How to Make a Triode Yourself
3 hours ago
- #triode construction
- #titanium getter
- #vacuum tube
- The triode initially behaved erratically due to gas accumulation, necessitating a getter even after thorough baking.
- An induction heater was used to heat a titanium wire getter, which was integrated into a new triode design with improved nickel wire connections for better mechanical and solderable leads.
- The tube underwent a bakeout schedule under vacuum, with the getter heated to remove trapped gases, and initial testing showed performance could be restored by reheating the getter daily.
- Over three days, emission loss decreased, indicating reduced gas evolution, with hopes that the getter would eventually handle gases while cold, potentially eliminating the need for an induction heater.
- Grid response curves revealed a plateau in plate current at low filament power, shifting with increased power, and a decrease in current at very low power, likely due to electron collection by the grid.
- An inverting amplifier demonstrated a voltage gain of 10 at 10KHz, with frequency limitations attributed to oscilloscope capacitive loading, as shown with square wave inputs.
- The successful use of a titanium getter suggests amateurs can avoid scavenging old tubes, and compatibility with nickel allows for versatile tube construction with various metals.