Si-diodes in Second World War radar & Communication equipment

ronwer · 2008-04-12T15:51:10+00:00

Hi!I am doing a study into the early use of silicon diodes in radar andcommunication equipment during the Second World War.What I would be interested in is as follows:-type numbers of the diodes-name/type number of radar/communication equipment-technical infor on those systems-info on producers-pictures of actual diodes, also "in" the circuits-anecdotal stories about the actual use-anything else!The information will be used for an on-going study project related topractical application of minerals (i.e. quartz) in industry and technology.So, since this is an aspect of a broader study, other quartz-related info wouldbe most appreciated, especially about early use of piezoelectricquartz crystals in electronic equipment.If you'd prefer, answering off-list is possible:Thanks for ANY help!RonaldNorway

J

John Larkin 16 years ago

Nearly all the radar first mixer diodes were silicon point-contact types, essentially silicon schottky diodes.

See the MIT Rad Lab book, volume 15, "Crystal Rectifiers" for a bunch of WWII (and pre-war) stuff about diode development. This is from that book:

ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/RadDiode2.JPG

ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/RadLabDiodes.JPG

Funny, I recall using lots of silicon PN diodes (and SCRs, and transistors, and tunnel diodes) in the early 1960's. Tek was using GaAs diodes in their sampling scopes ca 1964.

No. See the RadLab book.

Selenium was never used in RF or radar, except maybe power supplies. Far too slow.

John

Vote

P

Phil Hobbs 16 years ago

I thought selenium rectifier stacks were pretty cool when I was a kid, though....those big orange heat sinks made them look like some strange arthropod. Fortunately I never toasted one, because I certainly wouldn't have known that you have to leave the room ASAP.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal ElectroOptical Innovations 55 Orchard Rd Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 845-480-2058 hobbs at electrooptical dot net http://electrooptical.net

Vote

J

Jon Kirwan 16 years ago

It was certainly used in the power supplies. Not maybe. I actually owned a radar unit that was commissioned for navy service in 1944. Nice selenium series stacks used as diodes in at least some of the power supplies. Also used vacuum tube VR150's for regulators.

Jon

Vote

C

christofire 16 years ago

VR150 is not a vacuum tube - it's gas filled (argon/neon), cold cathode.

Chris

Vote

J

John Fields 16 years ago

From the post you\'re responding to\'s headers: "Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:51:10 +0200" Three questions: 1. Why are you responding to a post that\'s over a year old? 2. Why are you top-posting? 3. Why don\'t you do a little fact-checking before you post? JF

Vote

J

John Larkin 16 years ago

Because it just appeared in s.e.b.

Donno. Emails are by convention top, usenet is bottom. I do a lot of emails, twenty or so yesterday, and sometimes I forget.

What facts do you dispute? Wanna argue with my RadLab books, or my

1964 Allied catalog, or my shelves of radio books going back to 1918?

OK, let's go: when was the first junction transistor made? By whom?

John

Vote

J

John Fields 16 years ago

Morgan Sparks, of course, but why are you getting in my face when my post was to Mr. Eastburn, not to you? JF

Vote

J

John Larkin 16 years ago

Because I hadn't had coffee yet, and because I've got used to you harassing me.

John

Vote

J

John Fields 16 years ago

??? I don\'t harass you, John, I simply _correct_ you. ;) JF

Vote

J

John Larkin 16 years ago

Which is why you remind me so much of Miss Denton, my matronly 6th grade teacher.

John

Vote

R

Rich Grise 16 years ago

I don't know exactly when, but the announcement of a working tranistor was Big News at the time - I was about 8, which would make it about

1957-ish; I know that transistor radios were popular in the late '50s- early '60s; interestingly, that seems to coincide with the rising popularity of Rock-n-Roll.

I'm pretty sure that Bardeen, Brattain, and Schockley made the first _point-contact_ transistor at Bell Labs, but I'd have to look up the date.

Oh, heck, I couldn't stop myself:

formatting link

It's the first hit at:

formatting link

[mind the wrap]

Hope This Helps! Rich

Vote

J

Jon Kirwan 16 years ago

Sorry. My mistake. Looked like one, and of course you are correct.

Jon

Vote

J

jfeng 16 years ago

According to the Computer History Museum, it was another invention from Bell Las:

formatting link

Vote

J

John Fields 16 years ago

So you\'ve had this problem for a long time, eh? Instead of turning into an intensely combative and arrogant sonofabitch when you\'ve made a mistake and it\'s pointed out to you, you might want to be a little more like this guy: news:Gf-dnbiwMbay9BPXnZ2dnUVZ8jydnZ2d@bt.com JF

Vote

J

John Fields 16 years ago

Oops... news:6got85plkgp8o1umaeh5qo682967pk7jqo@4ax.com JF

Vote

J

John Larkin 16 years ago

What are you doing, working towards a degree in social work?

John

Vote

J

Jim Thompson 16 years ago

We owe it to our creator to make some effort to correct the misguided ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Vote

J

John Fields 16 years ago

No, but I think it\'s kinda like Jim said in that we all have an obligation to make tomorrow better than today, and you seem to think that making that happen would involve killing off everyone who disagrees with you and can post proof positive that you\'re wrong. How tall are you, John? JF

Vote

J

Jim Thompson 16 years ago

From past posts, I'm guessing he's shorter than both of us ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Vote

J

John Larkin 16 years ago

Relax: you're quite safe.

John

Vote

Si-diodes in Second World War radar & Communication equipment

Join the Discussion

Didn't find your answer?