On 6/24/2026 7:11 AM, David Olean wrote:
At one point in a ten meter contest, I was called by the op at K1RX on
ten meters. He said it was the cleanest amplifier that he ever heard.
K1RX was seven miles away, all downhill, and there was basically no
splatter. All my old amps with smaller tubes had issues with over
driving and more with ops who were great contest ops, but never watched
plate and grid meters. 4CX250B, 4-400, 4CX1000 and small triodes etc all
had issues. I am temporarily off 160 now. I am hoping to be QRV again
soon.
I've was always taught that great engineering is using scientific
principles to solve specific problems/needs. The first and most
important part is identifying those needs, and it sounds like you've
done a great job with it.
FWIW -- K6XX and I are about 3 miles from each other and work many of
the same contests. The week I moved here in 2006, he got me on the phone
and made sure I knew how to tune my amp. I did. We both ran well
designed 2 - 3CX800A7 amps, mine a TenTec, his an Alpha. We could then
and still can be 500 Hz from each other on CW and hear each other as no
more than a strong station. Bob is 60 dB down 500 Hz from his signal.
Early on, he called telling me I was clicking, so we proceeded to work
through it, quickly figuring out that the sensing circuit in a cheap
noise canceller was the culprit.
Solved the problem.
Garry, NI6T, a more distant neighbor told me the story of him telling
his close-in neighbor Dave Leeson, W6NL, that he was clicking. Dave went
off the air immediately. When they met a few days later at the farmers'
market, Dave described the problem and the solution.
73, Jim K9YC
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