is there a good reason why we don't use electron tubes anymore?

Question

besides that they are very huge

Answer 1

Because they have been replaced by transistors and other solid-state devices. For almost all applications, the solid state devices do the same job with less power consumption, less cost and far greater speed. For example, common computer chips today contain millions of individual transistors in few square millimeters. An array of electron tubes which would do the same job would fill a football stadium and would require its own very large power generation plant.

Answer 2

We want electronic equipment that is easily portable, light weight, and uses smaller battery power sources. We also tend to like our equipment to be instant on.
While vacuum tubes can be bulky, and require high plate voltages to operate, they can also be as small as a transistor. Battery power could also be as low as 9 volts. What most of the respondents have seen is the older, more common types of consumer type electron tubes. In electronic equipment for laboratory use, very small tubes were quite common. They can be much more quiet than transistors, thermal shock resistance is better, and exposure to ionizing radiation was better than that of transistors. The consumer market has driven the electron tube out of common use. There is, however a lot more than just broadcast stations using electron tubes. A lot of amateur radio operators use electron tube equipment.
While the computer has found a place for solid state devices because of the size that can be obtained with the use of solid state materials, it is interesting that the electron tube operating characteristic is what is used for current computer chips. The FET type transistor very closely matches the operation of the vacuum tube in the way that it controls the "flow" of electrons through it.

Answer 3

The largest and most complex electron tubes pale in comparison to an integrated chip (IC) or a simple transistor circuit.
They are inefficient, need a high potential plate voltage, create a lot of heat and their performance degrades over time and they must be replaced.
Added note: Even the CRT (picture tube) is being phased out by LCD and plasma. Soon the electron tube will be a thing of the past.

Answer 4

There are several great reasons: their giant size compared to solid circuits with better capabilities, their high-power consumption, the fragility of their glass envelopes, their cost to manufacture, and their relatively short service life.

Think of an iPod the size of a car hanging from your neck followed by a battery set that only lasts a few days. Think also of your cell phone the size of an office desk. That would be the world of electron tubes.

Answer 5

Not as efficient, took time to warm up, not as quick and probably several other reasons.

The only people that I know that seem to miss them are amplifier enthusiasts. Apparently, the tones and effects using tubes for sound amplification are not easily re-created using transistor based amps. There may be other applications that still would prefer them. Perhaps others can provide some details.

Answer 6

Size, efficiency, cost etc. They also produce a lot of heat and require larger power supplies to run them. Most ICs run off of 3.3V so less power is required to operate the circuit. As the other person stated though they still have their applications. Lots of musicians prefer their guitar amps to have tubes because of the sound they produce at high volume levels

Answer 7

What do you mean used anymore?

There still in use every day... Basically not used in consumer stuff due to cost, being fragile, bulky, and as the other poster said high loss to output ratio.

But they are used in high end amplifiers and most broadcast stations use tubes to power the transmitters due to the cost and availabilty of solid state output transistors being able to handle the high power output (as last I saw the highest broadcast transmiiter solid state was 10kw with most stations using roughly a 30kw transmitter to power a 100kw station).

Other transmitters use tubes still also such as Maritime interests (mainly high power coast stations) and Amateur radio operators (in higher output amplifiers)

Answer 8

The same reason we don't use vacuum tubes, slow as molasas.... Let me break it down this way.

I was rollin in my escalade
pretending to have a fade
my stereo was slow, dam vacuum tubes
wish i had me some digital logic

So there you have it playa. Don't hate the technology, hate the missinformation

Answer 9

Size is the best reason.