{"id":46502,"date":"2020-11-16T07:31:43","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T11:31:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=46502"},"modified":"2020-11-16T07:31:43","modified_gmt":"2020-11-16T11:31:43","slug":"ieee-spectrum-the-11-greatest-vacuum-tubes-youve-never-heard-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/11\/ieee-spectrum-the-11-greatest-vacuum-tubes-youve-never-heard-of\/","title":{"rendered":"IEEE Spectrum: “The 11 Greatest Vacuum Tubes You\u2019ve Never Heard Of”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Inside a transmitter at the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station.<\/p><\/div>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Ed, who writes:<\/p>\n

Hi Thomas, SWLing Post readers who are fans of tube radios might enjoy reading about “The 11 Greatest Vacuum Tubes You’ve Never Heard Of<\/a>” in this IEEE Spectrum article. While only a few of them have been used in radio and audio applications, they’re all weird and amazing!<\/p>\n

(Source: IEEE Spectrum<\/a>)<\/p>\n

In an age propped up by<\/strong>\u00a0quintillions of solid-state devices, should you even care about vacuum tubes? You definitely should! For richness, drama, and sheer brilliance, few technological timelines can match the 116-year (and counting) history of the vacuum tube. To prove it, I\u2019ve assembled a list of vacuum devices that over the past 60 or 70 years inarguably changed the world.<\/p>\n

And just for good measure, you\u2019ll also find here a few tubes that are too unique, cool, or weird to languish in obscurity.<\/p>\n

Of course, anytime anyone offers up a list of\u00a0anything<\/em>\u2014the\u00a0comfiest trail-running shoes, the most authentic Italian restaurants in Cleveland, movies that are better than the book they\u2019re based on\u2014someone else is bound to weigh in and either object or amplify. So, to state the obvious: This is\u00a0my<\/em>\u00a0list of vacuum tubes. But I\u2019d love to read yours. Feel free to add it in the comments section at the end of this article.<\/p>\n

My list isn\u2019t meant to be comprehensive. Here you\u2019ll find no gas-filled glassware like\u00a0Nixie tubes<\/a>\u00a0or thyratrons, no \u201cuber\u00a0high\u201d pulsed-power microwave devices, no cathode-ray display tubes. I intentionally left out well-known tubes, such as satellite traveling-wave tubes and microwave-oven magnetrons. And I\u2019ve pretty much stuck with\u00a0radio-frequency tubes<\/a>, so I\u2019m ignoring the vast panoply of audio-frequency tubes\u2014with one notable exception.<\/p>\n

But even within the parameters I\u2019ve chosen, there are so many amazing devices that it was rather hard to pick just eleven of them. So here\u2019s my take, in no particular order, on some tubes that made a difference.[…<\/a>]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Thank you for the tip, Ed. Brilliant article!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who writes: Hi Thomas, SWLing Post readers who are fans of tube radios might enjoy reading about “The 11 Greatest Vacuum Tubes You’ve Never Heard Of” in this IEEE Spectrum article. While only a few of them have been used in radio and audio applications, they’re all weird […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[7322,5114,7002,5113],"class_list":["post-46502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-ieee-spectrum","tag-tubes","tag-vacuum-tubes","tag-valves"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-c62","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47910,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/video-how-the-philips-factory-made-vacuum-tubes\/","url_meta":{"origin":46502,"position":0},"title":"Video: How the Philips factory made vacuum tubes","author":"Thomas","date":"February 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave (K4SV), who shares the following video: https:\/\/youtu.be\/fcfMj_cqufc Click here to view on YouTube.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/philips-valves-tubes-ad.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/philips-valves-tubes-ad.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/philips-valves-tubes-ad.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":66082,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/from-compactrons-to-nuvistors-vacuum-tubes-last-hurrah\/","url_meta":{"origin":46502,"position":1},"title":"From Compactrons to Nuvistors: Vacuum Tubes\u2019 Last Hurrah","author":"Thomas","date":"May 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dennis Dura, who shares this article from Hackaday that explores the fascinating \u201clast gasp\u201d innovations of vacuum tube technology long after transistors had already begun taking over the electronics industry. The article dives into late-era tube developments like compactrons, lighthouse tubes, and RCA\u2019s remarkable\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hallicrafters-SX-24-Skyrider-Defiant.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hallicrafters-SX-24-Skyrider-Defiant.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hallicrafters-SX-24-Skyrider-Defiant.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hallicrafters-SX-24-Skyrider-Defiant.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31790,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/hand-made-vacuum-tubes-by-claude-paillard\/","url_meta":{"origin":46502,"position":2},"title":"Hand Made Vacuum Tubes by Claude Paillard","author":"Robert Gulley","date":"April 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This is an amazing video - hand-made vacuum tubes! About 17 minutes long - well worth the watching if you have any interest at all in old equipment! https:\/\/vimeo.com\/47812871 You can find the video here Enjoy! Robert Gulley, AK3Q,\u00a0is the author of this post and a regular contributor to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/vacuum-tube.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/vacuum-tube.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/vacuum-tube.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/vacuum-tube.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52991,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/06\/high-speed-a-d-conversion-in-1965-with-a-vacuum-tube\/","url_meta":{"origin":46502,"position":3},"title":"High Speed A\/D Conversion in 1965, with a Vacuum Tube!","author":"Thomas","date":"June 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark (AE2EA), with the Antique Wireless Museum who shares the following: This isn't a SWL, or even a ham radio story, but it's a nice technology story about a vacuum tube at the beginning of the digital age and near the end of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Tube-9-Bit-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Tube-9-Bit-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Tube-9-Bit-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Tube-9-Bit-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19217,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/05\/tubes-and-valves-dans-research-uncovers-three-vintage-films\/","url_meta":{"origin":46502,"position":4},"title":"Tubes and Valves: Dan’s research uncovers three vintage films","author":"Thomas","date":"May 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, DanH, who writes: I have been working on my Hammarlund SP600-JX-21 for the last two weeks. Results of the filter cap replacement were encouraging. I\u2019m going after an AVC issue that is probably capacitor-related as well before doing a re-alignment with the signal generator.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hammarlund-SP-600","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Hammarlund-SP-600.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Hammarlund-SP-600.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Hammarlund-SP-600.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Hammarlund-SP-600.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34312,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/10\/ieee-spectrum-magazine-this-artist-made-a-radio-out-of-a-kitchen-sink\/","url_meta":{"origin":46502,"position":5},"title":"IEEE Spectrum Magazine: “This Artist Made a Radio Out of a Kitchen Sink”","author":"Thomas","date":"October 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source:\u00a0IEEE Spectrum via Ed C) Amanda Dawn Christie\u2019s work commemorates the fading glory of shortwave radio By\u00a0Stephen Cass Some artists work in oils, say, or marble. Amanda Dawn Christie works in radio. Not radio in the sense of performing on air. 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