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entirely superseded by a completely new J\11-0.V. range of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