Current audio vacuum tube production is
still largely limited to 3 locations
: China, Russia and the Czech and Slovak Republics. While many other developed nations still produce and develop vacuum based electronics, only Japan and Germany have produced glass vacuum tubes suitable for audio recently.
What replaced the vacuum tube?
Vacuum tubes were originally used in the earliest digital electronic computers back in the 1930s and 1940s, before being replaced by
transistors
composed of semiconductors, which can can be manufactured much smaller, making today's computers, smartphones, and tablets possible.
Are vacuum tubes still used today?
1990s-Today –
Vacuum tubes are still used today
. Musicians still use tube amplifiers and claim they produce a different and desirable sound compared to solid state amplifiers.
When did they stop using vacuum tubes?
Red hot again. Vacuum tubes fizzled out in
the 1960s
thanks to the invention of the transistor, but new research could fire-up the technology once more.
What are some places vacuum tubes are still used today?
- Medium Wave and Shortwave Broadcasting Tubes. …
- UHF and Microwave Transmitting Tubes. …
- Microwave Ovens. …
- Audio. …
- Displays. …
- Gas Discharge Tubes. …
- X-Ray Tubes. …
- Oil Wells.
Why did we stop using vacuum tubes?
Vacuum tubes suffered a slow death during the 1950s and '60s
thanks to the invention of the transistor
—specifically, the ability to mass-produce transistors by chemically engraving, or etching, pieces of silicon. Transistors were smaller, cheaper, and longer lasting.
What are disadvantages of vacuum tubes?
- Bulky, hence less suitable for portable products.
- Higher operating voltages generally required.
- High power consumption; needs heater supply that generates waste heat and yields lower efficiency, notably for small-signal circuits.
- Glass tubes are fragile, compared to metal transistors.
Why are vacuum tubes so expensive?
Tube amps are expensive
because they adopt pre and power tubes as their primary amplification source
. Each tube costs roughly $50 and can have up to 4 of them within a single unit. Secondly, these amps have more expensive components, larger cases, and more complex circuitry than solid-state amps.
Why do vacuum tubes glow blue?
Blue Glow – We often get asked if blue glow inside of a vacuum tube is a sign of a defect. Thankfully, it is rarely a sign of a defect at all. … It is most pronounced on power tubes and is
the product of electron bombardment of the glass taking place within the tube
.
What is the difference between vacuum tube and transistor?
Vacuum tubes have electrodes which controls the flow of electrons. On the other hand, you have transistors which can also be used as a switch or amplifier. One big difference between the two is
vacuum tubes are made out of glass while transistors are made out of silicon
.
How fast are vacuum tubes?
In standard set-ups these have achieved speeds of up to 581km/h (361mph). But in a vacuum, some believe they could reach speeds
of more than 4,000km/h
. Again, several systems that combine these two technologies have been proposed over the years.
What do you do with old vacuum tubes?
Contact
the Global Electronics Recycling Network
. This group maintains a network of electronic recycling organizations in many countries. Use its website to locate an electronics recycling organization near your home; you can find out the drop-off location and the cost of disposing of your vacuum tubes.
Where are transistors used today?
By far the most common application of transistors today is for
computer memory chips
—including solid-state multimedia storage devices for electronic games, cameras, and MP3 players—and microprocessors, where millions of components are embedded in a single integrated circuit.
What was the last year that vacuum tube computers were used?
A vacuum tube computer, now termed a first-generation computer, is a computer that uses vacuum tubes for logic circuitry. Although superseded by second generation, transistorized computers , vacuum tube computers continued to be built into
the 1960s
.
What characteristics make a transistor better than a vacuum tube?
Lower power consumption, less waste heat, and high efficiency than
equivalent tubes, especially in small-signal circuits. Can operate on lower-voltage supplies for greater safety, lower costs, tighter clearances. Matching transformers not required for low-impedance loads.
Do vacuum tubes contain mercury?
There are no miniature tubes containing mercury
. The only ones you're likely to encounter are the 83 or the 866. There is no cadmium in any vacuum tube.
