operated by Max Robinson and
dedicated to passing on and preserving
knowledge of vacuum tube circuits and techniques.
Keep the electrons flowing and the tubes glowing.
JOIN NOW!
Join the Fun with Tubes discussion group.
Now all of you who have been exchanging email
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Activity Log
Finishing up the Equalizers Article. 7/22/21.
Improved Interface.
Protecting my Expensive Scope 5/1/21.
Tubeman is Back.
Adventures With a Network Analyzer. 9/16/2020.
Winding IF Coils.
Musings upon building a tube analyzer.
Spectrum Analyzer Impedance Buffer.
Modifying the HP334A RF Detector Circuit.
Low Distortion AM Detectors.
Filter Choke in the Negative Lead.
A New Radio with Old Tubes.
Daily Activities click here.
Fun With Tubes now has a sister site.
It's called Fun With Transistors.
If you would like to tinker with electronics
But you would rather not poke around among
High voltages, check it out.
New!
Build Your Own Website with a KISS
In How To Do It.
Receive and Transmit on separate Antennas.
In Ham Radio Corner.
Hantek® Model 6022BE
2 Channel USB Oscilloscope
In Equipment Reviews.
Circuit Specialists® CSI4810A
Semiconductor Curve Tracer
In Equipment Reviews.
Equalizers.
What more is there to say?
What is LT Spice
And why should I care?
Learning LT Spice
It's not as hard as you may think.
LT Spice for the Blind
Yes, it is Possible.
Preamp Design.
Pulled Out From Tone Controls and Expanded.
Practical Tone Controls.
Totally reworked using LT Spice Simulations.
Low Voltage Radio Tubes.
Don't want to poke around the high voltage?
Try this.
Vibrator Power Supplies.
Plate Voltage for Low and Medium power.
Revisiting the Newcomb D-10.
What. Again?
A Tough Nut, Cracked At last.
What do I need to have fun with tubes?
Click here for the answer.
I've Never Lost the Wonder.
As I have said elsewhere on the web I became hooked on electronics when I saw a film on what was then known as educational television which contained animation illustrating how a vacuum tube worked. Memory of the exact year has grown a bit dim but it should have been 1951 or 1952. After that I would look into the back of my radio at night and think about the processes that were going on inside those glowing tubes and a sense of awe and wonder would come over me. The smallest things in nature, as known at that time, were being controlled inside those tubes to capture music from the air and deliver it to the speaker so I could hear it. As I began to understand radio my wonder only increased. I could hear a record that was being played on a turntable more than 1000 miles away as clear as if it were being played on my own phonograph. Actually clearer because the "needle" and record were in much better condition than my own. Over the past 66+ years I still haven't lost that sense of wonder.It is also true that I have the same feelings about electrons and holes flying around inside the tiny crystal of a transistor. Think of it, I can hold in the palm of my hand a working computer that has more power than those first vacuum tube computers that would have filled a rich man's mansion.
The whole field of electronics encompassing audio, radio and digital systems still motivates and inspires me to wire up circuits. I still feel the same when it all works. I hope to share some of it with you.
vacuum tubes but didn't know who to ask.
Ask Tube Man.
Would you like to tinker around with tubes but don't know what to do? Want to fix up that radio that belonged to your great-grandfather but don't know where to start? Are you experienced in working with tubes but you just came across a problem which has you stumped? Tube Man knows all and tells all. Just click on the super hero's picture to email a question to him. See questions submitted to Tube Man and his answers.
Who and What.
This web site is owned and operated, as a hobby, by Max Robinson. As time goes by I will post tutorials on the fundamentals of electricity and electronics, interesting circuits you can build with vacuum tubes and op amps, and I will share some of my experiences restoring antique radios and early electric phonographs.I have a master's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida 1966. My early EE classes covered vacuum tubes so I know what I am talking about and doing. If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to email me.
If I Don't Answer...
I scrupulously answer all emails sent to me. If you send me one and you don't hear from me in a reasonable amount of time maybe something went wrong.On a number of occasions I have received emails from people seeming to be asking legitimate questions. When I attempt to answer them I get back one of those "Mail System Error" messages saying that there is no such address or my email address has been blocked by the sender. Some anti spamming programs are quite strict and maybe you forgot to enter my address as "allowed". Check your antispam list to be sure my reply will be given to you instead of being bounced back to me.
On the other hand maybe this is someone's idea of juvenile fun. No doubt the people who have done this (you know who you are) think this is very funny. To me it's just a minor annoyance. Even though it's a small thing I could do without it. Just because you're not having fun don't spoil it for the rest of us.
Going all in with NVDA.
I have uninstalled JAWS and NVDA now starts upon boot up. If you download NVDA the first thing you will discover is that JAWS key plus 2 doesn't initiate reading. Some may become frustrated at this and give up on NVDA. The read all command is numpad 0 (JAWS key) + down arrow key (not the number 2 key.). This is an easy reach with third finger on the 0 key and first finger on the down arrow key. The middle finger just hangs there and does nothing. For some configuration tips that make NVDA better for me and possibly for you click here.With reference to the above, NEVER SAY NEVER.
To learn more click here.
The people who run the website EE Web have
interviewed me and written a very
nice article. Here is the link.
EE Web article.
An Observation.
If I worked on radios the same way doctors worked on people whenever a capacitor, resistor, or tube, failed I would just take it out and throw it away. Yet the radio would be expected to work as well as when it was new. So far I am down my tonsils, adenoids, about one and a half feet of large intestine, and a gall bladder. My power output is down and my distortion percentage is up.