Who still makes tubes? (electronics)

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cfz2882

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Anybody know which countries/companies still make tubes? 30 years ago(when I had a lot of active tube gear) I had sources selling new tubes from Russia,Yugoslavia,czech republic,China and NOS '80s military production GE,Tung-sol,Sylvania. Radio Shack could get tubes also-seemed a mix of Rebadged NOS and unknown more recent production(the gold pin ones).
 
I have a stupid question---what exactly do tubes...do? I am jusssst old enough to remember tubes and tube testers (born late 1963), but they were decidedly old-fashioned when I recall it and solid-state was definitely what was promoted and what I grew up with. Are they just big, glass bulbs that do the functions of chips? Just realizing that when I see, like on an old radio website, a "4 tube" or "6 tube" radio---what's the difference.

This gap in my knowledge just hit me like a ton of bricks....I worked in telecom most of my career....I get electromechanical (stepper switches/gears whirring/adding machines/...) and get solid state/circuit boards, but tubes are a blind spot.
 
jamiel said:
I have a stupid question---what exactly do tubes...do? I am jusssst old enough to remember tubes and tube testers (born late 1963), but they were decidedly old-fashioned when I recall it and solid-state was definitely what was promoted and what I grew up with. Are they just big, glass bulbs that do the functions of chips? Just realizing that when I see, like on an old radio website, a "4 tube" or "6 tube" radio---what's the difference.

This gap in my knowledge just hit me like a ton of bricks....I worked in telecom most of my career....I get electromechanical (stepper switches/gears whirring/adding machines/...) and get solid state/circuit boards, but tubes are a blind spot.
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Here's some reading material for you.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_tube
 
Vacuum tubes preceded transistors. They amplifiy and or rectifiy current in amplifier, preamp, and television circuitry. They have filaments that glow and heat up. Basically they make a weak input frequency signal stronger.
 
vacerator said:
Vacuum tubes preceded transistors. They amplifiy and or rectifiy current in amplifier, preamp, and television circuitry. They have filaments that glow and heat up. Basically they make a weak input frequency signal stronger.
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And to add to that ,well what do you think transistors replaced. Transistor functionality is what tubes previously did
So in radio the number of tubes, just like number of transitions refers to the amplification of the signal. Whether is the IF amp, local oscillator (LO) amp, or the audio signal amplification. When I started engineering in high school (engineering high school), I was amazed they started teaching about tubes in 1975. By 1977 when in Community college, tubes were not discussed. Chances are your microwave oven may still have a tube..called a magnetron. So if you thought about this you should have guess you answer ,see my first two sentences.
vacerator said:
So vSicaVacuum tubes preceded transistors. They amplifiy and or rectifiy current in amplifier, preamp, and television circuitry. They have filaments that glow and heat up. Basically they make a weak input frequency signal stronger.
Click to expand...
 

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