Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-23
VACUUM TUBE SALE)
FIGURES MOUNTING
Radio Receiving Set Business
Handicapped by Heavy
1929 Carryover.

Radio receiving set production Is still
proceeding under restraint but this
trend Is absent from, the field of
electronic or vacuum tube production
The receiving set stocks are fairly
heavy with a very sizeable carryover
from 1929. These have to be marketed
before the industry can get back safely
ing to reports reaching official depart
ments here. Such marketing must pro-
coed, moreover, without the stimulus of
new designs or unlocked for and at
tractive engineering developments.
The market for vacuum tubes. on the
other hand, is growing with remark
able speed. These electronic tubes no
longer are confined to radio. They are
being used in score of industries and
new uses are being found for them con-
Stantly. 6
Variety Of Uses.
They are now deemed essential in
telephony. They are used to open garage
doors ut the sound of horn or the
lighting OF an airport on the approach
ing bark of an airplane motor. They are
used in broadcasting, in the production
OF sound pictures, in the operation of
telegraph and cable lines, for light
houses, channel markets and beacons,
in the operation Of airplanes, television,
automatic machine control and traffic
control.
On them to large extent have come
to depend television, the regulation OF
airplane compaSses, the operation Of
carrier systems and electric recording
They are used in the counting Of coins
and other articles, In the grading of
goods and their separation by colors, in
the practice of medicine and In the
metering of gas electric flows.
Prospecting for oil and metals beneath
the eartll's surface is now conducted
not with a pick or drill, but by means
of these tubes and their sensitive re-
actions. They are being adopted for
the detection OF crime, for the control
of trains and steamships, the leveling
of elevators and hundreds of other pur-
poses.
Approximately $1,000 900 tubes were
sold in 1929. The replacement demand
alone Is estimated at between 35,O00,-
600 and 100000 and there is no
reason to believe that the replacement
demand will be smaller this year. It Is
likely that the requirements as original
equipment for the receiving sets built
this year will be at least 1880, 900.
while the new uses are likely to in
crease the consumption to an extensive
degree.
Rights and Royalties.
It is this favorable outlook which
now is adding acrimony to the dis
sensions as to patent rights and royal
ties In hearing on the Couzens COM
| munciations bill. It is charged that
holders Of many tube patents are max
ing 1t impossible for independents
licensed to manufacture under those
patents to make tubes for other than
receiving sets.
The sale Of radio sets has been stimu-
lated this week by the opening Of the
Naval Disarmament Conference in
London. This influence, however, has
aided the sale Of accessories rather than
| the sale Of new sets. What 1t has done,
| however, Is to stimulate the purchase
Of radio sets In Europe and other
countries. THIS II fertile field for
the American manufacturer, since in
1t he can find a market for battery
| operated sets thrown back on his hands
! in the form Of trAde-ins. The European
houses are not wired for electricity 10
the same extent Is the houses of
America and the battery set still is both
| popular and necessary.
/ (copyrisht, 1s5o.i