>Some stations in USA are ditching their vacuum tube rigs and switching over to
>silicon-based or going dark completely due to insufficient profit margin. They
>cannot find techs to keep the HV and tube rigs alive in some regions,
I don't doubt that but the big killer is the cost/availability of
tubes. A ham may never run out of filament emission. A broadcast
operator may do that in a year or two.
>If you approach the station owner offering to haul away their rig, or buying
>parts from it before they haul it to the scrap yard, you will find some choice
>parts.
That can happen but you also run into ones who want a crazy amount of
money for an old tube rig. Otherwise, it's highly advisable that you
show up on moving day ready and looking like you are confidently going
to work. Dress for the occasion. Bring dollies, flash lights, head
lamps, work gloves, and all the tools you are likely to need. The
broadcaster is allowing you into his facility. That alone may make
him or his CE nervous. Don't show up with a little SUV and waste his
time. Don't expect to move the box with all the iron inside.
>Many broadcast rigs used fixed mica caps and made the inductors variable.
>There are far less with vacuum variables in them.
You are more likely to find a vacuum tune cap in the smaller rigs made
in the 1960s. But Jim is right--Gates for example tuned with the
inductor. BTW this information is directed at anyone who reads this.
Rob
K5UJ
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