Anybody run steel here in the base?

[Crazy_D]

Is anyone running steel tubes in the base here? I find it is so much cleaner than running pills, and the smell of steel tubes warming up the room is great. Anyone got any pics of internals of custom made steel boxes?

 

[Master Chief]

Steel?

 

[Crazy_D]

yes, Steel.

Or in non-11 meter terms, ceramic/metal power triodes or tetrodes

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

yes, Steel.

Or in non-11 meter terms, ceramic/metal power triodes or tetrodes

Tell me, how did they ever get to be called steel tubes anyway?? :? The external anode ceramic types are NOT made of steel but rather a silverplated c o p p e r ( damn filter)alloy for heat conduction. There is some tungstin inside and a beryllium oxide in the ceramic but there is no steel in them.

 

[Master Chief]

Tell me, how did they ever get to be called steel tubes anyway??

Oh that's easy......

Or in non-11 meter terms......

I think you know where I'm going with this.

Now before anyone freaks out too much with some "elitist" crap, I feel the "steel tube" nomenclature has always made CB operators sound like fools. The CB radio community's acceptance of poor engineering practices and terms have made the hobby I love a laughing stock in the radio community. So please excuse me if I don't sit by without comment.

Have you ever noticed that the most respected people on this forum are the ones who speak intelligently? Justin, DTB, Nomad Radio, bob85, Kale, Paws, freecell, Moleculo, and to some degree, even myself are an example. Everyone of us a CB radio operator (and some of them even HAMS).

To be fair, there were a few tubes made of steel. I don't know anyone who is actually running one however. Crazy_D had it right when he said:

......ceramic/metal power triodes or tetrodes

There, my RANT for the week!

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Yeah Master Chief, I sort of knew the answer before I asked it but I was just looking for someone to say it. I spent 22 years in the commercial broadcast business and used all sorts of those type of tubes, 4CX250B, 3CX3000A7, 4CX5000A, 4CX10,000D and 4CX20,000A and not I nor any of my collegues in the business has ever heard them called steel tubes. Ceramic or ceramic/metal yes,but steel no.Sort of like saying a class C linear amp. There just ain't no such thing.

 

[Hamin' X]

Steel tubes:

I Was looking for the venerable 6L6, but didn't have time to find a picture.

Rich

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

OK Rich,you know what I meant. :roll: Besides those are called shielded tubes not steel tubes. You want to get fancy look for some Nuvistors.

 

[Hamin' X]

OK Rich,you know what I meant. :roll: Besides those are called shielded tubes not steel tubes. You want to get fancy look for some Nuvistors.

No, shielded tubes are usually glass, with a metal shield that slips over them.

Rich

 

[park]

I never heard a tube called nothing but a "tube" ?

 

[Lazybones1222]

Poor CrazyD. No one wants to answer the question.

DOES ANYONE ONE RUN A BIG A$$ BASE AMP?

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

OK Rich,you know what I meant. :roll: Besides those are called shielded tubes not steel tubes. You want to get fancy look for some Nuvistors.

No, shielded tubes are usually glass, with a metal shield that slips over them.

Rich

Yep, with the special socket to lock the spring loaded shields in place.You could get some tubes in either regular glass or with the metal shielding for certain applications.Lets just think about external anode ceramic power tubes which is what is generally, albeit erroneously, refered to as "steel" tubes.

 

[Unit 194]

I find it is so much cleaner than running pills, and the smell of steel tubes warming up the room is great.

I agree.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I find it is so much cleaner than running pills, and the smell of steel tubes warming up the room is great.

I agree.

I still prefer a nice set of glass tubes. You get to light up the room at the same time as you heat it up.

 

[995]

..I feel the "steel tube" nomenclature has always made CB operators sound like fools...

Steel tubes, pills, fighting sticks, caps, maul box, swing box, linyer, alt, SWRS....the list goes on for days....

Oh wait....the best one yet, "volt", used as a verb.

"I'm gonna volt that box".

I laugh every time I hear that one.

Yeah, they sound pretty silly....but they're just nicknames....who really cares?

IMHO, "HAM" sounds every bit as silly as all of the above terms.

It doesn't bother me in the least what words one uses..it's when they don't know that a "pill" is a transistor the discussion goes rapidly downhill.