Subject: Re: [Amps] Econco closing
>Tube prices have already skyrocketed. Even the Chinese makers have caught
on to the fact that >they can charge more.
>Econco?s main business was rebuilding tubes for broadcasters. Most AM/FM
broadcasters got >rid of their tube transmitters years ago.
>In most cases the power savings alone were enough to pay for the cost of a
new solid state >transmitter.
>Eimac is now a minor shrinking division of CPI. I?d not be surprised to
see them soon shut >down. I think Burle (the former tube division of RCA)
is still making a few tube types in >Pennsylvania, probably for military
contracts.
>The last I checked Burle was still making the 8122 tubes that I use in my
National NCL-2000?s. >The 8122 was often used as the driver tube in higher
power shipboard transmitters.
>73,
>Doug/ WA1TUT
Several years ago, like at least 15 yrs ago, Matt at Econco told me
everybody had tried and tried and could not rebuild Svetlana or Chinese
tubes.
Fast forward and Econco was whining about not having any duds to rebuild.
Econco pleaded with folks, offered to buy your dud tubes, would ship you an
empty shipping carton, and would also pay for its return shipping to
Econco.
FM broadcast went SS back in the mid 70's. AM broadcast went SS in
the late 70's. The later broadcast PA's that went SS, there was and
still is NO market for used tube broadcast PA's. The tube Pa's went
straight to the landfill ...... including tubes.
Then all of a sudden, Econco tells me they CAN rebuild Svetlana and also
chinese metal tubes. Problem is / was..... what Econco wants to rebuild a
Chinese metal tube is absurd...... it's slightly less than a brand new
Chinese tube..that comes with a warranty.
You sent your Chinese / Svetlana tube to Econco... and back; you now have
to pay shipping in both directions. With the new Chinese tube, you pay
shipping just once....to your home.
My Svetlana 3CX-3000A7 tubes came with a 3 year / 12,000 hour warranty.
They also used a spiral mesh cathode, unlike the hairpin used on the Eimac
version.
I know of very very few AM / FM broadcast PA's that are still on the
air..just a handfull. Even Bear-electronics in Japan stopped building
custom tetrode metal tube ham amps. He is all LDMOS these days.
Tubes like the 8877, 3CX-800A7, 3-500Z are all throwaway tubes. Then we
have the Thunder amp folks in Indonesia selling complete 1/2/4/8 kw ham
amps that cover 160-6m, dirt cheap, and the price includes world wide
shipping..and they are all packed in 3/4" thick plywood crates.
Kenetron is a big outfit....and will no doubt take whatever business
Econco had remaining.
Meanwhile a new Eimac 8877 was selling for $2900 at Richardson's until
end users screamed....and they relented, and dropped the price down to
$2K..... which is still absurd.
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