[quote author="Larrchild"]Thanks for the concise answer! No doubt someone will be around soon to contradict you. But it's the best answer I've heard. I believe it.
off topic, but still fun: http://www.bellsystemmemorial.com/pdf/brattain_lab_notebook.pdf
Brittains Lab notes from the day the "Crystal Triode" first made A.C. Gain.
About a quarter-way down, read : "We attained the following A.C. values at 1000 cycles
Eg=.015 R.M.S. volts Ep= 1.5 R.M.S. volts"
They must have shat themselves.[/quote]
This forum is far less contentious than some. I remember a debate in another forum that raged for a zillion posts about adding a current source to a voltage regulator circuit, that had various famous heavyweights all trying to get the last word. We generally peter out around here after a bit, with a few acrimonious exceptions, including one I was regrettably party to when I should have had a lie-down before clicking on submit.
I am surprised that the inductor question in the other forum wasn't settled by referencing a Jensen white paper on the 990 though---but I guess that would have spoiled the fun.
Re getting gain out of the crystal triode---yes, those were the days to bring a change or two of underwear to work at Bell Labs.
It's funny that some still think they got their ideas from Roswell debris---as if there had been no solid-state physics before 1947.