Ron Wagner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> made an utterance to the drakelist gang
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I am one who seldom does a replacement of any component unless I have a
reason to believe there is an issue with the component. You need to start
with a base line before replacing things and causing more issues with your
"shotgun" approach.
BUT................. In the case of the Drake AC-x power supply bias
capacitor I have to back off a bit, and here is why.
Gary and others can confirm that the bias supply also happens to be
critical to the TX relay latching (or should I say "anti-latching"). So
in this one specific design, if the bias goes, you have a self destruct
situation. When the bias goes low or out, the relay fires, and puts the
rig in TX with no bias on the finals. Pure high voltage "diodes" going
full bore until the plates are cherry red, and either the cathode is
stripped, or the glass envelope implodes on the xJB6 tubes.
To each his own. Yes I must admit that I have my AC-4 with original bias
caps that I had been running until a few month ago. But I have
replacement caps ready and have been using the TR7 until I get the bias
caps changed. Yes I ran the rig for years knowing all this, so I too
am guilty of not following my own advice. I happen to have a good supply
of 6JB6s (even some still in the box from Drake) so I am not so worried.
Unless you have the bias issue, or don't follow the "kind tune up" I
posted sometime back, they really do last quite a long time in CW and SSB
service.
BTW thanks to all who replied to my tube operation question. I now
understand much more. All were good, but I must admit that the link from
Richard Radke http://www.john-a-harper.com/tubes201/ was the one of the
best.
73,
Ron WD8SBB
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