New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-13
r,.efuI Hints i'm Operation
a the Tube Which Will
Increase Its Efficiency
and Cut Down All Waste
Ruru Filan1ent Carefully
rv,ra BriIliance Does Not
Increase Results, but
S.,ortens Life of Tube

-. For this reason the radio fan
i s's take every precaution that he
- care for it and proiong its
,.,iod Of usefulness.
:. is my intention in this article TO
~. some Of the simple precautions
s.n be taken, which will permit
@ 80. nossible results being OBJ
.s while at the same time permit
.so tube TO operate for the long
oossybls time that it can
The most important part OF the tube
!. tbe alamens. This is the element
H. throus off the stream of eleetrons
-. ..-sorn so important function
- $50 NV wireless circuit. The electrons
throun off by the flament when 1t
= ,a,,ed BIZ the current from a. suit
| sh,s battery. The elsctrons themselves
=. controlled by the grid of the tube
- ..a output OF the tube is from the
plate circuit
Critical Point in Tube
There is peculiar factor about the
v.,nun tube and it is this: The more
-, current is turned on and the
s-obtsr the filament CLOVIS, the greater
s mi h. +be number of electrons that
III ba emitted until certain point
!. reached, and then no matter no"
s,sS the brilliancy of the filament Is
II l,a yyrfh n
reese in the flow of electrons. rms
( known technically as the saturation
mini and also the critical point.
The result is that when the filament
/. Burning brighter than what is known
q the critical point" the life OF the
t1be is being shortened without any
corresponding increase in efficiency.
!, fact. the efficiency of the tube is
rssIly decreased Therefore, it will be
sadly seen that TO increase the brill
gsnry of the t~be is of no value what
sewer and is merely burning up the
samest and current from the battery
Some radio fans have devised an ar
\ ..noement Of switches, whereby they
ns connect or disconnect the "a" and
sgs batteries at will. This is a very
yaod idea, and is designed for the pur-
rose of reducing the number of ad-
isstments necessary in operating the
1t Its chief purpose is to throw on
a. switches and then have the music
a sme in Immediately.
Il System Has a Drawback
4 THIS system, however, has a very
& grious drawback. 1t lies in the fact
I hat every battery, after period of
4 lest recuperates slightly, and when it
i is placed into circuit again will, at
I first, give off more current than it
4 lid at the time that it was disconnect-
4 ID from the set. The consequence is
4 hst when the switches are thrown on
4 the tubes really get little more cur
4 rem. than they usually do, and so what
i Is gained in reducing the number OF
4 necessary adjustments is lost In wear
and tear OF the tube and battery. 1t
4 Is best to turn the rheostats back a
! little before turning on the current.
i In recent issue of "Wireless
4 World" an English publication, ". N.
a Buchanan jr. makes a suggestion that
4 IS based upon some very clever reason
d ing He suggests that the TWO tlament
4 terminals Of the vacuum tube socket
4 should be connected to the double
4 pole double throw switches so that the
Two terminals can be reversed in
a polarity, so far es their connection
Il With the batteries is concerned. He
makes this suggestion upon the follow
q ing reasoning:
u Eiectrons Are Negative
1t is fundamental fact that in
'seuum tubes the filament enlits cleo
lions and that the number of electrons
united viii be greatly increased il a
"A pate Is inserted in vacuum tube and
gwen positive potential Put in sim
e language, this means that when
connect your "B' battery to the
r terminal Of your vacuum tube
= are placing thereon a high poten-
80 compared with that of the fla
%shI- AS electrons are negative cor
guscuieS OF electricity, the positively
H@sgeo plate attracts the electrons
IT, MI. Buchanan reasons, there
We that the emission must be from
ae sac OF the filament to which the
satiVe terminal of the storage bat
E IS connected, and that very little
elssion, II any, takes place from that
aus c1 the tilament which is connected
me positive plate of the storage
IL 'StteFy.
having assumed this, he then points
:. mat the negative side of the fila
sM Is naturally subjected to the Sc
E@ strain and viii give out much
-sser than the side which is conse-
eea1iy connected TO the positive plate
u ne battery. He argues, therefore,
suitable change-over switch
.oaneeted to the circuit the two
~ OF the flament will be subjected
ujs strain whenever they are con-
ed TO the negative side of the bat
!" ana IN this manner the strain
~ e applied much more efficiently
Me lie of the tube increased to
n the amount that it would be
normal circumstances.
Regulate Plate Voltage
& sl- point which should be care
ID s w. - wed IN the operation of a
# ss.an tube is the amount of plate
n mat IS applied to the plate.
ss;a.,(ls point (Which is also
beyond which it is not safe
fortunately, it is very easy to
q rss ne Just how much plate voltage
sson tube will stand.
n me voltage applied to the plate
great for the tube, q very pro-
- blue glow will appear inside
iacuum tube. This is the danger
ana t should not be ignored
any circumstances. As soon as
As@eh' the storage battery should
II connected from the tube. (This
ssss.s Done by shutting down the
III and the one of the 221a volt
&c. "a the "B" battery should be
out Of the circuit entirely.
u u. not bad idea to use one Of the
8ts uses which are made for use
- sAenusn tubes. These arc % de-