Chris, Just a guess here, but could they be referring to something of an industrial tube? For example, medical devices that generate various type of radiation. Maybe even magnetrons or CRTs. I would think that medical devices in a dollar sense would bring a premium and thus make it high on the list by $$ vs quantity.
73, Ron WD8SBB --- On Sun, 1/1/12, Chris Kepus <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Chris Kepus <[email protected]> > Subject: [Drakelist] OT (sorta) - long - Vacuum tubes were the 4th largest US > export in 2011!!?? > To: [email protected] > Date: Sunday, January 1, 2012, 10:53 PM > Happy New Year to all. > > First, I apologize in advance to others who subscribe to > the same multiple > lists I belong and wonder, "Why in the *^%U&I* does > this guy splatter all > the lists with his OT QRM?" If you feel this way, > please just hit the > "Delete" key now. > > The reason I am posting this far and wide is because there > are many very > knowledgeable experts in the business of electronics who > only post on one of > the lists to which I subscribe and I want to hear back from > you, wherever > you are, if you know the answer to a question about the > subject. > > One of my non-ham friends called me asking, "...you're a > ham who told me you > use vacuum tubes and that new vacuum tubes came from China, > Russia, and > other countries...I thought USA manufacturers of vacuum > tubes > were all dead.....did you know an AP article on top US > Exports appearing in > The Salt Lake Tribune named Vacuum Tubes as the 4th largest > US export at > $37.1 Billion!!! .....how is this possible?" > > Astonished (and very suspicious of a misunderstanding), I > Googled and found > a couple of references to this report as well as the AP > article here: > http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/sltrib/pages/printerfriendly.csp?id=5320 > 6814 > > All the vintage boatanchor lists I monitor have been quiet > on this subject. > Maybe, I thought, I'm the only ham who doesn't know this > "secret". God, I > hate being ignorant! > > Another reference to supplement this information is this > report: "Best > Export Markets for U.S. Electronic Components, 2010". > On this website: > http://static.globaltrade.net/files/pdf/20101216032232.pdf > > This report appears to be a partial source of export > information for the > "vacuum tube" category named: HS 8540: This category is > defined as > including: Thermionic, Cold Cathode or Photocathode Tubes > (Vacuum, Vapor 3 > or Gas Filled Tubes, Cathode-Ray Tubes, Television Camera > Tubes, etc.). > > "Vacuum Tubes" were also in the top five exports in 2010, > 2009, 2008, 2007 > and 2006! > > To those of you who know something about current vacuum > tube manufacturing, > could you please enlighten me as to what it is, exactly, > that we are > exporting that are called "Vacuum Tubes"? > > Thanks, > Chris > W7JPG > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Drakelist mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist > _______________________________________________ Drakelist mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
