Object Details
- Western Electric
- Description (Brief)
- Vacuum tubes are specialized light bulbs that control the flow of electric current and were commonly used in 20th century radios, televisions, and other electronic equipment. This example from World War I was made in large numbers by Western Electric for the US Army Signal Corps. Just like incandescent light bulbs, fragile vacuum tubes consumed a lot of electricity, generated heat, and ultimately burned out. The invention of transistors at Bell Labs in 1947 gave engineers a more reliable alternative that needed very little power to function.
- Brass 4-pin base (gold tips on tines) with bakelite insulator, two plates and grids with one emitter. Tipped G-shaped envelope. Stamped: "C.W.931" on the side; on the shell: "Signal Corps / VT2 / Western / Electric Co. Inc. / Pat. in U.S.A. / 1-15-07 Two patents / 2-18-03 4-27-15 / 12-19-16 / Pat. Applied For". Reference: Tyne, "Saga of the Vacuum Tube" 100-103, 286-287; https://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_vt2.html.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- C. 1918
- ca 1917
- ID Number
- EM.322906
- accession number
- 250988
- catalog number
- 322906
- Object Name
- Triode
- electron tube
- Other Terms
- Triode; Electron Tubes
- Measurements
- overall: 4 1/2 in x 2 3/8 in; 11.43 cm x 6.0325 cm
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Electricity
- Communications
- National Museum of American History
- Record ID
- nmah_704272
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-20f7-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
