Re: The joy of FORTRAN

On 3/10/25 7:02 AM, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 10/03/2025 00:57, c186282 wrote:

On 3/9/25 12:51 PM, Charlie Gibbs wrote:

On 2025-03-09, c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> wrote:
>

    You don't see vacuum-tube electronics much
    any more - but it still has its place and
    uses. Found a use for a little diode-resistor
    logic in a project a few years ago - easier
    and simpler than anything else (decoding
    multiple switch positions after an interrupt
    using minimal pins, a sort of 7->3 converter).

>
Vacuum tubes are still popular among audiophiles.
A friend just built a small amplifier using a
12AX7 and a couple of EL84s.  Then, of course,
there are guitar amps...

>
   The harmonics and overmodulation response from
   tubes IS better - at least AESTHETICALLY. That's
   an important bit ... 'technically exact' and
   'sounds/looks good to HUMANS' aren't always the
   same thing.

 Haven't americans heard of the plural? Or is you all just plain dumb?

   Mostly "just plain dumb" alas ....   :-)
   Americans are total rubes for industry HYPE.

Tube output stages overload more grcefuuklly than transistor ones  do, largely dues to the impossibility of applying large feedback round a less than perfect output transformer.
Modern emulation amplifiers deliberately build that into the circuitry to sound pretty much identical

   Maybe a FEW modern ones ... but 'valve' physics
   is a bit hard to emulate properly.

   China still makes some audio tubes ... as does
   some plant in the Czech Republic (made BY HAND).
   Here and there, some people or old shops still
   have big boxes of tubes - many still good or
   never used. Gotta FIND 'em though - eBay sometimes
   advertises a stash.
>

Plenty of tubes for sale everywhere, Used to be made in Russia and Czech republic.,

   China still, Czech - last I heard (HAND-made). Russia
   makes SOME, but I doubt you can get them now due to
   war sanctions.
   Mostly, tubes/valves are in the domain of the
   kinda wealthy 'philes. They ARE "better" for
   audio ... but for Average Joe they're just kinda
   out of reach and Joe doesn't really GET why they
   are better. What, 50 watts ? I can buy a class-D
   with 500 for a lot less .........
   I've got a couple of relatively low-power monobloks
   someone gave me. Haven't yet put them into use. The
   main prob is efficient speakers. Sure as hell can't
   use them with magneplanars. Best match is kinda like
   Klipsch ... which make good use of input power. Forget
   the WalMart/BestBuy fake versions - the real ones are
   thousands of US dollars.

   I've looked into 'neo-valves' ... basically
   cold cathode jobbies where the electrons spew
   from a zillion micro-etched 'points' on the
   cathode. Beyond that they're kinda ordinary
   triodes/pentodes. A merger of old tech and the
   means/methods now used to create silicon circuits.
>
   Oh well, nukewar or X-10 solar flare, all that
   WILL still work is the tube-based equipment  :-)

   Haven't seen much on the 'point emitter' valves
   recently. Not enough market ?
   They ARE maybe the better evolution ... run cool,
   low-power, long life, but with the same harmonic
   and overload characteristics as olde-tyme valves.