[Amps] RE : boonton 59

[Colin Lamb]

For those of you interested in acorn tubes, you should visit http://www.antiquewireless.org/otb/acorntube.htm

When I was a kid, I built a pocket radio using a 959 acorn tube, with a 1.5 volt filament and 22.5 volt plate battery.  Worked great.  Some of the older handbooks have a WERS (Wartime Emergency Radio Service) transceiver for 112 MHz.  I still have one of those on the shelf.

73,  Colin  K7FM

-----Original Message-----
>From: Colin Lamb <k7fm at teleport.com>
>Sent: Feb 20, 2006 1:11 PM
>To: hermans <on4kj at skynet.be>, "'carl s.'" <carlseye at tampabay.rr.com>, Amps at contesting.com
>Subject: Re: [Amps] RE :  boonton 59
>
>The Boonton uses a tube we call an "acorn" tube.  It is a 955 triode.  Still plentiful and used in a few pieces of unretired test equipment.  Also used in some of the early WWII uhf equipment.  
>
>The Model 59 is still one of the very best grid dip meters and sells for about $70 to $100.  Because they are old and use vacuum tubes, you can occasionally find them under the table at swap meets for $5 - if you are lucky.  
>
>I figure that the supply of 955 tubes will run out in about 300 years.  At that time, you can substitute an fet transistor in the circuit - if you can find an fet transistor.  Changing the voltage should make it usable with the fets.  
>
>Most grid meters do poorly on the highest range, but the model 59 keeps on ticking.  
>
>73,  Colin  K7FM
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: hermans <on4kj at skynet.be>
>>Sent: Feb 20, 2006 12:42 PM
>>To: "'carl s.'" <carlseye at tampabay.rr.com>, Amps at contesting.com
>>Subject: [Amps] RE :  boonton 59
>>
>>Carl,
>>
>>The tube is what we called a "gland" (hope I remember well) quite a time
>>ago we used that "gland" in UHF triode preamplifiers. Probably difficult
>>to find in a industrial environnement. A special request would have some
>>results I believe. Quite sure one or an other OLD TIMER still have one
>>or more sleeping in their old drawers. Unfortunately I forgot the code,
>>but i stil see it sitting in its 4 or 5 pins socket disposed
>>horizontaly.
>>Just a question, whats worth a Boonton grid dip nowadays ? 1976 last
>>time I used the grid dip in our lab.
>>Jos on4kj
>>
>>
>>-----Message d'origine-----
>>De : amps-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:amps-bounces at contesting.com] De
>>la part de carl s.
>>Envoyé : dimanche 19 février 2006 15:41
>>À : Amps at contesting.com
>>Objet : [Amps] boonton 59
>>
>>
>>   I have acquired a boonton 59 dipper. In looking at the innards I am
>>curious about the oscillator"tube"  !! The unit works fine on all bands
>>, but if that osc. fails, where would anyone ever find a replacement ???
>>The "tube" has no markings on it and the "megacycle meter " is connected
>>directly on top of the tube shell.
>>    Can anyone tell me anything about it ??
>> thanks
>> carl / kz5ca
>>
>>
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