Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
John Stumbles wrote:

Wonder how broadcasting got round this in the old days - all lines
between building were copper. And indeed around the country.

In the real Old Days (TM) they used valves, so no problem.

True - but transistors were around for a long time while the majority of
landlines etc were still copper twisted pairs. Indeed, most of our houses
are still connected to the local telephone exchange in this way.

I gather that when the USAnians started trying to make their military
electronics EMP-proof so that they could chuck nukes around and still
keep flying etc, they found that the Soviets were way ahead of them: the
MiGs etc used miniature valves in their avionics!

I can remember Russia selling valve equipment for the domestic market long
after solid state had become the norm - and at the bottom end of it too.
Guess they had factories they just had to keep employed. ;-)


AIUI The soviet bloc never abandoned valves like we did. I forget the
reasons why. They came up with the valve IC in the late 80s,
something the west would never even attempt.

I gather soviet goods were always low ticket items here because
there were simply so many problems with them. New goods
needed testing and often repair and refinishing, the
businesses that handled them were less than reassuring, and of
course the various consumer fashions that sell so many goods here
were completely ignored, with goods routinely looking like
something out of the 50s or 60s.


NT