On Thu, 18 Dec 2003, John wrote:
> Can any one tell me how long must I allow the tubes in my centurion warm
> up before use ?
I believe the official spec says 3 seconds however I would wait at least
5-10 seconds for the filaments to get to full intensity. By the time the
fan gets spun up to full speed you will have given everything a chance to
settle down. Personally, I wait 60 seconds to minimize thermal shock and
stress - I probably don't have to but it makes me sleep better at night.
It's more important to let the unit cool down for at least 5-10 minutes if
you've been using it at high power or lower power with long key-down
times. If you turn the unit off right after finishing a long QSO the heat
will find its way to the pins and seals at the base which is one thing you
do not want.
It's just like a car engine - let it warm up before you gun it, let it
cool down before you shut it off.
73 Jason N1SU
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