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Re: T4XB Major Bummer

 

开云体育

Yes it is.

Gary

W0DVN

On Mar 23, 2023, at 7:59 PM, W6MQI via groups.io <w6mqi@...> wrote:

Gary,
?Is your email on QRZ good?

Dave


Re: T4XB Major Bummer

 
Edited

Gary,
?Is your email on QRZ good? The function switch has three wafers it's the rear most wafer.?
Function switch switches CW, TUNE, SSB, AM

Dave


Re: T4XB Major Bummer

 

开云体育

I have a large supply of rotary switch wafers. Can you send me a detailed, in focus photo of your switch wafer, preferably both sides?

Gary

W0DVN


On Mar 23, 2023, at 7:05 PM, W6MQI via groups.io <w6mqi@...> wrote:

I've been going through my B-line the last few weeks and have the R4B running really well such amazing audio compared to the R4C.? So next in line was the T4XB and while cleaning rotary switch contacts I noticed on the back wafer on the function switch part that rotates had a blown-out section from arching in the past. I purchased the twins from a guy about 7 or 8 years ago and never really used them they just sat on the shelf. So if anyone has a spare switch or junker T4XB I'm in the market.? ? Dammit! and I was on the home stretch to completing the B-line restoration.

Dave
... --- ... looking for a spare T4XB function switch


T4XB Major Bummer

 

I've been going through my B-line the last few weeks and have the R4B running really well such amazing audio compared to the R4C.? So next in line was the T4XB and while cleaning rotary switch contacts I noticed on the back wafer on the function switch part that rotates had a blown-out section from arching in the past. I purchased the twins from a guy about 7 or 8 years ago and never really used them they just sat on the shelf. So if anyone has a spare switch or junker T4XB I'm in the market.? ? Dammit! and I was on the home stretch to completing the B-line restoration.

Dave
... --- ... looking for a spare T4XB function switch


Re: DRAKE TECHNICAL NET UPDATE ( March 19, 2023 )

 

Mark, thanks for that information!

I am willing to be a NCS if we can have this on days other than Sunday or Monday. Of course, things work better with additional NCS folk.

What say?

Steve Wedge, W1ES/4

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.


Sent from Proton Mail for iOS


On Thu, Mar 23, 2023 at 4:09 PM, Mark - WB0IQK <mgilger@...> wrote:
Greg,
Thanks for catching that.?

Here are the vintage SSB & AM nets that I know of. There might be more, but these are the ones that I know of.?

73's,
Mark, WB0IQK

SATURDAY:

8:45 am Eastern = No Name Vintage net on 3.977 mhz

9:30 am Eastern = Vintage SSB net on 3.843 mhz

2 pm Eastern = Swan Technical net on 7.242 mhz

3:30 pm Eastern = Kenwood Hybrid net on 7.242 mhz

SUNDAY:

8 am Eastern = DX60 AM net on 3.880 mhz

2 pm UTC = Kenwood Hybrid net ON 14.316 mhz

2 pm Eastern = Vintage SSB on 14.292.5 mhz

3 pm Eastern = Heathkit net on 14.292.5 mhz

2000 UTC = Collins net on 14.363 mhz

5 pm Eastern = Swan net on 14.292.5 mhz

MONDAY:

5 pm Eastern = Vintage SSB net on 3.842 mhz

7 pm Eastern = Vintage AM net on 14.330 mhz (not very active)

TUESDAY:

9 pm Eastern = Collins net on 3.805 mhz

9:30 pm Eastern = Vintage SSB net on 3.895 mhz

WEDNESDAY:?

4 pm Eastern = Swan net on 14.292.5 mhz

5 pm Eastern = Vintage SSB net on 3.870 mhz

6 pm Eastern = Elmac AM net on 3.880 mhz

THURSDAY:

9 pm Eastern = Albuquerque Vintage SSB net on 7.202 mhz


Re: DRAKE TECHNICAL NET UPDATE ( March 19, 2023 )

 
Edited

Greg,
Thanks for catching that.?

Here are the vintage SSB & AM nets that I know of. There might be more, but these are the ones that I know of. I added the West coast Drake net.?

73's,
Mark, WB0IQK

SATURDAY:

8:45 am Eastern = No Name Vintage net on 3.977 mhz

9:30 am Eastern = Vintage SSB net on 3.843 mhz

2 pm Eastern = Swan Technical net on 7.242 mhz

3:30 pm Eastern = Kenwood Hybrid net on 7.242 mhz

SUNDAY:

8 am Eastern = DX60 AM net on 3.880 mhz

2 pm UTC = Kenwood Hybrid net ON 14.316 mhz

2 pm Eastern = Vintage SSB on 14.292.5 mhz

3 pm Eastern = Heathkit net on 14.292.5 mhz

2000 UTC = Collins net on 14.363 mhz

5 pm Eastern = Swan net on 14.292.5 mhz

MONDAY:

5 pm Eastern = Vintage SSB net on 3.842 mhz

7 pm Eastern = Vintage AM net on 14.330 mhz (not very active)

TUESDAY:

9 pm Eastern = Collins net on 3.805 mhz

9:30 pm Eastern = Vintage SSB net on 3.895 mhz

WEDNESDAY:?

4 pm Eastern = Swan net on 14.292.5 mhz

5 pm Eastern = Vintage SSB net on 3.870 mhz

6 pm Eastern = Elmac AM net on 3.880 mhz

THURSDAY:

9 pm Eastern = Albuquerque Vintage SSB net on 7.202 mhz
7 pm Pacific = Drake West Coast net on 3.895 mhz


Re: Drake service CDs no longer available from K4OAH?

 

Via FF version 111.0.1 working for me - likewise in the UK

The CDs are gold, physical or downloaded.

Michael 2E0IHW

On 23/03/2023 16:11, Mike Millen wrote:
I'm using the same (latest) version of Firefox and the link () is working perfectly for me.
Mike - M0MLM


Re: Strange AUX-7 for TR-7

Lyndon Nerenberg (VE7TFX/VE6BBM)
 

Brien Pepperdine writes:
For me the WARC are a 'bit' of a=20
hoax.. wherein I don't see much on 30m...some on 12 and 17 re. activity=20
sometimes.
I think you need to replace your dummy load with
an antenna.

--lyndon


Re: Drake service CDs no longer available from K4OAH?

 

开云体育

Everyone,

I did get a confirmation from Carol that all is well.
Looking at the web page I do not see anywhere to select a product and pay for it.

Also what are the differences between the T-4X & T-4XB?
I would like to get the proper manual.

Dave KC3AM

On 3/22/2023 11:08 PM, Tom Evans wrote:

I sent a test email to?k4oah@... and received a prompt reply from Carol Barrell.

Then I sent a $1.00 payment via Paypal to k4oah@... and the payment went through.
I got this confirmation:?

You've sent $1.00?USD to k4oah@...
We'll let k4oah@... know you've sent it.

Bill Leonard, N0CU, please try it again.? It may have been a temporary?glitch.

Best wishes,
Tom, AG9X


On Wed, Mar 22, 2023 at 9:00?PM Bill Leonard N0CU <billincolo73@...> wrote:
The problem at this time is that there is no account open at PayPal for K4OAH. So until one does get opened, PayPal has no way to make the payment and their policy is to cancel the payment request after 10 days.



Re: Strange AUX-7 for TR-7

 

I do laugh.. sort of.
Having said I think that the WARC are seemingly not so much chosen..
yesterday 12m was chock a block full of CW signals for WHAT reason I don't know.. no contests (CWops was short event)... was this all DX mania? Well, again, not my cup of tea. No casual operators out there?
Today 17m is same...
I don't see the joy in it... too intense.
At least when 10m was open for a few days I was actually having something like a QSO and ragchew with a few foreign DX entities. Heck, I would be happy with Hoboken, NJ....
Sigh. Maybe my mother in law will teach me to knit hats for cats....
Brian VE3HI


Re: Drake service CDs no longer available from K4OAH?

 

开云体育

I'm using the same (latest) version of Firefox and the link () is working perfectly for me.

Mike - M0MLM


From: Karl du Roi, DK7AL [mailto:dk7al@...]
Sent: Thursday, 23 March 2023 at 4:06 pm
Subject: [DRAKE-RADIO] Drake service CDs no longer available from K4OAH?

No Sir, its only a matter of browser to be used. With Firefox (V111.0 64-bit) it does not work, with TOR (V11.5.8 64-bit) it is working!

Best regards

Karl, DK7AL

On 23.03.23 15:45, Tom Evans wrote:
The error you received is caused by the period at the end of the sentence.

This is correct:


This is improper:
.
Notice the tiny period at the end of the URL

An alternative is to go to the main page and click on 'Enter' then click on
'Ordering'


73,
Tom, AG9X



Re: Drake service CDs no longer available from K4OAH?

 

开云体育

PayPal still isn’t working for me.? I go to Send Money/Add email, put in?k4oah@... and am told no email found.

?

骋谤谤谤谤谤….

?

Joe – W7RKN


Re: Drake service CDs no longer available from K4OAH?

 

No Sir, its only a matter of browser to be used. With Firefox (V111.0 64-bit) it does not work, with TOR (V11.5.8 64-bit) it is working!

Best regards

Karl, DK7AL

On 23.03.23 15:45, Tom Evans wrote:
The error you received is caused by the period at the end of the sentence.

This is correct:


This is improper:
.
Notice the tiny period at the end of the URL

An alternative is to go to the main page and click on 'Enter' then click on
'Ordering'


73,
Tom, AG9X


On Thu, Mar 23, 2023 at 4:23?AM Karl du Roi, DK7AL <dk7al@...> wrote:

HTTP Error 404. The requested resource is not found.


On 23.03.23 10:19, Lawrence Stringer via groups.io wrote:
The manuals and service data are still available for digital download
from Gary's widow at .
I don't think the CDs are still available but you can of course burn
your own from the download.
73 Lawrence G4GZG











Re: 2-C Receiver

 

The 4 lines use the same knob setup.. except there is only one phenolic reducer.? And, it has a split in its side? so it can shrink as the screw is tightened.
Maybe you do not need 2 bushings?? Maybe they are backwards (swapped)?
And, that is the worst rusty looking switch I have seen, must need lubrication and cleaning.
73,
Gary
WB6OGD


Re: Drake service CDs no longer available from K4OAH?

 

The error you received is caused by the period at the end of the sentence.

This is correct:


This is improper:
Notice the tiny period at the end of the URL

An alternative is to go to the main page and click on 'Enter' then click on 'Ordering'


73,
Tom, AG9X


On Thu, Mar 23, 2023 at 4:23?AM Karl du Roi, DK7AL <dk7al@...> wrote:
HTTP Error 404. The requested resource is not found.


On 23.03.23 10:19, Lawrence Stringer via wrote:
> The manuals and service data are still available for digital download? from? Gary's widow at .
>
> I don't think the CDs are still available but you can of course burn your own from the download.
>
> 73? Lawrence G4GZG
>
>
>
>
>
>






Re: Strange AUX-7 for TR-7

 


DRAKE TR-7 HF Transceiver : AUX-7 (model 1536)

Solutions / Alternatives for Drake AUX-7 Board
==
Nationwide Radio Sales
Mark Olsen, KE9PQ

Radio Lab Works (Kenosha, WI)
D.A. Buska, N9OO
Replacement AUX-7 board modules
?
A Homebrew AUX-7 Board for the Drake TR7 and R7
by Ron Baker, WB4HFN : Drake Knowledge Repository


Programming Matrix Table for AUX-7 Band Modules

Mark Van Stalen, PA1HFO : 4-Board Set Renewed Drake TR-7 Modifications (August 2007) $35.00

Drake TR-7 : 4-Board Set (Communications Quarterly, (Summer 1992) $17.50
FAR CIRCUITS sells this PC Board Set?

FAR Circuits
18N640 Field Court
Dundee, IL 60118
e-Mail: mail@...
Phone: +1 (847) 347-2432
===
Replacement TR-7 / R-7 Displays
Willi Rass,?DF4NW (Germany)




K4OAH CDs are still available

 

Carol contacted me last night.
The problem was on my end.
--
Bill N0CU


Re: R4C power supply question

 

It is under the desk and so won’t be hit by me. My cats don’t have the strength to turn it :-)

Steve Wedge, W1ES/4

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.


Sent from Proton Mail for iOS


On Thu, Mar 23, 2023 at 7:42 AM, Ken, WA2LBI <wa2lbi@...> wrote:
Steve,

Since that variable transformer can be adjusted to output more than 125V you might consider removing the knob to prevent accidental voltage changes.

Ken
WA2LBI




On Thu, Mar 23, 2023 at 7:36?AM Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 via <w1es=[email protected]> wrote:

I measured my line voltage here in central NC and it’s usually 123VAC or thereabouts. I decided that, rather than going through a dozen or so rigs, it was and is much easier to buy a 20A Variac and connect all of the non-amp equipment to it.

I never have more than 2-3 sets in at any given time and so this works for me. It keeps everything more original and cuts down on stressed parts.

The Variac I bought was one of those red Chinese ones on Amazon or eBay. Well under $100. And yes, I scraped some paint off some grounding points first. I’ve had no trouble in the several months that it has been installed.

73,

Steve Wedge, W1ES/4

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.


Sent from Proton Mail for iOS


On Thu, Mar 23, 2023 at 07:17, David <david.w5xu@...> wrote:
Some of the earliest discussions were by the US Navy that was studying why tubes did not last long. Filament voltage was generally the culprit and gave rise to the +_ 10 % voltage range. The major culprit is that the older radios were designed for lower input voltages ranging from 110 volts to 115 volts and then to today's standard of 120. So a power transformer in an older set was optimally sized for the input range of that day and use in todays world leads to all voltages in these radios being higher than intended. For the filament consideration according to the navy study there then was a reduction in useful lifetime. Tube manufacturers used this fact in designing filaments more tolerant of various voltages ( the 10%) so the result is they last longer but are still challenged in older sets in use today.

David Assaf III
W5XU VP8RXU

On Thu, Mar 23, 2023, 3:38 AM Richard Knoppow <1oldlens1@...> wrote:
The extension of lamp and tube life applies to pure tungsten filaments. These were common in large transmitting tubes. For receiving tubes the general reccomendation is to keep filament voltage to within about +/- 5%. This applies to tjoriated tungsten also but voyage can be lowered somewhat if emission is monitored. Eimac has authoritative information in their tube application notes.
A place where lowered voltage is often found is the filament of the 6H6 and 6AL5 twin diodes when used as detectors an noise clippers. These tubes have a tendency to produce hum which is reduced by lowering filament voltage by about a volt. However in general its not a recommended practice.
during WW2 RCA published charts showing the effect of filament voltageon tube life for pure tungsten filaments. I don't off hand remember the numbers but a relatively small reduction increases life substantially with relatively small reduction in emission.





-------- Original message --------
From: Doug Crompton WA3DSP <wa3dsp@...>
Date: 3/23/23 12:04 AM (GMT-08:00)
Subject: Re: [DRAKE-RADIO] R4C power supply question

I am picky about things, but the twins are not going to be rigs I will use a great deal and probably seldom. No doubt the Sherwood updates are top-notch but it just wouldn't be worth it to spend the time and money the way I would operate the receiver. I will leave that to the next guy. I did update the power supply and audio amp which are probably the first things someone with an R4C should tackle.

As for the filaments, I did add a self wound resistor to reduce the voltage by about .5 volts. It is now sitting at about 6.5 @ 122 line volts. From what I have read, you don't want to run the filament voltage too low, but too high by a volt is not a good idea either. This greatly depends on your line voltage. Typical today is 120-122, but in some areas it can vary greatly. I remember in the old incandescent light bulb days seeing a chart that showed a bulb would last 10 times longer with 10% less rated voltage and 1/10 the time with 10% more. I don't know if that is true, and tube filaments would probably not directly correlate to the old bulbs.

There is a lot of misinformation on the Internet so it is hard to get accurate information since tubes other than in hobby stuff are rarely used anymore. I saw many posts that warned of permanent loss of emission after running low filament voltage, and others saying that tube gain actually improved at lower filament voltage. Of course, we are talking about greatly lower. Keeping filaments between 6.0 and 6.5 volts is a good range to shoot for. It is also a good thing that Drake did not blast the hell out of plate voltage limits like Heath and other manufacturers. There are a couple of miniature tubes in the KWM2 that would give you a burn as bad as touching a soldering iron just by briefly touching. Heath often ran tubes at or higher than maximum ratings. There is no reason to run a receiving tube at 250-300 volts.

Many tubes are a limited resource so we need to take care of them!

Doug, WA3DSP


Re: R4C power supply question

 

开云体育

Same here, Steve.? A Stacor Variac is used along with a 4-recepticle isolation transformer.? An RCA WV-120B line voltage monitor plugs into one of the receptacles to monitor line voltage while adjusting the Variac to match line voltage with the vintage of the radio.? For example, I set Variac voltage to 110V when using 1930s-era gear like pre-war National and Hammarlund receivers.? Then step it up to 115-117V for 1950s and ‘60s gear like Drake and Collins.?

?

The RCA monitor has its own receptacle to power additional equipment if needed.? Having the monitor is a great way to continuously watch line voltage as my utility line voltage varies from 120V to about 127V.?

?

Paul, W9AC ??

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 via groups.io
Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2023 7:36 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [DRAKE-RADIO] R4C power supply question

?

?

I measured my line voltage here in central NC and it’s usually 123VAC or thereabouts. I decided that, rather than going through a dozen or so rigs, it was and is much easier to buy a 20A Variac and connect all of the non-amp equipment to it.?

?

I never have more than 2-3 sets in at any given time and so this works for me. It keeps everything more original and cuts down on stressed parts.?

?

The Variac I bought was one of those red Chinese ones on Amazon or eBay. Well under $100. And yes, I scraped some paint off some grounding points first. I’ve had no trouble in the several months that it has been installed.?

?

73,

?

Steve Wedge, W1ES/4

?

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

?

?

Sent from Proton Mail for iOS

?

?

On Thu, Mar 23, 2023 at 07:17, David <david.w5xu@...> wrote:

Some of the earliest discussions were by the US Navy that was studying why tubes did not last long. Filament voltage was generally the culprit and gave rise to the +_ 10 % voltage range. The major culprit is that the older radios were designed for lower input voltages ranging from 110 volts to 115 volts and then to today's standard of 120. So a power transformer in an older set was optimally sized for the input range of that day and use in todays world leads to all voltages in these radios being higher than intended. For the filament consideration according to the navy study there then was a reduction in useful lifetime. Tube manufacturers used this fact in designing filaments more tolerant of various voltages ( the 10%) so the result is they last longer but are still challenged in older sets in use today.

David Assaf III
W5XU VP8RXU

?

On Thu, Mar 23, 2023, 3:38 AM Richard Knoppow <1oldlens1@...> wrote:

The extension of lamp and tube life applies to pure tungsten filaments. These were common in large transmitting tubes. For receiving tubes the general reccomendation is to keep filament voltage to within about +/- 5%. This applies to tjoriated tungsten also but voyage can be lowered somewhat if emission is monitored. Eimac has authoritative information in their tube application notes.

A place where lowered voltage is often found is the filament of the 6H6 and 6AL5 twin diodes when used as detectors an noise clippers. These tubes have a tendency to produce hum which is reduced by lowering filament voltage by about a volt. However in general its not a recommended practice.

during WW2 RCA published charts showing the effect of filament voltageon tube life for pure tungsten filaments. I don't off hand remember the numbers but a relatively small reduction increases life substantially with relatively small reduction in emission.

?

?

?

?

?

-------- Original message --------

From: Doug Crompton WA3DSP <wa3dsp@...>

Date: 3/23/23 12:04 AM (GMT-08:00)

Subject: Re: [DRAKE-RADIO] R4C power supply question

?

I am picky about things, but the twins are not going to be rigs I will use a great deal and probably seldom. No doubt the Sherwood updates are top-notch but it just wouldn't be worth it to spend the time and money the way I would operate the receiver. I will leave that to the next guy. I did update the power supply and audio amp which are probably the first things someone with an R4C should tackle.

As for the filaments, I did add a self wound resistor to reduce the voltage by about .5 volts. It is now sitting at about 6.5 @ 122 line volts. From what I have read, you don't want to run the filament voltage too low, but too high by a volt is not a good idea either. This greatly depends on your line voltage. Typical today is 120-122, but in some areas it can vary greatly. I remember in the old incandescent light bulb days seeing a chart that showed a bulb would last 10 times longer with 10% less rated voltage and 1/10 the time with 10% more. I don't know if that is true, and tube filaments would probably not directly correlate to the old bulbs.

There is a lot of misinformation on the Internet so it is hard to get accurate information since tubes other than in hobby stuff are rarely used anymore. I saw many posts that warned of permanent loss of emission after running low filament voltage, and others saying that tube gain actually improved at lower filament voltage. Of course, we are talking about greatly lower. Keeping filaments between 6.0 and 6.5 volts is a good range to shoot for. It is also a good thing that Drake did not blast the hell out of plate voltage limits like Heath and other manufacturers. There are a couple of miniature tubes in the KWM2 that would give you a burn as bad as touching a soldering iron just by briefly touching. Heath often ran tubes at or higher than maximum ratings. There is no reason to run a receiving tube at 250-300 volts.

Many tubes are a limited resource so we need to take care of them!

Doug, WA3DSP


Re: R4C power supply question

 

Steve,

Since that variable transformer can be adjusted to output more than 125V you might consider removing the knob to prevent accidental voltage changes.

Ken
WA2LBI




On Thu, Mar 23, 2023 at 7:36?AM Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 via <w1es=[email protected]> wrote:

I measured my line voltage here in central NC and it’s usually 123VAC or thereabouts. I decided that, rather than going through a dozen or so rigs, it was and is much easier to buy a 20A Variac and connect all of the non-amp equipment to it.?

I never have more than 2-3 sets in at any given time and so this works for me. It keeps everything more original and cuts down on stressed parts.?

The Variac I bought was one of those red Chinese ones on Amazon or eBay. Well under $100. And yes, I scraped some paint off some grounding points first. I’ve had no trouble in the several months that it has been installed.?

73,

Steve Wedge, W1ES/4

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.


Sent from Proton Mail for iOS


On Thu, Mar 23, 2023 at 07:17, David <david.w5xu@...> wrote:
Some of the earliest discussions were by the US Navy that was studying why tubes did not last long. Filament voltage was generally the culprit and gave rise to the +_ 10 % voltage range. The major culprit is that the older radios were designed for lower input voltages ranging from 110 volts to 115 volts and then to today's standard of 120. So a power transformer in an older set was optimally sized for the input range of that day and use in todays world leads to all voltages in these radios being higher than intended. For the filament consideration according to the navy study there then was a reduction in useful lifetime. Tube manufacturers used this fact in designing filaments more tolerant of various voltages ( the 10%) so the result is they last longer but are still challenged in older sets in use today.

David Assaf III
W5XU VP8RXU

On Thu, Mar 23, 2023, 3:38 AM Richard Knoppow <1oldlens1@...> wrote:
The extension of lamp and tube life applies to pure tungsten filaments. These were common in large transmitting tubes. For receiving tubes the general reccomendation is to keep filament voltage to within about +/- 5%. This applies to tjoriated tungsten also but voyage can be lowered somewhat if emission is monitored. Eimac has authoritative information in their tube application notes.
A place where lowered voltage is often found is the filament of the 6H6 and 6AL5 twin diodes when used as detectors an noise clippers. These tubes have a tendency to produce hum which is reduced by lowering filament voltage by about a volt. However in general its not a recommended practice.
during WW2 RCA published charts showing the effect of filament voltageon tube life for pure tungsten filaments. I don't off hand remember the numbers but a relatively small reduction increases life substantially with relatively small reduction in emission.





-------- Original message --------
From: Doug Crompton WA3DSP <wa3dsp@...>
Date: 3/23/23 12:04 AM (GMT-08:00)
Subject: Re: [DRAKE-RADIO] R4C power supply question

I am picky about things, but the twins are not going to be rigs I will use a great deal and probably seldom. No doubt the Sherwood updates are top-notch but it just wouldn't be worth it to spend the time and money the way I would operate the receiver. I will leave that to the next guy. I did update the power supply and audio amp which are probably the first things someone with an R4C should tackle.

As for the filaments, I did add a self wound resistor to reduce the voltage by about .5 volts. It is now sitting at about 6.5 @ 122 line volts. From what I have read, you don't want to run the filament voltage too low, but too high by a volt is not a good idea either. This greatly depends on your line voltage. Typical today is 120-122, but in some areas it can vary greatly. I remember in the old incandescent light bulb days seeing a chart that showed a bulb would last 10 times longer with 10% less rated voltage and 1/10 the time with 10% more. I don't know if that is true, and tube filaments would probably not directly correlate to the old bulbs.

There is a lot of misinformation on the Internet so it is hard to get accurate information since tubes other than in hobby stuff are rarely used anymore. I saw many posts that warned of permanent loss of emission after running low filament voltage, and others saying that tube gain actually improved at lower filament voltage. Of course, we are talking about greatly lower. Keeping filaments between 6.0 and 6.5 volts is a good range to shoot for. It is also a good thing that Drake did not blast the hell out of plate voltage limits like Heath and other manufacturers. There are a couple of miniature tubes in the KWM2 that would give you a burn as bad as touching a soldering iron just by briefly touching. Heath often ran tubes at or higher than maximum ratings. There is no reason to run a receiving tube at 250-300 volts.

Many tubes are a limited resource so we need to take care of them!

Doug, WA3DSP