Hi Chuck, and fellow reflectees,
There are several things to consider here.
1. Do you have inrush protection on your filament transformer, or a
transformer that is designed specifically for the tube it powers,
so that inrush is self-limiting?
2. After an on-the-air session, do you wait until the blower has done
its thing, and cooled the tube down to a reasonable level?
If your answer to both of the above is yes, you may operate in any manner
you wish.
I have a Henry 2000D here (3CX3000A7) that I converted to single-band
160 use. The "instant-on" feature is really useful on 160m, as an opening
to a rare country often lasts less than 3 minutes. Observing the two points
above, this amp has been working flawlessly for over 10 years.
Season's Greetings to all on the reflector!
(((73)))
Phil, K5PC
Subject: [Henry] On-off, or leave it on?
> My amp uses an Eimac 3CX3000A7, whose cathode is directly heated. (It's a
> thoriated-tungsten filament, IIRC.) An often-touted virtue of such a tube
> is that it requires just a couple of seconds of warmup time; in other
> words, it's "instant-on."
>
> My usual mode of operation is "search-and-pounce" DXing. In this mode I
> may spend 30 minutes scanning the band for a "new one," and then use the
> amp for a QSO lasting just a minute or two.
>
> What's best for the tube? Should I leave the amp on all the time? Or shut
> it off when I finish a QSO, and switch it back on when I'm about to make a
> call?
>
> Merry Christmas es 73 de Chuck W1HIS
>
>
>
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>
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