The door of the courtyard house has been welded dead

Chapter 1582 Electron Tubes and Transistors

Radio is arguably the easiest to install.

The radio station that was applied for approval from the General Logistics Department was soon delivered to the Red Star Factory.

Li Feng looked at the two types of radios, one large and one small, and couldn't help scratching his head.

The larger one is almost twice as big as the smaller one next to it.

In terms of weight, after assembling only the batteries, Li Feng lifted the first one and almost couldn't lift it. It weighed at least 60 kilograms, and it was really big.

"This is the Type 15 W radio currently used by the troops. It is a little heavy, but it is used by division and regiment levels. We install it on the vehicle, not just on people's backs~!"

Yuan Xiangwen, the technician from Factory 712 who was in charge of debugging and installation, looked at Director Li with a grin and a hint of a subtle smile on his face. This kind of military radio, even in the army, can only be carried by very strong personnel.

As he spoke, the technician continued to take things out of the wooden box.

Hand-cranked generator, antenna, spare batteries, headphones, walkie-talkies, maintenance tools, etc., don't look too complicated.

Li Feng had never seen such a scene before. Decades later, he had only seen walkie-talkies, a professional communication tool used by the military, and he had only seen it on TV and in movies.

He took out a walkie-talkie from the tin box. It was almost the size of a head and quite heavy, comparable to the mobile phones in old Hong Kong movies, except that it didn't have number buttons.

His attention shifted to the radio. The densely packed knobs on this big machine made Li Feng dazzled. If he was not an expert, he would not be able to figure out how to operate it for a while.

The smaller radio also has the "A81" model on the nameplate, but with a small word "small" on the back. Because of the word "small", the size and weight are almost half the size.

After installing the battery lock, Li Feng picked it up easily this time. The weight was about 30 kilograms, which was slightly within the normal range of human tolerance.

"The big ones are at the division and regiment level, so the smaller ones are at the battalion and company level?"

It is easy to associate the two things, one big and one small. The large radio station, which is not convenient to move, is deployed in a division, and the small one is undoubtedly at the grassroots level. In Director Li's simple brain circuit, the large one must have a wide coverage and a long communication distance.

"Let me take a look. I haven't seen this model before. Is this from Factory 714?"

The two radios are not only different in size, but also in the color of the outer shell. The large radio is iron gray, and the small radio is emerald green, which is similar to the color of the new military uniforms.

"This is also 15W. Is it a new military radio? It was manufactured last month~!"

Yuan Xiangwen raised his head and looked at Director Li. He was also a little puzzled at this time. As a professional technician, he seemed a little unprofessional at this time. If the power of the two radios quietly developed by Factory 714 were the same, it meant that the larger one would be eliminated.

"Director Li, I want to open it and take a look?"

Among the two radios, one large and one small, the new small one undoubtedly made Yuan Xiangwen very envious. What technology was used in it to significantly reduce the weight while reducing the size was a curiosity to him, like a cat scratching his heart.

"Will it break?"

"There are maintenance instructions in the manual to facilitate repairs by officers and soldiers~!"

"Then tear it down~!"

Li Feng was also curious at this time. He mainly wanted to see whether the current domestic technology level was still at the level of vacuum tubes or semiconductors. Anyway, when installing it on the car, he had to consider the power wiring.

After receiving the order, Yuan Xiangwen cut off the battery power and started to dismantle it. After opening the cover, he was stunned when he saw what was inside.

The small radio station was not as crowded and complicated as he had imagined. It was very clean and tidy inside.

"How could this be?"

The astonishment on Yuan Xiangwen's face was imprinted in Li Feng's eyes. Director Li curiously leaned over to observe the situation inside the radio station.

Li Feng doesn't understand technology, but he does understand it at all. To Yuan Xiangwen, the parts inside are neatly made.

But to Li Feng, who had tasted fine bran, it was still a little messy inside. However, he saw what he wanted to see, two or three orange circuit boards in the corners.

"Is something wrong?"

Subconsciously glancing at the big radio, Li Feng seemed to have guessed what might have surprised Yuan Xiangwen.

"Why is it transistor-based? How can a radio, such an important communication equipment, use transistors? It will be completely destroyed by the electronic pulse interference of a nuclear explosion?" Yuan Xiangwen's face kept changing, as if his heart was broken. Even though this new radio from Factory 714 was smaller in size and lighter in weight, it was simply heresy based on what he had learned.

Although both are called Radio Bayi, they are completely two different products. One can continue to maintain communications during a nuclear explosion, while the other is completely defenseless.

"But its advantages are also obvious. Transistors can significantly reduce size and weight, making them easy to carry!"

Li Feng is very clear whether the future will be the era of vacuum tubes or the era of transistor semiconductors. The presence of two or three circuit boards in the new radio proves that the superiors are also aware that the direction of technological development needs to be changed.

Moving on from circuit boards to integrated circuits, that is the future direction of technological development. Vacuum tubes will gradually decline. If we continue to follow the pace of Big Brother, we will be led astray.

"But, but, in the case of a nuclear explosion~!"

"Yes, in the case of a nuclear explosion, transistors cannot withstand electronic pulses. But will mushroom bombs appear frequently on future battlefields? Are they strategic weapons?"

Seeing Yuan Xiangwen still unable to accept it, Li Feng patted him on the shoulder. The destructive power of mushrooms is very strong, but the power of mushrooms is also destined to be used only as a deterrent weapon.

"War may happen at any time, but the game between major powers is not just about mushroom bombs. In the future, we need to consider more about conventional warfare. Electronic tubes are true, but they may not be suitable for future battlefields~!"

The General Logistics Department sent two radios, both 15W, bulky old models. Now there is no need to disassemble them. Li Feng also guessed that there are vacuum tubes inside. The new models are transistors. One is for nuclear explosion environments and the other is for non-nuclear explosion environments. They can adapt to both situations. It can be said that they are well considered.

The General Logistics Department may not be able to figure out the specific situation of the future battlefield, but for Li Feng, the perspective of the future can make it easy for him to see which type should be eliminated.

"The advantages of transistors are unquestionable at this stage. The electron tube has only this advantage. Excluding the nuclear explosion, can you tell me why it is better than the transistor?"

Li Feng didn't understand technology, but he understood the future. He looked at Yuan Xiangwen with an inquiring look. Once the electron tube removed this advantage, there would be no other advantages. It was not until around the 1980s that it was completely replaced.

If we look at it from the perspective of future generations, if we had continued to follow the footsteps of Big Brother and continued to put a lot of effort into research on electron tubes, we would have ended up in a dead end and missed the best opportunity to enter the semiconductor era. In the end, we would have only left behind a brief statement, and we would have taken a detour in technological development for some time.

"Director, you don't understand technology, but I feel like you know a lot?"

Yuan Xiangwen raised his head and looked at Director Li. Just the certainty in his words was enough for him to accept. Of course, in this era, he was not the only technician who attached great importance to electron tubes.

"Ahem, I don't understand the technology, but I understand people. Not every country can make mushroom bombs. There are only a few of them at the moment. The Eagle is fighting fiercely in the south. Did you see him use it? It's useless, right?"

"We didn't have it before, but now we have it, so they dare not use it. We have a vast territory and a large population, so they have to consider the consequences of using it. War is the continuation of politics~!"

Li Feng couldn't say that transistors and integrated circuits would dominate the world in the future, so he could only find another way. From another aspect, he tried to persuade Yuan Xiangwen to throw mushroom bombs at every turn. However, only that company had ever been hit by mushroom bombs on the broken ball. If they missed the opportunity to develop semiconductors, they would be truly lagging behind others.

Yuan Xiangwen seemed to be somewhat convinced. The factory director's unorthodoxy was justified. If the battlefield environment was a conventional war, it would be obvious that electron tubes did not have any advantages at all.

"Okay, put it on~!"

"For every ten small radios, there should be one large one. Install them according to this ratio. It's up to you where to install them~!"

All in all, the situation was somewhat hesitant between vacuum tubes and transistors. Li Feng didn't mind and asked the higher authorities to shift the future research direction slightly towards transistors.

As long as it is slightly offset and not plunged into the electron tube, it is acceptable to Li Feng.

"The research direction of our vehicle-mounted artillery automation is to take the transistor route. Don't ask why, you already know my idea~!"

Li Feng stopped Yuan Xiangwen from saying anything. Even though he didn't open his mouth, he knew what he wanted to say.

Who made Li Feng the factory director? The factory director is not there to debate with technicians. The factory director is there to point out the general direction for the future.

As for the General Logistics Department, Li Feng plans to write a report to add some weight to the development of transistors in the direction of electronic technology.

The shortcomings of chip technology will be an unspeakable pain in the future. This pain has lasted for decades, but the wound has not improved much.

Not to mention Big Brother's side, it was completely defeated. After realizing the seriousness of the problem, they finally picked up the watermelons they had dropped.

A small radio station reflects the comprehensive national strength, the main direction of scientific research development, and the urgency of seizing the day.

The next ten years will be the golden period for semiconductor research and development, because not only rabbits, but also geese and eagles are hesitating and wandering between the two.

Once you make the wrong choice, the time and energy required to catch up will undoubtedly be ten or a hundred times the investment.

(End of this chapter)