Date: Wed, 07 Dec 2022 18:26:07 +0000 (UTC)
From: Fern Rivard <crc@cyberlink.ca>
To: amps@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [Amps] Amp Pricing(??)
<Hey Jim, don't be so quick to discount those ceramic tubes such as the
<8877 and 3CX800A. They will have "floozy grids" for operators that don't
<know how to use them properly. I have an alpha 86 with a pair of
<3CX800A7 and an alpha 9500 with single 8877 which I've used for many
<years. The trick with those tubes is to make sure that you don't draw
<any or very little grid current. On both of my amps I only see a flicker
<of grid current if any at all. Just my 2 cents worth and I'm sticking to
it.
<Fern, VE7GZ
## Fern, there are plenty of amps out there using both of those tubes,
that DON'T have adequate protection built into them. IE: grid + plate
overcurrent protection, loss of airflow, loss of B+ etc, etc.
## you alpha's are done correctly for the most part. I'm talking about
joe newbie ham..and his 1st amp is a used amp with a 8877 in it. That
EIMAC 8877 went from $2000 up to $2950.00 and now is back down to
$2200.00 The chinese version is now $1350.00 . Add 36% + 12% tax +
USD $ shipping for cdn values. And a heck of a lot more in EU / Asia / ZL
/ VK/ZS land.
## back when chinese 8877's were $500.00 maybe, but not at today's
prices. The amps that didn't have grid overcurrent protection, or
protection from hotswithcing, are easily modified.
## a lot of these hams, both new and old, just don't get it. Got one old
fellow, who drives his Henry 2K-4 with a Swan 500. The swan xcvr's, none
of em even have an ALC jack. On the swan xcvr's on SSB, they say to use
the mic gain as a power output control..which of course will never work.
They stuff 200+ watts into these amps, then wonder why the tubes go into
orbit.
## another old guy (ham for 60 years now) sez he tunes his Ameritron
AL-811H up at 3840 khz..... then qsy's down to 3506 khz.... without
re-tuning, then complains he only gets no more than 2-3 weeks out of a new
set of 811's. (His swr is high down on 3506). When u tell em the amp needs
to be re-tuned, they tear a strip out of you, since they have been doing
that way since day-1.
## Local ham here in town managed to get 1400 watts out of his
AL-80B...driving it with a Icom 775DSP ( 200w xcvr)...until he blew it up.
Then we have the local folks who like FT-8, since it's all the rage these
days, then wonder why the ceramic bandswitch overheats and cracks..on 17m.
## Myself, I would be real leery about buying any used amp with an
expensive tube in it. It could last a year or two, and maybe 5-10 years,
who knows.
## On the SS amp group, one fellow went through 3 x pairs of BLF-188's.
They are not cheap..and a real bitch to replace.
Jim VE7RF
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