Chuck wrote:
snip
You remember the business of the Russian's military using valve/tube
stuff well into solid state era belatedly realised to be because it
is EMP resistant.
Anyone know how ordinary domestic radios in the valve era fared with
lightning strikes ?

Very well, except for an occasional power transformer, or if a long
wire antenna was used, the rf coils would sometimes open. Chuck

I vividly remember a direct strike on our TV antenna when I was a toddler in
the 50's. I drew representations of it on my blackboard for years; a
cascade of dashes representing the sparks I saw falling past our front door.
I don't know how serious the damage; but I do remember Dad replacing the
antenna itself...and using that TV right up through most of the 60's until
it was scrapped for a color set.

jak