Tubes Asylum

RE: Gold pins

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This Post Has Been Edited by the Author

In Reply to: RE: Gold pins posted by marlin on February 17, 2021 at 06:23:56

My thought is gold plating was derived from specific civilian, military and nuclear power specification. Ballistic (nuclear) missiles were a critical component in cold war defense and power display yet caution was paramount in the implementation as mistakes and faults were to be avoided in a spare no expense mind set. Technology advanced more slowly in these areas as a tried and true method was preferred over the latest and greatest.
The same with nuclear power in it's infancy and through the golden age such as it was. I came into the industry in the mid 80s and be aware that anything built then was designed in the 70s. Systems deemed critical used gold plated connectors on the wiring. We found bags of them left behind by the reactor provider. Although long decommissioned when I was able to tour it Peach Bottom I, the first commercial nuclear reactor had racks of vacuum tube sockets in the control panels.
As technology moved on and the need for the vacuum tube stock expired they were sold off as surplus and the mythology grew from there.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
It sucks to get old. It really sucks to get old and bitter.

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