Tube Tumult

In the matter of radio tubes a spirited ruckus was well under way last week following a polite invitation by General Electric Co. to members of the "radio press" to inspect a new tube, unfamiliar on this side of the Atlantic. Smaller (3 x 1 in.) than ordinary tubes, the GE gadget had a black steel casing instead of glass, and its glow was hence not visible. Advantages pointed out by the company:

1) Faster heat radiation, lengthening life. 2) Smaller size, saving space. 3) Better lead wire arrangement, improving short-wave reception. 4) Increased protection against magnetic and static interference (especially in airplanes and automobiles). 5) Less risk of damage in handling, shipping, rough use. 6) Short lead wires, promoting better amplification at high frequencies.

The press received GE's metal tube cordially, spoke of the first "radical change" since Lee de Forest bobbed up with the three-element audion tube in 1907. Far from cordial was Philco Radio & Television Corp., which has small esteem for metal tubes and no stomach whatever for a possible public swing in that direction. Philco bought a full page in the New York Times ($4,500) to launch a counterblast. Recalling an ill-starred experiment with metal tubes in Britain, Philco warned that a "pell mell rush" into metal might also have disastrous consequences here. Points:

1) Faster heat radiation means higher temperature, interfering with nearby coils and resistors. 2) Prime requisite for handling short waves is good insulation, which glass provides and steel does not. 3) Glass tubes are not fragile but rugged, almost foolproof, used in millions of cars and trucks on all kinds of roads. 4) Vacuum is preserved better in glass than in metal. 5) Transparency of glass facilitates inspection, often betrays faulty operation at a glance.

To this attack GE spokesmen retorted that Philco's criticisms were more applicable to Britain's discredited metal "catkin" than to GE's innovation. The catkin's steel jacket served "Is an electrode; in the new tube the jacket is simply a shield. Philco was still convinced that "Proven Worth" is preferable to "Risky Experiment." Neutral radiomen found something to say on both sides, felt that only time and the lordly verdict of the buying public would decide whether glass or metal would emerge on top.

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