gamble@cernvax.UUCP (gamble) (06/19/86)
Hello,
My name is Andrew Wylie and I have the unusual hobby of collecting
information about, and specimens of, the very earliest semiconductor
devices, both transistors and diodes.
This is an area of industrial archaeology which seems to have been
neglected, possibly because 1954 does not seem so long ago. However,
progress in the field has been very rapid (as we all know), with the
result of rapid obsolescence of many devices. Most early transistor
equipment was junked long ago, and so early transistor types are very
hard to find indeed.
Why should anyone care about this ? Well, the history of semiconductors
is interesting, especially because of the truly enormous changes to
society which have resulted from the development of electronics. In
addition, in my opinion at least, the early devices are really wierd and
wonderful. Modern type with standardized packaging and numbering are
absolutely boring, but some of the early types have to be seen to be
believed.
I have quite a large collection of early European types already, but
am still very keen to obtain
- point-contact transistors
- tetrode or other unorthodox transistor types
- early American material.
I will pay postage costs, and also a nominal price which depends on rarity.
(You wont get rich this way). I would be very glad to hear (via
e-mail or normal mail) from anyone who has early material to offer, and
also from anyone who has an interest in the subject. I can supply a
detailed "wanted list" to anyone who requests it.
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Andrew Wylie
Groupe NSI
Uni II
Universite de Geneve
1211 GENEVE 4 (Switzerland)
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