I agree, looks are important! But if you are looking to get on and sound well, and have a limited budget, you frequently have to go with what iron you have around or can find, sometimes even limited to the impedance of the transformer you have, as I was with the VERY nice RCA mod transformer someone gave me. It came with a matching RCA plate transformer, and I had to use them.
They were for a much higher power transmitter than the 812/811 tubes I run with them, but they are in use. Tubes behind glass are always nice. The 30K1 I had just had glass in the window, I added black screen, then removed it, as it was not needed, rf did not seem to get into things with just glass. I have 4 100TH tubes behind glass in one modulator, with their grid wires out the side, they look impressive. The 812 deck has the 811 modulators behind glass. But I cant say one tube looks better to me than another, maybe the tubes that glow the plates look better, like 100th, 4-125 types. I find lots and lots of meters and knobs are impressive, but only if everything matches, and things are symmetrical and laid out in straight lines, no just sticking something someplace. You cant do much with tubes without the iron to run them, and iron can be hard to find at reasonable prices. Brett N2DTS > > > > Brett Gazdzinski wrote: > > >I would not build a transmitter because I had some tubes, > but did build > >one because I had a nice mod and power transformer...the > push pull 812a > >rig... > > > > > Well, I build to match my tubes, not because it is efficient or > inexpensive, but because it is esthetic. I am building a > linear for the > S-Line using a single 4-1000A. Not because its the best way > to go, but > because I can think of no better tube to have behind a window > to look at > while sitting in a cold shack.....well, cold before I turned > on the Linear. > > I am using the window out of a microwave door so that the > entire inside > of the linear is visible from the front. > > I am still looking for something to use the 833A in because it is a > humongus beautiful tube to look at. Someone answered this thread > suggesting two 4-125As modulating the 833A and that has a > good "look" to > it. I could use a "hurricane" candle chimney for a cooling > chimney on > the 833A. > > I build for the beauty of the instrument. If I could figure > out how to > put a "Jacob's Ladder" on the top of my transmitter without > causing all > manner of interference on the receiver I would probably try > it...#8-) > > We are the wizards of the world and we should make it look impressive > and complicated to keep the riff raff out.....#8-) Lots of brass, > mahogany, glass and glowing filiments....thats the ticket. > > > _______________________________________________ > AMRadio mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio
