OT Don't read this (was Re: Altair MBL source)

[Tony Duell]

> 
> Tony Duell wrote:
> 
> >I nthe 1920's, Lowe (in Germany) made a radio receiver which consisted of 
> >a tuend ciruit, headphones, batteries, and a single glass envelope. That 
> >contained 3 triodes and all the R's and C's. 
> >
> >  
> >
> I posted a link to that earlier. I think at that time Germany had a 

(a) I read your message after I posted the above. (b) I read my mail 
off-line, and I am not going to dial in to check every URL that people 
post... (As a general point, I wish people would make some comment when 
they give URLs -- of the form 'Lowe one-tube radio' or whatever.

> large tax on radios,
> more tubes, bigger the tax.

I've heard that such taxes lead to the introduction of multi-section 
valves (double triodes, double diode pentodes, triode hexodes, etc). But 
there was no need to put the R's and C's in the envelope too, and AFAIK 
the 'vacuum integated circuit' (:-)) was signfiicantly more expensive 
than the valves alone. The R's and C's were a significant cost.

-tony