How to Make a Triode Yourself

14 days ago

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.

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