[BC] Lee de Forest

[RichardBJohnson at comcast.net]

It's some folklore I'm sure. Early triode detectors, called "plate detectors" used "soft" tubes to enhance sensitivity. Once multi-tube receivers were being constructed, "hard" tubes were used. A soft-tube receiver amplified both the RF and the audio in a single tube circuit, sort of line a pre-Muntz receiver! 

Cheers,
Richard B. Johnson
Book: http://www.AbominableFirebug.com/

----- Original Message -----
From: "rj carpenter" <rcarpen at comcast.net>

Wasn't there a story that DeForest thought that triodes needed a little gas in them to operate.