THE GREAT MULLARD MAGIC BLOG

During the 1950s, Mullard had an apprentice system, following your application and an interview with the Plant Training Officer you could perhaps secure a position - in 1953 from a candidate pool of 12 'boys,' three were selected to become Mullard apprentices - good odds eh?      During the 5 year apprenticeship, day release was given which could culminate in either the HNC or BSc in Radio Engineering.  After qualification, and 9 years of employment, the successful 'boy' having earned his spurs could become one of the monthly paid staff. In the picture below you see a nice lady...

Electrode assemblies returned from feeder to parent factory were complete except for the getter and in the case of battery valves, the filament.  In both cases, these components were added at the parent factory, immediately prior to the assemblies being sealed into the envelope and the valve being pumped.   This was to avoid contamination of these labile components which were vacuum stored until useage. Attachment of the getter is a simple process where a strip of metal ribbon coated with getter material is welded to the stirrup wire at the top of the electrode assembly.    Insertion of the...

Today's Mullard archive photograph shows a Mullard Whyteleafe Valve Assembly Department operator removing an electrode cage from one of the dustproof boxes in which valve components were stored when not undergoing manufacturing operations.  As you can see, the operator's right hand holds a pair of welding tweezers with which she is about to weld a getter bar onto a selected electrode cage.  The BBC European Service Science Correspondent in 1953 was CL Boltz and he had much to say about the valve assembly operations but that is a subject for another day and another blog entry.

The assembled valves we saw in the last blog entry when received back at the parent factory are given a final visual inspection and then each inserted in an open ended  glass envelope.  Here in the photo above, we see Candace Humpleberry casting a critical eye over a tray of assembled cages.

LORAN, short for LOng RAnge Navigation,  Was a US developed hyperbolic radio navigation system from WW2 which was similar to, but with an improved range over  the UK's GEE system. Postwar, the US Coastguard took over operations of Loran until it's use was curtailed with Loran-A starting to be dismantled during the 1970s until final operation during 1985.  That said, a limited Japanese chain remained on the air until 9 May 1997, and a Chinese chain was still listed as active as of 2000.  The passing of Loran A was mourned by some but rejoiced by many radio amateurs as Loran A operated...