Modern Radio Technology Comparison to Tube Radio

I thought it might be interesting to compare some of the technology inside a more modern radio to that found in older vacuum tube radios.
In this video I look at a modern reproduction of an old radio. I'll also say a few words about how to spot a modern reproduction of an old tube radio, to help you avoid inadvertently buying one in error.

[@knifeswitch5973]

As a person who works on vintage electronics, I'll save my personal despise for most average consumer "vintage" modern radios for another soapbox. You brought up a good point though. Most folks are not like us. They don't care how or why it works. They want to plug it in and have it operate as advertised and safely. Appearance being a matter of taste outweighs performance in this market nitch and cost dominates everything. On the other hand, I purchased an RTL-SDR about a year ago and I enjoy the heck of it. My music I fiddle around with is all digital right down to virtual instruments. Being said, I have utmost respect and adoration for alot of vintage built machines. Quality levels given the technology of the time are remarkably good. I have a number of vintage pieces who's performance can be jaw dropping at times. Great content sir!

[@joshuamacdonald4913]

I love your videos. It would be a fun endeavor to design and build a modern reproduction radio. Maybe also reproduce a tube radio and try to keep them as similar as possible. Please keep the quality content coming.

[@ankurpaul1]

Your videos are precise and to the point. Very good. thanks.

[@kfl611]

Where is the speaker? Oh wait, that tiny little thing? Dang. I'd rather have the tube version.

[@billharris6886]

These "Retro" style radios are for "looks only", they are generally somewhat smaller in size than the original and use a super low cost "receiver engine" with generally very poor receive performance. In the US, radio quality peaked out in 1935 to 1940. From there onward, cost cutting was top priority, which compromised receiver performance. The FM broadcast band we have today (88 to 108 MHz) came into being in 1946. Before this, the FM band was 42 to 50 MHz. In the US, tube radios did not have a back cover or internal antenna until 1940 - 1947.

[@JxH]

The Stone Age didn't end because they ran out of stone, and the Vacuum Tube era didn't end because they ran out of vacuum.

[@billharris6886]

@@JxH Like most technology that gets retired, it is due to costs or practicality. Like everything, vacuum tubes have advantages and disadvantages compared to newer amplifier technologies.

[@phitrow]

Continue more

[@andygozzo72]

thats not bad for a 'repro', many likely used same or very similar pcb, certainly looks familiar, philips did some repros of their 'ovaltiney' set 634A , in the 70s and 80s, i have one version, it appears to use the innards of one of their far eastern made all discrete 70s? portables 'adapted' to fit the case, i have one of the portables with same innards!, another version had IC based innards 'unique' to it

[@dougkubash8673]

Sure is a nice looking radio!

[@tntelectronic1741]

Very good

[@mohinderkaur6671]

Never buy this modern crap.