Valve/tube heater wiring

Vox

I can be pretty sure which way I've put it back because of the set in the thick wiring, almost as a loom. More intrigued what the significance , if any, if it was put back the "wrong" way.

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

My educated guess would be that nothing noticeable will occur especially if the sources is right off the mains transformer.

The full, and original, name is Thermionic Valve; the name is in very early writings regarding radio and thermionic current.

I think a Brit shortened it to Valve, and someone in the colonies started calling it a Tube.

Don

Hmm don't know how ever, I would like to know where at what point in history did tube amps become named as valves ?

I've been around this circus for quite some time and the only names of electronics i've ever heard of that were slurred slang, came from those backyard mechanics, the midnight screw in buss fuse replacer with a penny etc..

Back when CB was popular, I took a trip once to visit my relatives in another state. when I got there, I was asked if I could remove the tooth from their radio!. Now it took me a while to understand exactly what they were talking about but after listening in on some local traffic, I then understood the request. I guess the clipper circuit was what, they were referring too.

Back then, little jobs like that were quickly done via a set of needle clippers and a large bill presented to them afterwards. They generally were happy if they could be heard generating harmonics in both directions many KChz away. Ok, good day.

What significance did you have in mind ?

That'll teach you not to make notes !

Graham

There's a 50:50 chance it'll hum less if that helps.

Graham

At what point in history were they named by their shape instead of their function ? Typical Yanks.

Graham

Well, that's very educational.. Leave it up the brits to twist things around. Now I can understand thermionic valve description. We took that up in school years ago in science class where we made a tube via a mayonnaise lid with all the components on it and evacuated the jar. It was a very impressive project. Used material from various sources to make the heater, cathode, grid and plate that mounted on the lid. Of course, it didn't perform like a properly made tube but it did demonstrate activity of a triode when I was able to show that I could control current via the control grid.

I do have an antique radio tech reference that is worth some money. Maybe i'll brush through that book and see what else has been twisted from the original electronic pioneers..

Btw, if my education isn't failing me, I seem to remember that Edison was actually the first to discover the tube and didn't know it. His use of a plate to collect the shoot was in theory the plate in a tube.

function

Go eat your crumpets you fringing tea sucker..

I don't go anywhere near tea. It tastes of dead leaves.Yuk.

The Chinese stuff made from flowers however is very nice.

Graham

if you like ingesting products grown in contaminated land fills. go ahead.

We're getting our share of contaminated products here in the states.

I rather doubt they grow flowers for tea in contaminated landfill.

Well ... 'you pays your money and takes your choice' as they say.

Btw, the food / cuisine in China was *EXCELLENT* bar a steak I had. They need to work on beef. It was tough. If you ever find yourself in the Hong Kong / Shenzhen area you must try the seafood too. It's totally awesome. Possibly the best fish I've ever eaten.

Graham

function

Hey we call plenty of things valves her in Yank land. What do you Brits call a picture tube besides a CRT? A Picture Valve?

function

Go on ...... :-)

Seriously, the British name 'valve' described very well the action of a 'vacuum tube'. If you wanted to control the flow of something (electrons in this case) you'd use a 'valve' to control it. For example the 'tap' on a hand basin is a water valve.

As for the word 'tube', it describes the appearance quite well but little else.

Graham

function

'vacuum tube'.

use a

I understand the valve terminology perfectly being a child of that technology. Now I'll have to go research if "toobs" were ever called "valves" here in yankland and if so just when and why did the split occur.

Please post your findings ;) From my fifteen minutes of web and usenet archive searching, I find nothing very helpful in this regard. If anyone has access to Proceedings of the IRE (or its predecessors?) from the early 1900s the references to thermionic devices may provide the U.S. nomenclature.

Regards,

Michael

This one appears to be fairly complete:

A good overview of tube history, however the article takes pains to intermix the use of the terms 'tube' and 'valve' but does not explain the history of usage of these terms vis-a-vis the U.S. and elsewhere.

IMO, this would make a very interesting thread if started afresh with a new subject heading and posted to appropriate NGs ;)

Regards,

Michael