Jim wrote:

> We might find out the origins of the 'cascode' circuit
> configuration if we were to research this subject in
> the MIT "Rad Lab Series" (meaning it was probably first
> used in RADAR apps beginning in the forties and prior
> to use in TV tuners) ...

Out of curiosity I looked in the MIT Radiation Lab books. The
cascode amplifier is described in volume 18, written in 1946. The
description dealt mainly with increasing the gain of a triode amp to
make it approximately equal to a pentode without having to use a
screen grid power supply. It was described in the Direct Coupled
Amplifier section. No mention was made of its use as an RF amp.

Another reference I found mentioned that the cascode amp was
developed in the MIT labs during WW2 and described it's use as a
low noise VHF RF amp.

I first used a cascode amp to replace a pentode RF amp in a
communications receiver I had in 1949. It really pepped up the
performance on 10 and 20 meters.

Cheers,
Bill

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