Communications: When tubes beat crystals: Early radio detectors: Although crystals were superior, tubes won out ¿ Until the solid-state revolution reversed tradition with a different kind of `crystal¿ detector

Discusses the development of the crystal detector and the thermionic diode detector and compares their characteristics. These devices were associated with H. Dunwoody who espoused the crystal detector and J. Fleming who promulgated the vacuum tube detector. The DC characteristics of a variety of tubes and crystals was measured and plotted.