Evening star., 1923-04-29
EACH RADIO TUBE HOME
OF MYRIAD ELECTRONS
Simple Device Furnishes Scientific Mind
] With Splendid Conception of Source
| of Electricity.

obey inexorable laws peculiar only to
the tube and the tube circuits and
the various types of tubes possess
individual characters or character
istics" conformable to these basis
laws.
1t is to the study of these laws,
the inherent characteristics of the
various types of tubes. and the
methods of their manufacture and
production that scientists interested
In radio all over the world and also
radio engineers are now giving at
tention. rather than to the perfect
Ing OF the basic tube itself, because
the tube itself is regarded by
completely developed as early as the
year 1914, or ten years ago.
Methods Refined.
with the obtaining OF additional
and more complete knowledge along
these lines. the Information gained is
applied in deviSinR ways and means
for making retnements to the exist
ing types OF tubes, whether receiving
or transmitting, with a consequent
improved performance in their opera
tion and betterment of the useful
service they render.
AS evidence of the rapid progress
being made In effecting refinements
to the basic tube. we now have the
receiving tubes such as the type
WD-l1 for the filament operation OF
which only an ordinary inexpensive
dry cell is required. As compared with
the expensive. cumbersome, and
troublesome storage battery formerly
required. In the dry cell type of re-
ceiving tube only one to one-and-
one-half volts are required across the
tilament terminals. as against from
five to six volts previously employed.
The current consumption In the fila
ment circuit Is approximately one
fifth ampere. as against one ampere or
more previously required Yet We
obtain as copious flow of electrons
from the later type tube as from the
older type, due TO the fact that the
filament material Of the later type
tube has been coated with newly
discovered oxide from the use of
which relatively greater stream OF
electrons can be obtained as result
OF the expenditure of much less
electrical heating energy.
Better Transmitters.
In the transmitting type Of tube
We have progressed withing the past
five or six years from the 50-watt
tube to tubes two thousand times
more powerful, or the lo0-kilowatt
tubes employed for experimental
radio-telephony across the Atlantic.
and the prediction is freely made that
the practical production of 1000 kilo-
watt transmitting tubes is not far
distant.
The peanut receiving tube which
may be carried in the vest pocket is
identically the same device as the
high power transmitting tube used
for transmission across the Atlantic.
The essential difference is only in
size. the size of its physical elements
being dependent on the number Of
electrons the tube is designed to ac-
commodate when functioning
Complications are introduced into
the manufacture and operation of
transmitting tubes OF high power due
to the necessity Of associating a cir
culating flow OF water or other cool
ing process with the plate or positive
electrode OF the tube in order to carry
off the excess heat dissipated by the
plate in the operation OF such tubes,
heat which represents energy lost in
and which must be carried of TO
of the tube.
ordinarily employed in place of the
glass bulb. the metal container. us
ually functioning in the dual capac-
ity as tho plate or positive electrode
and also as q receptacle. devoid Of
air and gas. in which the filament
electrode and the grid electrode are
inciosed
In subsequent articles an attempt
will be made to describe in non-tech-
nical language the functioning of
tube as a detector. as an amplifier,
and also as a generator of electrical
oscillations for the creation of ether
waves for transmitting purposes
Copyrighted. 1928. c1st Century PressD