[Amps] 3-1000 Amplifiers

[Colin Lamb]

Speaking of CRTs, a number of years ago I needed to dispose of my mother's old vacuum tube tv set.  There was no recycling and the transfer station where I take my trash wanted extra money for it.  Being a cheapskate, I decided to remove the old wooden cabinet and break the CRT.

Well, as long as I was going to break it, I thought I would learn something about the CRT.  I called my neighbor and he brought up his old lead ball firing musket.  We grabbed two beers from the fridge and went into the back yard.  Both of us put on eye protection and fired from about 50 feet away.  My wife asked "what the hell are you doing?"  When I answered, she just said "you boys never grow up".

The first lead ball made a round hole in the face of the CRT and a puff of smoke exited.  No implosion.  Another ball in the front brought another puff of smoke.  Three rounds into the front and then we checked the back.  None had exited the back of the tube.  A few more balls into the back and the tube finally crumbled.  It contained layers of lead screens.  

It did not take too much thought to realized the CRT is not a vacuum tube, but rather is filled with inert gas.  

Things haven't changed much, I guess.  I remember going into the back yard with a .22 many decades ago and popping off some old 24-A tubes because I needed the base for plug in coils in one of my rigs.

73,  Colin  K7FM