[sci.electronics] Tube date info wanted

larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (09/10/87)

In article <8709090720.AA02284@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, MN007334@NDSUVM1.BITNET (Todd Enders WD0BCI) writes:
>      I don't know if anyone can help me with this one (maybe a real old
> timer out there), but I would like to find out the approximate date of
> manufacture/use of the following vacuum tubes:
>      Western Electric 101-F,
>      Western Electric D-86327,
>      Western Electric 102-D.
> ...
>      My best guess would be 1910 to 1920.  Any opinions?  At any rate, they
> are real old (and most of them still work!).  Many thanks in advance!

	I'm not THAT old, so I did have help from a superb and fascinating
reference book: "A History of Engineering and Science in the Bell System",
published by Bell Labs.
	The original design of the 101F was introduced in 1913 as the
"Type A" vacuum tube.  The actual 101F, as an improved version, was
introduced in 1927.  A quote from the above book about the above design:
"Historically, this is the oldest high vacuum thermionic tube used in
commercial communication (wired or radio) in the world."
	The original design of the 102D was introduced in 1916 as the
"Type V" vacuum tube.  The actual 102D, as an improved version, was
introduced in 1922.
	The 101F had an amplification factor of about 6, where the 102D
had a MUCH :-) higher amplification factor of about 30.
	I have no information on the D-86327 tube.

<>  Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York
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angerhof@esunix.UUCP (09/11/87)

In article <8709090720.AA02284@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, MN007334@NDSUVM1.BITNET (Todd Enders WD0BCI) writes:
>      I don't know if anyone can help me with this one (maybe a real old
> timer out there), but I would like to find out the approximate date of
> manufacture/use of the following vacuum tubes:
>      Western Electric 101-F,
>      Western Electric D-86327,
>      Western Electric 102-D.
> ...
>      My best guess would be 1910 to 1920.  Any opinions?  At any rate, they
> are real old (and most of them still work!).  Many thanks in advance!

  There is an old gentleman in Salt Lake City who specializes in vacuum
tubes.  He has a book on Western Electric tubes, but thinks the book
predates the D-86327 tube.  He thinks this tube is a big red klystron tube.
He carries the 101-F and 102-D.  If you're interested in buying or selling:

    Salt Lake Instrument
    129 W. 1700 So.
    SLC, UT 84115     1-801-487-2541

His inventory may be in the 100's of thousands!  He buys out other vacuum
tube dealers when it's no longer profitable for them to carry vacuum tubes,
but he'll probably try to charge you full price.  (He finally came down
from $100 to $40 for an old GM tube I bought from him when I told him I
could get a new tube, different type but similar functionality, for about
$39!)


--Norman Angerhofer @ Evans & Sutherland, SLC, UT  84108
...{ihnp4,decvax,ucbvax}!decwrl!esunix!angerhof