ode was annou nced by
During 1934 in the U. K., a t~1 pe of class B o peratio n of the company u1Hk r the somewhat unlikely titk of 'The
o utput penrodcs known as q uiescent push-pull (QPP) at- Pcnrodc as a Service Problcm'.K Imagine there being a scr-
tained a degree of popula rir~· in barrery sets as it offered ,·ice problem before an~' tubes had been released! Perhaps
increased ourpur combined \\'ith reduced battery consump- rhe article \\·as prophetic because as ir happened rhe early
tio n. Some vah'C makers produced special rwo-i n-one pentodcs were responsible for quire a few headaches.
valves for this purpose, examples of which arc: Cossor In January 1930 d1e Champion Radio Works Inc. pro-
240QP, Mazda Q P240, Mullard QP22A, Osram QP21 . duced and demonstrated an experimental power pcnrode
T hese were the first double penrodcs ever produced and and bv June 1931 a pro ductio n version of the same.: rube
British QPP valves remained unique in t hat no equi,·alcnt advertised for sale as type P-704. 9 Data on the first Arc-
types were made elsewhere. tu rus penrode, known as type ' PZ', was contained in a fac-
Touching briefly on Europcan radio -frequcn c~1 pcntodes
we fin d that battery-operated types did not appear until
after the advent of mains types. First o n the scc.:ne was the
Marconi-Osram VP21 , a ,·ari-mu type released in June
1934, \\'hile by the end of rhe year orher manufiKturers
had similar rypes on the marker. For some rc:ason, prob-
ably because of a lessening demand, N!-0.V. did not pro-
duce a sharp cur-off type en:n though o thers makers were
ofTered such valves.

Ame1·icnn Pc11torfes

Following the marketing o t' pcnrodes in Euro pe during

1928- 29 it was some two vears before rhe tirst American
versions became available ·and by that rime mainstream
rube de,·clopmenr was centred .1round the production of
AC rubes. Thus it was that although a 2-,·olr batter:· pen-
rode (type: 33) was a\'ai lablc: at much the same rime as AC Mu/lard PM21 and MP26. The first British pentodes.

56

British double pentodes
Marconi QP21 (L.) Ediswan QP230 (R.)
tory bulletin dated March 1931. In Jum: of the same year
RCA an11o u111.:ed their Radiotron type 247 and by July all
other tube makers had pcmodes in productio n so it can be
seen that there was little difference in the matter of release
dates.
The type 47, in keeping with other AC rubes of the
period, used the industry standard 2.5·\'0lt rating for its
filament and used d1e standard 5-pin (UY ) base. It was
both the first and only directly-heated pentode in this volt-
age g rouping as well as being the fi rst commercially used
output pcnt0de. A landmark rube. In subsequent devel-
opments which include indirectly-heated types, the charac-
teristics of the 47 formed the basis for the design of many
t\.1turc types, the figures of 16.5-volts bias and 7000-ohms
load becoming synonymous with 'singk pentode' output
stages.
Following hard on the heels of the 4 7, so closi.:h' in fact
that it arri,·ed ;llinost simultancouslv, came the release of
the first indirectly-heated penrodc. I~ ]uly 1931 " the rype
238 \\':tS announced at the R.MA Trade Show b\· s1.Teral
nibe makers although it had actually been in use as earlv as
Apri l of that ~'ear.~The 38 was ti1e first pentode in .rhe
newly introduced 6.3-volt automobik range and its 0.3-
amp heater rating enabled to also be used in DC and
AC/DC applications. In spite of its modest 1.89-watt
heater rating the 38 could almost match the power output
of its bigger brother the 47 when supplied with the same
plate voltage. With its high efficiency and compact size
(S- 12 bulb) the 38 became d1c most widely used output
tube in applications for which it was intended. By 1931
the prevailing economic conditions had resulted in the
production of small low-priced receivers which \\'ere re-
quired to provide comparatively large power outputs. It
was the timely arrival of the American penrode which en-
abled the production of such receivers to be successfollv
accomplished . ·
During 1932 several new i-h power pentodcs appeared
including the first in the 2.5-volt range (type 59), 11 and
the first in the 6.3-volt AC range (type 42). In addition
this year also saw the introduction of the first standard
type radio-freq uency pcntode (type 39) which had the dis-
tinction of being the first vari-mu type. The 39 was an-
nounced in February 1932 13 and not long after a somewhat
similar tube designated type 44 also appeared. The rwo
types bad much the same characteristics, d1e main diHC:r-
ence being that the 44 had a more extended cut-off point.
For a short while some manufacturers listed both types
but by d1i.: middk of 1935 the two types had been com -
bined under the dual number 39/44 .
The first 2.5-volr RF pcntodes announced were the
types 57 and 58, advertised by Speed 14 and Arcturus in June
1932, though bod1 types had been in commercial use for
some time previously; in fact the 58 had been used in a
standard production model receiver as early as August
1931 .'5 This meant that American practice was some two
years ahead of that in the U .K. at this time where the first
RF pentodes were nor announced until March 1933.
A novel feature of these cwo tubes was the bringing out
of d1eir suppressor g rids to two separate base pins. Thi.:
reason for this procedure has never been completely ex-
plained but in any event it became standard practice there-
after wid1 aU RF penrodcs. Admittedly it is possible to
vary a pentode's characteristics by the applicatio n of a
voltage to the suppressor grid but this was seldom done
in practice. In the vast majority of cases d1c tubes were
sin1ply used with the suppressor grid connected directly to
the cathode at the socket. Only one manufacturer is known
to have deviated from the no rm. An examinatio n of rclc-
vm1t Philco receiver schematics reveals that in some models
the vari-mu RF pcntodes had their suppressor grids con-
nected via a tertiary winding on the associated IF trans-
former to a low negati,·e voltage or else to earth (chassis).
When co1mected in this manner it was possible to claim
that a nibe \\·as not being used as a penrode but as a
'triple-grid amplifier'. Whether this procedure h,1d any
practical ad,·anragc is o pen to question but the thought
occurs it could bi.: used as a means of avoiding the pay-
m ent of patent royalties which would otherwise have been
incurred had the tube been used in the convcnrional man-
ner..
Ano ther frantre of the 5 7 and 58 was the first use of the
so-called 'ST style domed bulbs which evemuallv became
standard practice for all American tubes. T his bu lb shape
was part of a new styk o f constructio n whereby th1.· cle-
ment assembly \\'as braced at its upper edge by mica spac-
ers bearing against rhi.: narro wer top section of the bulb.
57
RADIO NEWS FOlt JUNE, 1931

POWER PENTODE
ENGINEER.5' 1930
CREATION

PUBLIC 1931
ACCEPTANCE
0 N January 15, 1930, Messrs. Briggs and Macleod of
Champion's engineering staff demonstrated before a distinguished gather·
ing at Columbia University, the principles of a radically different radio
Col umbia University, tube-the POWER PENTODE. In the March 1930 issue of the "Pro-
New York City ceedings of the Radio Club of America, Volume 7, No. 3," the following
Th.•re. o n~ r n yc·m· a;;u tor1 .f:1 nu:i r y
15, 1930, th ~ Power P E ;>;TOut; paragraph is noted. "Those who heard the demonstration of the Pentode
t ube was Hr:- t •1C'111onst nncU Li.r
Clrnmpion engln cc~r s. Tube, which followed the presentation of the paper {demonstration of a
Pentode by A. D. Macleod and R. S. Briggs of the Champion Radio
Works, Inc.} will recall that, etc., etc."
Then came months of study and experimenting ... of laboratory tests
... of intensive effort, day and night by the entire engineering staff of
Champion to PROVE it's finding. Champion's new tube must meet the
most rigid specifications of set manufacturers ... it must be SUPERIOR
in every way ... greater in tone brilliance ... more faithfully reproduc·
ing the high notes ... duplicating every tonal inflection of the artist as
though he stood before
Champion Laboratory, you!
DANVERS, Massachusetts Now the Power PEN-
'fhr()u~ll the i.ntlr in;: c"tl'(Jrl~ o( TODE Tube is ready!
:'\fr·s~rs. B ri ~g-~ n wl )Jt1 •·L<·od c1(
Ch tu11oion
Power
En~i nt·••rini: ~tnN' tlw
Pf:N 'l'O Dfl tl!lnin~d its
Ready for your most criti-
IH't~ sc·nt P<:rfr<'tlo11 . cal audition. Ready to
demonstrate a depth of
power, tonal beauty and
brilliancy never before
available in radio! Hear
it. Decide for yourself!
You'll admit-once more
-Champion is FIRST.

Home of C hampi on Radio

•
Tubes
DANVERS, Massachusetts
CHAMPION
f'f)r more thn u a <111nrtcr·ceutur y,
tbc name Cll.\)IPI ON tans "toud
Radio Works, Inc.
for !-;terllng wo rth 1~nll iute;;rity.
DANVERS
Massachusettes
 The firsr indirectly-hean:d power pcntode in the 2.5-volt
range, type 59, 1' inco rporated two unusual tcatures-i r \\';ls
the fi rsr tube to be tirred with t\\'in cathodes :md rhe first
to ha\'e its suppressor grid to be brought our to a sep;:iratc
base pin. The reason for using C"\\·in cathodes \\'as that rhe
tube had a planar electrode asscmbh' of almost idcmical
dimensions ro rhar used on the type. 47 filamentary pcn-
tode; with such a structure it was almost impossible ro
secure uniform distribution of the emission bv usino a
conventional single cathode. Having said that it ;,Hist 1~w
be admitted chat another tube of somewhat similar con-
struction, the type 48, used only a single cathode, albeit of
modified dimensions.
Whi k the presrnce of a suppressor g rid obviously en-
abled the 59 w be classt:d as a true pentodc, the fact rhar
this third g rid was not pt:rmanentl~, tied to the cathode
enabled t he tube to be used in a plurality of wa~'S resulting
in its being referred tO as a triple-grid power amplifier.
One suggt:sted way in which the 59 could be used was in
Class B service with grids I and 2 tied and No. 3 grid
connected to the plate, thus effccti\'ely making the tube a
high-mu triode. Operated in this manner a pair of S9s
with 300 volts o n their plates were capable of :in output
of 20 watts.
The first AC-operated power penrode to use a cylin-
drical electrode configuration was the type 42 which came Output pentodes
into use towards the end of 1932. 1- Earlv in 1933 it \\'as Type 38 (L.) Type 33 (R.)
joined b~· the tirsr 2.5-volt \·ersion, the .type 2A5. Some
manufacturers made both these tubes in the large S-17 tioncd bias for the o utput tubes was obtained b\· the use
style bulbs bur by rhe middle of 1933 the use~ of rhe of a 22 1/2-\·olt bias batten' . ·
smaller ST-14 bulb had become standard practice, though A tube of interest no~ because it \\·as a pentode, bur
Philco wenr thro ugh an intermediate step of using S-16 because it was unique at the time in having a dual-voltage
bulbs for a shorr period . Another easily recognisable heater, was the type I 2A5 \\'hich was introduced l)\' Rav-
change occurring at this time was the additio n of grid thcon in 1933. It was designed for use in eithe1: aut~­
radiators, a feature which became the hallmark of all fu- radio o r AC/DC applications, the tube having two distinct
ture o utput pt:ntodt:s. Incidentally, one manufacturer, Arc- heatt:r-cathode asst:mblies with the heaters being jo ined in
turus, is known to have issued rt:placcmt:nt type 47 tubes series. The ct:ntre point or junction of the nvo heaters was
modified by the addition of grid radiators. brought out to a separate base pin thus allowing either
For a shorr period prior to the advent of the so-called series o r paralle l opc..:ratio n as required.
universal or AC/DC receiver some manufacturers built sets
designed to operate from 110-V DC power lines. T he
earliest of such receivers dates back to 1928 and used 1/-l- A111ci'icrm Bnttei'I' Pentodcs
amp battery tttbes in all stages. However, after the rdease
of 6.3-\'0lt indirecrly-heated tubes these quicklv suppl:mtcd As suggested earlier, the de\'clopment of American bat-
batten• types except in the output stage. In spire of the tery rubes tended to be of secondan' importance in com-
availability of the type 38 pentodc some sn makers con- parison with progrt:ss in other areas with the result that
tinued to use filamentary output triodes. One recei\·cr pro- comparati,·cly kw types \\'ere produced. In the original
duced lw fada used no less than six types 7 1A rubes in 2-volt Air Cell range released bern·een 1930 and 1932 onlv
push-pull in order to obtain the desired power output. nvo pcntodes-one RF ~md one output- were included. ·
This company was also the first to use a filamenta~· power The first of these, type 33 announced in mid-1931 ,'Qwas
pcnrodc, r~·pe TS-257, developed by Tung Sol especially able to provide nearly t()ur times the output of its triodl·
for DC line opt:ration .i~ Hovvever, this did nor indicate a contemporary type 3 1 when operated at the same plate
gent:ral trend; for o ne thing it was considerably more dit~ voltage. Apart from one non-standard type, the 950 of
ficult to prc)\'ide g rid biassing when running d-h rubes in 1934, the 33 remained the sole representative of its class
series-string cirrnits. fn the case of the Fada n:cei\'cr men- until 1937 when an impro\'ed and more economical vt:r-

59
 . A.
POWER AMPLIFIER
PENTODE
NOW AVAi LAB LE
The RCA-247 has been designed for use in the audio
powe1· output stage of newly-designed AC receivers.

O pany, Inc.,thegives
NCE AGAIN RCA Radiotron Com,
the set design·ers a
voltages impressed on the grid. The sup-
presser is connected to the cathode and
new tool to work with- the screen-grid is,. therefore, operated at the cathode po,
power output pentode, RCA,247. Owing tential. Thus, the suppressor is effedive
to the addition of a "suppressor" grid be- in practically eliminating the secondary
tween the screen and plate, this Radio, emission effects which limit the power
tron is capable of giving large audio output of four-electrode screen-grid
power output for relatively small signal types.
The preliminary racings and characteristics are:
Filament Voltage . . . . . . . . . . 2.5 Volts Plate Cu rrent . . . 32 Milliamperes
Filament Current . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Ampe res Scree n C urrent. . . 7.5 Milliamperes
Plate Voltage, Recommended . . . . . 250 Volts Plate Rcsisrn nce . . . 38,000 Ohms
Screen Volcagc,Rccommcndcd an<l Maximum 250 Vo lts Mutual Co nductance . . . 2,500 Micromhos
Grid Voltage . . . . . . . . . . 16.S Volts Load Resistance, Approximate . . 7,000 Ohms
Power Output . . . . . . . . . 2.5 \Xla tts

RCA RADIOTRON CO., INC. - HARRISON, N . ].

A Radio Corpo1arion of America Sub)idiary

RCA RADIOTRONS " .. THE HEART OF YOUR RADIO ., ..

So.y You Saw It in QST- H Idcnlilica You and Helpa QST

60
sion, tvpe 1F4, made its appearance. In the same ~1car the
first and only double pcnto de, rype I E7G a rube tksigncd
for Class A push-pull service, was introduced. Howc,·cr, the
1E7G found little favour w ith receiver manufacturers who
preferred to use twin-triode rubi.:s in Class B.
T he radio frequency pcncodi.:, type 34,10 w:-is a vari-mu
type and it is interesting to note that no companion sharp
cut-off pcntodc was included in the range. W here circuit
requirements called for a tube with sharp cut-off char:-ic-
tcristics receiver engineers h:-id to bt: content with tht: type
32 tetrode. At least that was the positio n when Sykania in-
troduced their type 15 earl~· in 1933.
The 15 was unique in being rhc on lv American 2-volr
batten· rube ro have an indin.:crly-hc:-ircd cathode, in spin.:
of which the hearer consumption ,,·:-is o nly 0.22 :-imps. The
reason for the inrrodtKtion of such :-in odd-ball rube w:-is
the result of circuit demands calling for a prntodt: c:-ipablc
of operating as ~Ul auto dyne converter in supt:rheterodme
receivers at a time when the first b;\tter~·-ope r:-itcd pcnra-
grid com·erter, type 1A6, was somewhat deficient in pt:r·
formance.
An earl~· non-standard RF p<.:mode, n ·pe 951, was pro-
duced b~· Ken-Rad :111d Raytheon during 193~35 but as
it had almost identical charactt:ristics to tht: then standard
type l B4 production soon ce:-ised in farnur of the latter.
The first vari-mu RF pentodes
For a short period thereafter some m;inufacturers issued Type 39 (L. ) Type 58 (R.)
the rube under the combined r~·pe number 184-951.

British Jndircctlv-Hcntt·d Pmrodcs

Bv mid-1930 the dc,·dopmenr of indirectly-heated

vah·es had reached the stage whcrt: earlier detects had
been overcome and efficient lo ng-life ,·alves, having con-
siderably beccer characteristics than their b;mery-opt:ratcd
councerparts, were frccl~1 a\·ailablc. furthermore, valve
makers had by then established stantbrds in rht: matters o f
heater voltage and basing wh ich made their pro ducts more
acceptable to receive r manufacturers who by now were
turning increasingly to the production of all-mains re-
-
ceivers.
Power output valves, whether triode or pentode, re-
mained directly heated for the same reason which ;1pplied
in the U.S. at that time- it was impossible to design in-
directl~1- heared valves capable of more than a ~cw hund red
milliwatts output without rll!ming into problems of grid
emission. Because of this d iflicu lrv and becu1se the hum
level of d irectly-heated types had p roved :-icceptablc there
was conscquentl~1 nm the same incenti\·e to develop in-
directly-heated output valves; in fact DH out put pcmodes
remained in general use fo r the next five years o r so.
It may therefore come as :1 surprise to some readers to
learn that in spite of the foregoi ng one British ,·alvc maker
had, by the middle of 1930, been successful in producing
not o nly the world's fi rst i-h output penrode but a vcrv
successful first in addition. 1 ' Type 59. Triple-grid power amplifier.

61
 THE WIRELESS WORLD A DVERTISEMENT!".

The first • •
INDIRECTLY
DEA'rED
PENTODE

T HIS n ew power ou tput valve

ma rks an importan t step in the
history of Radi o. The indirectly
h ea ted Cathode· alrolutel y preYents
hum , and the AC/P en is th e most sen-
. iti ve p enLode in existen ce.
W.ith a grid swing of only ten volts it
will give wonderfu l r es ults when u sed
with a good cone !'peak.er, and is ideal
for operating a movin g coil speaker
such a. Lhe R.K.

PRICE 30f•

CD.ARAC'rEJllSTICS
Filnmeu I ''ohs 4.. 0
Filament amps (approx.) 1.0
Anode volts (max.) ... 250
Au:-.:ilinry Grid Voh s (urnx.)
l\1111ua l A.C. conductan ce (mA/V)
200
2.2 RADIO
VALVES
II THEEDISONSW'AN ELECTRICCO .• LTD.

la
Rt1dio Dirision,
Newman Strccr, Oxford Srrccr, \'(T. I
Showrooms i11 all tht Prind/utl Tow11s II
Aduertisements for " Tha Wireless World " arc only accepted from firms we believe to be thoro ughly reliable.
62

Vari-mu RF pentodes
Type 34 (L.) Type 234 (R.)
In Mav 1930 a valve from the same stable as the earlier
Cosmos 'Short Path' i-h series was announced-the ivfazda
AC/Pen. So successful was the design of this valve that it
became the basis for subsequent Mazda productions and
indeed foreshadowed the course of future events when
some five years later all makes of d-h types had almost
disappeared from the scene. The success of the AC/Pen
was all the more remarkable when it is realised that the
Cosmos facrory had never previouslv made any pentodes
at all and thus its designcr, E. Yeoman Ro binson, was
starting from scratch .
Following the formation of A. £ . I. in 1928 the Cosmos
pentodes were issued under th<.: Mazda label and it is in-
teresting to note that, apart from batterv-operatcd t~· pcs,
no directly-heated pcntodes were ever issued by Mazda. It
is a matter of historv that M azda's decisio n to stick to
the production of i-h output pcnrodcs at a time when
d-h types were predo minant, bo th within the U .K. and in
other countries, was later vindicated.
Well over a ~·car elapsed bcfon: o ther v:-ih-e m:-ikers pro-
duced any indirectly-he<\ted penrodes, some examples be-
ing Cossor MP/Pen, O sram MPT4, and Mullard Pen.A4.
It might be thought strange that Mu llards, \\'ho had in-
troduced the pcntode to the British market, were amongst
the last to manufacture i-h types, but this w:-is ob\·iously
because they were the lasr majo r manufacturer to market
any type of ind irectly-heated vah-c.
Indirectly-heated o/p pcntodes were o riginally fitted
with 5-pin bases having side-mounted termin:-ils for the
screen connection. When rhc standard British 7-pin base
came inco use in 1933 it was tirted to all i-h pentodes then
in production, including o lder t~'pes. However, to cater
for the rephKemenr market it \Vas necessarv to continue
producing earlier types in their original 5-pin form. Be-
cause the same valve was then available with two different
styles of base it was consequently essential to specify the
type of base required when ordering.
Apart from pioneering the production of the i-h output
pentode Mazda also originated a new breed in rhe species,
the high-sensitivity type. This was a peculiarly British de-
velopment which had no counterpart in the U .S. though
rubes with somewhat similar characteristics were later pro-
duced by Philips. With a murnal conductance of 8 mA/V
the Mazda AC/2Pen set a new standard of sensitivirv in
1934,22 enabling the outpur valve to be fed directly from a
d iode detector. This circuit feature became a characteristic
of many smaller British receivers produced after 1934.
For nearly two years after its debut the AC/2Pcn re-
mained the sole representative of its class but by l 936
most other valve makers had similar valves on the market.
Exmnpks of these arc: Cossor 42MPi Pen, Brimar 7 A3,
Mullard PenA4, and Osram N4 l. Alt these valves had
power output capabilities of between 3 and 4 watts with a
grid swing of less than 6 volts.
British radio frequency penrodes appeared about a year
after corresponding types had been marketed in the U.S.,
though one firm had actually produced an example of the
species as early as 1930.2-' Th is particular valve, the Cossor
MS/PenA, remained the sole representative of its class for
nearly three years until .Mullard announced their SP4 and
VP4 in March 1933. 24 Hard on their heels came Os ram's
.MSP4 and VMS4 together with Brimar's 8A 1 and 9 A I.
This time it was Mazda's turn to bring up the rear with
their types ACS2Pen and AC/VPl, which did nor appear
until 1934.
\•
I 4. 2. }
!
Early American pentodes, c. 1931.
63

Mazda AC-Pen. th e world's first indirectly-heated pentode.
Note grid radiator and carbonised anode in later valve shown
on right.
RE t E RE NCES
l. Dutch patent appln. date Dec. 14. 1926.
2. British Parent 1 o. 287.958 ap pln. date Dt.:c. 24,
1926. granted March 26, 1928.
3. fn:nch Patent No. 629,357 appln. June 25. 1927.
4. German Patent No. 527,449 appln. M.a~· 1930.
5. T he Pentodc, Wireless World, Julv 4, 1928, pp. 7, 9.
6. Olvmpia 1929, Wii·c/css Wm-Id, Sept. 25, 1929, p.
326.
7. The AC Screen Grid Pcntodc, Rndio Cmfr, April
1930, p. 512.
8. George Lewis, T hc Pcntock as a Service Prohkm,
Radio Craft, May 1930, p. 5 78 .
9. Sec advt. Radio News, ]um: 1931, p. 1097.
10. Sec advt. QS'J', June 1931. p. 95.
11. Sec Radio Cmft, July 1931, p. 41.
12. Scc Ken -Rad tube chart dated Aug. 4. 1932.
13. Louis Marcin, New Tubes for Old. Radio Cmft,
Feb. 1932, p. 458.
64
~
Mu1,,1rd
SP4 ,..
.,...,._A:fl' -r-·
por~~L~ !4 '
Mu/lard SP4 screened pentodes.
Th e earlier type is on the right.
14 . Sec .1dn. insidc from cover Rndio Craft, ]unc 1932.
15. Scc Rider:> Pcrpet11nl Troubleshooters Mmmnl, Vol. 2,
lnsulinc Corp. of America 'Super Conqueror', schematic
d:ucd Aug. 1931.
16. Sec Ken-Rad tube chart dated Aug. 4 , 1932.
17. Prog ress in T ubes for Radio, Radio E11gineeri11g,
frb. 1933, p. 11.
18. SL·c Rndiu Cmft, St:pt. 1932, ·p. 142.
19. Sec R.ndio Nem~, Ju ly 1931, p. 56.
20. Tube.: Prog rcss, Rruiio EngineevinJ:l, March 1932, p.
39.
2 1. Thc First Indirectly I-katcd Pcntodc, Wireless W01-Ld,
Ma~1 8, 1930, p. SS.
22. Sec Win:lt'.\'.( World, March 9. I 934, p. 116.
23. Sec Cossor Wircfrss Bou!~, Sc.:pt. 1930, p. 4.
24. T.E. Goldup, Tht: Screened HF Pcntodc, Wireless
World, Man:h 1933, pp. 221-222.
 Chapter 'J{j,ne

Developments in Tetrodes

Screen Grid

Follo\\'ing the t riod e in generic sequence, as in the case

of battery tube d evelopment, c1me the tetrode or scn:en-
grid ntbe. In June 1928 1 the C.E. M fg. Co. anno unced
an AC-operated ty pe h;wing unspecified ch;1racteristics o r
type num ber. T his rube \\':\S lare r idenrified ;1s Cc.: Co type
AC-22 and it was stated to han .: similar characteristics ro
the battery-operated UX-222. The heater raring was 2. 5
,·oJts, 1.75 amps.
An announcement published in O<:tober 19 28 by Arc-
turus claimed that their 15-,·olr SG rube, type A22. was
'the first shid<led-grid rube on rhe marker'. T hough no
date \\·as mentioned this claim w;1s olwioush· inrendnl to
applv only to AC tubes. Just whid 1 o f the t\\'o companic.:s
was actu al.I~· first in the field is open to q uestio n bur thc.:ir
respective claims could probably be settled on the basis
that CeCo marketed the tirst standard rype having a 2.5-
volt heater while Arcrurus pro duced rhe t·irst (and o nl~· )
15-volt type.
In spite of this early start the AC screen-grid tube.: did
not really get o ff the g ro und until RCA a1rnou nccd the
type UY-224 in May 1929. 2 T his ru be used the same
heater-cathode structure <llld samc 5-pin base as thc exist-
ing type 227 trio d e. Its external appc.:ar;11ice was quite sim-
ilar to the bam:ry-type UX-222 ;1s it uscd the same S-14
bulb ;111d top cap connector. As mig ht be expectcd the 224
offered a co ns ide rab l~ 1 better perfo rm;uKe by comparison
with its battery counterpart.
Bv the end o f the vcar all manufacturers o f AC tubes
had the type 224 in p roduct ion with Arcturus claiming
their type 124 robe t he first quick-heat ing \"Crsion. RCA's
tvpe UY-224A appeared some t ime later, the sutlix 'A' in
the ty pe number indic.ning ;1 quick-heati ng \'ersion. O rher
man ufacturers qu ickly changed O\'er to p roducing this ty pe
of tube and bv 193 1 the 24-A had c.:omplcrclv superscded
the earlier type. In 1932 the bulb shape was changed to
the then new ST srvle.
In April 1929 the firm o f C. R . Lcutz Inc. claimed to
be the first manu facturer to produce a recci\'er using AC

65
screen-grid tubes; three Sonatron rypc AC222 were used
in that (Ompany's 'Sc\'en Seas' modd. Ir \\·as only bv a
slim margin that this claim rnuld stand for by July o f that
year SC\'eral of the largest rc(civcr ma nu facturcrs such as
Atwater Kem, Crosley, and Stewart V\':m1cr were market-
ing screen-grid modds.
Within a n:marka blv sho rt sp;KL" of rime the AC scrcrn-
grid tube rendered the triode obsolete as an Rf amplifier
and even as a detector. bur in spite of its suir,1bilirv for the
purpose was ne\-cr employed as .1 rL"sistance-coupled \"Olc-
agc amplifier in Af circuits in commcrcialh· built re(civ-
ers. The reason for this w-as probably bcG1ust: of the trans-

OST

Another Early production model UY-224. Note fork-shaped screen

:J\&w
Amplifier Tube
assembly.

former coupled fixation on the part of engineers on both

sides of the Adantic at the time.
A solitary exception may be found in the case or a p<>WL"r
amplifier marketed in 1930 in which a type 24 tctrodt· was
used in the first stage and 'direct-coupled' to the output
added to the triode. Such <U11plifiers were sold under the name ' Lo frin -
Whire' by the Elcctrad Co. of New York. It was the on l ~1
advance line of known commercial applicatio n of :1 screen-grid rube as an
AF \'Oltage amplifier. It must be emphasised here that
although se\•eral small radio manufacturers incorporated
the Lofi:in-\.Vhite dire(t-couplcd circuit in thl'ir rcn:ivers
during 1930 rhe 24 tube was used as a biassl'd dctL"ctor,
not ~1s an audio amplifier. Extr:waganr daims, based Jargdy
AC Heater Type on the omission of the coupling l.'.ondenscr, were made for
the performance of the Loftin-VVhite circuit but history·
Screen Grid An1plifier relates that it did not stand the rest o f ti rnc and afrt:r a
little more than tweh"c months lud passL"d quiet!~· imo

C-324
2.5 Volt,
obli\·ion.
Another application for the 24A W<\S as a 'd~· narron '
oscillator. In this case the ncgati\·c-rcsistance char.Ktcristic
1.75 Ampere exhibited by the tube under certain opL"rating conditions
This tube combines
the unusual perform- allo ws ir ro fi.mction as a specialised type o f o scillator
ance obtainable from when the plate volcagc is held lc)\\Tr than the screen mir-
a screen grid radio
frequency amplifier age. Used in this mode the 24A fou nd little practical ;1p·
with AC heater type
alternating c urrent plicarion though a solicary m:111ufaeturer ( Croslc~·) did
operation. It is rec- incorporate a d ynatron oscillator in certain carlv supcr-
ommended for use as
a radio frequency hererodync recei\'ers made duri ng 193 1-32.
amplifier and us a
detector. It is a mattl"r of record, however, that as things turned
out rhis particular :ipplication was brgcl~· unsuccl'ssti.tl
E. T. CUNNINGHAM, INC. though not because of the dynacron oscillator as such . It
N•:W YORK CHICAGO 8.\N FRANCISCO
VALLAS ATLAl\" l"A was found that later 24A tu bL"s when used as replacements
for earlier types would function erratically or no t at all.
This was because the dynarron principle depcndl'd for its

66
operation o n the existence of secondary emission fro m rlK·
plate o f rhe rube. Later versions of the 24A had pbrcs rhar
were carbonised or o ther\\'ise treated co reduce the no r-
mallv unwanted seco ndarv emission rhus rendering them
useless as ch'narron oscillators!
The final development of the screen-grid tube was con -
cerned with the production of a specialised r~'fX' which
became kno wn as the 'variable-mu' or 'remore cur-o ff t\'pe.
This wlx: was invented ro fill a specific need caused bv
reception conditions which had arisen in certain parts of
the U .S. from the end of 1929 onwards. The rapid growth
of broadcasting o ften resulted in numerous high-powered
St<ltions being co ncentrated in metropolitan areas which
led ro a pcculiar difficulty in receivers using screen-grid
tubes. In man~' cases it was found impossible to separate
two statio ns operating on closcl~· adj<Kent frequencies even
though highly selective tuned circuits were used. Subse-
quent inn:stigation o f the problem revealed it to be causcd
by a pheno meno n kno\\·n as 'cross-modulatio n' \\'hich \\'aS
brought abo ut by non-linearity in the grid circuit o f the
first rube.
A solutio n ro this difficukv W<IS achieved l)\' rhe cb ·cl-
opmenc of a mo dified tvpe of screen-grid rube which had
a speciall~1 constructed grid. In practice this was achieved
by \.Vinding the turns of the grid spiral with a non-uni form
pitch; that is tO say the turns were spaced further apart in
the ccntr:1I section than they were at either end. This t~1 pe
of grid imparted a special characteristic to any tubes so c . 335
constructed enabling them to handle large signal inputs
without cross-modulation occurring. furthermore, it also Super-Control
enabled the gain o f a receiver to be controlled either man-
ually o r automaticall~· by applving a variable control vo lt- Screen Grid
age to the grids of any such tubes. So it \\'as that the in-
vention of the vari-rnu tube killed two birds with o ne stone
R.F. Amplifier
as it greatlv fi1eilirated the development of the so-called
Operating Voltages
automatic volume control (AVC) circuits \\'hich wo uld
otherwise have been se\·ercly limited in scope.
Ef - 2.5 Volts AC/oc
In May 1931 initial production of the new tubes, des- Eb - 250 Volts
ignated t~· pe 551, was commenced by Arcturus, 1\.fajestic, Ee- -3 Volts minimum
and Ravcheo n under license to the Bontoon Research Ed - 90 Volts maxnnum
Corp., the holders of the patent.> At the same tirnc as this c.335 is a very effective tuhc ft)r rcdudnf' cross•
tn_Q<lulati.on and modulation·disrortion over the
was going on RCA brought out their version which was norma.( range of received fli,;:oalf'.l. l1s c:lcsigr\ pcr1nirs
easy concrol of a large range of fib:11;il voltHgcs with..
known as type 235·1 and the remaining mbe makers soon out the use of local·disrnocc switches ot ·aoteooa
t>otentioinetcrs.
had one o r the other of these two types on the market. The mutual conductance o { thir; tube is 1050 when
Due to their similaritv it was soon considered redundant operated ''dth a ~rid bin~ o{ - 3 volts ;u1d 15 with a
-40 volt- grid bias M the above plate nod i;crccn
to continue producing both types for rephlcemenr pur- voltages. This large range of 1nutual cond uctance
makes it P<,)SS:iblc to gi,·c. ''' ith scvc l:"al control stages,
poses ;Ind by 1935 the type 551 was discontinued. For satisfactory volume control opcrarion under norrnal
sign.al conditions.
a short rime some manufacturers issued rubes under the
combined marking 35/51.
E. T. CUNNINGHAM, INC.
A subsidiary of Radio Corporation of Amcric<i
As in the case o f indirectlv-heared triodes 6.3-,·olt ,·er- New York ,,. Chicago ,. So1n Fr.incisco
sions of screen -grid tubes were not long in making thcir Dallas " Atlanra

appearance. In Jui~' 1931 a sharp cut-off type, the 236,

was anno unced; it had been in commerci;1I use ;1s earlv QST for July, 1931
as April of that vcar.'' A somewhat similar tube, Nation;~!
Union's type NY64 ( incidentally claimed to be the tirst

67
 Announcing ....
The New Super=
Control Screen= Grid
AMPLIFIER!
ATIONAL UNION RADIO CORPORATION is pleased
N to announce a screen grid radio frequency amplifier, de-
signed especially for reducing cross-modulation and mod'tl-
lation distortion. Furthermore, its design is such as to per-
mit easy control of a large range of signal voltages without
the use of local-distance switches or antenna potentiometers.
This feature makes the Valve adaptable to automatic volume
control design. It is designed for AC operation, and employs
a cathode of the quick heater type.

Tentative ratings and characteristics of the National Union

235 are:

j.
i
(i
A remote cut-oU screen-griJ ''alve
es11ecially designed for operation
as cm R.f'. or J.F. amplifier. Its
1111rtic11.lar merit is its ability to
amplify without introducing dis·
agrce,,ble cross-talk or distortion.
This valve will be used by set
clP.signers in many of their new
models. It, however, should not
be 11.sed t.o replace ty pe 22~ valves
in sets originally designed for the
224 valve.
Filament Voltage ............•............•.. 2.5 Volts
Filament Current . . .. ...................... 1.75 Amps
Plate Voltage (Recommended) . . . . ...•• 180 to 250 Volts
Screen Voltage (Recommended) .......... 75 to 90 Volts
Grid Voltage ................ . ... . . -1.5 to -3 Volts
Plate Current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........• 5.8 to 6.5
Screen Current ....... . .................. Maximum 2.5
Plate Resistance .............. 350,000 Ohms (Approx.)
Amplification factor ....................... 385 to 370
Mutual Conductance ................•• 1100 Micromhos
Effective Grid-Plate Capacitance .......• 0.010 mmf. Max.

Price . ... 25/- each

Demand Na ti on al Union Valves!
SEND FOR FREE CATALOGUE N.U. 48

INTERNATIONAL RADIO CO. Ltd. 229 CASTLEREAGH ST., SYDNEY

6.3-volr rube of a1w kind) was ;u111ounced in May . ~ Prc-
sumablv because of the imminent introduction of Rf pen-
todcs a vari-mu SG tube was not included in the standard
6.3 V, 0.3 A range though there was one, rype NY65 , pro-
duced in the non-standard 0 .4-amp range.
From the fo regoing it can be seen that the development
of the A.C. screen-grid rube was an important step for-
ward which, particularly in America, led to the rapid de-
velopment of the superheterodyne receiver. However, such
was the pace of development during this period that no
sooner had the SG tube become established than it was
eclipsed by the coming of the radio frequency pentodc.
British A .C. Screen-Grid Valves
The production of the first British indirectly-heated
screen-grid valves occurred at much the same time as in
the U.S. 13y SL:ptcmber 1929 the four main manufacturers
- Cossor, Mullard, Cosmos/M~mia, M-0.V.- all had 4-
volt versions on the market. Similarlv, in the case of vari-
mu types these appeared within SL\ months of their Ameri-
can release. Mazda and M-0.V. were the first two British
makers and both firms had examples on the marker b~'
November 193 I . Because of the s light!~· later dc,·dop-
menrs of British RF penrodes the screen-grid tetrode re-
mained in curn:nr use somewhat longer th<u1 in the U.S.
Some early European screen-grid valves .
f or example, M-0.V.'s MS4B and VMS4 in Carkin ver-
sions wne released in .Mav 1933.
Output Tetrodes
A highlv specialised form of tetrode and one unique to
the American scene appeared towards the end of 1932. In
spite of being listed as a 'dual grid triode' ;111d inva riabl~'
being used as a triode, tubes of this class must logic1lly be
cbsscd ~ls tctrodes, at least from a constructional aspect.
T he possession of two independent grids, each connectl'.d
to separate base pins, surely allows no other classification.
The l'irst of the species, which were also known as 'dou-
bk grid power amplifiers', was the type 46, a tube de-
signed specifically for use in Class B service. Like its cousin
the 47, the 46 originated during the era of 2.5-volr tubes
<Ind it used the same type of 'M' filament. T he electrode
asscmblv. also closclv. resembled that of the 47 while the
same stvlc of base and bulb were also used. Indeed so
similar were the two types in both outer and inner appcar-
ancl'. that o nly bv the closest examination \\'as it possible to
distinguish betwccn them. In its original form , using an
S-1 7 bulb, the 46 was announced in April l 932; but bv
1933 the bulb shape had been altered to ST-1 7.
In practice the possession of two grids allowed the 46
to function as a triode whose characteristics could be al-
69
tcn:d to suit a gi,-cn application. d1:p1.· nding o n the manner
in which rhe grids were connected. As o utput tu bes with
the grids connected together, a pair of 46s operating in
C las; B m ode was capa.hle of the thcn unprecedcntcd ~Jut­
put of 20 watts. With the outer grid tied to the plate a
sing k 46 thcn had characteristics \vhid1 made it suitable as
a driver for the push-pull pair.
In spite of th<.: superficial attraction of Class B operation
of output srages the resultant <.:cononw in plate curr<.:nt
consumption afforded bv its hig her dlicicncv was of little
o r no significance in AC recci\-crs. This was particularlv
true of bter Class B tubes ha,·ing power outputs o f ,,·hich
could just :-is easily have been obtain<.:d b~· using a pair of
pcntodes in C lass A. On!~· when cconon1\' of plate current
was of prime impo rtance, as in rh<.: case of batterv-oper-
ated recci\'ers, did Class B o peration otter any worthwhile
ad \'antage.
following the 46 in sequenc<.: came two similar generic
tvpcs, the onlv o th<.:r devd op1rn:nts of the dual grid arn-
plifi<.:r. The first of these was a tub<.: in the 2 -volt Air Cell
range, t~'pe 49 , released towards the end of 1932." W ith
135 volts o n their plates a pair of these tubes operating
undc r zcro-bias conditions cou ld prm·idc an output of
2 .3 \\'attS. Th<.: final d ual grid tube, type 52 , was a tila-
mcntary type rated at 6.3 V, 0.3 A. and was anno unced b~·
Eveready Raytheon at the beginning of 1933. '" The 52
was specificallv designed for 110- \! DC line operation and
with a plare \'Oltage of 100 volts was capable of an output
of 1.2 watts, a figure considerablv in excess of anv con-
ternpo rar~' pcnmde.
T hc tirst power o utput tctrodc in \\'hich the outer grid
was intended to be conm.:cted o nl~ · m a sou rce of hig h
voltage in rhe manner of a pcntmk. \\'as the t\'pe 48 ,,·hich
appeared late in 1932. 11 Officially described by R CA as 'a
tetrode with pem odc characteristics', the 48 is historicalh-
signiticant in that it mav be regarded as the progenitor o f
70
all later power tetrodes. T he 48 was stated b,· R CA to be
suitable for use in DC powerline recei,-crs b~1t because of
its non-st:-indard 0.4-amp heater r;Hing plus the fact that
srr;1ig ht DC receivers had largclv g i\'en wav to AC/D C
rvpcs by this time, the 48 was more commonlv used in
32-volt sets designed fo r operation o n farm lighting sys-
tems. In this application the low available plate voltage
made it necessar~· to use as manv as four rvpe 48 tubes in
push- pull parallel in order to secure an adeq u ate power
output . In spite of the fact tlut the 48 was a true tetrode
and \\'aS listed as such D\' all tube makers. the autho r has
d iscO\·ered thar o ne mam.1facturer, R;1ytheon , produced the
rube in pentode form onl~· · T he reason for this dcl'iarion
from standard p ract ice is not know n but it is mentio ned
fo r the sake of completeness.
In chronological sequence the next develo pment oc-
curred o n the other side of the Atlantic when, in 1935, a
newlv established indepcndent British company, the H ig h
Vacuum Vah-e Co. (H ivac) anno unced an entireh· ditk r-
enr type o f o utput tetro dc u Th is \\'as the Hi,·ac ;Harries'
\'ah-c; the latter name being that of its inYen to r, J. 0\\'<.:n
Harries. Like the American 48, the H arries vah c was ;\
true tetrode, notable for the utilisation of a principle in
,·ah·e design known as the \ :rirical distance' spacing of the
screen-grid and plate. By the application of this principle
it was possible to ac hieve, and even surpass, the pcrfi)r-
mance of contemporary pentodes. The o nly known dis;1d -
vantage of the Harries valve was a purely practical o ne in
that the extremcl~, \\'ide screen-to-plate spacing resulted in
a \·alvc of somewhat larger ph~'s ica l size than comparable
pentodes.
V alves of this t\'pe were produced in all existing stan-
dard British ranges, though in spite of their initial pro mise
made little impact o n the scene. H owe\'er, one suspects
this to be d ue more to comm ercial difficulties rather th;m
to anv deficiencies in the valve itself.
Subsequent dcn:loprnent of power tctrodcs now reverts
to the U.S. b ut before proceeding further with the storv it
may be apposite to pause ;111d consid er thc non- rhetorical
question-\1Vhen is a tetrode nor a tetrode?, and the ans\\'er
- When it is ~' beam power amplifier. The ,,·ord 'b<.:am' in
52
II
I i
this connotation being dcscripti\'C of the shaping of the
electron stream brought about by the specialised formation
of the electrode structure which is characteristic of all such
tubes. The distinguishing features of the final form of
power tetrodes arc:
1. The existence of 'aligned grids', brought about by
the turns of the grid and screen being positioned
direcclv in line with each other.
2. The presence of rwo small 'beam forming' plates held
at cathode potential.
3. The use of critical distance' spacing between screen
and place ro suppress the effects of secondarv emis-
sion from the plate.
It is the second of these three tcatures which, because it
had the ctfo.:t of adding a fi.111:hcr electrode, has resulted in
the still unresolved question of whether such tubes should
be classified as tetrodes or pemodes. To further add to the
confusion the following definition was applied bv RCA in
the 1940 Tube Manual RC14:
'A beam power tube is a tetrode or pentode in which
the use is made of directed electron beams to contribute
substantially to its power-handling capability. Such a
tube contains a cathode, a control-grid, a screen, a plate
and, optionally a suppressor grid. \Nhcn a beam power
tube is designed vvirhout an actual suppressor the elec-
trodes arc so spaced that secondary emission from the
plate is suppressed by space-charge effects between the
screen and plate... . In place of the space-charge effect
just described it is also feasible to use an actual suppres-
sor to repel the sccondarv clccrrons. Examples of beam
power tubes using an actual suppressor arc the 6 V 6 and
6GG'.
A twenty-year history of the 6L6.
The author must admit ro being particularly confi.1sed
over the last sentence as he has never seen a 6V6 with a
suppressor grid nor ever heard of the 6G6G as being other
than a true pcntodc. Bec.rnse the sentence in question was
withdrawn in subsequent editions of the Manual it seems
likclv that the information was incorrect.
But, to continue with our story-the world's first beam
power tetrode was the type 6L6, released by RCA in July
1936.1.' Presumablv because RCA's efforts were being con-
centrated on the production of metal tubes at the time, the
6L6 was first issued in this form. In the following year a
glass version, the 6L6G, was issued in an ST-16 size bulb
whilst later still other variants followed. The final version,
type 6L6GC, was fitted with a tubular T-12 bulb and also
carried an increased plate dissipation of 30 watts compared
with 19 watts for the earlier versions.
Although listed as a receiving type the 6L6 was never
widclv used in this application because the output of a
push-pull pair even when used in class A mode was exces-
sive for all but the largest and most powerful receivers. In
any case the 6L6 \Vas primarilv designed to operate in
Class AB mode as its characteristics were specifically suited
to_ this class of service. Thus the tube found its widest ap-
plication in high power amplifiers and also became pop-
ular with amateur transmitters. Not until a lower power
version appeared did the beam power tube become a rival
to the well-established power pencodc.
As the originator of the species nor surprisingly it was
RCA who developed the first lower power version which,
like its bigger brother, was initially issued in 1nctal form.
Towards the end of 1937 the type 6V6 (metal) and the
type 6V6G (glass) both appeared at much the same timc. 14
The final version, type 6V6GT, was introduced in 1939. 15
71
In this form the tube \\'as to remain in continuous produc-
tion for mTr 40 vcars and must be cou 11tc.:d ;ls one of the:
most successful desig ns of an~· class or tube c.:\·er produced.
In tum its characteristics wen: incorporated into the lokral-
based 7C5 of I 939 ~rnd the miniature tvpl· 6r\Q5 of 1947.
following thl' introduction of bl·am retrOlks no further
.~
new output penrmks were de,·dopc.:d with the exception
of bartcrv-operarcd types. In this c.1se the fan that the
emitter (tilament) \\'as spread out O\'lT .1 greater area, b~·
I
comparison with an c~1ui\·a knt indirecrl~·- heated cathode
tube. made cl1l' application of the be;1111-forming f)rincipk
somewhat rnorl· ditlicult to impkment. B~· 1940. ho\\'-
e,·er. RCA had p rod uced nm 1.4-,·olt r~-pe!> ( 1QSGT .rnd
1TSGT). as wdl as one dual-mirage 1A./2.8-rnlr n·pc
(3Q5GT ).
The 25-year history of the 6V6.
•
In the manufacture o f these and subsequent simibr n ·pcs
the time-honoured , ·ce filament had to be abandoned ;1nd
a Ill'\\' design used \\'here in the tila111enr rook the form or
t\\'O paralkl \\'ire11. Because this st~· k of fila111cnr \\·as nor
adaptable to miniature rubes these had perforce to rrnuin
as pcntocks.
-
Britis/J Al[11ncd-Grid Tctrorics

Apart from th1.· Hi,·ac-I-brries output tetrode prel'i-

o usly mentioned apparently no furth1.:r British de,·dop-
ment "·ork took place, o r ar kasr none was ,·isibk unril
rnid- 1937. At this time the Marconipho nc Co. and GEC
Ltd. jointly launched their so-calkd ' International Octal'
r:inge of , ·ahTs. These \\'ere similar, and in some cases
identical, to the American octal-based g lass series and ;1p-
pear to hal'e been de\'cloped \\'ith the acri,·e co-oper;1rion Osram KT63 , the later version is on the right.
of RCA who at that rime had an interest in the Marconi-
phone Co.
The tirst beam tetrodcs rckascd in the U.K. \\'ere n ·pcs
KT32. KT63, :111d KT66; the letters KT in the: rvpe m1111-

-
bers srnnding for 'kinkkss tctr0tk'. Of the three, on l)' rhe
KT32 W<lS direcr l~· eqtti\·aknt to an~' Amcricm t~·pc, in
this case the 25L6G . The KT63 was similar to the 6\'6G
bur had ratings and d 1aractcristics identical to the 6F6G
prntode. T he ~KT66 was comparabll' co the 6L6G bur had
a somewhat higher plate dissipatio n. Like the 6L6 ir also
underwent de,·doprncntal changes m ·cr the ~·cars ending
up e;lrrying ma,ximum plate and scrern ratings of 500 rnlt:s
when b~' this time a Class AB2 pair was ...:apabk of 50
watts o utput.
Initialh· the de\'dopmrnt ofkinkkss t1.·rrodes b~· M-0.\'.
\\'aS confined to the production of output types bur b~·
1938 Rf types had been added to both rhe nc\\' Interna-
tional range as well as the older 4 -,·olt :-;cries. This dl'\·cl-
o pmenr was without precedent either i11 the U. K. or in
o ther countries and remained unique to 1\tlarconi-Osr.1111 .
Coinciding "·irh the production of the tirsr omput tcr- Marconi-Osram KT66 power tetrodes. The earlier version is on
rodcs in 1937 M-0.\'. adopted a po l ic~· ofgraduall~· phas- the right.

72
ing o ut all their existing ompm pemodes, indud ing b;u-
tery types. and replac ing them ,,·irh equi,·alent kinkless
tetrodcs. In this connectio n it is interesting to note th.it
the production of be;\m-typc battery tl'tr~>dcs occurn:d
so1111: thrc:c \'cars earl i<:r th;\11 in the U .S.
lh 1938 other \·al\'!: makers. initialh- Cossor and Nb :t.lb.
had .marketed o utput tetrodes \\'h ilc H i\'ac continued pro-
d uction of their Harries design. In t he same vear Brimar
produced t he American t~·pes 6V6G, 6L6G. an~i 26L6(; in
their ne\\'I\' introd uced I nrcrnarional Octal range. These
same three. t~·p1:s \l'Cre ;1lso indudcd among the va'h·es listed
b~· Cossor, Mull;mi, and Tungsram in 1940.
Apart from the marketing of the three Arnerican-t~' pe
valves 1111:mio111..:d this W;\ S Mullard's o nlv ackno\\'lcd u;menr
of the th r1:at to the su prem;1cy of the pe;1tode as an <~utput
,·alve. T his \\'as o b\·io uslv because their parent compa n ~' ,
Philips. as o wners of the basic pcnrode patent co uld more
pro ti tab l ~· rnntinue alo ng establ ished lines.
Co11ti11e11tnl Del'clop111e11ts
In conti nental Europe the o utput tetrode made little
impression on thl· scene and always remained a relatively
ran: bre1:d of nib<.:. T he kno\\'n mam1facture rs of t his class
of tubc- Fivre, Loewe, Telcti.mkrn, and Philips- Va lvo-
berwccn them produced o nlv about half •l dozen types
\\'hich, ;1p;1rt from those made b~, Fivre, were all in t he
fo rm o f multiple tubes.
The f'i rst conrinenr;1J use of ;\ tetrode output tube oc-
curred in L938 \\'hen Telefunken produced a dual tetrode,
type VEL LL, for use in one model of the ~azi-insp i red
German 'Peoples Receiver' kn0\\'11 as the Kkinemfanger.'"
The tirst section of che VEL 11 operated as a screened-grid
detecto r \\'hilst the second section \\'as ,1 po\\'er t1:trotk
capable of 2 \\';ms o utput. A second Tclefonkcn multiple
tube, type VCL 11, consisted o f a triode-cum-tetrode hav·
ing an o utput o f 0.8 watts. Two somewhat similar tubes,
types ECLL 11• and UCLl 1, followed in 1939; these lmi a
much higher power o utput of 4 .2 watts.
An ind ication o f the rclat i\'ely unimportant position oc-
cupied b~· the output tetrode in continental Europe can be
obtained from a smdv of Brans' Vndc 1Wecu111. For exam-
ple. in the 1948 edition of this \\'Ork there is listed onlv
one manufacturer, Fine. who made am· American-typ~
beam power tetrodes while amongst t he tew manufac-
tur1:rs \\·ho d id mak1: other types of o utput tecrodcs none
rnatk sing le-sectio n, i.e., no n-multiple, types.
REFERENCES
l. Sec ad\'t . C.E. Mfg. Co. Inc., Rn.dio Ne111s, June 1928,
p. 1367.
2. New A.C. Tubes Developed, Rndio News, April 1929,
p. 946.
3. Recent Advances in Radio T u be Design, Rndio Cm.ft,
May 193 1, p. 599.
4. Ne\\' Types o f Receiving T ubes, Radio Craft, May
193 L, p. 686.
5. W hat's N ew at the Trade Sho \\', Radio Nc111s, Julv
193 1, p. 5 1. .
6. Ririe1-'s Pe1pct11nl Tro11/Jlcs/Jootc1.l_f /vim111nl, Vol. II, p.
8, 'ERLA' model 636 schematic dared April 20, 193 l.
7. Ne\\' Tvpes of Receiving Tubes, Rnriio Cm.fr, April
1931, p. 663.
8. Sec R adio Retailil~q. Ma~· 1932, p. 33.
9. Still More New T ubes, Radio Craft, Sept. 1932, p.
142.
10. N ew Tube Ann oun ce men t~ , f{ iidio Craft, Jan. 1933,
p. 398.
11. New Tube Announcements, /fotfio Craft, Dec. 1932,
p. 334.
12. J.H . Owen H arries, Wireless World, Aug. 2. 1935,
pp. 105- 106.
13. The New Beam Po\\'er Tube, Rnriio Crnft, July 1936.
p. 12.
14. T he 1\farch of Tubes, Rnriio Craft, April 193 7, p.
636.
15. A Guide to the New T u bes, Ac1·0J1ox R esearch Worl?-
cr, July 1939, p. 2.
16. The Peo ple's Set, Wird1:ss World, M arch 1939.
17. Sec Philips' publicatio n T/Jc Brit{rre to H tqhci- Radio
£11te~·tai1111unt dated Sept. 1939, p. l 0.
73
 Cfzapter 'Fen

Double-Filament and Multiple Tubes

A nm-iar.n DcPclopnicnts
The idea of titting a tube with more than one filamenr
goes back to the earliest days for it was in 1909 that th<.:
first do uble-filament De.: f o rest Audions were produced .
Se,·eral ~·cars later other manufacturers rook up the idea,
the Cunningham AudioTron and the Moorhead Electron
Relay being rhc best-kt10 \\·n examp les of unbased doubk-
tilamenc tu bes of the period.
T he first American double-filamcnr cube to be tittt:d
with a standardised base was a type made by Moorhead in
1922 which was known as the A-P Two-in-One. It con-
sisted o f a dual c~'lindrical dt:ctrode assembly joined 'Sia-
mese twin' fashion by m<.:ans of a o ne-piece anode formed
in a fi g ure-o~:eight pattern . The anodes and grids were
effectively in parallel while the two axial filaments wen.:
joined in series and intended for operation from a St<\11-
The New
dard 5-volt suppl~' · H owever, as the conunon point of the
rwo tilarncnrs was connected to the brass base-shell it was
possible to us<.: o ne filament at a rime fro m a 2-\'olr supply.
Apart from a slightly later tube known as the Apco, no
otht:r d o uble-filament cubes appeared until 1940 and by
then they had been developed for an entirely ditkrc.:m
reason. Originally the reason for the fitting of a second
ti lament \\·as to allow an extension of the tube's opn.iring
liti:time, as after rhc first fil~unent h<ld burnt o ut th<.: sec-
ond o n<.: could be brought into use. In the C<lSe o r mo re
rccrnr tubt:s, hmve\'er, the fitting of a double filament
allowt:d eith<.:r series or parallel operation as desired .
Th<.: need for series/parallel filament operation had
arisen in 1940 with the production of mains/battery por-
table receivers which used 1.4-volt drv-cdl rubes. As a
matter of design co1wenicnce when these receivers were
op<.:rating fron~ mains power all rube fi laments were c.:on-
ncc.: red in series, but as the fi lament current of mosr o urpur
rubes was twice that of other tubes in the set it bec1111e
11<.:c.:essary to produce an o utp ut tube having two tilamrnts
which could be operated either in series or parallel as
required. The first standardised double-filament t~' pe, tvpt·
3QSGT, was produced expressly ro meet this requin.: ment
and thereafter double-filamcm output rubes remained in
use fr>r as long as rube-operated portable recei\'ers \\'Cre in
production.

Britisl; Dcvclop1J1mcs

One of the earliest-kno\\'n examples of a British -made

do uble-filament valv<.: was ad\'crtiscd in 1923 1 b~' Phillips
Valves Ltd. of Southall, Middlesex, a small independent
(·Pt;l{A.l'I NO 01\ T A
Filnmc11l V olt:.! 5.0 who also made c.:onvcncio nal single-filament t~1 p<.:s. T he
Fll;11ncnt ~\ mrcr-.1t.1 • 0 . .ts
Pl1•h) Von ' • .,.0 tu zoo
Phillips doubk-tilarnent valve was a bright emitrer typt:
whi1.:h was unique in being fitted with a composition base
at a time when all other makes still h;1d metal-shell b;1ses.
A small link-arm on the undersid e of rhe base allowed the
A=P Radio Laboratories
6~& Mission Strocl San Francisc.o , Cal., U.S.A. second filament to be b rought into use after rhe tirsr one
had fa iled.

74
 An unusual , imked unique, valve known as the 'Nelson
Multi', was produced b~, the Nelson Electric Co. Ltd.
towards the end of 1925. 2 T his valve had no less than three
filamcllts, any one of which could be brought into use
separate Iv bv means of a scissors rvpc switch on the under-
side of the base. In :iddirion ir \\'as possible to adjust the
switch to allow two tilamcms to be run in parallel and so
use the \'alvc as a pO\\'Cr amplifier. Two versions, known
as tvpes A and DEA, were otfrred initially and early in
1926 a further two, types DE2 and DE06, were added to
the range. Shortly afrer this, however, the Nelson Electric
Co. ceased advertising and nothing further was heard of
the company's products.
As in the U.S.A., several years elapsed before doublc-
filament valves again appeared on the scene and when this
occurred they were not of British design. In May 1940
only two manufacturers, Brimar and Tungsram, listed any
such valves and in borh cases it \Vas the American type
3QSGT. By then, however, World War II had been in
progress for some six mo nths and British valve makers
were becoming too occupied with catering for military
demands to have time to develop new types for commer-
cial use, so it was no t until the pose-war ~'cars that other
makers engaged in the production of the 3QSGT and
similar types.
Enr~}' Multiple Tubes
Sooner or beer it was inevitable that someone would
get the idea of purring two o r more identical electrode
Loewe receiver using 3NFB tube.
assemblies inside a single bulb, chus creating a two-in-one
or three-in-one tube. Superficially at least the idea was
attractive as it would appear to offer economics in produc-
tion costs wh ich, if it did not result in two tubes for the
price o f o ne, did make it cheaper than using separate tubes.
It was in German~· that multiple tubes were first devel-
oped serio usly and in chat country the firm of Loewe
Radio AG became the undisputed leader, not only in the
manufacture of multiple rubes but also in the production
of small receivers inco rporating chcm. 3'' Loewe had previ-
ously made l.'.Onvcntio nal rubes under the name ' Loewe
Audi on' but from 1926 onwards specialised in the produc-
tion of 2-in-l :rnd 3-in-l types.
The Loewe 3-in- l was unique in that it contained within
the bulb not o nly rhn.:e separate electrode assemblies but
also all the associated resistors and capacitors necessary for
a 3-tube receiver; only the tuning circuits were, of neces-
sity, o utside the bulb. To prevent contamination of rhe
vacuum within rhe bulb each capacitor and resistor was
indi viduall~, scaled inside a glass phial, and the completed
assembly of electrodes and components was supported by
an intricate arrangement of glass rods and beads. Although
German glassblowers have always been renowned for their
workmanship rhc overall effect in this case was of German
ingenuity gone mad. Even with the most proficient glass
workers such a form of construction must han': been ex-
pensive and in addition was far from robust. Another
rather obvious drawback of the Loewe tube was that in
the eYent of a filament burn-out a major part of the re-
ceiver had to be discarded, though in the Vaterland this
75
was overcome bv the provision of :l repair service \\'hereby At much the same time as the Locwe multiple rubes
new filamenrs could be fitted to a burnr-ouc rube. fi rst appeared, o r a little earlier if the absence of any visi-
In later productions of the Loewe multiple rubes mosr ble gcttering is :mv indicatio n, another Germ.an firm also
of the complicated glass work was dom: away \\'ith and brought o u t 2 -in- l and 3-in· l types. These were produced
use was m:tde of mica sp acers :rnd supporrs. As if ash:urn:d by the Suddeutschc Tcldo n Apparate, Kabel & Draht
of the changed internal appe:i.ra1m: of these latn pro· Wcrke and were sold unde r the brandname TKD o r Tc Ka
ducrio ns Loewe sprayed the bulbs with aluminium paint De. Bo th tvpes were noteworthy for their compact con·
which had no functional purpose and served merd y ro
hide the internal structure fro m view.
In its o riginal form the Loewe recciver consisted of a p~~}}}lll~??ld ~//{{{{(\\\\~
non- rcgcnerati\'e detector followed by a rwo-stagc resis·
tance coupled amplifier bur later productions \\'ere mo di- NELSON MULTI
fied to incorporate regeneratio n in the: d etector circuit. This
necessitated an additional external connectio n on the tube
base, the SC\'Cnth contact being located in the centre of the
existing pin circle. The o riginal 6 -conract ru bes were des·
ignatcd 3NF, while the later 7-co nract rv pes were known
as 31 rB in Germany ;llld RNF7 in England . In both cases
the letters NF indicated N ieder Frequcnz (lo\\' frequency
or AF) .
Ano ther Lo ewe ru be, tho ugh one with completely di f·
fcrenc functions, was also produced at this time. It con·
sisted o f two screen-grid tetrodcs arr;mgcd as a rn·o-stagc
RF ampl ifier ;rnd was known as type 2HF ( HF = H och Fre· A
quenz). The same typc of 6-concact base as used on the VALVE
3NF was titted to the 2HF and a similar sized bulb was WITH
used.
THREE
/,
Fl LAMEN1 '",
II/VO
THE i.JFEOF
THRE€ VALVES I
MOTE THF. SCISSOR SWITCH IK THE DASE CAP.
WHJCH WHl!N CLOSF.I) CAN BF. PL~CED IN
CONTACT Wll'll AN\' DNF. Fll.,UIF.NT. WHEN
OPEN ANO 11' CONTACT WITH A:-1\' T\\'O,
i\' i\JAl-\ES TUE V.-\L\ 'li A POW ER AMPLIFIER.

!'flu& ~
NELSONHuLT I
THREE FILAMENT
'0'~!S'0'~ $

oJM in aaclt dMJta;nd, •1~""'11

-·---
TYPE A . P rlco 9 {6.
BRIC.HT VALVE · Ftramu1 Vetth •lo S. Amps. o-s
DETECTOR · • Plate Volts, lO to 60
AMPLIFIER · • • • . P1·:1tt Volts, so to 100
PO\NER AMPLIFI E R • ·Plate Volts, 80 to 120
(TV'llfo Fiiaments. ) .. Grid 8iu1 J to 6 wolts
Loewe multiple tubes. the centre tube was originally coated TYPE D.E. A. P rice 15/ • .
with aluminum paint. DULL. EMITTER - .. filament Volts 2·6, Amps.0·18
D E TECTOR · · • • PlaltVol!s,301060
AMPLIFIER • • • • - PlateVoltt,6Dfo80
PO\NER AMPLI F I ER • ·PlatoVolts,8010120
(T\NO Fllamont.e. ) -Grid Biu l to 6 Volh
In later ~1cars Loewe went o n to make: AC versions of We I ra Uhlbltint at rhe Wlrcleu Exhibition,
Horticultural Holl, STAND 7&. C•U •ndseeU1em.
their multiple tubes and by 1935 four d iffrrent types were If wurblc lo obtain from your local supplier, write direct to
in productio n. These included such complex types as an
RF penro de, detector triode and output pt:nto de corn bina·
THE NELSON ELECTRIC CO. LTD.
tion which required 13 external connections. T he: prod m:· MERTON PARK
tion of such rubes remained unique to Lo cwt: :tnd was s.w. 19. OCTOBER jTH. 1925.

never attempted elsewhere.

76
struction and small physical size; the 2-in-1 type VT126
having a maximum diameter of onlv 40 mm, whik the
3-in-l t~·pc VT139, which used the same sized electrodes,
mcast;:ed 50 mm. These and other TKD tubes arc notable
for the use of one-piece punched sheetmeral grids-the
so-called ladder grid-as well as for the use of oxide-
coated filaments.
The only early American multiple tube was one which
made a brief appearance during 1927. In March of that
vcar a company named the Emerson Rad Val Corp. of
New York marketed a 3-i.n- l tube known as the Emerson
Multivah·e type E.M.V. -3A. 5 This tube had three small
cylindrical electrode assemblies each having an axial fila-
ment. T hc filaments were series-connected, the terminal
voltage bcing the standard American 5-volt rating. A stan-
dard S-14 size bulb was used, together w ith a standard
4-pin UX base. The base was modificd bv the addition of a
flange or collar which carried four screw terminals, giving
a total of eight external connections. The Multivalve was
almost certainly made by Cleartron as the bulb had the
characteristic flattened spike on the seal-off tip which was
a hallmark of Clcartron tubes.
In 1927 the Multivalve tube is known to have been used
in a receiver marketed under the name 'Babv Emerson' and
also in one made by the Standard Radio Corp. of v\Torces-
ter, Mass., under che name 'Standardyne'."
T he firsr British multiple vah·c appeared late in 1927,
being produced by Ediswan as tvpc ES220. In essence it
consisted of two triodes but these were not constructed in
the form of separate assemblies; instc1d one section was
built inside the other, resulting in the most extraordinary
electrode formation imaginabl~. The £5220 appears t~:>
have been in the nature of an experimental or prototype
valve although an Ediswan receiver known <lS the 'One-
Emerson Multivalve and carton (1927).
TeKaDe 3-in-1 (L.) and 2-in-1 (R.) multiple tubes.
Der' was produced in 1928. Like the valve irsclt~ the re-
ceivers also seem to have been pro totypes on ly.
A year later B.T-H produced a two-in-one rnlve not
identified bv anv tvpe number but it was a fairly co1wcn-
tional reprcscntati\'e of the genre in that it had two inde-
pendent sections provided with a common filament. 7 A
standard British 4-pin base was used with two additional
connections provided by means of two terminals mounted
on opposite sides. B.T-H marketed two models of re-
ceivers using Duplex valves, in fact as far as can be ascer-
tained, the valves were developed solely for use in B.T-H
receivers and were not marketed separately.
Later Twin Triodes
Except in the case of Loewe who continued the produc-
tion of multiple tubes, no further developments occurred
until 1933 when the first of the so-called 'twin triodes',
intended for Class B output stage use, appeared in the
U .5. These tubes were first produced as battery-operated
types and it was in this application that they were most
widclv used. T his was because the inherent efficiency and
econ~my of Class B operation was of g reater impo1:tance
in the case of batterv-operated receivers. The type 19,
which was in the same 2-volt range as the '30' Air CeU
series, was released early in 1933&and found ready accep-
tance by recei\'er manufacturers. It was capable of 2 watts
output under zero bias conditions with 135 volts on the
plate. Under these conditions the static plate current was
I 0 mA, though for greater economy this could be reduced
ro 1 mA by the application of - 6 volts bias, when the
output kll to 1.6 watts. Either way this was a remarkable
77

~:.~!':fl~ ~~~U~tdl:;;::&£~~lDio 6*~
V•h'&. I
~ -~~~~~~~~·-
Ediswan ES220 multiple valve
(1927).
performance when compared w ith the type 33 penrode
operating in Cbss A mode. An octal-based version of the
19 was released in 1936 and a lower-power version, type
1G6G, followed in 1939.
In mid-1933 a 2.5-volt AC version, type 53, and a 6.3-
volt versio n, type 79, were relcased,9 bur as Class B opera-
tion in mains-operated receivers and car radios was littl<.:
used these two rubes were relatively unimportant commer-
cially. Even so there was apparently sufficient demand to
warrant the development o f further types, examples o f
which arc types 6A6 and 6N7, though these were proba-
bly more often used as other than output tubes-for in -
stance as phase inverters or audio mixers.
Meanwhi le, on the ocher side of the Achrntic simibr
developments had been taking p.lacc. It is probably tnie to
say that Class B ope ration of the output stages of battery
sets was even more cnthusiastically taken up in England
than it was in the U.S. This was because of the propor-
tionately greater number of battery-operated receivers in
use in Britain and because economv. in batten· - current w:is
more soughr afrcr.
Bv the end o f 1933 all \'alve makers had at least one
Class B twin triode in production whilst some offered two
different types. As in the U .5., the filament voltage was
standardised at two volts and most valves had characteris-
tics which were.: quite similar to the American type 19.
Examples o f some of the first issues arc: Cosso r 220B,
78
O sram B21, Mazda PD220, and Mullard PM2B . An tUlU -
sual, indeed unique, Class B V<llvc was marketed briefly by
Hi,·ac towards the end of 1934. '0 It was known as type
DB240 and included a dri,·er triode.: in the same bulb as
the output pair. As far as can be determined this Hi,·ac
valve had no counterpart an~'where else in the world and it
is mentioned here just 'for the rccord'.
In spite of the initial enthusiastic reception accorded the
Class B output stage it did not enjo~' as long-hed popu-
larity as in America. One reason for this was that a some-
what similar type of ourpur stage known as quiescent push-
pull (QPP) had always bcen po pular bccausc it did not
require the driving power needed in Class B operation.
Apart fro m this there had been continuing and intensive
development of highly eflicicnt battery-operated output
triodes and pentodes w hich had no counterparts amongst
American rubes and which had the effect of making C lass
B less attractive.
On the European continent thc adoptio n of Class B
appears to ha,·e taken place rather later and to a lesser
extent than occi.JtTed in Britain and the U.S., judging by
the small number of manufacturers who produced suitable
rubes. The first offering from Philips, the type B240, did
nor appear until 1935. T his was followed in 1937 by the
KD D l in the 2-volt 'Goldcn' series of side-contact types.
Examples from other makers arc: Dario TB402, T elefun-
ken RE402B, and T ungsram C l3220.
Class B operation of output stages in mains-operated
n:ccivcrs was almost unheard o f in Europe with the result
that there were no valves developed for this class of ser-
vice. H owever, by 1940 some of those British manufac-
turers making American type valves listed certain Class B
types though no single maker listed all types. O sram was
the only maker to assign a private type number ro any
such rube, their type B63 being the direct equivalent of
the 6N7.
The fi rst tw in-triode voltage amplifiers were the types
6C8G and 6SC7 which appeared in l 940 n These were
followed in 1945 by the better-known 6SN7Gt and the
lesser-known 7F8. When in 1948 RCA introduced noval-
based miniature tubes it so happened that the first two
types issued were twin-triodes-types 12AU7 and 12AX7.
They were fo llowed by the l 2AT7, the three types being
made by all American manufacturers.
Dircct-Co11plcd Tubes
A peculiar!~· American breed of rube, the direct-coupled
amplifier, first appeared early in 1932 \\'hen the Cable
Tube Corp. of Brooklyn, N . Y. announced their Speed
'Triple Twin' type 295 in March of that year. 12 The term
T riple Twin was explained as indicating that the rube had
three times the o utput o f the type 45 triode and twice that
o f the type 47 pcntode. That this claim was slightly exag-
gcrated can be confirmed if the published figure of 4 .5
watts t(x the 295 is compan:d with the tigun:s for the
other two tll bes.
It is probably no t stretching the imag inatio n too much
to suggest that, coming at the ti me when it did, the tube's
prod uctio n was an attempt to ..:apit;1lis1.: o n the publicity
which had surrounded the Loftin vVhitc direct-coupled
amplifier during 1930-31 . Be t hat as it nm-, the Speed
295 pro,-cd to be the progeni tor of a line of si milar rubes,
the de,·d o pmcnt of "·hich rnnrin ued fo r the next fi,·c years
or so.
The Triple T"·in was a two-in-one rube consisting of
an indirectly-heated d ri,·cr t riode din:..:tly ..:oupled ro a
di rectl~·-heated o utpllt triode and was the first American
mult iple tube to emplov two dissim ilar triodt.:s. The type
295 carried a 2.5-volt he:m:r/f'i lamem rating and was soon
fo llo wed bv a 6.3-volt versio n, type 293 and <lll AC/DC
,·crsio n, type 291. As befitted their applications the last
rwo types had much smalkr power o utput capabilities,
though were o therw ise identical in constructio n apart fro m
having smaller bulbs.
Direct-coupled output triodes 1932- 1937.
In spite of ha,·ing had rhe ac.h-anrage of extensive pu b-
lici~· in technical journals of rhe day, cou pled w ith plen-
tiful a<.h-crt ising, the Triple Tw111 tubes were not even
modcratclv successti.i l, as to the \\"ricer's knowled ge they
were never used in a1w commerciallv built recci\'er or
amplifier. The tube's main d rawbai:k \\;as no r so much the
result of an~· shortcomings in irs design ;is the need fo r
rather complicated input and biassing circuitr~'. For CX<\ll1·
pie, a special AF choke was needed in the inpur secrio n's
catho de circuit and such a compo ncnt w;is an anathema in
the davs of resistance-couplcd audio stag1.:s.
For some reason .Speed, in spite of being the originators
of d irect-coupled tubes, d id not continue with their devd-
o pment and it was kfr to two other compan ies, Arcturus
and Triad, to carry o n fu rther developmental work. So it
was that towards the end of l 933, some 18 months after
the arrival of the 295, Arcturus an nounced the type 2B6. u
T he main d ifference between the new rube and its prede-
cessor lay in the use of an indi rectly- heated o utput section,
resulting in a considerably reduced heater wattagc . Othcr
d itfrrcnces were the abo li ti<.m o f thc top-cap co nne..:tio n
and the use ofa large 7-pin base and an ST16 bu lb.
Coinciding with the rdcase of the 2B6 was rhc rdease
of receivers by two companies, Lincoln and Mc1\i\urdo
Siln :r. using the new tube. HO\\"ever, apart from its use by
o ne o r two small manufacturers of public address ampli-
fiers, this appears to h:l\"e been the only occasion when the
2B6 was used in a commercially built receiver. In spitc of
this the 2 R6 had m ade its mark and fu rtht.:r dcvclopmems
were soon to follo w.
T he first direct-coupled tube to achieve real commcrcial
success was the type 6BS anno unced bv Triad in April
1935. 1; Other manufacturers who made this tube were Na-
tional U nion, Ravtheo n, Champio n, and Tung Sol. Unlike
earlier direct-coupled nibcs the 6 B5 found ready accep-
tance amongst manufacturers of both ho me and auromo-
Speed 'Triple-Twin" direct-coupled output triodes .
bile receivers, it being used by such large companies as
C rask\'. and U nited Motors. Undoubtcdh• . the main rea-
son for the success of this new tube was irs abilirv to
replace the common(~· used type 42 output pcntode si~ply
by o mitting the usual biassing circuitry. Bt.:causc th<.: o pcr-
ating conditions of the 6B5 matchcd those of the 42 q uite
closdv no circuit redesig n o r o ther alteratio ns wcre rc-
quired in the receiver, even the base conncctio ns w<.:re the
same. \Nhat more could anv radio manufacturer ;1sk? The
din:ct-couplcd tube had arrived !
Compared with earlier designs the 6B5 had the advan-
tage of req uiring no external biassing arrangemcnts and
in additio n bad somewhat improved characteristics. Ir dif-
fered from earlier tu bes in having an internally mounted
resistor connected between the two sect ions, the stated
79
 RADIO ENGINEERING MARCH, 1932

$1>1! I! I>
TStll>'LB ·TWIN
a 1nasterachieve1nent
from the
Speed Laboratories
The SPEED "TRIPLE-TWIN," a combination
power output and detector tube , far surpasses
all recent developments and is compar;.'-'IP
in importance only t o th~ invon+inn r,f ~he
vac u•.•r> + 11 ~P itself.

Its features are outstanding: Applications

• Ra d io Broddcd st Re ceivers
• Triple th e 245's output and doub le th e 247's with . • Spec ia l Receive rs
out incre ased plate voltages. { Arm~ . Navy, Po lice . Aircraft)
• Te le vision
• One "Triple· Twin" supplants complete DETEC-
• Sound Proje ctors <1nd Recorders
TOR and AUDIO Syste m.
• Thedlre Sound Eq .. ipment
• Super sensitivity allows e limination of pre-stages • Public Address Syst e ms
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• Industria l Applic<ltions

CABLE RADIO TUBE CORP.

230 North Ninth Street
BROOKLYN, N. Y.
purpose of which was to prevent warm-u p surges. lkc n1sc
the o utput section o perated with a positive bias it had to
have a high-mu characteristic (to prevent excessive place
current) and this was achieved by using two separate c:on-
trol grids connected in parallel.
Following the introduction of octal-based tubes the 6 13 5
was issued in this form as type 6N6G in 1937. A mctal-
glass version, type 6N6MG, \\'as made by National Union,
Ra~'theon and T riad. Triad also originated rwo lower
power versions, types 6AB6G and 6AC6G, as well as an
AC/DC version, type 25N6G.
In summary it may be said that althoug h the dirccr-
couplcd tube in its later forms enjoyed a certain :imount
of success it nc,·cr became a serio us threat to the wdl-
entrenched pcntodc or beam tetrode output tubes. Dircct-
coupkd output tubes were largely unknown outside the
U.S. tho ug h types 6BS and 6 N 6G \\'ere made, o r at least
listed, by Brimar from 1938 o nwards. \1Vhilst these were
probably intended as replacements for use in impo rted
American receivers it is known that at least two British set
makers, Pilot and Halford, used 6N6G valves in cerr:un
models of receivers made during the late 1930s.
Other Multiple T11bu
A type of multiple tube which originated in the U .$. was
an output pentode cum rect ifier combination intended for
use in small AC/DC recei,·crs. The fi rst of such ~·pes, ~·pc
12A7, was released late in 1933 and it was followed in
1939 by the 25A7G. In 1940 RCA first issued beam o ut-
put tetrodcs combined with rectifiers, examples of \\'hich
are types 32L7GT and 70L7GT.
Another earlv American combinatio n \Vas a v:iri-mu
pentode combined with a triock, the type 6F7 issued in
1933. This tube rcn1aincd the sole representative of its
d;1ss in the 6.3-V . range tho ugh in 1939 a tew manufac-
turers produced a similar tube with a 12.6-V. heater rating
known as type 12B8GT.
The final combinatio n tube issued prior to World War
II was the type 6A D7G which appeared in 1940. It con-
sisted of an output pentodc combined with a driver triode
and it remained the sole representative of this class of
tube.
REFERENCES
1. Sec advt. Phillips Vah-es Ltd., Amateur Wil·eless, Sept.
15, 1923.
2. Sec advt. Nelson Electric Co., Wireless World, Oct. 7,
1925, p. ad. 12.
3. Tubes W ithin T ubes, Radio News, July 1927, pp. 30-
31.
4. Loewe Type R0433 receiver, Wireless World, March
12, 1930, p. 286.
5. Sec advt. Emerson Radval Corp. , Radio NL'WS, March
1927, p. 1081.
6. T rend of Development, Wireless World, Oct. 5, 1927,
p. 482.
7. Show Report, Wireless World, Sept. 26, 1928, p. 401.
8. New Tube De"clopments, Radio Cmft, Jan. 1933, p.
398.
9. Radio Tube Progress, Radio E11gi11eering, June 1933,
p. 28.
10. Sec Wireless Wol'lrl Valve Data, Nov. 30, 1934.
11. Sec RC.A Tube Mrmual, R C14, July 1940.
12. Sec advt. Cable Tube Corp., R adio Engineei·ing,
March 1932.
13. C.H. Stro hmeyer, Audio System with the new 2B6
tube, Radin £11..r1i11cering, August 1933, pp. 11- 12.
14. Cliffo rd E. Denton, The New 6B5 D ynarnic-coupkd
A.F. Tube, Radio Cm.ft, April 1935, p. 590.
81
 Cfiapter 'Eleven
The Return o i the Diode
America11 Dcvclop111c11tS
Fo llowing the invention and tirst use of the diode from
1905 o nwards, a period which spanned little more than
a decade, the progenitor of all radio tubes was guickly
eclipsed by the arrival of the triode detector and manv
years were to pass before the d io de once again came into
its own. Aided by rhc use of regeneration the superior
performance of the triode detector ensured its dominance
for the next 15 years . Not that the triode was without irs
d rawbacks; drawbacks which became increasinglv impor-
tant as developments in recei\'er circuitry took place .
One o f the drawbacks exhibited bv the triode when
used in the original leaky-grid mode ~vas its inabilit\' to
handle large signal inputs without introducing distortion.
In the d ays when pre-detecto r amplificatio n was either
smaJJ or non-existent this drawback \\'as of no signifi-
cance, but following the in\'ention of the screen-grid mbe
with its inherently high ampli fication factor. the increased
pre-detector stage gain led to the detector becoming a
bottleneck. This weakness \\'aS further emphasised with
the coming into use of the supcrhctcrodyne circuit \\'ith its
extrcmclv hig h gain.
As a result receiver manufacturers were soon forced to
seek a better detector and although both triode and scrcen -
grid rubes were used in the so-called 'biassed detector· o r
'anode bend' mode for a fc\\' years, it soon became appar-
ent that further impro,·ement \\'aS desirable. The short-
comings of amplifying rubes when used as detectors kd
directly back ro the diode, \\'hich \\'hen resurrected \\'as
found to be as near ideal a detector as could be dc,·ised.
Once this fact had been established it o nlv remained to
put it into practice, bur at the time there " ·as no such
things as diode detector tu bes in productio n. Recei\'cr
manufacturers were therefore forced to ado pt the make-
shift practice of using triodes as diodes. This \\·as simply
done by using the grid as the anode \\'hik the true anode
was usuallv earthed and thus functioned solclv as a shield.
Connected in this manner the type 27 rube .was success-
fullv
. used bv . several American manufacturers until the
arri,·aJ of specialised detector diodes.
82
The earliest-known commercial use of diode detection
carried o ut in this manner occurs in the Edison models R4
and RS receivers marketed in mid -1929. 1 In th<: fo llo wing
vcar Philco sirnilarlv used d io de detectio n but in this case
~vith the addition (;f auromaric gai n contro l (A VC) , en:n
though vari-mu tubes had nor then made their appearance.
In both cases rhe receivers were of the TRf v:triery bur in
1931 the Philco model 90 (bre) appears to ha\·c been rhe
first supcrhcterodvne ro incorporate diode detection. In
the same \'car Grigsby·Gruno\\' \\Tre the first ro use full-
wave detectio n using two t~'pc 27 rubes, connected as
diodes, in their mode l 25 recci,·er. 1
Duo-diodes 6H66 and GH6 The first duo-diodes
(1936). (1931).
Finalh'. afrer more than cwo ,·cars of these makeshift
arrangements. the first ' modern· diode detector tube was
put into production. E\'cn then it \\'as nor a\·aibblc l()r
general sale as the tube in question " ·as made b~· a recei,·er
manufacturer solely for use in the company's O\\'n sets. In
December 193 1 the (~ri gsby-G nmo"· Co. rde.\sed rheir
model 200 recc i,·cr which used the ne\\'ly de,·d oped Ma-
jestic type G-2-S duo-dio d e rube. This rube, rogerhcr \\'ith
the later G-4-S, rcm:tined uniquc o n the Arnericm scene
until the ad,·enr of the rype 6H6 metal rube in 1935.
The arrival of the G-2-S ma~· be said ro ha,·e sign.lllcd
the Start of 3 \\·orld-\\'ide S\\'ing. to\\'ards the USC of diode
detection using rubes specially designed for the purpme.
E,·cn so triodes \\'ere still being pressed into scn·il.'.e a~
diodes as late as 1933 by several well-known manufactur·
ers, such as Crosley and Philco, although by this time
duo-diodes in combination with triodes or pcntodcs had
come into general use.
Another factor of perhaps equal importance in bringing
about the general use of diode detection was the invention
of the so-called 'automatic vo lume control' (AVC), a fra-
ture which was greatly facilitated by the use of diode de-
tection. Prior to this A VC could o nly be obtained by the
use of a separate tube, often needing a rather complex cir-
cuit in order to obtain the requisite control voltage. When
diode detection was used it was a simple matter to obtain
' free' AVC by using the rectified signal voltage. So it was
that within the space of two or thn:e years diode detection
came to dominate the scene <md has retained its popularity
to this very day, even though vacuum tube bas been super-
ceded by crystal. Norman E. Wundorlich

Because o f the exceptionally small emission require-

ments of a signal diode it was soon realised that it was
possible to incorporate a couple of diodes into the same
envelope with an existing triode without the need to in-
crease either the heater wattage or the size of the electrode
assembly. Furthermore, the triode could directly follow
the diode in receiver tube sequence as a first stage audio
amplifier so that the combination of the two stages witl1in
a single bulb was a logical step. T his led to the develop-
ment of the so-called duo-diode-triode tube wherein two
tiny diode plates were incorporated into the structure of
a triode and shared a common cathode. The fi rsc of such
tubes was the type 55 which was announced in July 1932.
Much has been written about the Arcturus 'vVunderlich'
tube, a conremporary of the 55, which was announced in
Ma\' 1932.4 Like the 55 the Wunderlich was essential!\· a
form of diode-triode but because of the unusual meth.od
of combining the functions of detection and amplification
in one electron stream (unlike the three-stream 55 ) ir de-
serves special mention. Firstly rhc German-sounding name
was that of the rube's inventor, Norman E. Wunde rlich, a
former e ngineer of the old Radio- Victor Corp. who ap-
pears to have invented and patented the tube befo re sell -
ing the rights to the Arcturus Radio Tube Co .
The distinguishing feature of the Wunderlich lay in the
structure of its cwin grids. These were arranged in co-
cylindrical, or to be more precise, co-planar fashion around
a common cat hode and in turn were surrounded bv a
The Wunderlich tube and its inventor.
common (triode) plate. Functionallv the nibc could be
regarded as either a leaky-grid triode having two grids, or
as a rube having t wo open-mesh diode plates which al-
lowed the electron stream to pass through and n.:ach the
outer plate. In practice the Wunderlich was always used as
a full-wave detector and in fac t this mode o f operation was
inherent in its design . As with the 55 it was a simple
matter to obtain an AVC control voltage from the rc<.:ti-
tied signal, though the fu ll-wave circuit configuration wns
somewhat inflexible when it came to other than 'simple'
AVC. To obviate tl1is shortcoming a finaJ. form of the tube
known as tvpe ' B' was announced in March 1933 wherein
an entirely separate diode plate was added to the existing
assembly. H owever, due to its comparati\-c late arrival this
particular m be was destined to become little more than a
curiositv
. as it was neve r used commcrciallv.
.
Historically the Wunderlich was a dead-end tube; its
invention did not g ive rise ro a new generation of similar
tubes and within the space o f a few vears it was all but
II.

Radiotron 85 (6.3V) and 55

(2 .SV).

83
forgotten. The original 2.5-V Wunderlich tube was not
allocated any type number but after the production of a 6.3-
V car radio version, identified as ' A-Auto', the 2.5-V ver-
sion became known as type A.
Contrary to a widely-held belief~ the vVunderlich design
was not unique as at much the same time two other tube
makers had released similar types. These diffe red only in
that they were two-stream variants, but the principle of
operation remained the same. \Nhereas the Arcturus Wun-
derlich used a conunon cathode, tubes made by Ken-Rad
and Sylvania used twin cathodes each with its own grid,
the twin assemblies being surrounded by a common plate.
Examples arc: Sylvania types 29 and 69;' Ken-Rad KR20
and KR.22.~ Although the \Nunderlich was used by several
receiver manufacturers during 1932-33 there is no record
of any conunercial use of either the Ken-Rad o r Sylvania L. Mu/lard duo-diodes for 2 -volt battery operation. R. Mazda
versions. V914 (formerly AC/ DD) 4-volt AC.
For the next forty years the duo-diode triode was to
reign supreme as the most commonlv used multi-function atclv superseded by the type V. 914, the.: carlicr type being
radio tube and even though diodes were later combined no longer listed aftcr 1934.
with either AF or RF pentodcs these particular combina- Initially British valve makers offered plain duo-diodes
tions never became as widely used as the DDT. onlv and not until later in 1933 did the.: fi rst duo -diode
By 1933 duo-diode pentodes in both 2.5-and 6.3-volt tri~des appear. In addi tio n tO producing duo-diodcs t<x
versions (types 2B7 and 6B7) had appeared and by 1937 AC <llld AC/DC operation British and contincnral manu-
they were joined by a 2-volt battery version, type 1F6. lt facwrers also made battery-operated types, a class of tube
should be me ntioned here that the combining of diodes completclv unknown in the U nited Statcs. Of the last n:uned
with oucput pentodcs or tetrodes was unknown in the the first British example was the Cossor 22000 which
U.S. in spite of its popularity in Euro pe. When the first appeared in 1934.8 A variation also unknown in the.: U.S.
1.4-volt miniature battery tubes were released in 1940 it is was a 2-volt battery type having an indin.:ctly-heared cath-
interesting tO note that a duo-diode triode was not in- ode. This particular type o f valve.: was produccd on l~' by
cluded in the range, only a diode-pentode, tvpe 155. In Philips-Mullard and was intended for use in their own
the case of the 7-pin indirectly- heated miniatures it was recei\·ers. T he Mul)ard 202 and the Philips Kl32 wcrc
impossible to produce a duo-diode pentode due to the first listed in 1936. In spite of being indirecrl ~· hcned
limitation of the number of base pins. these valves consumed only 0.09 amps, a figure about half
During World War II the first American miniaturised that of most ordinary 2-volt types.
twin diode, tvpe 6AL5, was introduced bv Syh·ania. T his During its heyday the plain duo-diode was much mo re
tube quick!~' became an industry standard, made by all widclv used in Britain than in America, which ma~· seem
other makers. Prior to its advent it had been necessarv to surprising in Yiew of the fact that British receivers of the
use a triode strapped as a diode when a miniature tvpe was period generally used fewe r valves than their American
required. It may be recalled that a similar siniation had
arisen manv vcars earlie r in the case of standard sized
tubes. The 6AL5 was announced in August 1944 and was, Cl
of course, intended for milirarv applications. Ati:er the war
it found extensive use in FM and television recei\'ers.

British Devclopmeuts

Following American practice the use of diode detection,

together w ith AVC became commonplace in Britain from
1933 onwards. The first British receiver known to have
ii
JJ1'
utilised both these features, the M urphv model AS, was
being advertised in November 1932. An article in Wireless
World stated that a Mazd a type AC/DD valve was used.- Philips and Mu/lard duo-diodes . They came in various shapes
For some reason this particular valve was almost inunedi- and sizes.

84
counterparts. The n.:ason for the popularity of such ,·ah-cs
with British set makers mav have been due to a drawback
connected with the use of some types of diode combin:i-
tions which m:initcstcd itself as an unwanted coupling be·
tween the sections. Such coupling could be complctcl~,
eliminated only b~· the use of t\\'O separate vah-cs for the
func tions of detectio n and AF amplificatio n. Be that as it
may. the duo-diode retained its populariry in the U.K. up
to the cessation of domestic rccei,·cr p roduction earl\· in
World War II.
From the rnon.: conservative British standpoint the use
of a separate valve solely for the purpose of detection and
AVC could be considered wasteful. That the overall mun·
bcr of valves was not necessari1~· increased by this proce-
dure can be n:phlincd by the fact that in such cases the
use of an extremely sensitive output pentodc, plus a heavily
delayed A VC s~1s tern, allowed a penultimate stage to be
dispensed with.
The first British duo-diode triodes appeared during
1933, one of the earliest being the Marconi-Osram MHD4
announced in ;..i1a~· of that year. 9 By comparison the first
.Mullard combination valve, type SD4, d id not appear until
the end of 1933. This ,·ah·e was a single-diode tetrode and
was not marketed scpararely bur formed part of the com·
pkrncnt of a British-built Philips receiver, model 634A.
Philips £444 'Binode' fitted with American 6-pin base.
The equ ivalent Philips 'Binode' type £444, was used in
continental Europe.
By the end of 1933 most valve makers were producing a
variety of duo-diode triodes suitable for operat ion in all

A group of dual-grid detector tubes (1932).

85
 The 6ALS fills the need for a high perveance twin diode with the
low voltage drop required for m any special r.f. circuit applications.
WPB and the Services consider diode connection of the 6]6 twin
triode (and other triodes) to be a wasteful misuse. With minor
changes of socket wiring, the 6ALS easily replaces the diode-
connected 6]6.
Specifically manufactured and rated as a diode, the 6ALS is
tested as a diode. Close production control keeps within a narrow
range the cutoff characteristic in the contact potential region. De-
signed throughout for efficiency on high and very-high radio
frequer.cies, the 6ALS ha s a separately connected shield which
may be grounded to isola te the two diodes and their associated
circuits. A midget miniature bulb permits extra space savings.
Possible uses include: Detector and AVC, clipper, limiter,
FM frequency discriminator, special high-frequency diode,
power rectifier.

TYPE 6AL5
HYTRON twin Diode
... 1\.frequene)'
Very-" 19 lllSllCS
llllCAL CHAllACll ... 6.3 volts
£LlC DC) . .... . ... . .. . . 0.3 amperes
H ter potential (AC or . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . ·460maic. volts
H~~ter current· te~ti;it : : . .. . . · · · · · · ·. ·. ·. ·. 350 max. v~':.
Peak inverse po otentialt .. . . .. . . . . ·. ... ... 60 max. ma.
Heater-cathode P t per p\atet · · · · · · · .. 10 ma:ic. DC
Peak plate curren ent per p\atet ...... .
Average plate curr CtllOt>E CAPACllANCES 0 015 mmf.
. 1NTEltlLl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8 ·mmf.
to plate 2 · · · · · · · · · · . .. .. · · · · · · · · · · · 3,5.mmf.
Plate l d ,. . .. . .... . . .. . .. . . d
Plate to catho ~e . ·. ·. '. . .. . . . ... : .' . ~i~s~-ntting sh1el .
Cathode t<;> all . are averages with
Capac1tancesHYSICAL CHAllACl£1llSTICS T-5~ midget
P . . ... · · ·. ·: · · · · button 7·P10
......... Nhniature . h ma:ic.
B lb . .. ··· ·· · · ·· . . . .. · · · · · l.82 1nc es ·
u ........ " . . . . . . .. .. O 75 inch ms1t.
Base · · · · ··· ·
Height overall ... . .. . . : : : .... ... . . . : . .,;,~"imum• ~hould be
Diameter . ..... · .. ·~~~n urc (}bso\ut~; ~i~~g.!'o\ta~e "ariat,ons.
t Mrucimum ro~•of~o/o lower to ollo.J:odc scctioOS· i .
appro~irnnte y co{ tbe t wo t w'n l
• Va\uc \t\ for on f

tUBE5

BUY ANOTHER WAR BOND

classes of service. As in the U.S. , diodc-pentodc combina-
tions were less common and those that were available dit:
te red in that the diode units were usuallv combined with
output pentodes. American practice was to combine only
voltage-amplifying pentodcs with d iodes. One o r two ex-
ceptions to the British no rm may oc mentioned: in 1933
Cossor introduced their DD/Pen in which the pentode
unit was d esigned co operate as an A VC amplifier, while
in the same year Lissen produced a vari-mu penrode com-
bined with a single diode. A similar valve incorporating
two diodes, the Marconi-Osram 'ND40, was marketed in
1935. Apart from the Mullard example mentioned earlier,
no o ther British m:mufacturers made diode-tetrode com-
binations although they they were fairly common on the
continent and were marketed in the U.K. by Triotron and
Tungsram.
The first duo-diode output pcnrode to appear was Maz-
da's AC/PenDD, marketed in 1934. 10 The pentode section
of this valve was of the hig h sensitivity variety, identical
to the AC2/Pcn. Fo llowing this came Fcrrami's PT4D in
1935, and by 1936 other manufacturers had similar types
in production. Surprisingly, Mullard's Pen4DD was not
listed until 1937 .
ln 1934 Mazda became the world's first valve maker
to issue a combination triode-triple-diode valve known as
tvpc AC/HLDDD. It was one o f the first valves to use the
newly in troduced 9-pin base.
Following this came the Philips-Mullard triple diode,
type EAB 1. 11 This class of valve was quire a raritv both at
the time and subsequently, and was intended mainly for
the equipping of Philips and Mullard receivers which used
an elaborate system of disrorrionlcss dcla~icd A VC. T he
EAB l was <Umounccd in 1938 and no similar valve was
produced by any other British manufacturer. In the U.S.
no sim ilar tube was seen until 1953 when the type 6BC7
appeared.
With the imroductio n of FM broadcasting in the U.K.
in the post-war years the need arose for a triple d iode
for use in combined AM/FM receivers. In this case three
diodes were combined with a high-mu trio de, the bcst-
known example o f which was type EABC80.
Before leaving the subject of diode detectors a pecul-
iarly British contribution to the genre remains to be dis-
cussed. This is the 'Wcstcctor', a small radio version of the
Westinghouse copper-oxide rectifier better known for its
battery charging and radio HT supply applications. Al-
though a solid-state device no apology is offered for in-
cluding rcfcn:nce to it here for none other than the august
Wireless World published derails of Westectors year after
year in its valve data pages. And what is good enough for
Wireless World is good enough for the author!
Wcstectors were a pro duct of the Westinghouse Brake
& Saxby Signal Co., being first marketed in 1933. 12 Due
to their inherently high self-capacity the earliest types
were limited to use as second detectors in superhctcro-
dyncs where the intermediate fregucncy did no t exceed
about 150 Kc. Il}' 1934 the upper frequency limit had
been extended to 1500 Kc, allowing their use at higher
intermediate frequencies or even in TRF receivers. In spite
of this Wcstectors found onlv limited acceptance in the
pre-war years and at no time were they able ro challenge
the superiority of the thermionic d iode. In the years fol-
lowing World War II product ion of Westinghouse coppcr-
oxide diodes was continued for several years in spite of the
coming into use of germanium and other types of diodes
which, incidentally, the company also produced.

REFERENCES
WESTECTORS
1. Sec Ride1,.,s, Vol. 1, p. 7, Edison models R4, RS,
HIGH FREQUENCY METAL RECTIFIERS dated Mav 1929.
2. Sec Ride1,.,s, Vol. 2, p. 8, Majestic model 25, dated
Nov. 11 , 1929.
3. Service, July 1932, p. 160.
4. More New Tubes, Radio Craft, May 1932, p. 654.
5. Still More New Tubes, R adio Craft, Sept. 1932, p.
142.
6. Sec Km-Rad Data Sheet, dated August 1932.
7. Practical Automatic Volume Control, Wireless World,
TYPE WM.24 OR WM.26.
Actual Size. Jan. 6, 1933 .
8. Sec Wireless Wo1'ld Valve Data, Nov. 30, 1934.
9. The Double Diode Triode, Wireless World, Mav 19,
Model. Type. Lenglh. Maximum Safe
I nput Voltage.
rl M~m~
Current
Output.
1933, p. 355.
10. New Diode Pcnrodc Ourput Valve, Wtrdess World,
.

W.4.
W.6.
WM.24.
.. Half-wave..
Half-wave.
Full- wave centre
Ir
I
3•
•
24 v. peak carrier
36 v. pe.a k carrier.
24 v. each side of
o · 25 m/ a
o ·25 m/ a
March 2, 1934.
11. The Wcstector, Winless Wodd, Jvfarch 3 , 1933, pp.
tapped. centre tap.
173-74.
0.5 m/a
WM.26. Full-wave centre 3• 36 v. each side of 12. New Range of Valves, Wireless World, June 2, 1938,
tapped. centre tap. 0·5 m/a
p. 499.

87
 Chapter 'Iwelve
Frequency Changers
Pentagrid H eptodes
In order to trace the origin of tubes designed to incor-
porate the functions of oscillator and mixer in one unit
(for use in superheterodync circuits) it is necessary to
know something of circumst<Ulces surrounding their in-
troduction. The earliest supcrhctcrodync receivers made
use of a separate oscillator tube coupled to another tube
which rectified (detected) the incoming signal. This was
the so-called 'additive' svstcm in which the mixer tube
became known as the ' first detector' co distinguish it from
the normal detector, now known as the 'second detector'.
This system was quite satisfactory and in some cases n.:-
maincd in use for manv vcars after the introduction of
special multiple tubes.
Initially at least, it seems to have been economic rather
than technical considerations that led to the development
of special tubes designed to combine the functions of os-
cillator and mi.xer in one unit. Because the superber circuit
came into general use at a time when the prevailing eco-
nomic depression had forced most receiver manufacturers
to produce small low-priced models, it was conscqucntlv
necessary to devise wavs of making a cheaper supcrhctcr-
odyne before this class of receiver could compete with the
TRF type. The first step in pruning production costs was
achieved by dispensing with an RF stage and using in its
place a pre-selector (bandpass) input circuit, while later
the use of a higher intermediate frequcncv enabled even
this to be dispensed with. The second step consisted in
using a self-oscillating mixer tube thus avoiding the need
for a separate oscillator tube. Coupled with o ther econo-
mics these two steps made possibk the production of a
highly efficient five tube receiver which remained the
mainstay of the industn1 for many years. So it was that the
single-rube mixer circuit, known as the ' aurodync', came
into use, but within the space of two years it had been
rendered obsolete by the coming of combination mixcr-
oscillator tubes.
In the case of battery-operated receivers although it was
possible to use the autodyne circuit practical difficulties
88
made it less popular than in mains-operated sets. Because
the autodyne mode of operation called for rhe tube's (fila-
mentary) cathode to be at an Rf potential with respect to
13- or earth it was necessary ro isolan: it b~· using Rf
chokes in the filament leads. As a result of this complica-
tion many receiver manufacturers prdcrrcd to use a sepa-
rate oscillator tube coupled to the first detector. Late
in 1932 a unique indirectly-heated 2-volt b:mcry tetrode,
type 15, 1 was released b,· Svlvania to facilitate the use of
the autodvne circuit. So efficient and reliable was the 15
that it remairn:d popular even after the introduction of
battery-opcr:ited penragrid rubes in the fo llowing year.
Whi lst the self-oscillating mixer d id save the use o f one
tube this was just about the o nly virtue it had. Amo ngst
its drawbacks was the fact that because, like its predeces-
sor, it had to rccti(v the incoming sig1uJ this nude it
impossible to apply an~' fr:mn of gain contro l to rhe mixer
stage. Because, as an c.x:onomy measure, most small n.:cciv-
crs had no Rf stagc, a satisfacton· control of gain was
difficult to achie,·c when irs application was confined to
the IF stage alo ne. T he nced fo r a single rube which could
combine the functio ns of oscillator ;rnd mixer ;tnd ar rhc
same time allow the application of an AVC volragc was
never greater.
In April 1933 RCA announced the rypc 2A7, :md the
pcntagrid converter was bom .2 Altho ug h this tube w:is not
strictlv the tirst in which the functio ns of osci llator and
mixer h:id been combined- the French bi-grille rubes had
earned this distincrion- ir was the tirst co achieve the so-
callcd 'multiplicative' mixing. The 2A7 was single-stream
tube with all rhc clcmenrs disposed radially around the
cathode, with the two innermost grids forming rhc osci l-
lator section. The next electrode in sequence dcscr\'cs spe-
cial mention as it actcd as a space-charge g rid ;md formed
a so-called '"irtual cathode' for the control grid (G4). It
was this lcature which allowed the control g rid to be given
\'Jri-mu characteristics thus permitting the application of
gain contro l to rhc mixer stage.
So successfu l was this design th:-ir it remained an indus-
try standard fr)r many years and later termed the basis for
the development of 'ocrode' converters. Subsequent ver-
sions of the 2A7 differed only in heater voltage or type·
of base, the sequence being 6A7, 6A8, 6A8G, 6A8GT,
12A8GT, 7B8. Battery-operated equivalents of the 2A7
were not long in making their appearance, the first of
which was type 1A6.-; Unfornmatcly, due to the minimal
filament current used, the 1A6 was somewhat deficient in
performance. In particular the mutual conductance of the
oscillator section was rather on the low side resulting in
the 1A6 being unsuitable for short-wave working; in fact
the tube was even prone to stop oscillating on the broad-
cast band. As an expedient to overcome this problem,
pending the arrival of an improved rype of tube, receiver
manufocnirers sometimes wired a separate triode in paral-
lel with the oscillator section, a practice which led some
wag to dub the 1A6 'The tube with an outboard mutual
conductance'.
An improved version of the l.A.6, known as type 1C6,
appeared in August 1934,' and due to an increased em.is-
sion (obtained by <U1 increase in filament consumption)
and improved mutual conductance of the oscillaror sec-
tion, no further troubles were experienced.
~·
'
: • ·1-r , 1
!. ~ , .
te• ~ #
Early American frequency changers. The tube on the left was a
2-volt battery tetrode with an indirectly-heated cathode.
Little time was to pass before the pentagrid crossed the
Atlantic (where it became known as the heptode), for by
the end of 1933 Ferranti had produced the first British
version, rype VI-:lT4.; Because of the short time lapse be-
tween the appearance of the American and British types,
coupled with the similarity of the ferranti version, it
seems likely that Ferranti Ltd. with their on-the-spot rep-
resentation in the form of Ferranti Inc. of New York,
must have obtained a manufacturing license from RCA to
enable them to be first in the field in Britain. This sug-
gestion is given credence by the fact that Ferranti Ltd.
was a newcomer to valve production, having been engaged
in valve making for only one year at this time.
Nearly a year was to elapse before other British valve
makers marketed heptode converters, but by the end of
1934 all except Mazda and Mullard had foll ranges in
production. The fact that two of the largest makers did
not produce heptodcs may be taken as an indication that
this class of valves never dominated the British scene in
the way that the pentagrid dominated the American mar-
ket. \Vithin a year of the heptode's British debut other
types of frequency changers were on the market and had
found ready acceptance by receiver manufacturers.
Hexodes and Octodes
Apart from the pemagrid the only other early American
multiple tube capable of being used as a converter was the
type 6F7, a triode-pentode originated by RCA in 1933. 6
Unlike European rypes the 6F7 was not specifically de-
signed as a frequency changer and was in fact more often
used in other applications as evidenced by a contemporary
magazine article entitled 'Six Uses for the 6F7'. The two
sections of the 6F7 were electrically independent apart
from the use of a common cathode, the need for which
was dictated by the maximum number of base pins (7)
available.
At a slightly later date the triode-penrode mixer enjoyed
a limited degree of populariry in both Britain and the
continent. In 1934 Mazda produced the first British ver-
ll
~·
.1}
.
.
.
Ii:- ".~'~ ,..
RCA 6F7 triode-pentode (L.) and RCA 2A 7 pentagrid converter
(R.) 1933.
89
 THE WIRELESS WORLD ADVERTISEMENTS.

UNDREDS of thousand~ o f Ferranti Valves are at

H present in use, giving daily dem onstration of
th eir efficiency and reliability. Wh at finer testimony
than the acclamation of even the n.ost critical of Radio
experimenters?

Ferranti Ltd. have h ad great experience in th e precision

manufacture of fine M echanica l and El ectrical detai ls.
This , especially applied to the design and manufacture
of valves, has resulted in a very high standard of quality
and remarkable uniformity of valve performance. Every
Ferranti V a lve is subj ect not only to normal valve
t est s but also is tested in a r eceiver under norma l working
conditions.

D esigned and constructed entirely in the famous

Hollinwood works, Ferranti Valv es have taken th eir
place in the forefront of Progress towards true R ad'io
reproduction.

The valve illustrated is th e F erranti H eptode V.H.T. 4,

the first valve of its kind made in England, which
combines in one valve the function of both oscillator
and modulator and in addition is a variable Mu type
enabling full A .V.C. to be obtained in sets with only
one l.F . stage.

There are A.G. Mains, Battery and Universal valves

available.

Price 20 1-
Write for Valve Catalogue to
FERRANTI LTD., HOLLINWOOD, LANCASHIRE

Me11tio 11 oj "The ll'i r de; s W ot ld," w lte11 wrili11g t o advert ise.-s, :l'ill e11s11r~ prom{'/ at/e11ti.;n.
sion, type AOTP ,7 and at much the same time the Mullard
TP4 appeared . .However, as Mullard were pushing the use
of the Philips-designed octode at this time littk was heard
of their TP. Un.like the A..merican 6F7 the British TPs
were intended solely for freguency changing but because,
in both cases, the method of combining the oscillator out-
put with the incoming signal \vas additive it suffered from
the same dnnvbacks as did the antodvne.
For the record, a type of mi.xcr d~vcloped in Germany
and known as the ·hcxodc had a basic similarity to the
American pcntagrid but the relative positions of the mixer
and oscillator sections were reversed. This design proved
to be inferior and was not encountered outside continental
Europe. Examples of hexode mi.'l'.ers are Philips E448 and
Telefunken RENS1224.
Successful though the pentagrid design was on the
broadcast and long-wave bands it proved to be Jess effi-
cient on short-wave, its performance becoming progres-
sively worse as the working frequencies were increased.
Attempts to remedy the inherent defects resulted in the
appearance of the European octode in 1934. This class of
tube was basically similar to the pentagrid in the arrange-
ments of its electrodes but had an additional grid . The
effect of the extra grid was to imparc pcntodc characteris-
tics to the hcxode section thus improving its performance.
But in spite of the octodc's superior performance it did
not render the pcnta-grid obsolete, at least not in countries
outside continental Europe.
The octode was originally available in two different ver-
sions, the Philips-designed 'suppressor grid' octodc and
the Tungsram 'vclogrid' ocrode. In the latter design the
sixth grid was internally connected to the screen, thus
accelerating or increasing the velocity of the electron
stream. Rather obviously this feature also proYided a
means of naming the particular version.
As a t~'pe the octode was produced by wmpar;ltin:ly
few makers, British examples being .Mullard's FC4 of 1934
and Tungsram's V04 of 1935. Continental eX<lmples arc
Philips' AKl and AK2 and Telefunken's EKl all of which
arc from the same period. A later development known as
the 'beam octodc' was released by Philips, Mullard, and
Tungsram in 1938s and represented the final development
of the species. The type EK3 released bv these three firms
in 1939 was the only example of this class of tube.
On the American scene the first and only octode, type
7A8, was announced b y Sylvania early in 1939.'1 This tube
was, in essence, a single-ended version of RCA\ 6A8 pen-
tagrid converter modified by the addition of a suppressor
grid .
With the introduction of metal tubes by RCA in 1935 a
new type of mixer, the 6L7, appeared. This tube wa~ de-
scribed as a pentagrid mixer to distinguish it from the
earlier pentagrid converter; it required the use of a sepa-
rate oscillator tube coupled to a special 'injector' grid. By
comparison with the pentagrid converter the pcntagrid
mixer could provide superior short-wave performance but
the need t()I' a separate oscillator tube tended to restrict its
use to higher-priced all-wave receivers.
A European tube having a close functional similarity to
the American 6L7 was the so-called 'mixing hexode' which
was used to a limited extent, mainly in Germany, during
the late 1930s. As in the case of similar .1\merican tubes
it is necessary ro distinguish between hcxodc mixers and
hexodc converters; the former type requiring the use of a
separate oscillator tube. Unlike the 6L7 which had grids 2
and 4 internally connected, the continental mixing hex-
odcs had these two grids brought ro separate base pins
thus allowing the tubes to be used in other applications.
Examples of such tubes arc rypes AH 1 and EH2 made by
Philips, Telefunken, <rnd Tungsram. The mixing hexodc
appears to have been quite unknown in Britain as, unlike
the continental-designed ocrode, it was not made by Mul-
lard.
~
'
' ~· !;
7AB
'·~
American 7A8 octode (L.), Philips EK2 octode and American
6K8 triode-hexode (R.).
When RCA introduced single-ended metal tubes in
1939 the production of a freguency changer presented
something of a problem in that a minimum of eight exter-
nal connections was needed. \Vith one of the eight pins
(No. 1) of the octal base being reserved for grounding the
metal envelope this was consequently an impossible re-
guircment to satisfv. This restriction made it necessary to
design a modified ·t<xm of pcntagrid needing only s~vcn
external connections.
The manner in which RCA solved this problem is inter-
esting because it resulted in a tube needing quite a dif:
tcrcnt type of oscillator circuit from anything previously
used. It was also an example of a tube being tailored to fit
91
within the restriction in the number of external connec-
tions available. In the first single-ended converter, type
6SA7, the former oscillator anode (G2) was d iscarded
and the fo rmer G3 now fontioned as a combined oscilla-
tor anode and screen-grid electrode; the fifth grid now
became a suppressor grid, internally connected to the
cathode. Because the oscillator anode and the screen grid
were now one and the same electrode, which had to be
bypassed to earth for R.F, the normal 'tickler' feedback
osciUator circuit could not be used. I nstead the so-called
'electron-coupled' circuit, wherein feedback was obtained
by trapping the carhodc connection into the grid coil, was
used.
In l940 R CA introduced a new range of 1.4-volt bat-
tery tubes, the first ' button base' miniature types. The
converter in this series, rype l RS, although a pentagrid
differed yet again from pervious designs. While the lRS
was basically the same as the 6SA7 it was not readily
adaptable for use with the same cathode coupled oscilla-
tor circuit because of its directly-heated cathode. Because
of this a convent iona l tickler feedback circuit was used
instead, the common electrode forming the oscillator
plate and screen-grid in and being left unbypassed.
Following the battery series of 7-pin miniantres came
P£ N T A.G R ~O CC.N'.'€ R~ C~
(>A8GT
© r.:-.
PENIAGRIO MIKER
61..7G
EJem.&111 ct:tanq~m~nts of typical mbct r a.nd conYettt r 11.lhtt
From Frequency Conversion in Superheterodynes.
M.A. Charles, RADIO, September 1945.
92
AC and AC/D C ranges which were introduced towards
the e11d of 1945. The converter tube in the 6 .3 -volt class
was type 613£6, a pentagrid resembling the 6SA7. In this
case the same oscillator circuit could be used so no circuit
redesign was in volved. In the !octal range of tubes penta-
grid converters were produced in 6.3-V, 150mA AC/DC,
and l.4-V types.
The fina l pcntagrid converters were types 6SI37 and
6BA7 which appeared during 1950. Both were intended
for use in FM receivers and featured a high conversion
conductance of 950 micromhos.
Triode -Hexodes
An impo rtant development in fre(.1uency changers
occurred during 1934 when a mixing hexode and an oscil-
lator triode were combined in one bulb to create the tri-
ode-hexode. An early example of this class of tube, the
German ACHl, was produced in 1.934 by T elefunken and
uiied extensively during the next fe w years in receivers
made by this firm.
The first British company to offer a triode-hexode was
Lissen Ltd. who late in 1934 listed a type ACFC, though
it is not known if they \.vere the actual manufacturers. The
@
PENTAGR\D CONvrn'TER
6 $ A7
""'" -I (~
A-..c>O(
:~1 I~\: ,_..,,,,.
:~1 1 ;
~
\j j !' •' '11
...,.,0
TA100€ • HC ><00£ CONVERTER
6K8GT

Philips CKl octode Philips AHJ hexode
first triode-hexode pro duced by a major Britis h manufac-
turer was the Marconi-Osram X41 released in mid- 1935.
By 1936 orher valve makers had caught up, examples
being Cossor's 41STH, Mazda 's ACTH 1, Mullard's TI-14
and Tungsram's TX4. An octal based version, M.O. V's
X65 becatrn: available late in 1937. Bv mid-193 8 Mulbrd
had produced a side-contact ,·ersion , type ECH3, and in
1939 the octal-based ECH 35 was issued.
In the post-war B8A series of miniature valves the first
6.3-vo lt triode-hexodes were Mazda's 6C9 and Mullard's
ECH4 l. T he Mazda version was of unusual construction
in that the triode and hexode sections were arranged ro
face each other on either side o l: a common cathode and
in th is respect the valve resembled the earlier American
6K8 of 1938. Another unusual va lve which appeared at
much rhc same time was M-0.V .'s X78, the world's o nly
rriode-hexode to be made in 7-pin miniature (B7G) form .
To achieve this seemingly impossible feat it was necessary
ro cheat by using one of the hearer pins to do double dury
and serve as the external connection for the cathode at rhe
same t ime . T his procedure cou ld obvious ly only have
been adopted in the case of a v:i lve intended fo r operation
w ith o m: side of the heater earthed :ind the result was the
prod uctio n of a non-standard va lve uniq ue to .M-0. V.
The X78 was later issued in noval-based (B9A) form
under the type number X79, this time w ith a separate
connection fo r the cathode. In 1952 an Australian version
of this valve was made by A. W. V. under the rype number
6AE8.
As mentioned earlier, the first American trio de-hexode
did nor appear until 1938 when R CA aimounccd the type
6K8. The design of th is tube was unique in that rhc two
sections \\·ere arranged ro face each other on opposite
sides of a common cathode and thus operated in inde-
pendent electron streams. This most unusual electrode
arrangement was never used in any other American tube,
the 61<8 remaining the sole representative of t he species.
By low conversion cond uctance of 350 micromhos ar a
t imt: when figures of up to 800 were not unco mmon in
Europe, which may have been one reason why the triode-
hexode did nor achieve the same degree of popularity in
the U.S. as it did in Europe and elsewhere.
i
. ,.
Mu/lard triode-hexodes TH4A, TH4B and FC4 octode (R.).
Triodc-Heptodcs
The final development in freque n<.:y change rs occurred
wirh the advent of the triode-hcptode, a tube w hich was
in essence simply a triode-hexodc modified by the add i-
t ion of a suppressor grid to the hcxode sect ion. In t ht:
U.S. a tube of this type actually appeared before the
trodc-hex:odc when Raytheon and Sylvania marketed the
rype 6J8G in 1937. As rhis was not an R CA-desigm:d
tube it was never produced in metal form no r was it
issued as a GT type. In view of its low conversion con-
ductance of 290 micromhos it is no t surprising ro find
t hat rhe 6J8G was never a widely used tube, in fact only
o ne receiver manufacture r, Philco, ever seems to have
made use of it. Nevertheless, it deserves mentio n if for no
other reason than it was rhe first American rube of its
dass.
Following the 6J8G the next triode-heptodc was the
93
Wedne•doy, April 10, 19 35 . Tl-lE N. I. RA()I() Tl M~§

AN AMAZING AIR RECORD

T h e heavy ini tia l de mJ '1 d in Ne w Ze.1 la nd a nd Au s1r.1 l ia fo r 1hc Philips wondc r-vah•e, chc
OCT O D E. n cccssira ted L: rgc nr ae1ion to ~ccurc additional supp lies.
An aerop lane service w.1s co mmi ssio ned in Lo ndon to c:l"rry H AL F A TON OF OCT O DE
VAL YES co Sydney.
Th is was safdy accomplished wirhin a few da ys. th us creat in g .1 record-breaking air freight feat.
\Vhi le 1his is a striking example of rhc possibilit ies of J\•ia rio n. ir represen cs the emphatic endo rse-
ment of a gre:ic p ubli c o f t he service the OCTOD E Valve renders to fidelity rcproducci on.
As a freq uency changer the fu11 c1io ns of t he OCTODE vi nu.1lly elim in ate "b.1ckg rou nd hiss" and
" set no ise" lo ng accepted as incv irab lc in s u perh crcrody n c.~ .
A ided by the O CTODE Va l ve. recept io n .lCquires a go lden richness and p ur ity of cone o f a per-
fection h itherto u nknown .
The OCTODE is a PHILIPS contribution of such impo rt to radio users that 10 satisfy a record ·
breaking demand it became necessary to crc.11e 3 rccord · b re.ik ing air freighr feat.

(.ldr!'1·/i$<'lll C'11/ oj J>lt ili /ls La mvs (.Y. Z. ) Lid .. :!l'li 2$.') 11'•1/orfi<:ld Stred, ll'dli11gto11 . )
!octal-based, 7 J7, is.med d uring 1940 b~· several 1mnufac-
turers including RCA. However, in spite o f being a later
develo pment the 7J7 could o ffer little if ;\ny improvcmcnr
over its octal-based predcl.'.cssor and, like ir, \\'as 111.:vcr
w idclv used. Not until rhc coming of ;\11 impro,·ed rypc,
the 757 in 1946, could the triodc-heprode b<: said ro have
earned a place for itself. vVith a com"Crsion conductance of
550 micromhos the 7S7 could prO\·idc ;\n improvni per-
formance b\' comparison with l'Xist ing. rypcs of COn\·errns
and . it remained rhe final American de,·dopmcnr of rhe
species.
On the British scene a rriode-heprode had first appeared
in 1936 when Mazda inrroduccd the ir rype ACTH I . In
connectio n with this vah-c it sho uld be no ted that altho ugh
it \\'as descri bed by its o rig inato rs as ;\ triode-hcxode ~ it
was in fact a trio dc-hcpto d e, as rekrcncc m page 19 o f the
--~
11~ 1 1
193 7-38 Supplement to the M n d;\ Radio \lake Manu;\I ;f;.
will clearlv sho w. Furrhcnno rc, in all post-\\'ar editions of . ....:,·.. :~
the Wireless World Vrr!Pc Drrtrr it was also corrccrlv listed
as a trio de-heptodc. T he same remarks also appl~·· ro la- Three versions of the ECH21.
ter M azda octal-bascd freq uency changers such as t\' pes
TH41 and T H233 . W ith the release o f the BSA series of
min iantre valY<:s in 194 7 both types o f i'vlazda freque m:~·
ch angers in this range were correctly described and idrn-
tified, e.g., 6C9 = trio de-hexo dc and 6C l 0 = triod<:-hep-
tode. REFERE NCES
In 1946 the first continental designed k>er;1!-based triodc-
hcptodes, types ECH2 l /UCH 2 l , were released l)\' Mul- l. New Tubes Announced, R rrriio Cm.ft, June 1933, p.
lard. AJthough intended prim;1rily as freque1K\' changers 398.
these Yah-cs d iffered fro m any pre,·ious types in char the 2. Sec Rnriio Rctrriling, March 1933, p. 40.
two sect ions were electrically independent th us enab ling 3. Sec Rrrriio Rctrriling, August 193 3, p. 40.
their use in other applic:itions. In the early post-war years 4. Sec Pink Pages Rrrdio Nell's, August 1933, p. 1.
Brimar, Cessor, and Emitron prod uced the Amnican de- 5. Sec ad\'t. Ferranti Ltd., Wii-clcss W orld, N ov. 1933, p.
signed 75 7/ 1457 whi le M -0. V. issued a tlttitc similar type 24.
known as the X8 l. T he final trio d e-hep todcs prodLH:cd 6. Sec Hnriio Hctnili11g , June 1933, p. 35 .
were the 110 ,·al-b ased ( B9G) t~1 pcs ECH8 l/UC H8 I whid1 7. Sec Wireless World VrrlricData, Nov. 30, 1934.
were first issued in the U.K. hv Mullard in 1953. The 8. New Range o f Valves, Wireless World, May 26, 1938,
same types were also mad e by Coswr, l~ e rran t i , and T ung - p. 474 .
sram whilst Nlazd a's 6C I 0 and I OC 14 were interchange- 9 . 48 New T u bes !, Radio Craft, May 1939, p. 656.
able with them. I 0. Sec W ii'Clcss Wodd Valpc Data, N ov. 30, 1934, p. iii.

95
 Chapter Thirteen

Metal Envelopes

...
For several reasons glass as the comairn:r or c1wdopc of
receiving cu bes has always bcrn the most w idclv used ma·
cerial in spice of onetime attempts co find :111 :iltcrnative.
Not that there was c\·cr any p ressing need for :in altern:t· __
ti,·e as glass was an entirclv suitabk material as pn)\'en
by its continued use throughout the history of rube pro·

•• •• ! •• •·
•••
duccion. It was in the area of transmitting tubes with
their higher operating temperatures and associated cooling
•
problems that the first attempt to dispense with the use of
glass bulbs was made.
•• •••
• ••••
••••
British lvfctn! V nlPcs •• •••••
VM':1~ W60
Shonlv :tftcr the end of World War I the first transm it-
ting rubes appearnd in which the anode took the form of a
copper cylinder having its o uter surface co m plctd ~1 ex-
posed in o rder to facilitate cooling. T he anode cylinder
was fused to a lower section of gbss by a special technique
known as the Housekeeper seal. In the U. K. valves o f rhis
11f rrnr !

Marconi-Osram 'catkin' valves.

.

description were made by the M -0. V . Valve Co. and were

referred to as cooled anode t ransmirring, abbn.:vian:d to
C.A.T. I t has been stated that the type of corn;rruction
used in d1esc valves served as a basis for the development
of the first metal receiving valves which appeared abo ut a
decade lacer.
The release of the world 's first metal valves, under the
Marconi and O sram nam es, was an nou nc<.:d in M av 1933. 1
Like their bigger brothers, these valves also mad~ use of
external copper anodes fused to lower senions or glass
and it was this similarity which led to rheir being named
'Catkins'. The Catkins represented a complere break fro m
existing valve-making trad itio ns as, apart from the exposed
cop per anode, a completely new t~·pe of electrode mount-
ing and scaling was incorporated in rheir structu re. The
conYcntional glass mouncing seem and pinch were abol-
ished and instead t he lead-out wires w<.:n.: disposed in a
circle and scaled thro ug h the squared-off end section o f
the glass portion of the envelope. Marconi-Osram ·catkin' valves produced without
O nly four types were included in the initial release- screening cans.

96
 VMS4, a vari-mu screen-grid; MS4B, a normal scrcen-
grid; MS4, a medium-mu triode; iVlPT'4, an output pcn-
tode. All four were functionally identical to existing glass
rypes and bore the same rype numbers . Originally all types
\Vere fitted with hexagonal perforated meral containers
made of cadmium plated brass but later productions were
sometimes issued minus the outer containers. The con -
tainer served the dual functio ns of preventing accidental
contact being made with the otherwise exposed anode and,
in the case of RF types, of p roviding an ctkctive screen
or shield.
In 1934 the Catkin range was increased bv rhe addition
o f three more types, two vari-mu pentodcs t)ipcs W30 and
V1\11P4K and an output pentodc type N30. These three
differed fro m the initial release in two respects: the con-
tainers were now made of aluminium instead of brass and
were of tapered shape, and newly introduced 7 -pin bases
were fitted. It was the larger diameter of the new base that
necessitatcd the change in the shape of thc container. The.
types N30 and W30 had heaters rated at 13 V, 0.3 A and
were intended for series-string hearer operatio n. As in the
case of thc earlier t\'pes their characteristics were identical
to existing glass types.
The issuance of only two types in d1e 300 mi\ AODC
range tnay occasion some rais<.:d eyebrows, it being the
writer's pcrsonal opinion that rhc manufacturers purposely
limited production to two ry pcs with the intention rh;1t
they serve as 'guinea pigs' . Bc that as it may, thc fact
remains that no further issues were ever m;\de in the Cat-
kin rangc, the total remaining ar seven.
In \'icw of the few types produced and their compara-
tively short production lifespan of k ss that three years one
may be p ardoned for expressing doub ts as to the success
o f the spccic. In spire of claim<.:d superiority rhe Catkins
made link impression on the marker, cvcn though they
were sold at the same price as thcir g lass cquivalcnts. Jusr
two years after their appearance only o ne Catkin \vas listed
in the 1935 Osram Vakc Guide, and bv 1936 Catkin
tvpes wer<.: no longer included in the Windcss vVorlrl Y:1lvc
data charts.
However, regardkss of its success or failure it must be
said o f the Catkin d1at its design rcprescntcd the first brcak
with lamp-making tradition, and c\·en though its construc-
tion may not ha\':"e been ideally s uited to n~:1SS production
it did set the stage for further dcvdopm<.:nts in other coun-
tries. In dcscribing rhc Catkin as a 'metal' vah'e it is rcal-
iscd that this description may be disputcd on the grounds
that only the top nvo-thirds of thc envclope were of metal.
Bur in spitc of this the Catkin has surclv earned for itsdf a
place in historv. .
Before conc.luding this section it is con\-cnicnr to men-
tion anoth<.:r type of Marconi-Osram \'alve which is some-
times rdi:rred to as a barrcn1 Catkin but is correcdv known
as the 2-volc 'K' type. Whi.lc in no way a mctal ~'alve rhe
'K' typc did use the same method of electrode assembly
and d1e same type of annular seal as was used in the mains-
opcrated types. Only three types were produccd-VS24/ K,
H L24/K, and PT2/ K- :md they were identical to existing
types without the 'K' prcftx.
A111cricrm Metnl Tubes
T o what extcnt the British effort served as a spur to the
production of American mer.al rubcs is hard to assess but it
is known thar in 1934 an engineer from RCA \'isited En-
gland in order to study Catkin production mcthods. 2 By
this rime developmental work was well under wav in the
U.S. and in April 1935 the first public an nouncc"n1ent of
American metal rubes was made:'
The American rubes differed from their British cotmtcr-
parts in scvcral ways, mainlv in that thcv were more nearlv
all metal. OriginaJJy the ~nly g lass u;ed consisted of ~\
tiny bead surro unding each lead-out wire. Due to hig h
production costs this method of scaling was later, in 1937,
changed to a type known as a 'button' seal in which the
wi res were embedded in a glass disc. A somewhat similar
form of seal had been used on the British Catkins wherc
the lead-out wires were taken directly through the bo ttom
of the glass part of the envelope. Another difference, and
o ne inu11ediatcl~1 obvious to a casual observer, was the
smaller size of the Amcrican tubes, mainlv in the reduced
overall height of most types. '
Unlike the Catkins thc American metals were issued as ;\
full range of rvpes, almost from the start, and the rangc
continued to grow year by year. Viewed with hindsight it
is doubtfu l whether the inclusion o f o utput tubes and rec-
tifiers in metal form served any us<.:ful purpose orher than
to cnable RCA to ofter a full range in the new format. It
may also ha\·c helped to forestall :111~' criticism that mig ht
have resulted from the no n -production of such types. As it
happt:ned, early productio ns of some makes of 6F6 pcn-
todcs and 5Z4 rectifiers did give trouble in service to the
Two completely different versions of the 5Z4 rectifier. Both were
original releases in 1935.
97
extent that receivt.:r manufactu1-crs usinc: them rurned to
octal-based 'G' t\'pes as soon as the latte1~ became ;wailablc.
Although such teething troubles \\TIT soon o\·crcome the
bad taste lingered on for man~' vcars.
\Vhtn metal tubes were first announced, as distinct from
being actually rdeased, included in the list of six types
was an indirecrlv-heated output triode assigned tht.: type
number 6D5. The reason fo r including such an odd-ball
type wi ll probably never be known as such a tube had
never previous]\• been mack or distributed b,· RCA. Cou-
pled with this \;'as the initial absence of anv 0~1tput pentode
in the metal range and it is interesting to speculate whv no
such tube was included and whether there was an\' inten-
tion to promote a return ro the use of triodes as· output
tubes in prefrrence ro penrodes.
The first metal tubes actually released consistt.:d of a
range of nine types- 5Z4, 6A8, 6C5, 6F5, 6H.6, 6J7, 6K7,
6 F6, 6L7. 4 O f t hese onl\' four call for ;rnv comrrn:nt as the
remaining fi\·e were s imp.I\'. metal \'ersior;s of cxistincr aJass
~ D~
types. T he SZ.4 rectifier in its original fr>rm differed from
all other types in that the slim tubular 'pencil' anodes
thcmsel\'es formed vacuum-right enclosures. This form of
construction necessitated the electrodes being enclosed in
a perforated metal can both fo r reasons of safctv and co
protect the tube during handling. Presumably b~cause of
high production costs this tvpe of construction \\'as soon
abando ned and replacement tvpes \\'ere issued in standard
metal fo rm. The 6H6 was a duo-diode, a rvpe of tube
which had never prcviouslv been produced by any Ameri-
can manufacrnrer with the exception of fvlajestic. T he 6F5
was a high-mu triode, a r~·pc nor pre\· iousl~·, nor subse·
quenrly seen exccpt in combination forms. Fin;1llv, the
6L7, classed as a pentagrid mixer-amplifier as distinct
from a pentagrid converter, was basicallv a new type in-
tended f<x use with a separate oscillator tube.
Undoubtedly the most significant development in the
history of metal tubes was one that had no direct rela-
tionship to the species as such- the introduction of the
so-called 'single-ended' ~·pes \\'hich otfrn:d impro\'l:d per-
formance while dispensing with the need fo r top cap con·
nections as formerlv used 011 RF pentodes and first-sta<•e
AF amplifiers. Th~ design of rhese rubes represented::>a
completclv new departure which set the stage for the LTen·
tual world-wide abandonment of double-ended const ruc-
tion in radio receiving tubes.
The initial release of four typcs-6SJ 7, 6SK7, 6SF5,
6SQ7- was announced bv RCA late in 1938:' It is inter-
esting to nore rhat of the four t\\'O \\'ere AF Yolrage am-
plifiers and this ma~' be cxpl;li ned lw the fact that compara-
ble double-ended types had met with some criticism in the
matter of excessi\'e hum b ·cls \\'hen used in hi" h gain
circuits. This hum was mainlv attributable to th: us~ of
widely ~ paced lead-out wires ;md base pins for the heater
connections, resulting in strav magnetic and capacitative
couplings. In the case of the 6SF5 and 6SQ7 this \\'as
98
avoided bv keeping the heater leads and base pins adjacent
c\'en though this h;1d t he unforrunate resu lt of bre;1ki11g
the established standard frx the pos ition of the heater pins.
It was probably this same hum problem and its solution
that allowt.:d British Mazda to profit from the American
experience and keep the heater connections of all their
own octal-based ,·ah-cs strictly adjacent and alwavs on
the same two pins where, we Clll sav with hindsight, the
American connections should have been in the tirst place.
A group of single-ended metal tubes.
In the case of the two Rf pentodes, 6SJ 7 and 6SK.7,
advantage had been taken of the opportun ity to improve
the characteristics, the latter tube in particular had a con-
siderabl\' increased munraJ conductance while at the same
time required a lower plate current. Two other singlc-
ended tvpes, RCA's 1852 and 1853, later known as 6AC7
and 6AB7, were high gain RF pentodes intended for tele-
vision use and were actuallv released se\·eral months aht.:ad
of the fir.~t radio ~·pes. ·
The reason underlying the production of the American
metal tubes is said to have been a desire on the part of the
General Electric Co., who at the time were planni ng to
re-enter the field of recei\'er m;lflufacturc ;lfrer an absence
of five years, for a unique sales kature which could be
incorporated in their forthcoming receiver product ion .
The metal rube was intended to fi ll this role.
The reason for GE's fi\'e-vear absence from the enter-
tainmem field is of no parricubr concern except that one
consequence of it w;lS that recei,·ing tube manufacture had
also been gi,·en up for the S<lme length of time. In 1930
the RCA Radiotron Co. had been established for the pur·
pose of manufacturing receiving tubes formerly supplied
to RCA b~1 General Electric <rnd Westingho use. This meant
that although GE had the bborator\' and engineering fa-
cilities neelied to do·d op metal tul;es thcv tiid not l1a\·e
the nccessarv production expertise or facilities. For this
reason it was necessarv to arrange with RCA to have the
metal tubes made in what was, lw a quirk of fate, GE's
frmner Harrison Lamp ·works \\·hich had since become
RCA's t ube factory.
Not for long did RCA have a monopol\' on the produc-
tion of metal tubes as existing licensees \\'ere quick to get
in on the aa and by rhe rnd of l 93S five independents-
Ken-Rad, I\.;\ytheo n, N;nional U nion, Sylvania, and Tung
Sol had all com1rn:nn:d production.
Although new types continued to be released up to the
earl~· 1940s metal rnbt:s nc\·t:r completely supt:rscded glass
types, at least for use in domestic recei\-crs. Once the ini-
tial impact of rhe '.111-meral' rube had worn off most re-
ceiver manufacturers seemed content ro use octaJ-bascd
g lass tubes.
W hilst the introduc.:rion of metal tu bes in the U.S. was
tcchnicalh· interesting che manner in which they \\-ere in-
troduced was ;rnocher mJtter. One eftccr of the strong
clement of 'oneupmanship' associJted with their con1111er-
cial exploitJt ion by GE WJS thJt Philco, who claimed to be
the world's largest receiver manufacturer, completely and
permancn tl~.. eschi.:wcd tht: usl'. of metal rnbes. Additionall~1
Philco were sutfo.:iently incensed at the rime to conduct
an advertising campaign belittling metal tubes, an action
which inaugurated a long-standing ti.:ud with RCA. Even-
tually Philco did go so far as co offer metal rubes for
replacement use in orher makes of receivers in order that
they could ju sri~1 tl1l'.ir claim 'Philco tubes irnpro\'e rhc
performance of any rec1:iver'.
Some of the first American metal tubes.
Mt:tnl-Glass Tubes
Because of high tooling costs nor all of the independent
tube manufacrun:rs decred to enrer the metal rube field,
one of the most notabk abstainers being Arcturus. Be-
causl'. of the large initial impact rnade bv the advent of
metal tubes a n~1 independent companv not producing them
could expect to be in for a lean time in the highly com-
petitive tube indusrr~'· This !'itu:ltion n:sultcd in the emer-
gence of a lwbrid which looked superficially like a metJI
mbe and had almost idcntictl chJracrerist ics \'Ct could be
produced more cheaply and bv co1wentional methods. Be-
cause of their resemblance to metal rubes these lwbrids
were known as metal-glass o r MG t\'pes when they first
appeared in 1936."
In essence the MG \\'JS s impl~· :1 normal g.bss tube titted
\\'ith a small-diameter bulb and encased in a closely fining
metal jacker co which was attached .111 octal base. Such
.
•
c!lctions Speak LOUDER
Than Words!
T he manufacturer of the famous 4-Pillar
Radio Tubes is making and delivering all
ryp es of the new Mcral Tubes as i1litial
equipment for L936 receivers and for
jobbers' and dealers' replacemen t stock.
SEE ING IS BELIEVING ...
bur one can't sec if METAL TU DES are
even "lit", much less tell by si mple ex-
aminarion if they arc fJerkiug properly. ,
This is where the good service men
I
p .l us good resr equipment come in. Each ",
~acli o development makes good servic- .
mg more necessary. Hay rheon's service
deals give service men a wide range of
instruments from which to ch oose.
\XI' rite for full details. Also get the
new Technical Tube Chart: 8th Edition
(including all metal tubes). It's free ! 1
RAYTHEON ~0»-)1•••
4-PILLAR RADIO TUBES
R AYTHEON PRODUCTION CORPORAT ION
30 £ :ut ·i?•nl Scu:4:t, N.:w Yo rk, N. Y. ,,,,,, Lake" Shore Oti,·e, Chiag,1 • llli noi..t.
SS Cfupd Sc., Ncwff111, M :u:1:1dHuc1n SS 5 ltow,11'\I Strc:ct,San l~raoci.sco,C12l.
Raytheon 4-pillar radio tubes.
tubes carried the same cy pe numbers as their metal coun-
terparts bur with the letters MG added as a sutfoc. All
MGs diffcrl'.d in being considerably taller than correspond-
ing metal tubes and this was particularly noticeable in the
case of such types as 6A8MG and 6K7MG.
Companies making MG tubes included Arcturus, Hv-
tron, Ken-Rad, National Union, Raytheon, and Triad . Of
these companies Ken-Rad and Raytheon produced so few
that it seems doubtful chat tubes carrying these names
were acmall~· made by them . As a species MG tubes \\'ere
o ne of the most sho rt-lived e\·cr produced as within the
space of a couple of vcars thev were complcccly eclipsed
b\' ocral-bascd glass rypes.
The Arcturus \"Crsion of tht: metal-gbss tube, kt10 \\·n as
the 'Coroner', diffrred in appearance from other brands in
99
that the overall height was rnnsiderably less; in this re-
spect the Coroners more nearly resembled metal ru bes.
The reason for the ditkrcncc in height is interesting be-
cause it resulted fro m the use or
a radi..:ally ditkrcnt type
of sn:m of an annular stvlc whicl1 had .some resemblan..:e
to that used on the earlier British Catkins. Ir was this
feature which with its foncicd n.:scmbbnce ro rht.: spikcs of
a coronet gave rise to thc namt.: Corom:r being applied ro
thc Arcm rus rubes. Nine rypcs, correspond ing to RCA's
original nine metal wbes, \\'ere rclcascd in 1\farch 1936."
In addition to the no m1al range of 6.3 \ ' and 300 mA
AC/DC types Arcturus also produced carain earlier 2.5-
,·olt types in Coronet form . Such odd-ball rubes \\'ere
fitted with octal bases but \\'L'n.: sold with C011\'crsion adap-
tors co enable their usl.' in 5-pin sockets. Arcturus' action
was apparently an attempt to standard ise their productio n
o n the Coroner design but in the <.:\'ent the idea was short·
lived. In common with o tl11:r manufacturers Arcturus soon
gave up production of MG tubc~ in fa\'our of GT t~·pL's .
As with metal tubes, the production of meral-glass types
was confined almost entirely to the land of their o rigin
tho ugh it is known that some MGs, patterned on the
American design, wen: made in rrnnce, an example be-
ing Ncotron 6E8. Thc o nly m her country known to h:we
made metal-glass tubes was 11 ungarv where T ungsram 2. 5-volt Arcturus 'Coronet' tubes with socket adaptors.
briefly made a series b:.1sed on the German metal design."
The Hungarian tubes, released somc six months after the
Telefunken metal tubes, were identical in concept to the

-
American MGs- it was s impler and cheaper to stick to
'
ilililil known production methods.

El
~
Gcminu Mctnl Tubes
ltACHOTUll
Some years were to ebpsc befOrc the first ml't:1l rubes

.I I appeared in continenral Europe, though it ma~' be imag-

ined that the American and British de,·clopmcncs had not
gone unnoticed. Towards the end of 1938 Telefu nken an-
nounced a new range of rubes which, apart from output
mbes and rectifiers, were of aU-metal construction .' Dur-
ing the following ~·car Philips-VaJ\'o followed suit in issu-
ing an idcnticaJ range under the same type numbers. '"
Arcturus 'Coronet' metal-glass rubes. The characteristics ~md ratings of the ne\\· rubes closely
follo\\'ed those of existing European glass tvpes though a
horizontal style of electrode mounting W:.1S used . Follo w-
ing American practice glass beads ,,·ith fcrni co e~·l.'lcts werl'
used ro insulate and seal the lead-out wires, tho ugh lw
then the American tubt:s were using button-bas<.: seal~. N<;t
surprisingly the horizontally mountt:d electrode :.1sscrnblics
caused the German tu bes to be considcrablv fatter than
t heir American counterparts and as chassis space in a hori -
zontal d irection has alwa ~·s been of more importance than
t har in a \'crcical direction the German n1bes wen: at a
disadvantage in this respect.
Metal-glass tubes by five different makers. T he German tubes were :ill of single-ended consrrucrion

100
and th is feature was cbimcd b~, one writer: as being 'Y <:t
another new departure . .. ,' but at the time RCA's singk·
ended series were already o n the market. 11 A n<:w rype of
8-pin base was develo ped for use on both metal and glass
types in the range and wh ile it had some similarities ro the
American octal it ditfrred conside rabl\' in detail. T he most
noticeable d ifference l,1y in the style of the contact pins
which had a 'waisted' shape and \\'ere designed to h a\T a
lock-in action when the rube was inserted into its socket.
Telefunken metal tubes c. 1939.
Although the German ru bes ap peared not much more
than a .vcar before the outbreak of World \Nar II thev
- were
put to use, mainly by Tclenmken, in both domestic and
automobile recei,·ers as well as in televisions. Howe\-cr,
because of their higher price they were not used in any
models of the famo us state-sponson.:d Peoples' Receivers-
the Volksrn1fanger and Kleinemfangcr. Metal rubes were
also widcl~· used in German militar~· radio eguipment and
in this connection it is interesting to note that Tclcfi.mkcn
produced a series of four 2-volt battery types which were
rhe only b:mery-opcratcd metal tu bes made anv\\'herc 111
the world.
R11ssir111 M eti:il Tu/Jes
Apart fro m Britain , Germany, and the U.S.A. the only
o ther country known to have made metal tubes was the
U.S.S.R . Although information is lacking as to when such
rubes were first made scvc1:;il types were listed in the 1948
edition of Brans' Vnrfc Mecum. R ussi;m metal rubes \\'ere
still being marketed mam· vears afrer the manufacture of
America;·made tubes had ~cased and at the time o f writ-
ing (1978) arc still a\·ailable, t ho ugh not of recent manu·
facrure.
T he Russian tubes were patterned quite closely on
American designs and althollgh d iffe ring slightly in exter-
nal appearance were in most cases interchangeable with
equivalent An1crican rvpes.
Russian metal tubes carrying markings of a British distributor
c. 1958.
Russian metal tubes . Note open date coding indicating
manufacture in 1953.
REFERENCES
1. Sec anno uncement Popular Wireless, May 13, 1933.
2. Bro. Patrick Do wd, The History of the All Metal
Receiving T ube, Old Ti1nerJs Bulletin (Organ of the A11·
tigue Wireless Association, Holcomb, New York), Vol.
16, N o. 4 , p. 15.
3. All-metal Receiving Tubes, Electronics, May 1935, p.
148.
4. Do wd, o p. cit., Vol. 17, No. 1, p. 21.
5. New Tubes fo r 1939, Rnriio <.~raft, Dec. 1938, p.
330.
6 . Recent Tube Developments, Rndio Craft, June 1936,
p. 750.
7. The Latest in Tube Dc,·clopments, Rnrfio Crnft,
March 1936, p. 524.
8. Footless Valves, Wireless W odd, May 25, 1939, pp.
487-488.
9. Steel VaJ,•cs, Wireless World, No,-. 10, 1938, p.
404.
10. Sec Philips catalogue, Tht: Bridge to Higher Radio
Entertainment, Nov. 1939.
11 . Sec ad\'t. Elcctro11ics, Oct. 1938, back cover.
101
 Chapter !fourteen
Octal-based and All-Glass 'I'ubes
A 111i:ricr11t Dcvelopwwts
Onlv a few months alter the introd1u:tion of metal rnbes
came the announcement of the first 01.'.tal-based glass t~'!KS
in August 1935. ' T hat such rubes should ha,·e been pro-
duced so soon after the highly publil.'.ised 'all-metal' type
was due to a feud which had develo ped between Philco
and RCA-GE which resulted in Philrn refusing to h;we
anvthing to do with metal tubes, at kast as far as using
them in thl'.ir own recei\'CTS went. 01.'.tal-b:tsed glass tubes
were originally developed at Philco's behest in order to
provide them with some sort of 'answer' to RCA's metal
ones and ro allow them to claim su periority over the lat-
ter.
By the end of 1936 there were 34 cypes of octal-based
glass rubes in producrioni with Sylvania and Raytheon be-
ing two of the largest producers. Eventually all tube mak-
ers includ ing RCA unde rtook the manufacture of 'G' type
tubes which, until the ad\Tnt of the later ' GT types, ac-
counted for a large proportio n of total tube production.
Because G type nibcs were, so to speak, already in ex-
Octal-based_glass tubes c. 1937.
102
isccnce, albeit in other fonns, at the time of thei r intro-
duction it may he wondered whether their production
achieved any useful purpose. One argument justified their
existence on the grounds d1at it would assist in making the
octal base the U.S. industr\' st:mdard but this argument
did not j us t i~· the production of so many existing glass
types in octal-based form, an action which rl'.sulted in
a quire unnecessary prolitcrario n of 'same but different'
rubes on the market.
Ir is possible to tfo·ide the G series into two groups,
those which were glass versions of meral tubes and those
which were octal-based versions of existing g lass types.
The tormcr carried the same rype-numbers as their metal
counterparts but \\'ith the add ition of the suffix G, to
indicate glass, while the latter were assigned new type-
numbers in li.ne with the mod ified RMA system applicable
to metal rubes. Examples o f the second car<.:gory arc the
type 6 U7G (formerly 6D6) and I FSG (fo rmerly lf4). In
general those G type tubes whid1 had metal counterparts
were inrerch:mgeablc ,,·ith the latter, d1ough in the case of
RF and If amplifiers diffcrcnccs in inccr-clcctrodc capaci-
· oncvr.o • • • S1C2
~
\f~
\
 NEW
LOW-DRAIN BATTERY TUBES!

,,Jl~
ti~
t
~
·.~ .it ~;
I

.
. •

..___
5 ·.
1ASG
: G 1HSG 1CSG
Diode Triode Output
Output
Pentode
Pentode

1NSG
Converter

Sylvania presents an important

contribution to the radio industry
A new and completely different line of
tubes for battery radios has been per-
fected in our engineering laboratories.
These new tubes are conspicuous for
features embodying a highly desirable
combination of both operation and space
economy in battery radio sets.
Note these characteristics:
Low current drain-.05 ampere at 1.4 vol t a
on all types except lCSG, .10 ampere.
T wice normal battery life.
Leaa battery space-only 90 volt B battery
required- no C battery needed.
Lesa tube apace- T.9 envelope uaed.
These five Sylvania low current drain
tubes are a complete complement for the
design of any type of battery receiver. To
the farm market, to the extra set and
portable set market which reaches into
every family, this new development is
most significant. Write today to the
Hygrade Sylvania Corporation, Empo-
rium, Pa., for complete technical
information.

SYLVANIA
SET-TESTED RADIO TUBES

ELECTRONICS - August 1938

ranees sometimes necessitated the n:-alignment of n.:cei\'er
circuits and furthermore separate tube shields were usually
required.
The first completely m:w rubes to be issued as o<:tal-
based glass rypes was a series of 1.4-volt batter~' types
initially produced by S~1 lvania in 1938:' From the point of
view of appearance these tubes arc interesting in that they
reverted to the use of tubular style bulbs which had pre-
viouslv been used in the earlv 1920s o n the first drv-cdl
rubes . and later used in 1930 on the first 2-volr ai.r-cdl
rubes. Examples of the l.4 tubes arc types lASG and
lHSG, the series remained the only G types to be titted
with T9 style mbular bulbs.
An important development of the G type occurred in
mid-1938 when H ytron announced a new range of tubes
which were marketed under the name RANT Alvl. 4 T hese
were simply smaller editions of existing glass types having
shortened T9 bulbs and metal base-shells in place of bakc-
lite. T he reduction in height was achieved b~1 shortening
the section of the stem below the pinch thus placing rhe
pinch almost at the bott0m of the bulb. vVith its reduced
dimensions d1e Bantams were little bigger than compara- Raytheon 'Banta/" (L.) 1948. Hytron 'BANTAM' (R.J 1938.
ble metal types and could be used as replacements for the
latter without the necessity for any alterations to the re- BANTAL:' Although cons isting of but four typcs the Ban-
ceiver. To identify the series the suffix GT was added to tals were a brave :tttempt to introduce impro\'cmenrs imo
their tvpe numbers, rhe letters indicating 'glass nibular'. thc existing GT style of construc.:tion. Thc Bamal's claim
Originally all GT types were fitted w ith metal base- to fame C.:enten:d around thc USC of a g lass button Stem of
shells but when R CA commenced production th e~' fa- similar design en that used in lock-in tubcs; in fact, thc
voured d1e use of bakclite bases for all types except RF Ramal could be described as a loctal tube.: with an octal
amplifiers. Eventually Hytron too used bakclite bases for base. HO\ve\'er, Raytheon retired from rccci,·ing tube pro-
all GT types. duction shortly aftcr marketing the Bantals .111d the idea
With the arrival of the GT series the situatio n soon was not immediately raken up by othcr manufacturers.
arose where individual rube types were available in three Nearlv
. a decadc later the Banta! stvlc
. of rnnstructio n
different styles, a most undesirable state of aftairs to sa~' \\·as resurrected and used bv R CA and other manufactur-
the least. Nthough d1e GTs could offer no improvement ers who issued certain selected types of GT rubes using
in perfom1ance their compactness made them the logical glass button stems in place of the co1wemional flat press.
choice when it came to deciding which of the two glass Such tubes m:i~· be recogniscd b~, the presence.: or a short-
styles should become d1e industrv st<t11dard. B~, 1939 pro- ened o r ' Im,· rise' bakcl ite base, offic.: iallv dcw·ibed as
duction of G tvpes "·as o n the wane and henceforth all 'short interrncdiatc octal'. Examples of tubes in this catc-
new releases except for certain output tubes and rectifiers gory arc tvpes 6S~7GTB, 5U 4GB, and 6L6GC.
were produced in GT form. In 1945 production of GT
tubes exceeded that of any other type, the acnial figures
being GT:52 m illion, mctal:27 millio n, all other tvpcs: British Dn1c/op111wrs
56 million.
One outgrmnh of the GTs ,,.as the production of cer- On the British sccne ,·ah-cs equi,·alent to American G
tain n,·in triodes, types 6SN7GT and 6SL7GT, which had types were markcted within a year of thc larrcr's intro -
separate cathodes and thus needed eight external connec- duction in the United Statcs. Firsr off thc mark was thc
tions. Bv making use of number o ne base pin ( norma l!~· Marcon i-O sram ' lntcrnational Ocral' range ;11111o u1iccd in
unused or o mitted in bakelite-basc.:d rubes) all eight con- 193 7.'' That M-0.\'. were tirsr in the field was probably
tact pins were a\·ailabk for clement connections.~ thus al- because EMI as halt:owner o f the c.:ompan~· had rather
lowing production in single-ended form. R~· d1eir very close connectio ns .md cross-l ic.:ensing arrang.emems with
nature such nibes could have no counterparts amo ngst RCA. The British \'ah·es dose!\' resembled their American
all-metal types. counterparts in ph~1s i ca l appearance :md had similar char-
The final development of GT typcs occurred in 1948 ac.:tcristics thoug h the~' were assig ned M-0. \I. typc num-
when Raytheon introduced a limited range under the name bers. Of the nine types comprisi ng the initial release all

104
 THEY SAID IT COULDN'T BE DONE I
Back in 1938, Hytron began designing
new dies and converting production ma-
chinery for the first BANTAM GT tubes.
The industry said in effect: "You're crazy;
it won't work. You can't telescope standard
glass tubes to BANTAM size and get the
same results." Beam tetrodes, such as the
50L6GT, particularly were considered im-
possibilities. The intense heat developed
during normal operation would warp the
elements and crack the small glass bulb.
But Bruce A. Coffin, originator of the
BANTAM GT, stuck to his guns. In a few
short years, Hytron developed over fifty
GT types. The GT became the most popular
receiving tube.* Short leads, low capaci-
*1941 imlmt1y production flgHres: GT-52,000,000; mNal-27,000,000;
Jfandard g/aJs, G, and loc111l- 56, 000, 000.
I
EW BU
lltMll.QI * JAN uAR yI 19 4 5
tances, advantages of shorter bombard-
ment at lower temperatures, ruggedness of
compact construction plus both top and
bottom mica supports, smaller size, stand-
ardized envelopes and bases - all con-
tributed to that popularity.
The BANTAM GT permitted new space
economies in pre-war receivers. Only its
universal acceptance as standard by all
manufacturers makes possible fulfillment
of the Services' demands for receiving
tubes. In increasing numbers, as this war
draws to its ultimate conclusion, Hytron
will continue to supply you with the popu-
lar BANTAM GT tubes which everyone
s.aid just couldn't be made.
RypORT.
BUY ANOTHER WAR BOND
carried 6 .3-volt heater ratings with the exception of the
rectifier which, following American practice, was rated at
5 volts.
Next co commence manufacture of octals \Vas Brimar
(another firm with close American connections) who in
their 1938-39 catalogue listed a range.: of 21 types. vVith
one exception (rvpc 6P8G) these were idcntical to Amcri-
can tubes and carricd the same type numbcrs. From this
time on Brimar became one of the largest, if not the largest,
British manufacturer of American tvpe vah-cs.
By 1940 four other firms- Cossor, Ferranti , Mullard,
and Tungsram-also produced fairlv compn:hensivc
ranges of octals and all four used American type num-
bers to idcntif:-' their products. In addition to producing
standard American types Mullard in 1938 introduced a
new range of their own known as the Red E series. These
were reallv onlv 'octaliscd' versions of their existing Rcd E
side-cont;ct ry~1cs which had been introduced in tl1e same
vcar.
After the war the production of octal-based G tvpcs was
continued fo r a short time, mainlv by Brimar, but from
1947 orn.vards these were mostly superseded by GT types.
Commencing in 1946 Jvl-0.V. produced a number of Brit-
ish designed valves which differed slightly in appearance
from the American GTs in that they were slighch· taller.
Examples of these arc tvpcs B65 and KT76. Other firms
producing G or GT types in the post-war years were Fer-
ranti, Mullard, and Tungsram.
The use of the term ' international octal' to describe
either the octal-based valves or just the base itself was first
used by Marconi-Osram in 1937 when at the time onlv
two countries \\·ere involved. Since then, however, th~
octal base has become trulv international for in addition
many other councrics, including Australia, Italv, France,
German~', Japan, and Russia, have all produced octal-
bascd tubes.
Locll-ln Tubes
A little over three years after the appearance of the GE·
RCA metal rubes the first indicatio n of another new de-
parture in rube development was given by the announce-
ment of an 'all-glass' tube to be released by S~frania . The
first of such rubes to be marketed was type 1231, an RF
pentode intended for television applications which was an-
nounced in November 1938.- It is not quite clear why this
particular rube should have been chosen as first release
ahead of regular radio tubes but the fact that RCA had
just announced two similar metal tubes mav have had
something to do with it. ·
s~'lvania, though earlv on the scene with metal tubes
had concentrated on the production of octal-based glass
rvpcs presumably at the behest of Philco who were using
them to total exclusion of metal types. Philco, as the arch-
106
rival of RCA were desirous of having a counter to the
much -vaunted metal tube and an all-glass tube.: was co be
the answcr. So it was that the word Lokt~11 lx:G1mc as
closcl~' associated with the name Philco as it did with the
companv producing the tubes, S~r l va ni a .
T he Lokt'11 was something of a landmark in wbc devel-
opment for it was the first type (not counting RCA's
'acorn') in which the bakclite base had been dispensed
with and thc lead-out wires made thid<er so that thev
formed the connecting pins. T his l'i:aturc had bccn ac hievc~i
by the use of the so-called 'glass button stem', a type.: of
construction tirst dcvclo pcd by RCA k>r use in their later
type 111Ctal tubes and modified bv S~'l vania frx USC in their
Loktals. The elimination of thc bakclitc base in favour of
having the contact pins pro truding d irect!~' thro ugh rhe
bottom o f the bulb was an impo rtant step in securing
improved perfo rmance at the higher radio frcqucn cies for
it resulted in lower losses coupled with shorter leads. Eight
co ntact pins were provided, all of which were available
for clement connectio ns , while the metal base-shell was
grounded through the central metal spigot. In the Lokrnl
tubes the spigot actually served a threefold purpose f<x
apart from providing an earth co nnectio n and a means of
pin indexing it also served to lock the tube in its sockct.
From this last tcaturc the name Lo kral was derived but
because the word was a Philco-Svlvania tradc-rnark othcr
rube makers rdcrrcd to their pro~iucts as loctal o r lock-in
tubes.
RADIO
TUBE
Philco 'Loktaf' tubes . made by Sylvania.
In Mav 1939 both Ravthcon and Svlvania anno unced a
range o(lock-in tubes tot.ailing twelve tvpcs." T he variation
in the style of tvpc numbering used with the lock-in tubes
calls for a word of explanation. Normall~, all 6.3-volt tubes
carried the figure 6 as the first digit which implies that the
figure 7 would indicate 7 volts. In the case of lock-in
rnbes the R.M.A. seems co have been prevailed upon to
allow a departure from the established system in order
that the new tubes could be recognised as a group b~1 their
type numbers, thus 6.3-volt types carried the figure 7 as
the initial digit 'vvhilc 12.6-volt types used the figure 14.
In the case of 1.4-volt battery tubes the figure l was cor-
rectly used as the first digit <U1d group identification was
achieved by using the letter L as the seconO- digit, e.g.,
1LA6.
By 1946 there were 53 diHcrent types of Loktal tubes
listed in the Svlvania Technical Manual and most of these
types were also available from other manufacturers such as
Raytheon and Tung Sol. Sylvania's total reached 100 by
1954 after which time no new t~rpes were produced. For
the benefit of nibe collectors it may be mentioned that one
Sylvania-Philco Loktal carried an odd-ball type number,
I•

War-time versions of the EF50/VR91 metal-glass RF pentode.

FM 1000; it was an FM detector developed in 1950 for
use in Philco receivers.
The all-glass construction pioneered in the Lokrals un-
doubtedly influenced the course of future tube develop-
ment in both American and Europe as even miniature
tubes show signs of Loktal ancestry.
European All-Glass Tu.bes
At much the same time as the de\'elopment of continen-
tal metal and metal-glass tubes was going on the first
•••
HIGH FREQUENCY TUBE
ALSO BEST FOR ALL RADIOS
"Lock-In " Nut. Only ltlea.l For FM,
1'elevisim1, But Better For Ot1wr 1'ype StJ/s
An ou t:-L~mJ iug :uh1a uh1g.e of Sylva11 ia Eltw1ric:·~ ruh1:rnn·!1I lypc rntlio
tube - Iii,! Lcwk.J n- is. ili' J>trfccl ::-ui111l1ility for ttll )' t·la~.. n1(Jiu :-d -
porrnl.Je lJa11t~ry. fa n u h1t11e ry.
h<,usehold, illl lo moh ilc, urnrine or

European all-glass tube also made its appearance. It is not a irc:rnh.

1'101 Limited In Use
possible to speak of the initial release as a 'range' for
Ahhough th<· htHic cltc1riall
the simple reason that there was but a single type issued. :111d me._~hanit·~d <.HhunH1ges Qf the
In february 1939 .Mullard announced rheir first all-glass Loc:k ln COtlSlrtH'li<ui :'ll'(! right in
0

:-1\cf> \\'ilh 1hc co11ti11uiug tn.:11cl of

\'alve, type EFS0,9 which was jointly released bv Philips. 1he indus1ry loward high'-·!" fre.
In appearance and construction the EF50 had many qu.:-neic s. 1lw1't' cxcepti1)oa l tiu:tli ·
tic:; do 11<11 lim i1 the 1u l1c'~ app li.
similarities to the American locral but differed in having a
t'~tliility.
metallised bulb and a 9-pin base. In spite of having a 9 POINTS OF MERIT
S<!t P err orma1u·c ln1provctl 1 lodt·ln lo<atlno pl1.1g • .. oho och as.
vertical electrode assernblv rhe EFSO was of somewhat Oo the t·ontni ry . this ::-111~-- ri orlt y shield b•1we6n pinl.
2 No soldered <0Mu1<1ions • , • oll
larger cfouneter than locral types, measuring 32 mm in i:; rellt-cll·tl i11 thf' l.e11er pt:rfo nn· w elded for gr~ote r durability.
;.11wt· llllll illt:.-1 io all ~d~ cm pluy- J Shorr, dlred conn6dlons • , • fewor
diameter as against 28 nun. The original 1939 production i11g Sylvania l..01·k·l11 Tuite~. weldod joinh - Ion lou.
4 All·glau h eader . . . bettor spo<in9
appears to have been in the narnre of a prototype, judging \~'rik tod:1y for fu1·1hcr i11fnr· of lciod wi10•.
m;Hinn. S l lrnuit1 Electric Prmlttrt.~ 5 No glou llaro •• • unob\tl\l<'lod 1-1)-0 < •
by external changes apparent in later issues. The bulb met- /11t:., F.mporium . />a.
for in1ornol shicildin9.
6 Improved maunr support . • . '"'V~
allising was discontinued in favour of a separate metal godly mountod on all sides.
7 Goltcir la<oled on lop . . . shOf'h
jacket and the extremely unorthodox type of 'hooked' con- eliminated by uiparoti on of g1111e r
mat•tiol ltom lciods.
tact pins were changed to conventional straight ones. The 8 No top cop connocllan • .. ovorhood
SUVICE JO wifes cilimlnolcd.
original use of bent or hooked pins was in connection OU ll COV N UY 9 lil:ed1.1ce-d overall hel9hl ••• spa<~
sovinv.
with a unique method of locking the tube into its socket
whereby after insertion it was given a slighr clockwise
twist. Presumably because such an arrangement carried
with it an inherent danger of cracking the glass around the
contact pins it was quickly discontinued and co1wenrional
straight pins used instead.
The EFSO had a working transconductance of 6.6
mA!\T, a figure considerably higher th<rn that possessed bv

107
any other existing types, and was intended for use •lS a
wide-band amplifier in televisio n n.:ccivers. I lo wever, due
to the o utbreak of World War II and the consequent ces-
sation of television broadcasting the EFSO was not used in
this ap plication until after the war when in 'disposals' o r
war surplus form it o nce again resumed its righ tfol role,
albeit for but a short period. It was in wart ime radar
equipment that the EFSO was most widely used and indeed
so great was the dcmand that British valve makers wcre
unable co cope and this led to arrangements being made to
have su pp lies made in the U.S. by Sylvan ia.
Another pre-war all-glass tube, the Philips-Mu llard
EE50, ap peared at almost the same time as the EF50 and
closely resembled it in o utward appearance. w There the sim-
ilarity stopped as the EESO was a radically new type o f
amplifier utilising the phenomenon of secondary emission
to secure g reatly increased transconductance, w hich in this
case reached a figu re of 14 mA/V.
Following the end o f the war five further rypes were
added to what was by then known as the B9G range in the
U.K. They were two RF pentodcs, types EF54 and EF55;
two double pentodes, types EFF50 and EFFS l ; and a
secondary emission amplifier type EPf60. Apart from
108
these 9-pin types the only o ther post-war E uropean all-
g lass tubcs were the Phi lips-Mullard 8-pin E2 I /U 2 I series
w hich were basicallv si milar to the Americ111 loctals.
RErERENCES
l. Latest Radio Equi pment R adio Craft, Aug. 1935, p.
86.
2. Newest Tubes for the Radio Industry, Rntfio Crnft,
Nov. 1936, p. 271.
3. Sec advt. £/cctro11ics, August I 938, p. 39.
4. Rece nt Radio Tubes, Rndio Cmft, Ma~' 1938, p. 75 1.
5. Sec advt. Radio ivfni11 tmrmcc, August 194 8, p. 2.
6. Sec announcement Wireless World, April 23, 1937.
7. f iftee n New T ubes r, Radio Crnft, Nov. 1938, p. 282.
8. 48 New Tubes!, Radio Crnft, May 1939, pp. 656,
6 57.
9. All-Glass Valves, Wireless World, hb. 16, 1939, pp.
155, 157.
l 0. Amplitication by Secondary Emissio n, Wireless
World, Feb. 23, 1939, pp. 178 , 180.
 Chapter :Fifteen
Power Rectifiers
Although the first 'radio ' applicatio n of the two-clement
tube was as a detector of win.:lcss sig nals this was soon
overshadowed by the diode's ability to n.:ctifr alternating
current mains power to cnabk its u se in recei,·er and trans-
mitter power supplies, and it was many years before diode
detection returned to fan)ur. In the broadest sense o f the
te rm anv two-element tube is a rectifier, of course, but
from d1.e time mains power started to replace battery
power ( initialJ~r during 192t'r27) the term n:ctificarion
has come tO mean the COl1\'CrSiOn or low frequenC~' power
line current to pulsating direct current.
T he earliest work in this direction was being carried o ut
in Germany at much the same time as Fleming was work-
ing on his detector , ·alve. In Januarv 1904 Dr. A. Wchnclt
applied for a patent on a \ ·aln:-tube'; the patent DRP
157,845 was granted on January 13, 1905. In a paper•
entitled 'Concerning the E m ission of Negati,·c Electrons
from G lowing Metallic Oxides' v\lehnclt mentions the LISI.'
of these substances for the cathodes of d ischarge tubes.
Furthermore, under a sub-heading 'Practical Application o f
Discharge Tubes with Glowing Metallic Catho des', Weh-
nclt states: ' . . . the tube acts like.: an electric valve, allow-
ing o ne phase of the alternating current through. Thus the
rnbe may serve to transform alternating rn rrent w pu lsat-
ing direct current'. ( Note, for 'phase' read 'halt:cyclc'.)
From the foregoing it is readily apparent that Wc.:hnelt
had invented and patented a diode rectifier, albeit in a very
different form, nearly a year before Fleming; a seemingly
little-known fact, judging by the way it is often ignored by
radio historians. Even so it must be borne in mind that
Fleming was able to patent his valve in German y so the
German Patent Office apparently found nothing which
could have been regarded as a prio r claim. In the event it
docs not appear to have been contested by Wehnelt. H ow-
ever, the oxide-coated, or '\Vehnelt' cathode as it was
sometimes called, was in itself to become an import:rnt
contribution to the development of the electron tube in
general, even though m;iny years were to elapse before
oxide-coated emitters came into general use.
Of all the electron tubes t.:Vt.:r m;inufactured o ne of the
most widclv . used must surclv. have been the full -wave
hig h vacuum rectitic.:r. Because it was such J basic <U1d
elementary member of the famil y it did not undergo the
rapid de,·clo pments associated with o ther types of tubes;
in fact it would be fair to call it d1e Cinderella of the
tube world-J rube that was largely taken for granted.
Indeed at one period in hisrory it was British practice nor
to count in the rectifier when referring ro d1e number of
valves in a n.:ccivc.:r.
Gcncrnl
This practice stcnuncd from the days when battery elim-
inators were in common use and if a vah·c rectifier was
incorporated (which was not always the c;ise) it was nat-
urally conside red to be part o f the eliminator, no t the
receiver p ropc.:r. furthermore, many early British ma.ins-
operarcd sets incorporated Westinghouse 'met;il' rectifiers
in their power supplies, a situation without parallel in
other countries, which fu rthe r reinforced the idea that rec-
tifiers, whether thennionic o r o therwise, were things apart.
With the decline in popularity of Westinghouse HT rec-
titiers British set makers soon realised the advertising value
of counting the rc.:ctitier valve in with the other valves
when compiling receiver specificat ions. \.Vhereas previ-
ously receivers had been described JS having so many
valves p lus rectifier it soon became conunon practice to
describe J fou r-valve-plus rectifier model as a five-valve
set, as had :ilways been do ne in America.
But, to begin at the beginning: because the earliest rc-
ct.:ivcrs were invariably run frorn batteries, and transmitters
run fro m m otor-generators, little o r no demand existed
t·(x rectifier tubes until after World War 1. For example,
in three De Forest catalogues of the 1920-21 era, list-
ing n ine different models o r radio telephone transmitters
o n ly o ne was equipped to operate directly from the AC
mains by the use of thermionic rectifiers. This particular
transmitter used rwo half~wave tubes made by Moorhead
Labor:-trories fnc.
109
 Some o f the earliest dc,·clopmcntal work on rectifier
rubes had been initiated in the Gcneral Electric bbo ra-
tories as far back as 19 15 and the resultant ru bes gi\'cn the
generic name of 'Kcnotrons'. Originally rhe\' had ....been de-
signed to hand le extn: mel~, high n >lrages bur fo r ,·arious
reasons \\'ere not initially devclopcd commerciallv.
Arncricrm Dc:11clopmeuts
With thc resumpt ion of amate ur transmitting activities
follow ing the end of W o rld War I the need arose for a
rectifier to power the new 'cube' transmitters, and in 1921
the first commercially available GE rectifier, tvpe UV-216,
was released b~' RCA. i This tube was a bright emitter type,
t he filament consuming 2.3 5 amps at 7.5 volts, the o utput
being 50 rnA at 350 V . At the time of its release, and for
some years later, the 2 16 was marketed under the name
Kcnotron, follo wing G E's practice of n:frrring to all their
high-vacuum rectifiers in this tnanner, but in 1925 when
superseded by a tho riated filament version, type UX-216B,
the designation was changed to ' Rectro n' for a short per-
iod before RCA dropped this method of referring ro rec-
t ifiers.
Rectron UV-196 single-
anode full-wave
rectifier (1925). Kenotron UV-216 (1921).
T he successor to the 2 168 was the UX-281 which ;lp-
pcared towards the end of 1927:' With its oxjde-coated
filament consuming l. 25 amps at 7.5 volts the 8 1 was
capable or 85 mA o utput at 700 volts input. Although
origin .illy used in :.vlo form, two type 8 l s were later often
used w pro,·i'.1c fu ll-wave rectificatio n in circuits \\'here
the pbe voltage was higher than could be handled by
e·, i sti n~ full -wave rectifiers . The o riginal S-19 size bulb
remain~ed in use until the earlv 1940s after which rime
cubes having ST-19 bulbs we.re issued for rephKcmem
purposes.
110
Before continuing with the sto rv of mainstream dc,·cl-
o pmcnts ic may be o f interest to mention an 'odd-b,111'
rectifier which appeared bridlv in 1925. At that time the
Dubilicr Condenser & Radio Corp. of 1 cw Jerse~· were
m arketing a B battery eliminator using a type of t ube
which can be politely described as u1icom·emional: T he
rube.: itself was made bv Westjnghouse and W<lS designated
Rectron UV-196. Although a fu ll-wa,·c type it was unique.:
in having two electrically scp:irate filaments oper;icing in
conjunctio n with a commo n pbte. No sound ccchnic:il
reason can be imagined fo r such an uno rthod o x stvk of
construction and 1~> practical advantage resulted frc»m it.
In fact there we re.: two disadvantages in that an cxtra tila-
mcnt 'vinding had to be pn)\'ided on the power trans-
former and because five external connections were necded
it bccamc necessary to adopt the clurnsv expedient of using
the brass base shell to provide the fifth connection.
Like so m:uw simple ideas, later taken for granted, the
qc
RECTRON
DC
UX-213;
RCA Rectron UX-213 (1926).
idea of combining two half-W<l\'C rectifiers in o ne bulb \\'as
a logical step which resulted in considerable economics in
rccei,·er construction. Because the construct ion of fu ll-
wa'-c rccri ~' i ng rubes was practicable on ly when comp;1ra-
ti\'cly low plate \'Oltagcs were in\'olvcd, combinat ion rubes
did not come into general use until more efficient output
tubes opcracing at lower ,·oltages had been de,·doped. In
Septem ber 1925 the fi rst full-\\'a\·e rectifier, tvpe UX-2 13,
was anno unced bv R CA.; T his tube had a thoriated tila-
ment rated at 5 volts, 2 amps and could pro,·idc an o utput
of 65 mA at 170 volts input.
 St11:h \\' JS th<.: pace of rec<.:in:r di.:n:lopmcnr ar this time
particularly in the matter of th<.: im:ri.:asing numhi.:r of tubi.:s
used, rogerher \\'ith increases in aud io output, that within
a spac<.: of rwo years the need .1ros<.: for a higher powa
\'ersion o f the 213. In Mav 1927 \\'h;lr w;1s to become a
landmark tube was annmu{ci.:d .'' Known as the UX-280 ir
wa!i the f:irst rectifie r to make w;c of an oxide-coated ti la-
mrnt a l'C;mire which resulted in a gri.:atlv increased emis-
sio n ~virh no increase in fila mem c<;nsun~ption. The rated
output ' ' ';\S 125 mA at 300 ,·olts input, though the input
rating \\'.\S upped to 350 \' in 1929, afri.:r \\'hich time ~he
ratings rcm;1incd tmchanged throughout the production
litl:ti~1c of the rube, a ma~ter of m·e;. 50 years.
vVith its increased rating the 80 \\'as capable of suppl:-
1
-
ing the requirements of even quit:e large multi-tube re-
cei,·ers bur even so it was e\·n a hard-worked ;md h;1rd·
wo rking tube which, throughout' much of its histor:-', w;1s
frequl'. ntly over-run bv tTcl'.i\'\:r manufacturers. For ex;1m-
pk , it \\'aS quite common at om· time to find tlK 80 bl'. ing
i.:xpl'.cted to h;u1dk input ,·oltag.es running as high as 385
\'Olts \\'hich mturally shortened its operaring life. In a
commcnd;1blc attempt to kssen rhe dtt:crs of this abuse
soml'. rube makers produced modifil'.d n::rsions in "·hich
the pbre area was enlarged in order to obtain cooler ru 1.1 -
ning.. Fo r n ample, in 1929; Ra:-•rhrnn marketed an 80 Ill
which the platl'. area was abour 75 1X1 grl'.ater than normal.
A completely different approach to t:hc problem of cnbrg-
ing thl'. plate area resultl'.d in the production of a tube
having corrug;ned pbtc1i. and in 1935 such a tubl'. \\'as
marketl'.d lw National Unio n. In both cases the imprO\'l'.d
,·ersions diti nor remain in production for long. presuma·
bly bl'.cause they \\'ere more cxprnsi\'l'. to manufacture.
t Onl\' one misdcmeanour in rhe issuance of reccitil'.rs can
• can only be attributl'. d ro o neupmanship on the part of the
Radiotron UX-281 (R.) compared with an 81.
c. 1935.
..
'
The shrinking 80, 1929 and 1969.
Durin'r the course of its lifotime the 80 wem through
three reductions in bulb size, fro m the original S- 17 to
ST- 14 in 1933 and thence to the dimj1rnti,·e T -9 in the
1970s. all \\'ithout any irnpairmrnr to its performance. The
80 rc.::ctifier remains unique amongst all nibes e\'er made
for it is the oldest rypl'. which, ar rhe time of \\Tiring, is
sti ll in current production in cerrain coumries.
Some six years ati:n thl'. introduction of the 80 a gro\\'-
ing demand. for a higher power rectifier resultl'.d in the
production of the rypl'. SZ3 in 1933. 7 When used under
capacitor input tilter conditio ns this tube w.as ratl'.d ar 225
mA output at a maximum plate voltage ot 450 rnlts. An
octal-based \·ersion, t\'Pl'. 5U4G, was issued in 1937 which
emerged in its fin al form as type 5 U4GB in 1956.
Compared with thl'. situation existing in Europl'. in th<.:
da\'S before World \V.ir II where multirudinous numbl'.rs
or' rectifiers having o nly slightly dissimiliar ratings were
commonplace, Arnl'.ric:111 rl'.quiremenrs we1T adet1 uard v
catered to by just one t:-•pc whid1 remained the sok n.:p-
rcsenracive of its class in the application for whic:h it was
intended. In general it mav be said chat there was onl:-•
rl'.ctitier for a~ given applic;ltio n. As the specitications o f
the 80 \\'ere carried ovn unchanged into thl'. ocral-basl'.d
\'l'.rsions, 5Y3G ( 1936) and 5 Y3GT ( 1946 ), tl1esl'. " 'erl'.
counred in \\'ith till'. 80 for the purposes er this claim.
be ~mi buted to the AnKric:rn tube industr\', the duplica·
tion of two ex isting <Xtal-basl'.d types which resulted ~n
versions ha\'ing d itkrrnt base connections. T he tubl'.S 111
tiuesrion were~ ~·p1.:s 5Y::lG/5Y4G and 5U4~/5~4G . N~>
\'alid reason existed for this unnecessary duplication and it
originator of the later ,·arianrs.
Gnsc1111s Rectifiers
One of the earlil'.st developments of the diode rectifier
occurred with thl'. producrion hv GE of a specialised type
111
o f gas-tilled rubc cksig ned for scn ·icc in ;H1tomobik b at-
tery chargers. In turn it \\'as the adoptio n of the six-\·olt
\\'Ct battery for radio purposes tlut created a marker for a
c.:hJrgcr suir:ibk for home use. Whilst the mororisr at least
l13d J built-in c.:hargcr in th1.: form of a gcrn.T Jtor tht: 1~1dio
fan \\':ls initi:il h· t<.;rc.:t:d to take his b;n~ef\' to rh1.· nc;\ITst
charging st.nio n !Or n:gubr r1.:c.:harg ing. C] earh· a m;trkt:t
cxist~d tc>r a home batt~ry charger. ~ ·
Initial \\'Ork on gas-tillcd rcc.:rificrs had bccn c.:.1rricd o ut
by GE as far back .is 19 14 \\'hik in 191 7 the first com-
mcrciallv avail;ibk t~·pes wen: m<trkt:ted under the brand-
name Tungar. Thcsc were argon-tllkd rubes, more c.:orn-
mo n l~· known as bulbs, and were made in t\\'o sizcs ratt:d
at 2 amps :rnd 5 •11nps. Some t ime later the 5-amp size \\'as
rcplac.:<:d by a 6-;rn1p size and a 15-amp t~' pe \\'as ;1ddcd to
the range. In October 1926 a Tungar trickk charger lined
with •l diminurin: halt·~ amp bulb \\'as announccd."
The argorHi lkd n:ctil'icr had a somewhat lo \\'cr dli -
c.:ienC\' than either ,·acuum o r mercury vapour r~· 1xs \'Ct
had rhe abi li ty to prm·idc a hig h o utput c.:urn:m at lo\\'
p late rnltagcs. T h1.· rubes had a fixed rnltagc drop of I 0
volts \\'hich r1.·stilt1.·d in l1ca\·y power losses unkss sn ·cral
b;merics \\'Cl't: charged in series at the o ne time, but this
was norma ll ~1 possibk on ly in the case of commercial use .
Ncvcrrhdcss the Tungar rectificr remained the most wid d ~·
used thcrmionic rectifier for batten• ch.1rging purpost:s
right u p to the advent o f modem solid -state devict:s.
Altho ugh the name of G E became svnonymous with ar-
gon-tilled rcctiticrs, similar tubes were also markctt:d l)\'
Wcstinghm1se umkr thei r b randname ' Rccrigon'. 111 add f-
tion ar kasr two independent manufacturers, e.g., Argus
and Narion;tl U nion, p roduced replace1rn:nr n~pcs, 1~rc­
sumably under license. In the U.K. Tungar bulbs \\'<.:rC
m:i<.k lw rht: British T ho mpson-Houston Co. \\'hcn they
wen: kno\\'n as T ungar Vah·es. The Dutch tirm of Philips
J,
•
Two versions of the 2-amp Tungar bulb (outer) and a 6-amp
(centre) .
112
British-made 2-amp Tungar valve.
also produced a range o f mcrcur~--,·apour r1.:ct1tters in-
clmkd in which \\'ere types imrndni for T ungar repbce-
mcnts.
Another type of gas-ti lled m:titicr \\'ith origins going
back almost as far as those of the Tungar was the so-called
'co ld -cathode' or ti lamcnrlcss rccritier. As earlv as 1916
work on such tubes had been carrit:d o ut in France though
it \\'as in America that the dc\·dopment took pract ical
form.~ T he first commereiallv a\'Jibbk cold-cathode recti-
ticrs were marketed in 1922 lw the American Radio &
Research Corp. under their brandname Amrad. T his com-
pany specialised in rhc manuf;Krure of transmitting appa-
ratus and pres um:ibly for this rc;1son the Amrad tubes were
nutk o nly fo r transmitting use. T he Lksig n of the Amr:id
tub1.:s " ·as attributab le l a rge!~, to o ne C harles GrO\u Smith
and it is bclic,·ed that the initi;tl letter of his surname \\'JS
chosen as a sort of generic rypc.: indicator, resulting in the
rectifiers being known as 'S' tubes.
Ini tially the S rube wa.~ r;1w..i at 400 \! input, 50 mA
o utpu t but this rating soon proved to be inadequate for
transmitting use ;rnd the tube wenr through sc\'cral stages
of redesig n resulti ng in it having a l'inal rating of 1000 V,
L00 mA. T hi!> made it a much rno r1.: Jttl"<Kti\T proposition
to the radio amateur as the rube cou ld nm \· c.:ompcte fa-
\·ourabl ~· with the bulky and npensivc Rad ionon UV-21 7.
f ollo\\'ing rht: rakeover of rh1.: Amrad Corp. by Croskv
in 1925 the production ors rubes c1.:as1.:d and the patents
\\'Crc acqui red b~· a comp any knmrn :is rhe American Ap-
p li:mce Co. of Cambridge, Mass. In No\'Cmbcr 1925 the
tirsr of these nc\\' m bcs \\'Crl: otll-red tOr sale unde r rl11.:
brand name ' R.1yrheon '. "' The Ravrhrnn \\'JS a helium-filled
fu lJ-\,·a,·e rectifier kno\\'n as n·p~ B, indicating that it \\';lS
intended fo r use in B battery eliminators. The company
undcrwc.:nt rc.:organis.irion during the tirst mo nth of opera-
tion and in December 1925 irs narrn: beG1m1.: the Ravtht:on
 Manufacturing: Co. 11 At this time the B tube was being ad-
vertised for sak under the slogan '60 milliamps frir $6.00'.
Late in 1926 an improved version known as the BH
was marketed, this tube having an output of 85 mA. At
much the same time a new high power version, tvpc BA,
was also introduced. The reason for the production of a
tube with such a large output is dealt with in :mother
ch;-ipter.
Looking back to the heyday of the Ra~1 theon gaseous
rectifier in the middle ;rnd late 1920s it is perhaps a littk
difficult to understand why it was so readily accepted and
widely used. At the time of its introduction it certainly
compared favourably in price \Vith its high-vacuum con-
temporary the Radiotron UX-213 which was listed at
$7.00, and even more favourably with a pair of UX-216B
Rcctrons at $7.50 each. The price advantage alo ne could
not have acco unted for its rapid acceptance because the
tube \Vas not without its drawbacks, so it is necessary to
look elsewhere for the reason. T h;-it reason was undo ubt-
edly to be found in the fact that the Raytheon Mfg. Co.
did mo re than just make tubes; the~' maintained a labora-
~'-Olutioniz;ing because of the applic::;tion of new an<l fundamentally sound
principles to the re~'tifier. tor~' which otlcred a unique serYicc to receiver m;mufac-
CI.B-eliminators or parts, specially designed for use with 1'.AYTHEON turcrs who could call o n Raytheon to design a complete
tubes are made by t hese and otherwell· known manufa&lrers, and are now on
sale :it your dealer's: ~u.-~:;r..:~\r~~:·c;~~he':i:~~fii: power pack to ;-iny individual maker's requirements, m:ed-
Donitan l:lttcttic Ml11:. Cc.. Diet.toll. Mieb.
Cim('nl tta;dio Co., Cambrtiire, Ma.t.t. lcss to say inco rporating a Raytht:o n tubt:.
ll!~'"!.~~i~~~c~..Je~~~lc?~.Y.
Tbot'l:b.non Elcarlc Mf'- CQ.., Cbi~IW. lU.
Tobe DeuuchCDU\.o. Co .. Bo'4.oo, Man.
Judging from the number of manufacturers who wok
advantage of this service not too much was known about
RAYTHEON
6 Long Ll/< $ Ecornnny
this new branch of the art. It was this service, plus abun-
dant advertising, that gave Raytheon a prominent place in
No Filamtt1t • Rcun:c P(tt(.-cr
the rcctiticr market of the day with subsequent rcnew;-il
RAYTHEON MANUFACTURlNG CO., Cambridge, Massachwetts
Formerly AMERICAN APPLIANCE CO.
sales largely, but not exclusively, assured.
Bv 1927 numerous other manufacturers had similar
All apparatus a.dr~r:is&i in this maga-=ir.e has but: !<tstcd cr.d oppr(lfCLi by Por>ti"LAR. RA1'l0 LABORATORY 192S
gaseous rectifiers on the market amongst which were At-

THE NEW S-TUBE

Co-operatinJ:: "~ith ]c;:tding amateu rs. we m~de certain mechanical
improvements to the AM RAO S-Tube in orde r to meet still further
;i.m:iteur requireme nts f or "the Hectificr Without n F'ilnmcnt."
These im1>rovements result in:-
lncrcMed mechanical .trength-The internal c lc ·
ment.s nrc now so supported that breakage in hand-
li ng is minimized.
Improved looks-T he shape is n ow tubular which
further facilitates handling as well as im proving
appe:tra.ncc.
Increased dielectric -The lan;e Mo~ u l b::ise p rovides
great.er dielectrie ~t re ngth resulting in increased
efficiency.
Jmprovcd production facilities arc 110'"'' mnterially reducing the
e xisting shortage of S-Tubes. If your dcalc.>r cnnr1ot. su1>ply you,
amateurs m::iy send rcmittnncc direct to us and we wi ll make
prom1>tesl po$siblc- delivery.
l..Wm time to time we ha'-' l' pul.ll i!h~d un•<tfklteJ letlen fro m
Mn:ueure prcii•ini! th.;o, S-Tub..-. Man>• ot th~s.e rd<'r to t h-0 rm•t
t>' Pe. Wt.tr. lhe ratin25 w('re incrC{l.!t'd :tnd en:n more h"·o ri.blr
commenu were r tteiv('d. Now, with lh" m"cb=iniei.I hnµrove-.
m" nt.i: i.bcv e not<'d. e till ;rVlt~-r valur. ii: offered to lhO.Je dct,lrini.:
a n ~onomlt-81. dependab le. ~ou u:e of d. e, PIMe •\IPPIY o:- ror
an in <hArGin;: ~t.o rat:t lJ B~tt<rfo .!I ,
Send (Qr Uolktin J-2. Thi11; dci;c rilm:; tn1e- 4000 which i•
{d (lntiCAl "''ith n(lw lrpc •OOO·l illu.Jtr:ited. Ntcept for thCt im ·
provcmen t ~. t Ne•., UulJl!'lin i~ not 1.;uite :-t:3dtL

t.1MERICAN RADIO ~ND RESEARCH (ORPORATIOH:

,, ~ T /'-{ it/l w Dept. Q, Medford Hillsid e, Mass.
'.l-\ ~ • 0~.;11l.,r$ in Pnnup;11 C1llt1 arid ro .. ·n,

113
water Kent, CcCo, C.R.A., Epom, Majestic, Manhattan,
Q.R.S., Schickerling, Speed, and Superrron (Superthcon).
Several of these appeared to be identical to the Raytheon
while others differed in various '.vays. The Eporn was an
argon-filled tube made by the Connecticut Telephone &
Electric Co. and intended for use in a B climinaror made
by the companv. 12 The only manufacturer of an~' signifi-
cance was the Q.R.S. Music Co. of Chicago who also
made the .Majestic Super-B tube fr)r Grigsby-Grunow-
Hinds.
Because the manufacture of all the above named tubes
ceased after a cornparitivcly short time it is reasonable to
assume that thev. were either unsuccessful or else thev. in-
fringed Raytheon's patents. In the case of the Q.R.S. Co.
it is known that they were prosecuted by Raytheon with
the result that Raytheon took over the Q.R.S. tube divi-
Eveready Raytheon BR early Schickerling neon-filled
sion in settlement of the patent suit. 13 type half-wave. rectifier.
Gaseous rectifiers were little used outside the U.S. but it
is known that they were made in at least three European
countries-Britain, France, and Germany. In England a cially fo r this class o f service. Known as type BR, 11• this tube
was first used in a power pack unit developed by P.R.
Mallory Inc. under the na1rn:: E lko nodc. In June 1933 the
Galvin Mtg. Co. incorpor:ned this unit in their Motorola
car radio, thus bringing the gaseous rectifier back into use
after an absence of five vcars.
The use of half.wave ~ectification was of short duration,
however, as by the end of 1933 it had been completely
I superseded by the more efficient full-w:ive system. For the
record it may be mentioned t hat Raytheon produced an
early foli-Wa\·e tube known as type QZ3 1 ~ but no trace
exists of its having been used commercially and in the
event it was withdrawn from the Raytheon catalogue by
1936. In spite of this inauspicious start Raytheon contin-
ued with develo pment and when in Fcbruarv 1936 the
metal shell type OZ4 was announced the tide once again
turned in Ra~'theon 's favour, though never again was the
gaseous rectifier to enjoy the same degn::c of popularity as
QRS gaseous rectifiers, 400mA (L.) 85mA (R.) .
in the he~'dav of the BH t~·pe . Bo th the OZ4 and the glass
version, type OZ4G, were widely used and were still be-
ing manufactured right up to the early post-war years.
rube known as the Ethertron Filarnentlcss Vah·e was made
bv Burndept under license to Ravtheon, 14 while in France a
'valve sans filament, license Ravtheon' was made by La
Radio Technique in 1928. 15 AJso in 1928 the German firm
of Siebt made a gaseous rectifier under the name Anotron.
In all cases production was limited to a single type pro-
duced over a short period with no subsequent de,·clop-
ment as occurred in the U .S . In view of their initial suc-
cess it is perhaps a little surprising to find that by the end
of 1928 Raytheo n rectifiers had almost complete!~, disap-
peared from the scene and not until a new field opened up
were they to make a reappearance, albeit in a some\\'hat
modified form .
When in 1932 the first self-contained car radios ap-
peared Raytheon developed a small half·wave tube espe- Amrad- the first gaseous rectifiers c. 1922.

114
 Even at the peak of its development it must be admitted
that the gaseous rectifier retained its original drnwb,Kks.
In the case of car radio rectifiers the reguircment of a
minimum striking voltage was sometimes hard co meet
under conditions of low battery voltage aJ1d resulted in
erratic operation or failure of the tube to conduct. 'vVith
the coming of the first tube/transistor hvbrid car radios in
l 955 the ._days of the vibrator power ~upply were num-
bered and with its passing went the need f()l" any sort of
rectifier tubes.
Raytheon gaseous rectifiers 1925-1927.
-·
...,.. ,:=:
1&
• JLJ
Raytheon gaseous rectifiers. 300mA output.
During and afrcr \..Yorkl War II Raytheon continued to
develop their cold-cathode rectifiers; the 1955 edition of
the Radio Amntrnrs Handboolt listed no less than clen:n
different types, not including the earlier types long since
obsolete. An interesting representative of the genre was
Raytheon's CK1012, '" ostensibly a receiving type though
probably never used as such. Ir differed in being fitted
with a heater clement which could be used to assist ionisa-
tion under certain operating conditions. A study of pub-
lished characteristics fails ro reveal an~' significant diftcr-
cnce in performance when used in either manner.
M crcit.1)' Vapour Rectifiers
Quite early in the development of the thermionic tube it
had been found that the maximum useable emission was
limited by a fundamental characteristic known as the space
charge. A search for a means of overcoming this limitation
resulted in the development of gas-filled rectifiers, one
variety of which was the hot-cathode mercury-vapour type.
Like all gaseous rectifiers m -v types rely on the prin-
ciple of gas ionisation, which occurs during operation,
to neutralise the space charge. Unlike other types which
arc ti.lied with gas during manufacture, m-v rectifiers con-
tain a small amount of liquid mercury which during oper-
ation is heated by the filament and forms mercury vapour.
In operation the io nised gas exhibits a visible blue glow
which is characteristic of all mercury-vapour tubes.
Raytheon gaseous car-radio rectifiers.
Because of certain pecularities connected with their op-
eration m-v rectifiers were seldom used in receiver power
supplies though they found extensive application in trans-
mitters and large audio amplifiers. Like all gaseous recti-
fiers m-v types generate RF 'hash' when in operation <llld
additionally they arc liable to flash over when used under
certain operating conditions. It was these two factors that
limited their use in domestic receivers.
During 1932-33 mercury-vapour rectifiers enjoyed a
brief popularity in the U.S., being used mainly in larger
multi-tube receivers having high power Class B output
stages. Because of their inherently good voltage regulation
m-v rectifiers were eminently suited to this application.
The first American m-v rectifiers were marketed in 1932,"'
two standard types, the 82 <U1d 83, being produced by
most manufacturers. Both were full-wave types having ox-
ide-coated filaments and they may be regarded as being
the counterparts of rhe high-vacuum types 80 and 5Z3. In
addition to these there were several non-staJ1dard types
isued during 1932- 33, all of which quickly vanished from
the scene. Arcturus made four types under their letter des-
llS

American mercury vapour rectifiers type 82 (L.) and 83 (R.).
Osram G.U.1 half-wave mercury vapour rectifier.
116
ignario ns AD, AE, AF, and AG, the last rwo bc:ing equiva-
lent to the types 82 and 83. All four were unique in
being fitted with internal fuses,2° a tacit admission of the
danger of flasbover! At much the same time Ken-Rad
made their rvpes KRl, KR31, and KR98, the first two
being small indirectly-heated half-wave tvpes. Ken-Rad
also issued mercury-\'apour versions of rhe 80 and 81 as
types 280i\11 and 281MY
On the British scene the use of 111-v rectiticrs in radio
receivers was even less common than in the U.S., in spite
of the fact that M-0.V. had issued their type GU 1 as early
as 1931 /' a vear before the appearance of m-v tvpes in
America. The GU 1 remained the sole British representative
of the species until 1934 when it was joined bv Mazda'a
MU l, after which time no further releases occurred.
In general it may be said that the mercury-vapour recti-
fier remained unsuited tO re\.'.eiving applications though it
reraincd its popularity in transmitting applications for as
long as thermionic tubes remained in use.
I ndirect~11-Hcatcd R ectifie11·
Even though directly-heated amplif)ring tubes had been
almost completely superseded by indirectly-heated types
bv. rhe earlv 1930s direcrlv-heated
. rectifiers remained in
general use in the U.S. for at least anorher decade. from a
later viewpoint the reason for this may not readily be
apparent but it should be borne in mind that at the time
i-h rectifiers cost twice as much as d-h types. Whether it
was a case of a small demand resulting in hig her produc-
tion costs o r higher prices restricting the demand is a
moot point but the fact remains that the i-h rectifier a.1-
wa~·s remained a rariry in the U.S. except where circuit
dictates made its use imperative. Apart from the question
of price there also seems to have been a distrust for the
breed which probably arose from a lack of understanding
of its inherent difference.
The first American i-h rectifier for use in transformer
powered receivers appeared considerabl~r later than com-
parable British types for it was not until 1934 that RCA's
83-V was released. 2•1 ·with the advent of metal cubes in 1935
the first rectifier in the series was an i-h type of most
unusual construction consisting of two separate half-wave
units scaled within long thin glass tubes which \\'ere pro-
tected by a perforated metal shell. This rype of construc-
tion was ob\'iously expensive and towards the end of the
year a new version contained within the standard i\tlT-5
metal envelope was issued ; it was the first true all metal
rectifier tube.
In 1937 an octal-based \'ersion of the 83-V was issued
under the tvpe number SV4G and it remained the only i-h
type in the range. The first rectifier in the loccal range,
type 7Y 4, carried a 6.3-,·o lt heater rating making it suit-
able few use in either small AC powered receivers or in car
 radios. The one and only 6.3-volt, 7-pin miniature recti-
fier, type 6X4, was issued in Deccmbcr 1945 and carricd
identical ratings to the earlier 6XS and 7Y4.
In Britain the development of the indircctlv-hcatcd rec-
tifier rook place considcrably earlier than in the U.S., the
first example being announced by M<lZda in January 1931 Y
The reason for this early lead is not entirdv clear but it
should be noted that o nly one company was i1wo h·ed. The
lvlazda rectifiers were from the samc stable as the earlier
Cosmos AC valves which had bccn made by Met-Vick, a
tirm which while pioneering the manufactur~ o f i-h valves
had had no experience in the production of d-h tvpes.
While d-h rectifiers were also made bv Mazda it is inter-
esting to note that i-h types were sold at the same prices as
the former, presumably in order to popularise their use.
Standard-Micromesh R2. an early indirectly-heated rectifier.
Even though the higher efficicncv of i-h rectifiers could
have been cxpected to appeal to econo my conscio us British
users other \'alve makers were slo\\'er in undertaking pro-
duction and d-h rectifiers remained the most commonlv
used types. A year was to pass before anothl'.r manufac-
turer, Micromesh, announced any i-h tvpes and not until
1933 did the first M-0. V. and Mui lard exampks appear.
Mazda's advertisements of the dav mcmioned such de-
' sirable features as extn.:mcly long lif·i.: and the pre\·emion
\
of the possibility of a short circuit de\·cloping due to burn
\ out of the filament (as could occur with d-h tvpcs) under
overload. H o we,·cr, it is o nly fair to S<l\' that in spire of the
claim to be short circuit proof when overloaded, which
may have bcen true for this particular manufacturer's de-
sign, the i-h rectifier as such was no less atkcted by exter-
nal short circuits than its d-h counterpart. ft is also a fact
that, in some quarters at least, the full significance of the
valve's lower internal resistance was not appreciated \\·hen
it was used in the more common capacitor-input config-
uration. When so uscd the omission of anti-surge resistors
in the plate leads could result in breakdown of the valve
due to current surges when supplied from a low imped-
ance source.
As in the U.S. the valve did not gain general acceptali((:
from receiver manufacturers, in fact two of the largest
pre-war makers, HMV and Philips, seldom employed i-h
rectifiers in their recei\·ers.
Quite apart from their greater efficiency thc use of i-h
rectifiers had what might be termed a beneficial side eftcct
resulting from their s lower warm-up time. In pre-war re-
ceivers using electro-dynamic spl'.akers it was customary to
energise the field coil by using it as a filter choke in series
with the HT supply. In order to secure adequate excita-
tion of thc field coil its resistancc had to be vcry high in
comparison with a no rmal choke and this in turn meant
that the initial HT voltage had to be correspondingly
higher than would otherwise have been the case. When a
directly-heated rectifier was used under thesc conditions
the DC HT voltage could rise to almost the peak AC
input during warm-up time of the remaining rubes in the
receiver. This resulted in an undue strain being placed on
the filter and bypass capacitors during each warm-up pe-
riod. By comparison, when using an i-h rectifier, having a
warm-up time comparable to the o ther tubes in the re-
ceiver, the HT voltage built up slowly to the normal
working figure.
In connection with the above it is appropriate ro men-
tion herl'. :111 odd-ball rectifier, kno wn as tvpe 805, mar-
keted bv Brimar in 1938. This ,,·as an i-h version of the
standard American 80 which was sold as a dircct replace-
ment for it. Presumably it was Brimar's intention to give
users the benefit associated with the slower warm-up timc
of i-h rectifiers but in the event the inherent danger of
using such \'alves in circuits not adapted for them some-
times resulted in rectifier breakdo wn.
For the record, the earliest-known rectifier to use an
indirectly-heated cathode was a small foJl-wave rype, the
2506, prod uced by Philips late in 1928. £t was first used
in a Dutch built receiver, model 25 14, marketcd tO\vards
the end of 1928. T he same model was also sold in Great
Britain prior to the establishment of Philips' British re-
ceiver factorv and tl1e 2506 \'alve was also advertised for
general salc during 1929 .16
Whilst the introduction of an indirectly-heated rectifier
was a pioneering effort on Philips' part it canno t be said
that the 2506 was an unqualified success. With hindsight
it is obYious that its design was wocfolly inadcquare with
the result that production ceased afrer quite a short time.
After 1929 the 2506 was replaced by a directly-heated
117
type known as type: 506. B~, comparison the output of the
2506 was onl~1 45 mA against 75 mA for the 506 y·ct both
types had the.: same 4-volt I-amp rating. It was ol1"ious
that the dc.:sign of the 2506 was incapable of further dc.:-
,·clopment and it \\'aS no t until 1933 that another Philips
i-h rectifier appeared. This rime the Anglo-American
design using a closely-spaced small-diameter anode was
adopted.
By the end of 1933 then: \\'Cre three i-h rectifiers in the
Philips AC range and by 1936 rwo 6.3-V side-contact
types had been added. In 1947 the first European minia·
tun: rectifiers, types EZ40 and UY 41 , \l'l'.re issued in thl'.
Philips Rimlock range. These were followed bv the first
Noval-based rectifier, type PYSO, in 195 I.
Car Radio and A CIDC Rcct1ficrs
Two receiver developments, both of which originated in
the U.S., \\'ere the rransformerless AC/ DC radio and rlK
automobile radio. Ir was the introduction of these t\\'O
classes of re1.:e ivers whid1 led to the production of the first
indin:ctlv-heated rectifiers.
As in the case of the first househo ld radios the earl iest
car radios made use of B batteries for the HT suppl\·. and
for cxactlv the same reasons \\'avs and means 'n~re sought
to elimin;re the need for such batteries. One solution '~'as
to use a motor-generator, fami liarly known as a 'dyna·
motor', to supply the I IT n:quircments but these were
bulk·v, cxpensi,·e, and nois~· in operation. T he second
method \\'as to use a ,·ibrati ng recd intcrruptor in con·
junctio11 wirh a transformer and rectifier-the so-called
' vibrator' power supply. Although the latter method was
somewhat less reliable in operation it became universally
accepted o n account of its considcrablv lower cost and
remained in use until the advent of transistorised receivers
carlv in the 1960s.
Initially the so-called synchrono us o r scl f- rcctil~1 ing vi-
brator was rnrnmonly used, thus providing 'free' rectitica·
tion. Its efticiencv was comparative! ~· high and there wcrc
sa\'ings in both cost and space compared \\'ith the use of a
separate rectitil'.r. On rhc other hand rhcrc were practical
difficulties which soon led to the abandonment of this
system and fro m l 932 o nwards the use of a separate thcr·
mionic n:ctilicr became standard practice.
The first rectifiers de,·cloped specificalh· for car radio
applications \\'Crc hatt: wa\'e types such as the Arct urus AO,
Ken-Rad KR 1, and the: standard tvpc IV . The first two
were me rcu ry-vapour types which pro\'ed to be largely
unsuccesstltl in car radio scn·icc and the\' were soon supc'r-
1
seded by h igh·\'acuum types. In April i'933r the first lull-
\\'a,·c car radio rectifier, type: 84/6Z4 \\'as announced and
it remained a standard until the: arri,·al o f a metal \'Crsion,
type 6X5, and a g lass octa l versio n, rypt: 6X5G, in 1937.
Because the.: ch<lraCtcrisrics o f these rectifiers made them
118
Two versions of the STC 4033A half-wave rectitier.
suitable for supplying the HT requirements of smaller AC·
operated receivers they were sometimes used in this ap-
plicatio n . For example, the 84 was extcnsivdv used bv
Philco and the 6XSG bv Stewart Warner. · ·
Two reasons were rcsponsibk for the introduction of
the transformerlcss AC/DC rccei,·c r: first!~· the appe~ll of a
small set which, while not strictly portable, could com·cn-
ienrlv be carried from room to room; sccondh• the desire
for ; low-priced ' midget' set to rncct the n~c.:ds of the
depression condit ions then pre\'ailing. At the rime of the
introduction of such recei,·ers, late in 1932, there: \\Tre no
su itable rectifiers in existence and it became necessarv to
impro\'isc.: a substitute. Some recei\'er manufacturers · ini·
tially made use of a t~ 1 pt: 3 7 general-purpose rrimk as a
rectil'ier b~' strapping its grid and plate together; o thers
pressed the KR 1 car rad io rectifier into use pending the
arrival of a s pcciall~1 designed rype.
Earl~' in 1933 two suitable rectifiers were announced,
the types 12Z3 and 25Z5. 2H T he formt:r was a co1wcntional
ha l t~w:we type having a maximum output current of 55
mA, while the hmer was unique in ha,·ing two separate
sets of clements which allowed it to be used in different
circuit configuratio ns . W hilst the 25ZS was most com-
monly used in half·~w:we mode it could also be used as a
fo ll-wave \'Olragc-doubler rectifier when a per.iring fro m
l I 0-\'0lt AC lines. When used in this maimer better re·
cei,·er performance.: was attainable as :i result of the higher
a,·ailable DC output voltage. The use of twin-clemcm rec·
titiers in voltage-doubler mode was naturallv restricted to /
countries where 1 10 volts was the standard mains supply. )
A metal ,·ersion of the 25Z5, type 25Z6, and a glass /
octal ,·crsion, type 25Z6G, \\'ere both issued in 1937; all
carried the: then standard 300 mA series hc:1ter rating. ,.
V•/hc.:n RCA introduced the 150 rnA series of AC/DC tub~s /
in 1939 the first rectifier included in the range: was ty pe
35Z4GT. L:m:r n.:ctifiers ha,·ing the same heater current
rating were types 35Z5GT , 45Z5GT, 35Z3, 50Y6GT,
ll 7Z6GT, and 1 I 7Z3.

British Rectifiers

In Britain, too, the earliest rectifiers were those devel- Receiving and Transmitting
oped for transmitting use and in this connection it is in- VALVES
teresting to note rhat as early as 1920 Ediswan were ad-
vertising 'double anode' (i.e., fuU-wave) types. I" Other All types of Valves for use in
W frclcss reception and transmission.
manufacturers of transmitting-type rectifiers were M-0.V.
and Mullard.
Reflecting the slower acceptance of mains-driven re-
ceivers in the U.K. was the complete absence of recciving-
type rectifiers before the end of 1926; in fact certain firms
did not make any before 1928. By American standards the
first British valvcs wcrc capable of only quite small out-
puts, many being small luif:wavc types rated at no more
than 30 rnA. These small outputs were in keeping with the
modest HT requirements of most British receivers of the
Special T ypes
day which were commonly of the 2-valve or 3-valve '"1-
1. High Power Rectifying V.21.i'es.
rictv. ~ · High Powl!"r Rcctif};ng V:!ln'S for u.se \\~th low
anode \'O!tagcs.
Another factor contributing to the slower dc,·clopment 3. Low and Hig.h Power double anode f ull·\\'3.\'('
Rectifi.crs.
of valve rectifiers may well have been the initial popularity 4. Continuous \Vavc Trans-mini.cg Vah·cs for use with
of \ Vestinghouse 'metal' HT rectifiers. Howe\'er, because
1 :i:hern:ui.og (.Urrcm. No s-epa.rate Reaif)'ing Valve
lltct.ssary.
of their bulkiness and higher cost, which i_ncreased in di- 5. Recci\•lng :tod Amplifying Va!Yes of ord.i.llat)' and
11.so original ty~ including one operat:U::ig on very
rect proportion to their power handling abilities, meraJ Jow pl:?tc potcnrials.

rectifiers were seldom used in multi-valve receivers.

THE EDISON SW i\N ELECTRIC Co. Ltd.
Amongst the first British rectifiers were Burnckpt's PONDERS END, MIDDLESEX
V 695 and Osram's V4, both of which appeared in 1926.
As an indication of the capabilities of such rectifiers it
may be mentioned that the V4 was rated at a mere 15 mA
output. In the same year Osram also marketed their first
full-wave rectifier, type VS, but not until 1927 did other
companies commence production . The first and only rec-
tifier marketed under the B.T.-H. brandname was the ~'pc
RH l announced in 0.ctober 1927; while the first two un-
der the Cosmos name were announced in September of
the same vear. Ir was well into 1928 before rhe first Mui-
lard rectifiers came 011 the scene (rvpcs DU2 and D U I 0)
and the same applied ro Cossor who issued their tvpes
SV6 and 13V6 in that same vear.
As in the U .S. half-wave rectification soon became ob-
solete in AC-operated receivers and by 1933 half-wave
rectifiers had bccn dropped from the catalogues of the
major valve makers. Also, as in the U.S., the increasing
popularit~' of multi -valve sets led to the development of
higher power rectifiers which, in 1930, resulted in the
production of the fi rst British type having an oxide-coated
filament, M-0.V.'s type U.9. Incidentally, it was the first
Cossor U.3 half-wave rectifier
of this firm's rectifiers to carry, what was by then, the c. 1922.
standard Europcan filament rnting of 4 volts. Within the
next year other British valve makers had similar types on
the market, most of which were available in three differ-

119
cm sizes. With the introduction of M-0.V. 's International
Octal range of valves in 1937 direct equivalents of the
American types 5Y3G and 5U4G were issued as types
USO and U52. By 1940 all major manufacturers with the
exception of Mazda were producing Amnican t~'Pe recti-
fiers which in most cases included the ubiquitous 80 as
well as more recent types.
Osram U.3 .
Osram U.8 full-wave rectifier.
Philips 506. full-wave. Philips 373. half-wave.
120
Philips Rcct!fi.crs
lt is convenient to include mention of Philips rectifying
valves hen: because in the terms of the 1925 Philips-
Mullard agreement any two-electrode valves could be sold
in the U.K. under Philips' name. The earliest low-power
rectifiers made b~· Philips were intended for use in bat-
terv eliminators which were marketed before the firm had
com1nenced receiver manufacture.
In contrast to American practice where ' B' eliminators
invariablv used full-wave rectification many European elim-
inators used half-wave. The first Philips eliminator, type
372;"' uscd the type 373 h-\\' rectifier and was capable of 40
mA output. The model 3003 eliminator used a tvpe 506
I-IT rectifier and a type 3006 h-w grid bias rectifier. The
type 1002 h-w rectifier was used onlv in the model 1001
I-IT batten' charger.
The earliest Philips rectifier to be produced solcl\' as
pare of a particular recei\'er was a diminuti\·e h-w type
known as the 2504; it was incorporated in the model
2501 receiver which appeared during 1927-28. So tin~'
was the 2504 that a normal bakclite valve base could not
be fitted to it and instead w SBC lamp base " ·as used with
the anode connected to the brass base she ll.
Probablv. the best known of the earlv. rectifiers was the
tvpe 506 which was first used in battery dimi.nators be-
fore being used in Philips recci\·crs in 1928. By 1929
there were as many as ten different rectifiers in the 4-
volt range alone. Not all of these were marketed in Great
Britain though by 1938 no less than seven different 4-
volt types were listed in the Wireless World Vah1e Data of
that ~'car. An altogether more than adeguate offering, one
might venture.
Following the end of World War II Philips-Mullard
somewhat surprisingly included a 4-volt directly-heated
rectitier, type AZ4l, in their Rimlock range of miniature
\'alves introduced in 1947. It was surprising becn1se b y
this time directly-heated rectifiers, except high power
types, were obsokte <Uld it is interesting to note that the.
only other British maker of Rimlock (B8A) valves made
only an indircctlv-heated t~'pe.

The Diode as a Volttwe Re.1:711/ator

A Jess common application of the two-electrode tube is

as a voltage regulator. Probablv the earliest example of
such use is to be found in the HT supplv of a irborne radio
transmitters used by the American Army during World
vVar I when the fi rst attempts were made to use r:idio as a
means of communication between aircraft in flight and
personnel on the ground . To provide the plate voltage for
the transmitter a ,,·ind-drin:n generator, usually attached
tO a w ing strut, was used, and as a matter of interest this
Three versions of the Marconi-Osram U.12.
S~'Stcm was retained in later civilian aircraft until well into
the 1930s. In practice the use of a wind-driven gen1:rator
suffered from the drawback that variations in the sp1:1:d of
the aircraft caused the generator spe1:d to ,·ary and this
obviously called for so1111: furm of voltage regu lation and
here is where a diode tube was put to good use.
The U.S. Signal Corps developed a unique form of volt-
age regulator using a sp1:cialised type of diode manufac-
tured by the General Ekctric Co. ~ 1 Briefly, the mode of
operation was as follows: the tube's filament was lit from
a separate winding on the generator and the tube itself
was connected in series with a separat1: diflcrrntial shunt
field coil. With increasing speed both the filament and
plate ,·oltagcs of the rube increased simulraneouslv, result-
ing in an increased current through the ditkr1:ntial or op-
posing field coil. This increased currenr had the eHcct of
bucking the currenr in the main field coil thus reducing
the excitation and preventing the gen1:rator voltage from
rising appreciablv. In practice the output mirage \\"as held
constant to within 10% with armature speeds varying be-
tween 1800 and 3600 rpm.
Th1: tvpc TB- I tube used in the rq,i;ulator circuit was
similar in size and shape to othn GE tubes o f the period,
such as types VT-11 and VT-12, and used an 514 bulb
fitted with a 3-pin Shaw type brass base. The electrodes
consisted of a small-diameter mbular anode together with
a spiral filament rat1:d at 7.5 to JO V.
Bv its very nature such a tube could be expect1:d to
perform equally \\"d i as a half-\\·a, ·e tTcritier and post-war
surplus stocks were offered for sale for this purpose with a GE type TBl regulator diode
claimed output rating of 60 mA at 350 \1. Apparcntlv c. 1917.
larg1: quantities of rhe T H- 1 had been nrnnufanured as up
to seven vears after the end of the war these tubes were
being ad,:crrised fCx sale to amateurs for as little as $ 1.50
ead1 ..11

121
 KENOTRON RECTIFYING TUBES <Type TB-1>
Manufactured by the General Electric Co., new, in original carton•.
These tubes have a filamen t terminal voltage of 7.5
volts, operate on a filament source voltage of 10 volts
and an A.C. input voltage of 550 volts. Their normal
output is 20 watts at 350 volts D.C.
Eliminate your transmitting plate supply troubl'e s
with these tubes.
Make your own B-Battery eliminator with two of
these Kenotrons and a suitable filter.
And the bar2"ain price, OM, is only $1.50 Each
2
AMERICAN SALES COMPANY ~:;_AvR,,~~~~:·
SAY YOI' SAW IT IN Q ST-IT IDENTIFIES YOU AND HELPS Q S T Jvly l f2.,-

R..E i:ERENCES

1. Pl~vsilmlisc/Jc Zcitsc/Jrift, Vol. V, No. 1, Oct. 20, 1904.
2. GE Report, p. 56.
3. Ibid., p. 57.
4. Sec ad\'t. Rndio News, June 1925, p. 1224.
5. GE Report, p. 55.
6 . Ibid., p. 56.
7. Progress in Tubes for Radio, Rndio E11giJm·ri1~11. Feb.
1933, p. 11.
8. Sec adn. Rndio News, October 1926, p. 451.
9 . Sec advt. Rndio NcJl'S, December 1926, p. 715.
10. Sec advt. Rndio News, No,·cmbcr 1925, p. 61 3.
11. Sec advt. Rndio NeJJJs, December 1925, p. 906.
12. Ro bert S. Kruse, The Epom Rcctitlcr, QST, June
1926, pp. 41-43 .
13. Sec Radio £ngi11ecring, August 1928, p. 45.
14. The \•Vin:lcss Show, Wireless Worlti, Sept. 8, 1926,
p. 348.
15. Sec La Radio Techniq ue valve catalogue, 1928 .
16. Still Mo re New T ubes, Radio Crrrft, Sept. 193 2, p.
148.
17. Sec R n_vthco11 Tcchnicnl Dnta, 7 rh Editio n, Aug.
1935.
18. St:c advt. clcctro11ics, October 1945, p. 8 1.
19. Two New Tubes, Radio Cnift, Jul ~' 1932, p. 16.
20. Four New Tubes, Rndio Crnft, April 1933, p. 595.
22. Sec Kcn-Rnrl T ube Datri C/Jcwt, dated August 1932.
23. Sec Wireless World Vall'c Data Supplc111mt, Dec.
1931.
24. Sec RCA Rcceiviu.1:1 Tube Manual RC1 2, 1934, p.
128.
25. Sec adn:. Wireless Warld, January 1931, p. ad. 5.
26. Sec advt. Wireless World, December 4, 1929, p.
ad. 6.
27. Herc arc the New Tubes !, Rt1dio Craft, April 1933,
p. 586.
28. Progress in T ubcs for Radio, Rndio J::1111il1ccri11n,
fcb. 1 933~ p. 1 1. ' '
29. Sec advt. Wireless World, J:muarv 1920, p. xvii.
30. Sec l'/Jilips RcceiJJin,fJ Vnh>c catalogue, dated 15- 1-26,
p. 40.
31. J.H . i'v1o rccroft, Pri11ciplcs of Comnn111ica.tio1J, p. 3 73.
32. Sec ad,·t. QST, June 1925, p. 89.

122
 Ch.apter S~n

Electron Ray Tubes

American De11elopmc11t.r

Visual tuning indicators first came: into use in 1933

following the advent of receivers incorporati ng automatic
volume control (AVC) circuits. Due to the AVC action
such receivers exhibited an apparent broadening of tuning
making it more difficult for a non-skilled user to tune-in
correctly. Initially a specialised form of neon lamp was
often used as a tuning indicator while in the case of re-
ceivers in the deluxe class or in communications receivers
a rnilliarnrneter was used. As meters were costly items a
need arose for a cheaper though equally effective de\'ice.
In 1935 RCA introduced tl1e first electronic tuning in-
dicator, type 6E5 , which was dubbed a 'Magic Eye' though
formally identified as an electron ray tube. Physicall~' the
6ES resembled a contemporary glass radio tube as it was
fitted with an ST - 12 bulb. Essentiallv it was a diminutive
cathode-ray rube with a tiny tluoresccnr screen known as a
'target'. A control electrode was arranged to cast an an-
gular or fan-shaped shadow on tl1e targc.:t which varied in 6£5 (1935) 6G5 (1936)
width according to the DC potential applied to it. Incl uded The first magic eye tubes.
in the assembly was a tiodc amplifier direct-coupled to the
control electrode. In cum the grid of rhis amplifier was
intended co be dircctlv connected to a receiver's diode
detector circuit.
Because rhe 6ES could handle only a compararivcly
small input voltage before the edges of the shadow O\'er-
lapped a new nibc, type 6G5, having a vari-mu triode
amplifier capable of handling higher input voltages was
developed in 1936. In the same year yet another type
known as the 6NS also appeared ; it diftcrcd from the
pre\'ious tvpes in being intended for operation in battery
sers and had a hearer raring of 0.15 amps. This nibc \\'as
later issued under the combined type number 6ABS/6N5.
In J939 the type 6U5 was issued but as its characteristics
closely resembled those of the earlier 6G5 the two were
later issued under the combined number 6U5/6G 5. The
6G5 was also issued under the style 6G5/6H5.
So far all the types mentioned had the original fan-
shaped shadow bur in 1937 Arcrnrus, Ra~'theon, and Syl- 6U5! 6G5 6A8516N5

123
vania introduced the type 6T5 which had an annular shad-
ow. For some reason this type quick!~, became obsolccc,
the recommended replacement being the tvpe 6U5.
At the time when the 6E5 was produced 6.3 volts had
become the industry standard heater \'Oltagc so for this
reason it, and all subsequent types, carried the standard
6.3-V, 0.3-A raring. H o wncr, because of the existence o f
a large number of older receivers still in use at the rime
some rube m <mufacturcrs produced a 2.5-volt version of
the 6ES known as the 2£5 and a similar \'Crsion of the
6G5 knO\vn as the 2GS. These tubes were intended to
allow radio servicemen to modernise earlier receivers bv
the fitting of a tuning indicator. Incidentally they were
probably the o nly 2.5-volr tubes of ;my kind produced
long after the figure of 6.3 volts had becomc the industry
standard.
Although the 6ES was issued after the introduction of British magic eye valves. Th e two on the right use Mazda
the octal base, as first used on rnernl rubes in I 935, this octal bases.
style of base had not then been used o n glass rubes and for
this reason the 6E5 made use of a 6-pin base. T his set the
pattern for the next few years and no r until October I 938
did the first octal-based tuning indicator, type 6AF6G
appear. This tube differed from previo us types in rwo re-
spects: it was fi tted \Vith rwo control electrodes giving
separate shadows and it contained no amplifier; conse-
quently it was ncccssar\' to use a separate tube, or rubes,
for this purpose. The b ter 6AD6G was a companion type
for use in AC/DC or battcrv service.
During World War II the 12.6-volr rype 1629 (VT- 139)
was developed for use o n 12-volt supply systems. The final
indicato r tube developed was the type 6AL7GT which ap·
peared in 1950. It was intended for use with FM receivers
and difkred fro m all previous types in having two rec-
tangular fluorescent patterns.

British DeJJelopmmts
American 'Magic Eyes. · Note octal base on centre
The fi rst British electron rav indicaror was issued bv tube.
M-0.V. and appeared in chcir '[mernational Octal' range

British octal-based magic eyes. A group of Philips tuning indicators 1936-1949.

124
of valves released in 1937. Known as type Y63 it was
the equivalent of the American 6U5 but differed in being
fitted with an octal base. Later additions in the M-0.V.
range were types Y61 , Y62, Y64, Y65.
In 1937 Mullard released their rypes TV4 and T\!6,
the equi\'alenrs of Philips types Al'vl l and EM l ; both
had side-contact bases. Next came Mazda's AC/ME and
M E920, both of which were fitted with British standard
7-pin bases. These were followed by types ME41 and
M E9 1 which had Mazda octal bases.
By 1940 Mullard were listing types EM l , E M3, EM4,
and EF.\it l. Of these the EM l was simply the earlier type
T\16 given a diftercnt type number. Nor until after 1949
was the only octal-based type, the EM34 issued.
American types 6AF6G and 6AD6G Telefunken EF11M
combined RF pentode and indicator tube (centre).
Co11tinental Dc11clop111ents

Not surprisingly it was the enterprising firm of Philips
who produced the first continental tuning indicator tubes,
the 4-volt type Al\11 l being used in their 1936 n.:cciver
models. A 6.3-volt \'Crsion of this rube, the EML was
included in the ' Red E' series of nibes released in 1936.
These differed from American desig ns in ha,·ing a four-
bladed control electrode which produced four separate
shadows acting iii unison. The resemblance of these four
shadows to a cross initially g:we rise to the terms ' tuning
cross' or 'Magic Star' being applied to the earl~' Philips
i.ndicators. Philips were the first manufacturers to produce
an indicator, type EM4, having rwo dissimi lar control elec-
trodes which resulted in the rwo shadows having differ-
ent sensitivities, a useful feature \\'here a wide range of
input voltages is ro be handled. The EM4 \\'as first used
in 1938-39 model Philips receivers.
Included in the Telefunken 'E 11' series of tubes an-
no unced in 1938 was an unusual nming indicator, t\'PC
EFM 11, housed in the same bulb as an entirely separate
AF amplifying pentodc which had no association with the
indicator function. The idea o f turning a tuning indicator
into a multiple rube in this manner was purely German,
though the practical advantages were minimal. Examples
of its use occur in Telefunken receiver models D860WK
and T898WK. Philips-Valvo and Tungsram also produced
the EFMl 1 as well as a side-contact version known as the
EFM l.
Another unusual tube, also of German origin, was the
Lorenz EM71 , a 6 .3 -volt all-glass type using <\11 American
type !octal base; it was marketed in the U. K. by 13rimar
under the same type number.
M i11irit1wisntion
With the advent of tniniarurisatio n in the post-war years
tuning indicators became just o ne more rube type to un-
dergo a shrinkage, though in this case the metamo rphosis

A group of Noval-based (89A) indicator tubes c. 1956-1960.

125
was of European origin. While the first types issued were,
like their bigger brothers, intended to be used as radio
tuning indicators some later typcs were more commonly
used as level indicarors in portable (1nains-opcrated) tape
recorders which became popular during the 1950s.
The first miniature tuning indicaror, type EM80, ap·
peared in 1953. AJthough having a corwcntional fan-
shaped shado\\' the displav area was located on the side,
rather than the end, of the tube. Later types in this series
werc EM81 and EM85 . In 1956 a complctcl~· new rype of
indicator was incrcx luced in w hich the fluorescent screen
was deposited direct!~· on the g lass itself in the manner of
cathode ray tubes. The display area was of rectangular
shape in place of the earlier fan-shaped formar. Tubes of
Japanese 6 ME10 Lorenz EM71
this type were the EM84 and EM87.
Note miniature Note foetal base
The smallest rubc having a fan-shaped shadow displayed 7-pin base
on the cnd of the bulb (after the manner of the o lder
standard sized tubcs) was the Japanesc 6ME l 0, made b~·
Ten and Toyo . It was unique in being constructed in a
T-S l/2 bulb which was fitted with a miniature 7-pin bake- For some reason American involvement in the de,·cl-
lire base. o pment of miniaturised nining indicators was zero; none
The smallest indicaror tubes e\·er made were nvo direct· of American origin ever appearing in d1e pages of any
ly-heated luminescent triodes, t)'pcs DM 70 and Di\11160; RCA tube manuals. In 1961, however, RCA rook the un-
the former had a l 0 nun bulb and the latter a 6 mm . The precedented step of distributing rhe first European tube of
DM70 is known rn havc been used as an ultra-miniature any type 0 11 the U.S. markct. In this case thc typc chosen
mning indicator in both batter-v- and mains-opcratcd re- was the EM84 which was listed under the combined type
ceivers. numbcr EM84/6FG6.

126
 Chapter Seventeen

Transmitting Tubes

No t until nearly a decade after Fleming's discovery that this final decision was at the time considered by the cog-
a vacuum tube could be used as a detector of electrical noscenti to have been a miscarriage of justice.
oscillatio ns did other workers discover its ability to gener- Because receiving tubes were initially the only ones
;He similar oscillations. Bv then the three-electrode tube available ir followed n anirall~· that they were pressed into
had appeared on the scene and it was this tube's ;unpli(v- use as the first oscillators for transmitting use. Under-
ing ability which enabled it to also be used as an oscillator. standably it was their limited power handling capabilities
In 1912 De Forest was engaged in developing a multi- which led to the development of higher power types de-
stage audio freque ncy amplifier for telephone use and in signed expressly for transmitting work. De Forest pro -
the process had encountered problems with feedback. Ac- duced his first transmitting ru bes, which he termed 'Oscil-
cording to De Forest's own account it was the subsequent lions', in 1915. 4 Experirrn.:ntal trnnsmitting tubes were also
im·estigation of the cause of this unwanted feedback which produced bv General Electric and Western Electric in this
led him and his assisrants, C harles Logwood and Herbert same year. During \Vorld War I transmitting tubes for
van Etten, to the discovery of the principle of ' regenera - military use were developed on both sides of the Atlantic
tio n'. and from this time onwards the production of transmit-
In the following year, 1913, De Forest claimed to have ting types became a specialised branch of the art.
discovered the abilitv of his Audion ru be to oscillan.: at It was the birth of broadcasting and its subsequent
radio frequencies. ' His patent application co\·ering what he growth which resulted in the call for larger and larger
called his 'Ultra Audion' circuit was filed in March 1914.1
This patent and others filed in the following year were ro
be the subject of long, drawn out, and bitter patent litiga-
tio n extending over the next twcnt~' ~1 ears.
Once again the triode was to become the centre of a
controversy, this time in connection w ith irs newly recog-
nised ability to act as a generator, o r osci llator, and also as
a 'regenerator' when used in a receiving circuit. In l 913
the young Edwin H . Armstrong, then a student at Co-
lumbia University, had independently discovered the prin-
ciple o f regeneration and had filed a parent in that same
vcar:'
Apart from these two invento rs thcrc were others in the
U.S., as well as such people as Franklin in England and A.
Meissner in Germany, who were actively engaged in sim-
ilar work and vvho had also applied for patents. On the
American scene it developed into a com est between Arm-
strong and De Fo rest over their attempts to sustain their
rcspccrive claims to priority.
In 1924 the D istrict of Columbia Court of Appeal ruled
in De Fore$t's favour. Four years later, in 1928, this deci-
sion was reversed in Armstrong's favour. Finally, in 1934,
De forest once again h<ld his claim sustained. Incidentally, Radiotron UV-202 (1921) .

127
transmitting rubes, tubes which cvrntuallv reached ourput
capabilities in the order of tens of kilo\\'acts. Of more
interest to tube c.:ollectors arc the lower-power types tlrst
developed in America and England during the carlv 1920s.
Two of the earliest American tubes wen: the UV-202 and
U\'-203, both of which appeared in 1921. T he first pro-
d uction of rube~ intended specifically for short-\\·a,·e \\'Ork
occurred carh· in 1926 when the Radiotron UX-852 and
the De Fo rest type: H were mMkctnl. Roth these tubes
had their g rid and plate leads taken our at widclv spao:d
points in o rder ro reduce inter-electrode capacitances to a
111 in imum.
Rv 1930 the: De Forest Rad io Co. listed 14 diffrrent
rypes of transmitting rubes, including rectifiers. B~· 1938
RCA were otlcring 33 types of air-coolc:d tubes, not
counting n:ctitiers. As in the case of receiving types the
first Radiotron transmitting tubes were made by GE but
in 1933 R CA set up its own transmitting tube divisio n. Ar
this time the collapse of De Forest Radio provided RCA
with an opporrunity to commence its own production by
acquiring the fonm:r company's transmitting rube plant.
For some years therc:after certain rypes of rubes wen: is-
sued under the namestvlc ' RCA-de Forest'.
With De forest out of the running the n umber of inde-
pendent producc:rs rl'achcd an all-rime low. A small New
York company known as the Duo,·ac Radio T ube Corp.
had commenced manufacturing in 193(>1; :md continued to
operate for several years, presumably without an RCA Duovac version of Wescern Electric's VT-2.
license. The remaining manufacturer, Arcturus, nude a
brief foray into rhi: transmitting tube: tidd during the early
1930s, issuing upwards of l 0 types. These carried rypc

of exceptional precision
and uniformity
D UOVAC Tr;1n s1n iuers are mad e to
extrc:mcly rigid specific:nions and with
great care. They are capable of handling
large O\"crlo:ids if used intelligcnrly.
E:tch tube is thoroughlr tested
OX.Sp (ilful-)
before shipping, and is i;u:ir;ultccd F1J.. Volc.-10
:ts to cleccrical charactcri~tics and •·,r. Cu,,C'nt-1.:s
l'hre Volc . -~ooo
mechanical construction. Ph1e Cur. Osc.-1s mill'
1'h1'. f'hcc power
Jiu1ruccd- 100 wJ11u
Order dir~ct from Ja<lory R,tcd Ot.npur - n w~1u:
~t1<losing ch~ck or mon~· ord~r. /\'f! Priu1
/\,o red urpe-imm~Jiautldit·~r)'.' DX..Ss: -$:1.;o
OV-:01A-': ' so
Or. P11ul C . Wc,lk<. OV-:1 1 -S:.i.so
f o r mfrlY ""' ith
Wcstint"o uu. in
rhatllt! o( Ouo•.Jt"
Tr.an~mitcinx Tulle
produc1ion.
DUOVAC Duovac Rodio Tube Corp.
360 Furman Street
The Precision Radio Tube llrooklyn , N. Y.

Advertisement for Duovac cubes appearing in QST for December 1930.

128
numbers commencing with E 7, thus E703A was cquiv:i-
lcnt to UV -203A and so on. rJittle was heard of these
tubes and their production life appears to have quite bric.:t~
tho ugh the company remained active in the receiving tube
field for many years. The next independent to commence
manufacturi ng transmitting mbes was Sylvan ia who set up
a separate factory for the pu rpose in 1934. Within a short
space of rime, however, action by R CA forced their with-
drawal from this fi eld, effectively leaving the Radio Group
a monopoly in the marketplace.
An event of some s ignificance occurred in 1936 when
RCA first licensed other companies to make transmitting
tubes. As well as allowing existing receiving tube manu-
facnircrs to enter the transmitting tube field this action
also resulted in the establishment of several s maller spe- De Forest ·oscillibn' with Shaw
cialist manufacturers, most of whom concentrated on the base c. 1920.
production of tubes for amateur use. In the first category
were such firms as H ytron, Ken-Rad, and Raytheon, while
amongst the newcomers were Amperex, Eimac, Gam-
marron, Taylor, and United . T he existence of specialist
companies not engaged in the production of receiving
tubes remained unique to the U.S., although following
the takeover of Ampercx by Philips aftt:r World \Var II
receiving tubes were issued under the Amperex name.
Heintz & Kaufinan, makers of Gammatron tubes, also is-
sued receiving types during the 1960s, though it is not
known whether they were the actual manufacnirers.
On the British scene the first transmitting valves were
developed by H .J. Round for the Marconi Co. in 1915.
The advent of Wo rld War I spurred their development
and laid the groundwork for the production of high-
power types for broadcasting during the 1920s. The rapid
increase in the power handling abilities of transmitting
valves can be appreciated when it is realised t hat by 1922
there were 5-kW water-cooled rypes in production. At this De Forest 'Osei/lion'
same time air-cooled silica envelope valves of up ro 15-k\l\T transmitting tube (1917) .
rarin g were being produced for naval use. By 1931 Met-

De Forest type 'H' short-wave Marconi MT5 triode c. 1922.

transmitting tube ( 1926).
129
 THE HKOADCA S T E ~Gl~EEK

cJ/' ~aster 'Prodztct/

Designed for Reliable
Long Distance Communication
,........ on
., ~

1 Meter to 200 Meters

·"'"'"''"
\.;:~.:~·.~..., ·~~=~~:::~
WATT~.
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'""'"'
ll"'"'''
:-
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!iO\l:',m .:
1111) ••
INPUT RATIN::o
',!;I) ••
Plate Voltages 500-3000
,....:W••• -
Plate Currents 40·50 MA.
,,.,.
2:o1111
,...,. Fil. Voltage 10
Fil. Current 2.35A
~­
~""'- - .........

l ~~~
n
HYGRADE SYLVANIA CORPORATION
HYGRADE LAMPS £.L£CTRONICS DEPARTMENT
FACTORIIS1 (LlfTON, N. J. SYl.VAt'·llA rue.es 139 P'r dnk lin St., D E FOREST RADIO C 0 ., J erstrC1.1y, N. J .
SALEM, MASS. £Ml'OAAJM, PA. ST. MARYS, PA. CLIFTON, H. J.
JAY \ 'V U ••"' It rs Q91'- 1TUJES"Tlf"t[I \Vt l A!"' I> llv.l.rtl(t!tT

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1000 M ruc. Volts
DC PJotc Current JSS Mox. M A.
M~ltt,!~ ('iti<I • ·10 M.A. 40 MA, P lnte Input ISS Max. Wntts
HJ".1"l)11~:11\', ', :, Am;,>l S Amfl'O. Plate Oi~lpation GS Mnx. Wou.s
}~ ~~ 1~i:~ \~) GG W..·il< \bJ Filament Voltnp;c LS Volta
~','::t~ u ,,.u.1r. F''1.ament Curren t J.2S At0Pf•
PIM• 119 ,,.,_,,,,,,,,:
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130
 Transmittin11 Filter Condensers
T1tn11 . i.. ..
Gunrnntc:ed to t4lr11ul hlghc!'>t. pot cntfals
A tc urn t~ witbin 5 JJer (~i.mt.
i M.F'.O. 1r.oo v $ i.7;;
2 M.F.D. IM>O v ~.65
l M.1'. I) . ~1iO t> v 4.50
2 M.F'.n. ~500 \' 7.50
G M.Ji'.O. 2fiOO v 18.75

Jl.J11t\-~ILl.Atll... - f'... -><'ltt"""--:<t.lo!l'> 1'~llJ•il.

~ie:~ ·~- ........i.i1. . .~"'

$95.00 T~• l0°waU 11bu 'Sis.(;-6

'l'obe DeutschmannCo.
CORSIULl. UOSTOS MASS

Advertisement for German tubes appearing in QST for November 1925.

RCA de Forest types 802 (L.) Philips type Zl (1924). Philips ZllB 20-watt tube
and 800 (R.) of 1936. (1924).

--,...
·-·--
/':~

t ~·

M .. ,.\,..,..,
.. ..
1
,,,....
~

_,
, ...•
,I
ttr
.i..
,t . '
'.;:
~-~
•
~

...
~
' f

"
U••!olflttl- ~ · \\-~
0

Mu/lard 0!30A 30-watt triode (1923). Three early British transmitting valves Philips ZllA 20-watt (1924).
c. 1923.

131
Vick had developed 'demountable' transmitting ,·alvcs of
500-kilowatt raring.
Of more interest to collectors arc rhc various lower
power valves developed during rhe early 1920s b~r M -0.V.
and Mullard. Amongst these may be mentioned i\follard's
0.10, 0.20, and 0.30, together with M-0 .V.'s M.T. I,
M.T.5 , and T.30.
On the continent the firm o f Philips produced th eir first
'generator lamps' as early as 1919. By 1920 'zendlampcn'
having output capabilities of 250-watts were avaibblc.
Philips were one of the few conrinenral rnanufactun.:rs
who early produced low-power tubes su itable for amateur
use; their rypes Zl, Z2A, Z2B, and Z3 were issued early
in 1924. Two types of ad,·anccd design, kn0\\'11 as TC03/5
and TC04 / l 0 , were introduced in 1930. These had their French Metal low-capacitance
grid and anod e connections taken to wid ely spaced top- 'horned' tube c. 1925.
rnountcd terminals and were intended fo r short-wan:
working . l e was claimed by their manufacturers that thesc
cwo cubes could bc used to gcncrace oscillations at fre-
quencies as hig h as 80 MHz. As a matter of fact it is
known that they werc capable of stable working at much 1J
higher frequencies, for in 1931 cxpcrimemal oscillators
operating at up to 212 MHz had bern developed.
By comparison with those of Philips the products of
other continental manufacturers werc less well known o ut-
side their respective countries. The A1m:rican ban on the
importation of receiving tubes wh ich was in opcratio n
during the pre-World War II ~·cars also applied to trans·
mitring tubes. However, it ma~· be mentioned that, fo r a
short period from late 1925 to 1926, German-made Mud-
lcr and Tdefunkcn rnbes were being sold in the U.S.
Whether by coincidence or o thcrwisc the importer o f Three Philips transmitting tubes of the 1930 era. The
rhcse mbcs had thc very German sounding name of Tobc TB04!10 was the equivalent of the American type 10.
Dcurschmann and the Mueller tu bes, wh ich \\'ere made by
R adio Rohre fabrik (R.R.f.), \\'ere acruaUy sold o n the
American market u nder the name o f TOBE. As these Ger-
man tubes were ad vertised for only a \'cry short length of
time it seems likely that they were either a 'job lot' or
else further importatio n was prevented. In the event Mr.
Deurschmann went on to become wdl known for o thcr
American -made radio produces.

REFERENCES

l. Lee de Forest, The Father ofRru{io, p. 317.

2. U.S. Patent application 1,50 7,016 .
3. U.S. Patent No. 1,113,149.
4. Lee de Forest, The Farher ofRnriio, p. 333. (L.) German Mueller 'MS'
5. Sec advt. Duovac R adio Tube Corp ., OST, Decembcr 30-watt. (R.) Mueller MSIV
1930, p. 85. 5-watr c. 1926.

132
 Cfiapter 'Eighteen

Miniaturisation

In the United States the first rcallv small wbe was the
Tubes of substantially smaller dimensions than o thers in Western Electric type 2 15A, known c~loquially as the pea-
general use at the rime date back to as long ago as World nut rube. The design of this tube dares back to the closing
\Var I. The reason for the development of such v;1Jves (f'or
1 stages of ·world War I, though it was no t actually pro-
they were of British o rig in) was the need for an impro\·ed duced until the early 1920s. The 21 SA ust:d a concentric
performance at the higher radio frequencies. In this re- style of clement assembly having a tubular anode with a
spect it is interesting to note that the development of a dimaetcr of about 0.18" (5mm ). To maintain the electrodes
much later type of miniature tube also took place during a in alignment a floating glass press was used at each end of
war-\Vorld War 11-ond in this case, too, it was a similar the assembly with the lead-out wires scaled thro ugh a de-
need for a better high frequency performance chat brought pression in the bottom of the bulb. V\Tith a diameter of 0.6"
about its productio n. The circumstances were the same, (16nun) and an overall height of 21/i'' (64rnm) the 21 SA
only the frequencies had been changed-in 1942 frequen- for many years remained the world's smallest rube. As the
cies in the VHF and UHF ranges wen: being used. While
the World War I valves c:mnot be regarded as t rue m inia-
curc, having regard for what is understood by the term in
relation to the much more recent devclopmcncs, it is never-
theless interesting tO note tint thi.:ir d imensions were quite
comparable to those of the 9-pin miniature types devel-
oped during the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Undoubtedly the earliest 'minis' '~ere the Marconi types
V.24 and Q which first appi.:ared cowards the end of World
\11/ar I. These valves were designed co havi.: very low inter-
elcctrode capacitances to pi.:rmir their use in cascaded
stages of Rf amplification in ci.:rtain Marconi receivers.
This required feature was obtained bv the use of \ 'er\'
small electrodes and by bringing out a.II external conne~­ Western Electric 215A (L.J and VT5 (R.).
tions to widely spaced points on thi.: surface of the tubular Peanut tubes.
envelope. These \·alvcs were thus the first of anv rvpe
which did not make use o f the conventional stem seal cube was intended for operation from a single dry cell the
(pinch) type of construction. Their di.:sign is ;mriburcd ro filament was rated at 1.0 V, 0.25A and was of the oxide-
Capt. H.J. Round, whos<.· name is associated with se\·cral coatcd cypc. A special small size bakclite base, unique to
other valves of the period. this particular rube, was used and it seems likclv that in
Valves of the V.24 type were largely handmade and 1923 the 215A was the first ru be e,·er to be equipped with
thus quire unsuited to mass production with the result a moulded base. Unlike the Marconi valves the 21 SA was
that even though dull-emitter versions, types D EV and ~10t inc:nded for RF amplification, its constructio n being
DEQ were developed ofter thi.: war thi.:ir comparatively 111 the torm of a scaled-down version of a normal size tube.

high cost made them less popular than conventional types. As with certain other WE tubes of the period a British
Incidentally, both these types were still listed in the 1937 version was made by STC and it is interesting to note that
Marconi catalogue and it is understood that they were under the British type number 4215A the peanu t valve
available up to the outbreak o f Wo rld War I I! was being listed until at least 1939.'

133
 :\ 1' 1: 11 . !I, I li~·l

Type D.E.V. Type D.E.Q.

(Approx. t foll size). (Appro, , t l ull <i 1c)
Dull Emitter ReccMng Val"e Dnll Emitter Receiving Villve
(Amplifying) (Rcctilying)
Price £1 : 10 : 0 Price £ t : 1 5 : o
Both Fil. Voll; Fi l. Amps. A1oode \ '0!1-
T ypes 3 ·2 , ,.50

The Marconi . . Osram D.E. V. costs 30/ . .

and consumes ·2 ampere at 3 volts
The money you save on the cost of
charging accumulators wiil quickly
pay for the 0.E.V., the low tem -
peratu "e or dull emitter counterpart
of the fa mous V. 24.
The ver y low inter-electrode elec-
trostatic capacity of the D .E.V ., due
to the w ide spacing of the electrode
leads, makes this val ve especially
efficient o n short wave lengths, and
particularly those of 400 metres or
less, when it is used in a compact
high-frequency amplifier with trans-
former co upling.
T o get the best results o btainable
combine with it the D.E.Q. a s a
detecto r. You can th us dispense
with a noisy grid leak and
condenser.
The D.E.Q. is s im ilar to the
D.E.V . in every res pect except its
much h igher " M " va lue. Both
valves consume rather less th an
·2 am pere at 3 volts.

THE MARCONIPHONE CO. LTD.

HEAD OFFICE: MARCONI HOUSE, STRAND, W.C. 2
DISTRICT OFFICES AND SHOWROOMS :
LONDON AND SOUTHERN DISTRICT Marconi House, Stran<l, \V .C.~
CARDIFF DIST RICT Prmcipal ity Buildings, Queen Sm:.::t, C.1rdiif
MANCHEST ER DISTRICT l 7 \.Vh itwo rth Street \.V e:;t, M anchester
NORTHERN DISTRICT 101 St. Vincen t Stree t. G la:;1;ow
 Nearly n:n years elapsed before any further de\'dop-
menrs cook place \\·hen towards the end of 1934 M-0.\ '.
announced two special types intended fo r hearing-aid ap-
plicatio n . These were the H.11 and L. 11 , both being tri-
odes with filaments rated at 1. 1 V, 0.1 A. A special small
base tiered with side contacts in place of the usual pins was
used, pn:sumably with the intentio n of securing a n:duc-
tion of thc overall height. The valves measured 50 mm by
20 mm, t he relatively large diameter being due to type.: o f
base used whit:h was in the form of a cup encircling rhe
lower pare of the bulb. The H .1 1 and L.1 1 appear to have
been rhe world's first valves designed specifically for use
in hearing-aids.
The nexr step in the evolutio n of miniatures occurred in
1935 w hen a recently establ ished Bri tish valve 1naker, The
High Vacu um Valve Co. (later Hivac Ltd. ), produced the
first three r~ 1 pes in whar was to become a quite extensive
range o f 'midget' vah:s. z Hi\·ac specialised in the produc-
tion o f rh is type o f \'al\'C and must be regarded as a p io-
neer in rhe field. T hcv were the first to produce terrode
\'Olrage amplifiers and o utput pentacles and in addition
p ioneered the production of a \'ari-mu pcnrodc and a di-
ode-triode type, the last two intended to allow the use of
audio A VC in hearing aids.
Hivac 'midget" valves c. 1935.
A notable feature of the H ivac midgets was the use of a
new means o f scaling the lead-our wires d irectly through
the borrom of the bulb without the use of a normal srem
pinch. This feature enabled the p roduction of a sho rter
valve rha n would otherwise h ave been d1c case even though
the use o f a p in type base contributed considerably to rl1e
overall hc.:ig ht. Originally the Hivac.: midgets carried a 2-
vo lt fil ament r;lting, but later 1.5-volt and e,·enru;uly 0.65-
volt ratings wc.:re used. The later productions dispenscd
with rhc use of separate bases and were titted with wire
leads which allowed the vah-es ro be soldered dircctlv into
the circuit. T hese later \·alves were onJv 10 mm in .diam-
eter and varied in length from 24 mm- co 30 nun, exclu-
si\'C of the lead-out wires.
Some dirce \'ears after the ap pearance of d1c first Hi,·ac
midgets a somewhat similar range was produced in d1c
U.S. by H yrron. These particubr tu bes were referred by
as ' Bantam Junior' by d1cir manufacturers, the name being
derived from the same company's earlier ' Bantam' octa l-
bascd cubes. In December 1938 rhc first three Rantam
Juniors were released- a triode.:, type HY! 13, and two
pentodes, types HY 115 and HY 125.' All carried filament
ratings of 1.4 V, 70 rnA. The Bantam Juniors were slightly
sho rter than the earliest Hivac midgets even though a
somewhat similar sized bakclite base was used.
Raytheon 'CK' flat hearing-aid tubes.
In 1940 Raytheon ente red the field with their 'CK' series
of flat hearing-aid tubes. T his was fo llowed by the 'CKX'
series in the same year, these being the first tubes to dis-
pense with the use of a separate base and provide wire
leads co permit their being soldered in place.• Following
this Hytron then incrodut:ed a range of even smaller hear-
ing -aid cubes known as 'Super Bantam' which in 1941
were claimed to be 'The World's Smallest'. Not long aft:er
the end of World War II the.: develo pment of further hear-
ing -aid tubes was halted by the appear.uicc of the first
transistorised hearing-aids, an applicatio n for which tran-
sistors were a 'natural'.
AmCl·ictm B11tto11-Basc
With the amount of developmental work rhat h ad gone
into the making of specialised hearing -aid tubes it was no t
surprising that the pro ductio n o f smaller tubes specifically
designed for use in portable radios should also be con-
sidered and early in 1940 the first of such tubes were
marketed bv RCA.
T his c\·cm muse be regarded as a turning point in rc-
cci\·ing tube history as fo r the tirsc ri me the use of the
so-called 'glass button seem' (gbs) or 'button base' seal was
combined with the production of a truly miniaturised tube.
In fac t the use of the button base was actually a pre-
135
J AN. Pu blislied by SYLVANIA ELECTRIC PRODUCTS INC., Emporiu m, Pa. 194.6

NEW T-3 TUBE FILLS NEED FOR SMALLER

UNIT IN TINY BROADCAST RECEIVERS
Conunercial Version of'
Proxi1nity Fuze Tu.be
I I s Rug·ged , Has Long Life
Following Sylvania Electric's recent nn-
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11cJt.111ceme11 L
Yacuum tube- o ri g inall y developed fo r the
now-famous proximi ty fuzc transcciver-
have come mnny inq uiries concerning this
super-midget.

SET MAKERS l:SPECIAU y tNTc:RESuiEt>

S ince the commercinl vers ion o·f the "wn r-
bahy" is being produced. mr111y set man ufac-
turers are extre mely interested in its qualities
- with a Yit:11· toward making radios about
the sizt: of the al'cragc wallet or package of
cigarettes, miniature wa lkie-talkie sets and
other units.
This new tu be. 1lten. i!-' be ing maclc i11 ll
low-drain filamrnt type a11cl is able to oper-
ate at l.25 \'Ohs. This takes arh·antng r. o f a
11ew, small ballcry dc1·clopcd d11ri11g the war
which, of coun;e. i!-' a further air! in the ma11-
ufa<.:Lure of remarkably small radio sets.

W ill 8.E A VAl1A.8lE FOR All IYiPiE'S

Futurr desig11s o f tlii!' Yer,,ntilr. tu be enn

For 011yf11rlli<>r de! ails, or q11esl io11s you, may 1vmll answered
a l>o11l 1/iis 1i11y, sturdy v a c 11111n ud)c, do 11ol hesitate lo
1!'f'il e or call Sylva11 i£i Electric Products Inc., Emporiwn, Pa.
lie incorporated in radios ranging in s ize
from tiny pocket sets up Lo deluxe receivers.
It has a life of hund reds of hours, is rngged
and exceptionally aduptalJ!e to op eration at
h igh frec1uencics.

SYLVANI~j ELECTRI C Emporium, Pa.

MAKERS OF RAD IO TUBES; CATHOOE RAV TUBES; EL ECTR ON IC DEVICES; FL UORESCEN T LAMPS, FIXTURES , WIRING DEVICES; ELECTRIC LIGHT BULBS

li~J * J A NUARY, 1946

 requisite of chis form of constrw.:tion as, apart fro m reduc-
ing inter-electrode capacitanc<:s it played an essential part
in the process of m inian1risation. The RCA miniatures,
like Sylvania's Lokcals, made use of specially developed
chickened lead-out wires which chcmsch'cs formed the ac-
nial contact pins. Base/socket indexing was achieved lc~\\' ­
ing a gap in the pin circle.
Late in 1939 the first four cubes in rhe initial release o f
button-base miniatures was anno unced, rhc range consist·
ing of a pentagrid co1wcrccr, an Rr pcntode, a diode-
triode, and an o utpur pcntodc.5 The.: filament raring was
1.4 volts at 0 .05 amps except for the o utput rube which
,,·as rated at 1.4 V, 0.1 A. Later output rubes had 2.8 volt
center-tapped filaments co allow series o r parallel opera-
tion. The mbes were fitted \\'ith a newly developed T -5 1/2
bulb measuring 0.75"x2. l 2S" (9mm x54mm), the size
being uni fo rm fo r all t)'pl'S.
So far all the rubes referred to have been fibmencarv
- ~
- spaced radial contact pins in conjunction with the use of a
Osram DA2 and Valvo 4676 compared with an
RCA955 (R.) .
RCA 955, 954. 9004 'Acorn' tubes .
types intended for battery operation but as far back as
1934 RCA had announced the first indirectly-heated min-
iature known as the 'Acorn' type. The type 955 was a
triode of highlv specialised construction intended for ama·
teur and experimental use at extremely high radio freq uen-
cies. It was followed in 1935 by the type 954, an RF pen-
tode, and in 1936 by the ryee 956, a vari-mu pcnrodc.
In December 1941 RCA arlnounced the first 7-pin but-
ton-base indirectly-heated miniatures, types 9001, 9002,
and 9003. These were essentially an adaptation of the Acorn
strncmre modified by being fitted into T-5 1/2 bulbs. Inci-
dentally, the~' \\'ere adYertised by RCA as 'midgets', not
miniatures, althoug h they used the same sized bulbs as the
1.4-volt miniamre battery types of the pn.:,·ious year.
T he first 7-pin button-base i.h. miniatures designed as
such were types 6C4, 6J6, and 6AG5 which ap peared to·
wards the end of 1942 .6 Bv this time America had entered
World War II and co nsequent!~· the main thrust of rube
de,·clopmenr was directed cowards military needs.
Turning now to the European scene we find that in
Nazi Germany, where preparatio ns for war had been going
on before 1939, certain types of i.h . miniarure tubes had
been developed for military use at a comparatively carly
date. for exam ple, minjature VHF/UHF pentodcs wen:
acmally in large-scale production at lcasr a ye:lr before
similar types appeared in the U.S. Evidence of this was
obtained as early as 1940 when an examinatio n of Gcnnan
aircraft which had crashed in England revealed that the
receivers used miniature tubes exclusivcly.7
The German miniatures differed from American in being
fitted with bakclite bases, and in this respect were old
fashioned. Losses were minimised by the use of widcl)'
top cap for the grid connections. Bulb diameter was 20
nun, that is I mm larger than the American T -5 1/i size
then in use. H owever, in spite of being true miniatures in
respect of electrode strucnire and bulb size rhe use o f a
bulky side-contact base resulted in the 'seated' diameter
being as great as many standard sized tubes; thm little o r
no sa\·ing of space resulted from thcir use.
D ue to their unusual construction these tubes were re·
quired to be inserted ' head first' into individual n:cesses in
the chassis leaving the underside of the base flush with the
associated metal work. RemO\·al could be accomplished
only by the use of a special extracting tool wh ich had first
to be screwed into a threaded hole in the botrom of the
base. T he production of these tubes appeared to play no
part in German pose-war de•;clopmems.
At chis point it sho uld be stressed that the main thrust
of wart ime miniaturisatio n was d irected at achieving im-
proved performance at higher frequencies, in the VHF
and UHF regions; the accompanying reductio n in phys-
ical size, with its ability to effect a reductio n in the bulk
and we ight of portable or airbo rne equipment, was of
secondary importance. In anv case much of the radio and
137
radar receiving equipment used bv all countries throughout
the war incorporated standard sized tubes.
After the war it remained to be seen to what extent, if
any, the development of indirectly-heated miniature rubes
was to affect the production of radio and teltTision re·
ceivers. Having had the longest experience in rhis area ir
was only to be expected that RCA would be first in the
field with a range of post-war mini:mires intended fo r
use in domestic receivers. In September 1945 dual ranges
of 6.3-volt and 150-mA series-hearer t~·pes first bec:-ime
available; these were the 6BA6, 6BE6, 6AT6, 6AQ5, 6X4,
and their AC/DC counrerparts.s
Even though o ther tube manuf:.\cnirers h:-id :-ill had con-
siderable wanime experience in the production of minia-
ture types they were somewhat slower in following RCA 's
lead. For example, both Raytheon and Sylvania conrintH:d
to develop standard sized rnbes in rhe immediate pose-war
years. By 1947, however, all were producing a large range
of miniarnres.
Presumablv in order to allav anv doubts as to the abilitY
of miniarnre ·rubes ro dlccti,:cly ;nd economically replac~
standard sized ones RCA emphasised that thcv \\'\:n: 'com-
parable in performance and cost' to their bigger brothers.
As for their possible usefulness in cnabling the productio n
of more compact recei,·ers this factor was insig nificant as :-i
practical limit in this directio n had aln.:adv been reached
before the war. · complished in the T -51/2 miniatures they pro,·ed surpris-
Because of the wartime \\'Ork that had alreadv gone inro
the development of the 7-pin miniatures, coupl~ct with the
extensive production fac ilities remaining at the war's end
RCA apparently saw no good reason to depart frorn estab-
lished lines when developing a range of post-war types.
Even at the time, however, the decision to stick with th<.:
7 -pin T-5 1/2 bulb format was open ro crit icism on the
grounds that this small size was far from ideal for use with
output rubes and rectifiers. Further, it resulted in the in-
ability to produce such well-established rube types as duo-
diode penrodes and rriode-hexodes. Even a pcnragrid con-
The first T51h' button-base miniature tubes 1940.
138
RCA 9001 and 9003. The first 7-pin heater-cathode miniature
tubes (1941) .
verter onl~· just scraped through bv the juggling of its
internal structure combined wirh a modificat ion of the
associaccd receiver circuitrv. Power rubes and rectifiers
with th<.:ir larger electrodes could be accommodated only
by the use of taller bulbs and even so these bulbs were
running at the limit of operating remperanire.
Considering the remarkable size reduction chat was ac-
ingly reliable in service and this was no small tribute to
the painstaking engineering and qualitv contol during
111anuE1cture that went into their production. Having said
char it must now be admitted that in the case of certain
early Australi:in productions a considerable amo unt of
trouble was experienced in service initially.
To keep things in chronological order it is convenient
ro make brief reference here to the so-called 'T -3' submin-
iaturc tubes pioneered b~r Sylvania. Although the term T -3
was acmally the bulb size designation it came to be used
as a conveni1.: nt group indicato r for the series which had
three-eighths of an inch ( 10 mm) diameter bulbs. The first
of these tubes was advertised by Sylv<Ulia in December
1945 whcn it was described as having been developed
from the wartime proximity-fuse rube. T he suggested use
was f'i:)r the production of ultra-compact portable receiv-
ers, tl10ugh ir is extremely doubtful if any such sets were
ever commercially produccd.
By 1950 a minimal range of four rypes-1E8 , 1AD6,
1T6, lAC5-was listed bv both RCA and Svlvania. The
filan1cm rating for all cyp~s was l.25 V, 0.04 A, and the
ma,ximum plate voltage was 671/2 V.
Sylvania also developed a large numbcr of subminiarure
tubes having indirectly-heated cathodes, examples of
which were types 6AD4, 6BF5, and 6K4. In additio n to
these th<.:re were many ochers in '5000' and '6000' series,
most of which carried a hearer rat ing of 6.3 V, 0.15 A.
Finally, Sylvania produced some even smaller rubes, types

...
•'I
t i l l , , , , , . .. 0•1 lA•O •Ato•11s
{ ~"'"';"II""" ;~••"'i"ll• .r••;.;.,6 o"d ,11•o!••fl"ll ;,,, ,.,..,;,..,._11
;...,............,, ..<><J.,_..... :.. ..,.,,,,...............
5645, 5646, and 5647. The first two use size T-2 (8 mm)
bulbs, whilst the third used a T-1 bulb measuring 6 mm in
diameter.
·with one exception* what must be regarded as the final
step in the development of receiving tubes occurred in
1948 when RCA released the first two types of a new
range of miniatures. These rubes were of similar appear-
ance to existing 7-pin typl'.s but were fitted with slightly
larger (T-6 1/2) bulbs having a dian1eter of 0.8" (21 mm),
and had 9-pin bases . As mav be surmised, it was through
the use of nine contact pins that the name of the series,
'nova.I', was derived.
The first two releases were types 12AU7 and 12AX7,
both of which were listed in RCA's RC-15 Tube Manual
dated March 1948. They were twin triodes having one
side of each heater connected to a common base pin thus
enabling their use on either 6.3- or 12.6-volt supplies or in
150 1nA series-string heater chains.
The growth in the number of new types of American
nova! tubes was considerably slower than had been the
*RCA's 'Nuvisror'.
case with 7-pin miniatures because (commendably) no at-
TINY GIANT WITH A HIS1011Y
L" nfi lwfori: •ht· " '~r. ll•·· 111o·n \•·hoi dl'i: i~11 l ' r1111 n.. 11
'1'1•l(•1•l1trnr. Sr:r;h;m \\'r"fl' lno kin;; f" r ;111 dt'l•tron h 1h1•
wid1 f1 ~1uency r:J r >.1l1ili1i1•'" neH:r t:~:fore 111t:1iuro l.
\\ ith it, t!tN ' ('l)Uftl tr11r. •m1t wi1k t•::irul, of 1..1..
vt1..11c n~1;e: - ~,._.,.:.t t111n<lrN of thttn - ...nml.
h1nN11:~ly thr..u~h ;'io,u,i:i1 c.~ble-('('(inumi nd l y, Mui
t>"l'. I l1111p •1 iHlifl~'(:!..
1'f1('r .t... d o pi:d a tu lw '' h;, h ~·' I :1 111:w !lt;irnl111 1I ;.,
brn111l·L.,.ml. hillh ,f:e<p 11• 1 w~ 111uplili,·a1ion. :-;., 11111111tr
tempt was made to duplicate existing 7-pin types. in nova!
form solely for the sake of doing so. Only where a rube
needed mo re than sl'.ven external connections was it issued
in 9-pin form, with the result that some SL"X years afrer
their introduction there were only 17 novals in produc-
tion. Furthermore, the number of new 7-pin types issued
th,1t 1~ ~ l a:1 rnde ,,.~·:01..m hui:l t .;i L< in!<p~·rrnl 11n.l•·1 3 continued to exceed the number of novals.
n1e;:nif)•inF. Fh-~. ch(' 1ulw• ruuld :implify ('itht"r thl"
'HU\~ .,f i:; 1 p•"l'ipl r 1 1111;. m~ a l the ":imr 1imr. 1•• 1hc A series of specialised tubes produced as a direct result
J,{lt1r1·11... .. r 1~li·,·i· i••o. l.(•11;=-tli,.1:in...-. l•n...,.,1.1,:111d
111111• 111i" ...io 1t 1>1.'l.'illl!C ~· t'.01111111.'-rcia l re;1ltty. of the initial impact made by transistors in the field of car
radio application came into use in the late 1950s. These
tubes were unique in that chev. were desioned t> to derive
their plate voltage directly from a 12-volc system without
the use of a vibrat0r HT supply. Because at this time the
development of transistors was still in its infancy (produc-
tion was confined mainly to audio frequency types) a hy-
brid type of car radio evolved which used a single output
transistor fed by nibc-equipped earlier stages.
Listed in RCA's RC-18 Tube Manual of November
1956 were six types of such tubes one of which, the l 2KS,
is of particular inten:st to historians in chat it was a tetrode
\Vh..n ""!It r.am<'. dt i~ lull" ,.,,.,.11,.,:; 3\1 N h ,., .. 11• l!l rl designed to operate in space-charge mode as a transformer-
~mpli!'it"r in •YT1ain ""111.in ""\uipnl<"nl. 11 1hn•
~,('.,,- i1110 tl w (,.\!\.5. uur .. ! thr ;:r.-.al fa1lf' t 11..-~ •.f couplcd driver for the output transisror. By 1961 the num-
1l1e WAJ. IJ.o:~id~:- 1.•11•1.lnriuJt l•;\l\.b":o in tu ,.r1p1,aut i·
lir•. llw \~'··~1('111 1-'. l····•ri•• rr11Jl•OU•lf•1I lo ) ('lll•Tit•••U\ ber of different types in production had reached the amaz-
IW'l:•I·· ,,r l~w i\rw~ 111111 \ in ) l•y luw i..hin,,: 1l,.•i1r11
~l'c'd ii~1ti 1m; nm! l""'lm•1i' •l• l <'~·h :1i 11u("'." In"'""' ing total of 23.
m .u1ufu~l\11cf'*. rA "''""'' 111 11•11...·l ft~e r radw<l •111.\u·
I i i~ pu,.lt:wti..n . On t""H"I) l...11lrfwnt it hd?"I ""'
~lo i1.,. nnd 11fan,,..,. tv lt1io; 1n r!ldl•) ...i.c;n;iU..
Jl1•\'d 11p111,:: 1•l1..-1rom 11111.- .. 1 l('\..>l111i onM~' 1l1••i;m
h:u l••><·n Ill(' .~h~:uh j(ol. o;f Jl,.11 L11b1:or,1to1 j,-. ,.1•i•·11·
1L..b .:H 't :oim·r tlo.-~· (If·• , ..,.,1 1h.. ftri:I p1;wli1•11l h•I•"
l''"'"" i1m1•li lirr DH'r 1l1hh ,·...u :o :1.s o, "'\1:.w 1ubti
Ii\, .. dv to:\t..:; ,.ill hrlp •1.-fll 1hr li\·ini p k-1111.-. uf
trfl"'i-1,.n. :..~ " ..II a.• huo•ti ...!~ (•f '"'"s•linr..• • ••ro·
\'t'r~;11i ..ni; l'im1ih:111rn\1!'ly (1\r 1· thir C''•ll;\!lll 11nol 1111hv
hii<I'"' ''~·~ vf 1i1e 11dl T1:l<"1••• ..nl! Sy~tem.
NOVEMBER , 1945 • U1A1>.Jo i
(L.) An RCA 12AX7 with European style markings.
(R.) RCA 6AT6 of 1960 vintage.
European D e11elopnients
The development of m.iniarure rubes in Euro pe took
place slightly later than in America largely as a result of
wartime conditions \.Vhich effectively delayed the introduc-
tion of any new tvpes of tub<.:s for civilian use. For exam-
ple, by the time RCA's 1.4-volt miniatures had appeared
the war had been in progress for several months. Thus
139
at the war's end there existed a tivl'.-year time lag and
because of this it was convenient, if nor essential, ro adopt
American designs in toto in order ro make up for lost time.
Britain, Germany, and Holland were the first countries
to produce 7-pin miniatures which in most cases were
identical to American rvpes, even to the extent of carrying
American style markings. In the U.K. they were known as
B7G types and in Germany as Pico 7.
One of the earliest British productions was M-0.V.'s
Z77 annmmced in July 1947. It was a steep-slopl'. pentode
intemkd for television applications. By 1949 all British
valve makers had a range of 1.4-volt types in production
and b~1 this time some had a limited range of 6.3-volt and
150-mA AC/DC types in addition. It may be said, how-
ever, that no single manufacturer produced '' full range of
American types nor were they as widclv used as other
types of miniatures.
ranee, Mazda and Mullard being the o nly two companies
to undertake production. Once again it was a case of his-
rory rl'.peating itself. By about 1957 rinuock valves were
no longer being used as initial equipment, having been
supersl'.ded by American type 7-pin and 9-pin miniatures,
or, rather, European designed tubes using the American
style of construction.
With the appearance of the first British noval-based
valves in 1951 Eu ropean post-war dn•clopmenrs cook an-
other step on thl'. road towards Ainl'.ricanisation, or per-
haps more correctly, internationalisation. The tirst release
of 9-pin valves using thl'. American nova! standards oc-
\

Rimlocl~

More or less coincidentally with the release of the first

British B7G miniatures came the reb1se of the so-called
'Rimlock' 8-pin (BSA) range by Mazda ;rnd Mullard.;
With kw exceptio ns the valves produced bv these rwo
companies were interchangeable even thouo·h I:>
thev, were
slightly different in appearance and carried different type
numbers. ·with a bulb diameter of 21 mm the rimlocks TeKaDe type RG12D60 rectifiers (1939) .
were slightly larger tlrnn the B7G types being the same
diameter as the American Nova! types, which at that time
had not appeared on the European scene.
The use of a metal base shell made the overall diameter
slightly larger than the acrual bulb diameter, a tCature
which the rimlocks had in common with the much earlier
American !octal design. Originally both Mazda and Mui-
lard made use of a separate cemented-on base shelJ but
after about 1953 Mullard dispensed with the shell and
increased the diameter of the lower portion of the bulb to
compensate for the change. Philips and Telefunken like-
wise modified the construction of their tubes at much
the same time. A final change in bulb style occurred A group of Philips-Mu/lard 'Rimlock' valves. The
from about 1965 onwards when certain Eastern European earliest types had metal base shells.
manufacturers produced rimlocks having bulbs of a uni-
form diameter in which the main section had been in-
creased in size to equal char of the lower portion.
The production of rimlock valves was confinl'.d almost
exclusively to 6.3-volr and 100-mA AC/DC tvpes and in
Britain only one battery type, Mullard's DK40 was avail-
able. In view of Mazda's dedication to rimlocks it is some-
what surprising to find that this company issued o nly B7G
types in the 1.4-volt range, that is apart from the older
Mazda octals. On the continent Philips marketed but four
1.4-volt types vvhilst T clefunken listed onlv two.
Although the rimlock design had bern ·proposed as the
British post-war standard it failed co gain industrv accep- A group of Ediswan-Mazda '876' valves.

140
curred when, early in 1951, Mullard announced their types Ltd. was also active in the production of subminiaturcs
EF80, ECL80, and PY80 . 10 Because by this time much of though this company made only battery-operated types.
the emphasis on the development of new types was con- The first Hivac valves of this class were being advertised
cerned with television it is not surprising to find that these in 1951 , though the company later, in 1957, claimed to
three valves were intended for this application. It is prob-
ably trne to say that, due co rhc slightly earlier emergence ,,, --.
I"
of post-war television in America, many more types of
7-pin miniarurcs had been developed in that country be-
fore the production of 9-pin types and this accounts for
the fact that certain types of tubes, e.g., Rf pemodcs,
were never produced in 9-pin form. T his is in contrast to
the position in Europe where all types, including TV de-
flection amplifiers and booster diodes were made in nova!
form.
Apart from using the same type of construction and
following American standards in the matters of basing and
bulb dimensio ns there was little other similarity between \l I q
European and American productions, two exceptions be-
ing types DY80 and DY86; these were TV EI-IT rectifiers 'rI \' !'1l
which were directly equivalent to the American types rI 1! •,t
1X2B and IS2 respectively. By 1954 there were about 23 I1
.'.
different types of noval-based tubes in production on both Philips-Mu/lard sub-miniatures
sides of the Atlantic and thereafter the number of new DM160 DF64 DL66
types continued to increase until about 1965 after which
time no further developments took place.

European Subminiatures

T he involvement of European countries in World War

II served, amongst other things, to delay the development
of subminiature tubes, at least for hearing-aid application,
until well after the end of the war. Because of this the first
types appearing in Great Britain, and probably the whole
of Europe, were of American origin. For example, Ameri-
e<u1 'Microtube Valves' [sic] were being advertised for sale
in the pages of Wireless World during 1942. Not until six
years after this were the first subminiacurcs produced in
Britain.
In 1948, afi:er collaboration with the Post Otlicc, Mul-
lard produced a range of three 10 mm size valves for use Mu/lard EASO. A detector diode originally released by Philips
in 1939.
in government-sponsored 'National Health' hearing-aids .
These were t)'p~s DF70, DL71, and DL72, the filament have designed and produced the world's first subminia-
rating for all three being 25 mA at 0.625 V. turc valves. 11 Hivac had by 1954 issued eight valYcs in the
In 1953 Mullard announced a range of seven indirectly- 0.625-V and 1.25-V groups of battery subrniniatures and
heated subminiatures with 6.3-volt heaters but by August further additions continued to be made up co 1957.
only one type, EC76, was actually available. With one Speaking of \.vorld's first' miniatures the author nomi-
exception, type EA.76, all valves in this range had 9.5 mm nates the Philips EASO, a 6.3-volt signal diode contained
(10 mm nominal) bu lbs. A range of nine d irectly-heated in an l l.5 mm bulb, fo r this distinction. The world's first
types was announced in 1957, all of which had 1.25-volt miniat ure valve to be fitted with an indirectlv heated cath-
filaments. This was followed by a range of eight 6.3-volt ode was M azda's D l produced in 1937. I~ was a diode
indirectly-heated types in the American 5000 and 6000 intended for television use and formed the basis fo r the
groupings which were issued in the same year. later Philips Mullard EA.50. During vVW 2 large guanti-
As was not unexpected, considering the pioneering work tics of EASO were produced for radar use under the Roya l
done in pre-war days o n ' midget' valves, the firm of Hivac Air Force number VR.94.

141
 Decal
A European development of the noval , appearing 111
1965, was the production of a few specialised types of
miniatures in a new 10-pin format. On the conrinenr they
were known as 'decal', and in the U. K. as 'BlOB'. In ex-
ternal appearance decals were idenrical to novals, apart
from the existence of an add itional base pin. Only certain
multiple tubes requiring more than nine pins were pro-
duced in this form, examples being types ECH200 and
PFL200. H aving regard for the date of their introduc-
tion, decals must qualify as being the last new type of
miniature produced in Europe and probably in the entire
world.
The Nuvistor
What must be regarded as the final devclopmenr in re-
ceiving tubes occurred when RCA released the first of a
highly specialised and completely new type of tube under
the name 'Nuvistor' in 1960. Nuvisrors were intended for
use in the VHF and UHF bands as first-stage amplifiers,
mixers, or oscillators. As would be expected, having re-
gard for the operating frequencies involved, the nuvistor
was of extremely small dimensions, havi ng a maximum
overall height of one inch (25 mm) and a diameter of just
under half an inch ( 12 mm). By comparison with conven-
tional subminiaturc mbcs the performance of the nuvistor
was phenomenal, some types having murual conductance
figures of over 12,000 micromhos ( 12 m.A/V).
The construction of the nuvistor represented a complete
break with traditional methods of manufacture, it being
made entirely from metal and ceramic material w ithout the
use of glass or mica. Welding of the electrode assembly
was replaced by brazing in an atmosphere of hydrogen,
and processing and scaling were carried out at higher than
normal temperatures.
In July 1960 RCA announced the availability of the first
Nuvistor triode, type 7586. Two more followed in 1961,
the 6CW4 a high-mu triode and the 6DS4 a vari-mu tri-
ode. Because of the specialised nature and limited applica-
t ions of the nuvistor only a small number of types were
produced. Furthermore, RCA remained the only company
142
A group of three RCA Nuvistors compared with an early
transistor (R.) .
to manufacture them, production being intended mainly
for use in RCA's colo ur television receivers. A tetrode
nuvistor, type 7587 was intended for industrial applica-
tions.
The nuvistor was virtually unknown outside the U.S.
although a somewhat similar class of tube was produccd
in Japan by Toshiba; an example of this make being type
3D-HH13 . Limited use of nuvistors was also made bv
radio amateurs in the 1960s.
R.EFER.ENCES
l. Sec Brimm· Vn/JJe Mnuunl, 1938-39, p. 23 .
2. Sec advt. High Vacuum Valve Co., Wireless World,
Apr. 5, 1935, p. 9.
3. Recent Radio Tubes, Rndio Cmft, May 1938, p. 774.
4. Four Thumb-size Pcmodcs for Hearing Aids, Rndio
Crnft, May 1940, p. 682.
5. Radically New Miniamrc Tubes, Radio Cmft, Feb.
1940, p. 465.
6. Ncw Tube Types, Radio, Dec. 1942, p. 20.
7. Wireless Equipment of the Luftwaffe, Wireless World,
Nov. 1940, pp. 450-452.
8. RCA RePic111, Vol. 8, June 1947, pp. 331-341.
9. New Receiving Valves, Wireless World) June 1947, p.
228.
10. Sec, for example, Mullard advt. Wireless World, fcb.
1951, p. ad. 48.
11. Sec advt. I-Iivac Ltd., Wireless World, April 1951 , p.
ad. 57.
12. Sec Philips catalogue, The Bridge to H igher Rndio
Eurertni11111cnt, Nov. 1939, p. 18.
 Contact
Terminology
Before proceeding with a detailed description of the
various types of base and socket combinations which were
developed over the years it is worthwhile co examine che
origins of some of the terms which came into use to de-
scribe them. It may be mentioned that in the U.K. there
has always existed a rat her loosely worded terminology
which at ti.mes has led to a certain amount of confusion,
so an attempt will now be made to set the record straight.
In the case of the earliest 4-pin valves the part which
carried the contact pins was commonly referred to as
the base, a completely logical and justifiable addition to
emergipg radio terminology because valves were normally
operated in a vertical position with their pins at the bot-
tom. H owever, as most of these carlv valves were made bv
lamp makers, who had already dev~lopcd their own nd-
menclature wherein that part of a lamp containing the
contact.~ was known as the cap, it is not surprising to find
lamp-making tenni.nology being caITied over into valve
manufacturing.
The term cap arose as a result of the manufaccuring
procedure whereby the contact assembly was cemented to
the stem-end of the bulb whilst it was held in an upright
position; in od1er words the lan1p was 'capped'. As valve-
making techniques closely follO\ved lamp-making practice
the smne method of attaching the base was used, thus,
from a manufacturing point of view, both lamps and valves
had caps. Incidentally the term cap was never similarly
used in the U.S. in co1mection with radio tubes even
though lamp-making techniques had played a similar part
in their manufacture. Eventually the word cap as a syn-
onym for base became o bsolete in British radio parlance
and was little used afi:cr about 1933.
H aving, it is hoped, settled the matter of cap versus
base another terminological confusion , which also arose in
the early days, now requires a word of explanation. This
concerns the use of the wo rd base as a synonym for 'valve
holder'. With the exception of such valves as the Marconi
V.24 and S.625, for example, where the term base is inap-
plicabk due to the 1rnu111cr in which chose valves were
constructed, it muse be unequivocally stated that the word
base can logically be used to refe r o nly to that part of a
valve from which the contact pins protrude. Such usage
is entirely appropriate whed1cr a separately constructed
base is attached to the bulb o r whether the contact pins
arc embedded directly in the bottom of the bulb. Unfor-
tunately, however, due tO the use of three difforent terms
during the early 1920s some lingering confusion has re-
mained to the present day.
As one of the earliest manufacturers of one-piece insu-
lated ho lders for valves S.R. Mullard A.M.I.E.E. was, dur-
ing 1920, advertising these items as 'Valve Bases'. 1 At
much the san1e time other manufacturers were using d1e
terms 'valve sockets' or 'valve holders' to describe their
products. By about 1925, however, the word 'valveholder'
had come into general use following existing electrical
parlance where the corresponding term was 'lampholder'.
The new word was unan1biguous and became the accepted
British term thereafter. So, although it may be said that
S.R. Mullard as an individual had started off on the wrong
foot the Mullard Co. had, by 1926, fallen into line with
the rest of the industry in accepting the commo n usage of
the t\.VO terms. M any years later, however, Mullard once
again got out of step in confosing the words base and
valveholder. In Mullard valve manuals issued after World
\Var II, where instructions were given for replacing obso-
lete valves with later types, the word base was invariably
used instead of the correct term valvcholdcr; viz.-'change
base' o r 'change base wiring'.
Still on the subject of nomenclature, criticism must now
be voiced of the widespread and misleading British habit
of misusing the term ' UX' as a blanket classification for all
American pre-octal bases, or even the valves themselves.
T his usage arose after about 1937 following the introduc-
tion of British-made American type valves. Amongst man -
ufacturers the chief offender was STC-Brimar who, not
content with misusing the term UX as a syno nym for
'American', added tO the confusion by appending this des-
ignation to each individual pre-octal valve listed in d1cir
143
1938-39 catalogue, thus 'Type 6A7 Penragrid Converter
(UX base).'
To Americans and others familiar with American ter-
minology such usage was utterly incomprehensible as the
term UX had been introduced in 1925 ro distinguish the
then new 'long pin' style o f 4-pin base which had super-
seded the earlier UV stvlc. And as fo r the UY base, well
nobodv in the U.K. e,·~r seems to ha,·e heard of ir! Even
the highly respected Wh·cless World has, since 1940, becn
guilty of spreading conli.ision via the pages of its Valve
Data Charts by captioning drawings o f American type 5-,
6-, and 7-pin vah·e bases as 'UX'. 1
No apology is offered for the foregoing diatribe which,
it is hoped, will serve to set the record straight in the
minds of present-day readers, not to mcnrion furure his-
torians.
EM~)' Bnses n11ri Sockets
Because a radio tube, like a bmp, has always been an
expendable item it has similarly been necessary to provide
some means whereby it can readily be connected into and
disconnected from its associated cin.:uitry. No matter how
good a tube may be in respect o f its performance, unless
an effective and reliable method o f connecting it up can be
provided its full potential will never be realised. Thus the
means of accomplishing this fundamental requ irement has
always been an important factor in tube development, even
if it has not always received adequate recognition. from
the simplest double-contact lamp base to complex rnulri-
pin button bases is a long jump yet the basics have always
remained the same- the need for low contact resistance,
the need to resist atmospheric corrosion plus, in some
cases, the need to withstand high operating temperatures.
That these particular facets of basc design have no t always
been accorded the attention they deser\'e can be observed
by a critical ex<m1ination of the 'many and varied st~'lcs of
contact arrangements that have appeared o ver the ~'ears.
In tracing the d evelo pment of tube bases it is no t sur-
prising to find that several earl~' types were just ordinary
lamp bases of the day pressed into use for radio work.
Thus Fleming's original experimental rwo-electrode valves,
being no more than electric lamps with a place added, used
either the standard American Edison screw bases o r the
original Swan base. Later, when commercial productio n
was conunenccd, the standard British doubk-concact (BC)
lamp base was used. Similarly the early De Forest Audions
used a type of lamp base known as candelabra screw. In
both America and E urope the standard E.S. lamp base has
been used on certain ty pes of rectifiers since the earliest
days and such usage has co ntinued until well into rhc
po st-World War II era. Similarly, the standard R.C., lamp
base has been used in Britain and the conrinem for certain
early types of rectifiers and transmitting tu bes. In all cases
144
the lamp base was used to provide the filament connec-
tions.
Because a minimum of three external connections is
needed for any thermionic tube it was obviously necessary
to provide an additional connection o f some sort when
using a lamp base on a tube. Initially this was done by
bringing out the required extra connection(s) in the torm
of flying lcad(s) but this arrangement had the drawback
that the rather fragile leads were liable to be broken off
by too frequent handli11g. In spite of this the o riginal
De Forest Audions retained the same fo rm of connectio n
throughout their productio n lifCtime, a matter of n ear!~'
ten vears.
It has to be admitted that it was the exigencies or mili-
tary demands du ring World War I that gave rise ro the
development of standardised forms of 4-pin bases, in both
America and Europe, and this in turn led to the adoption
o f respective national standards o n both sides of the Atlan-
or
tic after the war. So it ,,·as that the particular st~'k 4-pin
base first used on the fan1 ous French \varrimc tubes, as
well as being adopted as the British standard during the
war, subsequently became the industrv standard in both
countries afterwards.
In Germany because of the wartime diffe rences in tube
basing arrangements the German peacetime desig ns ini-
tially followed that country's wartime ones. In carrying
over their own wartime style o f base the Germans were, o f
course, doing no more than had been done in Britain and
France, and the practice was continued until about 1925.
From this t ime the Franco-British style base was adopted
as the German standard though for a short transitionary
period tubes continued to be made with both t~·pes of
base; the newly adopted style being known initially as
'engl-franz'. With Germany having 'joined the club' it
could be fairly claimed that a European standard 4-pin
base had finally arrived.
Prior to this time there had been in existence in Europe
several different styles of 4-pin bases which can be classi-
fied as follows: the Franco-British-Dutch types based o n
rhe original F rench wartime design; the French Rad io la
'Y' base and at least rn·o difkrent German types of which
the 'Telefunken' stvk seems co have been the more com-
mon. 3 In addition, bv 1924 some British, French, and Durch
manufacturers were. also producing certain types o f rubes
fitted with the American UV stvlc base. Ho\\'ever, as thl'
latter tubi.;:s were intended eith~r for export o r the ser-
,·icing of imported American recci,·ers their production
should not be regarded as indicati\'e of a trend within the
industry. Some examples o f European tubes fined with
metal-shell UV bases arc: B.T-H. B4, Philips D4, Radio
M icro R.30.
As in the U.S. metal-shell bases remained in use up ro
1925 or slightly later, after which time bakclite bases came
into use. Another change occurring at this ti me was the
use of hollow base pins in place of the carli<.:r split pins.
A noticeable diftcrence between European and American
bakdite bases of the period was that while the latter wcrc
required to have a standardised diameter in order that they
should fit the earlier UV sockets, the diametcrs of Euro-
pean tube bases could be varied to suit the individual mak-
er's t:mcy. This led to each manufacturer using his own
particular size and shape of base which in effect served as a
sort of trademark; it was often possible tO identi~1 a par-
ticular make of tube simply by looking at thc base.
Another feature which for many years distinguished
European bases from Ainerican was the prcsencc of rcsil-
ient contact pins. As originally derived from the warcimc
French design the pins were bifurcatcd but after about
1923 most tube makers changed to the use of n:silicnr
pins formed by some other means. Originallv the corre- Example of tube using a
sponding socket contacts were non-resilient but after about Franco-British 4-pin bakelite
1928 British practice fe!J into line with American in using base c. 1926.
resilient contacts. From this time onwards the use of do u·
bk resiliencv remained until the introduction of octal bases
during 1937- 38.
The earliest tvpe of valveholder used with British and
French valves consisted of four individuallv-mounted tub-
ular metal contacts which were cornpktclv exposed and
protruded above the surface on which they were mounted.
Because the contacts were exposed it was possible to ac·
cidentally burn out the filament of a valYc if an attempt
were made to insert it while the HT batten' remained
connected during the process. Even though onc·picce in·
sulated valveholders were available as earlv as 1920 their
design was such that there was still enough exposed metal
on their top surfaces to create a hazard.
·with the advent of dull-emitter valvcs with their mo re Example of a European tube
Example of the original French using an American-style UV
4-pin metal base. base c. 1924.

delicate filaments the likelihood of burnt out filaments

'!'be ll&fely c&p '(Prov. Pat.rwti.oo i1 now
ltted IG all Edi.awan ValTee. Th• tlla-
mel pim &n shorter in length lban lb•
.iate &nd cri4 pim, lb111 avoldinc llDY
eba.Dce of t bom m&lr'm mtfar.t coolaet
w!lh lhe wrong eook1 .1.
Ediswan ·s 'Safety Cap' introduced in
1923.
increased and in a commendable attempt to eliminate the
haz,1rd the firm of Ediswan, in 1923, introduced a pat-
ented type of base known as the 'Safety Cap'. 4 These Edi-
swan valves had shorter filament pins than normal which
could not make contact until the longer grid and anode
pins had been inserted first. The Safety Cap was a stop·
gap measure which preceded the arrival of better valve·
holders some two years later. In 1925 the introduction of
fi.tl ly·insulated unitised valvcholdcrs having the upper por-
tion their contacts recessed well below the surface effec-
tively rcmoved the hazard.
The introduction of later types of dull-emitter valves
which from 1926 onwards had comparatively long and
thin fil aments which could vibrate if jarred during use
gave rise to a problem known as microphony. vVhen such
valves were used as detectors the slightest jar or bump
could cause a receiver to emit an audible microphonic
howl. O ne solution to the difficulty was to add some form
of damping to the filament during manufacture to elimi·

145
 nate the tendency to vibrate but this procedure was not
popular with valve makers due to manufacturing difficul-
ties and increased cost. By far the most common method
of alleviating microphony was by the use of special anti-
microphonic valvcholders. In the U.K. such holders were
conunonly used from about 1926 to 1933 until the devel-
opment of valves with improved types of oxide-coated
filaments rendered their use unnccessarv.
Following American practice the ~1sc of skeleton or
wafer valveholdcrs became standard practice in British
mass-produced receivers afrcr about 1931.
The first American tubes to have all the lead-out wires
terminated at one end of the bulb and co be equipped with
a 4-contact base were produced by the Western Electric
Co. early in 1915 for telephone work. Subsequently a
modified version of the base was adopted by other com-
panies for radio tubes. First application for radio purposes
occurred with the production of tubes made bv De Forest
GE, and WE for military purposes just prior ;o America'~
entry into World War I in 1916.
At this time two different base styles had come into use;
one originated by De Forest for the U .S. Navy was ap-
proximately 1.25 inches in diameter and had three borrom
contacts with the fourth connection being taken to a side-
mountcd locking pin, whilst the other style was originated
by WE was 1.377 inches in diameter and had four con-
tacts. The variation in diameters is emphasised because it Example of 3-pin Navy base used on a Western Electric type
was one of the basic differences preventing interchange- 201A tube c. 1918.
ability even though both bases were otherwise somewhat
similar. fastened in a peripheral groove at the lower end of the
The WE base was used on tubes made for the U .S. base shell.
Army Signal Corps and was sub-divided into two varia- In the foregoing descriptions the vvord 'contact' has
tions differing in respect of the placement of the locking been used in preference tO 'pin' as the actual contacts
pin in relation to the base pins. In receiving type tubes the thcmselve'5 were so short as to be little more than stubs,
locking pin was positioned at right angles to the centre but hereafter for the sake of uniformity the word pin will
line of the grid and plate contacts, whilst in transmitting be used.
cubes it was rotated 40 degrees angularly co place it in line After the war GE commenced making receiving tubes
with the grid and F + contacts. This was done in order using the same type of base as had been used on their
to prevent accidental insertion of a receiving rube into a wartime productions: a seamless brass shell having four
transmitting tube socket or \'ice versa. Other WE tubes contact pins rivetted to a porcelain disc fastened to the
such as telephone repeater types and later tubes used in lower end. Apart from the so-called 'Shaw' base (to be
theatre sound systems also used the 'transmitting' style discussed later) the GE stvk base became the industry
locking pin placement. standard, retaining its original metal-sleeve form until
Thus far there were in existence two different sized bases 1924-25.
used on receiving and low power transmitting tubes, the These early GE tubes were assigned type numbers com-
tlltce-contact one which became known as the Navy type mencing with the letters 'UV' which corresponded to the
and the four-contact one which formed the basis of the grouping in the UV section of the RCA catalogue. The
post-war 'UV' style. Another type of 3-contact base, used first tubes to be so listed were types UV-200 and UV-201.
only on one specialised tube, type TB 1, a regularor diode It should be noted that the use of the UV prefix was not
made by GE, differed in that while its dimensions and confined to vacuum tubes as other components such as
locking pin placement followed the existing 'Army' pat- RF and AF transformers were similarly marked. Examples
tern the positioning of the contacts did not. Incidencallv, of these arc UV-713 and UV-712 respectively.
the TR 1 appears to be one of the few GE tubes to make In recent years the growing interest in things historical
use of a moulded insert to hold the contact pins, in con- has led to some speculation as to the reason for RCA's
trast to the usual GE practice of using a ceramic disc inconsistent method of cataloguing. The only definite in-

146
formation available states that the letter 'U' indicates a RCA apparently decided that it would be worthwhile to
unit, as distinct from an assembly; ati:er that it is a matter of have Westinghouse produce a modified version of the
guesswork. It seems logical to assume that the 'V' indicate WD-11 fitted with the standard sized UV base; a tube
vacuum tube, or even valve as the British term was not known as the WD-12 subsequently appeared late in 1923.
unknown and had been used by some independent manu- Although intended co allo w d111-ceU operation of receivers
facturers as far back as 1916. Also included in the UV using storage battery tubes the WD-12 was never widely
category were ballast tubes and transmitting tubes using used for the purpose, prob:ibly because GE had intro-
quire diftcrent styles of base. Attention is drawn to the duced tho riated-filament mbcs earlier in d1e same vear. A
face rim although RCA original!~' assigned a UV prefix to later version of the WD-12, known as the WX-12, ~vas in-
all types of mbcs these letters had no significance in re- troduced towards the end of 1925; it ditlered in having a
gard to identifying the type of base used on a particular UX style bakclite base.
tube. As a matter of fact there were no less than six com- Apart from the bases developed by GE and W cs tern
pletely different styles and sizes of bases used on tubes Electric (the latter being restricted co use in WE tubes) the
bearing the UV prefix to their type numbers. only other early base was o ne which became known as the
From the foregoing it can be seen that the UV designa- 'Shaw standard' 4-pin type. This type of base, which was
tion was never intended to be used as either a base or the brain-child of one Henry S. Shaw, had first been used
socket identification (sockets, incidentally, carried the pre- on certain wartime tubes made by GE, De Forest, and
fLx 'UR') even though the term later became commonly Moorhead. The Shaw base was identical to the GE St<m-
used for this purpose. Actually the need for a system of dard UV type in the matter of essential dimensions but
base identification did not arise for several years because differed in the method of manufacture. Whereas the GE
of the very few different series of tubes in use at the time, base used a po rcelain disc to hold the contact pins, in
each of which had individual styles of base. Thus storage
battet1' tubes used the standard sized UV base whilst dry-
cell tubes used a smaller version knO\vn simply as che '199'
size. Initially t he only other types of base were confined to
two tubes, known as the WR-21 and WD-11, made by
V-lestinghouse for use in their own receivers. Both these
Westinghouse tubes quickly became obsolete and their
base styles played no part in future developments. Only
after the advent of the lo ng-pin base in 1925 did it be-
come desirable co inco rpo rate some means of differcn-
tiatino-
b between the two st:vlcs
. of base bv. the use of a code
letter in the type number. Because RCA decided to use d1e Shaw UV type bases. The later version on the left is a
letter X in the rypc numbers of the tubes using the new one-piece bakelite moulding.
stvle base the new bases were sometimes referred to as the
'X' rype; conversely the older sryle base was then referred
to as the 'V' type.
Prior to Westinghouse joining the so-called ' Radio
Group' in 1921, GE and Westinghouse as competitors had
each pursued separate paths in developing their own styles
of tubes, tubes \.vhich differed not only in their character-
istics and ratings but also in the types of bases used. The
basing arrangements of the Westinghouse tubes followed
the Franco-British practice of using Jong unec1ually-spaccd
contact pins, though these were hollow rather th<m bi-
furcated. Thus the Westinghouse tubes required resilient
socket contacts in contrast to the Franco-British use of
solid sockets. In the case of the WD-11 tube the anode pin
was of a larger diameter than the remaining three; this
being done to prevent the accidental insertion of a 1.1-volt
rube into a socket wired for a 4 -volt VlR-21 tube. It is
interesting to note that the idea of using a larger di,u11eter -. 1
•
anode pin was first seen on the w:irtimc German Telefun- Example of a Shaw 4-pin base
ken RE16 cube- enough said! used on a De Forest type DV1
Because GE had no t produced a 1.1-volt drv-ccll tube tube c. 1923.

147
the Shaw design the pins were embedded in a moulded in-
sulator positioned in the lower end of the base. During
manufacrnre some of the molten insulating substance was
forced under pressure through four small holes in the
lower edge of the base shell; the resultant protrusions
serving to securely lock the insulator to the shell.
After the war Shaw bases continued to be used by
Moorhead for the short time that company remained in
existence, and by De Forest until about 1923. From 1920
onwards Shaw bases were usually provided with a nickcl-
plated finish, fr.illowing European practice. In later years
the Shaw Base Co., as successors to the Shaw Insulator
Co., became o ne of the largest manufacturers of moulded
bakclite bases, supplying such well-known tube makers as
Arcturus and 1\.fajestic. Shaw UX type bakdite bases were
even used on some British-made Osram valves for a short
period around 1926, presumably as a stop-gap measure
until the M-0. Valve Co. commenced its own production.
Radiotron rubes were first fitted with bakclite towards
the end of 1924, the type WD-11 being one of the first
types to be so fitted. In October 1924 bakclite-based UV-
20 IA and UV-199 tubes were being advertised and from
then on no further metal-based RCA n::cei\·ing tubes were
produced.
Two Moorhead World War I tubes using Franco-British bases
made by Shaw.
Before continuing \\'ith the story of base de\·elopments
a word of explanation concerning the side locking pin may
be in order. Originall~, this little pin ser\'ed two purposes
-as a locating device to ensure that the tube was correct!~'
positioned when it was being inserted into its socket, and
then as a latching device after the tube had been given a
slight clockwise ;wist in the socket. This combine<.i locat-
ing/latching feature was retained on the most commonly
used form of UV sockets though non-latching tvpes were
later produced by a few manufacturers.
148
·\ '
WD11 type base (L.). Note larger diameter anode pin. WR21
type base (centre). note identical contact size ancl spacing
compared with Franco-British style (R.).
The UV style base/socket arrangement had, with one ex-
ception, ~ an inherent design weakness when:in the spring
contacts in the socket pressed o nly against the solder on
the bottoms of the tube pins. This gave onl~, a small area
of contact which combined with the unsatisfacto rv nature
of soft solder as a contact material o fren resulted. in poor
contacts at these points. Towards the end o f 1924 some
manufacturers, such as Cutler Hammer and Hart & Hege-
man, brought out sockets in which contact was made to
the sides instead of the bottom of the base pins. These
sockets were of the straight push-in type without the twist-
lock featu re and mav be regarded as being an intermcdiate
seep in the evolution of the later ' UX' style base/socket
design.
The introduction of the long-pin base by RCA to wards
the end of 1925 marked an important step forward in the
American tube industry as, at one sweep, the disad\'anrngcs
of the old UV stvlc base were done awav with. The new
UX style base, together with its associated socket, offered
a far more positi\·e form of conncction between the base
pins and socket contacts. At the same time the incn.:ased
area of contact allowed a current of up to three amps to
be handled. A third, albeit incidental, advantage was a re-
duction in the number of loose tube bases forr~Krlv caused
bv the twist-lock feature of the UV socket! Finalh< the U X
s~ckets were smaller and more compact and \,;cre easil~·
adaptable to the so-called \\·afer or skeleton designs which
were soon to come into use in mass-produced recei,·ers
using metal chassis.
In designing the ne\,. style base thought had been gi\·en
to the matter of interchangeability with the.: older UV srvlc.
Bv a slight repositioning of the side pin on the new tubes
they were enabled to tit bo th the old and new stvlc sock-
• Man~· \1\11.: stern Electric rubes, mainlv t1.:kpho 11c rcpearcr rypes,
had th eir pins tipped with precio us metal. Their sockets had
contacts pni,·idcd with special al lo~· areas.
AMERICAN UV

AMERICAN UX

AMERICAN UV-199

1
I f 1t •

I --
I .::
'
I 't;

i
I

'1
I'
~
' - < - ---

AMERICAN UX-199

149
 l·TTl_J__ _
UL~-
AMERICAN WD-11

DE FOREST-U .S. NAVY

WESTERN ELECTRIC

150
ets. No planned obsolescence here! Because the four pins
had to be equally spnced in order co achieve this inter-
changeability it wns necessary to provide some other
means of positio ning the cube in its socket. This was ac-
complished b~· using larger diameter pins for the filament
corrnections. With one exception {to be discussed shortlv)
the use of larger pins fo r the filament or heater conne.c-
tions was to become standard practice in th1: constnKtion
of all subsequent American tube bas1:s produced prior to
the ad,·em of octal types in 1935.
Because moulded bakcl ite bases had come into use be-
fore the appearance of lo ng-pin tubes it followed that such
bases were automatically used for these tubes. Howe\·er,
there were one or t\\'O exceptions co be found. for 1:xam-
ple, the first Raytheon types BA and BH gaseous reccitiers
were fitted with long-pin brass bases as were certain earlv
Radiotron transmitting cubes.
After about 1930 the need for retaining the side locking
pin on currently produced UX base tubes had passed due
to the old-style UV sockets ha\'ing become complctcl~·
obsolete.
Two versions of the UV socket.
The one on the left has the usual
twist lock. the one on the right
has a snap lock.
Because much early tube development took the form of
the evolution of gcne.ric types brought about by the addi-
tion of further grids, the need for additio nal external con-
nections, over and above the originnl four, soon made
itself fClt. A minor, or perhaps not so mino r, problem
confronting the makers of the first non-triodes was how
best to provide for this requirement. There were three
choices open:
1. ProYide a terminal somewhere on the bulb surface.
2. Provide a terminal on the side of the base.
3. Pro,·ide an additional base pin.
At one time or another each of these methods has been
used, sometimes in combination. The first method was
open to objection on the grounds of cost as it ,,·as mo re
difficult to achic,·e in facto ry production. It was seldom
used unless circuit dictates made it una,·oidablc. as for
example in the case of the screen-grid tube. The Sl'.cond
med1od was the most widclv used one in th1: case of dou-
ble-grid tetrodes; it was also used \\'ith early European AF
pcntodes where it \Vas desired to promote the use of such
tubes in existing receivers having 4-pin sockets. The third
method, which although used in non-standard form, e.g.,
the Rricish Thorpe K4 tetrode and French Radiola bi-grill
tubes as earl~· as 1924, did not come into general use in
Europe until 1929.
With the introduct ion of the first American screen-grid
tube, type UX-222, in 1927, a new term was added to the
American radio vocabulary-'grid cap'. Rather obviously
the term originated as a means of identifying the addi-
tional external connection needed with this tvpe of rube.
In the case of screen-grid tubes circuit requirements called
for a wide separation of grid and plate connections and a
top contact was the most practicable wa~' of achieving d1at
end. In practice the grid cap rook the form of a small metal
thimble, having a diameter of 0.036 inches, cemented to
the top of the bulb. To make corn1ection with the cap a
small push-on connector known as the grid clip was used.
For all American radio receiving tubes it has always
been standard practice to use the top cap for the grid
connection, while in Europe it was always the plate con-
nection that was taken to the top of d1e bulb. At least that
was the way things started off but after about 1933 Eu-
ropean practice gradually fell into line with American. Ini-
tiaUv there was also another difference in the actual stvlc
of the cop connector used on European tubes, where. it
took the form of an insulated screw terminal. One reason
for the use of an insulated co1rnector was that with the
plate connection in an exposed position this point was at
a relat ively high potential with respect to any adjacent
earthed metal.
Because the change to American practice could not
be accomplished overnight some British manufacturers,
notably Mu.Hard, issued valves in either grid-at-top or
plate-at-top versions, e.g., VP4A or VP4B. This was be-
'
Osram VMS4 valve using hybrid top connector (1933).
151
cause ic was still necessary ro provide the o lder style.: valves
for replacements in existing receivers. for a short period
during 1933 some Osram and Marconi screen-grid valves,
e.g. , type VMS4, were fitted with a du;1l-purpose hybrid
style of top cap which retained the orig i1MI bakclin: skirted
lower part of the connector but fitted it with a solid metal
terminal top. As this metal top was the same diameter as
the newer thimble caps the user had rhe cho ice of using
either a snap-on clip or the o lder lug connector.
'vVhen the American metal tubes were introduced in
1935 their comparatively small dimensions calk:d for a
proportionately smaller grid cap; thus rhc otlicially des-
ignated 'miniamre' grid cap arrived. With the incroduc·
tion of glass octal-base tubes a ~·e;:ir later, using the same
size grid caps, the bottom o f the thimble.: had to be flared
out to provide a large enough surface area ro ensure satis-
factory bonding to the ghss bulb. This style of cap was
known as the 'skirted miniature' and remained the future
standard for all receiving tubes requiring a top connec·
tion, including beer teb·ision rvpes which had the plare
connection in this position, e .g., type 6BQ6.
In two cases the Americanisation of European top con-
nections did not go all the wa~-. When, in 1934, che tirsr
continental side-contact tubes appeared the~' had ro use the
standard sized American grid caps for the simple reason
that the miniature srvlc. had nor .vet been t\'Olved in the
U.S. Subsequently when Philips introduced their smaller
'Red E' side-contact series in l 937 the,· cominl((:d to make
use of the o lder style grid cap. Similari~' the o lder st~1 lc cap
was used by British Mazda and Canadian Rogers 0 11 their
octal-based series which <llso appeared in 1937.
The first standardised American 5-pin base, bee;1use it
was a national standard, also qualitied as the world's first
standard 5-pin type. Although 5-pin bases had earlier been
used in several European countries such bases were penil-
iar to individual manufacturers and never became national
standards within those countries.
In May 1927 rhe first tube to use a 5-pin base was the
Radiotron UY-227; it was also the first, and almost the
only, Radiorron co carry the prefix UY in its rvpe number
as it had but a sing le companion , the UY -224(A). This
was because by the time further 5-pin tubes had been
issued (in 1929) RCA had adopted a policy of dropping
all existing prefixes in favour of the letters ' RCA'; thus
when types 235 and 247 appeared in 1931 they were
Examples of UY bake lite bases made
by Shaw. The base on the right has
the trademark-$. B. Co. c. 1931.
152
marked RCA-235 and RCA-247 respectively.* Another
factor which resulted in all tube manufacturers eventually
dropping type prefixes altogether was the growing prac-
ricc of using briefer designations when speaking and writ-
ing of tubes whereby the first digit of the three-letter
t~1 pc number was omitted. This became general practice
fro m L930 ;md remained so until the introduction of the
new R.M.A. type numbering system iJ1 1933.
T he UY base and its later variants were unique among
American long-pin stvlcs in that all the pins were of uni-
form diameter and \\'ere uncqual1~1 spaced; the latter fea-
ture being used as a means of positioning a rube in its
socket. f Il other \\'Ords it was the on)~· long-pin base that
did not make use of larger diameter filament/heater pins as
an indexing device. This point is stressed for the benefit of
non-American readers as it will frequen tly be found , when
referring to tube data published outside the U .S. , that in
drawings of base connections the American 5-pin base is
d epicted as ha,·ing larger diameter filamen t/heater pins.
Alas~ both the respected Wireless Wm-Id and Brans' Vade
Mecum h;l\'e been guilty of this minor sin.
Although the 5-pin base was no longer in current use
on recei,·ing tubes produced after 1933 its use was con-
tinued o n transmitting tubes, for example the ~'pc 807,
whid1 arrived o n the scene several \'Cars later and incidcn-
tallv remained in current production until long after the
end of World War U.
American UY 5-pin bases. Note all contact pins are the same
diameter.
Multi-Pin
The need for bases having more than five contact pins
did not really arise unti.I 1932 when the advent of later
versions o f existing generic tube types called for six external
connections. In the case of indirectly-heated output pcn-
todes, for example, initial European practice \Vas to pro·
vidc a side-mounted screw terminal on the 5-pin base but
this metho d was not acceptable to the American rube in-
dustrv. In general it may be said that, right from the car-
'Some indcpcndcnr rn be makers. for example Ken Rad, contin-
ued m use the UY prefix 011 th ese two tYpes for a shorr period.
liesr days of bakelite base rubes, the pro,·ision of exrernal
connections except bv means of base pins was not fa\'-
oured in the U .S.
The use of 6-pin bases originated in the U.S. initiallv to
equip certain indircctlv-heated tubes such as output pcn-
todcs and KF pentodes; examples being types 42 and 58,5
n:spectivcly. Although earlier versions or borh these basic
t\'pes had been issued in 5-pin fo rm, e.g., rvpes 38 and
39/44, rhey soon became obsolete. Another reason for the
early adoption of 6-pin bases was the American practice of
providing an external connection for the suppressor grids
of all i.h. RF pentodcs produced after about the middle of
1932. Ar this time, too, the advent of new types of tubes,
such as duo-diode triodes and ,·oltage-doubler rectifiers
also called for six external connections.
With the rapid development of new ru bes, coupled with
variations of existing types, which occurred from 1932
onwards the need soon arose fo r a 7- pin base. The first
use of such a base occurred with the production of the
type 59 o utput pentode, a rube which had <\11 externall~· ­
connected third grid . The base itself was otticiall\' de-
scribed as 'medium 7-pin' bur was commonly rctcrred to
as 'large' 7-pin to d istinguish it from the later small 7-pin
base. It must qualify as the least used of any base as it was
titted to on !~, fom receivi ng rubes, the types 53, 59, 2B6,
and 6A6. Because all other American tubes needing 7-pin
bases were ph~'sica ll v smaller than these fo ur, the need
arose for a co rrespondin g!~· smaller base- hence the arri-
val of the 'small 7-pin' base. The smaller base was first
used on such tubes as the rypes 2A7 and 6B7 which ap-
peared about the middle of 1933.
Example of tube using American large 7-pin base c. 1932.
Up to the time when 7-pin bases were introduced the
development of new bases had been simply a matter of
adding extra contact pins as the need arose. H owever,
with the introduction of mernl tubes in 1935 advantage
was taken of the opporruni ry to design a new standard ised
base suitable for all types of tubes. So it was that the 8-pin
'octal' base arrived on the scene and fo r a while ir seemed
that future requirements in respect o f rhe number of base
pins had been adeqmncly catered to.
As things turned o ur, unfortunately, it was not long
before the development of cerrain types of tubes tended to
be restricted bv the lack of sufficient external connections.
This occurred because the octal base originally used one
pin sole!~· for grounding the metal cm-elope thus lca\'ing
only se,-en active pins. Both metal and metal-shell GT
types wen: so affected but after th<.: appearance of GT
types with bakelire bases (introd uced during World \Var
TI to conserv<..: metal) the No. 1 pin was no longer re-
quired as a ground connection and became available fr)r
use as an electrode connection. The production of such
mbes as the type 6SN7GT, a si nglc-t:nded dual triode, was
made possible only by the a,·ail:i.bilirv of the formerlv sac-
rosanct No. I pin.
A criticism (seemingly voiced mo re outside the U.S.
th;m within) of the octal base, though in no way dis-
par;1ging to the design as a whole, concerned an alleged ly
high hum lcYcl exhibited by certain rubes when used as
first stage AF amplifiers. Such criticism arose because the
widclv spaced hearer pins supposcdl~1 gave rise to hean:r-
induced hum. The author bcliev<..:s this criticism to ha,·e
been largely unjustified for rhe following reasons: at the
time of thei r introduction all fi rst-stages tubes, e.g., types
6F5, 6Q7, 6J7, had rop-mounr<..:d grid connections in or-
der to lessen hum pickup. Tests published by the U.S.
Bure<lll of Standards in 1952 indicated that when used
with well-designed associated circuirr~' the types 6F5 and
6]7 developed kss than 3 microvolts of heater-indw..:ed
hum at their grids. Even this low figure was improved
upon with the introduction of sing le-ended versions such
as the 6SFS wh ich exhibited a figun: of under o ne micro-
,·olr. It sho uld be mentioned that all these rubes were
o rdinary run-of-the-mill recei,·ing types and nor special
quality types; indeed the latter wen: unknown at the time.
From a practical point of view the octal base oflcred
one advantage never exceeded by an~' other design- unsur-
pass<..:d case of tube insertion even when working 'blind'.
T his design feature was accomplisht:d by providing an
extension of the bakclite base wh ich was located in the
centre of the pin circle and protruded slighrh· below the
ends of the pins. T his central 'spigot', as it was som<..:rimes
termed, was fitted with a guide key which mated with a
corresponding kevway in the socket. So efficient was the
dt:sign that not o nly was it widely adopted outside the
U.S. but later series of rubes such ;)S the U.S. loct:tl and
the German metal used <ldaptations of the basic octal idea.
153
 Further proof of its effectiveness may be found in its
long-continued use in certain applications such as televi-
sion horizontal output and damper tubes which remained
in current production up to 1963-a period of nearly 30
years. Quite apart from its use on tubes the octal base/
socket was early adapted for use as an 8-pin plug-connec-
ror, being widcl~· used as a wiring connector as well as a
base for such renewable components as ,·ibrarors. electro-
lytic capacitors, and electro-mechanical relays.
The final American tube base development, wherein <1
separate cemented-on base shell \.vas used, occurred with
the production of the so-called 'Lokral' range of tubes
by Sylvania in 1939. T he loctal tubes, as they were later
known, were notable for the first use of contact pins em-
bedded directly in the bottom of the glass bulb- the so-
called 'button base'. The use of a separate base shell was
inherent in the (octal design, it being required to support a
locating spigot as well as for shielding purposes. By mak-
ing use of the metal spigot as a ground connection for the
base shell all eight pins were consequently available f'or
electrode connections thus avoiding the limitation of chc
single-ended octal design.
Tubes using Loktal bases (Circa 1940)
U nlike its octal predecessor che !octal base \vas fictcd
with a locking device from which che name of the series
was derived. A groove near the tip of the spigot was de-
signed to mate with an encircling spring clip located in the
tube socket. In the autho r's opinion this lock-in featun:
was given undue pro minence in contemporary advertise-
ments which carried the implication that other, i.e., octal-
bascd, tubes were liable to fall out of their sockets under
certai n conditions of use. Not so! Such advertis ing seemed
to be a case of making a virtue out of necessity for without
the lock-in feature the !octal tubes would have been much
more likely to ha\'e fa llen out of their sockets, for example,
when used in mobi le service. The comparaci,·e shortness of
the pins coupled with their small diameter made it almost
impossible to design a socket which could hold the tube
firmJy without some sort of locking device.
154
Compared wirh RCA's metal tubes the (octals sutfrrcd
from the same disadvantage that <1ffects all tubes having
cemented-on bases; the base was li:iblc to come adrift in
service. vVith the !octals this problem was accenttrnted by
the difficuly in removing a tube from its socket caused by
the inbuilt locking device. To avoid loosening the base
shell the recommended procedure was to lever up one
cdgc of the shell before withdrawing the tube.
Hard on the heels of the loktals came RCA's 1.4-rnlc
miniarnre types, released early in 1940. These mbcs were
the first to use a 7-pin 'glass button' base and, as in the
case of the lokrals, extensions of the tubes' clement mount-
ing rods provided the external contact p ins; henceforth all
new bases were simply developments of this idea. By the
time the first indirectlv-heated mini:m1re tubes appeared
America had become invoked in Wo rld War II and con-
sequently the de,·dopment of tubes for rnilitan' use took
precedence over everything else. When a military demand
arose for an indirectly-heated miniature type it was logical,
or at least expedient, to use the existing 7-pin style which
factories were already equipped to produce, rather than
start afresh with a nc\\' design. The first of such wartime
tubes were r~1 pcs 6C4, 6J6, and 6AG5 produced during
1942.
After the war the 7-pin base was standardised for all
new TS 112 miniature types produced f·o r peacetime applica-
tions. It was nor long, however, bdore the limitation in
the number of base pins made itself lclr; as three pins were
needed for hearer and cathode connections onlv four re-
mained for other tube elements. Because the n1bcs were
single ended the~· actuall\' offered fewer external connec-
tions than did earlier t~'pes. This meant that some rypcs of
tubes such as duo-diode pentodcs and triode-hexodes were
automatically excluded from the range.
Next on the list of base developments came the 9-pin
' nova.!' range using slightly larger T6 112 bulbs. In 1948
RCA released the first novals, rnxs l 2A U7 and 12A)C7,
which were both twin triodes !Caruring tapped heaters.
No attempt was made to introduce a foll range of noval-
based mbcs at rhis time, production being limited to those
types which could not be accommodated o n 7-pin bases.
The so-called 'neo-noval' base was simply the exiscing
nova] style as fitted to tubes having larger (T9) bulbs.
In 1959 a larger version of the nova I base known as
'novar' was developed for use on cc1-c;1in high po\\'Cr rubes,
for example, cypcs 6AY3 and 12CJ5, using the Tl2 size
bulb. An almost identical European base, known as the
'magnoval', differed only in that the pins were 0.04 inches
in diameter compared with 0.05 for the novar.
In 1961 GE inroduced a 12-pin base which was used on
a new series of their tubes known as 'Cmnpactrons'. Some
rwo years later RCA produced simibr tubes using the
same base which was referred ro as 'decar'. This repre-
sented the fin,11 step in base development of American all-
glass mbes.
 Europe After 1929
In both Britain and the continent a standardised 5-pin
base was somewhat slower in appearing than had been the
case in America. This \:vas partly due to the later develop-
ment of all-electric receivers in Europe and partly because
of the need for any standard to be murually ;cceptable
by the countries concerned. In view of the differences in
later developments where British :111d conti nental practices
sharply diverged it is surprising rhat a standardised Eu-
ropean 5-pin base e,·er e\·enruated.
Originally France and Germany used two completely
different styles of 5-pin bases but in 1929, apparently b~·
common consent, c:hose two countries together with Hol-
l<Uld adopted a new style of 5-pin base. It was now pos-
sible to speak of a conrinenral srandard. 1' The new base,
which can be described as a scaled-down \'crsion of an
The standardised European 5-pin base introduced in 1929.
Example of a British 5-pin valve having a side terminal for
the sixth connection (1930).
existing French 5-pin type was constructed by using the
existing stand ard Euro pean 4-pin base as a starring poinr
and then placing an additional pin in the centre o f the
o thers.
Although no 6-pin base as such was initially developed
in Europe, the demand for a sixth external connection,
which arose with the advent of indirectly-heated ourpur
pcncodes in 1932, was initia!Jy provided for by the addi-
rion of a terminal on the side of the existing 5-pin base.
By tl1e end of 1928 it was apparent that British vah·e
makers could no longer afford ro delay the introduction of
an industry standard in the matter of basing AC valves.
Lack of standardisation was having the effect of retarding
the development of mains-operated receivers. Up to this
time individual valve makers had each gone their own wa~·
with the result that tllere were five different forms o f AC
valves on the market. Aparr from the need for a stand:1rd ·
ised 5-pin base for AC valves there was also a lesser need
for such a base in the case of directly-heated output pen-
todcs. Preswnably bec;1use of the existing standard in con-
tinental Europe the same ry pe of 5-pin base was adopted
as th e standard of the British industry. Now it could be
called a European standard.
First British usage of the new base W<lS on dircctly-
heatcd output pen to des and indirectly-heated trio des .7 In
the former case the new base was also used on certain
valves which had previously been fitted with 4 -pin bases
having side-mounted terminals. T his procedure had the
unfortunate result that tl1c same valve type became avail·
able with a choice of bases. It was a small price t:o pay,
however, if it meant that there was now an indusrrv stan-
dard. ·
As stated earlier there was never a Euro pean 6-pin base
as such but a type of 6 -pin b ase did come into use by
certain manufacrurers. Strictly speaking it was not a true
base style but was a sort of backward development of the
exjsting continental 7-pin St<U1dard formed b~1 the simple
expedient of omitting one pin. As far as can be ;1scertained,
the o nly two tubes to use this base were Philips rypt: E444
and E463; that is, unless one counts the Mulbrd equi,·a-
lcnr of the E444, the rype $04 . The Continenral 7-pin
base was introduced in 1934 being mainly used by
T defunken , Tungsram , and Philips-Valvo. Examples
are: Philips KF2 and Telefunken BCH l.
Because 6-pin bases were never used on British valves a
jump was made from five to seven pins when in 1933 the
first 7-pin tvpcs appeared. One o f the first valves ro usc
the new base was the Marconi-Osram type MHD4, a re-
view of which appeared in Populrtl' Wil'cless for June I 0,
1933. For the next six years the 7-pin base remaint:d in
current use, even after the introduction of octal rypes.
In 1934 another jump in sequence occurred with the
arrival of the first 9-pin valvcs.M No other countries ever
used 9 pins on bakclite-based nibes and even in the U .K.
155
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156
chey were nor conunon. Originally Mazda, as the largest
maker, listed but two 9 -pin types- a triode-pcntode and a
QPP double pcntodc. Apart from Hivac and Mullard no
other manufacturers made any 9-pin types.
Another event in 1934, which at the timl.'. Sl.'.l.'.mcd to pass
unnoticed, was the introductio n of thl.'. continental side-
contact base on to the British market bv Mullard .' W hik
its introduction on the continrnt cou l~i be rl.'.garded as
an attempt at scandardisat ion in that area, its appearancl.'.
on the British scene only added co the growing confu-
sion. The first side-contact val\'eS marketed consisted of
six types. two of which were rcctifil.'.rs. All types carril.'.d a
200 mA heater rating and were intended for series-hearer
operation in AC/ DC service, although three types having
13-volt heaters could also be used for car radio work.
From America use of the octal base spn:ad first to Brit-
ain in 1937 m1d then to certain other Euro pean countril.'.s,
notably Italy and France. The main dkcc of this impo rt:i-
tion was to increase the number of diffen.:nt b:ises in usl.'.
rather than to render existing bases obsoktc and for manv
years the 'battle of the ba;es' continued to bede,·il th~
British indusn-~-. \•\Tith m·o of thl.'. largest ,·ake producns
under American control it is perhaps surprising that the
American influence d id not make itsd f fi:lt en:n earlier
but, be that as it mav, 1937 must be regardl.'.d as a land-
mark date in the hist~rv of British \'ah·e ,;iaking.
FolJowing M-0.V.'; lead Brimar, as the first British
manu facturer to produce a comprehensive range of prc-
ocral American type valves, rekascd a r:inge of octals in
1938 which bv the end of the vear, had grown to include
21 different ~;pes. '° Whether ai l those lis~l.'.d were actuallv
of British manufacture is open to question as it is kno\\'n
that Brimar marketed many American-made tubes under
their own label. By 1940 aU major Bri tish makers, with the
exception of Mazda, were producing at kast some ocral-
based types with the score reading at that time: Brimar 47,
O sram 37, Mullard 2 1.
M azda's o mission from the ranks stemmed from what
can o nly be n:garded as an anti-American attitude which
led in 193 7 to an attempt to persuatk the leading British
valve makers to join with them in producing a completely
new series of valves which it was hoped would becoml.'. an
industry standard . The new \'alvcs were to be titted with a
modified version of the An1crican octal base having a dit:
ferenr arrangement of pin spacings and connections.
T he hoped-for co-operation was not forthco ming be-
cause, for o ne thing, the proposa.1 came rathn late in the
day. By this time Brimar and M -0. V. were :iiready com-
mitted to the American standard, w hilst Mullard had been
malting increasing use o f the continental side-contact
bases, lca\'ing only Cossor uncommitted. So it was that, in
the face of ind ustry apathy if nor actual oppositio n, Mazda
decided ro proceed alone- a decision which inc,·itabl~- re-
sulced in their becoming 'the odd man out'.
Early in 1938 the first Mazda oct:ils were announced and
supplies became avai lable later in the year. Even though
the~· were used by two of the leading set makers, McMi-
ch:icl and Murphy, they had no real chance of dominating
the market for in spite of having a respectable parentage
the i\lbzda octal can onlv be described as a bastard . The
only real justificatio n for the introduction of a new base
would have been on the basis of its acceptance by a major-
ity of 13.V.A. members, and this did not occur.
Bv l 938 the number of d iffrrcnc bases in current use
in the U .K. had reached fourteen, of which nine were
of non-British origin. It should be explained that \'al\'eS
with American ~·pc bases were needed to service imported
Aml.'.rican rl.'.ceivers as well as for initial equipment of
the incrl.'.asing of British receivers using American type
\'alves. Apart from this an export market existed for Brit-
ish-made An1erican type valves. Even so there was a wide-
sprl.'.ad tl:cling that there were too many bases in use. Wire-
less World was to comment editoriallv and rather wrYlv in
1938:
The number of dit1crcnt ,-alve bases is forrunatclv
not yet equal co the number of ,-alves, ... If \\"e ha,·e
not yet reached the condition of a different base for
l.'.\'cry v:ilvc, we arc approaching the state of every "al,·e
having diflcrcnr connections' . 11
But by 1940 things had worsened, for the same journal
was ir1ovcd to remark:
'The cvergrowing divcrsiry o f valve base connections
in use in this country- there arc now well over 200
distinct variat ions-h;1s compelled us co rnodif}• o ur
former method of prcsemarion'. 12
The main development on the continental scene was the
introduction of side-contact bases by Philips and Telefun-
ken during 1934. Tungsram, too, made side-contact tubes
whi lst Mullard also produced a limited number of types.
Although most widely used and best known in its 8-con-
ract form (Phi lips Cap P), the side-contact base was also
made in a $-contact form; the latter being used only on
duo-diode detector tubes. First production consisted of
4-vo lt AC and 200 mA AC/DC types which were followed
in 1938 by a range of 6. 3-volt types. Their arrival sig-
nalled the end of the 4-volt era in Europe, or at least
confirmed a trend which had been apparent since the in-
troduction of the octal base.
Although Germany had been one of the first countries
to use side -contact rubes, production of these was con-
fined to 4-volt AC and 200 mA AC/DC types. T he first
German use o f 6.3-volt heaters occurred in 1938 when
Tcldimkcn issued a range of all-metal tubes fitted with
8-pin bases. T he base had some slight resemblance to the
American octal but was fitted with 'waisted' pins which
formed a means of locking the tube to its socket. Mccal-
g lass versions of these rubes wcrl.'. made by Philips, Tung-
sram, and Val\'o.
157
 The final European pre-war development in tube bases
occurred late in 1939 when Philips incroduced their first
all-glass tubes, types EFSO and EESO. These two types
were broadly similar to the American !octal series but used
n ine contact pins.
Following the end of the war onlv one base of Brit ish
origin appeared o n the scene, and, as in an earlier case, not
all manufacnirers agreed to adopt ir. The similarity ex-
tended even further as the sam e politics came into play.
Once again it was Mazda who proposed a new base fo r
what was intended to be an industry standard for minia-
ture type valves and once again Brim;u and M-0. V. n:-
fused to 'play ball'. This time, however, Mulbrd joined
with Mazda in producing the B8A miniature, as they wen:
called.
The base used on the British miniatures h ad eight con-
British Mazda octal base (right) compared with standard
tact pins and was fitted with a metal shell which gave the
American type (left). Note difference in pin spacings and spigot
series some resemblance to the American locrals. In addi- diameter.
tion a small 'pimple' o n the side of the base shell, in con -
jlLIKtion with a latch incorporated in rhe socket, fr>nned a American standard. This difti.:rc.:nce did not aHi.:ct the inrer-
combined indexing and locking arrangement. The valves changcabiliry of thc two series. Examples of Philips and
made by Mazda differed from Mullard in ha\'ing a long Mullard tubes in this series arc rypes ECH2 l and UBl2 I.
guide pin located in the centre of the contact pin circle, Brimar, Cessor (brer Emirron), and fcrranti all pro-
but this did nor affect d1e interch;mgeabilit\' of the rwo duccd exact countcrparts o f the most popular types of
makes. Amcrican locrals, using American rype numbcrs. Marconi-
Osram in l 947 produced a range of near-locral vah'Cs
which, although fitting the standard locral socket, difkred
in other respccrs. The bases were of nvo-piece construc-
tion usi ng an aluminium shell which was spun o,·er the
edge of a bottom disc which in mm carried the centre
spigot . The botrom disc was made of die-cast alloy, cxcept
in the case of output \'alves and rectifiers when mo ulded
bakclin.: was used instead. It may be menrioned that, how-
C\'Cr, that rhis rule was no r irwari:ibly followed as \'aria-
tions have been sig hted. As in the case of sr:u1dard !octal
t\'pes the same 13rirish basc classification of BSB was used.
Examples of \'ah·es in rhis range arc t~'pcs KT9 I, W8 I,
and X8 l .
The first British-made miniature valves were cirhcr iden-
tical to, or patterned o n, the Ami.:rican di.:signs which also
appeared in 1947; at first o nlv as isolated spccialiscd types.

Examples of Continental side-contact bases. known by Philips B10B Valveholders

as Cap P. c. 1938.
M o M urd o Supply S;.lCCrJ.I
Other base styles appearing in post-war Europe wen: v~tvel\otders for the r.o·.v ~ 0 f: .,
the American !octal and American 7-pin miniature. These (Decal) buso<f V.31ve-s t1·pe
B 1OB. moulded in polyp100., •
were followed by d1e ' no\'al' and 'magnoval'. Philips and lene aod pi"Of'h'>I forn\a!dcl'l1<.:!.!.
Mullard were carlv on rhe scene with a limired range of Avail.lblo for p1inted ci1C1,..rlS or

' near loctaJs', the bases of which differed sl ight!~' from the tor cha~$1$ mounting.

158
During the period of their currency most British tirms
made ar least some B7G min iarurcs, as they we1-c known,
with Brimar producing t he largest range. American rype
7-pin miniamrc tubes wen: also produccq in H olland and
Germany from about 1949, and later in other European
countries. At much t he same time the design was also
adopted in Japan as a post-war standard.
British-made ,·ersions of RCA's 110\·aJ design tirsc ap-
peared in the U .K. in 1951 "'hen Mullard introduced rhree
types intended for television use. As in the case of rhe
! -pm miniatures, the no,·al design was soon taken up b~·
Phi lips and Telefunken w hence ir g rew to be the world's
most standardised and widely produced type. At the rime
of writ ing production continues in some European coun-
tries as well as in Japan, Brazil, and Mexico.
The Vinal European development was the introduction
of a 10-pin base known as 'decal' o r Bl OB in Great Brit-
ain. This base was used on only a very few multiple tubes
which n:quired more external co nnections than could be
prO\·idcd in the 9-pin no,·a) series.

Tube and valve bases to 1940

(3 01
06
0
5
1 20

4 PIN 5 PIN 7 PIN 9 PIN

BRITISH
The illustration at the extreme right show the difference between the Mazda octal and the
standard American octal (dotted outline).

4 PIN 5 Pl~ 6 PIN 7 PIN 8 PIN (OCTAL)

AMERICAN

~
\j_jJ
I.
@ 4

;z. .
5

CONTINENTAL

1 . 5-pin side contact 4. German octal (1939)

2 . 8-pin side contact 5. 9-pin 'All glass' (1 939)
3. 7-pin standard

159
 Anti-microphonic at last! THE A NEW INVENTION WHICH POSI-
TIVELY ELil\1INATES MICROPHONIC
REDFERN NOISES.
The system ot suspension of the Redfern Valve Holder is
one that has been so ught by radio experimenters for years.
Pneumatic Action Jes construction is such that 100% absorption of vibratory
accion is elfccced.
VALVE HOLDER It is manufactured ~hroughout of soft pure rubber of long
elastic limic, nnd its internal construccion affords a bcrmet·
ically scaled air cavity. The effect of this air cavity enclosed
Patent No. 269,388 in a unic of soft rubber is to eliminate entirely the regenerative
effect c~uscd by vibration and by sound waves generated by
the !Qud speaker impinging on the valves.
The Redfcrn Patent Valve Holder completely solves the
problem of the proximity of loud Speaker co Valves. le is
anti-C3pacicy, low loss, and has none ot che moiscuu-absorbing
properties of sponge rubber.
Sold by all reputable dealers
PRICE 2 I6 EACH

Send for the Book of Ebonart

Recognise them by the REDFERN'S RUBBER WORKS, LTD.,
well-known yellow carton HYDE, CHESHIRE

THE WIRELESS WORLD ~EPTE:MBl!'.R 2 IST, "l.~2 i·

BENTJ\M!N
CLE·RA·TONE SOCKEf o1-1>ER
CLEARER RADIO TONE
Shock Absorbing-Spring Suspended
49'
,P" J~:~c li,~f~e:"~~~r~
word VJBROI,DER
-thnt Is what you
want In your set
Gives your set a chance to this season.
bring through everything The Ot-njumln Vlbrolt1er
ts nbsoJutel y shock-
tha('s in it. Tube holding prnor, 1he ~oul\•e 1cel con-
element "floats" on per- tnc111 nrc scH-ntlgnlnQ:
l Ormlnn.ls nrc provhled
fectly balanced springs. for ense of wlrlaA und
tho ove rall stie of the
Keeps out mechanical mouldln~ ls Only I j" X I j'.

shock and does away with

so-called "tu be noises." Price 116
Spring supports are not
alfocted by stili bus wiring. Out l<t iU gtt(lt
l><J/mlurtlu 1l1e urigi-
Molded parts of genuine Bakelite. A very handsome mtl IJcn•tAmit1 m(jrld.
u1lll/rcfumccl.
socket. Price 2,' ..
864 5 For Standard Dnsc Vacuum Tubes • • $ 1
!;646 For UV. 199, etc., Tubes . . . • , l

Benjamin Electric Mfg. Co. S!NTAl!:UN

L
1zo-1zs S. Sangamon St., Chicago
ELECTRIC LIMITED,
DRANTWOOO WORKS,
rOTTENllAM. LOl'\DON. 1'.17

---11!9THE VALVE HOLDER THAT IS PERFECT??--•

WORLD PATENT INTERRUPT£0 MESH SUSPENSION.
We GUARANTEE these holders to be a revelation
both in regard to performance and quality, and ask
you to t est them against any other. If you are not
satisfied we will refund your money, Jess postage.
cIi
OUR DIRECT TO THE PUBLIC POL.ICY en.ables w to .._;,, _
uU &J 2/3 toth POST FREE w1lh P.O. r<n<iuar.u or C.O.D. ·
~ -~
~
-
•o~~=i~ED.

-- -
•
~

~
I:Ii _.
 NOVEMBER 25TII, 1937.
Bell Round
Socket Wl1e11 it's valve-HOLDERS
Solid brown Bake·
lite; n i c k I e d
posts. Positi,•e
c.o utact.
it's
and we don't mean valve-holde rs that
Bell Round mukc. hard work when inserting or with-
dmw1ng \'Ulvcs. All Clix valve-holders
othc_r th(m the new " Acorn" type
" l\H DGET" TYPE arc fitted with the Clix patented hcl icallv
alot;tcd sockets, which ullow for perfect
fittmg of valve pins and which give full
surface contact.
Solid b lack
Bakelite :
nic ktled
oosts. Sure
double· B,.lish, American
sorinl? and Con ti nenla r
contact. types available.
Folder " W" F relJ
UV199 Socket . . ................. 45c ea. "ACORN" TYPE
b'l'ANDAHD TYPE
Bell Square
Socket
For oanel or
base mounting.
Cnioue double-
wioe contact;
nickeled oosts. An
ultrafinc socket.
Bell Square Socket . . .• •. •....... 80c ea.
SHORT-WAVE T YPE

Buy Bell Radio Products in the individual Valueholder ond Compontnls ~ n n ~

blue boxes with the Bell t rademark.
!.eafltls~:i~;~~ o~~~~~NI ;,AJ- PR~~UCT!clN[ iJQ..
DEALERS:
Send for circular and discount list. 79a, Rochester Row ,
London, S.W.I.
-.=:J 1 7=J U ~

Bell Manufacturing Co.

11 Elkins St. Boston 27, Mass.

REFERENCES

l. See advt. of S.R. Mullard, Wireless World, Jul~, 10,
1920.
2. See, for example, Wireless World, V;tlvc Data, May
1940, p. 252.
3. See, for example, Philips Reccivin,H Valve Catalogue,
1926.
4. See, for example, advt. Edison Swan Electric Co.
Ltd., Wireless World c.- Elertrical R eview, Dec. 27, 1923, p.
ad. xi.
5. See advt. Cable Tube Corp., inside front cover, Radio
Craft, June 1932.
6. A Telefunken receiver model T9 bearing a facton1
inspection date 21 - 10-28 used tubes having such bases.
7. Valves of Today, Wireless Wor-ld, Oct. 2, 1929, pp.
376-377.
8. Sec Wireless World Vallie Data supplement, Nov. 30,
1934.
9. Ibid.
10. Sec Brirnar Vallie Catalogue, No. Pl4/38.
11. Sec l.'.dito rial Wireless World, Nov. 1938.
12. Sec editorial Wireless World, May 1940.

161
 Chapter 'Twenty
Bulbs
Because the g lass bulbs used in the making o f rad io
tubes have varied considerably in size ::ind shape o n :r the
years a word o n this aspect o f cu be development is in-
cluded here . In America, particularly, t he fact chat the
electric lamp manufact urers init ially played a major part in
the large scale product ion of radio rubes resulted in the
use o f standardised lam p b ulbs fo r rhis purpose. Existing
standardised d imensio ns and their associated specifications
were thus carried O\'er into radio use and C\'entuallv be-
came accepted as industry standards.
Briefly, the basic shapes were globular, rubular, straight·
sided tapered and pear-shaped; they \\'en: designated 'G',
'T, 'S\ and ' PS' respccri,·clv. Associated with these letters
were t\\'O numerals which indicated rhe maximum bulb
d iameter expressed in eig hths o f an inch. Fo r example, S-14
indicated a straig ht-sided capered bulb ha,·ing a no minal
diameter of P/~ inches while T -12 ind icated a nibu lar bulb
1 1/2 inches in d iameter, and so on.
The true pear-shaped bulb \\'as not normall\' used o n
receiving nibcs though the description 'pear-shaped' h:-is
sometimes erroneous ! ~· been applied ro the 'S' style. The
g lo bular or spherical bulb, apart from its use o n the earl~·
De Forest Audio ns, was not norm:-illy used o n r:-idio ru bes,
tho ugh there were o ne or rwo exceptions. Fo r exam ple,
some Schickerling rubes m :-idc in 1924 had globular bulbs
as did some D a,·en AC tubes markered lare in 1927. The
mosr wcU-knO\rn rubes ro use globular bulbs \\'Crc chose
made b y Western Electric for rdepho nc USC. Ex;un plcs or
o ther W E rubes w ith globular bulbs arc types 205B, 2 1613,
and VT2.
After its introduction on the tirst R;ldiotron/C u nning·
ham rubes in 1920 the S- 14 bulb became :-in industry sran-
dard for the rn:xr rwch·e yc<\rs, it being used on :-ill 5-,·olt
battery rubes as well as on such earl~· AC types as UX-226,
UY-224, and UY-227. T ubular bulbs were pn:frn cd fo r
use o n dry-cell operated rubes such as ~· pes W D -11 ,
W D- 12, and UV/UX-199 and were even used on the first
2-volr types issued in 1930. In 1932 the so-called 'ST'
bulbs were introduced and rapid!~, supplanted rh1.: earlier
style. All such bulbs had 3 ch:-iracteristic 'stepped' shape
162
with the up per sectio n being or a smaller d iameter than
the main sectio n. The desig nario n 'ST was derived fro m
the com bin;Hio n o f the 'S' and 'T' shapes.
W ith rhc introductio n of 1.4-\'0lt drv-ccll
. barren'. rubes
by Sylvania in August 1938 rhe rhen obsolete rubular bulb
rC<lppcared on rhc scene, following ;\n ;\ncient tr:-id ition for
this class of tube. Later in 1938 when the fi rst 1-1 \'fron
Bamam GT and Philco Lo ktal tu bes \\'ere issued ir was
o bvious that tubular bulbs had come to stav . Tubes had
o nce again become rubular! T he trend was continued as
GT rvpe tubes g radually replaced G ~-pcs , :-ind by tlK· larc
1950s ST bulbs had become obsolete.
On the Europc:-in scene globular bu lbs had first been
used d uring \Vorld \Var l on British :-ind f rench m ilit:m·
rubes. After the war globubr b ulbs rcm:-iined in common
use up to 1924. As in the U.S., rubular bulbs \\'Crc also
q uire common in rhe ea rl~· d a~·s and \\'irh the arrival o f the
fi rst d ull-emim:r val\'cS during 1923-24 bcc::1mc rhe pre-
tc rrcd shape with British ,·ah'c makers. from about 1925
a straight-sided tapered bulb \\'JS used by most Europe:-in
man ufacrurers but such b ul bs d id not fo llo\\' existi ng lamp
bulb shapes ,rnd sizes. In no o ther countries d id :1 natio nal
standard for radio use l'mcrgc as it had d o ne in rhe U.S.
Each man ufacturer tended to use an ind i,·id ual srvle o f
bulb \\'hich in dli:cr scr\'Cd as a sort of tradc-mar·k and
often made ir possible to recognise a p:-irricular make by
the shape of the bulb. This st:-irc of affairs exist<:d up ro
the advent o f miniaruris:-ition follo \\'ing World \\1:-ir I l.
Onlv. in rhose countries where American st\'ll' . ru bes were
11l<lde could the re be said to be am• Standardisatio n or bulb
shapes and sizes.
The Amcrit:an ST-s~·lc bulb c.unc into use in Europe
during 193-t and, ;ls in the U.S., quickh' suppl.1ntcd rhe
earlier shape. !-IO\\'l'\"Cr, some manufacturers continued to
issue certain ry pes o f tu bes tim:d \\'ith tilt" o lder s~'lc bulbs
for quire a lo ng period , in some cases up ro 1937.
Another aspect o f bulb (k\·clopment \\'as thc change that
too k place, ro ugh ly within rhc first dl'utk of rube manu-
facture, in the manufacruring technique used for scaling
off after e\·acu:-irion. Following electric lamp practice an
 Ol1dine Dimensions of RCA Radiotron
and Cunningham Radio Tube T ypes
This ch:irc o f cube dimensions is co be used in conjunction with chc ccxc. The bul b
refere nce number for each cu be is given under ics (HA RACTER ISTtcs.
The prefix letters of the bu lb dcsign:Hion ind ic:uc the bulb sh.1.pc: :i.s s for str:iight side," T ror 1 'tubu·
0

lar." ST £or :a combin.:ation of tubul.;ir .:;,nJ st r;tight sic.le, or ;;dome type." The suffix numbers oi the bu)h
dcsign.:atioos indicate the nomin.1.I nux:mum di:amctcr o ( the bulb in eighths o f inches. i.e., the di.i meter o{
the S-12 is 12 cii;hths, or lM".

x x
< <

jj
--1..
F IG.I FIG. 2
FIG.5

·~ ·~

FIG.7 f"IG.8
ill tlG.9

FIG.IQ F IG.II F'IG,12 F'IG. 13

- zjfMAX

f"IG.14 f" IG. t!> rlG.l o

American bulb shapes and dimensions to 1933.

external seal-off point was located on rhc top of the bu lb,
except in rhe case o f some double-ended rubes where it
became necessary tO lo1::1rc the po int elsewhere o n the
bulb su1face.
Again follow ing lamp-making pracrice the radio tube
industry changed to the use of 'stem scaled' bulbs from
1924-25 o nwards, thoug h because it entailed the: use of
new machinery the change could not be: made o n :rnighr.
Parcly because the presence.: of a rip sc.:al was such a readily
apparent feature which tended to look old fashioned o nce:
tipless bulbs had appeared, American manufacturers were
the quickest to complete the ch~111gcover. T o think the
jaunty tip which is nowada~'S so admired b~, rube collec-
tors so quickly became obsolete~ A no table exceptio n was
to be found in the case of Western Electric n1bcs \\·hich
retained their seal-off tips until the 1930s.
While standard sizt:d rubes continued to use tiplcss bulbs
thereafter this form o f construction <.:ould not be used
in the case of ' m idget' tu bes which appeared in the middle
1930s. Finally the advent o f the first button-base miniature
tubes in 1940 marked a return to rip scaling, a feature
which remained inherent in the construction of all minia-
ture types .
In the carly days thc bulbs o f all tubcs \\"ere complctcly
clear, at least when thcy wcre ncw, b ut attcr a perio d of
use they o fi:cn became d arkcncd due ro evaporated fila-
ment material condcnsing on the insidc walls. Sometimes
enough of the tungsten filamcnt matcrial could accumu-
late in one place ro cause a small silvcry patch to ap pear.
This is mentioned in order that it is not confused with the
later gcttcring process which rcsulted in all o r part of the
bulb acquiring a silvery appearance.
Probably the earliest gctter material used was red phos-
phorus and this imparted a pinkish tinge to the bulbs of
tubes using it. With rhc advent of thoriated filaments d ur-
ing 1923 came the use of magnesium gettering. In tubes
such as the 201 -A a tiny pellet of magncsium was attached
to each side of the plate structurc and afrer tiring the
entire inner surface of the bulb becamc coated \\·id1 con-
densed magnesium, imparting a mirror like appearance ro
164
it. In the case of early oxide-coatcd filament rubes, such as
types 112-A and 171 -A, the practice was to plat:c thc get-
ter pellet on one side only of the plate. Later still thc
getter material was attached to a tiny i1werred cup or tray
which enabled the vapo rised matcrial ro bc 'aimed' in a
desired direction- usual!\' towards o ne side orthe lower
part of the bulb.
Metallising
Throughout most of the histo ry of tube pro duction rl1e
outer bulb surface has normallv been left in its natural
state but there was a period when 'metallised ' bulbs were
used. Metallising consisted in spraying a coating of zin<.:
on the o utside of the bulb, the purpose of \\'hid1 was ro
form an electrical shield. For this rc~1son it \\".lS nor nor-
mally used on output tubes and rectifiers bur there arc
cases where even these ty pes were so treated.
Originali~' introduced in Germa n~' by Tclcti.111kc11 late in
19 29 metallising then spread to England where it was tirst
used in 1931. In the same year Grigsby-Grunow (Majcs-
tic) took up the idea in the U.S. where thc~' wcrc the
only company to make metallised tubes. 1n Canada the
affiliated Rogers-Majestic Co. also adopted metallising in
193 1 and continued to use it lo ng after thc dem ise of
American Majestic.
Amongst European manufacturers Philips o f H o lland
altho ugh not using tht: proccss until 1933 nevcrthclcss
probably produced more types o f metallised tubes than
any other company. Unlike o the rs Philips wcrc nor con-
tent to leave the ap plied coating in its natural g rey colo ur
but enlivened its appearance with a gold coloured finish;
later when 6 .3-volt side-contact tubes were introduced in
1936 a red paint was used.
Spray shielding continued in usc in the U.K. and Canada
up to and during World War rI when many military tubcs
m :re p roduced in this form. Aher the war M ullard con-
tinued with their spray-shielded ocral-based RL·d E serics
which remained in current use until about 1950. Marco ni-
O sram also issued a few spray-shielded octal types in the
early post-\\·ar years.
 Chapter 7'wenty-One
Some American Independents
De Forest After 1922
Late in 1923 the De Forest Radio Telepho ne & Tele-
graph Co. moved from New York to Jersey City and pro-
duction of a new range of Audions was commenced. 8y
this time De Forest himself had severed connections with
the comp<Ul)' though he allowed the use of his nmnc in
advertising in such a manner as to make it seem that he
was personally responsible for the production of De Forest
Audions.
The first tubes known to haYe been produced at the new
location vvere types DVI , DV2, DV6, and DV6A. The
last two so closely resembled the earlier type 20 that it is
now C>aenerallv•
believed bv• hisrorians that the\'• were in fact
the earlier tube disguised under a new type number. All
four types were fitted with nickel plated Shaw bases but
the last two were later issued with Isolantite bases.
Towards the end of 1924 the De Forest Company un-
derwent yet another reorganisation which resulted in a
name change tO the De Forest Radio Company and from
this time an increased range of tubes was produced. The
first three issued by the new company, types DV2 , DV3,
and DVS, 1 were initially fitted with bakelite bases but dur-
ing 1925 a change was made to the use of Isolantitc as a
base materi<tl. 2 For the next two vears Isolantite bases were
a distinctive, though not unigue, feature of De Forest
tubes and by 1927 no less d1a.t1 20 different types had
been produced. A large number of these were storage bat-
tery types carrying the standard 5-volt filamr.:nt rating and
even allowing for the fact that man~· tubes in the range
were duplicated bv being issued in two different base s~1 les
(UV and UX), it still left a lot more types than were
produced by other manufacturers.
In this respect the De Forest Co. was following Euro-
pean practice where it was not uncommon for individual
manufaccurcrs to produce as 1rnuw as five or si\ diftcrcnt
types within a particular filament voltage grouping. And
this was in the days before the introduction of 'power
rnbcs'. The De Forest tubes were advertised under the
rather curious n<une of 'Speci<tlist Audions' and it was
seated that the production of tubes having differing char-
actenstICs was in line with European practice which fa-
voured the use of tubes specially designed t'i.) r particular
functions . This was in contrast to American practice where
general-purpose tubes were used in all stages.
An advertised tcature of Dr.: Forest tubes during this
period was the.: use o f 'yttriated' fi laments:' As yttria is
an oxide of the metal yttrium it may be assumed that the
tubes had oxide-coated filaments . Although only two
types, DV2 and DV3, were.: specifically mentio ned it sr.:cms
reasonable to assume that othr.:rs in the.: range were simi-
larly constructed. The success o r otherwise of this devd-
opment remains a matter of speculation but as far as stor-
age battery tubes wr.:n: concr.:rned it is obvious that the De
Forest Co. marketed oxide-coatr.:d types ahr.:ad of o cher
manufacturers. A likely explanation for the adoptio n of
procedure would be that as De Forest tubes were not
licensed by RCA the company was seeking to avoid the
use of the patented thoriated filament.
Most of the Isolantite·based tubes were available in
either short pin (DV) or long pin (DL) stvlcs and both
-~
•
(L.) De Forest DV1 .
(R.) De Forest DV6A and carton .
carried De Forest patent numbers ink-stamped on their
bases. In the case of earlier issur.:s this marking was en-
closed in a circular outline while later issur.:s carried the
marking witl1in a rectangular outline. Type identification
was by means of a papr.:r sticker attached to the side of the
165
glass bulb though a solitary type, the DV3A, had its type
number ink-stamped on the base in addition.
The majority of the DV and DL series were fitted with
Here they are . ..
tubular bulbs and all types, without exception, were top New .i\mlion 410 Audion 422
scaled. As stem-scaled (tipless) bulbs had been adopted as
far back as 1924 by RCA and other manufacturers, De
Forest tubes in consequence had an 'old fashioned' look
which was retained up to the end of 1927.
The last tubes ro be made at Jersey City consisted of
seven types which by now all conformed strictly to con-
ventional standards and carried standard type numbers; it
was a case of Goodbye 'Specialist Audions', Hello 'New
Standard' Audions. Tubes in this category may be recog-
nised by the use of the figure 4 as the first numeral in the
type number coupled with the prefix D. Type 410 Audiou is designed to Type 422 Audi.on is a battery op-
In 1928 the company was reformed again, for the last 1tse as an oscillator or as fl radio. erated., screen grid tulM for U$f? as
time as it happened, and moved ro Passaic (also in New f r'1que11cy power amplifier. a rudfo frc•1wmcy amplifier.
Jersey) where standard type tubes continued to be manu- ttCrolicc-~~ plntc suppot'L" :tud wieu ispuc~r8 nt Ao mdde c natcd 6.l:uueut (tlao gh·ctf thi:t i\uilitin
factured up until closure of the company in 1933. During •he l1Jp uflbe tuJJ~ ntfortl 1,rotcction from voh·
3.&,;C hreakdt>wns eo.. .:iwou lo muny·lOtypc tu.bt.-s.
ruud1 lcmg cr Hfc und greater emission thsn in
the ortlinury ·22 ty11c tube. The 1il3Jucnt is
this period a range of 26 different receiving tubes was 'l'ltc 1)1'C of oxide <:outed filamc.nt result~ in three tii.1:1e8 •he dhum.:lcr' (•f the o.rtlin:iry lltu-
i;;rt~udy in<:rt~a1'Cd li.fo 11;! npern1ingtcmpcrntur<"8 t'ist.;d tun~st<:n tilamt!hl be)u~r.illy ni ed, lllll?Ul°'>
produced all of which were standard types apart from urc lci;s than onc-tbi.rd that oflhot-i~ted tuugelen. iog: f.rcc\lvm from micruphouic noisca.
three. The exceptions were: type 420A equivalent to the ttCrccpin:;,, is entirely ovel'(:tH1lc. It ie: 1m1c>
tie1dly iru1w~iblc to b <::tt the carboni:1.e'l i1lnte CHARACTEJUSTICS 422 AUDJON
UX-120 but had a 0.06 amp filament; type 422A equiva- o"·ing to Hf"I urcn nc.-rly twice that ::;cncrally
uned jum•dinary· lO t y(u~t ube~. The •.1·10 .\mlioo FH,.:m cnl V~It.age · · 3.3 Volt•
lent to the UX-222 but had a 0.05 amp filament; type is capublc of Uissipttting ns high a.5 ho'cuty-fi,•e Fila..nu:nl C11rrcnt. - - .132AmJl&
Piute Vohn~c .. . 135 Vol• 1
471A equivalent to the UX-171A but had a 0.5 amp fila- waU:1 uf energy,
Ct.>nO:(Jl Gr.id Vohuge . -1.5 . hfl
ment. CHMIACTEIUSTJCS <UO AUDJON Scr•:f'.n Grid Voltogc · + •IS Volta
FiJa1ueut Vollage • 7.5 Yohs
In addition to rece1v111g tubes a quite extensive range Filament Current • l.2SAwps Watch for our anuuunccmcnl of tl1c new
No.rroul l'ltttc ''ohagc .. ,,,25 v.,11... De for~t "SO wan ~' Audi.Ou 8000. to he placed
of transmitting tubes was manufactured at Passaic. These Norm.al Piste Current • 80 M.A. ou tht) m.arkcl.
were all standard types using the RCA '800' system of
U)(•G DE FOREST RADIO CO~IPANY, JEltSEY CITY, N. J. 192f)
type identification but with the figure '5' in place of the
'8'. Included in the range was a type 510 which had a
counterpart, type 410, in the receiving range. Although
the rwo types were structurally different the 410 was also
AUDIONS
advertised as being specially constructed for transmitting
USC.
When in 1933 De Forest Radio was in final receivership
its assets were purchased by RCA who then took over
production of transmitting tubes in their newly formed
transmitting tube division. So great was the mania still
attached to the rnune De Forest that for several years after-
wards many types were marketed under the tradenamc
'RCA-de Forest'.

De forest Receiving Tubes 1923-1932

DVl D-OlA D400A 401A 432
DV2 DL2 D401A 410 433
DV3 DL3 D402 412A 440
DV3A DL4 0410 422 445
DVS DLS 0412 422A 447
DV6 DL7 D416B 420 450
DY6A DL9 D471 420A 451
DV7 DL14 424 471A
DV8 DL15 426 47113
DV9
DV9R
DR ~7
430
480
481
II
431 499 D401A 0402 D416A

166
 De Forest Audions of 1931.
Arctun1s
It must be admitted at the o utset that Arcturus tubes
have attracted more than their fair share of attention from
mbe collectors merely because of the attraccive appearance
of the blue glass bulbs used for the first six years or so of
their production litecirnc. Actually Arcturus were nor rhc
first blue tubes buc due to the length of time bluc gb ss
was in use the words 'Blue' and 'Arcturus' became svnon-
ymous. The transparent blue glass w;1s the samc as chat
used on 'daylight blue' electric lamps ;rnd was considerably
more expensive than ordinary clear glass, which was prob-
ably the reason for its eventual abandonment.
However, it was not just showy appearance that cnablcd
Arcturus to gain and rerain a place as one of the foremost
independents of the day. The company was a pio neer pro-
ducer of indirectly-heated AC tubes as well as being re-
sponsible for the early introduction of several new rube
types over the years.
Advertisements announcing Arcturus rubes first ap-
peared late in 1927,' so in the absence of anything to
the contrary it is reasonable to assume that the cornpany
bearing the n;m1e was founded in that year. The Arcturus
Radio Company, like so many of its contemporaries, was
located in the city of Newark, New Jersey, but unlike
ochers initially madc only AC tubes. So it was that Arc-
turus, without the benefit of previous experience in the
manufacture of battery tubes, embarked on the production
of what was then an entirely new development- the indi-
rectly-heated AC tube.
In 1927 the all-electric receiver was in its infancy and,
although RCA had introduced their first i.d.h. tube dur-
ing that same year, as yet there cxist<:d no industry stan-
dard in the matter of heater voltage and basing arrange-
ments. Perhaps this was a good enough reason in itself
why the first Arcturus tubes should haw difl"cred so verv
considerably from any ochers, but differ they did. Firstly
an unusually high heater voltage of fifreen ( 15) was used,
while the heater itself consist<:d of a thin rod or stick o f
De Forest types 410 and 510. The 510 is a transmitting tube.
carbon. The choice of such a high heater voltage was ob-
viouslv connected with the use of carbon in place of the
normally used nmgstcn wire heater, even though it has
been suggested that the figure of 15 volts was chosen in
o rder to make it convenient to obtain the heater supply
from a toy transformer. Such a theory docs not cut much
ice with the author who believes that once the decision to
use carbon had been 1nade, 15 volts was found tO be thc
most practical operating voltage. Further, it may be re-
marked that no other competing tube maker had found it
desirable to use such a high voltage with tungsten wire
heaters as suitable low-voltage stcpdown transformers
were readily available. As to the reason for using carbon in
the first place, that is another matter. The company itself
claimed to have elected to use carbon because it was less
subjcct to burnouts than tungsten, and it is a fact that
many early AC tubes sufkrcd from burnt out heaters.
Another reason may have been that at the time Arcturus
was an unlicensed manufacturer and may have been seek-
ing to avoid the use of a patented form of construction.
The heater rating of all types except one was 0.35 amps,
giving a consumption of 5.25 watts, a figure that was high
even by the standards of the day. In the case of the type
A40 output tube the current was 0.4 amps and it is inter-
esting to note that a comparable directly-heated power
tube, type l 7IA, having otherwise identical characteristics
could provide the same output for a filament consumption
of l.25 watts compared with the 6 watts required by the
A40. With a performance like this who needed an indi-
rectly-heated output tube?
T bc second and unique feature of the 15-volt tubes lay
in the method of terminating the cathode connection; a
standard UX type 4-pin base was used with the cathode
tied internally to one heater prong. This enabled the tubes
to be used to electrify existing battery-operated receivers
without the need for a special harness as required when
167
 forts as RCA's UY-224 did not appear until the fo llo wing
year. Initially all tubes were fitted w ith top scaled bu lbs at
A N ew Standard of A-C Operation a tin1e when other manufacturers h;1d turned to the use of
stem exhausted (tiplcss) bulbs. In this respect Arcturus
With tubes looked old fashioned and the company obviously
realised the fact as their advertisements of the period rather
Arcturus deceitfu lly pictorially represented them as being of tip-
lcss constructio n! No t unti l after 1929 were any Arcturus
tubes produced in riplcss form.
A-C Tubes Because the o riginal tubes used a pri,·ate type number-
ing system which resulted in some confusion in btcr ye;u·s
The uniqu e adrn nt.ages whic h when Arcturus produced standard types having identical
we claim fol' Arcturus A-C
Tubes are dit'eclly lt'aceablc to numbers, the author has taken the precaution of adding
unique (eaturcll Of C0115truction the letter 'A' as a prefix to the early numbers as a means of
and exceptional operating char-
acteristics. differentiat ing between the two. This procedure is in line
The exceptionalli• long life with that adopted by the vario us publishers of ru be list-
of Arcturus Tubes is due to lha
e normous e lectt·o n s upply, rc -
ings who were also co nfronted with the same ditliculty.
~ ulting from the h eatet' oper- By comparison with the McCullo ug h-Kellogg tubes the.:
ating a t a low tempera ture.
Arcturus were little uscd in commcrciallv built rccei\'ers of
The highly efficient cathode ls re- toy transformer may be used. Fila-
the period but, for the record, it must be mcntioned that
sponsible for the unusual sensitivi- ment voltage i~ the same (15 volts) towards the end of 1928 the Sonora Phonograph Co. of
ty of Arcturus A-C Tubes and for for all t)•pes, detector, Hmplifie1·
the exceptional volume and tone and powel'. Ni.:w York marketed several models of eb:tric phono-
quality which t heir use insures.
This cathode produces: 1. A high The freedom fl'om hum which is graphs and radio-pho no combinations using the 15-volt
amplification factor (10 .5). 2. A one of the most important feature•
low plate impedance (9,000 ohms). oi Arcturus A-C Tubes, is due to tubes. Apart from the fact that they were bramkd Sonora
3. A high mutual conductance the use of low A-C current, only
(1160 micromhos). l!.35 ampere. Arcturus Tubes in and carried diflcrcnt type numbers the tubi.:s were o thi.:r-
all stages arc four element tubes
Since the base of the Arcturus
w ith indirectly heated cathode•. wisc idcntical to Arcturus types. Other ri.:ceiver manufac-
A -C Tube is of the standard four-
prong type, no additional ter- N ormal variations in line voltage turers known to have used the tubes were Hammarl und-
minals are rt"Quired,
.. making do not affect t he operat ion of
Arcturus Tubes adaptable to ex- Arcturus A-C Tubes. The ampli- Roberts Inc. ~rnd C. R. Leutz lnc.
isting circuits with all the ~implici­ fication facto1· i~ practically con-
ty of D-C tubes. No center ta~ or stant over a wide range of lilamenl Towards the end of 1928 the tirst low-,·olrage AC tubes
balancing are required. A common ,·ottages-13.0 to 18.0 volts. were advertised for sale, the initial release consisting of
I ARCTUR US R AD IO COMPAl."\Y, INC.
261 Sh erman t\Yenue , Newark, N. J.
four types: 126, 126I-I , 127, and 071. 5 These were sran-
dard types with the exceptio n of the 126H which was an
[. indircctlv-hcatcd version o f th<.: UX- 226 having the cath-
od<.: tied intcrnallv to o ne side of the heater in the same
manner as had bi.:en done in the case of th<.: 15-volt types.
using other non-scandard AC tubes having O\-crhead or A ni.:w q uick-heating type known as 'DETECTOR 127'
side-mounted heater terminations. At the same time the
tubes were equally suited for use as initial equ ipment in
all-electric receivers.
Although the permanently linked heater-cathode con-
nection sometimes led to rrick~· biassing arrangements
when used in this lam:r application, the tubes \\'ere in-
tended for use in all stages as the range included a spe-
cial detector, type A26. Even so, the main user, Sonora,
elected to use a 5-prong tube \\'ith a separately connected
cathode in the detector posit ion .
Unlike other tube manufacturers Arcturus did not limit
its productio n of non-standard tubes to o ne or two rypes.
Between the vears 1927 and 1929 no less than scn:n dif-
ferent types of 15-\'olt tubes were produced, all of \\'hich
with one exception, were triodes. I ncluded in the range
was a high-mu \'Oltage amplifier, another Arcturus 'first'
and a type not produced b~r any other manufacturer until
many years later. The inclusion of a screen-grid tllbc in Arcturus AC28 and Sonora RA-1. These tubes had 15-volt
1928 was another indicatio n of Arctunrs' pioneering cf- carbon -heaters.

168
was announced early in 1929, and this was, seemingly, the
first American tube to make use of a hearer insulated from
the cathode solely by means of a coating applied to rhe
surface of the heater wire. For some reason this form of
construction was no t retained and for the next fc\\' \'cars
all Arcturus indin:ctlv-hcatcd rubes made use of a 2-bon:
solid insulato r.
Early in 1929 the companv underwent a reorganisatio n
which resulted in a move to a new location at Elizabeth
St., Newark, and a change of name to The Arcturus Radio
Tube Co.(· From this time the emphasis shifted to the pro-
duction of standard type tubes, and by mid-1929 the first
Three versions of the 127.
battery-operated t~rpcs had been issued. These were types
099 (UV & UX), IOl A, 122, Ol2A.
It was during the years 1931 to 1933 that Arcturus
tubes became most widclv used bv receiver manufacmrcrs,
two o f the largest being Atwater Kent and Crosley. In the
case of Crosley the tubes were hot-branded on the base.
(O·oslc_y-Nladc ~Y Arcturus Radio Tube Co,.
The following t)'pes a rc known to have been issued: 124,
127, 145, 180, and PZ.
In 193 l Arcturus claimed to have been the first 111•\llU-
fact urer of the type 551 vari-mu screen-grid tube, as well
as the first to produce a power pcntode, type PZ. This
claim is open to question as by mid -1931 several other
manufacturers had announced similar rubes. It remains a
fact, however, that both these rypes first became well
kno wn and widclv used under the Arcturus brandnamc.
From a co llector's point of view the type PZ is interest-
ing in that ap:1rt fro m being one of the best-known early
pcntodcs it was the first Arcturus tube to use a two-letter
marking system which was subsequently used on types rhc
company claimed to have pioneered.
Two versions of the 126.
By 1933 Arcrurus appeared to be concentrating more
o n the replacement market and h:1d introduced many types
not previously m ade by them. Advertisements of the pe-
riod listed a coral of 60 types in current production, not
including the 15-volt types which were now obsolete. The
year 1933 also marks the general abandonment of the use
of blue glass except in the case of Wunderlich rypcs. It is
pitiful to have to record that during the transitionaty pe-
riod certain types were produced with clear glass bulbs
having the word BLUE marked o n the bulb in blue paint!
Following the introduction of metal tubes by RCA in
1935 Arcrurus brought out a range of metal-glass types
under the name CORONET .7 The Coronets, althoug h re-
sembling other MG tubes of the period, differed in both
inward and outward appearance. Outwardly they were
noticebly shorter than other makes and this was attribut-
able to the use of a radical !~, d ifferent type of electrode
mounting in which the conventio nal stem seal was re-
placed by a novel annular seal. It was the resemblance
of this annular seal to a coronet which rather obviously
served as the inspiration for the name of the series. ·
Apart from producing Coronet types, which were the
eq uivalents of metal tubes of the period, Arcturus also
used the Coronet form o f constructio n for the production
of certain earlier 2.5-volt types. Because these peculiar
hybrids were, of necessity, fitted with octal bases it was
necessary to supply a conversio n adaptor with each tube
to allow it to be fitted into the corresponding receiver
socket. Although this may seem an expensive and round-
about way of approaching the problem of maintaining a
supply of earlier ~·pc tubes for replacement p urposes it
must ha"e suited Arcturus' production methods at the
time. Even so it was nor long before the production of
Coronets was discontinued and a return made to the use
o f conventional stem seal construction. The reason for
this decision is not known; there could have been design
weaknesses o r the type o f consmrctio n could have proved
169
coo expensive to compete with MG cubes produced by An;n1rus Blue Glass Tubes
other manufacturers. The lase pre-war cubes p roduced 15-rnlt T ypes Sonor.1 Type A rcrn rus Type
were GT ~1 pcs in which Arcturus pioneered certain high- A22 DEi Equi,·alcm co 127
A26"" RAI Equivalent co A48
voltage heater types.
A28 RE I Equi1•alenr ro 180
l e is believed chat the co mpany ceased o peracions in
A30 RE2 Equi,·alcm ro 181
1941 as no advertisements have been discovered after that A32 SO I Equi1-.1km co A40
time and no traces exist of Arcturus rubes being made for MO 502 Equil'alcnr ro 150
the Armed Services during World War II. For a short A46'
period afccr the war a com pany by the nam e of Standard A48
Arecurus Corp. located at l 01 Sussex St., Newark, was
· Both A26 and r\46 wen: li,tnl :is special cktccrors but it is nor known
advertising war assets surplus tubes. As this company used if the A46 wa' n ·cr issunl.
the Arcturus brandnamc and logo it may be surmised chat
' Letter' Designations 2. 5-l'olt Types 6.3·1'0lr Types
there was some connectio n with p re-war A.rccurus bur
ARCT URUS Equivalr.:nr 124 136A & 36i\
no thing furchcr is known to the author ar this writing.
AD KR! or I V 12 7 & 27 137A & 37A
AE none 12 7 Dr.:tecror 138A & 38A
AF 82 145 & 45 139A & 39A
AG 83 46 6T5
GA nonr.: 48

I&
PA 110111.: 55 Wunderlich Auto
PZ 47 56 Battery Types
PZI-1 2A5 57 0 12A
58 099
59 IOlA
551 120

Arcturus WUNDERLICH 'A' (L.) and 'A-Auto' (R.) .

Made for the Crosley Radio Corp (1931) .

ARCT
A - C L ONG L.IFE TU DES
AllCTURUS llADIO COMPAr'\Y
220 f::liznht ll1 Ave., Newnrk:, N. J.
Arcturus 2 .5-volt tubes (1931).

170
 OTHERS 2A6 122 & 22 u nder the 'K R ' prefix there were some w hich had orig -
071A 2B6 130 inally allocated two-d igit type numbers running fro m 90
071H Wunderlich A 13 1 to 98. Ir appcars that these were experimental o r sample
110 (5-pin) 132 types w hich if and when put into production were then
126 & 26 Wunderlich A 134 g iven KR type numbers. Both the manufaerure of non-
126 Dcrccror ( 6-pin) standard tubes and the use of no n-standard ~· pc numbers
126H
ceased b~- the end of 1934, follo wing rhe introduction of
180 & 80
181 & 8 1 the R.M.A. numbering system.
82 With the introductio n of metal tubes in 1935 Ken-Rad
became o ne of the first independents w produce them and
\\'hen: a tube is listn l unckr two 1ypc numbc:rs, e.g., 180 & 80. !he th is was follo ,,-cd by the pro ductio n of G and GT types.
second number indicates .1 later production, usual!\' 1933. During World War II Ken-Rad made a wide range of
In the case. of earl ier 1.1nn-stand;1rd rypcs havi ng rypc: numbers which
~orresp?nd with diosc of brer srandard rypc tubc.:s, .:.g.. 48 and 48, there
tubes for m ilitary use, including transmitting and mini-
1s no sum lamy 111 rhc rubc:s rhcmsd1·n. As rrn:mioned in chc rcxt, the ature types. However, hardly had peacetime production
letter ~ has been added hy the aurhor to the rypc numbers of the earlier been resumed when the companv was taken o ver bv G en-
tubes 111 o rder to prcvc:nt confusion.
eral E lectric. This occurred in i°946 when GE re-~ntered
the field of receiving tube manufacture afrer an absence of
Km-Rnti some sixteen years. Tubes continued to be sold under the
Ken-Rad n ame for the next three years o r so at t he same
Amo ngst tube m anufacturers the Ken-Rad Lamp & time as they were being sold u nder the GE name. f inally,
Tube Corp. of Owensboro, Ken tucky, was unique in w hen the Ken-Rad brand was withdrawn during the early
being lo cated in the southern part of the U nited States, 1950s it marked the <.:nd of yer another respected indepen-
traditionallv not an industrialised area. Ken-Rad tubes dent n am e .
w ere first .issued in 1926 under the name 'Archatron'.
F rom this humble beginning g rew o ne of the foremost
independrnts who supplied the tube requirements of m;uw Nat·ional Union
of the largest receiver manufacturers. ·
During the tube prolifi:rnrio n battle, being waged in In nan1e National U nion was a comparati,·e late-comer
1932 by many of t he independent tube makers, Ken-Rad in the industry as the compan y was not estab lished until
contributed their share of non-standard types. Whilst some 1930. At this time a merger of fou r o lder companies-
of these differed o n ly in carrying non-st:indard rype num- Magnatron, Marathon, So natron, and Tekvocal-resultcd
bers others were o riginated by Ken-Rad and had no coun- in the form atio n of the National U nion Radio Corp. of
terparts am o ngst standard r~1 pcs. Of the lacrer some fell Newark, N.J. National U nio n quickly• I;>
arew to be o ne of
bv the wavside whilst o thers cvcntuallv became standard the foremost rnuncs am o ngst independents of the day, spe-
~;pes mad~ b v all manufacturers. An e~ample of the latter cialising in the p roductio n of replacement tubes including
i~ rh.e ~1 pc KR l, a small half-wave mercury vapour recti- many older no n-standard types whose original manufac-
fier mtendcd for car radio use. T his rube was later issued
by other makers in h ig h vacuum form w hen it became
known as type 1 o r 1-V.

Cross Rdc rcncc of Ken-Rad and Standard Types

Type Equiv. Type Equiv.
KRl 1-V K R28 84
K RS 6A4/ LA KR31 CLEARER TONES '
KR17 KR48 47 SWEETER NOTES
'LONGER UfE
K R1 8 18 280M 80 GREATER VOLUM~
KR20 281M 81 ........
KR22 950 Ken·Rads
AR£ THE FINE TUB£S
KR25 2A5 951 184 Of RAi;>IO

Of these th<.: KR], KR28, 280M, and 281 M were mer-

cui:• ,·apo ur rectifiers. pro ductio n of which was soon dis-
continued. The ~' pc 950 was also made by Natio nal Union
and T ung -Sol, while the 95 1 was issued bv R avtheon Types KR25 (L.) and KR5 (R.) non-standard output pentodes
under the type num ber 184-95 I . Apart fro m rubes. issued (1932) .

171
rurers were no longer in existence. In 1935 NU became
o ne of the few independents to manufacrure metal rubes,
having previously made a range of MG types as a srop-
gap measure. Amongst those companies making MG rubes
NU was unique in being the only one to also make metal
rubes.
Unlike other independents NU at no time attempted
co introduce odd-ball types of tubes though, as noted
above, the comp:111y did make replacements for many no n-
standard <Uld obsolete types which wo uld otherwise h:l\'C
been unobtainable.
During World War II NU became active in the devel-
opment and manufacture of transm itting and special pur-
pose rubes and by 1943 had established a second factory
located in Lansdale, Pa. Following the war the company
resumed the production of commercial receiving tubes be-
fore ceasing manufacture in the early 1950s.

Types 90 and 92. Note base markings 'sample tube.'

S_Yivania

The name Sylvania first appeared o n radio tubes late

in 1924 when three types \\"ere produced by a compan~·
known as Sylvania Products Co. of Emporium, Pa. In
1929 Sylvania merged with the Hygrade Lamp Corp. to
form Hygrade-Sylvania Corp. which continued to issue
rubes under the name Svh-ania.
. In 1934 Svh-ania
. became

JI one of the tirst independent receiving mbe manufacturers

Type 85AS. It was made as a replacement for a Majestic
spray-shielded tube.
to commence making transmitting rubes but it is under-
stood that licensing difficulties with RCA prevented full
exploitation of this field.
From an early date one of Sylvania's biggest customers
had always been Philco and as Philco claimed in 1938 to
be the world's largest receiver manufacturers it will be
appreciated that Syh-ania's tube output must have been
vcrv large indeed. Sylrnnia's close association with Philco
was, in 1938, responsible for the launching of the ' Lo k-
tal' rube, an all -glass type intended to be their answer
to RCA's much vaunted all-metal rube. Loktal tubes re-
mained in current production until the late 1950s and in
additio n to being produced by other American manufac-
rurers were also made b,· at least two British ,·ah·e makers.
Syh·ania celebrated its 50th anniversary in 195 1, tracing
its ancestrv through its unio n with the Hygrade Lamp
works which had been established in 1901 . In 1963 Syl-
vania be<.:ame a unit of General Telephone and at the time
of writing n:mains the sole American produccr of re<.:civ-
ing tubes, having lived to sec its ersrwhik rival RCA bow
our of this field in 1977.

172
 Tung-Sol Vm=-Xr 10.. l't-l TllE N. z. RAEi() Tl MES

Guaranteed to be Better than any

Like manv other indcpendents Tung-Sol entered the rc- other Valve on the Market!
cciving nibc field by way of lamp manufacniring. The
Tung Sol Lamp Works Inc. arc known to have been mak-
ing rubes as early as 1930, though rhis side of the business
appears not to have occn de\'eloped ro the same extent as
in the case of competing manufacrurcrs. In the main Tung
Sol stuck fairly close to the production of standard type
tubes though in 1932, in common with others, did de-
velop a few o f their own design. For example, the TS-257
was a directly-heated o utput pencodc intended for DC line
operation.
In 1936 Tung-Sol embarked on the production of metal
tubes and later also made G and GT types. During World
War II the company made various tvpes of receiving rubes
for military use including the 7 17 A (VT-269). The 7 17 A
was a Western Electric UHF pentode and the o nes made
by Tung-Sol carried the names of both cornpanics. This With the Sensational New
particular rube was used in Scarr receivers made in the
immediate pose-war ~·cars . Following the end of the war
SUPER-PHONIC
TlU1g-Sol made 7-pin miniature ru bes fo r a short period NATIONAL UNION VALVES
TYPF.
before retiring from radio tube manufacturing. OESIC NEO,
ENCINEEllED • n d
56 .. SUPF.R.TRIOOE AMPLll'IER
11/-
MANUl'ACTUREO 57 TlllPLE·CRIO AMl'Lll'ltll
by
13/-
THE WOllLO'S <8 .. TRIPL£.CRID SUPER-CONTROL AMl' l.IFIER
13/-
LEADING 46 DUAL.CRJD POWER.OUTPUT AMl'UFlER
VALVE 13/-
M..NUFACTURERS 82 MERCURY-VAPOR RECTIFIER
llf-

Hyti'on

In a 194 1 advertisement H ytro n claimed to have been

'manufactun:rs of radio rubes since 1921', w hile in 1944
they proclaimed d1emsclvcs as 'the oldest manufacturers of
radio rn bcs'. As it is outside the scope of this brief review
to assess che accuracy o f these claims the reader is !di: to
form his own co nclusions.
Early National-Union tubes (1931). Little inl'ix mation is available concerning the origins of
Hytron but ic is known that the Hytron Corp. of Salem,
Mass. was manufacturing rubes in 1926. Noc a great deal
was heard of this company's act ivities until 1938 when an
important new constructional development in tube manu-
facmring was introduced. At this t ime H ytro n issued a
series of dwarf sized octal-based tubes under rhe name
'Bantam'. These were the first GT n1bes, rhe desig n of
which proved so successful that it was soon caken up by
all other m:rnufacturers as well as being widely used in
many other countries. Later in 1938 H~rtron introduced
the first Americw midget hearing-aid tubes, chc 'Bantam
Jr'. In 194 l the junior J3antan1s were followed by an even
smaller tube known as the 'Super Bantam'. Also in 1938
H ytron commenced production of transmitting tubes and,
over the years, introduced new typcs in d1eir ' HY' series.
Carton sty/es 1930-1940. During World War II the company name was changed

173
 Si {r:ama.

Philco tubes 24. 27. 35. Made by Sylvania.

Early Sylvania tubes (1931).

A T>1>< fqr en:ry T11l.-

Appllcadm1

Philco types 17 (L.). 47. 14 (R.) Made by Sylvania (1931) . /{[))EGARDLESS of the set- in the final amlysis it's lhe tube. tbzt tell
(D.J~ the story of whecher " you i:-;t 'cm.. or not-that makes possible
ekar. joyous, reception. That s why S)'lvama Tubes arc prcferre<I
and insisted upon by every radio ll$Cr th•t has ever tried them.
Sylvania T ubes h•vc d early demonstrated time and time •gain their absolute
superiority over the average product- yet they cost no more and you can
buy them from any "~de awake dealer. 11 the dcalcr in )'Our town does
not ha'-e thcrn-wnu: us direct.

To \\lidc Au·«l<c Dc(l/ets dntl Jobbers

\ \I" ~ •l'IU'r~c ro u• wl~ "' c.onnteoon W1th wdc: ~w~
ck.a.ko uJ )IOt:ibe:.JOJV(ft' th< (".l('~kW wllittC n..:Ji,uclS,-111"4UU
Tul<• 11'1 tl:.c ~ton· «n-a~-F« dd»l. •"ntit Ct "'--C:C t·04.la.y.

SYLVANIA~ELECTRI C ,.;m{Htriu,n., Pn.

wu,_fH Of IU,!)l(t 1 110t~ ru 1to 111 ~·· f lll!I$: !UCTllll lllC. lll\'!tll: l lVOll l J.C·r ~ · l AWr $, ' " ' "" ' ' · "''llllll fl H 'o•(I S ltl (HllC or.••• 5 UL6$
DECEMB ER, 1945 ~ l•tAPJ.Qj SYLVA NIA PR ODUCTS COMPANY

174
to Hycron Radio & Electronics Corp., at which rime there
were factories located in four difkrent cicies. At this time
Hvtron became one of the first manufacturers of minia-
ture tubes for military applications. Following the war the
company remained active in the production of all current
types of receiving and transmitting cubes. In 1952 Hyrron
became a unit of the Columbia Broadcasting System, after

;~~
,,.
which time tubes were marketed under the name CRS-
H vrron.

R rnthco11

Amongst independents Raytheon must be counted as

one of the oldest, even though th<: company initially pro-
duced only gaseous rectifying tubes. Prior to the forma-
tion of Raytheon a company by the name of the American
Radio & Research Co. had developed and marketed cold-
cathode gaseous rectifiers under their brandnarnc Amrad.
T hese rectifiers were half-,,·a,-c types inn:ndcd for trans-
I
Tung-Sol 59 (L.) and 71A (R.). The centre tube is an F257
I
mitting use only and they continued to be sold until l 925 made for Fada .
when the A.mrad Corp. (as it was by then) was taken over
by C rosley who discontinued production. At this time a
new company by the name of the American Appliance Co. HIE N.z. flADIO TIMES

secured the Amrad patents and developed and marketed ;1

new type of gaseous rectifier intended solely for receiving
use.
In October 1925 clic Ra~·rhcon i\ilanufacturing Co. of
The Hidden
Cambridge, 1\fass., was formed and fo r rhe next three years
was engaged solely in the production of cold-cathode rec-
QUALITIES
tifiers. When RCA first gramed rube numufacturing li- of a Va Ive are Hard to See
censes in l 929 Raytheon became the tirst independent to
be licensed and, thus equipped, embarked on the produc-
tion of a range of standard tubes. Tubes produced ac chis

:-;•;:.•,. !l•-~;,,11':':.;"' '" ',";",::•

..._
..
;:,~·.:-~·~~c·'"~ ·:~,~~ :~
. ..,.,., ...._ .........
. Mt

::.:...:," ~:.:
-- .........
"•
- _-·-·.... .
............. ... .
::-...::!...·-··.- ................
-·_..... --. ................
..
_ --"";'..........
...-:..:~":.
~
..,....
·-'"
. . .......... ..
,..._.~
.. . .,. , •••.,, ,..,,.. •" r..- •••

BUT THEY ARE THERE IN

TUNG-SOL
RADIO VALVES
.,.........
'" ~

...••

:·
f

" .

Tung-So/ TS280 (L.) and 485 (R.). The latter is a Sparton

replacement.

175
time may be dist inguished by the word Raytheon together
with the rype-prefo: ' R ay', hot-branded on the bases.

Raytheon rubes ro 1929

Rav-X Rav·X Ra\•-V R:t\' BA
200 222 199 224 BH
201A 226 227
210 245 Gaseous Rcccifo:rs
240 250 B
11 2 280 BA
120 281 BH
171A 199 BR

With the exceptio n of three 1-ypes, X-20 l A, X-199,
V 199 and the gaseous rectifiers, all these tubes fea tured
Raytheon's unique type of stem press which h:id a star
shaped cross-sectio n. This feature was extensively adver-
tisc.:d as ' Fo ur Pillar Construction'. T he additio nai surface
edges provided by this type of press allowed the use of
extra support rods thus enabling a sturdier and more ri a id
assembly of the tube clements in the davs before rhe ~d­
vcnt of ST (domed ) bulbs \\'ith their ac~ompanying mica
spacers. A characteristic of the earliest 4-pilbr Raytheons
was rhe extremely heavy plate structure used in output
tubes and rectifiers. Such tubes were further d istinguished
by having the word Raytheon embossed in raised letters
o n the o uter sides of the.ir plates.
Towards the middle of 1929 Rayth.ton became associ-
ated with the National Carbo n Co. (makers of Evereadv
batteries) who were apparently looking for an addition~I
line of merchandise to offset falling sales of radio batrc.:ric.:s
caused by the advent of 'all-electric' radios. National Car-
bon became sole distri butors of Ravtheon which were
then marketed under the name 'Eve~eadv Ravtheon'. At
the same time an option to purchase the. Ray~hcon Mfg.
Co. was secured but as events turned out the optio n was
never exercised.
'
Hytron type 4 7 and carton (L.). CBS-Hytron carton ( 1952).
Raytheon's edge over 1.:om peting manufacmrers in re-
spect of the rigidity of the four-pillar construction was
effecrivelv removed bv the introduction of ST bulbs
through~uc chc indusr;·y in 1932. This development re-
sulted in tubes having a greatly increased rig idity of their
electrode structure due to the use of top m ica spacers. For
the next year or so Raytheon 1.:ontinued to use their fou r-
pillar construction in conjunction with the ST bulbs but in
an industry where every half cent counted chis was o b-
viously a wasteful procedure and fro m 1934 onwards the
four-pillar feature was quietl ~1 dropped.
Towards the end of 1933 connections with National
Carbon were severed and the comp~mv. was reoraanised
0 as
the Raytheon Production Corp. of Newton, Mass.. and ar
the same time the brandn.lme reverted to plain R aytheon.
At this period R aytheon introduced several new types of
receiving tubes, rnanv of which became industrv standards
and at the sam e tin~e the development of n~w types o;·
gaseous rectifiers was continued. In 1935 Ravthcon be-
came one of the first independent manufacture~·s of metal
tubes. Manufacture of transmitting tubes was commenced
in 1936 with Raytheon hlter introducing many new types
in their ' RK' range of a1natcur transmitting tubes.
Following the end of World War II R avtheon made a
brief attempt to regain their former positio~ in the receiv-
ing rube field but apart from introd ucing the 'S antai' ser-
ies of octal-based m bcs in 1948 made little impression in
this area. Soon afterwards productio n of receiving tubes
ceased though at the t ime of its 40th anniversarv in 1965
the company was sti ll ad vertising a line of for~ign-madc
nibes under its o nce pro ud all-American Raytheon label.

Cm·do11 Spnrton

The Sparks-Withington Co. (Sparton) of Jackson,

Hytron Bantams (1938) . Mich., was probably the o nly large radio man ufacturer to

176

Early Raytheon 4-pi/lar tubes.
Raytheon Ray-Xl 71A, 201A. 226. The centre tube was not of
4-pillar construction.
undertake extensive production of receivers using non-
standard AC rubes. The first of such Sparton recei\'ers
appeared in 1927 before the Radiotron U Y-227 AC tube
bad become an industry standard. The tubes titted to these
early Sparton sets were either a double-ended type made
by Kellogg or a single-ended type made by Cardon. The
Cardon tubes had elongated bakditc UX lx1ses which in
addition to the usual four base pins carried rwo small
side-mounn.:d contact pins located on opposite sides of rhe
base near the mp edge. The extra-long base was needed to
allow clearance for the two side pins when the tube was
inserted into a UV-type socket; a somewhat surprising
requirement in view of che fact rhat U V sockets were
obsolete bv 1927.
Because of their different forms of construction the
cwo makes of tubes were not directly interchangeable but
either type could be used in a particular 'run' of receivers
by using the appropriate style of 'harness' for the hearer
connections. The heater ratings and operating characteris-
tics of both types were identical. Cardon later made tubes
fitted with standard UY bases, though they still had non-
standard heater ratings.
~Raytheon~~
~... LONG LIFE RADIO TVBES _:::-
The
''Healthy
Tubes"
HIS exclusively Raytheon
T consrruc cion pre,·ems prema·
rnre debi lirv and incidental dis-
orders in radio tubes - hence,
rhe .. Heal chy Tubes."
fr keeps the rube elements per·
m:1nendy in rheir original and
correcc relacive positions.
RAYTHEON MFG. CO.
Cambrid~e, Mass.
CJST :.VJ.AY, J.})29
Little is known of the origins of Cardon but ir seems
likdv to have becn a tube-making subsidiary of Sparton as
both companies were located in Jackson, Mich. In the
event the name Cardon disappeared after 1930 by which
time Sparron had turned to the use of standard type rubes.
Because of the large numbers of early-type Sparto n re-
ceivers which had been produced the continuing demand
fix replacement tubes after the demise of Cardon resulted
in some other tube makers producing certain types. For ex-
ample National Union, Tung-Sol, and Vox made the 5-pin
types 484 and 485.
Amongst the many odd-ball tubes made by Sparton
were such types as the C484A, which had a heater rating
of 3 volts, 1.6 amps and was intended for use in 32-volt
DC receivers, and the C686 which had a 3-\'0lt, 0.25-amp
filament. The latter was a battery-operated tube fitted with
a 5-pin UY base h<wing onlv four connections mad\: to it.
177
 ~ AMAZING IMPROVEMENT
IN RECEPTION FROM YOUR PRESENT
RADIO RECEIVER WITH NEW

EVEREADY
RAYTHEON 4·PILLAR TUBES
HF. inevitable johs
T ;and jars of !hipmcm
and liJndling can't budge
i ht tl<'meJH s in :1n E \'tr-
Changes in carton styles 1929- 1934.
°'d)° R>~·1hcon Tube hy
:u much :l.!> :i l hous<Ul<lth
of an inch. Their :.C'cu-
rare s:p:.cing, which :a~ ­
sures m:lximum pl.':tforrn -
nncc1 is immune 10 th\"sc
This parric.:ubr odd-ball was intended for the 'battery- common h:iur<ls.
fi carion' o f existing srocks of AC rccei,-crs having 5-pin T he 4-Pil/ar 'Ot:Jtru'-
t fon, which glvcs Evcr-
sockets, an expedient which saved h;wing to develop sepa-
c>d}' R:aythcon Tubes
rate chassis for battery sets. I h~irrem:. rkableir rtn~lh,
Cardon-Sparton Non-Standard Tubc:s
C- 17 1 3 V, l.3A Output Tube, rcpbo:d by C-1 81
is p.1t~n1cd anJ exclusive.
\\'i1h no other tube can
)'ou i;ct oil it• •d,·an·
Peoplec.-,·crrwht'n", u1t-
ing E"ere.,dy Rorth<"'"'
in t heir recci \'Crs . TCJ'<'>rt.
UJ:c.•11. If )'Ou examine the
i11UC.'15cd distanct". mo re
illu~lri d on :n the ho t-
power, better 1onc :ind
1oon o! this page, you win
flt:'i: the superiorit)' of this
quicker :ictio o. 'l'u ~Cl
('onstructinn. 1ht most from yo ur re·
ceiver, put a new l·:vcr·
T his is cspccinlly im-
eadr Raytht'Ort in each
po rt:rnt in rccei\'ingt ubes
socket. Your dc:dcr hu
whic h h :wc la rge and
l1cowy elc:mc ntli - tubes them in all typc11 - in-
such tu 1he 22·~ screen.. cluding the famou• B-1 I
sri<l, the '280 rc.."'Ctitlcr, and tube for " ll" po wer
tubes used for
1>0\\'Cr
units.
push-pull oudio amplifi-
cation, requ iring per-
rccd)' uniform charncter-
iJi1ict1.
NATIONAi, CARDON Co., INC.
r.,.,.,,,..1Qj}lr.. ll;

NEW \'OU!\. , N. \'.

C- 182 SV, 1.9A Output T ube, similar ro st:rnd:ird
11''"""''"•1 C hll',lilf' ' • t.:""""'" C:itf ,
7 1A :-:,.,.. \ 'urk, ~ "" Jlrand..co

C- 182A SV. 0.8A Output Tube, rcpl:Kc:d b~· C-482A

C- 182 B sv. 1.2r\ Output Tube. rc:plac.:cd b~· C-4828
C- 183 SV, l.25A Output T ube:, sidc:-pin rypc
-t·PILL\tl T\!'8£S •· PtLL\M s.:au:L'·<.Hun
C-373 3\1, L3A side-pin type: ,.,_._ ''!i.- "'"'-"'"'· ~
~,,,.,,.~,,v "~~ tllo.,.• -li NW
E.~,.~.~~t.·n.:t

-·· ...
l • l>e. Ell Ut.. Tk •fl,r,M <4
C-401 3\1, l.3A side-pin rypc ,_,..,,,_ ,.<Mio... '""' ....... ,.
'-'"'""'""''"'' ,
"'-a-i tllot .Ull
n-.r::wvr.~ M •U•
~.,~~ ......."'.......
*' ricw ...." ...... £ -.ad,. Ltil- -t l"tH.u
C-484 3V, 1.3A replaced by C-485 alCl ~ ""''-''-""' dw . . . ~\'tt.dt.,. 1,..<0IUll•

C-484A 3V, l.6A for 32 V. DC li ne operation

Q:i"r fOll NO\'t!MBRR, 192'
C-686 :w, 0.25A replaced by C-486

1\11 rrjcstic

The company whid1 produced Majestic tubes started

PILLAR s OF TJ.1£
~ LAW
\);.°h<ft Ju. uJu '<h " ' th..:: :--:-tW
Ymk Po!.c .. ,.,.,_., ~ "i1'li--~
lo)fh r .. ..-.r..h- Ra""'°" v..i..,,.
-~J. IH.nuv ol t~: ~ iY\J,..
u
life as the Grigsby-Grunow- Hinds Co., making A and B
eliminators under the brandn:unc Majestic. In common
r•?hr l>r-.nn.• o! t.'1.~ drk.1.~ dn with many orha eliminato rs of the dav the Majestic ' Super
uo>.!r1
B' used a Rayrheon rype BH rectifier. but later this was
Eveready changed to a similar rube made b~· the QRS Music Co. of
Raytheon Chicago. The Q RS tu be as use.xi by Majestic was not iden-
Ii ..,.. f.,.,,~,I 11!~1 ,.,,. ,, l1111r ,,111....
tified by a type number, being simply marked Majestic.:
.::!':·:~~:.~ '':1.~·.:~! 'Zf' .e~ . :,i:.·:~ Super Power; it was the first tube of any sort to c.:arry the
:it~~~,~~:!:t'~!l·~1.1•;:~ ~·~~~:.,:.~
.......... •.• .,.,. ,.nlluW.11 <'1111•+1 '" "'
Majestic brand name .
th.......,,••~··'"" ..r '''"'"· ·1·.. '''"
p,,,~.,l·C•• p.,i,,,.. 111.t.,. ''"o ""~
Grisby-Grunow-Hinds, like others in the industry dur-
·· ...,_, ..,....
" ' ""'"' . . ~0i-1. niol ......) 1101.........

"'"· ...... - ·-·-·h

iuo.. th.a, T• YOU " - - Jf'
.._.....i,ctit-r..,...~'-ltf"d Mnctt

_...,.. do. - tll

~ -. ing the late 1920s, were desirous of embarking on rec.:ei,·cr
llr:.d Oflk<": l'.O. Uo' 6:~. \\'cllinjtton. Uo~ 897. ,\urklBnd manufacture bur were prevented from doing so by RCA 's
then ext:mt policy of refusing to gram further manut:Krur-

178
' ing licenses. Like others, mo, G-G-H found a way around
this difficul t~' by buying out an existing lkcnse holder, in
this case the Pfanstiel Co. of Chicago. With the acquisi-
tion of Pfanstid in 1928 the name Hinds \\·as dropped
from the company title whid1 then bcxame the Grigsby-
G runow Co., this name being retained for the remainder
of the company's existence .
O riginally rubes for Majestic recei,·crs were purchased
from outside suppliers bur in 1930 G rigsb~·-Grunow ser
up its own rube factory, an achicvemenr which made them
the only independent receiver manufacturer to make their
own tubes. Tube production was limitc:d to only those
types needed to equip Majestic receivers and because of
this the number of different ~-pcs produced iniri all~· was
quire small. For example, the tirst production consisted of
but four rypes- G-24, G-27, G-45, and G-80.
t7 --i1
'I
Sparton C-482-B 5-volt output
tube .
Spartan C181. Hea ter
connections are to the side
pins.
In spite of being a late-comer Majestic was, in 193 1,
one o f the first two tube manufacturers to produce the
type 55 1 Yariablc-mu screen-grid tube and was also the
firsr recei,·er manufacturer to market a model using the
new tube. Also in 1931 Majestic bc:camc the first and onlv
American manufacturer to prodtH:e spray-shicldc:d tubes, ~
feature which in itsdf became something of a Majestic
trademark. The idca of pro\'iding ce1tain rypes o f rubes
with metallic-coated bulbs had o riginated in Germany in
1929, whence it had spread to the U.K. and the U .S. The
spray-shielding pro1.:ess obviated the need for a separate
metal shield-can which would otherwise have been re-
quired for certain types of tubes. In practice the metallic
coating was grounded via the carhode connectio n or else
by means of an additional base pin. A further Majestic
innovation in 1932 was the production and use of the
Spartan 686, battery triode .
The fifth pin is unused.
Spartan C401. Heater
connections are to th e side
pins.
179
1,vorld's first duo-diode detector tubes, types G-2-S and
G-4-S, which for several years remained the only s uch
American tubes in existence.
Although concentr:ning mainly o n the production of
mains-po wered receivers Majestic did make o ne or two
models of battery-operated sets and car radios, plus the
neccssarv tubes to equip them. Even though the produc-
tion lifespan o f Majestic rubes was onlv a little over four
vears, the number of different types produced during this
period was surprisingly large when it is realised that pro-
duction of new types was geared st rictly ro recein:r needs.
[n spite of this there were many special types produce?
which had no exact counterparts amo ng standard Amen-
can tubes of the period. for example, when the first Ma-
jest ic 6.3-volt automative tubes appeared they diflcred in
having a 0.4-amp heater rating instead of the standard
0.3-amp. T hen there was the matter of the type number-
ina·
b l while most Mai'estic tubes were standard tvrKs (apart
.~

from the spray-shielded o nes) and carried standard rype

numbers, certain types carried the sultix 'N which in-
dicated a tube in an entirely different grouping. Thus the
type 58-S was a 2.5-volt tube while the SSAS was a 6.3-
volt rvpc. leedlcss to say, such a system was completely
o ut o.f keeping with standard American pract ice, and in-
deed, world practice. The suffix 'S' appearing in any type
Majestic gaseous rectifier made by QRS Music Co. (1927) .
number indicated that the particular rube was ~pray
shielded, though a few later types were not so identified. .
When a stud1,· is made of the manner in which many o t
the Majestic sp~cial types differed from standard types o ne Because of the large number of Majesti<.: receivers in
is forced to the conclusion that Majestic had been pla~' mg existence fo llowing the dcrnisc of Grigsby-Grunow there
the 'non-standard' garne for the same reasons as others- existed for some vears afterwards a sufficiently large de-
to make it impossible, or at least very difficult, to use mand for replace~1enc tubes to make it wo rthwhile tor
standard tubes for replacements in Majestic's receivers, certain independent tube makers to pro\'ide the needed re-
thus effectivclv keeping the replacement business in Ma- placements. Thus Ken-Rad, National Unio n, and Ravrhcon
jestic's hands. Bv the time production had ceased in 1934 all produced replacements for the various non-standard
over 50 difkn::n·t types of tubes had been made, though it Majestic tubes, though in the case of spray-shielded types
should be no ted that manv of these difkred onh· in the it was necessarv to use a close-fitting tube shield as no
matter of havin,,.
l:>
clear or sp. rav-shiclded
•
bulbs. met•1llic coating. was pro\'ided on the 1~cplacemems.
The following is a listing of all known Majestic tubes:

,,,- G·2·S G-36 G-56-S G-89

-~~ ~\1
G+S G-37 G-57-S G-1 A6
G-24 G-38 G-58-S G-2AS
G-24-S G-42 G57-AS G-2A7-S

~ ~
G-25-S G-43 G-58-AS G-6A7-S

..,
G-27 G-45 G-59 G-6C7'
. G-27-S G-47 G-59·B G-6D7 ·
\ / - -~ G-30
G-32
G-50
G-51
G-75
G-80
G-6E7 ·
G-6F7'
G-33 G-51 -S G-81 G-6Y5'
, ~ G-34 G-53 G-82 G-6Z5
'. G-35 G-55-S G-84 G-25Z5

" I! G-35-S G-56 G-85

• S pr~v·shicldcd type nor idcnriticd ;1~ 'ud1 b\' thl' us.: nf the sullix S
Some of the first Majestic tubes (1930). in 1·hc rvpc number.

180
 1 .z. RADIO GUIDE AND CALL OOOK 113/

Typical Majestic tubes. Note the use of a large-size (S-14)

bulb on the type G-30.

REFERENCES

l. See advt. Radio News, December 1924, pp. 892-893.

2. Sec, for example, advt . Rndio i11 Australia & New
Zealand, May 27, 1925, p. J 84 .
3. See advt. Radio in Australia &·New Zcalaud, July
22, 1925, p. 341.
4. Sec advt. Radio News, November 1929, p. 447.
5. Sec advt. Rtidio Nellis, December 1928, p. 592.
6. Sec advt. Radio News, April 1929, p. 960.
7. The Latest in T ube Dcvclopmcnrs, R adio Cnift,
March 1939, p. 524.

. I
'

18 1
 •I~

Later Majestic spray-shielded tubes . Majestic ·spray-shielded' tubes. The suffix 'A' indicated 6.3-
volt heaters.

182
 Canadian and Australian Tube Manuiacture

C rmnrfim1
f "'
j;.
., ...... ~ \~2 . .I
Information o n rhe o rigins of r:tdio tube manufacturing
in Canada is surprising ly meagre. Because of this the full
srorv. will have to await the rime when some sufficicntlv.
@ RAOIOTRON
DETECTOR
motivated native son takes the rroubk ro research and RADIO TRON l\adiotron AMPLIFIER

\Vrite it. Leaving aside the independent efforts of Edward ""'"' MOOEL _U\'200

S. Rogers. whose work has at kast n.:ceived some recogni- UX·240 MODEL Fil. VOLT
' FIL.AMP_ _ 1
il•gli M~ llatcctor Pl.ATE v__ 1115
tion, it appears that the tirst Canadian tube rrnmufacturer
VP!ta~e An1pli DtTfCTOR
was the Canadian General Electric Co. (CGE) . Ar much hLYl>llS
•"•VrKn••(.o •'t
CAllAD l~N GtHEffAL
ELECTRIC COMPA"Y
the same time another firm by the name of the Rad io 111..i)l>.
un~l)us
1""1JU)I) , .... ~"'' (( ~41J.J.
Valve Co. of Canada Ltd. was also offering apparently
identical tubes (valves)! Two other firms-Canadian Wes- 'II\•
l ,.
l\odio
..
Corpc>1 olion @J
tinghouse and the C:rnadian Marconi Co. were also active
in the radio tube fiel d at an earlv dare.
Jusr how many of these lir;11s actuallv manufactured
-
Two early Canadian cartons with an American RCA (centre).
tubes is open ro question bur ir scems unlikely thar as
many as four separate focrories were in existence, at least that the date of issue would have been in 1921. In external
in the earl~ 1 days. The products of all fou r companies ini· appear<mcc these two tubes were indistinguishable from
tially carried the word Radiotron in addition to the indi- American-made R adiorrons apart from being marked with
vidual companv names. Canadian GE continm:d to use a list of patent dates in place of the license clause.
the word Radiotron for as lo ng as tubes were manufac- Althoug h the majority of Canadian Radiorro ns were
tured. \Vcstingho use, o n the other hand. d iscontinued its
use sometime in the 1930s.
Marconi commenced using the R VC logo sometime in
the lace 1920s, afi:cr which rime rhe Radio Valve Co .
ceased to issue tubes under their 0\\'11 name. Tubes issued
after this time were sold under the name stvlc-Marconi
RVC Radiotron. Later still, apparently afrer \Vorld War
II, 1vlarconi adopted a new logo-Ci'vl C-to replace the
earlier R VC.
Because of their joint use of the word Radiorron it
is obvious that there must have been some sort of trad-
ing arr:mgemcnt between the companies i1woh·ed. By the
same token it is also obvious that there must have been
some connectio n \\'ith RCA, if on ly in the matter of using
American patents and designs.
T he first Canad ian-made tubes ofti:red tar sale were the
Radiotron types UV-200 and UV-201. This followed the Northern Electric 208-A (L.) . Canadian Radiotron 201 -A (R.).
same pattern as in the U.S. from which it 111;'1~' be assumed Note patent markings on base.

183
identical to their American-made counrcrpartS a few ex-
ceptions may be mentioned. For example, there were some
developments of the standard 201-A rypc tube which wen:
not made by RCA. T hese were the rypcs 01-B (0.125 -amp
fi lament) and the 01 -C (0.06-amp filament). A third type
in the same series, known as UX-121B, was a power out-
put tube with a 0.125-amp filament. Two examples of
varianrs amongst AC tubes were the UY-227A and the
later 227-A.
Apart from the above companies Western Elcctric's
Canadian Subsidiary, the Northern Electric Co. Ltd. , pro-
duced Western Electric type tubes at least as far back as
1930 and probably earlier. Apart from carrying the name
Northern Electric Co. these tubes may be recognised by
the use of t he prefix ' R' in their type numbers. Thus the
211-E was marked R21 l-E and so on.
Rogers
The first, and so far as can be ascertained the only,
independent Canadian manufacturer* of Yacuum tubes
conunenced business in 1925 under the name Standard
Radio Mfg. Corp. Ltd. The founder, Edward S. Rogers,
Canadian battery tubes not having corresponding RCA
equivalents.
1, 2, 4 Canadian cartons of the 1930s. 3, American RCA carton.
*Nor counting the short visir of the American 'rcfogee', Elmar B.
Myers, in 1923.
184
Canadian Westinghouse and Sparton AC tubes.
was an early Canadian <Un ateur radio operator who com-
menced manufact ure of AC-operated receivers which were
sold under the name ' Rogers B atter~t!ess'. Right from the
start Rogers made his own tubes to equip the receivers, or
it might be more correct to say that the receivers were
designed around the tubes. Whichever way it was, the fact
remains that Rogers himself deserves ro be recognised as a
pioneer in the production of both AC tubes and light-
socket receivers; in fac't it has been claimed his company
was the first in Canada to market such receivers.
Rogers had early realised that the future of household
radios lay in mains operation and with this in mind had
acquired the Canadian rights to the Amcricam McCul-
lough AC tube. The first Rogers tubes, rypes R32 and
R20, closely resembled the McCullough types 40 1 and
403 having the same distinctive bullet-shaped bulbs fitted
with overhead heater connections. T he first single-ended
version, type R30, followed a year or so later and used the
same shaped bulb bur was now fitted with the new stan-
dard American style 5-pin UY base. For the next few years
tube production was limited to a small range of standard
American-type AC tubes as needed to equip the Rogers
receivers then in production.
In 1929 the Standard Radio Mfg. Corp. became associ-
ated with the G rigsby Co. of Chicago and a new company
known as the Rogers _Majestic Corp. Ltd. was formed.
From this union came the American influence which was
to aftcct both receiver and tube designs fo r many years
after the collapse of the American company. Sometime
later, around 1932, a subsidiary company- Rogers Radio
Tubes Ltd.-was set up to handle tube production . How-
ever, a Rogers tube chart dated 1938-39 carries the naine
Canadian Radio Corp. Ltd. , indicating another change in
the company name style.
As far as the American influence on wbe design was
concerned the most obvious effect was the adoption of the
'spray-shielding' process which characterised many of the
Majesric rubes during d1eir short production life span.
Rogers took up the idea of spr•\Y shielding even more en-
thusiastically than Grisby-Grnnow, even producing spray-
shiclded output tubes and recritiers! Originallv the de-
sign of Rogers tubes closely followed Majestic practice in
which the metallic coating was connected to the cathode
pin of the tube bur, following rhc demise of Grigsby-
Grunow, Rogers rubes evolved along somewhat different
lines. From about 1934 the metallil.'. coating was extended
to cover the bakclite base, and gro und ing was achieved by
means of a contact clip which pressed against the base of
the rube when it was inserted inro rhe recei,·er chassis. Ar
this time, too, the distineti\'e Rogers corrugated grid caps
were introduced and it is interesting to note that these
wcrc later also used on Rogers octal-based tubes.
The next change apparent in Rogers tubes occurred with
t he production of octal-based types in 1937, after which
t ime the bare zinc coating was wvercd wid1 black spray
paint. These black octal-based tubes were referred to as
' metal sprayed' to distinguish them from d1e earlier 'spray-
shiclded' types and in addition they carried the suffix 'M'
in their type numbers. The ' M' series was Rogers' response
co the American production of all-metal rubes, though
apart from their black colour and octal bases d1e Rogers
tubes had little resemblance to the metal ones. Even the
grid caps did not belong, being the o lder large size as used
on pre-octal tubes.
Whilst the design of Rogers tubes in general remained
firm ly based on American practice there were many which
had no counterparts in the standard U.S. range, particularly
in the case of certain types issued around 1934-35. Also

···----~

mRADIO
TUBE

TYPE
'I 224
FOR USE IN
Rogers 'Spray-Shielded' AC tubes c. 1934. Note shielding ~
cover;ng bases. ~~~~~

I '
-

\.':::
Rog•rs ~~· Tulie.
TORONTO

Rogers AC tubes c. 1931.

Rogers AC20 power output Rogers R30 (L.J and AC32 (R.). Note similarity to American
tube. McCullough .

185
 q-~~~
· 42s

1ft
Rogers ·spray-shielded' AC tubes c. 1934. Note corrugated
grid caps.
Rogers 'Metal Spray' tubes c. 1937.

during the late 1930s the number of difti:rent rvpes 111

productio n i111:rcased enormously so that b\' 1939 rhen.:
\\-CIT O\·er 133 listed. Of <.:ourse much of this increase
simply rctkcn:d the situation exisring in the U.S . where
prolifcrarion had been going 0 11 for years, but cn:n so one
is forced to the conclusion that the continuing new pro-
duction of special Rogers types had no jusritiearion other
th;m that ir ensured an ctli:<.:ti\-c means of sccuring sub-
sequent rcnewal business.
During \Vorld War lI Rogers-i'vlajcstic, in ;.;ommon wirh
other Canadian manufacturc.:rs, made tubes for the British
and Canadian armed forcc.:s, m a n~' of which were standard
conrn1ercial types that had been assigned military rype
numbers. In .1ddition Rogers .1lso made the cqui,·alcms of
certain Briti!>h co nunen.:ia.I rypes being used for miliran·
applications. For exampk, sonll· rypes in the 1\follard Red
E ocral-bast.:d range were manufactured b~1 Rogcrs using
Rogers 'Metal Spray' tubes. Note corrugated grid caps. their meta l sprav technique S ucl1 tubes although of neces-
sity ha\'ing the same ckctric.11 t.:haracteristics as those made
by l·dullard , \\'ere.: of ditkn.:nr .1ppearance. bcing titted with
Rogers· st.rndard black painted tubular bulbs. Examples
arc: V R53 =Ei-:39 and VRSS = EBC33.
Nor long ati:cr the end of the war the company pro-
-' ducing Rogcrs tubes <lnd m:ci\'crS, Rogcrs-J\tlajcstic Elec-

~
tronics Lrd ., was taken o,·er by Philips of Ho lland who
were by then established in the U.S. under tht· name o f
North Amc.:rit.:an Philips In;.;. Tt1bes continued co be sold
under the.: Rogc.:rs name by Philips Electrical I 11dustries of
Canada I .ed. \\'ith some ~vcs being issued umkr Philips'
OENERAI.
ELECTRIC own name.
ftADIOTRON
Rog.~ rsA.C. Tub~:. ru Approx. 1932
CA.,.•D I AIJ'i
~""•••t 1u:ct•1c
R20 R200 R245 AC551
R30 R224 R.247 AC51S
R32 R24S R280
Canadian tube cartons of the 1940s. RlOO R22 7 R2l0

186
 Amnlgm11ntcd Wireless

Rccci\·ing valves arc known to han: been manufaccured

in AuscrnJia as earlv as 1920 though there \\'<l S vc1T litrlc
r:al ~cti,·i~, befo re 1933. As the largest radio organisa-
non in the Commonwealth it is not su rprising ro tind
that Amalgamated Wireless (Ausrralasia)i Ltd. (A.W.A.)
shou ld ha\'C been the first (Ompanv to (ommcnce ,·alve
manufactu re. A.vV.A. had been fou;1ded in 1913 to rake
m·c1· the Australian interests of rhc J\tfar(oni Co. and the
C crman Telefunken Co., lic111.:c rhc USC or the word Am.11-
gamatcd in the company na1rn:. As an indication o f its
strong links w ith the 1\fa n:on i Co. A .\V.A. made use of
t.he same telcgr•tphic and cable code word 'Expanse' ,\lld
tor Se\·cral \"Cars thereafter also used rhc word as a crade-

NI !IQWW
AWA99 (L.) compared wi th an American UV199 {R.).
Expanse 'two-filament ' valve . Note similarity to American
'Audiotron. ·

11 l l l J l l,p~ 11111

Expanse -e· two-filament valve. Serial numbers were

die-stamped on anodes.

mark on all thei r Australian-made apparatus, including

vah·cs.
T he first Yake m carry the Expanse label '''•\S a doubk-
cnded, doubk-tllarncnt t~l1e which looked to be idcnti( a]
to the Amcric m AudioTron . As A .V•/.A. ne\·er claimed m
have made this o riginal Expanse \·alve it seems rca.so nabk
to assume that ir was in fact an AudioTron. In 1920 the
comp•lny patented a somewhat simibr rype of vain : known
a~ the Expanse 'B'. 1 This ,·akl· differed fro m the AudioT ron
design in two respects: a fl oating glass pin(h was used at
each end of the :-tsscmbly in pbcc o f rhe usual tlat stem
press, and cbonitc (hard rubber) end caps were cemented
·The word ',\usrr.1l.1siJ i~ an .in:luic :rnd ill-ddim:J rc:nn dc1101 -
ing Ausrralia. '.':cw Zc.tland. and rhc Pacific bl.111d~. AWA100 (L. ) and AWA33 (R.).

187
to each end of the bulb to protect the lead-out wires.
These valves may be positively identified by the word Ex-
panse die-stamped on the mbular aluminium anode.
In 1924 as the result of an agreement made with R CA
a manufacturing license \\"as obtained to enable selected
types of American Radiotron wbes co be madc in Aus-
tralia. For the next few vears all Australian-made ,·alves
were sold under the name AW A, used as a prefix to the
type numbers, thus-AvVA33. The first two such valves
were marketed in 1925; they were the AWA99 which was
equivalent to the original style UV- 199 except for having
a nickel plated base, and the A 'vV A33 which was the sam e
valve fitted with a Franco-British st~' lc 4-pin base. Other
earl}' A'vVA valves were types 99X, lO l A, lOlX, which
were the equivalents of types UX-199, UV-201A, and
UX-201A respectivdy.
Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s Australian p ro-
d uction accounted for only a small p roportion of the vah-es
sold bv AWA. In 1927, for example, o nly four t~-pes were
locally made while 32 types were imported. In 1932 a
decision was made to expand the company's valve mak-
ing activit ies and in that year a separate company known
as the Amalgam:m.:d Wireless \! alve Co. Pry. Ltd. (A \!\TV)
was formed. 2 It was at that time that the American name
Radiorron was adopted for use on the Australian-made
valves and it is interesting tO note that shortlv afterwards
the use of this name on American tubes was discontinued
bv RCA.
The first Australian Radiotron was the ubiquitous type
80 rectifier; it was followed in September 1933 b~· types
57, 58, and 2A5. Over the ye~lrS the number of diffrrent
AWV Radiotrons c. 1943
6P6 (L.) AV11 (R.)
188
TYPE
SY4102D
Australian-made STC valve SY prefix = Sydney.
rypes produced grew steadily and by 1939 Australia was
largely sclf:sutlicient in respect of rhe most commonly
used receiving valves.
The manufacmre of transmitting valves began in 1936
and was greatly expanded during World \i\'ar II when a
peak p roduction of I 75,000 valves per month was reached.
Of this figure transmitting valves :lccounted for berwecn
5% and l 0% of the total. Included in AWA's wartime
production were some highly specialised types such as
kl ystrons and cavit}' magnetrons used in radar equipment.
Productio n of the first Australian-made miniature valves
occurred in 1946 and during this year four 1.4-volt bat-
tery types were released. The first 6.3-volt AC min iatures
follow~d in 1948 and by 1952 the first 9-pin noval type
was in production. For a short period during the early
post-war years certain British-made Osr<un valves, such as
types X65M and KT6 l were sold in Australia under the
Radiorron name. One Osram 9-pin miniature type, the
X79, was actually made by AWV and sold under the type
number 6AE8.
Following the lead of American and British manufac-
rurers A\!\TV evenrually rnmcd to Japan for the supply of
many types of receiving valves and during the late 1970s
Australian production was phased out.
In 1931 it was announced that Philips intended to set
up a vah-e manufacturing operat ion in Australia 'early next
year'·' bur, in the e\·em, it was 1936 before this occurred.•
The Australian factory \\·as originally located at Camper-
down, N .S.W., b ut in 1946 it was moved t0 Hendon in
South Australia. During the late 1930s a limited range
of American type valves plus certain 6.3-volt side-contact
conrinemal valves were produced in the Australian f;K-
torv.
Bv l 948 a range of 74 Austr:lli:111-made ,·ah·es \\·as bcina
offe;·ed and it i; interesting ro note that only six Euro~
pcan rypes were included in the total.; Manufacture of
miniatun.: valves commenced in the carlv 1950s when cer-
tain American type 7-pin, 1. 4-volr batte.ry types were pro-
duced. These were followed by 6.3-rnlt AC types using
the same B7G base style. B~· 1958 quite a large range of
European rypc 9-pin nova! miniatures was in production,
these being marketed under American rvpe numbers. At
this time Philips also pro duced several d ifferent types of
vah·es for the Ausrrnlian Post Office for use in telepho ne
repeater service. These ranged from tht.: type l 8004, a
replact.:ment for tht.: WE type (4) 102-D to types 18046, a
noval-based penrode. Production of recei,·ing valves was
phased out during the late 1970s.
S.T.C.
The only o ther known Australian valve manufacturer
was the firm of Standard Telephones & Cables Ltd.* This
company had originally been established as Western Elec-
tric Co. (Australasia) Ltd., becoming S .T.C. in 1925. In
1939 a small valve manufacturing operatio n was set up in
Sydney to sup ply certain requirements of the Australian
Post Office. Valves producxd in Australia were disting-
tushed by the letters 'SY' (f()r Sydney) used as a prefix to
their type numbers. Due to local considerations it was
decidt.:d to use the British S.T.C. rype numbering system,
A group of Australian-made Radiotrons c. 1935 .
Australian G & R valve
patented Jan. 1923.
rather than the o riginal \'VE, as a basis for valve idenriti-
C<ltion. for example, the Western Electric ty pe 101 -D,
made in England as type 4101-D, bt.:came SY4101 D when
made iJ1 Australia.
During W orld War II S.T.C. produced large quantities
of military type valves for the Australian armed forces.
T hese were mainly of Western Electric or British S.T.C.
design though one Australian desig ned valve, a 350-watt
triode tVf)C
,, T6 l 0, was dcveloned
r locallv.
., Amoncrst
o valves
made during the war were several radar types including
the famous British-designed pulst.:<l magnetron N T98 ,
;rnd VT90 micro pup.
One final Australian valve remains to bt.: mentioned. In
June 1923 an announcement appeared indicating that an
Australian-d esig ned valve was to b<.: marketed under the
name 'G & R'.0 This valve had been d cvdoped by A.J.
Garrod and S. Radcliff, both of Svdnev and bad been
patented by them in January 1923 .7 ' ''
A contempory illustration o f the valve shows it as hav-
ing an axial fil::uncnr surrounded by, a coarse ladder b"rid
fo llowed by a widely-spaced box-like anode. Judgcd by
the standards of the day such a design was obviously inef-
ficient and it is not surprising to find that the G & R valve
was not a commercial success.
*The information concerning S.T.C.'s v:ilve production W <lS ab-
stracted from Somt! Notes 011 the Maiwfacture of Electro11it Vnhies
U\' Standard Telephones & Cnblc.r, Syd11~1·. dated Ocr. l, 1974,
authored by K.S. Brown.
(L.) Australian-made Radiotron 6AR7GT (1953). (R.)
Radiotrons 6K7GT and 6K8GT made in England by Brimar
C. 1955.
REFERENCES
1. Australian Patent No. 17769 of Sept. 2, 1920.
2. J. McD o nald, T he History of the Receiving Valve,
Radiotronics, Vol. 22, No. 12, p. 188.
3. Sec announcemcnr Wireless Weelt~v, Nov. 15, 19~1, p.
41.
4. Refer Philips Data Boo!~, 1948, p. 3.
5. Ibid., p. 3.
6. Radio Discovers Australian Scirntists, The Australian
Wireless Revie111, June l 923.
7. Australian Parent No. 10811/23, filed Jan. 24, 1923.
189
 Chapter 'TWentJ-'Tfiree

The British Electrical Companies

Edis1Pa11 originalh- to Queen Alexandra (\\'ifr of Ed\\'ard VII ) in

1913. This entitled the rnmpanv to app l ~' t(x a Roy;1I
Undoubtedh- the honour of bein g the world's first Warrant permitting them to use the words 'B~· Appoinr-
manufacturer of radio \'alYes belongs ~o comp<Ul\' known mcnr to H. M . Queen Alexandr;\, purveyors of Elcctri(
at the rime :is rhe Edison & Swan U nited Ekctric Co. Lamps and Fittings' in thcir ad vertising. T his Ro~· al Ap-
This compan~· had been fr>rmed in 1883 b\· a merger be- pointment c1rried o n th roughout the reign o f Ed\\'ard VI I
tween Edison's British co mpan~', the Edison Electric I .ig bt and in turn the company was re-appointed by King George
Co., and the Swan Elc.:ctric Lighting Co. In 1889 J.A. V and King Georgc VI; tl1l: appo intment fina lly lapsing:
flcming requested Ediswan to make for him some npcri - with the d eath of the latter in 1952. By this tin11.: hlmps
mental lamps which wo uld allow him ro study the Edison were no longer being marketed under the Ediswan brand-
effect ar first h:md. Ar this rime thcrl· W<\S no tho ught name.
o f an~' p ractical use for these lamps, flcming's work being Concerning the use of the word 'Rm·al' on Ediswan
a continuation of bis earlier studies o f the blackening in valve!; it 1rnw safrly be assumed that this could not have
use of carbon-tibrnenr bmps. ~
In 1904 Fleming again ap proached Ediswan, this time
with a rcq uesr for twelve 12-volt carbon-filament lamps
each containing <\ metal sleeve surro unding the filament.
These 'lamps' rnav justly be called the world's first radio
,·ah·es. Acting on Fleming's suggestion the~· were p ut to
work b~' the Marconi Co. as detector diod es in rccci,·ers
produced by the company. From this time on until the
fo rmatio n of the Marconi-Osram Vah-e Co. in 1919 all
valves used bv 1\!larconi's were made bv Ediswan.
During \-Vorld War I Ediswan became o ne ohhc sen:ral
lamp-making companies \\'ho made ' R' type \\lh-cs for
the British government for rnilitarv purposes. After the
war Ediswan, in company \\'ith these same makers, used
the R design as a basis for their first post -war \'al\'e p ro -
duction. Besid es this Ediswan had b v the earlv 1920s ini-
tiated production of their 'ES' serie~ " ·hich r;111 fro m the
type ES L of 1920 to the ES6 of 1926. It seems likclv thar Royal Edis wan valves c. 1922. Note cruciform stem seal on
the R type (L.J.
the R tvpe was renamed the ES I as the two appear .to be
identical. An interesting fcatun: of their construcrion was occurred before 19 13 and rims an~· ,-ah-e so marked rnusr
the use of a cruciform ;>r star shaped stem seal in place o f ha\'C been made after this dare. It is known that Edi-
the corn·enrional flat pinch. swan ,-alvcs co ntinued ro carry the word Roval up tO the
Another item o f interest is rhat up to abo ut 192 3 so me time the r~' fX' AR \\'as issued in 1922 bur the use ceased
valves bore thc marking 'Roval Edisw;111' in the same wav abrupth· thereafter. Bec.w se of th is sudden cessation o f
as did the electric lamp~ ma<.ie b~· the companv. It ma~· b~ use o f rhe word Roval on radio \'alvcs ir mav be :issumcd
mentioned for the benefit of no n-British readers rhat the th;u it had ne\'er bc~n autho rised in the first ~~lace and that
word 'Ro val' used in this manner signified th;\t the Edison someone had finallv awakened to the fact and do ne some-
Swan Co. had supplied lamps to the Ro~·al Househo ld, thing abo ut it. After all it \\'as most unlikclv th:u ,-ah-cs

190
 T m : ll"t ll t-: 1,E:SS ll"Ol<LO AXIJ KA OIO REHi-: \\" O<><i•o:k IS, t t)';4

Si:l"tt>IDCR 17, 1 9~• THE WIRELESll WOKLD .\:\0 R.\010 RE\"IEW ®®®®®®®®®®®®®®
·;;· .... ........ .... ........ ·;-;· .... ............®
® -6
®® ®
....®

~ @
~
'OJ
B
t~E. F\'1
s-r v"1.."" 1:.
VE~ MADE~AS ()
A.
\.D
B
white ' .s1'adow" 'l:V
••oovceo111 rHEEDISW•N
" LABORATORY \;;.:;

that mQaf\.t a ~ ~. lam.p that ~

® k~arr-.l- ~o ~al k
comi~ e\?Qnt (3

HE first elect- The " shadow .. was

®
e:...
\Cl
T HIRTY years a.s o
1he first ele c t roe
was a ble not only to
d etect bur roamplify. It
e·
V ,/

ric lamp- the cast by one leg of the B lamp was mo.kins had learned to "talk."
carbon fila- filament Ir was the sha- V i1s re putation. Eve ry· The first w ireless valve @
ment kind- dow of coming events B bodyconsid crcdirnusc· was made i n the ~
had a habit of " gciing - F lemi ng 's Valve : Qi/ ful substitute fo r paraffin Ediswan laboratories. It Qi/
B o il. Nobody dreamed was the pare nt o f the B
black " in use. This broadcast reception ; the \i:Y 11 wculd ever "talk." It very reliable ty pes Q
happened because tiny fact chat you are listen- ,-:i,.\ was Dr. Fleming wl\o of V-.1lve that bear 1he B
particles of carbon were ing-in 10-day. V found that something name " Ediswan" at the ~
deposited on the walls @ ~dorehwasl happeh ntnghm· prese nt day. ~
ThC' first rherm1onu: va lve w a.s so e 1 e amp t an ot e r f:Jo,..• v.i,,., ,,..11 1><;oz ti. ..,, 'Y
of the bulb. But some- made 30 y..rs ago on 1he Ed01WJ.n e:... peo~le haodd thdough t of. ..,, •I ,,_, .,,,.k.u ,,,,_,., ..,., f!?:,
body noticed that the labot·. uor1u. Ed1sw~n V.a.lve:s \jj He mer uce a mcra1 "" tM ft'tlJI lw:.nw • f!ttf <r.f<!.9 lout~, \Ql
deposic was not quite h are: grown with 1;on.R;1_nt r e p @ plate into the bulb and 'A7:M"'::!H":k':.."''h! oturod'- ~
uniform - a "shadow" search from the parc·r n discovery.
Cf!:).
made the lamp imo a y.,., """'N
i1t1c.w1nJ 111.,,,, "'-kk1
deteccor. later evolu.. " Tltt 11.itunionic l' o!t1e.- If"/'"
\\.Cl"
~
was left on one side of Brt111 lhe bat out of _tout f.Cir~lcu \.jj/
B
tions hrovided the grid - u..t />< •
d I I
«••·
T'Hr t ~ \w....,.. tlf~ts;~co.. l~.
'C/
~
the lamp. Investigations u:/ hy uilng E .JiJwon Valt.'C.r-gtJ \0/ an t e e eccric ::imp ouuN viet.>~, ... ~,. ~°"'?ON. t e.• '\Ci/
Followed. It was dis- Jome on /hr ?Poy home anJ cnjov a
covered that an unsus- b<ll~r programme to--nighl j l ll
® ~-r~~~~~~&~- ®
Dul~N
Jco/cn J<ll l~m.
pected stream of e nergy
was flowing oulwards T'He eo1SON S'WAf'I 1JLecn.1c. co L-:o
®@ VALVES @
®
to the walls of the bulb. OVHN \'ICTCP.IA $T, lONCON E.C . •

® ®
® ®
®®®®®®®®®©®®®
AHi&. h o, 1' !-4 Tin: \\ 11u;u~.s~ WOIU.O \Sil tUDtO to:-.. new

wert' ever supplied to any Roval I Io uschold in cht: \\'•W

that lamps \\'ere.
Produc.:tio n of Ediswan \'•lives during the 1920s fo l-
lowt:d th1: general crend thro ughout the industrv \\'ith dull-
cmitters appeari ng in 1923, power output types in 1924,
specialised HF and LF types in 1925, detinite 2-. 4-, and 6-
rnlr gro upings in 1927, sc.:reen-grid rypes in L928 and
pcntodes in 1929.
In 1927, ho,,-e,·cr, the winds of change hie\\' strong fo r
it was in this year that Edis\\'an \\'aS merged \\'ith B.T-H.
and Met· Vick to become a unit of a new organisarion
known as Assoc.:iatcd Electrical Industries Ltd. (AEI).
Umkr tht· new serup a polic.:~- of rationalisatio n in ,·ah·c
manufacture resu lted in receiving-valve productio n being You h•vt ....1, 10 i:atlt ... "Ef!i ~"'•" .. ,<>
Jlil'ttHU " lhc .. !~c .. ill•• UMC b,.J,:a.J ol
•rp•«i_t, 1lur
wi:I m•\•
concrntrated under the nam1: ' M:rzda'. This same name M ~ ··I U(t •• •l l •f1 ,

1··~~·~·::~~~~.:·~·::~::········;~:~ j
had pr1:viousl)' bcrn in use for lamps made b\' B.T-H. and j 1'{f.!,;~!;,~;~:;r. •. 21/· l
it continu1:d to be so used. Pre,·iously, as indepemkm !:.................
'T)J:.~R~C: 4r)rc!l,J JO •l
...._....................:
companies, B.T-H., Ediswan, and Cosmos had each pro- Jld-w: , .'"' hnd yo.,, I-NCC ' "'11' of illuumtd
"'1o6 1.t .. TIN TINrmr'~ Yd/to.-- } I/ n - 1.
u1111/ a pcu1'1JTd tHay.
duced and marketed \'alvcs under their n:spcc.:ti,·e brand- !:~~~::::.:~~~
namt:s. Co mmencing in 1928 chc name Cosmos was with- T1le EDISON SWAN ELECTRIC Co., Lld..
~t!)O lf• fl.J.l,lf,,-.....,.Dl'M C)jlr(,l;t...,..tol,,tt.H~.

drawn whik bv the end of 1929 th\.: name Ediswan had 12::S/1 2.S, QU~tD \'fclol'I• Sl?"tel. J!.C.4, and
71 Vlclo,la Strffl. S.W. 1,
Worlili : rcnd~r~ f..nd. ~Uddldt c.
been co mpletely replaced bv 1'vbzd.1. Howen:r. the name

·"·" ·.· _ . .1io............_ _ _ ~·--·'·'"·"'·"·"-:"'_r.;~'"'-"'·

 THf \\'UtF.l.r5:s WORI.D
Ediswan was rctairn.:d for use on no n- rccci,·ing valn.:s ;1s
\\'ell as being used o n ,·alves sold in certain countries
" ·here: the 1ume i'vlazda cou ld not b1: used due ro copy-
right rc.:strinio ns.
Fo llowing the merger ~ lazda grc.:\\' w be one of th1.
forem ost British valve manufacrn rers and one of the: most
British in o utloo k, in s pite of the American orig.ins and
... ~ c' ~ rat<J bf ura1..<\
connections of cwo of the AEI units . T he company's stor~· "C"C'• u.1 (WOo.;«-C'-, rN k~t
• "'-'1'Y much bctl<r valw
is continued under the ritk Mazda. r•.un. n· tluu ,,,. ~. nthu
'11\f"t.a: hJ:!\ ·no cmrSortJ
The ut: of "'..:\..d h.a •
.. n tl"(d ut M ,,m.Ju'c :. TI1I! B.TJ I. 1':(i..ti I 14·
!·\'~ 1lt
Edwisw;111 \ ':ih·cs to 1929 \ ·:\Jo.'1!
Jd1111lcll ' .:.nJ
""°'ht.di I \
(,iWK'lt:.J\•
ffk~t V.ah·c bu a co:,.
...il,!tra~ r long.er Idu1c o~ .
o: hcr
Approx. D.1r.: T~·pc Approx. Dare 1\lf'('rlOI" M l'nV
l •\'••lt \•,\!v( · ~ • c h< m~ritcl
a l;!IC'2tCJ' t:m1:.s."OO .inJ .-
icn!:.ot:r u t,ful 1i!¢ !h.m th.:
Firsr l ~~11nl hrsr Issued l'hc~\J l)C l'I N t tY i' l'tl)I
be_,t previous t.vok valw.

R 1916 I'\' I mrrdv 1 lnAll t:f «f iuh~ lc

A~k :i,·our J~l~ t1>-day
~liftctcn..:c' 111 clcc u1.;.11
ESl 19 19 P\'2 ~ h 11 oi~ ti:n tu..:"' Thc<.h ffor . .1 bo u t d1 cs c ..~:c,.i1dcrfv1
._. .. .,. bctw«n ~h ~ iH' W ' a.Ive~. T~a.t them )'Oul'•
ES2 192 1 PV3 n:r.11. l'\1: 1:,·1 l~1l:11nc111 i;df. \'OU W ( •H\ b.,: th!!·
V.11\·1: and tho: bctt ••I .1ppoimcd. T he 2mrm:w1:•
t.54 192 1 P\'4 Nhcr 2.\'olt .,.,.;,·.:1 1J. \ 'Cf\' mcm 111 r('Suft.! will b::
1iMfk cJ i nJ CM 'I b.: m· out of :111 vtUPQttion to
ES5 1922 PVS All 1925 11t.111llY m:r~o:1v.;d b;- thll 1.-h..;. .:t'.$1 of chc c h ."1111o:c.
ES220 1927 P\'6
P\'5 DE B. 210 H B. 210 L B. 215 p
U•rl ; '1 "" '
AR 1922 PV6DE l>" l.1t 11(t1I \ ',.ll •>!ti
l 1l.1ll\"i•I .\•11r-•
• •
ltl•I
I t ',l,l•1tt't1l \'DU:1;IC
• \ 1,111c-"I 1'1.'llt'~ •
•
010
1 •·;1;i.,..1u1t \'••ll~i:<
l'·l.ltr.Ctlt ,\•111•t
, •
• 0 15
1

AR.06 1923 P\'8DE \tu MI \ ',.,_.(t t \t\ \l u llT \-..:u ;: 1:0 -"tu. U.T \'nl~tt • t !'il
10s Gd IOs Gd 12s Gd
AR.DE 1923

~~; :~}
AR.DE(HFl 1925
AR.DE( LFJ 1925
AR.06( 1-IF) 1925 LF210 2-volt group
P\'215 1926-2 7
M l41 1928 P\1225

~~;~:~}
MI4JRC 1928
5El225 1928
SE415 1928 LF410 4-H>lt group
LHlO:\ 1926-2 7
H\/235 1928 PV425 ,.
RC610
i1 ;/._

GP2 1926 HF610

DR2
RC2
1926
1926
LF610
P\'610
6-rnlr group
1926-2 7 [f

'
J>\1625
SG215 1928 '·
'I
•
jj.__

j
Four versions of the Ediswan 'AR. '

SG4 10 1928
SG6 10 1928

:"<otc>- th<· prdix 'AR' j, su ppo,cJ tO imlic3tc 'Amarcur Rccei"ing'.

Two versions of the Ediswan PV2.
The rvpc' .\11-t I were rhc tirq Edisw3n indircctlr·h«;t«J AC
mai;" \'.th·cs. ·
Type H\' 235 \1';1s rhc on lv m3ins nxrilin 1·3J\'c:.
T~vc 5E225 & 5E41 5 were F.diswan's first ·fin: Ekcrrmk' pm·
rode: o urpur 1-.1h·.:s.
'J\·pcs 'I'\" \\'C r<· l'o\\'cr (ompur) V.lh«·s.

192
 British Tho111pso11-Ho11sto11
Another old-established and prominent electrical manu-
facturer, also a maker of ekcrrk lamps, the British T homp-
son-Ho usron Co. was similarh' called upon to use irs hlmp-
making expertise and facilit ies to produce radio \'ah-cs
during World \.Var I. As in rhc case o f the other com-
panies B.T-H . continued making V•llvcs after the war and
marketed them umkr the B.T-H. brand . In addition B.T-H
\\"as one o f the first of the electric companies to produce
and marker radio receivers \\'hich the\· sold under rhc
American brandname ' Rad iola'.
B.T-H. had been formed in 1896 t.tking its name from
an American compam-, the T hompson-Houston Electric
Co., whicl1 later became th1: Genera l Electric Co. (GE).
lnitially tht: American connectio n had a strong influence
on R.T-1 1.'s ,·akc making teclrniques \\'hich is e,·idcnr fro m
the simi laritv in the constructio n of rnosr of the carlv
valves produced. Such val\'es may be distinguished b\' the
vertically-mounted planar elccrrodcs used in conjunction
with im-crted ,-cc tilamems. One rypc. the B4. C\Tn carried
the sairn: filame nt raring as the Amcric;m t~·pc 20 l-A al-
though being firrcd \\'ith a British type b;tsc. Furthermore,
at least three of the early Yah-cs-typ1:s B3, B4. B6- arc
known to ha\'e been a\·ailablc with American type
UV bases .
During their production lifrrimc, whii.:h ended in 1928,
B.T-H. vah·es were perhaps somcwhar less popular than
ocher makes and. in the early days at least, \\'ere not as
well known nor as widclv used . This was no reflection on
the \'al\·cs themselves but m a~· be c:-:plained by the fact that
the company was mainh· concerned with the production
of hea,·y dccrrical equipment and as a result the r.tdio side
of the business remained relatively unimportant. Be that
as it m:w the face that B.T-H. had lagged somewhat in
vah·e de\'clopment can be gauged b~· rdi:rring ro the Wire-
less Worlrf Valve Dara published in August 1927 wherein
B.T-H . was the only major m;mufac:tun:r not listing ;lt
least one screen-grid ,·aJ\'e nor any indireccly-hearcd AC
types. However, ir is only fai r tO mcncion that with the
fo rmation o f A.EI in 1927 B.T-I-I.. as one of the three
constituenr companies, was the first ro phase our the
manufacture of receiving ,·ah-cs and this factor undoubt-
edly accounted for the compan~"s poor showing at this
rime. B~· rhc end of 1928 the production of rccci\'ing
\'alvcs under the B.T-H. name had ceased entire!\'.
Towards rhe end o f 1928, prcsurnabh· as the. first step
in a polic~1 of rationalisation resulting from the formation
of AE [, the name B.T.-H . was withdrawn and replaced
b~· the name Mazda. This parricubr brandname had long
been used for electric lamps made in the U.S. by GE and
Westinghouse; now it was to be used on radio \'<lives
made in England as weU as for \'ah-cs made in f rance bv
French Thompson- Houston.
In September 1928 a new range of 16 types of valves
B .T.H. types 83. 84. 85.
bearing the Mazda brand name was advertised bv R.T-H.
All wen: batten· triodes carrying the then usual 2-, 4-, and
6-,·olt libmcnt ratings and were stated ro be made at rhc
compan>"s Coventry factor>" Shorth· afrer this several in-
directlv- heated AC \'alvcs made by Mer-Vick, and formc rlv
marketed under rhar comp.u1~··s Cosmos n<unc. \\'en: addc~i
to the Mazda range.
Towards the end of 1929 the first ad\-crtiscmcnts link-
ing the names Edis\\'an and Mazda appeared and from then
on any rekrencc to B.T-H. was disconrinued. T he phasing
out o f the Cosmos and B.T-H. names had been completed
by the end of 1929, after which time the name 1\ibzda re-
mained in sole use for rec:eiving vah·es and cathode-rav
tubes sold on t he home market while the name Ediswan
was rest:rved for use on industrial, special-purpose, and
transmitting valves. In the case of \';1h·cs exported to cer-
tain countries where the name Mazda could not be u.-;cd
due to copyright restrictions the name Edis,,·an \\'JS usc:d
instead. In February 1930 the nc\\' AEI logo was fea-
tured in Mazda advertisements fo r the first time and re-
mained in use throughout the 1930s and 1940s.
T hroughout the 1930s Ma:t..da grc\\' to be one of the
foremost names on the Bri tish market with Mazda va lves
being used bv many of the kading set makers. An event
\\'hich. perhaps more than an~·thi ng else, was responsible
fo r bri nging the name M;tzda inco the limelight was the
introduction of an entirely new rang<.: of valves in 1938. In
doing this Mazda, as sponsor of the ne\\" ,·alvcs had hoped
for the co-operation of other B.V.A. members in making
the new design an industry st;Uldard to be taken up b~·
aH members to the exclusio n of fore ign designs. Perhaps
Mazda had reckoned withour the foreign connc..:cions o f
other m<mufacturcrs but, whatc\·er the reason was, the fact
remains that no such co-operation was forthcoming and
Mazd;1 was consequently fori.:cd ro go ir alone.
B.T.-H Mazda
Whilst the concept of an industry standard was ob,·i-
ously praiseworrhy in principle t he suggestion really came
193
 Cossor as the major uncommitted B. V A . member .111d it
is understood that the~· were prepared to co-operate.: in
the proposed scheme.: pn)\"idcd unanimity amongst orher

B. T-H Vall'c.:s. 1915-1928

R 1916- 1924 138 1925
R4 1924 Bl I 1927
B2 1926 Bl2 1928
B3 1924 B22 192 7
ll ESE five B.'l'.H. Valves
134 1924 1323 192 7
T meet every possible re-
quirement of the ordinary
lis tener - in and the serious ex-
134H
RS
1925
19U
132101-1
B215P
1927
1927
perimenter. The B3 , B5. and
BSH 1925 PX650 1028
R Va lves can be used in any 87 1925 RH! 1927
position, for detection or high Nc.:w Sc.:ric.:s 1928
or low frequency amplification,
while the B4 a n d 136 Valves arc 2 \"Oil' 4 \'Oil' 6 l'olr
intended prim:1rily for low R.C2 Io RC:407 RC607
frequency power amplificati o n. Hf210 1-1 F407 HF607
'fVPE R.1t- .
F 1lamt-•nt t•o!tu;;(·
Price 12/6 each
4 m Us
GP210 GJ>407 Gl'607
f.'r/am,•nl r urN>:t O.i ump. LF2 15 Ll~ 40 7 1.1:607
"''' lmmm plate ;'<.Jllat:r> I<11 1 ;·,.J:.~
f l/ti/I' T( • l\f(Htfo: :!i,4 1(\!1 IJ)JJJJ(, P227 P415 1'61 5
TYPE 83
r. :.m1t1!l ;·ll;;;zg~
Price 21 - ench
I.~,....::~
SG207
P1 l.1mntl rurrn!! 11.:G d'>·f'·
\/11 umt1m pltil< rvltait" >-',.ult'
l1dr 1eo.siV.mre
1
:!; ,ouu •• ~ms.
/

TYPE D5 Price 25.'- each

members could be achieved. With Rrimar, M-0.V., and
Ftl1w1t'u: r<>ita;;.· '.!.:ifQ3;·ults Mullard alrcadv commicred ro rhcir n:specti\T policies ir is
l··111mu11t 1urum ''·"'" amp.1t1I :t:•.1
,\ Ill umum platt ;'l'tlh11:r :-;t• 1 <iJ/~ not surprising that unanimiry was not achie\"Cd, at which
J•/,1/( T<•tst.1nu Ii ,1100 .,J;m~.
TYPE B4 Price 35!· each time ir might h;n·e been thought that the scheme would
1"t!111u,:11t ;;olta,!!r' .~ · t it•(lfU
f.'r!1u1u·nt curn1:t 11.".!'idm/•,(nJ (i\' ,) ha,·e collapsed through lad< of support. Not so ' Having
;\Jfuim111nMatrt••Alm:1· l '.!()1·111/.;
l'!ir1,·r1.'..;z'.st,rwu H,11(11J,,Jnm. initi;ttni the designs for the proposed new range Mazda
TYPE B6 . Price 35' · cnch p rocccckd to go it alone.:.
P1/.111rrd i1fJ!Mce ., r-~u(,,
l -'it.unt1:1 (ltYTO!! • 1• I::. •'"•I'· In 1\ilav 1938 thi.: first two types in a new range of
,l/11 I W!'t"l ('tl.IU t'Ol! Utt' 1·-~1 :~1us

2-\"olt batter.' \'ah-cs were advertised t<x sale and b~· the
1
/ l 11tt' 1t•ista1.~~ '"•.Ot.>' • t.Jh"·'·

end of the y~ar a limited range in the 4 -\·olt AC and 200

too late for it to have had rnud1 chance of succeeding for
b~1 1938 most of thc major valvc makers wcre alreadv
committed tO othcr dcsigns. rurrhcrmore the introduction
of ycr another range of ,·ah-cs at the rime could bc, and
was, criticised on the grounds that it \\'ould onh- add to
the growing proliferation and confusion alreadv existing
in the industrv.
By 1938 rhere \\'en: alrcad~· t hree disparate groupings of
valve desig n orig ins apparent o n the British scene- in -
dige no us, American and continc.:ntal. For example, Mu i-
lard had introduced a rangc o f continental stvlc sidc·
contact vah-es as earlv as 1934. wh ilst in 1937 M-0 .\' .
had marketed a range patterncd on the .-\merican oct.11-
based G snies; Brimar. roo, wen.: turning increasingly to
thc production of Amcrican type vah-cs and bv 1938 had
also marketed a range of octal-based types. T his lefr onl~·
m.A AC/DC series was a\·aibblc. Apart from output , ·aln:s
and rectifiers thc.:sc , ·ah·es \\'ere noriceabh· smaller rhan .1m·
existing British di.:signs. tho ugh no smaller than the rnr;-
tinenral designed Red E series marketed at almost the s;\mc
time bv Mullard.
T he tcamre rhar scr the Mazda ,·ah-cs apart was the
usi.: of a no n-sr:rndard type of octal b;\Se ,,·hich difkrcd
slig htly from the American style and was nor interchange-
able with it. lnckcd so similar was the i\;lazda octal ro the
American that to a casual o b!>t:r\"er the rwo appeared idcn-
tic;\I. The ;\doptio n o f a 'ne.1r octal' base was critici:.cd .\t
the rime and in retrospect it must be admitted that the
criticism was jusrif'icd. All rhar the new base succeeded in
doing was to gain for Mazda the dubious distinction o f
being the o nl~· ,·al\T maki.:r in the \\"Orld to producc a
range of , ·ah·es ha,·ing a ty pc of base not uscd b~· a n ~·
other manufacru rer.
Bcfon.: the production of val\'CS using the so-ca llcd
'British octal' b;\Sc ( official!~· shortened to B.0. ) \\';\~ t·i-
11,\ll~· discontinued ..1 fr\\" o dd types appeared during .md
just after World vVar II. These included 6.3-rnlt \"c.:rsions
of rhe SP4 1 and VP41 known as SP61 and VP6 1. as well as
types 6 f32, \'453. U22. In addition an exrrcmdv short-

194
lived range of 1.4-volt battery ty~x:s-SP 141 , FC 141, then being produced by a new company known as Thorn-
Hl41, Penl41- was marketed bridlv in 1947-48. 111 view AEI Radio Valves & Tubes Ltd.
of Mazda's arrach.ment tO their 'bab~·' it is somewhat sur-
prising tO find that by 1949 quite a .lot of ,·alves had been
issued using the formerly despised Amcrican-stvlc octa l Cosmos
base. The writer is unable ro offer any explanation for d1is
apparenr change of heart though the thought occurs that One further o ld-established elect rical manufact1.1rer w ho
t'v1azda mav . have evenruallv. become tired of beina the odd
~
became involved in valve making as a resulr of lamp-mak-
man out. ing acri,·ities was the Metro politan-Vickers Elecrrical Co.
Following the end of Wo rld vVar II, with the prospect Ltd. This firm had its origin in the unio n of two other
of miniaturisation looming large on the horizon , Mazda companies- :\ lam p facto ry which had been established in
apparently tClt that the time was ripe to repeat their earlier 1908 by a German mu11ed Julius Pimsch, and the British
eftort and am.:mpt to introduce another cxclusivelv British Westinghouse Electrical & Mfg. Co. Ltd . which had been
range of \'alves which would hopefully form a post-war established in 1889. In 1917 the British Westinghouse
standard for the industry. T his time, however, Mazda operation was taken over by Vickers Ltd. and at the same
found a solitary collaborator in Mulbrd \.vho, together time the German o wned lamp factory also passed into
with their parent company in Holland, were anxio us to Brirish hands and became known as the Cosmos Lamp
get productio n of miniature rype ,·alves under way. On Work.~ Ltd. T his led in 1919 to the formation of the
this occasion Mullard's willingness to join in was probably Metropolitan-Vickers Ekctrical Co. Ltd. and in 1924 a
influenced by the fact that Philips' ability to carry out subsidiary known as Metro-Vick Supplies Ltd. was formed
developmental work must have been hampered by war- to handle the distributio n of radio products. In 1928 a fur-
time conditions. T hus it was in their own interests to ther merger occurred when Met-Vick joined wit11 B.T-H.
co-o perate rather than compete o n this occasion. and Ediswan to fo rm Associated Electrical Industries Ltd.
The first British min iature valves were a1mounced bv Met-Vick first became in\'olved in ,·alve manufacm re
Mazda and M ulbrd in December 1946. ·w hilst the proti-
ucrs of these two makers mostlv had identical characrer·
istics and were interchan!!eable in their basina arr:uwe-
._~ ~ b
mcnrs the bases themsc!Yes differed in derail. Bo th makes
were fitted with a metal-shell skirt which carried a locat-
ing/latching device, bur the Mazda differed in having an
elongated g uide pin positioned at the pin circle centre.
This type of base became kno wn as BSA and the ,·alves
themselves were referred to as BSA miniatures. The Mul-
lard valves were actually identical to a range produced by
Philips in Holland and also bv Tekfunken and Valvo in
Germany, the Philips-Mullard · being rdcrred to as 'Rim-
lock' tvpes.
\Vith t he introductio n of the B8A series history repeated
itself in that British valve makers were still divi.d ed in their
loyalties and once again ~\ proposed new industry standard
failed to gain a majority acceptance. J\iLlzda and M ullard
remained the o nl\' rwo firms making the BSA miniatures
whilst the remai1~ing manufacturers ~opted for the Ameri- FOR final smi:e of a low freqoency amplifier opcrati ni: n
1hc
Jnr)lC loud speaker lhc v:olvc to use is a-
can 7-pin design, known in the U.K. ;\S B7G. Although COSMOS AC/Pl. POWER VALVE
committed to rhe B8A design Mazda ne,·erthclcss did pro- An ~xctp1fon;1lly h i~h mutua l c.oodu..:u nc.e en~bles thi' vah•c to <ldivcr c~vlcc
rhe oul put for chc o ne ..balf the power ioput rcquircJ by the ordinary
duce some B7G types, including a range of 1.4-,·olt bat- Public Add..,,. V oh~.

tery vah·es which were identical to their American coun-

terparrs.
In common with the remaining vain: makers, 1'vlazda
e\·enrually concentrated 0 11 production of miniantre types
in the American 9-pin nova! series, known in Britain as For Power with Clarit~-AC/P1
~{c l ro•Vick
139G. After 1960, as a result of a merger bcrween Associ- Supplies,

ated Electrical Industries Ltd. and Th~rn Electrical Indus-

Mtcro.'Vkk llousc-. 15S Chlltlng Cress Rd.. London. W.C.2
• p, • .,.,..,.,, , A• ..whu•I IJuoriuol lad...,.;... L•.r.•

tries Ltd., manufacture o f EdiS\\ran-Mazda receiving valves

and picnire tubes was merged with Brimar; both~ brands

195
 THE WIREf.F.SS WORT.D A DVERT! S F.MF."1TS .

OSMOS A.C. Valves seen for the first time at

C the Exhibition are now a' ailable, With them it
is possible to operate a receiving set from the
electric light supply without any aggravating "mains
noises." The exc1usive feat ures of these valves are
protected by patents or patents pending and include:-
1 A Non-inductive insulated h eater which eliminates hum.
2 A Special cap and adaptor avoids need for special w iring.
3 No grid emission - can be op ~rated up to 180 Volts H.T.
• Shorcpath--give unequalled sensitivity.
For fl1ll details of"Cosmos" A.C. Valves and the cqm.
plcrc tange of the well known ''Cosmos" Battery Valves
see lcuflets 4117 /3 and 7117 /8.

. PR ICES OF COSMOS VAL.VES•

I
\
VO\,.T$ TVPC ~UAPO:S C.

1 vot. T o .e. 11
GENERAL P URPOSE 10/0
2 V0'1-T SP. 10,..-l
E XTAA HIGH AMPl-IPl'ON 10/0
2 VOLT SP. 10 0 HIGH AMPLIFICATION 10 /e
2 VOLT SP. t 6/R GENERAL.. PURPOS~ 10 / s

\ Z
6
VOLT
VO"-T
6 VOL.T
SP. 18#RR POWER AMPL t F t CATI ON
A . 45 BR IGHT l"ILAM E.NT
SP. eo(a EXTRA HIGH AMPLI Fl'O N
12 /6
5/-
10/e
&VOLT t:> E. eo
LOW CONSUMPTfON 10/e
0 VOLT SP. 60/R POWS:R AMPLIFICA T ION 12/e
A .C. { AC/G MIGH AMPLIFICATION 22/e
SU ,.PL V
M AI NS AC / R POWEA AMPLIFI CATION 22/ 0
SPEC I AL ADAPTOR DISC •• • 80.

I
SEE THEM AT THE EXHIBITION STANDS Nos. 155-156
Ad11erlise111enh ft>r " The Wireless World '' are only accef>ted from firms we belieoe to be thoroug/1/y r eliable.
during the 1914-18 war when the bmp facto r~' \\·as taken
o ver bv the British government. Developmental work o n
R type valves was initiated in 1915 w hich resulted in pro-
duction being achieved in the following ycar. 1
After the war Met-V ick was earlv o n the scene with the
productio n of radio recci,·ers and the neccssarv ,·ah·cs ro
equip them. Bo th these items were marketed under the
brandmrn1e 'Cosmos', a n;une which had first been used
for electric lamps. Three types of valve were produced
initiallv, two dull crnitters, types D. E.11 and S.P. l 8, and ''
bright cmirtcr t\'\X A.45. 2 The lattcr \\'as descended from
the standard ,,·artime R type and lud the usual tibmcnr
r:ning of 4 \'Oits 0.65 amps. \!Vith irs tubular bulb ;md
vertical electrode assemblv the A.45 resembled such bcrrer-
known makes as the Mullard ORA or the Edisw<m AR.
Cosmos 0£11 . Note limegetter on pinch.
Of the dull emitters the D.E. l I is particularly interest-
ing because it was, apart from the Mulbrd vVeco\'akc, rhc
onlv British-madc valve of the period to make USC or <lll
oxide-coated filament intend ed to operate from a single
dry cell. T he significance of this f'catnrc makes a closer
investigation into the o rigin of the D.E.11 desirable be-
cause the particular type of filament emplm·cd and the use
o f a chemical gerrcr were covered bv Westinghouse par-
ents.
\.Vhen it is recalled that Mer-V ick had descended fro m
British \!Vestinghouse, and thus could be expected to have
had access to the American parent company's patents and
manufacturing teclmiq ues, it becomcs appan:nt that the
Cosmos D.E.11 \\'as, ro all intents and purposes, simplv a
British-m ade version of the vVcsting housc WD- 11 which
diffcrcd only in the type of base fitted tn it . The following
tabulation is offered in support of the :rntho r's contentio n.
Ar the same rime it also serves to refute a published state-
ment that the D.E.11 was of British design. *
Po ints o fSimilaritv Between D. E.1 1 and WD-11
l. Use o f an oxic.k-co:1tcd filament.
2. Use of chemical getter (visible as a white paste ap-
p lied to the sides of the pinch ).
3. Identical stvlc of electrode structure.
4. Identical ratings and characteristics.
5. Similarity of the type numbers.
Regarding 1, it is worth bearing in m ind that the onlv
other British-made \'alve of the period to use an oxidc-
coatcd fihuncnt, the Mullard Wecovalve, was also of
American design.
T ill· tirsr Cosm os val\·e to show sig ns of independe nt
British design \Vas the type S. P.18 which appeared early in
l 925 :'The letters 'S.P.' in the type number stood for 'Short
Path' and indicated that the electrode spacing was closer
than that in commo n usc. T he Short Path design is cred-
ited to J\ilct-V ick's ch icf \'ah·e design engineer, E. Ycom an
Robinson, a man whose name was to become well known
a little later on for a highly efficient form of indircctl~'­
hcated cathode.
By 1926 the Cosmos range had been increased to six
tvpc~. with the addition o f the first power output \'alve,
rvpc S.P.55R, while the S. P. 18 was no\\' produced in threc
ditkrenr versions. At this rime a sch enK· of colour coding
(an idea which was already in use bv o ther makers) was
introd uced fi:>r the purpose o f indicating the suitability of
a given valve for a particular applicatio n . In practice this
took the f'orm of a small paint spot applied adjacent to the
t\'pc number marked o n the bulb, whilc the rvpe number
itself also incorporated a coded suffix R, B, or G indicat-
ing the colours red, blue, o r green. R ed indicated an o ut-
put valve, blue a resistance-coupled type and green a gen-
eral purpose type.
T he first Cosmos indirectly-heated AC valves, typcs
AC/G and AC/R appeared in September 1929' and their
release must be regardcd as a landmark in the d evelopment
of this class of val\'c because thev were the first in thc
world to make use of a new and revolutionary design of
heater-G1thode insulation, details of which arc given in
another chapter.
T owards the end of 1928 a screen-grid ,·ah·e, the AC/S/
\\'as anno unced and carlv in 1929 three more triodes in-
cluding two output v:1lvcs were added to the range, mak-
ing a rornl of six types. All these Short Path AC valves
were indirectly-heated which made the two output valves
*Sec G<:rald F.J. Trne, SnJ111 of the Vncuum Tube, p. 373.
197
unique among their British contc111poraries <lt a time when
such types were alwavs directl~'-h ean:d.
Because at the time of their inrrodunion in 1927 there
existed no British standard in the matter of bases for AC
,·a Ives Met-Vick de\'ised an ingenio us t~'fJC of 5-pin base
"'hich, together \\'ith an adapror, allo\\·ed Cosmos \'ah·es
to be used in the normal 4-pin sockets. As in the case o f
rhe American Kellogg AC tubes the idea was to ~illow the
electrification of t.:xisting batterv-fcd receivers without tht.:
necessity of making changes in wiring. At the same ti111e
Met-Vick also otlcn.:d special 5-pin sockets which allowed
thl'. new valves to be used as initial cquipmenr witho ut the
need for an~· atfaptors."
In spite of being early on tht.: scene with AC ,.,lkcs
J\llct-Vick appeared to lag in the production of HT rt.:cti-
tiers, for until 1928 no such valves were listed in the Cos-
mos range. Howcver, as the Wireless vlforld Show Rcport
for 1927 mentioned two Cosmos rectifiers (of unspcci tied
tvpe numbers) it would seem that Met-Vick initially pro-
duced rectifiers onlv. for use in their own HT batten· . d im-
inators. Cosrnos rectitYing val\'(.:.s \\'ere first listed in the
1928 Wireless Wodd valve data published in Seprembcr of
that vear.
following the frJrmation of AEI in 1928 the brandna111e
Cosmos was gradually phased out al though advertisements
for Cosmos \'ah-cs continued to appcar until <lt least Juh·
1929 bv which time the ne\\' AEI brandname J\fazda ha~l
become well established.
Marcon i-Osmm
In Yicw of the increasing irnport;\ncc of the thermionic
,·alvc in both recei ving and transmitting aspects of radio
communication, as cvidcnced bv its milit<iry <lpplications
during World War I, the .Marconi Co. apparent!~, decided
to become more direct!\' in\'Ol\'!.:d in \'alvc making airer
the war. Prior to this ti1~1e Marconi \'ah·cs had bec1~ made
by the Edison S"·an Electric Co. bur in Ocrobcr l 9 19
an arrangement \\'as entered into "·irh rhc General Ekc-
tric Co. (GEC) which resulted in the formation of a new
jo intly owned company known as the 1\.farconi-Osrarn
Valve Co. (M-0.V .). In 1920 the name was dunged i:o
the M-0. Valve Co.
As one of the foremost electric lamp manufacrun:rs
GEC had, in common \\'ith others in the same fie ld. tirst
gai ned expcricncc in ,·ah·c nrnking during the \\·ar whcn
they supplied valvcs made to militarv specifications for rhc
British government. These vah·cs were the standardised
' R' tvpe and its \'ari ~nions which all carried the companv's
' Osram' trade-mark in addition ro rill· appropriate milirar~·
markings.
After 1919 all iYlarconi Yah·es, both transmitting and
recei,·ing ty pes, were made at GECs Hanunersmirh fac-
rorv. 1\t the same time GEC \\'<lS free to market vah·cs
198
separatclv under the Osram name but fo r some reason did
not ini tiallv do so, prob~1bl~1 because there was practically
no retail market in cxisten((: at the time. The large quanti-
ties of war surplus available from 'disposals' sources was
adequate to cater for what little demand there \\'as. Even
afi:er 1922, " ·hen GEC became one of the founding fath-
ers of rhe British Bro<ldcasting Companv ;rnd had com-
menced making recei\'ers under the 'Gecophonc' brand-
namc, the company did not ;\dvertisc \'al\'<.:s under the
Osram name until the end of 1925. Up to this time all
valves made by M-0 .V. bore the inscription Marconi
Valve Made at the Osram Lamp Works, bur afrer October
1925 rhe existing arrangc111ent was altered and GEC com -
menced marketing valves under the Osram ~ brandnarnc.
This brand was already in use f{x electric lamps and con-
tinued to be so used afrcr its extension to include valves.
From th is rime GEC and Marconi's each sep;1ratelv pro-
moted their own brandnaml'S until 1929 when the latter
companv relinquished its interest in the manufacture and
sale of domestic radio rece i,·ers and associated eguipment.
In December 1929 a polic~' decision rcsulrcd in the dis-
An Open Letter
to every
WIRELESS An important
USER WIRELESS
DEVELOPMENT
Oc:t.rSi.r tit f\.'la chun,
·nlc dc1crmin M 1on lo s'1pp}y wirdcsii u~1 w ith
~~'j~~~:~=fl~hr~n'::700:~b:c~~<i r::::~~I;:: .~~~
pa1nstalm\g resd)rc.h in the proch:aion of a co:-nplctc Jnngc
qf wucle::l.'l Vl"lh e:. cmbod)iftg 1hc \' UY latest 1mp«:wcrncn1.1.
These vttlvu. \~ hich ;,ire m<11h ted hy The C cncrnl
E.lcctnc Co Ltd. will '" rutl:r¢ be: .wld under t11c. n:unc
OSRAM-n nnm c kno wn fl) C'iCl")Ont in conncc1101l wi1h
d..-cb:e l1gh11ng 1\ n~I one ,.,.fuch 1-:os always bc-tn nMo<:i.,it il
with t'll erlm~r q1ml1ty.
You mi\) ,1l1c1elo1c.hi'lve tlle i.lS.'S1t1;:111rc:: m 11ur1 hri:ooH
rHE CE='E:RAL ELECTRIC
COMPANY 1..TD.
r···~··· ····................................-..........._....................,
!
i
FREE OFFER
Tllf. Kt'I' TO ?l:.RFECT Wli:tCUSS Rtc.O'TIO~ !
i
i A" u u.-.11 ..o;.t...l •"4 ..,.....'(1 ~•= eu4 ~ o.I !
:~=~*:~~crt~~~,e.£c~lrS
: t.-t " we:.
1
i
ll....................................................................=. . J!
: i
" In th e c.1se o f ,·al\'es exported to certain co unrries \\'here rh..:
name Osram cou ld nor b..: used due ro cop~· righr restrictions
such val1·..:s we re sold under rhc name Ge<.:O\':lh·e.
 Fcbmary, 1924 MODEUN W IR ELES S

Ab.Jut your> va1ve3 is

that they b ear> th e name

M~~2!!! '.+.~~~~: ~~~Y!S

F irst p roduced in the Os ra m Lamp W orks during
the war, enormous numbers of these w1h·es were
used by all brauehes of I J. M. Forces.
T hei r g reat de pendabil ity became a by- word
amongst the thousands of men in the Services
to whom wi reless meant so much.
T hey are still m alc :ll the Osram \ \lork s, an d the
invalunblc experience g:'l in ecl cluring those fou•
ye~ rs of a rduous v.• h·c-o pc rating con d itio n ~ is oow
r l." fl cctcd i11 ~. ll types of the hi i.;1: 1.v c ll icieut
M"~ a\·ailabl c !or Broadca~ t Recep ti on .

YOU CAN OBTAIN MAXIMUM SATISFACTION FROM

YOUR SET BY INSISTING
ON

MA~~~Y.~S (<~
\"~~~·
SOLD BY ALL WIRELESS DEALERS
t~~ . ~

""«
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS,
STORES, ETC. ~-p~\
tvl anufacturers and 111holesale only : \..

@~~~~~:~~~~~,~~~;~~·~;~·;~~~~~~~~\~
I 11 l'fplyi11g to ad-..wt isc:rs . 11s.: CO (.;J'O .\' u11 last pag~
posal of rhc whollv owned Man:oniphone Co., as well as
Marconi's interest in the M-0. Valve Co., to the Gramo-
phone Co. ( HMV). At the time HM\/ was half-o\\'ned b\'
RCA and ir is known that a certain gentleman bv the
name of David Sarnoff was largely responsible for HMV's
acquiring these assets. Under the terms of rhe taketwer
agrecmcnt Marconi's were to refrain from trading in the
s~-callcd 'entertainment' field t·o r a period of rwen~y ~1 cars,
that is unril l 949.- The existing :lrrangcment with GEC in
regard ro \'al\'e manufactun: \\'as carried on by Hivl\/ and
\'ah'es continued to be produced under both the Osram
and Marconi brandnamcs. The fact rhar \·aln:s carrying
the world-famous Marconi name were now being made
and <listributcd by a compan~· \\'ith which Marconi's had
no connection mav occasion some.: surprise but it is ne\'(:r-
thelcss quite true. E\'en more surprising is the fact that
in additio n to relinquishing the Marconiphont· trademark
Marconi's also ceded the 'personal signature' trademark
The 'personal signature' trade-mark used by the Marconi Co.
until 1930.
Wireless World
The MARCONI SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT Co., Ld.
21/25 ST. ANNE'S COURT, DEAN STREET, SOHO, LONDON, W.
T elephone: Ccm1rd 7745.
VALVES
Receiving & Amplifying
V24 TYPE £1 4 •
R ,, £1 •
• 6
POST FREE
IVf/01..1:...'>.·IL E DErll..El(S SL'PPL/£/J
200
'G. Marconi'. Herc roo the hand of the astute 1vlr. Sarnoff
can be seen.
Apart from the existing Osram and Marconi brand-
namcs thc name HMV w:ls also used bridlv on ,·ah·es
fitted to HM\' recei\-crs du ring the early i 9 30s. Inci-
denrally, it is interesting to nort· that some time bter the
famous 'Lirrk N ipper' (listening dog) trademark was also
used on valves made on the other side of the Atlantic and
sold under the RCA Victor and Canadian Victor labds.
Rc\·ening now to the period just prior ro the establish-
ment of M-0.V .. mcncion must be made o f some of the
l'arliesr rnl\'es which carried the ,\ilarconi trademark. Cap-
tain H.J. Round of the M.lrconi Co. was responsible for
the design of a unique rype of triode first produccd in
I 916. Initiallv two ,·crsio ns were issued, rvpc~ \! .24 and
Q, the latter being a detector ( rdcrrcd to in the language
of the da~· as a rc~tifier) . A third type kno\\'n as QX \\·as
added after the end of the \\'ar. All three were ~pecial low-
...:apacitv tvpes having their elcc.:trodc connections brought
o ur to· w(dcl~' spaced contact points moumcd directly ...on
the bulb surfac.:c. The filament rating was 5 rnlts at 0. 75
amps for rhe V.24 and QX, and for the rype Q 0.4 amps.
The .M·O. V. Co. \\'aS the first Rrirish manufacturer ro
de\·clop dull-en1ittcr \·ah-cs ha\'ing thoriated filaments,
their L.T. l being marketed ~'s earlv as 1921 : some two
~1 cars before the ... first Amcri..:;1n ty~)( had appearcd. The
L.T. l carried a filamen t rating o f 1.8 V , 0.06 A and was
intended to opcratc from a single 2-\'0lr lead-acid cdl (ac-
.JULY 10, 1920.
Telegrams: Themasinco Ox. London.
0
• 6
cumubtor). To \\·hat extent tl11s early design was sucu::.:.·
ful is ditlicult ro estimate but it is known that the ,·aJve
later underwent some modification after whid1 ir became
known as ty pe D.E.R. In its bter form it was being adver-
IJ.8Cl~~· u1:: ri 12, rn2:~ 'J'H.J•: \VlH,ELES::l \\'OH.Lil
tised up to 1925.
In \'iew of the original work done on thoriated ti laments ~lllllllllllilllll!lllllllllJIJl!lllJlllllJllJllJllJlllJlllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!llllllll~
by Gcm:r<ll E lectric in America it is surprising thar Rritish
dc,·dopmem was sufficiently far advanced to enable the
~ MARCONI OSRAMYALVES
:: MAO< "T TMC LAMP wOAKS
=
=
marketing of a dull-emitter vake at this early dare.
Other early dull emitters were types DEQ, DEV, DE2, For Broadcasting -
DE3, DES, DE?, and FE3. Of these rhe DE3 w hich had a
~ ~
i An~~;~~~~nt i 1
fila1rn.:nr rating of 2.8 V, 0.06 f\ was the first British
thoriated-filament vah·e intended for dry-cell \\'Orking.

- REDUCED VPRiGE
- ON AND AFTER DEC. 5. 1923
~
=
the Price of =
!

Marconi DE3. DE5. DE6 early dull emitter types . '"rYt>E

WILL BE REDUCED
- - from 27 /6 to .,
'
-

BUY BRITISH
GOODS ONLY
_ SOLi.> BY ALL LEAlllNli
WWELESS llb\LEl~S.
ELECTIHCAL CON -
- Tl?~CTORS. STOUES,
Marconi types DEV and DEQ. - etc.

A word concerning the prdi.x 'DE' used in rhe t~·pc

numbers of M-0.V. \':tln:s made duri n g the 1920s. As The General Electric Co .. Ltd.
!\ lagnct I lou se, Kini;sw11 y, London, W.C. Z -
may be surmised, these letters stood tbr Dull Emitter; . -
they were introduced in 1923 and discontinued in 1928. B:liill1llll11:· '. i'll·X•:.Pilli!:~ll'11illl..I! lllh11F!1 1i:11t11:.1111!1J:lllll'lli!!1!I m11111r11~
1

Some of the last ,·ah·es to carry the DE prdix were such

types as the D EH 210 and D EL6 l 0 \\'hich after 1928 be-
came knmrn as H210 and L610, respecti\'c.:ly. In rhe case

201
of certain earlv transmitting ,·alves \\'hich also carried the
DE prefix in their type numbers the use ,,·as retained fr>r a
much longer period. Valves so marked were being issued
up to the 1950s, an example being tvpe DET28.
T he vcar 1924 saw the inrroductio n o f the first power
output .valves, starting with the LS 1 and continuing to the
LS6A o f 1929. The letters 'IS inco rporated in their tvpe
ELECTRON TUBE
'Little Nipper' in three countries: Canada. Gr. Britain. U.S.A.
8 ,\O \'f.MTl f.f.Ml\N!S. nm \\'IH gl.l~S~ \\'()HI.I}
National Physical Laboratory
Tests self-capacity of Marconi MS4 I
numbers indicated that such , ·alvcs w ere intended for lo ud-
speaker working. The compan~' ,,·as a pioneer in the pro-
duction of high cfficicncv output triodes and their PX4
and PX25 were world leaders, the f<>rmer being n.:kascd
so1m: four vcars ahead of R CA's rvpe 2A3 .
Earl y in 1927 the first British i ndirectl~'- heatcd AC
valves were p rod uced by M-0.V.; those under the M :ir-
coni label being first adv<.:rtised in February of th;u year.''
Two tvpcs were available, known as KH I and KL l, b ut
unfortunatelv their design was not entirclv sarisfacrory
and it is known that replacements were later mad<.: for
M-0 .V . b v l'vlct-Vick. Towards the end of 1928 a rn m-
plctclv new range of dir<.:ctl~·-hcated AC valv<.:s was mar-
keted, a moYc w hich can b<.: taken as an ind ication that
the company's expl.'.ricnc<.: with indirectly-heated t~1 pcs had
been less than encourag ing. T he first thre<.: issues in the
new range co nsisted of a low -mu and a high-mu triode
plus an output triode, types HL.8, H .8, and P.8 respcc-
tivelv. '0 These valves had short thick filaments rated at 0 .8
volts, 0.8 amps and were known as the 'Po int 8' scri<.:s, the
name rather o b viously being derived from the filament
rati ng . In 1929 '' scr<.:en-grid , type S.8, and :in o utput
pentodc, ~·pc PT.8 and a special detector, rvpc D .8 were
added to the range. Th<.: D.8 difkred from the orh<.:rs in
having an extra thick filament rated at 1.6 amps, th<.: do u-
b ling of the current obvio usly being an attempt to furthe r
, \f'llll.. 2()111. ''::1 '· increase the thermal inertia and thus reduce the hum kvel.
Towards the end of 1929 the first valves in a comp le td~'
new range of 4-volt indirectly-heated ~1 pes appeared and
by 1931 the range had been extended to include a vari -rnu
~
RF pcntodc and two output pentodes. The fo llowing ~·c:i r
SJ\\' the production of the first vah·cs designed for s<.:ri<.:s-

I
PRICE

'J.5/·
heater operation o n DC m ains. These Yaln:s had a uni-
form heater rating of 16 volts, 0.25 amps but it should be
noted that this rating was no t :in agreed industry standard
and o nlv two other makers, Cossor and L issen , produc<.:d
valves with the same heater ratings . Two years later such
v:ilves were remkred obsolete by t.hc introduction of the
first British AC/DC types which appeared in 1934. T his
new range used the standard American 300 mA heater
rating but here again even this rating was not accepted as
an industry standard, f<.:rr:inti :ind Cossor being rh <.: on lv
other British manufacturers to adopt it.
In 1933 M -0.V. were responsible for the production of
the world's first 'all-m <.:tal' valves which were mark<.:t<.:d
under the name 'C:itk.in'. However, very fcvv types were
produced and by 1936 th<.:y were no lo nger being 111<\llll-
facturcd.
The next development was M-0.V .'s decisio n in 1937 to
standardise on the productio n of American tvpe octal-
bascd g lass valves, a m ove w hich initiated a trend in the
industry for by I 940 m ost of the leading \'alvc mak<.:rs had
fo llowed suit.
THE VALVES THE
THIE HAA.CONIPHOt-41; <;OHPANY LIMITED. 2 10.211 1 0 TT£HHAH COURT ROAD, W.I Following the end of World War II M-0.V. became the
first British m anufacture r to produce American-style 7 -pin

202
 (B7G) m in iature \':\l\'(:s which \\'en.: marketed in 194 7. At
the same time a 1>eparate range based on the American
locral design was also put into production.
In 1946 the Marco ni Co. was acquired bv the English
Electric Co., though it continued to operate as before.
The change of O\\'nership, incidemall~·. occurred three
years before the 20-year marketing agreement bcrween
Marcon i's and E.M .I. was due ro expire in 1949, though
whether the latter n ·cnr had any be;1ring o n rhe matter is
nor knmn1. It seems unlike!~· , howe\'er, that Marconi's
\\·ould ha\-c chosen ro re-enter the fields of domestic radio
receiver or vain: production afrcr such a long absence.
Altho ugh the E ngl ish E lectric Co. became active in the
productio n of transmitting and special-purpose val \'CS they
d id not produ ce receiving types. T heir closest associatio n
with the entert:ii111rn: nt side of the ind ustrv came \\'hen
thcv mad e a b rid . incu rsion into the m:mufacture o f rneral-
cone pictu re tu bes d uring the 1950s. T he E.E. V . C o . was
the o nly Bri tish producer o f th is class of picture tu be.
B~1 comparison E.M.l. remained dee ply involved in the
entercainmcnt side of the industrv and not on lv ret;1ined
their interest in 1\11-0.V. bm, in ' t 949, expand~d in this
area by purchasing the valve-making di\·ision of A.C. Cos-
F.XPl:lll.\1)-.:0nAI. WJRF.I.ESS
MARCONI DA60
g~~ FIVE POUNDS TEN
Developed from the famous DETf, Ty pe DA 60
is the o utput valve p ar e xcell ence for med ium
power amplifiers o f all types.
The robu st construction, well sp aced pins,
molybdenum anod e and o th er details ensure
a high degree of d e p e ndab le effic ie ncy and
long fife.
CHARACTERIS !ICS
F"i1<11"'l('nl Vo~u. ···· ···· - •••60
Fil~1"tt'lt Cur1 «"-'"f
koc:e Vof:;
k:;..d~ 0•U•t>411•Ql"I ( t!l.1 • ) ~ .... >!m.
• &I""~ f.u hon f•C IOt .. ....
• T"':)tc! :~..cc ..
• •••••
NEW PR ICE "t kin:..:l Cond\ICl• '"U
£5 .10. 0
-- ">h~ .....,.,. ,. .,.c "4ftl . ¢ - . d
"'ttc......., -c,.._._..~ ,""*"'---•c'1..,.,:11
MARCONI
POWER VALVES
lHt llliARCOl\:IPHO.'\JE CO. LTD., Rr\DIO HOUSE,
91 0.~1 2 TO ITENH/<M COURT ROAD. LC NDON. W.t
sor Ltd. In 1946 Cossor's had reorganised this divisio n ,
fr> llowing an agreement made with the Am erican firm of
Sylvania, when a new company known as Electronic Tubes
Ltd. had been established.
Under E.1\1.l.'s o wnership production of \·akes and
tubes was continued with marketing being done under d1e
brandname ' Emirron' . In 195 7 E.T.L. was so ld to Mullard
Ltd. who used rhe factory to increase their production of
picture tubes . Prior ro this, in July 1956, E .M.l. had dis-
posed of its half:sharc of M·O.V. to GEC \\·ho thus be-
came sole O\\'ncrs of the ,·ah-e company. Production of
n:cci\'ing ,·alves under the GEC and O sram b rand names
contin ued until the late 1970s.
Stn11rf11ni Telep/Jo11cs rw rf Cables Ltrf.
T he American ti rm of Western Elect ric opened a British
o Hice in 1883, known as the ·western Electric Co. Ltd., to
hand le saks of telepho ne equipment. With the advent of
broadcasting the parent com pany commenced to manufac-
ture a limited range of broad cast receiving apparatus some
of \\'hich \\'as sold in the U.K. When the British l3ro.1d-
casting Compan ~· was established in 1922 British \VE was
o ne of the six founding members . However, because one
of the main objccrs o f the B.13 . Co. was to encourage the
fo rmation o f a Brirish radio manufacturing industry by
prohibiting the impo rration of fo reign apparatus one may
be pardoned for thinking d1at British WE \\'as suffering
from a self-inflicted wound at that time. In spite of this
the company remained active in the transmitting field ,
presumably because transmitting apparatus was unaffected
bv the ban.
It was the company's initial lack of manufacturing facil-
ities that rcsuln:d in rhe fi rst British valve production be-
ing carried our b~1 Mullard . During 1923- 24 the Ameri-
can-designed 2 1SA 'peanut' v;\lve was being o ffe red for
sale bv . Mu llard unde r the name ' Wecovalve' and bv . Brit-
ish WE unde r the type number 42 1SA, the fo ur-dig it num-
ber ind icating: section 4000 in the British catalogue.
'v\lhen I.T. & T. acqu ired the Internatio nal Western
Electric Co. in 1925 this fi rm becam e the International
Standard Electric Co. (TSEC) and this in turn resulted in
••• ~·o -=-~c:.~
British \VE beco ming Standard Telephones & Cables Ltd.
50l e,:.
(STC). * A similar ch:mgc of identity occurred in o ther Brit-
£;
e.;s
<-hr.:s ish countries where WE had previously been established.
••• 3~ M.f, \I,
f or example, rhc Australian and New Zealand branches
'°"'
became Standard Telephones & Cables Afsia Ltd. Rather
o lwiously it was as a result of the word 'Stamfard' ap·
pearing in the American company's corporate title that the
same word was used in the re-naming of the British com-
panv.
' It should be noted rh:u the rorrccr company logogr:11n consists
of the thrc.:c Jerrcrs STC only without the ampersand. T he spoken
rnnrraction is 11ut ST :rnd C.
203
 Under its new name the British company continued to
f<)liow the same pattern of activities as before but w ith the
growth of broadcasting as a new medium of entertainment
the company entered the field of receiver production as
well as commencing valve manufacrnre. The first valves
produced were marketed under the cradenamc Standard
and consisted of two versions of the peanut valve which
had originally been made by Mullard . These were now
known as rypcs Gl25 and H 125; the letters G and H
indicating General Purpose and High Frequency, respec-
tively. N ormally both rypcs were fitted with the standard
British 4-pin type of base but were also available with the
o riginal WE style base, in which case the suffix A was
added to the type numbers. By 1926 the first British-
designcd valves were being o ffered for sale, though ini-
tiall~1 only cwo types, the P425 and P6 l 2, were a\'ailable. 11
In 192 7 the range had been increased to ten but due to
variations in base styles there were actually only seven
different types in the range.
In January 1926 an arrangement was entered into with
the Birming h<un Small Arms Co. (BSA) wherebv STC
were to suppl~, receivers and valves which were· to be
jointly marketed by STC and a new company n<uned BSA
Radio Ltd. 12 The valves used in the BSA receivers were
branded BSA-STANDARD and carried the same type
numbers as the normal Standard Valves. This was a short·
lived venture which apparently did no t mix with BSA's
other activities as within the space of two ~'cars it came tO
an end.
For some years after this STC's activities in the field of
receiver and valve manufacture appear ro have been in a
very low key as no mentio n of either occurs in the Wire-
less World Radio Show reports for the vears 1926 to 193 l.
However, with the acquisition of Brandcs Ltd. and the
establishment of Kolstcr-Brandes Ltd. this company then
became, for several years, the System's main British re-
ceiver manufacturer although receivers under the Standard
brandname were still being produced in 1932. 1-' At this time
ST C also co mmenced receiver manufacture on behalf o f
I \'i1lvc11 wiU impro\'c the cJl\c1cncy of
P425
Standard Valves
4239A P425A/4002A
204
British Philco, and in this connection 1t 1s mtcresung to
note that the Philco receivers were initially equipped with
.American-made valves. 1-1
By comparison with o ther manufacturers STC were
much slo wer in introducing indirectly-heated AC valves
and even as late as the middle of 1932 had none on the
market. For this reason it had been necessarv to turn to
outside suppliers to obtain the valves need~d to equip
Kolster-Brandes receivers. For example, the K-B model
279 of 1931 used a mixture of Mazda and Mullard valves
in conjunction with a Philips rectifier.
Towards the end of 1932 the first release of AC valves
under the newly introduced '.Micromesh' brandname was
made.'' Initially only four types were offered-a detector
triode, an output triode, and two rectifiers, all of which
were indirectly-heated tvpes. Not a vcr~' auspicious begin-
ning, considering the lateness of the day but the limited
range of types was apparently sutricienr ro supply the
company's own receiver needs for the small 3-valvc sets
which were then in production .
The valves themselves, however, caused something o f a
sensatio n in technical circles at the time of their release
due to their phenomenal performance fig ures. Using the
standard British 4V, lA heater rating the Micromcsh de-
tector boasted a mutual conductance of 8 mNV, while the
figure for the PAl output triode was no less than 12.6
m.A/V ( 12600 micromhos) using the same beater rating !
In 1932 such figures were almost unbelievable and it is a
1-
l r4'(~~
rhc new B.S.A.-St1111dard
Vnlves-thevalvcswithtbe
wonderful tape filoments.
Th<: high emissivity due 10 1hc 1Spl·Ci:1ll)'
Cu:ttcd fil:uncnu of ll.S .A , • :-:it:tndard
yum n:rch·er. 'fh cir (' urrc.1u Cf'J1l.ct Ump-
1iw1 iot \'CO)' iow, There i. a B.S.:\.·
St.rnd:.ird ,..,t;·e fo r (:\'CJ)' radio rC'C'ti\"ing
J) UfJ)(l!l('. and a \'2h-e tb.3t \\Ill It.and up ti)
the mmt cucting testi.
l;' i1 your set wi t h U.S.A.·
St11ndnrd v~1 lvcs: l'hC}' wi Jl
imrn-ovc your recepCio n.
W:il~ for n .S .\ K~liro C•u.6o;'Ce
:..W Ho.-.l:kf. .. TI'(" ff-1•.ll("C" "I a.
Ml.Clo Reccmt1;;; ~l:1. " ~ Cttt.
B.S.A.-Standard Valves
L B.S.J\. Radio Ltd., > 1, Sma ll H eath, lli rmingham.
f'l<-(!fi\"1Uf, Uor IJ;1mh1; b;i..on 3°!t1all •.\1111• (v, l.cJ

•
Standard telephones and cables. Wecovalve (R.) compared
with a Western Electric 215-A (L.) .
matter of record rhat no comparable ,·aln:s issued by an~·
ocher maker cvcr achieved such cfficicncics. To coin a
phrase, howcvcr, thereby hangs a talc.
It must be said that i-h output triodes as a species have
never been an unqualified succcss, regardkss of their
country of origin, ~rnd the PA 1 \\'aS no exccprion. It was,
perhaps, too good for its own good and m:n.:r again did
any subsequent Micromesh ,·alvcs exhibit such high ,·alues
of mutual conductance for valn:s of the same type.
STC versions of WE's types 1010 and 2050.
The two rectifiers, types Rl and R2, ,~·arrant mention
not so much because they wen.: among •th<: earliest in-
directly-heatcd types but becaus<: ~\S rectifiers they consti-
tuted half the entire range of the initial release of i\'licro·
mesh valves!
The o mission of a screen-grid \'al\'e fro m the initial re-
lease is rath<:r surprising, considering the dat<: and the: fact
that such ,·ah-cs were in rhe limelight at thc time. H ow-
e,·er, something muse ha''C be<:n in the pipeline for this
deficiency was soon made up. In NoYember 1932 the first
two Micromesh SG rvpes, the SGA I and VSG l (the: latter
a vari-mu rype) were added to the range.
The first power p entodt:, type PenA I, \\'as also a\·ailablc
by the end of l 932 and at the same time the first 2-volt
battery types-HLB l, PB l , and PenBl - were also mar-
keted. B~· the end of 1933 the first Rf penrodes, types
8Al and 9A l , became a\'ailablc and b~' this time the lvli-
cromesh rangc consisted of 17 types.
A reorganisation of STC's valve manufacturing anivit:ics
in 1934 resu lted in the phasing out of the Micromesh
label and the introduction uf what was to become o ne of
the best-k.no\\'n brandnamt:s in the indusnT-Brimar. 1• At
the same time this move sig nalled a shift rowards the pro-
duction of American-type valves, a trend that was ro be
aecenniatc:d as time went bv.
Although American type valves appear to have bt:rn
made as earlv. as 1933 these were not initialJv- marketed
se paratel~· in the U.K. The tirst release of American ryp<:s
under the Brimar label consisted of a range of six rypcs
intended for AC/DC service. These valves were of hybrid
construction which, while having identical characteristics
to equiYalcnt American types, diffe red in t\\'O respects.
The heatcr rating \\'as the European standard 200 mA,
com pared \\'ith the American standard 300 mA and the
valves were titted with British type 7-pin bases. T he first
six issues comprised types l SD l , 8D2, 902, llD3, 703,
and IDS and were referred to as ' low slope uni,·ersal
~1 pes'. 1 •
Early Brimar valves c. 1935.
lt appears that the tkcision to embark on the produc-
tion of American type ,·ah·<:s in the U.K. resulted from
the need of a European source to equip receivers made
not o nly in the 'System 's' British factory (Kolstcr-Brandcs)
but also those made in c<:rtain other European countries.'"
In additio n the recently established British Philco factory
pro,·idcd Brimar \\'ith a fi.trthcr outlet for American ~·pcs.
Because the American parent comp any itself had no re-
cciYing ru be man ufacturing facilities in the U.S. it seems
likely that Brimar must havc drawn on some other Ameri-
205
can source for the kno\\'-how needed to enable the pro-
duction of American type \'ah·es ro comnH:nce. In this
conm.:ction it is inrcrcsring to note that at one period
around 1938, certain octal-based valves sold under the
Brimar label were acruallv of American manufacture al-
though this fact was not indicated. Similar!~·, Arnerican-
madc \·ah·cs produced during and shorrly afrcr World War
II arc kno\\'n to han: c:trricd the imprint Brimar j\ lade in
U.S.A. In the latter case the issuing of \'aln:s so marked
was probably an am:mpt to tide on:r \\'artime and post-
war shortages. At this rime roo Brimar, in common \\·ith
some other British valve makers, re-branded and issued
certain American \\'ar surplus metal val\'cs \\'hich in some
cases continued to be listed t()r several vcars after the end
of the \\'ar. Examples of such \'alvcs lis~ed in Brimar cata-
logues arc 12A6. I 2SJ 7, l 2SK7, l 2S R7. IncidentallY. rhe
earliest l:Xamplc o f an American-made rubc to be sold
under thl: Brimar labe l was the OZ4 gaeous rectifier, a
type made o nly by Raytheon and first available in the
U .K . fro m about J 937.
T he production o!" A1m:rican type valves had , bv 1938,
been expanded to include a range of 21 ocral-lx1sed tvpes,
rdi:rn:d to as 'International Octal', and l1\" 1940 had been
further expanded ro include a newly inc1:oduced range of
14 locral types. A ti:ature of the 1940 listings \\·as an
increase in the number of earlier American type \·alves
A group of Brimar valves c. 1938.
206
being offered. man~· of which were in ctli:cr duplicated h~·
bcing listed under two slighth' different n-pc numbers. An
example of this is pn)\"ided bv the type 78/78E, which in
the 1937-38 l3rimar Val\'e Manual was the on lv one so
listed . By 1940, howewr, there were nine such. listings,
examples being 47/47E :md 42142£. The types carrying
the suflix E had idemical ratings to standard American
types bur had margin.ti difli:rences in characteristics; so
marginal in facr a~ to causi..: one to ponder o n the \\'isdom
of such apparently unnecessary duplication.
As the production of tubes carrving the suflix E in their
rype numbers had been origi nated bv American Phi lco it
is logical to assume that Brimar's production of similar
types had been in response to a specific tkmand. Rather
ol1\'iouslv rh:lr dcm:rnd could have come fro m onl\' one
source- British Phi lco. The origin of Arrn.:ric;m Pl~ iko's
usc of the suffix E is bclie\·ed to be th;u tubes so marked
\\"C.:re intended for use in expo rt model recci\'crs.
Following the end o f Wo rld War II Brimar continued
the production o f both octal- and locral-based vah·es as,
apart from repbcement use, such n pes were still needed
1
for initial equipmcm purposes. It was at this time that
Brimar also introduced the Americ<U\ GT (Bantam) octal-
based series to the British marker and as in the land of
their origin they gradua ll~· superseded tlw o lder G types.
Brimar was also o ne of the first manufiKrurers to intro-
I 11
' :.. ,
-
duce the American 7-pin (l3 7G ) mini.mire series which b,·
195 I consisted o f a range of 32 rypcs. i'\ot all o f these
were strict!~· replicas of American designs as fin: types
-906, 8D5, 8D3, RIO, lU 2- h;1d no d irect American L
* THE TREND Of MO
- DE LRN ELECTRONICS ~
=:J
equivalents.
Ir was during the late l 9SOs ;1nd carly 1960s that rhc
winds of change blew st rong in the British radio industry
and many were the mergers taking pbec.: during this pe-
riod. At this time, too, STC mo,·ed t·i.1rther away from the.:
cntcrtain1rn:nt side of the industry by disposing of the
Rrimar Vain: Di,·ision to a ne\\'lv established finn kno\\'n
as Thom-AEI Radio Vah·es & Tubes Ltd. 19 This compan\'
rook O\'Cr rhe production of rccci,·ing vah-cs and picture
rubes under the Brimar and Mazda labels, lca,·ing AEI and
STC to continue separately with the p roduction of trans-
mitt ing and special purpose valves under their respecti ve
1
brandn:unes as bet<xe.
It seems likcl~, that the circumstances which brought s -ftt'l
about STC's withdrawal from rc.:ceiving valve manufactun:
\\'ere, as in the case of other ,·ah·e makers, not sold~·
attriburablc to economic conditio ns bur were due also ro
ORI MAR @)
the increasing impact being math: by transistors. And,
speaking of solid-state devices, it m:ty be mentioned th:it VALVES
STC had for man~' years been active in the production Bantam Range
of sdenium rectifiers (which WlTt: marketed under the
SlANDARD TELEPHONES AND CABLES LIMITED, fOOTSCRAY, SJCCUP. KENT
name ScnTerCcl) long before the.: company conunenced
to manufact ure transistors.
Througho ut its existence STC had, until 1970 , discreetly
soti:-pcdallcd its American parcmagc but fro m this time a wirh Dull Emitting Fil:lmcnts, Wireless World mid Radio
new logo incorporating the letters ITT-STC in conjunc· Rc11icw, April 23 , 1924, p. 107.
tion proclaimed the connection . 9. Sec adn . Wireless IVorld, Feb. 9, 1927, p. ad. 2.
10. Trend of P rogress, Wireless Wo1id, O ct. 3, 1928, p.
465.
11. Sec advt. Wireless World, NO\·. 24, 1926, ad. 23 .
REfERENC ES 12. Sec advt. Wirclm World, Jan. 6, 1926, ads. 16-17.
13. Sec advr. Standard sets, Wireless & Grnmophonc
I . Letter fro m J.H. Ludlow (former Met-Vick engineer) Trader, Oct. 8, 1928, ad. 15.
to the author. 14. Announcement Win·fcss & Grmnophone Trader, Sept.
2. Sec 1924 Met-Vick catalogw.:, p. 4. 24, 1932, p. 412.
3. Valves rested, Win:h-.(~ World, 1\ilarch 11, 1925, pp. 15. St<UKiard Micromcsh A.C. Valves, liVirclcss World,
153- 154. Aug. 5, 1932, pp. 102- 103.
4. Sec :tdn. Wireless World, Sept. 2 1, 1927, ad. 23. 16 . Refer Wireless li'.lor!d Vah·e Supplement, Nm-. l 934.
5. T he Trend of Progress. Wirc!rss World, O ct. 3. I 928, 17. J.S. Jammer & L.M. Clements, Radio Broadcast
p. 466. Rccci\'crs.
6 . Sec, for example, advt. Wii·cfrss W1wld, O ct . 5, 1927, 18 . Electrical Co11m11micntio11, Oct. I 934. Reprin ted m
ad. 17. Radio E11ginecring, Dec. 1934, pp. 16-20.
7. W. J. lhker,A History oft/Jc 1\lfm·co11i Co., p. 200. 19. News of Indust r~' , Wi1·clm World, Nov. 1961 , p.
8 . M. T hompson and A.C. Bartktt, T hermionic V:tlves 600.

207
 Chapter rywenty-:Jour

Some British Independents

En.riv Davs ' Impro,·ed Thrc:e Electro de Vah-c' was being ad\·crtised
as earl v as 1Vb rc h 1921 , .rnd the RM R ' lm pro,·ed Pattc:rn
In spite: of the fact that the m arket \\'as fl ooded with \'ah-c' in September of the same year. The !attn ,·ah-c
large q ua ntities of 'disposals' ,·alvcs followi ng the end of was unique in having ics anode made in the for m of an
World \Nar I, a ti:w small fi rms were soon on the scene inverted bowl while the grid was made in a capered spiral
offering tlH.:ir own productions. For cxamp k:, the Su lli\':111 shape m at:<.:hing the con to ur of the anode. Such a form of
constructio n \\' ;ls obviously an attempt to avoid infri nging
the patented tu bu lar construction of the R rype vah-e .

..---J,;u11iv41~1I--· ln 1922 the Economic E lectric Co. produced a \'akc:

IMPROVED THREE ELECTRODE
THERMIONIC VALVE
In ndJition lo its clcc·
trlcal 1'1ualitic:& the valve
POHCllU srcat
chanical strength. the
deeI rode• being ton·
struded •nd supported
ln uu:h ,. manner as
to render it tpttially
suitable to with1i.nd
rough u1llgc.
1111111111111111111111111111111111111
All u .1.-u '"' at
11"-rth.u(r, ri1\ _,
P RICE-EACH
(FOR RECE PTION)
An utrcmely elficieot hard tecciv-lng v"lvc. conformin1 appro:i:i·
m.i.tcly to the c.lundc<inic:s gi\•c.n below, and haviog a higb
value ol voltage ampli.6<atiao .,,d lonr life.
It will be obscncd that with •• •node potcnti.J of SO voh• And
with 11 filament potc-ntiol of 3'5 volll, tho atraight sleep portion
of the characte.ristic lo.II! across the zero grid potcntiRI ordinate.
ensuring that with thc1e value' imd wl1h 1hc grid connec.:.tion m11de
10 the negative aide of the 6la.m~nt circuit, the valve- function. well
. u an amplifiet or tC"ctifics cflicicn1ly ,.,j1b A leaky grid condcnaer.
Suitably connected thcval•e oscillates reAdilywith the above ,.oltag<t,
me ..
3 valve was chc: first British-made type of its kind. I nci-
"'!;
i~ 2
~ the Dutch firm of Ph ili ps.
'
CZ
~
u nder the n ame 'Xtr~n1d ion ' which h ad ics anmk in the
form of an in\'c:rted chan nel o r tro ugh. During the follo\\'-
ing year. 1923, a furthn c"·o companies encered the tidd;
the Penton Engineering Co. offered a \'ah·c idc:nriticd as
type H .E.4 \\'hich required o n ly 0. 15 am ps at 4 rnlrs, the:
same compa1w otkred a similar thoug h unidentified t\'1)c:
in 1924; Phillips Vah·es Led . of Southall, Middlcsc:x ..1d-
\Trtiscd '' , ·al\'l' whid1 was a,·ailablc in t\\'O , ·crsions, .1
sing lc-tilamc:nt ty pe: at I 2/6 and a double-filament type at
15/-. The b ttc r type had a switch on the umkrside of rhc
base to allow the: second filament to be brought in to use
after the tirsr had fai led. The Phillips ,·alvcs arc interesting
because the~' appt:ar to have been the first ro use m o ulded
compositio n bases, and also because the d o uh lc-fibmcnt
dcntally, ir sho u ld be noccd chat in spite or the sim ilariry
in the spelling of the names there was no con nc:crion \\'ith
The year 1924 saw che emergence o f four more namc:s-
G.W.I., Radio n, Louden, and Tho rpe. T he C.\\'.l. 'Platc:-
less Valve' \\'as unique in th;it the ;mode consisted of a

'
metall ic w ari ng applied to the: inner su rface of :1 sm all -
14/- ·4 •2 0 · :? •d
GMJO Po"TlM Y•AL. li?t.\Jl'rlTl\IC 10 diam cter cububr bulb. Two t\' pcs were available known as
POST l' REE. MCGA"ftVf. E.ND cc;. ~lt. •'\.Mt!,.."r
G.l and A.I.
~~.1~1~:";·"~r::~::~:~;~ Messrs. FREDERICK TAYLOR & CO. T he Radio n on the other hand was o f the: convc11tio11;1I
GO, Long Millgate, MANCHESTER.
R ty pe b ut its fi lamen t required 0 .25 am p1; instead o f the:
WIN C H E STER HOUSE, norm al 0 .75 . Two ,·crsio ns were: a\'ailablc, k.no\\'n as A2
H • W • SULLIVAN , LONDON, E.C.2, ENGLAND
and 04. The Thorpe K l was a bright emitter consuming
Worlt• :-"LIVERPOOL HOUSE." MIDDLESEX STREET. LONDON. E.1
0.42 amps o f filamrnr currenc while the type K4 lw the:
same fi rm was a do uble-grid type. The fourr h make: to
MARCii J 9, 19: I TH E \\' JRELESS WORLD
ap pear in I 924 \\';\S the Louden, a product or the fdl O\\'S

208

AN D R.ADTO REVI8\V Nov1nrn~:n
'XTRAUDION '~
Three Electrode Valve
Filament Consump-
l ti on only · 4 amp. at 4
l volts. Anode poten-
l tial 30-75 volts. An
I excellent Detector,
: unequalled amplifier.
I good low - power
' transmitter and
modulator.
PRICE 15/-
RADIO
comprising 40 pages and
250 illustrations, mailed
post free for 4d.
EooNOMIO ELECl'B.10
10, Fitllroy
Head Offu:1:
Square, London, W.1
Shouiroonu :
303 Euston Rd., N.W.1
lJran<h Showr<><>m• &
Twiokenham.
;n., v..i.. ~.:l'tm>-ft.1- l'rlo•ltt.
T11• J..L SHdo,i,O.m1m1u1:\'•h<l- l"""U •i.
n.t Tnf A,) tr _ ...., .,oo11, IOI .,.,, ~ illf
" '{!, • llf:llDOC11!1~1M•• lo•\11', •Iii
.........._....,.,,.J .... 01•« 11J" I> '"'
G.W.I. Ltd.
IMPERIAL WORKS, SHANKLIN RD.,
CROUCH END, LONDON, N.&
Magneto Co. of London. fi lament consumprion was 0.4
21. 1923 amps at 4 .9 \'Olts and two versions were offered known as
'Plain' and 'Blue'.
Fo ur of the brands so far mentioned- Penton, Phillips,
Louden, and T ho rpe were of unusual construction and
had one co111J11o n feature, their anodes were formed from
a closely-wound spiral o f wire. Apart fro m this o ne com-
mon feature t here was little other simi larirv bcrween the
four makes so it seems unlikelv that the manufacturers
were connected. To rhc writer's knowledge the use of wire
spiral anodes was unique to the manufacturers mentioned.
Only Louden made any claim of superiority for the use of
a wire spiral m1odc:
'. .. the filament enjoys great length of life because the
harmful charges which otherwise continuo uslv bombard
ir arc forccct" through the spiral anode o ut, of harm's
BOOK
way'. (The wo rld's tirst ion trap? !]
Only two new names appeared in 1925, Burndcpr and
eo. Nelson-M ulti. The latter was tmique in G reat Britain and
probably the entire world in that it had three fi laments
which could be selected independently or else two placed
in parallel by means of a switch located o n the underside
w..,.,
TH E WTREL E$S WORLD
DECEMBER I5TH, 1926.
Thousands nrc to-day
aloninit at simplicity or
contrpl-" one-dial" set9
roi:- loud-s1>enkei:- work
SIMPLICITY
Crom the home stntion.
The rheostDt hfls ~lven
pince to the fixed " resis-
OF
tor, .. nnd now comes
perhaps the tre11tes1 aid
of all- ·
CONTROL
a
which , , ...·orkinc admi ral>)}' at from 3·7
lo 4 \."Olts, can be- run d irect frQm the
.1-vott accumulator without resist::ince
oi ;m}' kind.
406 H.F . nnd 1,.1>. 9J- each.
411 l•owc~ Vnlvc 15,'- each.
Latest Lustrolux Lines.
212 H.F.&L.f". 2v. , ' IZ.mps.9/-
234 Astra P.V. 2v.. ·34amps.151-
There .ire Luslrolux Combinations
for nil voltages.
Snui for I.is! E of f u ll raag<
of Lrtslrolu.T Er<mom)' Vnii:a.
LUSTROL U X J, TD.,
West Bollinirton. Near Maccie16eld.
209
 6 ADVERTISEMENTS . TH E WIRELESS WORLD

The Valves for your set

are in the

BURNDEPT RANGE
NO matter what
Super Valve in
kind of set you own, there is a
the Burndept rangr, which will suit
your requirements exactly.
Burndept Super Valves are guaranteed. Price 18/6
The ~xtraordinary care and skill m
manufacture and the rigorous tests Ty!X' L. 525.
each Valve undergoes before leaving T>l"' H.
512.
the factory enable us to do this. 22/6
Price
Pdcc 22/6
Ask your Dealer to show you the
range of Bumdept Super Valves
and test their efficiency for yourself. Write for Technical
Catalogue.

Prlcc16/6 BURNDEPT
jBURNDEPTI Type HL.
310.
WIRF LESS
LTD ..
~@JUiiD!£~ l'rkcJ6/6 AJdine House, Bedford St..
Type HL. Strand, London, W.C.2.
BRANCHES AND AGENTS 512.
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD Price 22/6 r,•lrf>llOHt' :
Grrrard 9072 (4 li11rs).
T e/r.gf4111S:
"Rtt.rndept, U'cstrand, I..omlo,,.''

rH•~ \\Jk[LT~"!I \\'ORlJ> \'(O K'llHI ao:\ Jl-:\\
OoT>••• u...::1 • of rhe base. H o ,,·e,·er, this design ,,·as soon JbJndoned
Jnd the ;:-..;c1so11 Eb:tric Co. rurned to the nrnrnfacru rc
of com-cnrionJI singk- tibmrnr ,·ah-cs in 1926. Burndept
valves were mJtk b\· :111 old-established recci,·cr :rnd pans
manufacrurer, Bumdept Ltd., but the compan~· discon-
tinued vJlvc mJnufacrure afrer it was re-organised in
1927.
A third name, Cleartron , had appeared on the British
scene in 1925 but apparently too late for inclusion in the
Winless Wortti Valve Dara published in September of that
year. A recently established American comp<111y, the C kar-
tron Vacuum Tubt: Co. or
New Yo rk, set up a factor~·
in Birmingham to produce British-made Cle:ircron valves
which were first ath·ertised in September 1925. Of the six
types offered two bore American type numbers-CT 199
and CT201 A, while a third the CT25 appeared to be iden-
tical to the C'T20 l A apart from being fitted with a British
type base. Appart:mly thL· parent comp<rnv 'folded' in the
1929 crnsh w hich in tum resu lted in the closure the or
British operation at much the same time.
Several ncw br:rndnamcs appcJrcd in 1926 bm onl~'
three arc thought to bc those: of actual manufacturers
-Lusrrovox, Neutron, and Octron. O f chc remaining
names, A.mplion J nd lknj:unin (incidentJlly both wel l
known in the field of rad io componcnrs) were bei ng ap-

2 10
 S.etTr.:.r"r,;1 e>'fl!, tl) n . to have been deri\'cd fro m the shape o f the base. A com-
pletely new r<rnge o f valves was introduced in 1929, at
.(..- ... 1,p. ..,.,...,,. i >t•I
<: r •.,,,c:..r,,, C.1._: Ct "1
which time the use of octagonal bases was discontinued
tho ug h from then o n little more was heard of the com-
pany. In 1932 a rnmpnay by the name of Clarion Radio
Valve Co. was o perating from the S<une address and ad,·er-
tising ,·alves under the n.une Clarion.
The vcar 1927 S<l\V six new brands of valves being ad-
vertised, all of which were listed in the Wi1-eless 1Vorld
Valve Data fo r that year; they were A.P. (Anelov), C.A.C:,
Mello d yne, Midland, Quikko, and Voltron . In 1928 the
g rowth rate had slo wed to the extent that only o ne new
name appeared, P.R. (Peter Russel) , but the company was
apparentlv only a distributor.
Althoug h there were rwo new brands being offi::red in
1929, Eton and Fo ur-in-One, the year was a turning point
Cblh ~J.fu.~'ii'~@l~l -the perfect Radio Valve in th::it it marked the cnd of the annual crop of new names.
D!.!;1:~~;c~(\.~~ 1~' :::>':::!~~·~.~~-:~~:i1\;l:·>;" ;!.~~~~:~~d"~~,.:~cb:~k:d .;;
11 1
Only seven were added between 1929 and 1935- Clarion,
mt kon •t:l ad j.llmrnuc-:-l.'l IH'tl ct11~ ki nd }'Ou w;rnc for proper reccp1ion.
An fron·Clad Guaramu Pix, '362', Ever Ready, Graham Farish, H ivac, and Lisscn.
151::: :\II r :1•J k • ...,.h'IJ" ''"""1 ...u 111111 y . 011l y
by rl ir.tiJ 1n~ l'l'O:ll11 11 b11 c1r.:. ,.t Coy :,o r lit lJ
11~o>tn l .,11 '" rn ~kl' 11,•l•><I t:u n ch b b\'
\'V~ 111 1l m h1lmum. Cl11artr•m h:i.:1
Cli!i•r1 r vn ~"\l h'~ Cl"lllh~
fl'~1datl1m l.)'p h l: C ,T Ot!, (.;,T I~,
C 1' 15 u n d C 1' 258. 1'b..~ n:c.111 a t
I ! .tt. a ll <l l ~/- cacb, p\'. rform.:inci:
IA f4.:r
Of these o nly Hivac became of any importance and it is
C.'l'.:!.S c.r. os ::u1
c.t. isa •114
m ao;le ~<)(111 1>v.:1u1 ~ 0 h fu llU~ ' ""'"
N.'<1'1lr c111f l\f", ~~\'<:t)' ,,.,.1...-., 1.. c ~uly
1l,11.0"1r;1i\1'1°'il•I. lt ffl 1u• dc:alcr <!Ql'l$ not
yo ~-.i rr)· Cl~ tl l"ll ,. , f.lf'J .t r 1lit11.:;1 frl)tu C.T, 13 treated separately. Apart from the names mentioned above
Ametk :in ' ":01<1d 1 (IY~r)' w h c l'.orrl1:~ :111 ' " " ' ' •h 1u·v~·i.J"d y(m wnJ )0<11' t!~:ll('-r's E-vcr1
ITP~
C.T. :?JlA
C l .i.l f;a..ir,ml H ,
Cl.f:AHT RON HADlO Led ., l Cl lARING C ROSS, LONl>ON. S .\\'.l
rum" ;u1d a <.ldroe:o;;., , ~U~(\"I~
•Oloc::e there were sever;\( ochers which had come and gone on the
c.r. 100 'n•••• •~;•no U )t I ~~!) t.llUtl).f..H-"", '(;;"...,..: ~:....:"'°"'- V. ~--=, !..:::<:.= f:ilf ~
British market during the \'ears before 1939, e.g., E.T.A.,
Dario. Met;\!, Trio rron, etc. , but these were of foreign
~lb~~~T~@l~I
m
o rigin and arc no r included for that reason. In addition
there were such fo reign firms as Foros, O stm·-Ganz, Loe\\'e,
BRITISH MADE and Tungsram who made \'alves in England for \'arying
lengths of rime. Of these only Tungsram was successful
in maintaining its British operation, the company surviving

plied to valves made for the two brandname owners bv

.
into the 1950s .

.Met-Vick who were also selling identical types under their '1'111> Wll< HESS WORLD
own Cosmos brand . Valves sold under the name S.T. were
made for S.T. Ltd. by Mullard, the letters S.T. represent-
ing the name of the firm's proprietor, John Scott Taggart.
In the case of Six-Sixty V<\lves the name had actually been
in use prior to 1926 but did not become well known
before then. In that year The Electron Co. concluded an
arrangement with Mullard to supply valves to be sold
under the companv's S ix-S ixty brandname.
Vah-es under the Neutron br;mdn,une first appeared in
December 1925 when two types, identified as Red Spot
and Blue Spot were ad,·errised as being made and guar·
anteed by Neutron Ltd . Bv the end of 1926 six types, in-
cluding a power o utput \'alve, were being offered. In the
following vear, I 927. the co mpan~· was reorganised as :;;;<;~-----:,;;;
41.,;,~•I
NEUTRON I.TD.,
Neutron ( 1927) Ltd., alter which time valves were no LONDON, w.c.1.

longer being advertised. Octron \'alves were announced by

the H .S. Electric Co., Birming ham in October 1927 when
three types were being offered. Bv mid-192 7 the name of HiJJac
the firm had been changed to Octron Ltd. when five types
of valves were available. Ocrron valves were fitted with T he name H ivac first appeared in l 932 when the re-
distinctive octagonal-shaped bases which served to pre- cently formed High Vacuum Valve Co. marketed a range
vent their rolling off rhe edge when placed on a table or of ten 2-volt battery valves. The company was unique in
bench. Additionallv. the brandname seems rather obviouslv. that \.vhile it was entirclv British it was not a member of

211
the British Val\'(: Makc.:rs Associat ion and a pparc.:n rl~, did
not seek mc.:mbc.:rship as it was established on the basis pro·
ducing high quality vah·es which were sold at half the.: rul-
!I Il
--
ing B. \!.A. pricc.:s.
As a non-ring producer Hi,·ac was thus unable co cntcr
the initial-cquiprnrnt market and had to bc conrc.:nr with
selling rc.:placc.:menr valves and catering to the ncc.:ds of
home constructors. In anv case Hi,·ac did not make mains
valves until 1934 and st~angcly never made an~· form of
frequency changer. It would be interesting ro learn the
reason for the.: omission of such an essential type of ,·alve
when all orhc.: r commonly used types were includc.:d in the.:
H ivac range.:.
It was in 1935 that the fi rst of the valves that were to
beco me a H i\'aC speciality appeared . T hese were a series of
ti n~' 2-volr valves intended primarily for hearing-aid ap·
plication and wc.:rc.: given the name of 'midgets'. 1-I ivac Hivac A 15 (L.) and ACITZ (R.).
eventually gave up production of standard sized ,·alves
enrirc.:ly in fa\'our of midgets and later miniatures. rating was 15 V, 0.3 A, a figure " ·hich virruallv limited
The name Hi,·ac was also associated with the.: produc- the ,·alvc's applicatio n ro use in AC/DC recc.:i\-crs though
tion of a specialisc.:d type of o utput tetrode known as the the circuit diagram supplied showed paraUcl heater opera·
Hivac-Harric.:s \'ah·e. T his valve used the principle.: o f 'crit· tion from a 15-volr winding of a mains transfurmer. Anv
ical disuncc.:' spacing of the screen and anode, a katurc.: such transformer, being ; trictlv a non-standard t:'p~,
which enabled it to be.: used in place of a conn:ncional would not ha\'e been n.:~ldi l v available and this factor in
output penrodc.:. The first of such valves was markc.:rc.:d late itself would have been qui t~ sufficient to prevent general
in 1935 and t hey soon replaced pemodes in rhc.: H ivac acceptance of the A.15, a fact of which its manufacturer
range. seemed completely unaware.
For rhe record, mention may be made of a unique 'all- Another unique Hivac valve was the type ACJTZ, which
purpose' valve, type A. 15, which was an adaptation o f consisted of a triode combined with an output tetrode. At
the H arries design fitted with five independent grids each the time of its appearance, late in 1938, such a combina·
connected tO a separate base pin. Depending on the.: man· tion had never been prod uced in anv other country. T he
ncr in which the grids were connected into the ci rcuit rhe ACrrz seems ro luve been speciallv made at the behest of
valve could fu nction as an RF or IF amplifier, a frequency Pve Ltd. for use <\S ;\ combinc.:d line oscillator-cum-output
changer, a dctc.:ctor or output amplifier. To assist users a ,·aJve in television recei,·crs. This \'ah-c was also unique in
diagram o r a 5-valvc superhet receiver was included wirh being the only British-designc.: d t~1 pe to be fitted " ·irh a
each vah'C. T he.: A. 15 was fitted with an Amcrican-stvlc.: continental srylc side-contact base.:. This, too, \\'as o bvi-
octal base and had a metal top cap of ' non-cmnplcrnent;{ry' ously a requircmenr of Pye Ltd. who were using a series
dimensio ns to which No. 1 grid was connected. The.: hc.:atc.:r of Mullard side-contact valves in their model 81 7 receiver
at the time.
Both the A.15 and the.: ACrr z remain something of
Tl IF. WrRELESS WORLD

l>.1H '(eflt'i asio HIVAC pta:.0 jusl 3 Vbl.,.•t on h,, "''"l et

-tlley W"et • ~ a?'I .we&.otc ....! unq~iod wc:cen lhl!ll
wi6ln 11M "" 12 taenriu h: tlVAC '*"90 ol hM ~
V.fvH wu nac•.t:.d to o·•et lO t)'?C.l.
tlYAC ~eiNnb ~ 193.S inckdc. d toduoft? lo
""°'l~ • a:~. ,~ ol - Mid'9\"f · v~.... ..-~
....1:11
"°'
~~ c:in.t:id.rt'd ~ by ""-"'Y .rth• ,_,._,
U-iheHIVACAc..JV V~ •-Wf..u~po1~ "'~>t
v~ r...~ - (Tr.1 JV.>~ v!ll>.~c •s• LA, c!· i.o.a-1111
Mq lQ:;. it"'°' of .. TI-.e Wtreku W°"'4'1
Q.r "«Y k:ui ~0..Cion ~ c~ed upon. ""' A-aoi.....i 2,.,.f
iuue d "'r..,. w-_...Je11 Wcrld1 Is.!!-.... ffiVAC HA.Ul.S Oufp..I
V.a!v._1, ~ ~ :n e!lr".,ly ,..._.pt~ 111 V•'..e ;w~

'1
' " C'
Y,..
new KVJI! prog•eltiVc !\d-ei!>eNI r~vo c. .... ...t. post:LI•

~'n.k........
by ¢0nfitlitig our cf!e.i.s Mtlf#.l1 fo die ftl.llnUl..:t-... or v.1...lfl
HIVAC PRICES RANQE F ROM
fir i;~';' 139 -::~: 9 1 6
~Cif'i:°' S.:..t j w ,..,..,{'kit u ..·u r"ru G•.:4<o "" ' (,A.orl II'"
. .......... ~ ,.,. ..o.. "''" lf~CUV• \'AL\'£ CO., LTD._ 1U·1'7, FAIUllllCIOO.. •o., t.c..oo-. u .1
~ ~~=================================~..;;...;;..;.;;;;;;.,. Hivac QP240 do uble pentode (1935) .

212
mystery \':lives in that neither W:lS e\·er listed in Wireless
Worlri or Brans' Vrrric Mcc11111. Their raritv, coupled with
their odd-b:lll design, should serve ro make them a collec-
tor's delight.
During V\lorld War II the comp;rny name was changed
to Hi\'ac Ltd., and in 1944 ownership passed into the
hands of the Automatic Telephone & Electric Co. (ATE)
who had held a controlling interest since 1939. Altho ugh
the manufacrun:: of ordinarv rccei,·ing valves was not re-
sumed after the war, the co;npany co1;rinued to make spe-
cial midget and minianire types as well as miniarure indicat-
ing lamps.
The Ever Ready Co. (Great Britain ) Ltd. was a comp[u·-
ative latecomer tO the radio scene although the company
was an old-established barren' manufacturer. Little infor-
matio n is a\'ailablc concerning thc vah-c markctin«1 acti,·i-
ties of this firm but it seems ~hat \'alves bearing tl~c name.:
Ever Rcad~r were intended main l ~· for initial equipment for
a line of receivers marketed in 1935. Bv this time a radio
division under the name Evcr Rcady Radio Ltd. was in
cx1stcncc.
Ever Ready ,·alves were first listed in d1e pages of the
Wireless World Valve Data in 1935 and it is understood
that in the same year £,·er Rc:tdy purchased the Six-Sixty
Radio Co. from Mullard, presumably in order to secure a
source of supply for ,·al\'eS to cquip their receivers. In ,·iew
of this actio n it is somewhat surprising to find Mazd3
valves being used in a 1936 model Ever Readv receiver
(model 5008), when cquivalcnt Ever Ready valv~s were in
Ever Ready K30C made by Mu/Jard c. 1937.
existence. Just how man~· types of vaJ,·es, if any, \\'Cre
acrually made by Ever Ready is not known but it seems
that most, if not all, were made bv Mullard. Ever Readv
valves were also uscd in some models of Pve 3nd Lisse;1
rcceivcrs sold d uring the !arc 1930s. '
Valves undcr thc Ever Ready name were no longer list-
ed in the Wil·clm World Valve Data after World War II
though a company by the name of E\'er Re3dy Radio
Valves Ltd. was in existence and recei,·ers using Ever
Readv ,·aJ\'es (made b\· Mullard) \\-ere being marketed
until ·at least the late l 9SOs. ~
Lissen
Lissen Ltd., an old-established components and acces-
sories manu facturer, first issued valves under the Lissen
brandname in 1929 whe n a range of eig ht 2-volt battery
types was markctcd. These particular valves wcre acn1allv
made by B.T-H and in \'iew of the date o f thcir introduc-
tio n, September 1929, it seems likely that they were stock
which had been made.: rcdundant bv the formation of AEI
when the manufacntrc of B.T-H r~ceiving valves was dis-
continued. During 1930-31 Lisscn marketed two models
of HT battcry eliminators and it is known that the rectifier
used in thcs~ units was a Lissen batterv triode: connected
in half-wave mode with the grid and pl;te strappcd.
Lissen \'alves were tirst listed in the 1930 Wireless World
Valve Data when there were 32 types a,·ailabk of which
29 were bartery-opcratcd types, one was a gcncral purpose
Lissen SG215 and 82 (1933).
AC triode while the remaining two were rectifiers. By the
end of 1933, with t he addition of a range of 16-V, 0.25-A
DC mains valves the total number of types being offered
had risen to ovcr 40. Because many of these valves bore
the same type numbcrs and had d1e same characteristics
<\S those made by certain other comp<mies such as Mazda
and M-0.V. it secms li kcl~' that some at least were not
213
of Lissen's m,·n 111anufacrure. from I 9:H o n"·ards Lissen
Ltd. turned increasi ngly ro rhc m.rnufacru n..· of complete
rccci,·crs and the number of diffcn.:nr r~' fKS o f ,-alYcs being
n ffcn.:d \\'JS drasricallv reduced . Bv 1938 there \\T re o nh·
15 Lisscn v;1 lvcs liste~i in Wireless ·world's \ ' a h·C' Data an~I
thereafter the n ame Lissen was not included.
~or much is know n o f Lisscn \ o\\'n 111:111ufacture of
\'alves but it can be said that the \'ah-cs themscl\'cs were
q uite diffe rent in cxtcrnal appearance from those of other
British makers. It seems likch· that, during the years 19 30 -
34 at least, Lissen were actuall~, m aklJhcir m rn ,·ah ·cs. An
irwo h·ed agreement concludtd in I 93S between Mul lard.
Pye, and E'-cr Ready seems to ha\'e bl·cn responsibk fo r
the disappearance o f , ·ah·es branded Lisscn.
Ferranti
The tinn of Fcrranri \\'as esubli!>hcd 111 1896 when Se-
basti:m z. de fcrranti ser up as a manufa<.:turcr of ckcrrical
machinen·. By 1905 the firm had bt:come a registered
company kno \\'n .is fcrra nri Lrd . 1n 1926 the manufacrun:
of a limited range of hig h qualit~ · radio rnmponrnrs " ·as
commenced while in the same \'car .1 :-.Jc\\' York sales of·
tke \\'as opened. During 1930-3 1 .1 lim: of rccei,·er kitsets
\\'as imroduccd, while earl~· in 1931 rhc first complete
1-'crranti rl'Ccivcrs wcrt marketed. lnirialh· Osr;un , ·ah-cs
were used to t:quip the receivers bur shortly Jttcrwards the
companv commenced to nrnke thei r 01vn ,·ah-cs.
Initial vain: p rod uction consisted of hut thrc<.: tvpes- a
general-purpose trio de, an output rrimk. and a full -\\'a\·c
rcctiticr- rcspccti,·cly kno\\'n as D .-1-, P.-1-. R.5 . Th<.: ~- \\'ere
4-\'0lt AC tYpes. apart from the rcctifil'r which carried ,1
5.,·olt filament raring.
W hen the first Ferranti superber rccci,·cr \\·as 111;1rkctcd
to\\'ards the middle o f 1932 it was a sn-cn-vah·c model
using three \'ari-mL1 scrl'cn-g rid ,,.,1,·cs, but as Fcrranti 's
h:id no such valves in production ar th<.: time rhcv \\'ere
fo rccd to rely o n an outside supplier to fi ll the gap. So it
was that this receiver used Osram type VMS4 ,·ari-m u
valv<.:s \\'bile the remai nder \\'Cl'e Fcrr:inti. Nor until the
fo llowing year was there an 'all-Ferranti' su perber, the
range of \'alvcs having by rhis rime been incrtascd to in-
clude :ill currently needed tvpcs.
In June 1933 Ferranti became the firsr British ,·aln:
maker ro market a hcptodc (pcmagrid ) fr<.:qucncy changer,
rypc VHT4, "·h ich closely rcsrn1hlcd cu rrent American
types apart from h aving a 4 -\'0lt hl'.HlT and Rri tish 7-pin
bas<.:. Apart from this solitary ' firsr' Ferranti remained
slower than others in releasing new r~· pcs of \'<lives; for
example, at this rime they had neithe r made nor used o ut·
pur prntodcs, and no t until 1934 \\'as the first of such
types added to the ra nge. In this CJ!>l' rill· delayed produc-
tion appears to reflect \\'hat \\'as thl·n a commonl~'- hdd
2 14
dislike fo r the breed during the t'.irl ~· ,·cars o f its existence.
Somc\\'har surprising!~·. o r ~o it no w seems, fe rr<l nti
embarked o n the producrio n or barter~· ,-ah-cs during 1934
and a limited range of 2-,·o lt r~· pcs \\'<lS issued O\'cr the
next ~·car or so. £ ,-en allo\\'ing for th<.: greater populMity
of hancry-opc.:rattd rccci\·crs in the U.K. at this time, 1934
srill seems to be rather late in the d.n·. for am· . manufacturer
ro srarr making. battery vah-cs.
In 1935 Fcrranti's wc1T apparently again una ble to kt:cp
production of ll C\\' \':lh'c tn)cS :1 breast of rccei\'Cl' trends as
once ag ain they had ro turn ro (.~EC, this rime to suppl~·
the frcq ucn<.:y changer for use in their first AC/ DC rc-
n:i,-cr. S imil.lrl~· anorhcr AC/DC rccci,-cr, model 5 I 3Am
of 1938, made use of a mixture of ,\lazda and ,\lullard
\'ah-cs, "'hich seems surprisi ng in ,-il·"· of the fac t that
there \\'<.:re no less than 2 7 ditll:rrnt t\'fll'S of fcrranri
\'ah-cs listed in 1936. 1-lowt:\'er, \\' hen it is realised chat,
according to the 1938 Wii·dcss World Val\'<.: Data, there
wcr<.: by then onlv fi,·e Ftrranti ,-.1h·i.:s listed this helps ro
t·xpla in the siruarion, <1S there had olwiously been a d rastic
curback in the number of diffrrcnr ry pes in pro d uctio n.
E,·rn so \llirclcss ~l101M's fi g ures cannot ha,·c been q uite
up- to-date as there \\'ere additional Ferra nti \•ah·es in use
in rccci,·crs \\'hich had been rc,·ic\\'cd in the pages of thl'
\'Cr~· S:lll1( journal during the preceding frw months; fur-
Ferranti PT4D and LP4 (1 935) .
thcrmo rc. Fcrranti's \\'ere adn:rrising some of thcsl' , -;1h ·cs
at thi~ time.
In common with se, ·cral other British manufacturers,
hrranti's had by 1938 turned ro rhc production of Amcri-
e;1n rvp<.: octal-based ,·ah·cs ;rnd rhc tirst fcrran ti receiver
to us( thl'm (model 515B) \\'as rcvic\\'Cd in Wii-clcss Wol"ld
for Decem ber o f that ve;1r. Fn llmving the end of World
v\'ar I I rcrr;1nti's, again in cornmon with othtrs, con-
tinui.:d using. octals during the i111111cdi:ire post-war ~·cars
b<.:forc turning ro loccals, and l.ircr still. to m iniamrc types.
By this time, howc\'l:r, there was :111 increasing amount of The following is a listing of Ekco valves known to Inv<.:
'label swapping' becoming apparent within thc industrv been used in pre-war Ekco receivers.
which makes it difficult, e\·en pointless, to n-v to deter·
mine just who made what, and \\'hen it happened. from TX41 = TH4B OP42 = l\:ni\4
this time o nwards Ferranti's rurned inLreasingly to the VP41 =VP4B 0042 = ~'cn4DD
production of industrial and special-purpose \'<lives before DT41 =TDD4 R.41 = DW4/350
ceasing manufacrure of recei,·i ng typcs entird\' in the late 2041 =2D4A VPU I = VP l 3C
T41 = 354\! DTU l = TDDL3C
1950s.
OP41 = PenB4 602 = 1V'4

The Mullard equivalents shown to the right o f the E kco

E!tcv
The firm of E.K. Cole Ltd. commenced business in 1926
by making HT battery eliminators \\'hich \\'ere sold under
the name of EKCO. B" the end of 1928 Ekco had become
one of the \'Cry first British manufacturers or mains-oper-
ated recei,·crs. Progress continued steadil~1 through the
1930s during which period Ekco became o nc of the lead-
ing receiver manufacturers. ln 1936 the companv com·
type numbers are included purcl~' as a matter of interest to
enable readers to obtain ;m idea of the functions of the.:
vanous types.
Cossor
Undoubtedly the oldest-established independent, though
not the first actual valve maker, was one A.C. Cossor who
commenced business in 1896 with the manufacture of
Crookes tubes. This was followed in 1902 by the produc-
tion of cathode-ray tubes and X-ray tubes, it being later
claimed that Cossor was the first person in England to

·~
make such devices. ln 1908 a private company was formed

,
lill \,
~··~ .. ...,-,...
tO handle the increased business which by then inclmkd

•
the manufacture of specialised incandescent lamps for
.
~·· FKC'·
I medical and other purposes .
At this time Cossor also began making wireless com-

•,
~. ...~ ,.
ponents, supplying the Marconi Co. and the Admiralty.

•
During '\Norld \Var I Cossor's experience in this ticld kd
to their manufacturing complete. receivers for military
purposes. In common with several other companies Cos-
I.
.ifH ~ ~flv sor first gained experience in valve manufacturing during
1•• r1
I. i
the war when production of vVhire V<llvcs was unckrtakcn
A group of EKCO valves c. 1937. followed by the production of st<mdard R type valves.*
·•The information in these two paragraphs was taken from a
publication entitled Ha{( a Century of Pro._11rcs.r produced by A.C
mcnce.d making a limited range of valves to equip certain Cossor Ltd. in 1947.
models of their receivers. Ei1 pnssrmr it may be remarked
that 1936 seems rather late in the dav to ha,·e embarked
on valve production, in fact Ekco \\'as the last company to
do so.
V cry little is known of Ekco's \'ah·e-making <Kti,·ities,
which is not surprising in ,·ie"· of th<.: fact that \'<ll\'es were
made for a short period of less than thn.:e vcars. Produc-
tion was confined main!~· to 4-volt AC types with a few
200 mA AC/DC tvpes being included. No barren· rype
valves were made, Ekco being content to rurn to Mullard
to supplv their requirements in this area. Ekco was one of
the kw receiver manufacturers to make their own \'al\'es, a
fact that docs not seem to be widclv known. Vah·e pro·
duction ceased shortly after the outbreak of World War II
when the compan~1 became fully engaged in the produc-
tion of military radio equipment. Cossor 'Tin Hat' valves (1922- 1925).

215
 THE WJR.ELESS WORLD AJ\TD R.~DIO REV IE \\' No v1,~1eirn 28, IU2 3

Y ES !·-the Co s sor Pz (with red top)

is trul y magical in the way it
brings in long distance stations. And
Grid itncl Anode and none can cscap':!
to th? sid es of the glass.
IfvourSet uses a tuned Anode circuit· vm1
none a pprecia te it more than those
who have p reviously used Valves with
w ill find that a Cossor P2 will g i v 1: you
a v ery d :?finite improve ment over the
the ord inary type of tubula r Anock . ordinary type of Valve. I t will en able you
The reason for its succ!:ss in long distance to p ick up Stations which were prc' viously
work lies in its design. Special j obs need out of your n ·ach . Y oHr S-::t will be moff
special tools and naturally you wonkl stabk, ·and les,; liable tu self-oscillatio n,
not expect a Valvt: designed to operate and vou will notice a marked absL:nce
as a Note ;'l'lag nifier, fo r instance, to of cl1stortion and microphonic noises.
give just as good results when used on This is due to its peculiar Grid
the hig h frequency side of your Set. forma tion- an immensely strong nct-
In a ppearance the P2 is a typical work of wiring securely anchored in
Cossor Valve with curved fila ment three positions to every turn, a nd
a nd hood-shaped Grid and Anode . built up on a substantial metal ba nd.
Due to this well-proved .- - - - - - -?v;E~ - - - - - "'I1 Y ct for all these ad-
desig n practically th,~ l Pl. For Detccw and L F. 151 - vant<l1-!l'S, the P 2 (a nd
w I10 1c o·f the filament 1 P2.
use
1~0 ,
.. ..
1·1.F. use (with red lS/- 1I
i }'
the :>r) cost no mon~
e mission is caug ht by the 1 t op) • • .. .. .. than ordinary Valves.
- t "Wun:ell "-~he improve· I 30 /. I
From all Dealers. L__ ~ul~ ::':'..e~ .: :... ~ __ ,_J From all Dealers.

COSSOR VALVE Co. , Ltd.,-Highbury Grove, N.5

r.il her l lid.
 After the war Cossor contin ued to make and market R
type valves until 1922. By this time the Marconi Co .
was o n the warpath in rhc matter of infringements o f the
French patents which they owned in rhe U .K. Because of
this Cossor deemed it prudent to de\-clop a non-infri nging
ty pe of valve and in 1922 their first independent design
appeared. Cossor's approach \\'as to modi~· the structure
of t he electrodes to get away from the cylindrical forma-
tion on \\'hich the !=rench patent was based. In practice
this was ad 1ie,·ed by using ;m arch-shaped filament o,·er
which was fi ttr..: d a grid of inverted 'U' shape while the
ano de took the fo rm o f a dome with two flat sides.
These early Cossor valves earned for themselves the so-
briquet 'tin hat', a namr..: d erived from the helmet-shaped
appearance o f their anodes. T he words tin hat themselves
had originally been used by World War I British troops as
a light-hearted rdi.:re111..: r..: to their steel helmets. The first
two tin-hat valves issued were types P.1 and P.2, both
were bright emitters carrying filament ratings of 6 volts,
0.75 amps.
Cosso r was the first British m~tnufacttuer to introduce a
system of colo u r cod ing valves as an indication of their
suitability for d ifferr..:nt applications. In this code red, blue,
and green indicated R F amplifier, RCC amplifier, output
,·ah'e respectively.
In November 1923 the fi rst Cossor dull-emitter was
advertised u nder the name 'Wuncdl'; a name ob,·iouslv
derived from the valvr..:'s abi liry ro operate from a sing!~
cell, in this case a 2-,·olr accumulator. By Februa rv 1924
rwo types of Wunccl l, identified as P.3 and P .4:, were
being o tk rcd fo r sale. Later in the same year three more
Wuncd l rypes were anno unced which were unique in be-
ing able to be operated either from a 2-volr supply o r
from a 4- to 6-volr supply. A small resistor inside the val\'e
base was wired in series \\'ith the filam ent and could be
shorted our b~, means of a contact sere\\. o n the side of rhe
base. T he type numbers o f these three \·al\'es were orig-
inally listed as \'\' . l, W .2, and W.3 but appear to ha,·e
been changed ro W Rl , WR2, and W R3 a short time later.
T he stared purpose o f the p roductio n of the \•Vunccll
series was ro allow the owners of sets using bright-emitter
valves to change ro d ull-emitters one at a time whi le con-
tinuing to use any remaining older valves and the original
battery. Presumably it also saved Cossor's having to pro-
duce valves in a range o f three different filament voltages.
In 1.926 a range o f three new valves was introduced
undr..:r the name ' Po int One'. The fihunent raring was
1.8-V, 0.1 -A, fro m which the name of the series was de-
rived . T hesr..: were quickly superseded by a completely new
range o f low-consumptio n valves which were available in
2 -, 4-, and 6-volt versio ns. All carried a uniform 0.1-amp
filament raring and were still known as Point One types.
They were the fi rst Cossor valves to use 'M' fi laments, the
shape of which cOn\'eniently matched the conto ur of the
characteristic helmet-shaped anodes which remained in use
until 193 1.
T he earlier svstem o f colour codin g was carried o n in a
different form by the use of a colour~d pape r band encir-
cli ng the bulb close ro where it jo in ed che base. Imprinted
o n the band were the m aker's name, filament rating, ano de

DEC'El\fRJ;;H, I I , 1!120

COSSOR WIRELESS VALVES

TRANSMITTING & RECEIVING
INM/:;/JIATE DELIVERY FRON STOCI\.

TRADE O RD E R S AN D
ENQUIRIES SOLICIT ED

DETAILED LIS T (IV) S e11t on rlN>lication.

A C C.,OSSOR LTD.,
• •
AB E RDEEN WORKS, ABERDEEN LANE ,
I-I IGHBURY G ROV E , LONDON , N. 5.
Tc l o~1rnm s: A M PL I F' I E R S . PHONE, LO N D ON. T o lc r>h o ne : NORT H 1385 & 1386 .

217
 voltage, fun ction codt: krtt:rs, and a snial numbn-e,·cry- tion of an RF pen rode, rvpe MS/PcnA, in .~lay 1930 and a
thing but tht: rype number! Not onlv was the valvl''s func- battery t~·pe vari-1111.1 screen-grid valve, the 220\'SG, 111
tion indicated b~· its label colour, ,·iz., rt:d = HF & detector, December 1931.
blue= R CC. black= Lf, gn.:en = out pur, bur chest' letters From the earliest davs Cossor's radio acri,·itics were not
were also included on the alreadv o\·t:rbu rdened label. Al- confined ro v:ih·e making as during the late I 920s the
rogether a most compreht'nsive svstem of marking, subject production of kitser rt:ceivers was commenced. Although
o nly to the criticism that the label could come unstuck! many of the components \\'ere mack b~· the company the
After about 193 1 the paper band bbels \\'ere repbced by sale of kirsets ob,·iously ;\Isa helped to sell more ' "ahTs.
small diamond shaped srickers "·hich fo r se,·eral ~·cars re- Production of 'Melodv Maker' kirsers continued until the
mained the o nly means of identificatio n used bY Cossors. early 1930s b~· whicl~ time a separare factory had been
established for the purpose of manufactur·ing complete rc-
'l'IU:: \\' IH ELl~SIS \\'O IH, I) ..\NO HAlJI O H &\' I EW 0CTQtutK I. 10:?-I cei,·ers under the Cossor brandnamc .
Between 1926 and 1928 a substantial shareholding in
the compam· \\'JS acquired by GEC Ltd. though Co~sor
Reasons For remained 3 pri\'JtC COmpan\' until the death o f the majo r
shareholder and m;rn;\ging directnr, W.R . Bu tlimorc, in
Low working 1927. Early in I 938 the company was taken over b~· Ismay
temp e rature Industries Ltd. but continued to trade under the Cossor
guarantees mune.
a longer life. Afte r a distinguished \\'artime clfort in radar manufac-
Tl I I~ 11cw (.;o-."ur \\' uuucll is ture one of Cosso r's first post-war moves was ro enter into
1nr~
csscnli:tllr a low lctnpcrn ·
\':11v,:. It:; •(low h; :1 lmm1t
an agreement with the Americin l'irm of Sylvania Products
i11\'i:-1ihl"·- (.:crlainl\· 110 hrigh1cr Inc. which led to the esrablishmem of a new companv
Sold in three types.
d1:.11 l he )!low I rum a d)·i 11~
WI Corr~pondiug 10 t'l :m tlmatch. 'J'hu ... lonJt life i-. en·
Standard Cessor known as Electric Tubes Ltd . By this time there were si..-..:
for U!;c- ;a• a Ot.1«:1or « sured from llll' .:tu111ncnccmcnl.
L.t-". Amplifier.
AJ::1in the t:th"'°" \\'unccll h:1.,, features ensure companies with in rhe Cossor group bur in 1949 Cossor
W2 \\ritl1 Rt-d T or t«irrn · hccn dl·signctl t o operate from
ponding 10 the P J t f.-..r u,.c
a:r. ;' HS. Am1,lifu..·r . a s111:1JI :!·\'Olt :1l'CUm11bt or. improved results. ceased valve manufactu re bv disposing o f their interest in
W3 With G r e-.:n Top. 'fh c One o f : h c~c o l !l si:t.i; I hat will Electro nic Tubes Ltd. to E.M.I. Ltd. who then used their
new Loud Spcaktll' \ ';.Ive:, rc:1tl ily i'11 I he pockc l will run a
~1._·I li n.:cl with \\'u11cclls
A J...L the e~du~ i \'C! katu1 es own brandnarne Emitron. Production of radio, radar, and
From all De a ler s 3-v:lln· ior:1 whok \H.'c k':- h t oadc.; 1:-. l i n~
,,·hid1 h:1,·c 111a<I(· the
Co.;;..or t he most widd y used
- <>r' a 1.,·.1ln· ...c l for t hree tek,·ision by Cossor continued until 1961 when the radar
21( ,,·cck:.i.-al ·' ' inJ.:,lc ch:arJ!e.
1\nd lh"· .u.;-.·umul:\lor can he
ch=-r,.:.cd .1,.::1111 at a coot of 9d.
\"ah'c m the couc1try a rc re.
t:uuecl. hs 54...--Crc:I vi ..uc"·e-s~
he .. in t he' urturc of rr-.1C\k.l!l!-' t he
'' hok ('f the ckctron !.'mls."ton. lu
di,·ision was raken over b\' rhe American firm of Ra,·-
witluu a (~\\' hour~. thr n Tdin:a.ry V;th ·e '-' i1b 1uhu1;iir ~ node
:iiconsidcrabk 1nopurtion t Ji('lf'CS
theon.
\\'hilc .111 b rh:ht c nullc:r \-;th"t'$ ;wd frnm r;1d1 end o( the ;i,nudc wi1hot1l
i:.om c dull c11H1tl'fil;•'J't'r.1te "t .1 lc:m · "~ f\' mt: :rn'.'' u ~efo1 puq'IO"'""
l'ter.1ture uf ,11 h:.1, 1 Z,<X'IO dci.:.n:n. the
\\'uru:cll fu111. tum' .111'00dC>:r-ec .. onl). ·r 11c ;irchfil filam<"n~ of t.hc n ew
l"h~s i,:r .. i,h•~ <mnr•ri...,n JUO\C'
C•l'"'1r \\'um;dl j ... iuttl1tr ..l t'°nl:1h·
"ci.'tlnd clou b: w h\ l hC° \\'an'>cll \\ 111
cm.;\1 b y mc:ms of .1 \'.:cntrc .. urrnr:.
Oti\i'!IU~I\·, wi •C'iC$ ~nlhutt~~i, will
lvlullnrd
ci,,_11)• ooll-"'I h\·o ..r "' '"n Hirfi
•.ff'"d1n.1n· dull c-•m Uirn.. Ob"iou ..h·, n:;Jh-< 1h:a1 in :lm: r.ah·it th< fi~mC'nt·
it.. hbincnt "111 IK'\t"" ~ ...:bic~-tcd 1• tM t'lf'lly Tillnct.1bJc ronkm Ii
to t he: ..i.r.m1~ .tJhl i.1r-c''<'"" a.·htch l l°lt' rihmC'Tl t '---:.an be: ..., tlc:-th.-ncd as
i l'l C\ 11.t-l'>h lt;rnl I•• "h (lflc-11 lh c ll\C"
Iv he .thn,~t unbr€:.a1'.\Mc:. :ind ii 1he
\:.ht\\ ill function when lhc: 11!.. mcm
One of the first independent ,·ah·t: makers " ·as a former
u f \ ,11\c"" \\•1rl.mi: .11 ~ l<·nH1<"1'; tlu f t;
11c:uh• l ltrcC" 1i111e" ; l ' h i;;:h.
i"' ~ rely ~1•.rn:m,g. 11wn lh\• \ ,, Jvc
" '""'Ill h~\< :w :llm•1 ~t ir111vtim1c' liCt'
World War I officer, Capr. S.R. Mu tlard, who had been
B~..:.1\t •\! 11 I• .111 olt< t• l •J11/, 1t l>I' tlull T h;u i.-. u~tcc ly the ~·J.11 w ..• h .l.\c
cmith.'r 11..i 111.1111 ~111 i .. c1uitc :\ ~ ~tuu t
.111d _..., ru lm •t ~1 .. 1h.1t m Hu: 't:1mJ.ud
:\ln11."<I inr i n dt'""•J.!m n¢ th1.1 \\'nn..:cll making radio components for a ~·ca r or two prio r ro com-
ll!i:.•1rati'fle , !,,....,i11f 11,~, 11,1t\ ,.\ lmthcr r()lnt ·~that Hu: ... h.1t.11.!fC( •
""-i..cr , ...~,..,~ ... 111w.("t•ll•'"
I': .111<1 l'! \ ,1hc• ' l' b1 ... j., i 11d°"ed .1 mencing vah-c manufacture. In 1920 the first Mullard
,,....: ,.; &... .... ~... •4 tr... tMk''"'thy ...·h1c:\l'mc:n1 :\nd di... 1-.h~'f 111 all \\'uncc n '--:1hc• .1n.: .m
Yh·•-it-: - ...• 11>'U-1tl M r ru\C"' ;U •Nl'C' lhic' lh~rv l h.at :\ dult , .,,.,, m.t1 .. h foT t he ~.,1111 hr'-• ·3'
c .........r,.<;c ...•4•f•hlll.,.. • ••h
·-••"' ~ ............, h\ .......... ..
•·1111llf"f \.tlu: 111u~1 , , ft('\'cn•I!" be 1,du in lhc t'.o~--..:- tn~h\ ~mit:..'t' valves were being advertised fo r sale by S.R. 1\ilullard of
Or,,..,.........., 111.u.,.,...,.,.• ~)•I••• l u~ik .tlMI ,klt<.AIC'. "C'ric•

This remarkable new Cossor Valve

Production of rhe first indircctlv-he:ued AC valves oc-

curred in 1928 when <\ r:rnge of t"our types having their
j
.I
heater connections taken to two terminals mounted on a
bakclitc top cap were nurkt:ted. The construction of these
valves was broadly similar to that used o n the American
McCullough :md Sovereign and was not used bv any orher
British valve maker. The double-ended valves were super-
seded in the follow ing yl'ar by a similar range fitted with
standard 5-pin bases.
Two 'world's firsts' claimed by Cossor were the produc- Four versions of the Mu/lard ORA.

218

1
.I
I Carton for Negatron valve.
l
; l
Oscillator circuit using Negatron
valve.
71 Srnnden Rd., London. 1 Two cypes were otlcred, chc
scandard R type at 22/6 plus another idcntitied as K type
which sold for 35/-. Unf<)rnmatclv detaik:d information
on the K type is lacking but a conrcmporarv illustration
shows it to have a tubular stvlc bulb of smallish diameter
resembling the later ORA typc. 2 No expl:rn<ltion can be
otlcred for the large discrepancy in the prices of the two
types; it can only be.: assumed that the performance of the
K type was superior in some way, possiblv in regard to
filament efficienC\'.
At the end of 1922 the iv lullard Radio Valve Co. Ltd.
was established and although the manufacture of compo-
11Cnts was continued, valve manufacture became the main
activit~' from this timc on. It may perhaps be argued that
with rhc formation of a limited-liability company Mullard
was no longer strictly an independent producer because of
the rwo factors \\'hich led to its inception. These were
firstlv, assistance given by the Admiralty \\'ho were seek-
ing a source of commercial manufacwre for its own de-
sign of high-power silica transmitting valvc.:s and, secondly,
financial participation by the newly formed Radio Com-
munications Co. who, as a rival of Marconi's, were seek-
ing an independent source of supply for radio valves.
Mention of the Radio Communication Co., manufac-
turc.:rs of 'Polar' brand equipment, makes ir convenient to
comment briefly on an unusual type of valve known as the
Polar Negatron. This Mullard-rnade valve was designed
by John Scott Taggart for use in a special osci Ila tor circuit
devised co avoid w;ing Marconi-held patc.:nts. The valve
itself had two plates and a single grid, its name being
'\
' ·~
Polar Negatron valve made for the
Radio Communication Co. by
Mu/lard 1923.
dcrived from thc negative-resistance characteristic ob-
tained.
Apart from thc.:se two assured markers for its products
Mullard's carly cook steps to capture a share of the bur-
geoning retail market that was developing in Britain and
certain Empirc countries. Following production of the R
and K types came the famous ORA. which was first advc.:r-
tised in 1922. T he.: ORA was an improved version o f the
R, which it eventually superseded, and appears to have
bcen developed from the K type as it had the san1c tubular
style of bulb. The designation ORA was derived from the
initial letters of the words Oscillator, Reccifier, Amplifier
which indicated the three basic functions. In this connec-
tion it may be mentioned that the word rectifier rdcrs to
signal-frequency rectification or detection, not power rec-
tification.
The next production was of an American-designed ,·alve
which was made for a short period during 1923-25 to the
specifications of the Western Electric Co. Ltd. These were
known as \rVecovalves, the namc being formed from rhe
initial letters of the company's title. The valve itself was
simply a British-made version of the American type 215A
peanut tube. As in the U.S. it was one of the first valves
to h<we an oxide-coated filament designed to operate from
a single dry cell. vVeco,·alvcs were made with rwo types of
base, the standard British 4-pin as wdl as the \rVE special
215A type. Adaptors were also available to enable the use
of American based valves in British standard sockets.
By 1925 there were over thirty diftcrent types of Mui-
lard valves on the market, including several pmver output
219
 II I

MULhARD VALVES
c/or RECEPTION
Embody the latest advnnccs in scientific valve design.
They have a long working life a nd give a high d egree
of magnification, with freedom from valve n oises.
ST ANDA RD TYPES.
"R'' Valve : npcrnting on 4 volu Ji lament and 80 volts high tension.
"K" Valve: operating o n 4 volts fil ~ mcnt and 25-35 volt s high tensi(ln.

"R" Type £ 1 2 6 :: "K" Type £ 1 15 0

S.R_.MULLARD
ef
771an~ctczrer and Supp./ier
Sc.ienti/i.'c WzZ.e.fess C?tppara tus
71 STANDEN ROAD
r.:=====~====::::i LONDON
Ot/ie:r 77Ju1Zard
J P 0 7T.] /./:J@fa/./ou.r..l-7?.3 S:W:-18 S c:,pph"es
LONDON. Manchester Depot
AW.G.rn'"!l" l.tJ .. Hol born. E.C.I. 85CorporotionSL
MANCHESTER. Power Valves
H.illiw12ll &Good Ltd. ol High St. MANCHESTER
St.ml<)' f..irdon &Co..S} Str.?tford Rd.
Rectifyin3 Valves
LIVERPOOL . Valve Bases
E.M.A:;hlcy Ltd .. 69 R·m ~haw S t .
p,ilford Bros.. 106·lf0Wh i t-cchap•l. Anode Resistances
GATESHEAD-ON-TYNE
ThQ No rth Eost<Jrr> lnst;umcnt Co.. Grid Res istances
Durha m Road. Low Fell. [Ltd.
NOTTIN GHAM. Grid Conden sers
Th" Cit;y School ofWird"ss
T <Zl<?,grap h y · Ltd .. Fi 1amen t R.e.sist:ances
Brid l <?srnith Got<?.
BIRMINGHAM. Teleph on e Transfonners
Th <? C ity School of Wireless
T clc,graphy Ltd., Hi9h Fre<Juency Transformer.s
66'/z. Corporation S tr<ici t . inter Valve Transformers
or di-rec!fto.a'Z., Telephone Receivers
S.R.MULLARD H:T.&LT. Batteries&t.c
71 STANDEN RD .• 5~.18

e::::============::::::~-~~-~== .....·----== === = ==.J

JULY 10, I 920. Pleosc mcntfon the Wireless W orld

types and one four-ekctrode (double-grid) type. From all
appearances Mullard's position in the marketplace seemed
quite strong, yet it could not have been such a strong
position that the company could afford to turn down an
offer made in 1924 by a foreign manufacturer to purchase
a half·interest.
So, although Mullard had made a brn\·e Start as an in-
dependent and had surviveti a patent infringement action
brought against them in 1922 by the Marconi Co., they
allowed the Durch firm of Philips to acquire a haJt:imcrest
while the other half remained in the hands of the Radio
Co2mm111ications Co. In August 1925 a public announce-
met1t was made that 'an outst:rnding collaboration' had
been accomplished between 'the world-renowned manu-
facturers of Mullard valves and Philips Glowlampworks
Ltd., the famous lamp and valve makers in Holland'.'
Included in the agreement was a clause to the effect that
Philips would henceforth cease to market 'all imported
fore ign valves into Great Britain, Northern Ireland and
the Irish i: ree State'. The word 'foreign' in this connec-
tion would read better if it were 'Philips', as obviously
Philips had no control over the importation of other for-
eign valves. It should also be mentioned that rectifiers
were exempt from the terms of the agreem<:nt and Philips
continued to import ;md market these under their own
brandnamc. As a result of this policv certain types of rec-
tifiers were sold in apparent competition with similar or
identical types made by Mullard.
In 1926, by what must have been both a fortuitous and
fortunate occurrence Philips were enabled ro secure full
control of Mullard's when the Radio Communication Co.
was taken over by the Marconi Co. As Marconi's already
Mu/Jard 'R' c. 1922.
Mu/lard 'RA' c. 1922.
had their own valve-making arrangements they disposed
of R.C.C.'s holding in Mullard, possibly without realising
that by so doing they were enabling a foreign interest to
gain control of a British company. Thus it was that in
1927 Mullard's became wholly owned by Philips, a move
which was an early step along the road to Philips becom-
ing a multinational.
Following Philips' entry in August 1925 the name of
the fim1 was changed to the Mullard Wireless Service Co.,
and henceforth Philips' designs were used for all new pro-
ductions. The first valve to be issued under the new set up
was a small power output type designated PM4. It was the
first Mullard valve to carrv the 'PM ' prefix in irs type num-
ber. Rather obviously the letters PM stood for Philips-
Mullard though it was sometimes stated in Mullard's ad-
vertisements that thev stood for 'Pure Music'. Incidentallv
no valves were eve~ issued carrvina •' ~
the words Philip~~
.Mullard, in spite of an illustration appearing in an early ad-
vertisement. Apart from the initial announcement, Philips
·were at pains to conceal their ownership of Mullard in
order that Mullard valves could be considered as being all-
British. The PM prefix remained in use on battery valves
for nearly a decade and was also used for a sho rt time on
American type AC valves, e.g., P.M224, sold during the
early 1930s.
Of the major valve makers Mullard was the last ro mar-
ket indirectly-heated valves, a fact which appeared to re-
flect their dependence on research and development car-
ricd out by the parent company in Holland. Continental
development of mains-operated tubes was somewhat slower
than in both American and Britain, possibly because of
the extensive use of direct-current mains in some coun-
tries. Be that as it may, the ftrst Mullard i.h. valves were
221
 During the 1930s Mullard wcnr from strength to
strength, beco ming one of the receiver industry's largest
valve suppliers. With their continental connections chcy
\\·ere in a positio n of being chc first vah·e makers in Britain
to explo it such developments ;ls the pcntodt: o utput valve
(1928), the Rf pentode (1933), and the octode freq uency
ll~FOl<E ~1.\Kl:-IG \'Ollll l'URCH\SF lll'\\'lltEl.~.SS changer (1934). In addition Mullard introduced side-con-
\'.\IXt:."i 11· WtJ.I. I•\\. YOt: TO c. O~:'ll>Ek ·n1E
tact valves, beginning with car radio and 200 mA AC/DC
MULLARD WECOVALVE. types in 1934 and continuing with 6.3-volt AC types in
Cl. Thl" hbmcnc 1... llll"~ham.,;1lh- :uu..1 de!\'.'· 1938. Tht:se were followed in l 939 by the Red E range or
trica11r HronJ.t, mul :tt the ...:t;nt· ti 1nc trs octal-based valves. Also in 1939 Mullan.-! introduced the
1..'on~u.1'1prio11... tlf t: k <tric:i) powt.T (watt:-.. )
i~ \'er\' lo w. No othtT v:-t lv..· (omhi n<:s first 9-pin 'all-glass' valves, types EFSO and EE50. T hcst'.
1hc!'c ·two 'lualitie ... to the ....tm c: deg ree.
were intended for television \\'Ork bur the advent of \Vorld
0. It i< tircc.:<l wi rh standard fou 1· pin War 11 prevented this use. Insrt:ad rhe EF50 was put to
base frw us.: in rour prt.·scnt ~C t.
good use in radar receivers and such was the demand that
U. It~ life, with ..-.an:, i~ 4,-:.00 hour~ !
Mullard co uld not produce all that were needed. Because
(!. fl, 1ilame111 rcquirie< o;-: I·. or,!111Jry of chis arrangcmenrs were made with Sylvania to under-
dry cell only (•'"' 216) .
take manufacrnre in the U.S.
0 . It ha<~ nwd1:111i\':1lly unhrcakuhk fil.un~nc,
,Jue en its 'hort ~tnbhr <'Oll"'-tru ..·tion. With tht: resumptio n of television broadcasting after cht'.
CJ. I1:-: i:-urn·nt ro11.;.ltrl1 flli00 ha..: hccn war a vast ne\.v n1arket opened up which called for the
r\'.Jut·cd l t) I he.· lowc't \':Lluc: COfl- large-scale productio n of miniature valves as well as pie-
Tht )lolluJ \\.tto"t"3{\·c-.
SiSte nc with filame nt st r ength
,\'-llt •1 • i~.: . and long life.

PIW.' I~ 30/• §=
1'111·: WllU·:l.l'!SS WOR.1 . 1) ANO H,\ 0 (0 RJ~ v 11r,w 0P.\'ta11H:U 21. 1ni:l
··LONG LIFE TO
THE STll ONG ..
Consider these point.~ t:nrcfully nnd then order
. ~lulltud n1,~cu,·nfves for your set.

~
Mullard . I .Id.,~; /hi .'1ull.rr1I R111l1,• l i rf;-( l ••. J.1,f ltdJIMm. ~II ' I! l' I'S ' : i

~lllllllill1lll!lll1llllhllllllll,lll1lllllllllllll!hlllllhll.lllllllllll1llllllillllilll11lllll1llllllllllllllll1llllll1llillllllllllllllll1lllllllllllllllll1ll,l1llllllllllrri.l

not marketed until 1929. Prior to this, two types had

been used in a Dutch-built receivt:r marketed in Britain
towards tht: end of 1928, a short time before manufacture
was commenced there. These two valves, a screen-grid
tetrode S4 V, and a triode l 54V, were 4-volr types fitted
with 4-pin bases having sid.e terminals to which the cath-
odes were connected. By comparison the first vah·es of-
fered for general sale were fitted with standard 5-pin
bases. In September 1929 Wireless World mentioned the " The Indispensable Link."
availability of five i.h. types-S4V, 104V, 154V, 164\/,
T lli' tu titit..• at. 1ht• Jlro11d\.'\&-"ting St.niou 11111kt•s use v ( hi'I
354V. By 193 l the first vari-rnu screen-grid and the first utm~t j(kill to provide you ''itl• a finrt-claK,. Nlh.1rta inmtnt.
i.h. O/P pentode had been added to the range. !Jo .vou cnjuy the light a nd .i.a,lc of his pL<ying,
rec<"i\'t•r roprodm:~ hi11 CXil('t tonNI and word"· or t1u vot~ g(·~
"°"" yuur
For sevt:ral years Philips and Mullard rectifyi ng valves muillt•d nnd imlistinoli l'io11nd1o1 > Thr <1ualit,\1 nl' 11'r.ch1cd
~ignal1-1 ,J,•pend$ i;u lnrgoly 11f11•n lhe valve~· tlJ-Cfl in t.lw
were sold separately under their respective brandnames 1'('-('f·h·•·r thnt. )lullaNI Vah·t•111 ha\•to •·omf' l•' be rcgar<l~d
but after about 1931 Philips radio type rectifiers were a-.. the mdi.:;i.pcn.._..able Jink fw-1w,..,..n ~ood frAm•mi~idt\ll
and ~otwl n"('f"ption.
restricted to the equipping of Philips receivers whilst non-
'/'Ira .· 1s ,, Jluflmd l '<1f;,· 'f't'1t0f~,. ''"'''"JO \'011• ~I :
radio types, e.g., battery charger rectifiers, contin ued to be 11.:,J: y 1111r dt>tth:T" fol' ho<>kll'I ,11,;. 01· cJrop ,, lwe. fo " "·
marketed as before. In this connection it mav be men-
tioned that Philips Lamps Ltd., as a fo reign owned B1itish
company wt:re excluded from mt:mbership of tht: B.V.A.
On the other hand Mullard remained a B.V.A. member in
spite of their foreign ownership.
Mullard
Atfrctl : Tit,~ .llullanf Rc1dio f'nht Co .. Ud., Bttllram, lom/1111, $. lf'. 1.,1

222
tun.: tubes. In 1949 the compa1w• namt: \\'as chano-ed
/;>
ro tric Lamp Works (GB) Ltd. By Onobcr of that year the
Mullard Electronic Produces Ltd. and in 195 1 another first valves from this factorv wen.: on the market-a few
change was made, this t ime to Mullard Ltd . Bv 1954 2-volt battery triodes being the t:ntire offering . Four years
Mullard could account for over half the total anm;al salc.:s later, in 1932, TLU1gsram could boast of an extensive ran ge
of valc.:s and picture tubes in the U. K. :unounting to 43 different types. A Tungsram specialty
was the production of American ty pe valves and in 1931
Mullard Valves 1920- 1925 Tungsram was the only company offering a full range of
A c. 1920 PA 1923 DFAO 1924 American t}ipe dircctlv-hcated AC valves as well as their
F 1920 S.3 1925 DFAl equivalents of ty pes UX-222 and UY-224. T he policy of
K 1920 S.5 1927 DFA2 producing American type valves was carried on cont inu-
R 1920 S.6 DFA3 ously fro m chis time and in 1937 Tungsram became one
RA 1923 D.06HF DFA4 of the first makers to offer octal-based types.
ORA 1922 D.06LF DFA6
ORA-A
Because of their foreign ownership Tungsram were de-
D.3HF 1925 DFA7
ORA-B 1923 D.3LF nied ent ry into the B. V .A. but in spice of this were able to
DFA8
OF-ORA 1924 D.3Det DFA9 supply valves as as initial equipment to several smaller
U:-ORA 1924 D.6 DG 1925 receiver manufacturers. Apart from making a large range
I-volt O RA 1924 PA.2 1923 of British type valves T ungsrnm also produced continen-
Wcrnvalvc A 1923 tal side-contact types in all ranges t:xcept 4-volt.
'v\lcco,•alv,· B 1923 In 1952 British T ungsram was taken over by Philips,
the factory continuing valve manufacture until 1956.

Bi-itish T1111gsrn111"

In 1928 an H ungarian -based lamp and valve maker, REFERENCES

having factories in several E uropean countries, estab-
l. Sec advt. Wfreless World, July 1920, p. ad. V.
lished a British factory under the name of Tungsram Eke-
2. \t\l .Il. Whale, Transatlantic Tests, Wi1-eless Wodd,
Apr. 2, 1921, pp. 16-19.
*Although nor strictly a British indcpcmkm company, British 3. Announcement, W"ireless W arld, Aug. 26, 1925, p. ad.
Tungsram is included here frir the sake of rnnvcnicnce. 8.

British Valves
Brandname Manufacturer or Distributor D are of mfr.
An elm· Anclov Products Ltd. 1927
Amp lion Graham Am plion Ltd. 1926
Beriton Merchant Mfrs. Co. Ltd. 1927
Benjamin Benjamin Electric Ltd. 1926
Brimar* Standard T elephones & C ables Ltd. 1934
Brivaron British Valve & Access. Mfg. Co. Ltd.
BSA-Standard Birmingham SmaJJ Arms Co. Ltd. 1926-27
B.T-H. ll' British Thompson- Houston Co. Ltd. 1916-1928
Burndept Burndept Wireless Ltd. 1925- 27
C.A.C. C.A.C. Val\'e Distributing Co. 1927
Clarion Clarion Radio Valve Co. 1932-36
Clcarbcll
Cleartron Clcartron Radio Ltd. 1925-29
Cosmos Merropolitan-Vickers Ltd. 1923-28
Cossor* A.C. Cossor Ltd. 1922- 1949
Ocxtraud ion Economic Electric Co . 1925
Ed iswan * Ed ison Swan Electric Co. Ltd. 191 7 on
Ekco E. K.. Cole Ltd. 1936-39
Eton Eton Glass Battery Co., 1929
Ever Readv* Ever Ready Co. (Great Britain) Ltd. 1933-on
Ferranti* Ferranti 1932-on

223
Four-in-One Quadrnplc Val\·c Co. 1929
Gccovalvc* M.O. Valve Co . and G.E.C. Ltd. 1925-on
Graham farish Grah,un Farish Ltd. 1935-37
G .W.I. G.W.I. Ltd . 192-+
His 1\1asn:r's Voice The Gram ophone Co. I .rd. :' -
Hivac High Vacuum Vah'c Co. Ltd. 193 3-on
Lisscn Lisscn Lrd . 1929- 1939
Loewe-Aud io n Audion Radio Co. 1926
Lo uden Fello,,·s 1\ilagneto Co. Ltd. 192-l
Lu mos
Lusrra lux Lustralm: Ltd . 1926- 27
Lustravox Lustralux Ltd. 1926- 27
1\farconi·it \'arious, sec text
Marco nipho ne* vario us, sec text
Mazda* Edison Swan Electric Co. Ltd. l 928-<)11
Mcllodync North Londo n Radio \lake Co . 1929
Micromcsh • Standard T ek:pho rn:s & C 1blcs Ltd. 1932- 34
Midland Midland Valves Ltd . 1927
Mullard .. M ullard \i\' irdess Ser\'ic:c: Co. Ltd. 1922-<m
N elson M ulti Nelson Electric Co. Ltd. 1925
Neutron Neutron Ltd . 192?
Octron H .S. Electric: Ltd. 1926- 29
Osram* M.0. Vah·c Co. and G.E.C. Lrd. 1916-on
Penton Penton Engineering Co. 19 2 3-26
Phillips Phillips Valves Ltd. 1923
Pix British Pix Co. Ltd. 1932-34
P.R. Peter Russell Ltd. 1928- 29
Puratone Rubon Ltd. 1931
Pvramid
Quikko J.W. Pica,·;mt Co. Ltd . 1927
Rad ion Radions Ltd . 1924-25
Six-Sixty• The Electro n Co. Ltd.
S.T. S.T. Ltd.
Standard M Standard Telephones & Cables Ltd.
Tho rpe Bower Electric Co. Ltd.
Tungsram Tungsram Electric Lamp Works (G.B. ) Ltd.
Vita
Voltron \! oltron Co .
Wecovalvc sec rcxr
Xtraudio n Econo m ic Electric Co.
362 The 362 Rad io Vah·e Co.
660-Electron sec Six Sixt\'
"Indicates mcmba British V:ill'C.:makers Assn. (formed in 1924 ).
In cases where the name of the m:inufacrurcr or distribucor h,1s changed the original name is listed.

224
 Continental Brands Sold in Great Britain, 1920-1930
Brandname Importer Origin Date
Ar.waive Holland 1925
Beam Lester & Marquis c. 1925
Dario Impex Electrical Ltd. Austria 1928-1939
ETA Electrical Trading Assn. Ltd. France 1931- 32
Fama Holland c. 1924
Fotos * Conccrrron Radio & Elcc. Ltd. France 1929- 1932
Freiat Cominencal Radio Import Co. Holland 1925-28
Iris Anglo-Franconia Ltd. france c. 1925
Loewe-Aud ion Audio Radio Co. Germa1w 1926
Metal John Rae Lrd. France 1927-28
Microlux France 1924-28
Ostar G<UlZ Eugen Forbat Austria 1933- 39
Philips Philips Lamps Ltd. Holland 1928
Radio Micro Impex Electrical ltd. France 1928
Radio Record Hungarv c. 1929
Radio Vicco Radioland Ltd. f rance c. 1926
Siemens Siemens Bros. Ltd. Germany 1928
Stal Lester & Co. 1928
Surra C.A.S.E. of Paris, London France 1927
Triotron Triotron Radio Ltd. Austria 1931-39
Vatea Abbe\' Radio Hungary 1930

" foros \·alvcs were also made in England for a short period.

225
 Chapter 'Iwenty-'Jive

Philips

Because o f the important pos irio n now hdd in the world Phi lips Tubes to l 925
of d ectronics by the D utch based fi rm of N.V. Philips a 19 18- 20 Philips- ld'.lcrtfa IDZ ( ldcczcr, doublc-cndc;;d)
brid' outline of the company's history is included here. In 1920- 21 C 1 (sofc), C2 (hard), formerly !DZ
189 1 Frederick Philips and his son Dr. G .L. F. Philips 1920 I) 1 (soft), D2 (hard)

established a lamp facrory in the then small countrv town

1922 D3, 04, DS
1923 E Last sragc audio
of Eindho\'cn; later a second son, Dr. Anton Philips, also
1923 Q Double-grid tetrode
jo ined the company. 1923-24 D6 form erly Q
By 1903 Philips had become rhc fou rth largest Euro- 1924 B2 First 'Mini\\'arr' triode
pean manufacturer of electric lamps. 1 1924 B6 First ' Mini\\'arr' tetrode
According to legend Philips got into the making of 1925- 26
radio tubes quite by chance. In 1918 :t young Dutch radio l-1·olt l ;rm1p 2-i·olt Group 3-i·olr Group 4-l'Olt Group
enthusi:tst. H:tnso Idzerda, who shortly afterwards became Al06 A241 :\306 A410
famous for the establ ishment of a broadcasting station lo- Al09 132 A310 A-!06
cated at The Hague, was seeking to interest someone in A34 1 A44l
the manufacture of radio tubes. Mr ldzerda approached Al41 5-i·olr 8406
Philips who, no t surprisingly, displayed little interest in RIOS C509
the suggestion. In spite of this ldzerd:t was able to per-
Nore: In 1'h..: c~rl)' cypc numbering sysrem used up to 1925 ;uw figures
suade someone \\'ithin the Philips organisation to make following !'he initial letter \\'Cl'C expressed in Roman numerals but late in
small quantities of tubes in accordance \\'ith his requirc- 1925 :1 .:h~ngc was made ro modem numerab. For example, r~vc DIJ
mcnts. 1 From such beginnings grew o m: of the world's became D2 • .md so o n. To :tl'Oid confusion thl· :rnthor has a\'oidcd die
usr of Rom:il numerals in the abo\'(: list.
largest producers of radio tubes and o ne of to-day's multi-
natio nal electronics companies.
The o rig inal tubes made to Tdzcrda 's specifications were
being sold by his company, Nederlandse Radio lndustrie,
as early as 19 18 and were the firsr ever made by Philips.
Th<.:se tubes were identified bv the first three letters of the
inventor's name, IDZ.-' A sm.; ng American infl uence is ap-
parent in th<.: design of Idzerda's tubes in that they were of
double-ended construction and used the same tvpe of can-
delabra screw base as used on the De Forest Audions.
Furthermore, the electrode structure was almost identical
to that used in the D e Forest 'dou ble \\'ing' Audion; that
is, two small square plares and rwo zig-zag wire grids THE THOUSANDTH TRIU,IPli !
F ROM 1h.e mid.st of .:. thou •.t.ttd 1numph•
together \\'ith a horseshoe filament. tnodun r•dio O'.\.£ a.t:11r.M out .. ,. a
in
bla<l.1&1g
h,.aeon - th.e Philip• ".\h!'uwan •• V.h....
Not long afterwards Philips rhemseh'es entered the field \\11t'n )'OU hold in your hand one of thn~ product.•
uf lhc Philip .. La.boratoriu you "'Cie on ib brillt<11nt
of radio tube manufacrure using the ldzcrda design as a •urf•cc 11.even lettr-u t.p,.Jlm::; du: w<nd
P-l"l l·L·l· f'-S -
0 c.ac.h of which u ~1 oocc both o:i.
starting point. The first rube to be issued was knO\\·n as 51rurniu and <I. laid1fu) ;;u11t1ultre of uu~u~llor. 111
p~rform•1\C.C and long life.
Philips Ideezct and was marketed in April I 918! Later Phihpot '' Mi niw:i.w,;· cnnoell)' Ullierl. ,.n 111Jrc
1114'. rcn.iroeii Vnlumt- - - Pun·r Tune.
versions of the tube were known as types A, B, C, the f.r,.~ 1 ly reducircJ ··A·· fbnr.r)' Co...111-
- Dt:Crc:-..i eJ ,.B" Rnlte l')' <:tln • um p lion,
latter with sub-d ivisions C I and C2. Our Tc:dwicta1 l)r,p;u1mt:111 elti:1t11 t 1• 1ul,•i11,. y• u.
ASJ\ YOUJt l)J;ALE!l

226 ;, 11~1·~~11111111.11111~1·5 .
•I
·'
;

.! " 'UN "Mil!~,~~ !TS"

~·~~It I ~IN•.. l~~-~~i:·~~J1~ ~II~.~ tlO.'."' '.·~t•I: "~~ I.II.I .. ,('....,,~~.._.~ N::· w ..11:,.~·

{(:, lmporlnnl It's ;,, RADIO

 T he firs t Miniwatt types carried a filament rating of 1.6 supplies in countries \\'here a particular tube was :wailablc
\'Oles and consumed only 0.15 amps.; They used an early in alternative base stvlcs. After rhe introduction of bakclite
fom1 of oxide-coated filaments in conjunction with a get- bases in 1926 additional informatio n indicating the base
tering process and were the fore runner of an enormo us d iameter was incorporated in the coding- thus A34 ind i-
range of battery tubes, mostly in the 4-volt class. In com- cated a Franco-British base having a diameter of 34 mm .
mon with most other European tube makers Philips did The 'diameter' code fell into disuse following W o rld War
not go through an in termediate stc.:p o f using thoriated 11 ; in fact by 1945 or so the need for a separate base code.:
filaments on receiving tubes, presumably in o rder to avoid no lo nger existed.
ha,·ing to pay patrnt royalties.
In 1925 a new numbning system was introduced in
which various characteristics and ratings were encoded,
and this S\'Stem rernained in use for the next ten \'Cars. In
it the firs~ letter indicated the fi lamenr amperage» the first
numeral indicatc.:d filamenr voltage while the following
numerals, ru1rning from 3 to 38, indicated the amplifica-
tion factor.
11,....,.,.;1I
Philips Type Nurnbc.:ring Sysrc.:111 1925-1935
Firsr Lc.:trcr First Numeral Rem;1ini11g Numerals
A=uptoO.lA. l = l.SV. Amplification facror
B=upto0.2A. 2 =2.0V. in src.:ps of 1.
C=upto0.3A. 3=3.0\'.
D=upro0.5A. 4=4.0 \ '.
E =uprol.5A. 5 = 5.0V.
F = upro2.0A. 6 =6.0V. Two Ph ilips tubes of the 1925 era.
7=7.5\'.

Example
, ---~ll_,
,....
O. l A. 6 V. 15

This system was adequate in the case of triodes but

fo llowing the introduction of pentodes and screen-grid
tubes whose amplification factors numerically exceeded
two figu res the system was modified as Lmder:

41 ,45 = double-grid rerrodc 46,56 = Rf pcmodc.:

42,52 = Sff<.:cn-grid rc.:rrode 4 7,5 8 = mixc.:r hexodc:
43,53 = o utput pcntode 49,59 =v;1ri-mu hcxodc.:s
44,54 = diodc-tctrodt· 'Binodc'
45,55 =1·:1ri-mu tetrode 'Selccrode'

Recri~1 ing tubes were no r included in the above system Early bakelite-based Philips tubes 1926.
and \\'ere idemjfied bv means of a three or four letter
number, e.g., 506, 1561.
Quite apart from any type n um beri ng system, the need
early arose for a means of quickly and positively identit~'­

~
ing the t~· pc of base used o n a particular rube. As early as
1924 Philips had produced tubes which differed only in
the type of base that was fared . Orig inally these diffi.:r-
ences were identified by a change in t~'pc number; for ex- \...•.£-',_
ample, the type D2 had a Franco-British base, the D3 a
German base, and the D4 an Amerk<ln UV base. f rom
1925 onwards a separate b;\se cod ing was introdun:d
though this \\'as marked only on tube cartons, apart from
being used in catalogues and price lists. It served as a
q uick and <.:asy means o f identifying stocks and ordering Philips tubes 1924-1925.

227
 Philips Tube Caps ( 13ases) 1924-1939
A =4 -pin standa rd European (orig inal!~· Franco-British )
B • = 6 -pin comim:nral
c• =7-pin contim:mal
D = 5 -pin French, used o n bi-grille tnrodcs
E* = 7-pin American 'medium 7-pin'
F = 4-nub Amcrican 'UV- 199'
G =4 -pin American (o riginalI ~· 'UX')
H = 3-pin Philips special
1 = 6-pin American
K = 8-pin American octal
1'v! • =7-pin British
N = 5-pin American (originally 'UY')
0 = 5-pin European
P = 8-contact European sidc-conracr
The first Philips indirectly-heated AC tubes 1928-1929.
T = 9-pin Comim:ntal 'all-g lass'
U = l u~cd on rypc R2043 pcnrodc on l~· ?
V = 5-comacr European sick-conracc
W = 5-pin special
X = Acorn
Y = 8-pin contine ntal (orig. u~nl for German meral rub~·s )

~Notes n:garding earlier usage.

B \\'a.s originalh· us(·J for German (Tdcrunkm ) 4 -pin base

C wa.' originalh· uscd for Amcric.111 LI\ · base
E was originall;. uscd for frcnch R.1dio la 4 -p in '\'' b.1se
M was origi nalh- used fo r American ''-'\ID I I' base
N.13. Srrinh· speaking the descripti on 'European' is applicable: to only
srylc:s o f base-Philips caps t\ and 0-as tfa·se were the c;inll· ones
t\\'O
which were accepted as a standard in all Europe.111 counmcs 111d11d1ng
Grear Brit;1i11.
To continm: with the n arrative: As inventors of the pen-
tode o utput nibe Philips \\'ere nanirally in a posit ion to
be fi rst co market it which the~' proceeded to do in 1928. 6 It
was in this same vear rhat the first Philips screen-grid
rubes ap peared, wl~ilc in 1929 the first indirectlv-heated
AC rubes were marketed . It should be noted that all the
above-mentio ned tvpcs had earlier bl'en used in Philips
receiv~rs before th~v were released f·o r general sale . For
example, die model ' 250 l rccei \'Cr, a mains-operated type
of the 1927-28 season u sed two types of indirectly-heated
nibcs, types Cl42 (screen-grid) and Fl42 (triode) in add i-
t io n to a directly-heated pentode, type D 143.
Presumably in order to secure cffecti,·e market penetra-
tion in the f~ce of tariffs or o ther restrictions P hilips soon
commenced tu be production in o ther countries by the ac-
quisition of existing concerns. For example, in Britain by
the acquisition of Mullard in 1925-27, and in Germanv
by the acquisition of Radio Roh re Fabri k (RRF) in 1924,
after which time the firm became known as Valvo Werke
GMBl-I.
When Ph ilips commenced to issue rubes with metallised
coatings in 1933 the hitherto rather drab appearance of
similar rubes produced by competing manufacturers was
enlivened bv Philips' use o r a gold coloured finish. T hese
tu bes were known as the ' Golden R ange' when they were
first inrroduced and the gold colour scheme remained in
Philips 4-vo/t triodes-'Go lden Series· 1934.
use for all metallised rubes issued in the 4-V AC, 0.2-A
AC/DC and 2-rnlt battery ranges.
T he vear 1934 was marked b~, rwo events- the release
o f the tlrst tubes fitted with a n'a\'cl, though no t particu-
larly practical, side-contact base, and the inr_rod ucrio n of a
new 'European' type numbering system. This sys t~~1 came
about as a result of an agreement between Philips and
Telefunken concluded in 1934. Although referred to as
the continental or Eu ropean system it was, apart from its
use bv the rwo companies concerned, little used in other
European countries, at least in the pre-war vcars. It was ~>f
course used bv Philips-owned com pamcs such as Valvo 1n
Genmuw and. Mullard in Great Britain, though in the lat·
ter case· i'vl ullard continued ro use their own Rrirish style
numbering alongside the new system, which was used onl~,
fo r side-contact \'alvcs.
T he ne\\' svstem was in che form of a basic alpha-
numeric code ·which indicated the fo llowing d etails :
L F ilament/heater voltage, or current in the case AC/
DC tubes.
2. Generic tube rype or types in the case of multiple
n 1bes.
3. Sequence of iss ue. Original!~, a single d igit nu!nbcr
but extended to include informat ion o n type ot base
and strucrural grouping.

228
First faampk Second or Third Example
Nwneral N umeral
A = 4.0 V AL4 A =sing le diode EA76
B = 180 mA AC/DC B2006 B =do uble d iode EB91
C = 200 m.A AC/ DC CL4 C = triode EC31
D = l.4 V barr. DK9 1 D = O / P rriode A.Dl
E =6.3 V AC EF9 E = rerrode VELl l
=
F 13 V auto. FZI F = V/A pcnrodc.: AF3 "T HE moo1 rcma~kablc v:.lvcs- A..C. or O.C.-
=
G 5.0 V reet. GZ32 H = hexodc.:, ht:prode AHi
. the Q:orld h'ls e ver aecn ..-is how the Philipt
ne~· 4·\·oh A.C. Series is pcrhap't best
=
H 150 mA AC/D C HL90 K = octodc DK9 1
do:scribod.
ALL (e-xcep1 three Po""·cr Tubes) ~re IN·
K = 2.0 V bate. KL4 L = O /P pentodc.: E1.Al DIRECTLY H IZ1\TED, and h"vc 6vo
prong (Cap"' N "J bases.
P = 300 mA AC/DC P L84 M = mag ic eye EM! Using these v:alvcs the thne :and fow
T =7.4 V N = th~·rarron EN3 1 rnbc: rc:.cci\.'Cf Qf tod;iy, cqu.ilt ii
not be-nc:rs, che h \•c '1nd six vah·c
U = 100 mA AC/DC UL4l P = sec. cmiss. EEPI s.e1 of yestcrd:iy.
V = 50 m A AC/DC VCLl l Q = llOIWdc FQ80 YO U C ANNOT HA VE A
REALLY .MOOEltN A.C.
X = 0.6 A AC/D C XL36 'W = H\V gas n:cr. SET AND NOT USE
THE PHILIPS 4-Voh
L = 450 m.A AC/DC LFL200 X = F\V gas rc.:cr. AX50 SERIES Phiiips
Y = 450 mA AC/DC YF183 Y = J-lv\I vac. m:r. EYSS
4-volt A.C. Valv e
Z = flV vac. rcct. EZ40 Cllaracteristics iv i 11
be gladly supplied on
appli c ation t o:
.--~~~__,f'/·F~~~~~~ PHILIPS LAMPS (N.Z.) Ltd.
I ( R:idio Dept.}
6.3 V. RF penrdde fifth of its rypc
Hope Gibbons Building,
Courtenay r1acc, 'Vcllin~ton.

r-~~---;:=========E~Kf 2.__~~~~
6.3 V . ocrode octal b;isc second of its rype

In case where two or more separate assemblies were con-

l IL II If'~ S
1 p1~ lHI J
A. C. VA L V E S ! Rlil:->
tained within a single envelope the appropri:ne code let- Ad~~. of PHILIPS LAMPS (X.Z.J LTD .. ( Rudio Depr. ), H ope G ibbons
ters were placed in conjunction thus: EBF2 = 6.3 V. duo- BuildinJ,: . Coiinencry I1lucc, \ \'dlins,:ron.
diode RF penrodc fitted with side-contact base. Originally lh•nch Office< Gt I OIL WOl\1"11 8U ILDINC. AUCKLAND

the system covered o nly side-contact rubes but after 1938, Tu ne 20. 1929
fo llowing the introductio n of octal-based tubes, it was
modified by adding a second muneral which, when read in
conjunction with the first , indicated a particular group-
ing. Following World War II, when the number of tubes
within a particular sequence.: increased to more than nine,
ir was necessary use three figu res, e.g., EFl 83. Similarly
when the number of different groups increased to more
than ten it became necessary to use three numerals, e.g.,
ELSOO.

P hilips
G roup Coding
l- 10 = side-contacr~ 80-89 = nova!
l l- 19 = Gcrman 8-pin 90-99 = U.S. 7-pin min.
20-29 =U.S. locrnl"'" 1SO- l89 = noql
30-39 =U.S. octal 500-509 = 9-pin magnoval
50-59 =var ious 800-809 = nova I
65-79 =sub-min 900-909 =U.S. 7-pin miniaru rc

~ Cxci.:ptions arc types ECH3G. ECH4G, El<.2G, EL3(;, 1<.K2G which

were fitted wirh American type octal bases.
t Exccptions were n •pcs DAC2 1, Dl-'21. DF22, DL2 1, DLL21 \\'hkh
were fined with Amcrican·rypc ornll bases having European m·lc pin
connectio n scqucnc<:. Philips tubes using gold coloured metallised coating 1933.

229
A group of Philips 'Golden· tubes with pin-type bases c. 1936.
Philips 2. 5-volt American replicas 1930.

planned for rckase in 1940-41 but the war inten·cned

with the resulr that these rubes did not appear until 1947
and even then o nly a very kw types were produced.
The lirsr miniature rubes produced lw Philips were
American type 1.4-volt battery types, known as the 1)90
series, which appeared in 1947. These were followed b~'
6.3-volr AC and 300-mA AODC C\'pes, known as the
E90 and H90 series respectively. In 1951 the first ot- the
Philips-designed miniatures, based o n the American noval
series, appeared and these be.came the post-war European
A group of Philips "Golden' tubes with side-contact bases srandard for both AC-operated ;llld transfonnerlcss radio
c. 1937. and television receivers. As in the U .S., no battery-oper-
ared types were produced in the nova! rangt:, the. existing
7-pin miniarures being <ldequatc fo r rhe purpose.
In 1936, following the American lead, the first range of
6.3 -V tubes was introduced and, as in the U.S., this volt-
age became the standard for AC-operated types. To serve
as an introduction and to d istinguish them from the earlier
4-volt types the new rubes were known as the 'Red E'
series, the name being derived from the red colour of the
metallic coating used. £\·en output tubes and rectifiers had
small bands of the same coating, prcsunublv to justifv the
use of the term 'Red' for the whole rang~. The R~:d E
series marked a turning point in Europe~m tube design
because of the great!)' reduct:d physical s izes of all types
except output tubes and rectifiers.
In addition to the Red E series of side-contact tubes
another range known as the 'E30' series was introduced
some three years later. T hese were identical to the former
but were fitted with American-stvlc octal bases. This series A group of Philips 'Red E' side-contact tubes c. 1936-1937.
was first marketed bv Mullard in. the U.K. and other Brit-
ish countries in 1939. Although Philips also marketed the Although Philips' acti\·i cies on an internarional scale
E30 series outside Europe in the t:arly post-war years they were greatly expanded in the years follow ing World War
were largely unknown o n the continent itself II the first steps in this directio n had been £<1kcn in the
13y 1939 Philips h:Kl joined Telefunken and Tungsram earlv 1920s. Prior to the war RCA had been able to ke<.:p
in producing a range of the Gcrman-stvlc mct;1l tubes all foreign tubes out of th<.: North American market but
known as the Ell , 12, 13 series.- This. same vear also following the rnd of 'No rld War 11 Phili ps moved into
saw the introduction of the famous ESO 'all-glass' tube as this marker with the acquisition of Canadi;111 Radio Corp.
well as the £E50 secondary-emission amplifier." A series Ltd. (makers of Rogers rubc.:s). Production of tubes under
of tubes using the American-style 8-pin !octal base was the Rogers namt: was carried on though it is known that

230
some types at least wen: also produced under Philips' own
name. Penetration of rhe U.S. market was achieved bv the
setting up of North American Philips Inc. (Norclco) in
1942 and later, about 1955, by the purchase of Amperex
Electronic Products Inc, then of Brookl\'n, N.Y. Amperex
\\·as a wdl-kno\\'n maker of transmitting and industrial-
type tubes and the sa1ne business was c.1rried on under
P hilips' mrnership. Later, however, production of recei,·-
ing nibes ,,·as commenced in addition, and by 1955 a
range of European rype nm·al-bascd rypcs \\'as being ad-
\Trtiscd.
Details of Philips' Australian ,·akc-making acri,·irics \\'ill
be found clsc\\'hcrc in this book.
Informatio n o n Pope and Condor rubes is included here
as both companies were C\'entuall~· merged ,,·ith Philips.
T he o rigins of t he Pope and Condo r brnndmmes go
Pope tubes. Made in Holland c. 1939.
back to 1885 whrn an Englishman b~· rhc n;une of Pope
established a factor~' near Londo n for the purpose of mak-
ing electric lamps. Be<.::1use of patcnt difticulties the busi-
ness was transforred to Ven lo in the south of Holland and first appeared o n radio tubes early in 1918. that is
shortlv afterwards, thus m aking Pope the first Durch lamp shortly before the end of World War l. H o lland, as a
manu facturers. In 1920 Philips ga ined control of the Pope neutral country, naturally did not have access to the Al-
lamp works and in 192 1, after the patent d ifficulries had lied wartime developments and, it may be assumed, had
been resoh·cd, M r. Pope returned to Engk1nd where he set no pressing need of tubes for m ilitary purposes.
up a new factory at VVillcsden, London, and recommenced One of the earl iest-known Dutc.:h tubes was p roduced at
making lamps under the name ' Pope Elasta'.'' the Pope factory to the design o f a radio engineer L. J. Bal
T he brandnamc Pope continued ro be used in H olland of Breda. These n1 bcs were quite similar to the better-
known Philips-Idzerda design. T hey carried the d ual mark-
ings 'Pope' and ' Bal, Breda'. It seems that the Bal-Pope
tube was little more than an experimental production
which, after its debut in 1919, quickl~· d isappeared from
Bridge Distance the scene.
Many ~'ears later the name Pope reappeared o n Philips-
with designed tubes made by N.V. Pope Draad en Lampen·
fab ricken of T he Hai:,rt1e. Incidentally, it may be infrrred
from the juxtaposition of the words in the co mpany title
that wire and cable manufacture was the mo re important
side of the business, but. be that as it may, the name
Pope on radio tubes was never as well known as Philips.
During the 1950s, and possibly earlier, Pope :ind Philips
mbcs were sold side-bv-side in certain countries but in
later years the name Pope was allowed to lapse, tho ugh it
remained in use on electric lamps.
Another brandnamc, 'Condo r', was also used for both
RatUo tnthusJMll everywhere are deUghttd with
the ruults they're gcttlng wJ\.b tbeftc Valves. lamps and nibcs made at the Pope factory. Tu bes bearing
"Condora .. respond to the taJntelt radio lm·
pulses. and enthuAi:L.Sll for long-dtatanct rttords
the name Condor arc known to have been marketed in
ftnd ln tbcm a tnte belpmlltc. Tbe1 are DOD· certain British Empire cou ntries bet\\'ecn the years 1924
mkrophon1c, at •u.ndard Amerlcan bases. aod
function equally ..,. well as detocton or aud.Jo and 1930. Such tubes were, to all intents and p urposes,
or radlo frequeney a.mpltfic.ra. Tbey COft1. no
more, a.nd can be had from all ludtng n.dto
identical to those made in Phi lips' Eindhovcn factory
deatem. or from though a different system of type numbering was used. As
in the case o f Pope, the name Condor appears to have
N.Z. Acetylene &Hardware Ltd. been used soldy as an export brandnamc and the tubes
themselves wen: simi larly sold alo ngside Philips in some
DUNEDIN & CHRISTCHU RCH. ; countries during the period mentioned. S irnilarl~', too,
IV.21.
~===============~~~~~~-' the use of the Condor n ame was evcnruallv discontinued

231
 -
- - --

PR11 PR12 PR16

A group of early Condor tubes 1924.

A group of Condor tubes c. 1924-26.

232
 Pioneers in lamps (since 1889)
Electronic tubes (since 1924)
and Radio components (since 1925)

though it remained in use on lamps for many years afi:er· REFERENCES

wards.
The following is a listing of all known tubes carrying l. I-I.A. Leighton Lord, Philips in New Zealand, pub.
the Condor name though it is quite possible that there 1961, p. l.
may have been others. Information on Condo r tubes is 2. Info rmation supplied by Ir. Franz Dricscns, of Phil-
surprisingly meagre, probabl~' because of their limited pro- ips, Eindhovcn to the author.
duction lifetime coupled with their limited distribution. 3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Sec Philips valve catalogue dated 15 Jan. 1924, p. 6.
6. The Stm)' of the Pentode, c 11b. Philips Radio, undated ,
Condor Tubes c. 1924-1930
PR2 PR33 PR.54 P· l.
PR5 PR.41 PR.55 7. Sec The Bridge to Hight · Radio Entertaimnc11t, pub.
PR! l PR48 PR60 Philips Eindhoven, 1939, p. i ~.
PR12 PR50 PR61 8. Ibid.
PRl6 PR51 PR63 9. Information supplied tt the author by Ir. Franz
PR21 PR52 PR64 Dricscns o f Philips, Eindhovcr Jan. 1978.

233
 Chapter 'Twenty-S~

U.S.A. After World War II

Because, of necessity, new rube development during dusrrial and special purpose tubes as well as engaging in
World War II had been restricted to the design and pro- the production of receivers. D uring this period tubes re-
dtH.:t:ion of specialised rvpes intended for militarv applica- quired to equip these receivers had been provided by RCA,
tions, little of this de\'cloprnent was of significance in th<: buc after 1946 CE became self-sufficient in this respect.
entertainment field after the war. The one \\'<U-timc develop- A somewhat similar siruation occurred in the case of
ment which did alter the course of subsequent peacl'time vVesti nghousc ,,·ho had also been making recei,-crs bur
tube production was the introduction of the first indirectly- their re-emry inro the tidd of recei,·ing tube manufacture
heated 7-pin minian1re tubes in 1942. It was this de\'dop- was dclaved umil 1952 and no takco,·er of an existing
menr which scr the pace in th1.· post-war years and e\·l'n-
tually resulted in the abando nment of standard sized tubes
in all areas where it was possible to subsrimre miniarun: Jl
types.
Alrhough most, if not all , n.:cei,·ing rube manufacturers
had gained experience in the production of rhe RCA-
designcd miniatures during the war this did not mean that
no further development of the o lder series rook pbce o nce
the war was o,·er. For example, Sylvania continued den:l-
o pment of their Lock-in tub<:s and inrroduced several new
rypes such as 1LG6, 7AG7, FM 1000 in the earlv post-war
years. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s manv octal-based
rypes were developed bv various manufacturers t()r n.:le\'i-
sion applications.
However, as far as standard sized radio tubes wne con-
Two Tung-Sol high-voltage rectifiers c. 1960.
cerned the writing \\"as on thl' wall as b~· the end of 1945
no less than 14 miniature types, designed ro replace exist-
ing cubes, had become available. 13y 1947 RCA listed a
range of 40 different mini aru res, though many of rhesl'
were s pecialised types unsuited ro use in domestic rn:<:iv-
ers.
Whilst most of the independent rube makers sun·i,·ed
the war, t\\'O exceptions being Arcturus and Champion,
the post-war years were to wirm:ss a .sn:adv diminution
in their ranks. One of the first casualties \\'as Ken-Rad,
though in this case it was a change in the idenrirv of the
company rather than the closur<: of a plant which result1.: d
/
R-og~ss Is Ovr
in the loss of a respected na111<: in the industry. MMf lmpotf-1nf Pn,,fvcl
In 1946 Ken-Rad was taken over bv the General Eb:- GENERAL ~ELECTRIC
tric Co. in order to facilitate their re-entry into the tidd of
receiving tube manufacture afrer an absence of 16 y1.·ars.
GE, who had originally made recei,·ing tubes for RCA Two post-war GE metal tubes in the Red 'computer" range
prior to 1930, had in the inrerim continued to makl' in- c. 1950.

234
manufacturer was involved. At this rime \Vestinghouse es-
tablished two new plants, one of which was dcvoted solcl~1
to the manufactun: of rccciving rubes which were mar-
keted under ti1e name 'Rcliatron' (that inc\'itablc 'tron').
\Vhilst two of the giants re-enrered the field most of
the remaining independent manufacnirers graduaJJv re-
tired from ,receiving tubt: production . T hese included
Hytron, National Union, Raytht:on, and Tung Sol. Ray-
theon continued to make no n-rt:cei,·ing rypes "foist rd~·­
ing on foreign manufacrurers for the supply of recei\'ing
rypcs, which \Vcn: marketed during the 1960s under the
Raythl'.on label.
Notable.: among the changes on the American scene.: was
rhe invasion of the domestic market by, firstly, Europcan
manufacturers and then by Japanese. \.Vhereas in pre-war
days the AmeriGtn tube industry had played a dominanr
rok o n the world scene, both in research and dcvdopmem
and in exporting, this situation was now aftccted by inter-
national considerations fr>llowing the reco\'erv of Euro-
pean countries aftt:r the war.
Prior ro World War rI cmcl agreements and patents
had effecti\'cly prevented the penetration of the American
market by foreign rube.: producers but foUowing the end of
the war American political decisions aimed at assisting the
reco,·en- of war-torn European countries b~' encouraging
exports co the U.S. resulted in a steady trick.le of nibes
RADIO & TELEVISION N EWS
~stinghouse
announces a great new division for full-scale manufacture of
RELIATRONr.t.t ELECTRONIC TUBES
To Produce and Market A Complete Line of Tubes
RECEIVING • TELEVISION PlaDRE • TRANSMITTING • INDUSTRIAL • SPECIAL PURPOSE
\'V'esrini;house proudly announces a cornplerely new di-
visi on o( rhe Wesrini;house Elecrric Corporation-the
ELECTR O NIC TUBE O!V ISION, wirh hea<lquarrers ;\(
Elmira, New York.
This division is plt<lged ro become THE leader in re-
search, clevelopmenc, manufocrurc and marketing of eltc-
tronic rubes. To achieve rhis aim rapidly anil surel)',
W esringhouse has builc cwo of che mosc magnificenr,
modern eleccronic rube plants in the world at Elmira and
Bach, New York.
OLD IN EXPERIENCE ; NEW IN FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, TECHNIQUES
It has co ll ected :tt these plants one of the greatest electronic
cube engineering and production reams ever assembled . Thi s
experienced ream was recrni red from the mosr talented of
Westi nghouse 's 100,000 employees and ;tugmented by key
experts from throughout the in<luscry.
from these countries appearing on the American markct.
Althoug h the appear;rnce of such rubes was initially a rc-
sulr o f tht: nl'.cd to provide servicing replacements for im-
ported equipment, e\·ennially imported nibes e\·en came
to bt: used by some American recci,·er manufacrurers. f ol-
lowing thc rapid post-war growth of the Japanese elec-
tronics industrv large rnunbcrs of Japanl'.Se television
reccivcrs were impo rted into the U.S. commencing in the
1960s and this likewise created a large demand fo r Japa-
nese tubes for subsequent servicing requirements.
Apart from the importation of tubes an unprecedented
event was thl'. actual entry of a foreign manufacturer int0
the Unitcd States itself. This occurred when Philips of
Holland took over an old-established manufacturer of
transmitting mbes, A.mpcrex Electronics Corp. of New
York. Philips had first become established in tht: Ncw
World some yc;1rs prior to \.Vorld vVar II when they com-
rncnccd to manufacture receivers in South America. O nt:
o f thcir tirst post-war moves in the western hemisphere
was to establish the firm of North American Philips Inc.
in the U.S. to d istribute certain Philips products under the
name 'Nordea'. Following this came the acquisition of
Rogers Majcstic Electronics Ltd. in Canada.
By 195 7 Arnpercx \\'as ad\'ertising 14 diffrrcnt Euro-
pL:an rypc rubes, just over haJf of which were in the enrer-
ta111menr category. Some sc\-cn vears later no Jess than 23
Novemb er-, 1952
The Westinghouse Ekcrric Corporarion, too, is a vereran of
wide electronic rube experience. To ci te only a few instances:
* Westinghouse produced the first dry-battery operated vac-
uum tube in America-the WD-ll.
* Westinghouse developed and produced the first vacuum
cubes u1ili zing an indirectly heated cathod e, introducing
ac radio opcra1ion.
* W cstingho11se pioneered in high-powered transmitting
tubes for use in both pulsed and CW radar applications.
The famous Westinghouse Type WL-530 was in the Pearl
Harbor rad:tr set which gave the warning of the approad1
of Japanese planes in 1941. These cubes led the way 10 all
su&scqucnc ra&1rs.
* Basic development of che cathode ray telev ision system
was performed in Westin g house Laboracories.
235
variario ns of 0111: singk Philips-designed type, the frame-
g rid penrode, were bei ng o flcred.
Yct ano ther post-war develo pment was RCA's csw bl ish·
ment tube-making plants outside the U.S., one o f the fi rst
o f these being in C hik . Other facrories were locared in
Brazil ( RCA Ekcrronica Ltda). Italy (A .T E.$.). and Mc:x·
ico. In addit ion ro t his for a short pc:riod during the: late
1950s RCA arranged with a British ,·ah-e maker. Edisw:m,
to have certain nm·al-type ,·alvcs branded RCA t<x m;1r·
kcting by RCA o utside Great Britain.
So althoug h the radio rube was invented at almost the:
same time as the: sc:rni -conducto r was d iscon:red (the cr~'S­
tal detector was know n and used in 1906) and although it
RCA I Electrontc Components
reigned supreme: for nc:arly half a ccnmry in the end it was Htrrlton., N J 07029
Mado In USA .
the semi-conductor that was the winner. Well almost! 13\' a
quirk of fate the one indispensable ' receiving' tube, for
RCA 17JZ8 'Duodecar' (Compactron) 1969.
which no solid-state counterpart ~1 ct exists, remains a de-
vice pre-dating both vacuum tube and crystal derector-
thc catho de: rav. rube i1wc nred b .v Braun in 1897.

lUCTROK
TUB£

Some post-war tube cartons.

,
RCA Victor 6SQ7GT and 6V6 GT. Made in Chile c. 1960.

nUMOlfl

RCA 5U4GB. Made in Brazil c. 1975. No te the address-

Some post-war tube cartons . David Sarnoff Avenue.

236
 Cfiapter 'Twenty-Seven
Audio Output
Following the initial use o f the triode as a detecror of
radio sig nals, which additio1rnlly provided some degree of
amplification in the process, its ability as an audio ampli-
fie r was soon put to good use to increase receiver gain. In
Britain such amplifiers were known as 'note magnifiers',
the word note referring ro the sound of a morse signal as
heard in the headphones. The term audio freguenC)' did
nor come into use until the transmission of speech and
music occurred following the adv<.:nc of broadcasting from
about 1921.
Although it was early r<.:alized that pre-detector signal-
freguen cy amplification was cksirnblc, it was difficult to
obtain in practice :ind was perforc<.: omitted from the ear-
liest sets. Hc.l\vever, once a workable and worthwhile
degree of Rf amplification became available, attention
was again nirned to the audio frequency side. Because
headphom:s (which required :i minusc.:ule amount of dri-
ving power) were in universal us<.:, any general purpose
rube could provide ample output for their operation. Not
until loudspeakers came o n the scene after about 1922 did
Radiotron UV-202 (192 lJ
the need for tubes having an appreciable 'power' output
arise. Even so, it was for transmitting use that the first
power tubes were developed .
In March, 1921 RCA anno unced the first of such tubes,
the UV-202, UV-203 and UV-204. By September of the
same year the smal lest of the three, the UV -202, had
developed into the UX-210 and it was in this form that it
was put to use as an audio power amplifier w here it could
provide an output of 1.6 watts at a plate voltage of 425
volts . In November, 1925 R.CA proudly advertised the
UX-210 as «Probably the most po werful receiving mbe in
existence ."
Recause of its hig h plate voltage requirement this tube
was not intended for batt<.:ry operation and was used
mainly in early elcctri1: phonographs such as the
Brunswick 'Panatropc' and co mbinations such as the
Vicror I 0-70 where it was used in conjunction with
RCA's model 104 Rice-Kellogg dynamic spe;lker.
The first barrc0' operated power output nibe, rype UX-
112, became available in 1925, but not until an improved
Triad T-10 ( = UX-210)
237
version, the UX- l l 2A was produced in 1927 did it come
inw gener:tl use. At a plate ,·olrage of 135 this rube could
provide an o utput of 135 milli"·atts, and bec:tusc the fil-
ament r:tting was the same as rh:it of the 201A it w:is fre-
que ntly used in o the r stages of a n:ceiver. Not until rhe
arrival of the UX-1 7 1 in mid 1926 was the re a tube capa-
ble or providing more than 200 mi lli watts output. B)'
Novembl.'.r, 1926 this tube had developed into the UX-
17 lA whic h cou ld provide 285 milliw;ms :lt a pk1te volt-
age of 180. However, as its arriva l coini.:ided with the
advent of AC operated receivers, the 71 A was more com-
m only usnl in such sets.
Towards t he end of 1928 in the U .S., the subject of
audio frequency amplification w:is beginning to asst11m:
som e degree of importance amongst 'rad io' men, evidence
of which is provided in the wording of an advertisement
appearing in the December 1928 issue of Radio NcJ11s
m agazine. Here, an adverrise1nem by the America n
Transformer Co. (Amertran ) conrnined the fo llowing
words: "Every year the importance of radio reproductio n
has advanced until now the question amongst radio
enthusiasts has changed from 'How much distancc can
)'Oll ger?' ro •H ow good is your cone quality?"' t::ro m this
time on, the pages of radio magazines of the day increas-
ingly carried articles on audio amplifiers, .and some radio
m:rnufocrurers were turning to the productio n of ampli-
~i e rs in addition to their no rmal business . At the same
rime, a few specialist amplifier manufacturers who had
not previo usly made radios were beginning to appear.
Two things which pushed AF po\\'er amplifiers into
promineni.:e were: the de,·elopmenr of AC mains operat-
ed radios .rnd the de,·elopmenr of mo,·ing-coil (dynamic)
speakers. Whereas previously the outpur of batcery oper-
ated radius had been limited to a few hundred milliwatts,
the output of AC radios could be 111c;1sured in watts. Bur
quite apa rt· from radio, a new field was opening up- pub-
Iii.: address( PA). An article in the May 1929 issue of Radio
N cJ11s conrained these words: «The recent ckve loprnent of
public address amplification adds srill another link in the
chain of modern communicatio n ... "
But before PA amplifiers with any degree of po wer
could bc developed, a new hig her power output tube was
needed. Such a tube, the UX-250, was dc,·cloped by
V\fescinghuuse :ind announced by RCA in fcbruary 1928.
A pair of 50s in push-pull cou ld provide an output of
around 11 watts wi th a plate voltage of 450. As with the
ea rlier UX-2 10, the hig h plate volrage re qui rcment
n:strictl.'.d its use to large ekctric pho nographs a nd com-
binatio ns.
Wh:tt may be termed the firsc ' modern' power rube, the
UX-245, was released o ne year after rhe 50, in March
1929. Due to its greater dliciency :rnd compararive i ~'
modest HT rcquirements it quickly bccamc the most
commonly used out put tube in AC receivers. Operated in
push-pull mode, a pair of 45s could provide an output of
238
CX-345 (UX-245) 50 (originally UX-250)
about 4 watts. for the nexr three yea rs the suprema<.:)' of
the 45 remained unchallenged, but following the intro-
duct ion of the type 247 pcntode in 193 1 things vverc
never the S<tme <\gain . (Mo re on this later).
A very short lived A1rn.:rican development was t he so
called Loftin-Vi'hite dinxr-couplcd system of AF amplifi-
cation introduced in 1930. In essence it consisted of a
type 24 screen g rid tetrode direct coupled to an o utput
triode ·. Apart from being direct coupled, the other
unusual featu re was the use of a screen grid rube as an Ar
voltage amplifier. t'vl any extravagant claims were made for
the supposed superiority of the L-vV, but onJy two man-
ufacrurers are known to have produced PA ampli fie rs
usi ng rhe L-W system. It also fo und limited use in sonH.:
low priced midget rec.:civers made by a few minor manu-
facture.rs. T he advent o f the L-vV was a flash-in -the- pan
event which after li ttle mo re tban nvdvc months q uickly
faded into obscurity. It was a peculiarly American devcl-
oprnenr, virtually un known outside the U.S .
Although rhe L-W lasted for such a short time, irs
demise was nor the end of direct coupling, for a series of
direct coupled tubes was developed starting with rhe
Speed type 295 in 1932 and continuing with the produc-
tion of the 6N6G in 193 7; a two-tube circuit using a
6AC5G fed by a direct coupled 76 was the final develop-
ment in this type of c irrnitry.
Before thar h;1d happened however, there was a short
lived move by some radio manufacrurers to obta in
increased power fo r t heir top-of-the-line m odel.s by
resorting to the use or C lass B amplification using a new ly
developed ' Dual Grid Power Amplifier' mbe, the type 46.
A pair of 46s when operated under zero bias cond ition
could provide an ourput of 16 watts at a plate voltage of
300, or 20 watts with 400 volts on their plates, bu t just
how many of the spcakcrs fi tted to radio boasting such
large outputs could handle this amo unr of power was
another matter. By 1933 it was a ll over, and the use of
C lass B audio in AC receivt:rs was gone for good , lca\'ing
only the memory of a pecul iarly American phenomenon,
though its use in battery scrs conrinued for mam- years.
To obtain a comparable amoLmt of power from a Cbss
A syste m a new hig her power mbe was required and this
need was fulfilled with RCA's introductio n of the 2A3
early in 1933.
In its original fo rm, rhc constructio n of the 2i\3 fo l-
lowed ex ist ing techniques in using a single assembly wi th
planar electrodes, but differed in having a multiple fil a-
ment consisting of no less than twenty strands of wire
connected in serics p;ira llel. Th is revolutionary filamen t
construction providcd a copio us emitting surface enabling
an extremely hig h mutual conductance o t' 5250 micro hms
(5.25 mA/ V ) to be obtained. However, from a manufac-
turing po int of view such an elaborate type of filamcnr Two versions of Raytheon's 2A3H. The one on the right has
construction was unsuited ro m ass production and was three cathodes .
evenn1ally abandoncd. A completely new type of con-
struction was then introduced consisting of two separate vo lt vers io n, t he 6A3, and by 1937 an octal based versio n,
assemblies connected in P•H•l llcl, each section being fitted the 684G, ;ind a n indirectly hc,ued version , the 6A5G,
with a 'M' filam ent. This type of construction was adopt- were in produl.'.tion by several othe r manufacturers.
ed by other rube manufacturers, including RCA bur w ith Altho ug h mention of the following matter mig ht bc
d1e exception of Raytheon, \\'hO adopted a completelv dif- classed as trivia, attention is drawn to a change in thc
ferent approach by producing an indirectly heated ver- manner of drawing the internal structure of beam ret rodes
sion, the 2A3H , some four mo nths after RCA's o riginal which occurred in RCA's Tube Manuals from the 1947
had appeared. The fact char the 2A3H \.Vas indirectly heat- editio n (RC .1 5) onwards. Prior tO this, draw ings in the
ed was not in itself sig nificant, but this type of construc-
tio n avoided us ing the tricky and difficlllt to manufacture
multiple fibm ent. In 1935 Sylvania brought out a 6.3

Original type 2A3 (1933) Later type 2A3 (1935 onwards) Western Electric 21 l E (1926), superseded by 242C.

239
 earlier editions corn.:ctly showed such tubes as the 6L6 as
being without a suppressor grid but having beam fo rmin g
electrodes. As the drawings of other m <umfacturers always
depicted the same tetrode structure, it may be wondered
what caused R CA to change their way of drawing by
showing a penrode structure, particularly as the well
known sectional drawing entitled-Internal Strucm re of
type 6L6 Beam Power Tu be- has remained unchanged
en:r since it fi rst appeared.
We come now ro vacuum tube usage in the area of pub-
lic entertainment, spcci fic::dl y talking pictures. Although
the name of Wes tern Electric has always been closely asso-
ciated with sound -on-fi lm recording and reproduction, it
s hould be mcncioned t hat one of the earliest workers in
this field was none other than Lee de Forest, who as early
as 1920 had devised a system of recording and reproduc-
tion which he dubbed 'Phonofi lm .'
As far as Wes t1.:rn E lectric was concerned , this firm
already possessed rube making facil ities and had devel-
o ped and produced t ubes fo r telephone work as well as
for radio transmission and was thus in the posit ion of
being able to n1ake a ny tubes needed for talking picture
applications .
I t is interesring to note that on entering the talking pic-
Western Electric 242C (1936), replaced type 211£. ture fi eld, W.E. continued their long established practice

first in its power

range •• designed
specifically for
audio service
T ho Tvn!J·Sol 6~50 ; , o brcand l'l t w ond d irt:-ct cpp1ooch to r>iC'
hi !,)f• f1 0W(tf ''~n i9 n re quir<-mc-nh o f lligh fidelity audio ornplif'leri.
f o r out1h•h up to 100 woth, 1.... 0 6SS0'1 in pu\h·pv11 will pro..,ide
lhe tome power now olfo:noll in mo1t e aisting d e,i9n1 by the
UiO o f fo vr Or 1t10te lub es. 1n odd;1ior1 to gre oh: r oucfio output,
u1e of ll'lo new 6SSO re-1ulu In 11,..ptif1ed clC'dt;col bolonce. rc--
duc<rd 111o:nlcl'IO"tc ond fowt'r cou. lhC' iung·Sol 6SSO it ACI
d 11ectly 1t1tcu hol'\gccble wirh the 6l6 . .SU:I or ~ T66 clou of
lvb~' · Wtth prop~r ci rcuitry, ho -c~l}r, th~ 6550 - ill pro•ide
ft.r ll p o wer owtp1.11 ._fth oppro .. i mot~l y lhl" sor.ie! gr-id .. oltoge
d d • c o' the ' mollc1 lt.rb1:1. lhe 6SSO h p roduted undt r lobo,o•
lory cO fldi1:o tU wi lt, ~aho t.rll i ... e qt.rolity cot\tro1 lo ou "''C p1cmi 1.1 rn
pe1rorm0Acc ond la"9 lihi.

Audio. (December 1954)

240
of renting (hiring) rather tlun selling equipment so that
tubes developed for sound fi lm use were, li ke all other
W.E. rubes, pro duced on a rcliabiliry and long life basis.
A W. E. tube that has achieved an exalted status in the
eyes of many present day hi-fi enthusiasts is the type
300B, a filamentary output triode having characteristics
simi lar to tbose of the 2A3. Orig ina lly produced in 1935
as the 3001\, t he 300B fo llowed three years later and
remained in production by W.E. until 1988, thus making
it one of the longest lived rypes ever produced by any
manufacturer. And that was not the end, for at the time
of writing (1996) the 300B is being manufactured in the
U.S. by Cerron as "Vvell as being produced <offshore' by
Chinese and Russian tube makers. What a history!

British .De11cloprncnts

Even before t he first receiving-type power tubes had

been introduced in the U.S., British valve makers
appeared to have realized the need to develop valves in
this category. For example, as early as 1923 Mullard had
produced their first two power valves, t}'pes PAl and PA2
while B.T-H were offering their B2 and B4 in the same
year. By 1924, Ediswan and Marconi-Osram had joined
the ranks, the former with their cpy' (Power Valve) series
and t he latter with thei r <LS' (Loud Speaker) series; all
were brig ht emi tters, mostly with 6-volt filam ents. By
1925, power valves with 2-volt dull emitter filam ents
were being produced. By comparison, the first American
2-volt battery tube, type 3 1, did no r appear unril 1930.
With the coming of mains( AC) operated radios, higher
Marconi-Osram type DA60 later type (1932)
power directly heated output valves were developed by
several makers, o ne of the most widely used and enduring
types being M-0.V's PX4. lntro<luced in 1929, this valvt:
had a 4-volt filament consuming 0.6 amps and had a ma-x-
imum anode dissipation of 12 watts. O ver the years the
PX4 underwent several structural ch<rngcs <rnd improve-
ments in its characteristics resulting in an increase of
anode dissipation ro 15 watts and an increase in mutual
conducrance from 2.6 mf\/ V t<> 6 mA/V. A pair of PX4s

OSRAM '
P.X4
( Super Powe,.)
fur A.C.MainS
sets& Radio
Gramophones

Ediswan PV2 (1924) Original PX4 (1929) Not e sloping electrode assembly.

241

PX 25 Original version (1932)
operated in Cl:iss /\ pus h-pull at an anode voltage of 300
could then providL· an o t1tpt1t of 13.5 watts compared
w ith 10 watts fo r 2A3s operating under the same condi-
tions. Such was the p rod u<.:rion lifespan of the PX4 that it
was still bei ng lisn;d as a current type in the vVireless
World radio valve d ata, 7rh edition, 1961.
An even higher power outp ut triode from the sam e sta-
ble, the PX25, was issued in 1932 and it too shared an
equally long lifespan. With :i remarkably high mutual con-
ductance figure of 7.5 mA/ V it could provide 20 watts
o utput in C lass A push-pu ll at an anode voltage of 500.
Beam tetrodes ti rst appe:m.:d on the British market with
the introd w.:rion of M-0. V's ' KT series late in 1937. In
this connection it is interesting to note that the beam
tetrode w:is acru;11ly in vented and patented in England*
but was ini tially thought to be beyond the capability of
the M-0. V facto ry to p rod uce economically. This result-
ed in the design being h:rnded over to RCA for develop-
menr in the U.S. and the production of the 6L6 in mid-
1936. By the cnd of 1937 M-0.V had p roduced a British
,·asion, the KT66, which was obvioush- based on the
6 L6, as ir had almost identical characteristics . Such was
M-0. \! '~ apparent enthusiasm for their 'bab~" that they
lost no time in rc-issuing most of their existing range of
pentodcs ( includ ing RF types) in ' Kinkless Tetrode' form.
The onl~' o ther rwo valve makers to produce beam
tetrodes in pre-war days were Cessor and Mazda;
Mullard, undc rsta ndably remained firmly wedded to pen-
todes .
T he KT66 bccamc and remai ned the most widelv used
outpu t v:1lve o~· its ..:lass aml in the early post-wa; years
was to be found in su..:h wel l knO\vn l1i-fi amplifiers as t he
Leak and Quad, ro n:1me but two. Over the vears the
KT66 underwent :111 irn:rcasc in its maximum plate and
.screcn voltage rnti ngs from 400\! and 300V to SOOV and
400V n..:spcaivcly, whcn a maximum power output of 50
watts was obta inable in ultra linear operation.
For outpu ts in excess of 50 watts a more powerful type
of \'alve was ..:ailed for and this need was met by the pro-
ductio n of rhe rype KT88 in April 1957. Like its smaller
brother, this nc\\' vah·c bore ven- o b,·ious indications of
its American ancestr\', nor the lca;t of which was the entr\'
in thc 1957 edirion ;)f thc GEC Valve Manual which sta~­
ed that the KT88 was equiva lent to tbe (American) type
6550, a rube rdcased by T ung Sol late in 1954.
The KT88 \\'as the li rs t British ,·ah-e of its type to make
use of w hat was descri bed as "an all-glass ring seal" in
place of the conventional pinch construction. The ratings
and characte ristics were identical with those of the 6550,
a pair in push -pu ll ultra linear configuration being capa-
ble of 100 w:ms ourput.
A V<llve be:iri ng thc markings STC 4 300A was available
at o ne ti mc in the U. K., but whether it was actually of
Bri tish manul·ilCturc is not known. Its characte ristics are
listed by Stand a rd T elephone & Cables Ltd . as being
idenrical to W. E.\ ~OOA/B , but there is an obvious man-
ufacturing d if'fcrcm:c in that the STC valve has seven ribs
visible o n each side of the anodc, compared with five on
the W.E. rube.

Co11ti11c11tn/ Europe

U nlike the situation existing in Britain and the U.S.,

PX4 Final version (c. 1960)
where the bcam tetrode had successfuJly challenged rhe
pcnrode's supremacy, the pentode always remained the
preferred output rube in most Continental countries.
Rather obvio us ly, Phillips as holders of the pentode
patents were no r unhappy with this state of affairs and
conrinucd to l~urrher develop pen todes in preference to
PX25 Final version (c.1965)

242 * History of the British Radio Valve to 1940. p. 63. l(ei/11 R. Thrower, pub. M1\i/A International Ud. 1992
 ,\ •ofh
'<>/(,,
mA .

"'"
vollt f\of"Ak
ott.,, ,
Ohm~:
r,.• c1. •• tq
to,,"•O•fl
~ J

TI-IE F .A.IVIOUS KT66 ••• IN USE ALL OVER

A?vfERICA AND AC KNO\VLE DGE D TO BE T I-IE

Fl.NEST BEANf T ETRO DE EVER 1''1ADE

IS AN Qsram VAL''E ~IADE IN ENGLAND

Tiie plio1ogropliic reproduction Is token (ram /i1crowrc published in America by 1he
Bri1isli lndusvics Corporo1ion and gives on cn11tdy unsol1circd lrtbu1c lo 1hi~ (inc valve.

J9~ H5
-40
Ii()
">o
-40 '°'"
•oiu
VOlt,1
J IJS
~, 19 MA ,
17 m .\
0& • • t t.
.) $
81) "• ttJ
SOQo
'°'"

THE GEN ER AL ELEC TRIC CO. LTD . , MAGNET HOUSE, K INGSWAY, LOND O N , W.C . 2
Wireless World, (October 1952)
243
 I
I
I
A New Audio Output Valve with an anode
I dissipation of 35 watts
I
I An addition to the well tried and popular r:rngc of G.E.C. Audio
Yal\'cs, of wh ich the KT66 has set a standard in its class tbc
I world over, the new G.E.C. KT88 is now available t0 meet
I conditions of 11se requiring higher power.
I
I
POINTS ABOUT THE KT88
1 The KT8S is a beam pentodc witb aligned grids for maximum
efficiency.

l 50 watts output is available from a pair c o nnected in the

ultra linear c ircuit with auto bias and an H.T. line \'Ullage not
exceeding 500.

3 100 watts output is available from a pair connected in the

ultra linear circuit with fixed bias and an H.T. line voltage not
c.xceeding 560.

4 25 watts output is avaihlblc from a pair triode connected wit.h

auto bias and an H.T. line voltage not exceeding 500.

5 The mut ual com.luctance of the KT88 is 11 mA/V.

6 An all-glass ring se;ll replaces the conventiona l pinch seal

giving increased strength, higher rating and reduced dimensions.

I 1 The valve is mounted on an internation:il oct:il base and has a

J heater rating of 6.3 volts., 1.8 amps.
I
-------~---- - --- - --------------------
' Full porrlculors of these valves con be obtained from tho
I G.E.C. VALVE & ELECTRONICS DEPT.
I
THE GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. LTD., MAGNET HOUSE, KINGSWAY, LONDON, W.C,l

Wireless World, (April 1957)

244
beam tetrodes.
Altho ugh o utput triodes were not unknown on the
Continent, they ran a very poor second to pemodes in
populariry. However, ir must be n.:cor<lcd that borh
Philips and Telefunken manufactured this class of tube,
and also receivers incorporating them. The most well
known example, rhe type ADl , a 4-volt 'P' based triode
which had characteristics very similar to those of RCA's
2A3, was pro duced in 1935 by both Philips and
Telefunken and was used in a few 1935 receiver models
made by both firms. A tube with very si milar characteris-
tics to the AD I but fitted with a German 7-pin base was
the type 'Ed' produced by Siemens in 1935.
One effect of the widespread devastation in Europe
caused by WW-II was to delay the dcvclopmcnc of hi-fi
amp lifiers until the more basic radio requirements had
(Left to right) STC 4300A. Note 7-ribbed anode compared
wit/J W.£ '.s 5-ribbed 3008, Northern Electric (Canada) R300A
Western El ectric 3008
been met. Howe,·er, by 1950 a new high-power output
pemodc, the octal-based type EL34, produced by Philips,
Mullard and Telefunken, had become available. It was
noteworth y fo r being the first of its type to adopt the rel-
atively new 'ring' seal in place of the convcnrional stem
seal. This new rype of construct ion allowed operation at
much higher plate voltages w hich in turn provided a
much greater power output than would orherwise have
been obtainable.
f\ pair of these tubes in Class AB service could provide
an output of ~5 watts at a plate volmge of 375 , o r a pair
used in ultra linear mode could provide 37 watts at a plate
rnltagc of 430 . A highly successful design resulting in a
tube "·hich remained in production for o\·cr twency years
and was eventually listed by RCA as type 6CA7 in their
RC26 ( 1968) T ube Manual.
EL34 Mu/lard and Telefunken
245
 Chapter 'Iwenty-f£ight
Tube Collecting as a Hobby
In present-day terminology the name gi,·en to earl~· fac-
tory-made objects which, being less than 100 years o ld
cannot properly be classified as antiques, is 'colkctibles'.
Such items may include anything from buttons to barbed
wi re o r stamps to steam engines. Of recent years a grow-
ing interest has arisen in the collecting of early radio re-
ceivers and, as a corollary, rhe collecti ng of radio tubes.
T hat tubes arc o nly one of the m;my individu<tl compo-
nents that go to make up a complete receiver in no way
belittles their importance in the sch<.:rrn: of things as for so
long they \\'ere the mainspring of r<.:c<.:i\'cr dc,·clopment.
Although tube collecting as a hobb~· is of quite recenr
origin b~· comparison with other long-established fields of
inrerest, the idea of assembling a collection o f radio nibes
go<.:s back almost as far as the origins of the tubes them-
selves. One of the earliest-known colb .:tions was that of
Lt. W.A . Eaton of the U.S. Navy. T his collection was
fo rmed during the early 1920s and although photographs
of it remain in existence the collection itself has long since
disappeared . Another early collectio n is illustrated in the
U.S. Sign::tl Corps publication Pri11ciplcs U11derfri11g Rnrfio
Co1m111mication, 2nd edit. 1922. Yct another was asscm-
bkd by a well-known American radio rngineer, Mc.Murdo
Silwr, and is now on display at the Ford Museum in
Dearborn, 1'v!ich.
In England one of the first \'al\'<.: collectors was R. Mc-
Vitir.: Weston who later presented his collectio n to Stan-
dard Telephones & Cables Ltd. Morr.: recently this collec-
tion has found a permanent resting place at the Scir.:ncc
Museum, London. Undeniably the world's oldest and lar-
g<.:st collectio n in private hands was built by Gerald f.J.
Tyne of New Jersey. The Tyne collection \\':IS begun be-
fore Wo rld \Var I and now numbers m·<.:r 5000 tubes.
What was probably d1e first publisht:d information of
specific interest to tube collectors is to bt: found in a short
serit:s of articles entitled The T11bl' Collector \\'hich appeared
in th<.: American radio periodical J~ndio News, commencing
April 1943.
Broadly speaking, interest in a particular tube can be
divided into three categories- age, raritv, and historical
246
importance, tho ugh these attributes may nor necessarily be
rclat<.:d . For example, a tube made in 1934 rnav nowadays
be much rar<.:r than one made in 1924. This is b<.:causc the
btn rube ma~' have been a type that had a very limited
production lite.span or was made by only one company,
whereas th<.: <.:arlicr mbe may have been a type that was
made in hug<.: quantities by many different companies, en-
suring th;lt a comparatively large number wo uld smvive to
beco me collectors' items.
As in other fields of collecting the existrncc o f unusual
or 'odd-ball' items pro,·ides an added interest ro many
collectors. In this category arc the many American ' non-
infringing' tubes made during the early 1920s. T hese in-
clude 'gridless' triodes or those ha,·ing external control
clements. Of 11i milar interest arc doublr.:-filamrnt and early
multiple nrlxs of the two-in-one o r threc-in-0111.: variety,
as well as tub<.:s having lmusual constructional features,
and so on.
During the middle 1920s a few American manufactur-
ers produced 20 lA type tubes ha,·ing natural or self-
colourcd bulbs. For exan1ple, Superrron and Wards Airline
tubes had bu lbs made from amber colo ured glass while
Brightson and Western tubes had blue glass b ulbs. The
use of coloured bulbs in this manner was sole!\- as a means
of brand identification. but presumablv due t~ the higher
cost of coloured glass its use did nor persist for any length
of time. In the case of certain French rubes made at much
the same time blue glass bulbs were used, but for a dif-
ferent r<.:ason. A dense opaque blue glass was used to con-
ceal a discoloration of the inner bu lb surface caused by
a particular m:rnufacnrring process us<.:d at th<.: time.
In the case of certain early tho riated-filament tubes
which had bulbs exhibiting a multi-hued or ' rainbow' ap-
pearanc<.: the colouring came about as a result of th<.: use of
a mixed gctt<.:r containing red phospho ro us. Fo r a sho rt
period during the late 1920s :md carlv 1930s some Ameri-
can manu facturers used tinted o r coloured bu lbs ~ls a
means of identi~1 ing their particular products. The earlicst-
known examples of such practice \\'ere Brightson 'T rue
Blue' tubes which appeared briefl y in 1925 and used the
same sorr of blue g lass as used in 'davliallt
. 0
blue' ekctrit:
lamps. By far the best-known blue glass tubes were those
made by the Arcturus Radio Tube~ Co. during the years
1927-33 when over 70 different types were produced.
Of these the Wunderlich detector with its red bakelite base
muse surely qualify as having the most e\-c appeal of any
tube c,·er made.
An aspect of any sore of collecting concerns the upper
dace limit set by individual collectors. In the case of pres-
cnt-da~' collecto rs the actual year is likdv to be around
1935; .on the other hand if a rime limit o( sav, 40 vears or
whatever is chosen then of course chi.: :Kruai vear. ,,·i ll be
continuousl~, updati.:d with the passagi.: of t~nc. \iVhich-
ever method is chasm it is unlikdv .
to be rcaardcd
0
as a
hard and fast rule as there arc bo und to some more recent
tu bes which will be of interest.
Alread y the passage of time has made it possible to
assemble a quite impressive collection o f mbes which arc
50 yenrs o r mo re o l<l, chat is were mndc in 1930 or earlier.
Such was the pace of development during the early 1930s
thnt if the cut-off date is extended b\' o nlv fi\'e vears, until
1935, then a collection can include, practically. all generic
tube rypcs as well as indirectly-heated AC, AC/DC, and
automobile types together with manv multiple and rnulti-
ti.mctio n rubes.
Tube colkccors, likc collectors of anv sort are narurall\'
interested in the dnting of indi\'idunl .items and "·hilc it
may be ditllcult or impossible to accurately date a pre-
World War I nibe such is noc t he case with manv later
niocs, particularlv thosi.: made or sold by RCA whi~h can
be accurately dated to within three months of manufac-
turi.:.
The o ldest British ,·ah·e e,·er likclv co fi nd its war into
the hnnds of a privnte collector is ~n cxamplc of a. com-
mercial form of Fleming diode or as the inventor called
it, Oscillation Valve. S uch valves were made between ap-
Annaka AAB-5 and QX
Two early Japanese tubes c. 1920. The QX is a copy of
the Marconi QX
British Army triodes c. 192 5.
proximately 1906 and 1916 by the Edison & Swan Elec-
tric Light Co. and most, if not all, carried the comp:rny's
trade-mark- Royal Ediswan-etched o n the surface of the
bulb. The earliest of these valves used carbon filaments
but because fleming had patented the use of tungsten
filaments in 1909-10 it mnv be asstuned that anv \'al,·es
using tungsten filaments wo~1ld luvc been made after chat
nmc.
In the case of American cubes it is knO\rn that there arc
a considerable number of De Forest Spherical Audions in
private hands, most of such tubes being sold between the
years 1909-16.
For the bcnetit of nibe colkcrors it mav be mentioned
chat a useful approximation of the date o{ manufacture of
any early tungsten-filament tube can be obtained b\· exam-
ining the nppearance of the lead-out wires where tl~cy pass
th rough the press. If short sectio ns of thinner silvery col-
oured wire 0 11 be seen butt-welded to t he heavier elec-
trode support rods then the thinner \.Vires w ill bi.: made of
platinum . IC 0 11 the other hand, the lead-out wires arc of a
coppery colo ur and continue down through the stem in
one piece then thev arc made of nn allov known as 'Dumc:t'.
In both c:-1scs the ·object was co use a. material which had
the same co-cfl'icicnt of cxpnnsio n as glass. Because plat-
inum was expensive only thi.: smallest amount possibk was
used and after Dumet wire was im'Cnted it replan:d plat-
inum complcrcly. As Dw11ct wire came into gcni.:ral use
from 1924 onwards it mav bi.: assumed that anv cube with
platinum in the press was ·mnde before that dat~-
As manufactured the bulbs of most tubes using plain
tungsten fi b mcnrs were completely dear due to the ab-
sence of nny metallic gcttering, though certain later Brit-
ish and French productions sometimes exhibited pinkish
tinged bu lbs due to the use of;\ red phosphorous gcccer.
Because of the comparati\'cly high operating temperature
of pure tungsti.:n filaments they evaporated slightly during
247
use, the condensed material then scrtling on the inner sur-
face of the bulb in the form of si lvery patches.
With the introduction of thoriated-filament tubes in
the U.S.A. in 1923 the manufacturing process resulted in
a silvery deposit co mpletely obscuring the inside of the
bulb. T his was particularly true of the American types
UV/UX201-A and UV/U Xl 99. An exception occurred in
the case of the type UX-200A which was not gettered
because of the necessary presence of an introduced gas or
vapour required by this particular tube's applicuion as a
special detector.
Magnesium gettering was likewise not used in Euro-
pean rubes made before 1923 even though one British
company-M-0.V .- had used thoriated filaments before
that date. The Marconi type L.T. l dull-emitter valve was
marketed in 1921 and in spite of having a tho riated fila -
ment it was not mag nesium gettered. \-Vhcn an impro,·cd
version, type D .E.R., was issued during the follo wing ~·c:ir
it also originally h:id a dear bu lb though the fina l issues
were magnesium gettered.
A French development of 1926 gave rise to a type of
tube employing a barium-coated filament which, during
the fi ring process, resu lted in excess barium condensing
on the inside of the bulb in the same way as magnesium
did in the case of thoriated-filament n 1bes. T he use of
barium in this way caused the silvery metallic deposit to
exhibit a brownish t inge aro und the edges and this was
particu larly noticeable in the case of Philips tubes made up
to 1935.
further dating info rmatio n can readily be obtained by
noting whether any p:micular tube has a seal-off tip on the
surface of the bulb. Originally all tubes, and electric light
bulbs too, for that matter, had an external tip seal. or 'pi p'
as it was known in British parlance, by which evacuation
of the bulb was accompl ished. Conuncncing in 1924 in
the U.S. a ch<rngc in production methods e nabled evacua-
tion to be carried out via a small-diameter g lass tu be lo-
cated inside the hollow part of the mo unting stem.
T he use of tiplcss bulbs spread rapidly throug ho ut the
industry tho ug h it was sonic years before all manufac-
turers adopted the new tech nique. ror example, Raytheon
gaseous rectifiers and Arcturus 15-volr AC tubes were still
being issued in tip-seal form as late as 1927, while Wes-
tern Electric continued to use tip-scaled bulbs umil well
into the 1930s. Simib rlv in the U.K . .1v1arconi-Osram is-
sued their types KLl and KH l ,·alves in tip-scaled bulbs
du ring 1927, some two years after the general ado ption of
tiplt;.ss co~~s~~ctior!.:
T iplcss bulbs remained in use o n all standard sized tubes
for as lo ng as thcv were in production but when the fi rst
of the so-called 'midget' valves were introduced b~' Hivac
in 1936 their construction made it nccessarv to rc,·ert to
the use of tip-sealed bulbs. The same applied. to the Amer-
ican H \'tron 'Bantam' tubes of 1938. Ir was the arrival of
RCA's l.4-,·olt miniature ru bes in 1940 which marked the
248
beginning of a new era in tube dc,·elopmcm and resu lted
in tip-scaled bulbs once again becoming commonplace.
T he introduction of tiplcss bulbs in the U.S. in 1924
coincided with tl1c introduction of bakelite bases, and al-
though not all manufacturers adopted these two f'caturcs
at the same time it may be said that, in general, the majo r-
ity o f tubes available after 1925 were so constructed. In
Europe these two developments occurred a year o r so later
where Philips of Holland first issued bakclitc-based tubes
early in 1926. Prior to this the metal-shell Franco- Brit-
ish base. originallv of plain copper or brass, was given a
nickel-plated finish by most European manufacturers dur-
ing 1924-2S. The bases used o n such nibes as the R.E78 and
RE83 (shown on page 241) arc of black painted aluminum.
Although the use of tip-sc:llcd bulbs in the U.S. was
discontinued at much the same time that metal-shell bases
became obsolete, certain exceptio ns occurred during the
tra n s itio n a r~' period . For a sho rt rime a kw Radiotron
bakclite-bascd tubes were issued which still had tip-scaled
bulbs. In additio n some independent manufacturers (no-
tably Arcturus) continued using this type of construction
up to 1929.
During the t ime that metal-shell bases were in use o n
Radiorron tubes these bases were alwavs of plain brass,
though certain transmitting rypes had nickel-plated bases.
T he bases o f Western Electric rubes were alwavs nickel
plated except in the case of large transmitting ~'p~s. A kw
early De Fo rest tubes, such as the VT-21 and ~'PC 20,
were no table for the use of nickel-plated bases.
T he first tu bes to be fitted with bakclite bases were the
Radiotron types UVl 99 and UV201-A which were re-
leased in October 1924. In August 1925 the first long pin
tubes, ~·pes UX-199 and UX-201-A, were released and by
1926 most other manufacturers had changed to the use of
this S~'le of base. ~
Another readily apparent feature helpin g to date a given
tube is the presence or absence of the so-called 'domed'
bulb which originated in the U .S. during 1932. T here it
was known as the 'ST style, the designatio n being derived
from the bulb shape which was a w mbination of the 'S'
(sign lam p) shape with the 'T' (tubular) shape. ST bulbs
arc characterised by the top section being of a smaller
dia1netcr than the lower portion. They were introduced o n
the ~· pcs 57 and 58 RF penrodcs which were released in
mid-1932.
vVith the introduction of bakcl ite-based ru bes in the U.S.
cam e the method of marking the manufacturer's name and
the tube's type number on the base by a process known as
'ho t-branding'. Any such tu bes may be instantly recog-
nised by the depressed lettering appearing o n their bases;
a case where the word 'brandnarnc' mav be taken literallv!
In the case of RCA Radiotro n and m~st other Amcric:~n
rubes this process was used between 1925 and 1936.
Hor-branded markings were rare!~· encountered outside
the U.S., Brimar, for example, being the only British valve
maker to use them. H o wever, ho t-branded markings have
been sighted o n some Australian, Canadian , and Japanese
tubes.
T he only accur:uc means of determining the dace of
manufacture of a parricular cube is by an examination of
coded date markings, if these \Yen: used <Uld assuming that
the 'kcv' is available. Whilst it is likclv chat most American
man ufi~ccurcrs in existence after ab~ur 1924 would have
used some form of date cod ing the keys would have dis-
appeared when the firms went o ut o f business. fortunate-
( ~', however, in the GlSe of RCA Radiotron tht: facrory
records were saved fro m destructio n by the enterprise of
o ne individ ual at the time o f the closure o f RCA's receiv-
ing rube plant in 1977. This actio n has allowed the com-
pilation of detailed data of much interest to cube collecrors
though it is much too extensive to be included in this
work.
In the case of early British valves a clue co their age
is provided by the presence or absence of the so-called
' B.B.C. Trade Mark'. This marking consists o f the letters
B.B.C. enclosed within a circle which is surrounded bv the
words 'Tvpc Approved by the Post Master General' ink-
stamped o n the bulb. As this particular marking was used
only between the end of 1922 and the end of 1926 it can
thus provide some indication of the period in which a
particular valve was made. However, because no t all valves
carried the R.R.C. marking its absence cannot be t<lkcn as
proof that a given valve was made outside the rwo dares
mentioned.
The BBC trade-mark used on British valves made between
1922 and 1926.
An aspect of tube collecting about which \Tr)' little in-
formation exists concerns the identification of the manu-
facturer of a particular rnbc sold under a brandnamc of
o ther than that of its actual maker. Although authoritative
records exist in the case of carlv lbd iotrons which were
made by either GE o r \!Vestingho usc it is a different matter
when it comes ro the products o f independent manufac-
turers.
· For the purpose of this discussio n it is conven ient to
divide American tubl'.s into two date groupings-those
made prior co the licensing of independent manufacrnrcrs
by RCA in J929, and those made subseguently. Leaving
aside those few independents in existence before the incep-
t io n of broadcasting d uring 192 1-22 the remainder who
sprang up during the 1920s became known as ' bootleg-
BC18 BC9 809
Three Fotos battery valves c. 1 934 . Made in England by
a French company.
gcrs' d ue to their unlicensed activities. '0.' here such manu-
facturers issued tubes under different names it was done
primarily to conceal their identity rather than ro supply
' private brand' cubes to distriburors. Ac that time there
was link demand by receiver manufacturers for tubes to
be marked with their own brand namcs because most sets
were shipped from the facto ry ' less tubes'. In chose days
tubes were regarded as accessories, like loudspeakers o r
batteries, and were supplied by the dealer at the time of
sale.
It should be realised that prio r ro licensing the Aml'.ri-
can tube industry was quite disorganised but afh.: rwards
acquired a measure of stability, d ue in part to the estab-
lishment of a Tube Conunittcc of the Radio Manufacturers
Association in 1933. One effect of licensing was ro allow
those independents, who desired co do so, the opportunity
to expand the scale of their operations secure in their
newly-acquired licensed status. The other dlcct was to
reduce dramatically the number o f small independents. In
1926 there were over 150 rnbc brandnan1es o n the market
but by 1930 the number had d ropped to o nly twenty.
Although most of what were co become the largest inde-
pendents had been established prior co licensing several
new companies entered the field d uring the next year o r
so. Of these o nly two-National U nion and Tung Sol-
remained in existence for any length of time, in both cases
until after Wo rld War II.
With the rise in the number of large recci\'cr m:mufac-
turcrs which took place following the introduction of
'all-electric' radios during 192 7-28, a demand arose for
tubes co be markl'.d with the brand names of some of the
set makers. Onl'. of the earliest t:xampks of this practice is
to be found in tht: case of rubes made by Arcturus for the
Sono ra Pho nograph Co. in 1929. Similarly Arcturus tubes
were used by C rosley during 1931-31, while later still
C rosley used tubes made by Ken-Rad. In all cases these
249
tubes carried che names of the two companies concerned
and chus left no doubc as to che identity of the actual
manufacturer.
Some other large receiver manufacrnrcrs who used tubes
marked with their o wn brandn:urn:s wcre-Dck:o. Fada,
Philco, and Zenith. As a guide it may be mentioned char
Nacional Union was a large supplier to Delco; Tung Sol
was rhe main supplier ro Fada; Syl\'ania was the main
supplier to Philco; and Raytheon was the main supplier
to Zenith. Even far-off New Zealand can provide an ex-
ample of this practice when in 1933 Ken-Rad supplied
tubes to one of that country's largest recei\·cr m:rnufoc-
turers, the Radio Corporation of New Zealand. \\'hich
bore the markings R. N .Z . .lvfade b~1 Ken-Rad hot-branded
on their bases.
Two Japanese lubes of the early 1930s period with hot-branded
base markings.
ln the U.S. certain large radio d istributors also used
their own br-:m dnames on n1bcs titted to their 'pri\'ate
brand' recei,·ers. Examples an:: Airline (Montgomery
Ward), Coronado (Gamble Skogrno ), Sih-crro11<.: (Scars
Roebuck). Following ·world Wor I I tubes \\'ere nurkctcd
by various distributors under such names as ADA, C 1h'cr-
mm, Hudson, K-R. and Silcorro11. The onlv way co posi-
tivd y idenci ~1 the actual manufi\Cturer of a given w bc i:; to
carcti.1lly compare ir with samples of rhe same type carr~·­
ing the names of known rube makers.
Whilst RCA did not normally supply private brand
rubes to rccei,·er manufacturers in the same W<l\' as did the
independents it is known that some RCA tub~s were sold
under other brandnames. For example, during the middle
1930s unbranded ru bes were supplied to Philips in Aus-
tralia and New Zealand who subsequently added their
250
own markings before selling them. Such tubes consisted
mainly of certain 2.5-volt AC cypes needed at the rime to
fill gaps in the existing Philips range. Another example
occurred during the 1950s when RCA tubes were sold by
an o ld-established distributor, Ad Auriema Inc. of New
York under their ADA brandname.
By comparison the position in Europe has ah,·ays been
more st;iblc though in certain countries, notably England
<U1d Ho lland, various shore-lived manufacturers came and
went during the 1920s and 1930s. The practice of supply-
ing pri\'ate brand rubes o r valves was almost unknown
d10ugh a few British examples can be cited. At o ne time or
another lvlullard made ,·ah-cs for Six-Sixty, S.T., and Ever
R<:ady. M arconi valves, apart from the earliest Flcming-
type diodes made by Edisw;in, were made first at the Os-
rarn Lamp Works and bter by M-0.V. after the formation
of that company in 1919. As Marconi's held a 50% inter-
est in M-0.V. it could thus be said that thev made their
own ,·al\'es at that time. After Marconi's interest was :\C-
quired by E.M.I. in 1931 some M-0.V. ,·ah·cs used in
H.M .V. receivers for a short period carried d1e His Mas-
ter's Voice name and the well-lmown 'Listening Dog'
trade-mark.
From :1 collector's point of \'iew •111 occurrence \\'hich
causes some confosio n was a practice which arose in rhc
late 1930s whereby one tube maker would ' help o ur' an-
other by supplying unbranded mbes which were then so ld
under the larrcr's brandn:m1e. As time went bv the red uced
demand for o lder type tubes made it incrca~inglv uncco-
nomic;il for each manufacturer to continue produci ng a
full range of rvpes. This kd to individual manufacturers
electing to produce runs of certain types which were thcn
shared round amongst the others. During W o rld War II
this pra(tice was accelerated when warti me controls se-
verely restricted the manufacture of mbcs for civilian use.
A similar state of atfairs prc\•ailed in the U.K . and w:1s
particubrly noticeable after the war when 'label swapping'
RE78 RE11 RE83
Three Telefunken battety tubes. The open date coding is a
collector's delight.
 card cube-operated equipment, witb the consequent need
to continue tube manufacture for a longer period.
There is an aspect o f rube collecting which 111•lY assume
TfUFUNkEU greater importance with the passing of time and rhac is the
possibility of encountering either reproductions or even
fakes. While there can be no quarrel with the idea of re-
producing at a latcr period any carlier man-made articles,
be it works of art or whatever, there always remains the
possibility of their being passed off as originals. T he exis-
tence of faked paintings is a well-known example of this
TEUFUNkEN sort of thing. I-Ium:m nature being what it is, there is no
reason to believe chat the same cannot happen in the case
of radio tubes, even if it may secm unlikely.
The earliest-known reproductions were originall~, made
Telefunken RE134 battery triode c. 1929.

I .~!
'
I
.,,

REN914 RENS1204 REN804

Telefunken AC tubes c. 1931. A fake tube, made in USA in 1965.

became the norm in the c;-1se of many pre-war types. Fi-

nally at least one B.V.A. member turned to foreign manu-
facrnrers for the supply of certain types of miniature
valves. Rather ironically such valves were brnndcd 'B .V.A.
Foreign' which was a sad commentary on the state o f the
British valve industry when it is recalkd that one of the
original aims of rhe B.V.A. was to prevent the importa-
tion of foreign valves! By this t ime, however, the British
were in good company because the S<u11e sort of thing was
going on in the U.S. where some nibc makers were rely-
ing on foreign sources for their supplies of recei,·ing tubes.
The final phase.: in rhc declining years of the British valve
industry occurred during the 1970s when such firms as
Tronix, Trigon, and Zaerix purchascd ,·alves from any
source where they were still procurable and added rhc.:ir
own brandnamcs. By this time it "·as almost impossible to
determine the identity of the.: maker o r c,·cn rhe country of
o rigin. It is known that some of these valves were im-
ported from cascer:n European countries such as Poland
whilst others were obtained from thc U.S.S. R .. Commu-
nist coLmtries, it seems, had either stock-piled large quan-
t ities of tu bes or else were not in such a hurry to d is- Examples of 'Private Brand' tubes c. 1936.

251
 as a hobby intcn:st by a Californian ham radio operator
back in 1965. Due to requests the person conn:rned de-
cided to offi:r for sale limited quantities on a made-to-
order basis at a price of $20 each. To avoid the possibilitv
of these excellent reproductions ever being mistaken for
originals the maker wisely decided to identi fy them by
stamping his ham call-sign o n the anode of each tube thus:
REPLICA Made bv W6IS.
Also in 1965 another American ham produced home-
made copies of certain early ru bes in his basement work-
shop. He published details of his activities in QST nuga-
zinc for April 1965 in an article entitled: 'V:icuum Tubes
thc Hard Way by Sam Diaz Pumara'. Unfortunately, as ir
rurned our, rhesc particular nibes carried no markings and
some of them fell into the hands of an unscrupulous dealer
who passed them otT as originals.
Because Pumara publicised his \Vork it seems obvious
that there was no intention to decei\'C: and in anv case the
Pumara reproductions were extremely crude and could
nor be mistaken for the real thing bv anybody \\"ho had
58 287 any knowlcdgc of the subject. Even so it emphasises the
Made by Ken-Rad for the Radio Corporation of New Zealand dcsirJbility of indelibly marking any reproductions in
(1 934). o rder to prevent the same thing happening in the future.
Although, at the time of writing, it h:is apparently
not been worthwhi le for <myo ne to undertake the manu-
facture of reproduction mbes on a commercial basis the
steadily increasing prices being paid for originals may
cvenruall~' lead to this. Apart from the needs of tube col-
lecto rs there arc also d1e m:uw thousands o f owners of
antique batte1y sets who would be o nly too happy to ob-
tain workable tubes for their old radios. Failing actual
manufacture then there exists a need for tube repairers-
peoplc who can fit new filaments as was done comJncr-
ciallv during rhe 1920s.
Sooner or larer :mv nibe collector will be faced with the
.... problem of how best to display his collection in an attrac-
i ' -~ tive and permanent manner. While there may be some
1 '
who arc forced to, and some who arc content to, house
their collections in cardboard boxes most collectors \\'ill
wish to ha\·e at least a few choice specimens on pennancnt
display.
The simplest, cheapest, and least effective method of d is-
playing tubes is to mount them flat against :i display board
by means of a thin wire passing around e:ich rube and
thro ugh the board . This method has the dis:idvantage thar
tubes cannot readily be removed for cleaning o r inspcc-
ri.m. Furthermore where tubes arc collected in groups o r
'sets' it is nor possible to make additions without rearrang-
ing the entire group. An alternati\-c means of attaching
tubes to display boards is by means of small spring clips,
this method being almost essential in the case of tubes
having sphcric:il bulbs.
Probably the most satisfactory method of display is to
UX227. There ain't no such animal! Believed to be made in place the tubes in rO\\"S on narrow glass sheh·es bur where
Japan c. 1930. insufficient w,111 space is available it mav be necessarv to

252
use wider shelves whkh wiU allow two o r three rows to
be placed o n each shelf. To reduce the amo unt of unneces-
sary handling caused by the need for frequent cleaning it
is desirable that the shclvcs be conrnincd within glass-
fro ntcd cabinets.
The use of shelves will of course require some means o f
mo unting the rubes and while su itable tube sockets may
be used for rhis purpose it is frequentl y difticult o r impos- JI
sible to obtain enough o f them. In place of actual sockets
small circular wood blocks drilled with the appropriate
ho les can form a very eHcctive mean!; of mounting. Such
blocks arc readily turned up on a lathe and have the ad-
vantage of uniformity of appearance. A d iameter of 2"
(SO mm) is suitable for all but large t ransmitting rubes.
Even tubes having sho rt pins (UV bases) can be held
tirmly if thc ho les arc made slightly undersize. Unbascd
tubes arc best mounted bv one or rwo small spring clips
attached to a suitable backing which wi ll allow them to be
placed in either a vertical or horizontal position.
6Q7G 56 58
Crosley tubes made by Ken-Rad c. 1936.
Where it is desired to identify particular tubes or to
record dates or orher details small sdt:adhesiYe labels may
be attached co chc rube base or bulb o r else to the mount.
It is also possible to apply markings d irect to the bulb
surface by means of a fine tclt-tippccl pen .
Within the confines o f these pages rhe autho r has tried
to present a coherent account of the rise and fall of the
rad io tube. O f necessity much interesring material has had
to be left out , partly through lack of space and partly
because the main emphasis of the book is concerned with
de,·clopments raking place during the decade 1930-1940.
It is hoped thar such o missions as occur will be accepted
fo r those reasons.
6H8C 6P3C
Although the year 1977 marked the end of the road
Two Russian octal-based tubes (1954).
for recci\'ing rube produccion by most of the world's lead-
ing manufacturers, the receiving tube is not yet dead. Ar
the time this book goes to press, late in 1982, tube manu-
facture continues in suc.:h places as Brazil and Mexico as
wdl as in some Euro pean cmmtries. Furthermore, the pro-
duction of the famous KT66 <Uld KT88 o utput tetrodes
has recently recommenced by GEC-AE I Ltd in the U.K. Ir
would be a rash person indeed who would dare to proph-
esy and predict the day when the last tube facto ry finally
closes down.

35L6GT 6K7GT
Two Italian FIVRE tubes c. 1939.

253
 Glossary
'A' BAITtR Y: American tcnn for <l tilamrnt-hcating bat·
tcry.
ANODE: Fundamental positively-charged dcctrodc in ;111~·
rube.
AU DION: An earl\' American term for a vacuum tube
AUDION: Trade-mark used bv vario us De forest ws.
'B' BATTERY: American term for plate supply batter~'·
BAS E: T har portion of a tu bl· carr~' ing the b<\Se pins.
BASE SH El.L: Cvlindrical metal slcen: forming pan of
base.
BRIGHT EM TITER: Anv tube with a phlin tungstrn
filamenr.
BULR: The glass en\'clope of any tube.
'C' BATIER Y: American term for grid bias batter~··
CAP: British and Dutch term for base (q.\". ).
CATHODE: The electro n-emitting ch:trode (emitter).
CONTROL GRID: S<.:c grid .
DETECTOR : Any tube used to d<.:t<.:ct radio frcc1ucncy
signals.
DIODE: Anv two-clcctrod<.: tube.
DOUBLE-GRID TUBE: An earlv fC)rm of four-electrode
(tetrode) tube.
ELECTRODE: Anv internal l'unctioning part of a rube.
ELECTRONS: Ncgati\'dy-charged particles forming the
spac<.: current in an~· tube.
EL ECTRON STREAM: The current passing through any
tube.
ELECTRON TUBE : Term which supcrseckd th<.: older
'radio' tube.
ELEiVlENT: American term for <.:kctrodc.
E1v1ISSION: The production of electrons at the surface of
a hot cathode.
FILAMENT: T he cathode in all directlv-heatcd tu bes.
FILAMENT ARY CATHODE: Sec ahc·i,·c.
GAS : G;\S present inside th<.: bulb \\'hich may be there
by design or which ma~· occur due to a fault.
GASEOUS RECTIFIER.: A ri.:ctificr tube dependent fc1r
its operation on the presence of an inert gas.
G.STfER: A substance used during m;rnufacturc to assist
in maintaining a high dcgn:c of ,·acuum in a tube.
GRID: The ti.1nd:unenral control decrrmk in a1w tube.
HEATER: Heating clement used in tub<.:s ha~·ing indi -
recrlv-hcated cathodes.
HEPTODE: A seven-electrode wbc.
HEXODE: A six-electrode tube.
254
KENOTRON: A tradcnam<.: used for earl\' hivh ,·o lrave
rccritiers made bv the General Electric C~. ~ to
OCrAL BASE: T he eight-pin base originally tb·clop<.:d
for use on American metal rubes in 1935.
OC....'TODE: An eight-electrode tube.
OSCILLATIO N VALVE: An archaic British term for a
t\\'o-clcctrode detector vak c.
OSCILLATOR: An~' tube used to produce electrical oscil-
lations.
OX IDE-COATED FILAMENT: A filament coated with a
metallic oxide during manufacture.
PENTODE: A fivc-d;ctrodc tube.
PlP: A colloqui;1l British term for the external se.11-off tip
on anv ,·alvc.
PLATE: American term for :mode, also used in other
countries.
RADIOTRON: Tradcname used on tubes made or sold
by Radio Co rpo ration of America (RCA).
RECTIGON: 'Westin gho use tradcname t<x an argon -
tlllcd low Yolragc rcc...tificr. "
RcCTRON: An out-dated name for high '-
\'Olt<l"C recti·
~
tiers sold b\· RCA.
SECONDAR Y EMISSIO 1 : A normall~, un\\'anted emis-
sion occurring ar some point other than the cathode of
a rube.
SCREEl'\-GRID : A second g rid used in tetrode RF :im-
plif~·ing tubes.
SOC KET: American term for the r<.:ceprnclc into which a
rube is inserted.
SPACE CHARGE : Th<.: 'cloud' of dcctrons adjacent to
chc surface of anv tube's c:ithodc.
SPACE CURRENT: S1:e electron stream.
SU P PRESSOR GRID: The third grid in a p cnrode cube.
TETRODE: A four-electrode tube.
THER..MIONIC TUBE: Any tu be ha,·ing a hot carhock.
THORIATED FILAi•,,lENT: Tungsten filament ha,·in<r
improv<.:d emission obrni n<.:d . processi nn~ durin~~
bv
man ufacturc.
TIP: T he external seal-off point on the surface of a bulb.
TIT: Colloquial American term for aho\'c.
VACUUM TUBE: Th<: original American term fr>r radio
rub<.:.
VALVE: British term, contraction of thermionic ,·ake.
VALVEHOLDER : Brit ish term cqui,·alcnt to the Ameri-
can tube socket.
WING: Archaic American term fi.>r p late.
 Index

Acorn rnbcs, 137 Cathodes, ind irectly-heated. 45, 47, 48 Fake rubes, 2S I
AC ml"lt:s. 42-5 I Catkin ,·:1 lvcs, 96, 97 brad rubes, 46
AC ,·ah·e, ( British), 48-53 C.B.S.-Hyrron. I 76 Ferranti l.td .• 214
Acrioi ron rubes, 20 Cc Co rubes, 65 Ferranti valves, 89, 90, 214
Air Cdl tuhes. 19 C hamp ion, pcnco dcs, 58 Fc:sscndrn, R.A., 4, 6
All Elccrric recei v.:rs. 42 C lario n 1·:1l,·c., , 2 1 I Fi vre rn bcs. 244
All G l:1ss T ubes. I 07, I 08 C lass B rwin -criotk,, 78, 79 Flcming 's d iode dcrccror, 2, 3
Amnka n Radio & Rcscard1 Corp., l I 2 C lcartron ( Bl'irish ), 2 10, 21 1 Fkming , J.i\ ., 2, 3
Amr:id (Sec above ), 1. 12 Cole, E.K. I.rd., 215 Fmos rubes, 240
An11:ric;111 Telegraph & Tclephon.: Co. (AT&T) Condor tubes, 23 I. 233 Four-dccrrodc rubes. 34-41
'The Telephone Co:, 8, 15, 2 1-24 Connectinir Tel. & Elcc. Co., 3 1 Fr:rnco·Briti'h base, 144 - 148
Amcril"an World War I military rubes. I 2· l 4 Conve rrc r ruhcs, 8S Fren ch rubes, l 0, I I
Ampc rcx rubes, 129, 23 1, 235 Coronet rubes, 99, I 00 Freq uency di angcrs. 88-95
t\mpl io n 1•alvcs. 2 I 0 Cosmos \'a ll•cs, 52. 63, 191. I 92, 195
A- P (i\ndoy) val vc.:s, 211 Cossor va lves, 2 1S· 2 IS ( ;:imm3tron rubes, 129
A- P (Moon::hcad ) 1ube, 7<1- C unn ingham, Elmer T.. 16, 25 Cascous ckcecmrs. 16, 17
Arcrurus Radio Co., 169 Cu nn ingh,1m cubes, 16. 25, 26 G:m:ous recrilicrs, l 11- 115
Armsmmg, Edwin H ., 1 1. 127 Gcneral Elcark Co. (GE), 8. 13. 234
Assod.itcd Elc:crrkal IndlL~tric~ Led. {AEI ), 63, De Forest, Lee 4 -6, 127 G.E.C. Ltd., 198-201
191, 198. Sec nlso Cosmm De f orest's ·Kc)' Wc.~c' Audion, 4, 5 G. E.C. Valves (See o.~ram)
Atlanric-l'acific (A- I') rnbes, 74 Dc Fores r's ' Grid' t\udion, 6, 7, 8 , 14 German meral rnbes, 100, 101
Audion ( De l'o rcsc), 6·9, 165, 166 De Fon:sr's High Bridge Factory. 12 German World Wa r II rnbcs, 137, .1-10
Audiorron rubes , 25 , 26 De forest Rcldio Co ., 31, 165, 166 Ge rnsback. Hu go, 36
Austra lia n valves , 186- 189 De Fon.:sr lbd io Tel. & Td. Co .. 25, 165 Gcrtcring, IS. 247, 248
Donle-Briscol rubes, 3 1 Glass-bmro n Stem, I 3S, 137
B.rnmn rubes, l 04, 135 Doublc-lilamcnt cube, , 74·81 Graham F:trri,h ,·ah·cs. 2 I l
Base~, tuhc, 17, I 43-161 Doubk-grid mb<:s, 34-41 Gramophonc Co. Ltd. ( H1vfV), 201
fk:irn power tubes, 70-73 Dubilicr m:cili<:r ruhc, 110 Grid <.<111-~. 151. 152
Blue glass rubes, 167 Dumct wire, 238 ( ;rigsby-Grunow Co .. 82, 180, I 8 I
Btiotki; tubes, 240 Duo-Diode rubes. 82- 84 GT rubes, I 04. I 05
Rrimar va lves, I 06, 205-207 Duovac tra nsmi tti ng rubes, I 28 C.W. l. plat clcss va lve, 209
British Ai r Force va lves, 12 Du ll-emim:r valves, 200
Brirish Arm1· ,·a)ves, 12 D~·n:nron oscilb ror. 66 1-brries, J. Owen, 70
Rriti'h Broadcasring Co. ( B.B.C.), 203 Ha rries va lve, 70
British Navy valve.,, I I 'Ed ison effect', I, 2 Hearing-aid mb<:s, I 35, I 37, 14 l
RSA-Sr.1mfard ,·alves, 204 Edison, Thomas Ah-.1. l. 2 Hearer volr.1gcs, 45, 47
British T hompson-Hous ron Co., 112. I 93, 194 Edison's ckcrrica l ind icator. 2 He inrz & K.wlinan, 129
British 1·alve makers, 190-226 Edison & Swan Ekcr. Ligh t Co l. , 2, 3, 190 Hcpmdc rnnvcrters. 88, 89
British Valve1mk<.:rs t\ssn. ( B.V.A.), 2<~1 Edison Sw:1n Ekcrr k Co., 19 1 Hcxode ruhes, 89, 9 1
Bu lbs. 162- 164 t::diswan v:ilvcs 77. 78, 190-192 Hivac va lves, 70. 135, 210-212
Bulbs. colo ured . 246 Ei mac tube., , I 29 Ho r-branded bases, 239
Bulb ou rl ines, 163 l~kco valves, 2 I 4·, 2 15 Hull, A.W .• 39
Bulb styles, I 7, 57, 248 Elcctron-ra)' mb<:s. 123-126 Hyrron Banrnm ru bes, I 04, I 05, 176
Bull", ~iplc:ss, 248 Ekcrroni<: Tubes & V Jh'es Ltd .. 203, 2 18 Hyrron Corp., 86, I 05, 176
Rurndcpt ,·ah·es, 2 I 0 Ekmonic Tubes& ,\ Ju,i\:tl lndusrric.' Lrd., 203, 218
Bmron-base rubes, I 35 Emerson Multi va lvc, 77 ldzcnfa, HanM1, 226
Emicron valves, 203, 2 18 !11dcpc11dcn1 rube makt·rs (U .S.), 25-33, 16S-
C:u iad ian Genera l Elcw·ic Co., l 83 Epo m rcccifie r rube~. 11 4 l8 2
C:inadi .111 vVcstingh ouse, 183 English V:ih·e Co., 202, 203 l ndirectly· hcarcd AC tubes, 42-5 I, 6 1
C:inadian mbcs, I 83- I 86 ~:vcrc:idy ' i\i r Cell ', 19 lmcrnari o n;1 I octal val vcs, 102, I 04
Caps (bases), 14:1-161 Evereadr Ravchcon wbcs, 45. 178 Internationa l Standard Electric, 24, 203
Cardon AC rubes. 44, 176. 179 her R~dy ~·alvcs. 2 13 Internationa l Telephone & Telegraph Co.. 24,
Car radio tu bes, 4 7, I I 8 , 139 Expanse 1·alvcs, l 87 203.207

255
lsobmite·based nibcs, 165, 166
Ita lian mbes ( FiHc ), 253
Jap;rncsc rubes, 2•1·7, 250
Kellogg tubcs, 44, 47
Kenorron tubes, 110
Kolster Br;mdes Ltd., 204
La ngmu ir. Irving, 17
Lissrn valvcs, 213
Lock- in tubes , 10 6, 107, 154, 158
I.ofri n-White amp lificr, 66
Lokr.11 tubes,106, 107, 154. 158
Lo uden valves, 208, 210
Loewe cubes, 75, 76
Lumion mbc, 26
Lusrrarnx \'31Ve>, 209, 2 10
Magic-eye tubes, 123-126
Magnavox tubes, 3 L, 32
M:1gnetic decccror, 4
i\fajesric rubes, 82. 180- 182
Mar.irhon AC cuhc.•, 44, 46
Marmni -Osram Va lve C o. (/\1-0.V.), 35, 96.
106, 1 16, 198-203
Man:oni valves, 134, 198-202
Ma rconi W .T. Co. of Amerka, 3, 15, 27, 29
Mazda o ctal base, 157, 159
i'vlazd .1 n1h·cs, 62, 63, 193- 196
Mercury-vapour reccitic rs, I 15. 1 16
Merropolican V icke rs Eke. Co., 195- 197
.'vlcral-glass rubes, 99. I 00
/\krallised m bes. 164, 181, 186, 228, 230
Mera! rubes, 96- 10 1
Mer- Vick valves, 49, 52, 197, 198
Micromcsh va lves, 204, 205
Min iamrc rubes, 126, 133- 142
Moo rl1<.:ad, Oris B., 13, 26, 27
M ·O.V. valves, 96, 104, 132
Mudkr rubes, 132
Multiple cubes, 74-8 L, 83-86
Mull:ird, S.R., 1·~3, 218
:vhilbrd valves, 51, 218-222
M)•e r.• , Elm an B., 27
Mye rs tubes, 28, 29
McCamlcss, I-I. W., 7
McCullough, F.S., ·~3
M cC u llough AC tubes, 43. 44
Narional Carbon Co., 177
Nal'ional Union rubes, 47, 62, 68, 172, 173
' Naw' mbe base-, 146, 199
Ncls;111-Mulri \':t ll•c, 75, 76 , 209
Ncurrmlrne c ircu it, 36
Ncurrn11 valves, 210, 2 1 I
Northern Elecrric Co., 183
Nov.11-based cubes, 140
Nurro11 Solodyne tube , 36, 37
Nuviswr tubes, 142
Oct:1l-based ru bes, 102 -106, 153
Om1<le tubes, 89, 9 1, 94
Octro11 valves, 211
Osram vah·es, 198
O sram AC rnlve.<. 48
256
Oxide-coa ted filaments, 19, 20. 2 l
l'arem s, 29, 3 l
'Pcanur' wbcs, 13::\, 20 3 , 2 19
l'c nrag rid co nverccr, 88
l'entode rubes, 5 4 ·6'~
Pcmodcs, R.F., 57
Philco Radio & Television Co. of Ge. Briri:111,
206
Philco ( U.S.A. ) ntbes, 102, 106
Philips of Holland, 226-233
Phil ips rubes, 34, 54, 107, 120, 132, 22 1
Philips rnbc bases, 228
Phillips ,·ah-cs, 74, 208
Pix valves, 211
Pope mbes, 231
Preece, William. 2
Pri,·ace -brand rubes, 250
Q. R .S. M11.• ic Co. recti fiers, 1 14
Q uikko v:1lve , 21 1
R:1dio Co mmunication Co. ( RCC), 2 19
Radio Corporatio n or
America ( RCA), I:;
' Radio Group'. The. 15-24
R.idion v:i h-e. 208
Radiotro11 rubes, I 5-2 1, 127
Radio Valve Co. of C;1 nada, 183
Raytheo n g:1seous rc·ctifiers, 11 2 - 116
Raytheo n hearing-aid rubes, 135
Raythwn Mfg. Co., 112, 176
Rayrhcon Production Corp .. I 76- 178
RCA-De rorcst n1he~, 128
RCA Radimro n Co., 15
Rectifier.•, I 0 9-122
Rccti liers , Britis h, I I 9, 1.20
Rectifiers, Tu ng3r, I 12
Recrro11 rube. llO
Rdiacron tubes, 2:M, 235
Replica rubes, 25 I, 252
R imlock rubes and valves. 139
Ri\IR \'aln\ 208
Robinson, E. Ycoman, 52, 63
Rogers , Edw:ml $., 184
Rogers rubes, 184· I 86
Rogers ,vl ajescic Corp. Led., 184- 186
Room e nth..:, 26, 27
n.ou nd, H .J., 10, 1 1, 36, 52, 129, 133
Royal Edirn·an valve, 190
Round ,·ah·es, I 0
RR.I:' transmitting rnhes. 132
Russi:111 rubes, 253
Russian rnnal rnbes, I 0 I
R.V.C. w bes, 183
Sc hickcrling rnbcs, 30. 31
Sd1on h. Walccr, 34
Screen-grid tubes and val\'es, 38-41
Screen-g rid AC tub.:s, 65-73
Shaw bases, 147, 152
Sh ieldplal'e rube:, 40, 4 I
Side-conracc tube h:1ses, 157
Six-sixty valves, 2 10, 2 11
Sodio11 tubes. 31, 32
Sonora cu bcs (Sec A rcrurus)
SO\·ereign i\C cube. +6
Space-charge 1ctrode, 34, 35
Speed 'Triple-Twin' cubes, 79, 80
S-T va lves, 2 10
Standa rd Tclcp h~mes & Cables Lrd., (S.T.C.),
203, 207
Scropford, C. W., 52
S.T.C. vah·c.•. 133, 203, 204
S.T.C. ' 'alves ( Ausrr.ilian), 188, 189
Sub-miniarurc 1uhcs and vah·cs, l+O
S ulJi,·an ,·alvc,, 208
Supprc:ssor grid s, 54, :'>7
Sylvania Prod ucts Co., 173, 174
S ylvania wb -mi n . ru bes, 133, 137
Syh-ania LU be, , I 0 2- 104, 173, 174
T:1r lor rube, 129, 130
Tekade tubes, 76
Telefunken ruhes, I 00, 250, 251
'Telephone Co., T he', (AT&T), 22-24
Tetrode tubes, 65-73
Te tr ode l)llt'J" ll tu bes, 69-72
Thoriat:m:d lilamcnrs, 16. 17, 200, 246-248
Thorn-AEI Radio Vah·es & Tubes I.rd. , 207
Thorpe double-grid 1•alve. 35, 36
Tobe rnbes, 131, L32
T ransmircing t ubcs and ,·:ill·es, J 2 7 - 128
T riad dircct·coup led rnbcs, 79, 8 1
T rio des, 12 7
T riodc-heprodes, 93, 9 5
Triode hc xodes. 92, 93
T riod-pentodc,, 83
Tube bases , 143- 16 1
Tube collccring. 246-253
Tube numbering sys tem, 227
Tungar b ulbs. I l l, I 12
T ung-Sol tubes, 59, 17 5
T un ing indic.:a tors, 123- 126
Tu ngs~m v.1lves, 223
Twin triodes, 75, 76
Unidyne cirrnir. 35
U \' mbe ba~e' .ind sockets, 146, 15 1
U X tube bases, l 43, 148
UY tube bases, I 52
\/:111 Horne adapto r ruhes, 33
Va lveho ld ers, 143, 144
V:iriablc-mu rubes, 67, 68
\Iolt:1ge regulators, 121
We;l!:,'<lnt, Ro)' A., 31
Wehnelr, A., I 09
Wcsccctors. 8 7
Western E lc..:cric Co., 8, l 2, 22, 24, 2 19
Wcst~rn Elcc.:cric.: tubes, 12-15
Westinghouse Rr:ike & Saxby Signal Co., 87
\\lcscinghou~c Eke. & Mfg. Co., 15, 19 , 20,
195
Wescinghous.:, George, 2
Westingho use 111bes, IS, 19-21, 43, 234-236
V\lorld \•Var I /\rnerican n1 bes, 12- 14·
Wo rld War I British va lvcs, 10, l l
World War I French ru bes, I 0
Wunderlich, Norman E., 83
Wunderlich rnhcs, 83
 Index by Tube Nu111be1•

A (B.T·H), 11 AC222 (Son:mon), 66 B406 226

A ( ~lagna,·ox), 31 , 32 AC551 (Rogers), 185 B443 Sf, 55
A ( MuUartl), 223 ACSSIS • 185 B2006 229
A ( Nclso11), 75, 76 AC608 (Marathon ), f6 BA 113. 115
A ( Wundtrlich), 84, 170, l 71 ACFC (Lisscn), 9:1 BC9 (Foms), 249
Al ((.;Wl), 208, 209 AD (i\rcrurus), 1 16, 118, 17 0 RC l 8 '' 249
A2 ( Radio11 ), 208 AD I 245 BCH I 155
AIS (Hi vac), 21 2 AJ~ l 16, 170 BD9 249
A22 (Arcturus), 65, l 69 AF 116, 170 BH 11 3, 1 1:1, 151, 176
A26 168, 169 AG 116, 170 BR I If, 115, 176
A30 169 AHi 91, 93 BU6 119
A32 169 AKI 91, 94, 230
A40 167, 169 A1'2 91 C (J\farconi·Round ), JO
A4fi (Cow1os), 196, 197 AMI 125 C (Osram}, 11
A46 (Arcturus), 169 AR (Ediswa n), 19 1, 192 C ( Philips), 226
J\48 .. 169 AR ( R.oval Ediswa n), 190 CJ " 226
J\ 106 226 AR (British Anny}, 247 C2 226
AI09 226 AR.06 191 , 192 Cl42 ' 228
Al-II 3f,35,226 AR3 ( British Army), 247 Cl71 (Sp:mo11), 178
Al99 (So11atron), 32 AR.DE 191 , 192 Cl81 • 178, 179
AHi 3f, 226 ARS6 39 Cl82 178
AT 1W 131 C l 82i\ 178
A306 226, 227 ATSO 131 C l82B 178
A3 10 226, 227 Audion ( De Fo rcs1·) , 27 C l 83 178
A34 1 34, 226 Aud io tron 26 C-300 (Cun11 i11g ham), 16
MIO 226 AV I I 188 C-301 " 16
A+ll 34, 226 A\-\IA33 187, 188 C -324 66
A615 227 AWA99 187, 188 C -335 67
AWAIOO 187 C -373 (Sp:irron). l 78
A.AB -5 247 AZ3 1 23 1 C-401 • 178
i\ B I 84, 230 AZ41 120 C443 ( Philips), 55, 151
r\BCI 158, 164, 230 C48 2r\ (Sparro n), 178
AC (Farad), 46 B (B. T-H ), 11 C482B 179
AC (S parton), 4 7 B (Philips}, 226 C484 177, 178
AC/ 2l'cn 63 B (Raytheon ), 11 2, l 13, l 15, 176 C484A 178
AC/ DD 84 132 194, 213, 226, 241 C485 177, 178
AC/ G 52, 197 B4 Hf, 193, 194, 241 C486 178
AC/ HLDDD 87 B4H 194 C509 (Philip,), 227
AC/ME 125 BS 193, l ~M C686 (Sparrnn), 177, 178
AC/ Pl SO, 195 BSH 194 CB220 78
AC/Pe n 62, 63, M B6 ( Do n lc), 31 CFl85 14
J\C/ l'e nD [) 87 86 (B. T-1-1), 193, 194 CG886 12
AC/R 49, 52, 196. 197 B6 ( Philips), 226 CG890 1:1
1\C:f S 197 B7 " 194 CKl 93
AC(rP 91 BS ( Donk), 31 CK I OL2 1 15
AC(l"Z ( Hi,·ac), 212 Bl I 19f CT-08 211
AC/V 212 Bl2 194 C'T-15 2 11
AC/ VPl (Mazda}, 53 B2 1 78 CT-25 2 11
AC 044 52 B22 194 CT-25B 2 11
J\Cl/P 1 53 B23 19 1~ CT-1 99 2 10
AC2/ l'en 87 B63 7S CT-201A 2 10
AC20 (Rogrn ), 18:1 B65 106
AC22 (C'xCo), 65 BIOS 226 )) (Air Force), 1 1
AC28 (An:rnrus). 168 B210H 192, 19-1 D \'I (Philip,), 3-1
AC::\2 (Rogers), 185 B215P 192, 19f D -OIA (De Forest), 166

257
D .06H F (1\follard ). 223 0Ll4 166 ED 245
D.06U " 223 DLl5 166 FE50 158
DI (M.mfa). 141 DL66 (Sfollard), 141 EH>'lll 125
DI (Philip~). 226 OL7 1 " 14 1 EF 13 101
112 • 226 DL72 J41 EF39 186
])3 226 D"170 {Ph.-"lullard ). 126 EFSO 33. I 07. I 08. 158, 222
113HF (1'vlullanl) , 223 DM l60 126 HS-I 108
D31.F • 223 DPI O ( Donlc}, 3 1 H55 108
03Der 223 DP I I 31 EF80 141
D4 (Ferr.uni), 2 14 D R (Oe Forest), 166 EF97 139
])4 (Philips). I ·H. 226 DIU (Ediswan}, 192 EF98 139
[)5 • 226 DR4 (Donlc ). 31 HF50 108
D6 226 DS 69 EFFSI 108
1)6 (Mullard), 223 DT41 215 EFMI 12S
n.8 <"1-0. v i. 202 DTUI 2 15 EF" l l I 125
])143 ( Phil ips), 52, 22X DU2 119 EH2 91
D -400/\ ( D<: fon:sr). 166 DUIO 119 EK! 91
D-401 i\ 166 OV I (De Foresrj, 147, 166 EK2 91
n-402 I 66 0\12 165, 166 ElO 91
n -4 10 I (16 D\13 165, 166 EK::l2 229
1)-412 166 DV3A 166 E l.34 2'~5
n-416B I ()6 DVS 166 EL4 1 229
D -471 166 DV6 166 EMI 124. I 25
DA2 (Os ram ), 137 DV6A 166 EM3 125
DA60 (1\farco11i) , 203. 2<~1 DV7 166 EM4 124. 125
DB240 78 DVS 166 E.VB-1 124
DC/SG 69 ()\19 166 E"H I 12 4
nc12 33 DV9R 166 EM71 124, 125
DD/ Pt:n 8 7 DV203A (Duo\·ac ). 128 EM80 125. 126
DE06 ( Ndson ), 75 DV211 128 EM8 1 125, 126
DEl (Sonora), 170 OX852 128 EM84 126
DE2 ( ~clson ), 75 DY80 141 H185 125. 126
DE2 (t'vlarconi), 201 DY86 141 EM87 125, 126
DE3 20 1 EM\131\ (Mulrivaln-), 77
DE5 201 E (Philips). 226 E~31 229
11E6 201 E415 228 ER ( Moorht:;id ), 26
DE? 35, 36 £424 228 ER224 48, 178
DEll ( Cosmo~). 196. 197 E+l2 69 ER22 7 -18, 178
DE50 196 E4-H 55 ER2-17 178
D EA ( Nelson ). 75 E443H " 55 ER280 38
DEH210 201 E-144 SS, I 55. 229 ESI 190, 192
DEL6 10 201 E446 229 ES2 190, 192
DEQ (lvlarconi), 133, 134, 20 1 E447 229 ES4 190, 192
DER. 20 I , 2-18 EHS 91 ES5 190, 192
1w:r1 203 E463 155 ES6 190
DEV 133. 134, 201 E499 228 ES22 0 77, 78. 192
DF-OR1\ 223 E703 (r\ r.:tu n1s), J 29 l-:xpa11:.c ' B' I 87
])Fl I 101 Et\SO l<U EZ40 I 18
Dl-'64 14 1 Et\76 141 , 229
DF70 14 1 EAB I 87 F (Mullard), 223
DFAO 223 E1\BCSO 87 F1 42 228
DFAl 223 EB9 l 229 F209 228
DFA2 223 ERC.B 186 F2-12 228
Dl'"A3 223 EBF2 229 F257 (Tungsol), l 75
DF,-\-1 223 EBFS3 139 F4-13 56
DFA6 223 EC31 229 FC-1 91, 93
nFA7 223 EC76 14 1 FCl4 1 1%
DFA8 223 ECC83 139 FEI 35, 38
DFA9 223 ECl-!2 93 FE2 38
DG ( Mullard ). 223 ECl-13 93 FE3 35
DK-10 1-10 ECl-Ill IOI f ,\ 11000 I 0 7, 23-1
DK9l 229 EC H 35 93 FZI 229
DL2 ( De l'orc~1), 166 ECl-141 93
DL3 166 ECHS l 95 G&R 189
DL-1 166 EC l-18 3 139 GI (CWl), 208, 209
))1.5 166 EC l-121 95,158 G-lt\6 (1\<l:ljc., tic), 180
111.7 166 EC:Lll 73 G-2S 82, 180, 181
DL9 166 EC:LSO 141 G-24 179. 180

258
G-24S 180 1-1 LBl (Mkromcsh), 205 MS1'4 (Cossor), 63
G-255 180 H \1235 192 1\1\T I (Marconi ), 132
G-25Z5 180 HYI 13 (H\Tron ), 135 ~ITS 129, 132
G-27 179, 180 l·l \'125 . 135 MU I 116
G-275 J!!O
G-2A5 180 I DZ (Philips ). 226 N 10
G-2A7S 180 N30 97
G-4S 82, 180- 182 J 117 (Conm:cri..:ur), 31 N41 63
G-30 180 Ncga rron 219
G-32 llW K (Mullan! ), 219, 220, 223 :-IR4C 11
G-33 180 K I (Thorpe), 208 NT 98 189
G-34 180 K4 36, 151. 208 N U-lc2 173
G-35 180 K27 (Kel logg), 47 1' U59 153
C-35-S 180 K30C 213 N\'224 173
G-36 180 KB2 84 NY235 173
G-37 180 KDD I 78 NY64 •P. 67
G-38 180 KF2 155 NY65 4 7.69
G-42 180 KHl (M -0.VJ, 52, 202, 248 N \'67 45. 4 7
( ;.43 180 Kl.I 52, 202, 248 NY68 47
G-45 180 KIA (Philips), 229
G-47 180 KR! (K en Rad ), 116, 11 7, 17 1 O P4 1 2 15
G-50 180 KRS 171 01'42 2 15
G-5 1 180 IOU 7 17 1 O lV\ 197. 2 18. 219, 222
(1 -51 -S 180 KRIS 171 O ltA·A 223
G-55-S 180, 182 KR20 171 O Ri\ -H 223
G56 180 KR22 84, 17 1 Oscilaudion 26, 27
G-57AS 180 KlUS 17 1 O sc illion 129
G-57-S 180, 182 KR28 171
G-581\S 180 KR3l 116, 171 Pl (CcCo), 56
G-58-S 180, 182 KR98 116, 171 Pl (Cossor), 215
G -59 180 KT32 72 1'2 215. 216, 217
G-59-B 180 KT63 72 1'3 217
G-80 180 KT66 72,253, 242,243 1'4 217
G-81 180 KT76 106 1'4 ( Ferranti), 214
G-82 180 KT88 242,244,253 P-1- 15 1Y4
G -84 180 KT91 158 1'425 (STC). 204
G-85 180 N25A " 204
G-89 180 LI 1 135 1'612 204
G-6C7 180 L240 210 1'615 (B.T-H), 194
G-6D7 180 1.525 210 1'704 (Cha mpi on), 56
G-6F7 180 1.610 201 PA (Ar-:turus), 170
G-6Y5 180 1.F-OR.A 223 I';\ (Mullan.I), 223
G2 I 5 (vVt·..:o,·alvc), 204 LF210 192 l'A I (.vlicro111c,h ), 204, 205
CA ( Arcrmus}, 170 LF215 194 l' t\2 (Mullml). 223
GP 2 192 LF407 194 I'll I ( Micro1m:sh ), 205
GP2 10 194 LF410 192 Prn i\ l 205
GP40 7 194 LF410A 192 l'cnA4 63, 2 15
GP607 19-1· l. F607 194 l'c11Bl 205
GU I I l6 LF610 192 Prn4DD 87, 2 15
GZ32 229 1.1'4 (Fcrranri). 214 l'Fl.200 142
l.S I (Marconi), 202 l' l 1224A 230
1-1 (De Forcq ). 129 LS6A 202 1'11245 230
1-1 .8 (M·O.V), 202 I.Tl 200 l' H247 2::\0
I 1.11 135 l'MlDG 35
J-1141 (M:1Y.d.1 ), 195 ME4l 125 l'M2K 78
J-1210 (,\1-0.\' ) , 201 ,\ IE9 1 125 P.\14 22 1
1-1215 (\\'ccm·ah·c), 204 ~1£920 125 1'~121 55, 56
1-1310 ( Rurmkpt), 2 I 0 MH4 96 l'M22 55
1-1512 210 MHD4 8 5, 155 l'M24 55
HF210 (B.T-H ). 192, 194 1\1141 192 l'M26 55, 56
Hf-407 194 ~1141RC 192 1'~1224 221
HF410 ( fafowan ) . 192 1\1 P/ Pen (Cos,or). 63 1'1'3/ 250 52
liF607 (R.T-11 ), 194 MPT4 63. 96, 97 1'1'5/ 400 52
HF610 (Edi,wan), 192 1vlS 30-warr 132 l'R2 233
Hl ..8 (M-0.V), 202 MS IV 132 l'RS 233
llL2K 97 ,\ IS/ Pen.A 63, 2 18 l'Rll 232, 233
HL310 ( Burndcpr ) , 2 10 MS·l 97. 202 PRl2 232, 233
H L5 12 210 MS4B 69, 96, 97 l'IU6 232, 23~

259
PR21 233 R24S 186 SGA l 205
PR33 233 R30 ( Radi o Micro), 144 SC207 194
PR41
PR48
233
232, 233 R32 .
R30 ( Rog•.:rs), 186
184. 186
SG215
SG610 192
192, 213

PR50 232. 233 R4 I ( Ekco), 215 SO I (Sonora), 169

PR52 232. 233 R43 ( Radio Micro), 35 502 169
l'R54 233 R 100 (Rogers), I 86 Sl'4 63, 64
PRSS 233 R200 186 SP16R 196
PR60 233 R210 186 SP18 197
PR61 233 R21IE (~E}, 184 SPl8B I 96
PR63 233 R224 ( Rogers ). 186 5Pl.8G 196
PR64 233 R227 186 Sl'l8RR 196
PT.8 202 R245 186 Sl'22 40
PT2K 97 R247 186 SP4 1 194
l'T4 D 87, 2 14 R280 186 SP50B 196
l'T25 56 R3 00A 245 Sl'50 R 196
PT235 55 IV\ I (Sonora), 170 S1'55R 197
PVl 192 RC2 ( Ediswan). 192 SP61 194
PV2 192, 241 RC210 " 192 SP l 22 41
PV3 193 RC210 {B.T-1-1), 194 SU6 119
l'V4 192 RC407 194 SX400 31
l'V5 192 RC410 192 S\'224 174
PVSDE 192 RC607 194 SY227 174
PV6 192 RC610 192 SY4 101D 189
PV6DE 192 RCt\22 1 18. 19 SY4 102A 189
l' V8DE 192 RCA230 19
f>V215 192 RCA23 l 19 T30 132
PV225 192 RCA232 19 T4 1 2 l5
PV425 192 RCAB5 152 TSS 130
I' V610 192 RCA247 152 T610 189
PV625 192 REI 170 TB04/ IO 132
l'\-625A 192 RE2 170 TR I 12 1. 122. H6
l'X4 52. 202. 2-J. I REi i 250 TR-!02 78
PX25 52, 202, 242 RE16 l47 TCIB/ 5 132
PX650 194 RE78 250 TC04/ l0 132
PY80 118. 14 1 R E82 34, 35 TDD4 164, 215
l'Z 56. 169, 170 RE83 250 TDD13C 2 15
PZH 170 RE134 251 TH4 93
Q (M.1rconi), I J, 133, 200 RE402B 78 T H4A 93
Q (Philip.~). M , 226 REN8U4 25 1 TI J4B 93, 2 15
Q1'2 1 S6. 57 R.El'i91 4 251 TM l {)
QP221\ 56 RENS I 204 251 TN I0
QP230 57 RENS 1224 9 1 T P4 91
QP2-l0 56, 2 12 RF22 40 T5257 59, 173
QRS 11 4 RG l 2D60 140 TS280 175
QX 200. 2'f7 JU-I 27 T V4 125
RI-II 119, J 94 TV6 125
R (British), I l . 208 R.MR 208 TX 4 93
R (Cossor) 2 15, 2 17 RN r 7 76 TX41 215
R (B.T-1-1 ), 194
R (1\'1:l.n:o11i ) , 200, 20 I S (/\mrad ), 112, I 13 U3 119, 120
R (Ediswa u), 190- 192 S3 (Mullard), 223 U4 I 19
R (Moo rh ead), 14, 27 S4V 223 us I 19
R (M-0. \I ), 198 S4VA 51 U8 120
R (Mu llard), 2 19-222 SS 223 U9 11 9
R.A 221, 222 S6 223 Ul 2 121
RAC3 (Myn~) . 28 S lO (Sodion), 31 U2l 108
R l (Miuomcsh), 205 SI I 31 LJ 22 194
R2 205 Sl3 31 USO 120
R2 ( O~r.1111 ), I l s 14 31 U52 120
R-l (B.T-H), 194 5200 (5chi.:kcrlin!(). 30 U695 119
R4 (Osr:un) , 11 5300 " 30 UBL21 158
R4A 11 5400 30 UC H21 95
R.4R 11 5500 30 UCflSl 95
R5 11 S625 Uvbrconi), 39. 43 UCLll 73
RlO (Brinw), 207 5625 (Osram), 38 U\' 196 11 0
R.1 2 207 $4000 31 UV l.99 16, 17. 148, 187. 183. 248
R20 (Rog.m). 184, 186 S D'~ 84, 155 UV200 16,1 7. 146

260
U\/20 1 16, 17, 2 1, 146, 183 VT l3C 13 1 1D5 205
UV20 1A 17. 18, 20, 36, 148, 188, 248 VT32 13. 27 LE7G 61
UV202 18, 127. 128, 237 VT 90 189 1 ES 138
UV203 128. 237 VTl 26 77 lF4 61, 102
UV203A 129 VT l3 9 77, 124 I FS<.; 102
UV 20 -I- 237 YT26 9 33, 17 3 1F6 84
U V2 10 Ii! IG6C 78
U\12 16 11 0 \V l 2 17,2 18 1H5 C I 0 3, 104
U\12 17 11 2 W2 21 7 , 2 18 l K6 189
UX 12 (l ap), 250 W3 21 7, 21 8 1 Li\6 107
U XI 12 18, 2 1, 22, 237 W30 96, 9 7 ILG6 234
UX I 12A 2 1, 237 W8 1 158 INS (.; 103
UX 120 18, 22. 166 WDll 18, 20, 23, 148, 162, 197, 235 l QSGT 72
UX 12 1R 18-1- WD l 2 IS, 20, 23, 1-1-8, 1-1-7, 162 lR5 92, 138
UX 17 1 22, 238
UX 17LA 238
WD40 87
\Vn·o,·J.!n: A&B
,,1
__ ;>
LS2
1T4
14 1
138
U X199 17. l 8, -1-2, 188, 248 WR I 21 7 1T 5(;T 72
U X200 17, 18 WR2 2 17 1T6 138
U X2 00A 17, LS. 239 \VR 3 2 17 IV 1 18, 17 1
UX20LA 18 , 19, 188, 248 WR2 1 LI , 20, 2 1, 147, 148 IX21l Ml
UX2 10 18, 22. 42, 237 WR2 1A 20 2 A3 2 1, 2 02. 239
UX 2 13 J8, 11 O. I 1 L, I 13 WR2 10 20 2A3 11 :'i 3, 239
U X2 16B 18, 110, IB Wunderlich 8 3, 170 , 17 1 2 A5 59 , 63, JX 8
UX 222 39 , 4 0. 65, 15 1. 166, 223 WX12 18, 2 L 2A6 17 1
UX225 -1-5 2A7 88, 89, 153
UX227 (lap), 243 X4l 93 2B6 79, 153. 17 1
UXHO IS, 32 X651'vl 188 2H7 8-1-, 243
UX2-1-5 238 X78 93 202 8-1-
UX250 2 1,22,238 X79 93, L88 2D4A 84, 2 15
UX2SO 11 I X81 95. L58 2D4B 84, 164
U X28 L 110 , 1 1 1 X99 18 2 013 84
U X85 2 128 Xl99 176 204 1 2 15
U Y56 (Ja p), 250 2E5 124
UY224 45, 65 , 66, 165. 223 Y6 l 124, 125 2G 5 124
U Y224A 45, 65 Y63 124, 125 2!-I F 76
UY227 45, 46, 4 7, 152, 16~ 177 Y64 125 3D- 11 1-ll3 142
UY 227A 184 ¥65 L24, 125 3N F 76
U Y235 45 3 N FB 75, 76
Z.l 131 , 132 3Q 5GT 72, 74, 75
\124 I 1, 12. 36, 38, 133, 143, 200 Z2A & ZllA 13 1, 132 SE225 SS. 192
\'99 18 Z2H & Zl lH 13 1. 132 5£4 15 192
\1 -1-53 194 z,~ LU 5U4G 111, 120
\191 4 84 Z77 140 5 U4t;J~ 104. ll I , 236
VC l.11 73, 229 5V4(; 11 6
V F. I. I ! 73, 2 29 Nu111crica! svcx .~3
V llT4 89, 90, 2 14 SX4 G 111
VM1'4K 9 7 OZ3 114 5Y3<.; 111 , 120
VMS4 96, 97, 151, 152 OZ4 114, 1 15, 20 6 5Y3GT .111
\!04 91 OZ4G 11 4, 11 s 5Y4G 111
\1 1'4 63 OIB 18-1- 5Z4 97, 98
Vl'4A 15 1 OlC 184 6A3 239
VP-! B 15 1 054 \' (.\lul br<l), 5 1 6A4/ LA 171
VNI 194, 215 071 (Arcn1rus), 168 6A5G 5.'I, 239
\11'6 1 194 071t\ 17 1 6A6 78, 153
\'l' U I 2 15 07 11-1 171 6A7 89. 101
V R53 186 099 170 6A7S 186
YRSS 186 I t\4 40 6A8 89, 98
\'H.9 1 10 7 lA-1- f' 40 6A8(; 89
VR92 I '~ I 1A4T 40 6 A8G f 89
VSH 97 l ASG 103 , 104 6A8 MC 99
VS HK 9 7 1A6 61 , 89 6A B5 123
VSG I 20 5 I A7G 103 6AB6G 81
\ T J" ( J\lloorh~.td ) . 27 LACS 138 6AB7 98
VT I 13, 1-1- I AD6 138 6i\CS 137
VT2 1-1-, 128, 162 1B4 61 6AC5G 238
\ 'TS 133 lB4/ 9 5 1 -1-0, 61 6AC6G 81
VTll 121 1c5c.; 103 6AC7 98
VTl2 12L lC6 89 6AD-1- 138

261
6f\06(.; 124 , 125 6P3C 253 25A7G 81
6A07G 81 61'8G 106 25L6G 72
6AE8 93. 188 6P6 188 25N6G 81
6AF6 124, 125 6Q7 153 25Z5 118
6AK5 139. 154 6Q7G 253 257.,6 118
6A l.5 X4 , 86 6S A7 92. 98 25Z6G 118
6/\L7<.;T 124 6SB7 92 26 17 1
6 AQ5 72, 138 6SC7 6SF5 98. 153 27 JOO, 170, 174
6AR7<.:T 189 6S H7 98 29 S4, 85
6AT6 1::18, 139 65)7 98 30 77
6AY3 154 6SK7 98 31 59
684(.i 239 6SL7GT 104 32 61
6 H5 79, 81 6SN7GT 78, 104, 153 32L7GT 81
6B61\I 186 6SN7GTB 104 33 56, 59, 78
687 84, IS3 6SQ7 98 34 6 1, 63
6B/\6 138 6SQ 7GT 236 35 174
6BA7 92 6T5 124, 170 35/ 5 1 67
6BC7 87 6U5 123, 124, 12:; 351.6GT 253
613£6 138 6U5G 124 3SZ.3 119
6BF5 13/l 6 U7G 102 35:UGT 11 9
6BQ6 1.52 6\16 7 1, 72 35 Z.5GT 11 9
CiC4 137, 154 6V6G 71, 72, 73 361\ 170
6C5 98 6V6GT 7 1, 236 37 11 8
6C8G 78 (iX4 117, 138 37A 170
6C9 95 <iXS 117. 118 38 57. 59, 153
6Cl0 95 6 X5G 118 38A 170
6CW4 142 6Z4 118 39 57
60 2 2 1:; 7A3 63 39/4-1- 57, 153
6D5 98 7A8 91 39A 170
61)6 102 7AG7 234 41STl-I 93
60$4 14 2 7RS 89 42 57, 59. 63, 79. 153
6E5 123 7C5 72 ·12N2E 206
6r 5 123, 124 7D3 205 U MP/ l'rn 63
6E8 100 71)6 205 425 186
6EB6 92 7 F8 78 4 .~ 63
6F32 19'1 7)7 95 44 57
6 1-'5 98, 153 757 95 45 78. 170, 175
6F6 97, 98 7Y4 116 4SZ.i>GT 119
6F6G 72 8A I 63, 205 46 69. 70, 170, 173, 238
6F7 SI, 89, 9 1 80 2 205 47 59, 69, 78, 174
6H..i6 72 8[)3 207 47/471~ 206
6G5 123, 124 8 D5 207 49 70
6G6(; 71 9AI 63, 205 501.6GT 105
6H5 J23 902 205 50Y6GT 119
6H6 82, 98, 99 906 207 :; 1 JOO
6H6G 82 1103 205 52 70
6HSC 244 12A5 59 53 78, IS3
6 )6 137, 154 12A6 206 5S 83, 170
6) 7 98, IS3 12A7 Sl 56 170, 173, 253
6J8G 93 12t\T7 78 S6S 185
6 K3 IOI 12AU7 78, 139, I 5·1 57 57, I 70. 173, 188, 189, 2-1-8
6K4 138 12AX7 78, 139, 15'1 58 57, 15::1, 170, 173, 189.248
61\.7 98, 101 12BSGT 8 1 58AS 185
6K7GT 189, 253 12CJ5 154 i>8S 180
6K7M 186 12K5 139 59 57, S9,61, 153, 170, 175
6Knt(; 99 12SJ7 206 70 85
6 1\.8 9 1, 93 12SK7 206 7 1A :>9, 175, 178
6 K8GT 189 12S R7 206 7i>M 186
6L6 7 1, 72, 240, 242 12Z3 118 78/ 7fl. E 206
6L6<.; 7 1, 73 14 174 79 78
6L6CC 7 1, 104 IS 61 , 88. 89 80 LI I. 11 5, 116, I 17. 120, 188, 189
6L7 9 1, 98 17 174 80.S I 17
6M I 12<1 18 17 1 81 11 l , 11 6, 17 1
6ME IO 126 19 19 , 77, 78 82 11 5, 171. 173
6;-\5 123 20 165. 239 83 115, 11 6. 170
6N6(; 79, 81, 238 22 171 8:W 11 6
61'6t.t(.; 8 1 24 66, I 00, 17·1 84 I 18, 171
6N7 78 24.-\ 65, 66, 67 845 185

262
 85 83 234PV 209 1853 98
85AS 172 235 67, 68, 152 2504 (Philips), 120
85~ 185 236 47.67 2506 117. 118
861\ I 186 237 47 3006 120
88i'vl 186 238 47, 57 4002A (S'l'C), 204
88S 186 239 47 4101 D 189
90 172 239A 24 4102[) 189
99X ( AWA) , 188 240QP 56 421 SA 133, 203
!OJA (1\rcn1rns), 169, 170 242C 240 4239A 204
IOI A (AWA), LSS 245 21 4300A 242, 245
I 0 I A (Cknrtron ), 32 280 Ill 5645 (Sylv:rnia), 139
IOID ( W .f..), 189, 201 29 1 79 5646 139
IOl X (AWA ), 188 293 79 5647 139
104\f 222 295 78, 79, 238 6550 240
J 10 171 300A 241 7586 (Nuvisror) , 142
112 21 3008 241 7587 142
I 17Z3 119 373 120 9001 (RCt\ ), U7, B8
I I 7Z6GT I 19 3871\ 24 9002 137, 138
120 ( An:turu,), 170 -!00 44 900 .~ J:i8
122 169, 170 40 .1 44 9004 137
124 65. 169, 170 40 I A (De Fon.:sr), I 66 l 8004 (STC), 189
126 168, 169, 171 402 (McCullough), 44 18046 189
l.26H 168, 17 1 403 44
127 168, 169,170 406 ( Lustrolux ), 209
130 17 1 4061-lf .. 209
131 17 1 410 (Dl' foresr), 166
132 171 312 ( Lus1rolux ). 209
134 171 412A (Dt· Forcsr), 166
l36A 170 420 166
137A 170 -!20t\ 166
l39A 170 422 166
145 169, 170 422.-\ 166
ISO 169 424 166
l S4V 222 425Pcn (Mnth}, 55
I. 7 1 (Scrn :m on), 3 3 426 (De Fon:sr), 166
l 7 1A 164, 167 427 " 166
180 169. 170, 171 430 166
/ 199 (Schickcrl ing), 30 431 166
200 .. 30 432 166
201A .~O. 164, 246 433 166
201A (N.U.), 32 440 166
( 201 1\ (\\I.E.), 12. H. 146 445 166
20 IR (CcCo), 32 447 166
OIB (C.G.E.), 184 450 166
OSB (\V.E. }, 162 451 166
OSD " 23, 205 471/\ 166
208A (N.c.), 183 471 H l66
210 130 480 166
21 IE 239 481 166
2121) 130 484 (Cardon}, 177
2 121-IF 209 -!-SS I 7f>, 177
2 12LF 209 506 ( Philips), I 18, 120
2 15A 23, 24. 133, 203, 219 510 ( De forest), 166, 167
2161'1 162 551 67, 169, 170, 177
220B 78 620T (C',ossor), 52
220Df) 84 660T 52
220VS 39 686 (Spa rron), 179
220 \ 'SG 218 704 (Ch:unpion), 56. 58
221 19 7171\ 24, 3 ~, 173
222 39, 40 800 131
22~· 65 802 131
227 47 807 152
227/\ 184 954 137
23Cll'cn SS 955 137
230Q 55 I 002 (Philips), 120
231 D 24 123 l (S1·lv;111i~ ), 106
232 40 1629 12-!
234 63 1852 98

263
H erc is the story of the thermionic vacuum rube
from it<> beginning in 1883 and continuing up to
1960. It traces technical developments in the evolu-
tion of tube design in Britain, Holland, Germany,
Canada and Auscralia, as. wel l as the United States.
It presents company histories of the major manufac-
turers-i ncluding DeFo rest, Ken Rad , RCA,
Western Electric, Mazda, MuUard, Ediswan, Philips,
M-0.\'. Vah-e Co., Raytheon, Sylvania, General
Electric, Philco, Marconi, Telefunken, Tung-Sol,
Rogers and many others. Ir details the.: concriburions
of individuals Like Lee DeForest, Thomas Edison,
J.A. Fleming, F.S. McCullough, Norman
Wunderlich, Roy A. vVeagant, and H .P. Donlc.
With over 730 differcnr rubes picrurcd, this
book is an excellent identification guide for collcc-
cors and hisrorians, :md an invaluable source of hard-
ro-find dara on early and unusual rube types.

About The Author

John Stokes grew up in radio's Golden Age
and lim~ncd-in on his first crystal set in
1929. Then and there he was bitten by d1e
radio 'bug' and has never really recovered.
Since then, apart from five and a half years
in the Royal New Zealand Air Force during
World War II , he has spent a working life-
time in the radio, and later, rekvision, ser-
vice industry. During that time he became interested
in the history of radio an<l has since amassed a vasr
number of books and magazines on the subject which
have provided much useful somce material for the
writing of this book. More rhan that, however, he has
been in an ideal position ro observe d1e devdopmenr
of radio tubes and radio receivers at first hand. From
screen grid to Nuvistor, from metal rube to miniature,
he has seen it happen .
John Stokes is no stranger to technical writ-
ing, having for many years contributed a regular
service colrnnn to ilie New Zealand magazine
Radio and Electrical Re11iew. He is currentlv editor
J

of the N ZVRS Bulletin, and has conrribured arti-

cles to The Old Timer's Bulletin (USA). Mr.
Stokes resides at 281-C Hillsborough Road, Mt.
Roskill, Auckland 4, New Zealand.

ISBN 1·886606·11 ·0
52995

1111
9 781886 606111
II