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Re: Tube heater current

GGLL
 

Well, today I measured the Penta 6JB6 heater current, which resulted 1.5A. or 25% more than data sheet stated (1.2A). The rig is working with two Pentas (120 watts out), and I added some resistance to compensate heater currents (agreed this with the owner, because a new 6JB6 in our local market costs around 63 US$, so to change all would add nearly 200 US$ to the overall cost).
A last comment, about these sweep tubes procedence; 11 years ago or so, a friend (my radio elmer, now SK) which worked also repairing radios, had a similar experience, with the exception that the owner of the radio in his workbench bought the three replacement "12JB6" in a USA electronics market, in boxes with a "Radio Shack" brand printed. My friend put them in that TR-4C, with no results. After a close inspection, he found that the 12 number was printed over an erased 17 on all three tubes. They were really 17JB6.

Best regards
Guillermo - LU8EYW.

Robert B. Bonner escribi:

I was a Drake technician, put myself through college doing it.
(Actually Collins, Hallicrafters FPM-300 was their last hurrah, Kenwood,
Drake, Icom I hated Icoms in the 70's they were like transistor radios
inside, ten-tec back when the Argonaut was king, and Yaeschmoo...)
We used to buy tubes from the factory in mass quantity. They all came in
matched pairs. One day while I was talking to the factory I asked about the
tubes.
The factory would plug them in and measure their individual personalities
and mark them with a number. The tubes were always sold in matched pairs.
Basically their idling current and individual gain was matched so the pair
would work together. It wasnt critical, but things were just happier with
matched pairs.
They used the Sylvania tubes because they got a "good" deal on them,
hahahha... Actually the Drake final compartment was very short and there was
considerable difference in height of tubes manufacturer to manufacturer.
The Sylvania tubes were the shortest...
TADA, there's your answer.
I also serviced Swan gear. We also carried matched pairs from SWAN. You
could plug almost ANY sweep tube into those rigs as the final compartment
was taller...
Lets see if I can remember... I think 6MJ6 was the beefiest of the sweeps
with about 36 or 40 watts of plate dissipation. Compare that to an 807 in a
considerably smaller package.
If the sockets were the same, plug em in.... Varoom load her up... We had
a display of sin on the counter for years. All the tubes with the sides
sucked in. The prize was a 3-500 with the plate tipped over and shorted
out. I forget what piece of gear that came out of.
In the old days RADIO SHACK tubes had a lifetime warranty. I used them in
just about everything possible I could for my own use. When they would
start to go soft I'd fixture them up and kill them. If they wouldnt pass
the store tube tester, I'd get new tubes...
BOB DD
-----Original Message-----
From: ham_amplifiers@... [mailto:ham_amplifiers@...]
On Behalf Of GGLL
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 8:36 PM
To: ham_amplifiers@...
Subject: Re: [ham_amplifiers] Re: Tube heater current
pentalab escribi:
Perhaps there were variations due to availability of certain tubes??; I have
two schematics and in both figures the use of 6JB6's in parallel (3.6A intended heater current), but with a couple minor changes in other tubes; these parallel 6JB6 are in series with a string of many tubes which 6V filament currents added is also 3.6A, and the whole series arrangement fed with 12.6VAC.
When the owner put the Penta's with the added heater current, voltage drop
was wrong, a lot more than 6.3V at the miniature (7 and 9 pin) tubes, and a lot
less than 6.3V at the "6JB6".
Now I figure why (also why) Drake recommended to use only Sylvania tubes.
Best regards
Guillermo - LU8EYW.

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., GGLL <nagato@...> wrote:



### The Drake TR-4 and older TR-3 all used 3 x 12JB6's... with all the 12.6 v fils in parallel. The drake T4X/C used a pair of 6JB6's [6.3 v fils] with the two fils in series. This was done so the mating AC-3/4 power supply would run either the TR-
3/4 xcvr.. or the T4X/C TX.
Later....... Jim VE7RF



Best regards
Guillermo - LU8EYW.




Yahoo! Groups Links



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Re: Tube rebuilder

pentalab
 

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., R L Measures <r@...> wrote:


On Dec 19, 2006, at 3:25 PM, pentalab wrote:

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., R L Measures <r@...>
wrote:


On Dec 19, 2006, at 5:08 AM, ad4hk2004 wrote:

It appears I am in need of a new/rebuilt 3CX1200... I had a
long
talk
with Eimac yesterday and after going over the symptoms on my
Henry he
has me convinced that the tube has changed its input
impedence

RICH SEZ....Not very likely. What is the Q of the input tuned
Pi-
network?

#### The 3 k ultra doesn't have a PI net tuned input... it uses
broad banded xfmrs back to back, and relays.
RICH SEZ.... Does it use g-g config?
### where have u been ? yes... it's GG. Now u know why I
collect amplifier manuals.


not the
amp circuitry - especially since every component has been
inspected,
metered, jiggled, and sniffed, and nothing amiss is found...
We
have
spent considerable time and effort using VOM, LC meter, MK-I
eyeballs,
etc. to prove the mechanical and electrical charateristics
of all
relays, RF cables, caps, inductors, resistors, transformers,
diodes,
and on, and on... We found that the Henry manual is not 100%
accurate,
but the errors are easily spotted and not significant if you
understand basic electronics... <such as showing an
indirectly
heated
cathode on a 3CX1200>
chortle

The crucial test suggested by Eimac was to take the filament
voltage
above it's nominal and recheck the input impedence and power
out...
We raised the voltage to 6.8 volts and the input swr to the
cathode
promptly dropped from 3.8 to 1.9 ... The tube now puts out
1100
watts
with 48 watts in and the grid current is right at the 200
mils
limit...
### well rich.. I guess eimac is right... since his input swr
dropped like a rock.... still not flat..... but I don't think
any of
the 3k/8 k ultra's were ever dead flat.... with that broadbanded
input.
RICH SEZ...There is no such thing as a broadbanded input for g-g.
Did Henry Radio get out of the amplifier business?

### agreed. The 'broadband tuned input' is a one off disaster.
they used 2 x xfmr's.. back to back.. on the 8 k ultra... and
simply stepped the Z way up... then stepped it right back down to
50 ohms. ... on all bands cept 25-30 mhz... where they stepped it
up.... but didn't step it back down as much... more like 75 ohms.

### Henry radio anounced 2 yrs ago.. that they lost their lease at
the LA factory where they been for the last 40 yrs. They are OUT
of the HF amateur amp business... and I believe also the
commercial/military HF amp business. They still are in the solid
state VHF/UHF amp business. Dunno, if they still support HF
amps.... with various bit's and pieces or not. Too bad... they did
make some excellent products over the years... like the 4 k
ultra. I bought one of their 10 kw ccs LP filters just a few yrs
ago.... with a 33 mhz cut off.... built like a tank.... with 7-16
DIN connectors... and bottom plates were 3/16" thick anodized AL...
and big 1/4" silver plated tubing coils.. Plus 8 x HT-57 NPO
caps in em.

### They also made excellent attenuator's.... in 1-2-3-4-5-6 db
increments... in both 35/100+ watt versions... 50 ohms in/out.
They shoulda just relocated the entire factory... too bad... end of
an era. Rumour has it that Rube Goldberg worked there at one point.

Later... Jim VE7RF


R. L. Measures, AG6K, 805.386.3734
r@..., rlm@..., www.somis.org


Re: Heatsink relationship

Robert B. Bonner
 

Bill it all has a lot to do with CONDUCTIVITY and stability. Whether it is
electrical or thermal conduction. Copper has a large availability of free
electrons. The molecules freely exchange them. Other substances are not
quite so loose.

Chemistry is total mad science.

BOB DD

-----Original Message-----
From: ham_amplifiers@... [mailto:ham_amplifiers@...]
On Behalf Of Bill Turner
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 10:12 AM
To: ham_amplifiers@...
Subject: Re: [ham_amplifiers] Heatsink relationship

Sorry Hal, but your reply was totally incomprehensible. You went off
about fractals, space blankets, waterbeds and electric bills without
answering my question regarding density of "stuff", specifically why
some less dense "stuff" is actually a better heat conductor and some
more dense "stuff" is not.

Try again if you like.

Bill, W6WRT



Yahoo! Groups Links


Re: Tube heater current

pentalab
 

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., "Robert B. Bonner"
<rbonner@...> wrote:

Hey Gary,

Heading out the door on the way to grad school.

The TR-7 showed up on the doorstep, right about the same time the
KWM-380
showed up on the doorstep we tested both and said, what the
F'enheimer are
these guys thinking?
### The TR-7 wsn't too bad. The KWM-380 was pure junk imo. The
mating outboard processor for the 380 never did work right. Funny
thing though... in the QST write up for the 380.. they ran it into
the ground. Meanwhile, in the same issue... their is a 380 full
page colour add on inside back cover ! That was the very LAST
ad.. that Collins ever ran in QST.

## It was a well know fact back then.. that manufacturer's of ham
gear.. when sending a product sample to the ARRL lab.. to be tested
in the same lab... would be sending off basicly one off
products... where all the 10% resistor's were hand picked.. and
matched.. and under 4% tol.... each stage was precisely aligned,
and one off components used, etc.... basicly.. the best one ever
built.

### The ARRL finally smartened up.. and sent in buyer's off the
street... and they bought XXX from AES... HRO, etc... or were
ordered.. then shipped via UPS [read bashed outa alignment]...
THEN they do the various tests.


Put my pocket protector on the back of the bench and
said have a nice day.

About all I ever did with the L-7 is look at one, (pretty) I was
gone by the
time it showed up. I have zero experience with them, however the
L4 series I
could build in my sleep. I always had a huge supply of parts and
the parts
bins helped me with my original building projects.

Hey I just found an L4B loading cap new in my parts bin the other
day. I
looked at it and said? Whats this for? Ceramic, huh, looks like
it could
take some power... OH hey Brand New L4B ha.. Hey anybody need one
of these?
Ought to be worth a couple hundred now.
### It's a simple 4 x section 440 pf per section broadcast
variable... that u can get from fair radio for $16.00. They used
2 x sections on 20-10m... all 4 x sections on 40m... and padded it
on 80m with a fixed 700 pf mica.




Anyway, It was the beginning of the worst streak of radios to ever
come out.

### Highly agreed. Ever see the Icom 701 ??? Tuned in 100 hz
increments !! You should hear how cw sounds that way.. tuning
across the bands. Icom has been making pure junk ever since. The
756 pro 1-2-3 is a failure, imd ridden mess. "but it's digital"
screams the newbie. The DSP is a joke in em.... they are simple
audio DSP chip sets.. used at low freqs.. at the wrong end of the
xcvr. I laughed when I saw their ad for a '32 bit floating point
dsp chip ' My Behringer EQ uses a 40 bit/96 khz... per channel dsp
chip... and a 32 bit 96 khz per channel dsp for the misc stuff...
and they are dirt cheap. Imo... installing dsp at the back end
of the xcvr just enhances profits.. since no more xcvr's made with
real xtal/collins mech filters. Heck... after 30 yrs...
icom /yaesu finally figured out "roofing" filters... kinda
late... Rob Sherwood had it figured out 30 yrs ago... and still
has a better set up. The roofing filter has to pass BOTH
sidebands... and my modified R4C used a separate 2.0 khz xtal
filter for each ssb... and a 600 hz cw filter for LSB only [since
the radio tranceived on lsb]. Fast forward 30 yrs... what do
we have now? Icom 7800/yaesu 9000 with a 3/6/12 khz roofing
filter in front end... which is still a lousy set up... since they
all straddle zero beat. .. then they add the $5.00 "dsp" at the
back end of the xcvr ! Now Raytheon, etc all.. do it right.. and
at least put the DSP at the front end of the radio. They have DSP
chips that work out to almost 500 mhz... so why not use em.

later.. Jim VE7RF


Re: Tube heater current

Robert B. Bonner
 

Hey Gary,

Heading out the door on the way to grad school.

The TR-7 showed up on the doorstep, right about the same time the KWM-380
showed up on the doorstep we tested both and said, what the F'enheimer are
these guys thinking? Put my pocket protector on the back of the bench and
said have a nice day.

About all I ever did with the L-7 is look at one, (pretty) I was gone by the
time it showed up. I have zero experience with them, however the L4 series I
could build in my sleep. I always had a huge supply of parts and the parts
bins helped me with my original building projects.

Hey I just found an L4B loading cap new in my parts bin the other day. I
looked at it and said? Whats this for? Ceramic, huh, looks like it could
take some power... OH hey Brand New L4B ha.. Hey anybody need one of these?
Ought to be worth a couple hundred now.

Anyway, It was the beginning of the worst streak of radios to ever come out.
All the first runs of solid state, man the manufacturers really didn¡¯t have
a clue. The NEW KENWOOD, TS-POS whatever, I was the first to find out if
you put the Power Supply on the wrong side of the radio (The factory always
sat it on one particular side) would induce MASSIVE HUM into the radio. You
should have "over heard" that phone call with Kenwood it was a once in a
lifetime experience. The next radio I got in had a mimeograph sheet slipped
in the manual. That was because of me if any of you ever owned that
Kenwood. I cant even remember the NUMBER the full sized Successor to 830,
530 etc...

I have a real mean streak in me when people/companies have NO humility.

I wasn¡¯t the company owner, I wasn¡¯t the department manager, but I was the
TECHNICIAN and a pretty good one too. I had a massive out of store Collins
trade that was bigger than the dealers. It really made the manager mad. My
Frat room was stocked full of Guns and S-lines.

BOB DD

-----Original Message-----
From: ham_amplifiers@... [mailto:ham_amplifiers@...]
On Behalf Of Garry
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 8:38 AM
To: ham_amplifiers@...
Subject: Re: [ham_amplifiers] Re: Tube heater current

Hi Bob,

Were you with Drake when the L-7 came out?

Thanks,
Garry - WR4R


Robert B. Bonner wrote:


I was a Drake technician, put myself through college doing it.

(Actually Collins, Hallicrafters FPM-300 was their last hurrah, Kenwood,
Drake, Icom I hated Icoms in the 70's they were like transistor radios
inside, ten-tec back when the Argonaut was king, and Yaeschmoo...)

We used to buy tubes from the factory in mass quantity. They all came in
matched pairs. One day while I was talking to the factory I asked about
the
tubes.

The factory would plug them in and measure their individual personalities
and mark them with a number. The tubes were always sold in matched pairs.

Basically their idling current and individual gain was matched so the pair
would work together. It wasn¡¯t critical, but things were just happier with
matched pairs.

They used the Sylvania tubes because they got a "good" deal on them,
hahahha... Actually the Drake final compartment was very short and there
was
considerable difference in height of tubes manufacturer to manufacturer.
The Sylvania tubes were the shortest...

TADA, there's your answer.

I also serviced Swan gear. We also carried matched pairs from SWAN. You
could plug almost ANY sweep tube into those rigs as the final compartment
was taller...

Lets see if I can remember... I think 6MJ6 was the beefiest of the sweeps
with about 36 or 40 watts of plate dissipation. Compare that to an 807 in
a
considerably smaller package.

If the sockets were the same, plug em in.... Varoom load her up... We had
a display of sin on the counter for years. All the tubes with the sides
sucked in. The prize was a 3-500 with the plate tipped over and shorted
out. I forget what piece of gear that came out of.

In the old days RADIO SHACK tubes had a lifetime warranty. I used them in
just about everything possible I could for my own use. When they would
start to go soft I'd fixture them up and kill them. If they wouldn¡¯t pass
the store tube tester, I'd get new tubes...

BOB DD

-----Original Message-----
From: ham_amplifiers@...
<mailto:ham_amplifiers%40yahoogroups.com>
[mailto:ham_amplifiers@...
<mailto:ham_amplifiers%40yahoogroups.com>]
On Behalf Of GGLL
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 8:36 PM
To: ham_amplifiers@...
<mailto:ham_amplifiers%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [ham_amplifiers] Re: Tube heater current

pentalab escribi¨®:

Perhaps there were variations due to availability of certain tubes??; I
have

two schematics and in both figures the use of 6JB6's in parallel (3.6A
intended heater current), but with a couple minor changes in other tubes;
these parallel 6JB6 are in series with a string of many tubes which 6V
filament currents added is also 3.6A, and the whole series arrangement fed
with 12.6VAC.
When the owner put the Penta's with the added heater current, voltage drop
was
wrong, a lot more than 6.3V at the miniature (7 and 9 pin) tubes, and a
lot

less than 6.3V at the "6JB6".
Now I figure why (also why) Drake recommended to use only Sylvania tubes.

Best regards
Guillermo - LU8EYW.

> --- In ham_amplifiers@...
<mailto:ham_amplifiers%40yahoogroups.com>, GGLL <nagato@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> ### The Drake TR-4 and older TR-3 all used 3 x 12JB6's... with
> all the 12.6 v fils in parallel. The drake T4X/C used a pair
> of 6JB6's [6.3 v fils] with the two fils in series. This was
> done so the mating AC-3/4 power supply would run either the TR-
> 3/4 xcvr.. or the T4X/C TX.
>
> Later....... Jim VE7RF
>
>
>>Best regards
>>Guillermo - LU8EYW.
>>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

Yahoo! Groups Links



Yahoo! Groups Links


Re: The cathode and ground.

Bill Turner
 

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

On Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:02:44 -0000, "craxd" <craxd@...> wrote:


Here's my thoughts on the naming conventions when using the term
ground in a tube circuit.
<snip>

------------ REPLY FOLLOWS ------------

When I went to work in the avionics industry, one of the hardest
things I had to relearn was "ground", but I think the way the avionics
folks use it makes more sense that the way hams use it.

What I had always called "ground" is referred to in avionics as
"common". The "common" may or may not be connected to ground, but they
are two different things. Once I got this through my head, it all
became much clearer. I would suggest all engineers and technicians use
"common" in place of "ground" unless something really and truly is
connected to the earth itself, or in the case of aircraft, to the
fuselage.

To summarize: Ground is the dirt itself; common is the point where
everything is connected together. Often they are not the same.

Bill, W6WRT


Re: Heatsink relationship

Bill Turner
 

Sorry Hal, but your reply was totally incomprehensible. You went off
about fractals, space blankets, waterbeds and electric bills without
answering my question regarding density of "stuff", specifically why
some less dense "stuff" is actually a better heat conductor and some
more dense "stuff" is not.

Try again if you like.

Bill, W6WRT


Re: Tube heater current

Garry
 

Hi Bob,

Were you with Drake when the L-7 came out?

Thanks,
Garry - WR4R


Robert B. Bonner wrote:

I was a Drake technician, put myself through college doing it.
(Actually Collins, Hallicrafters FPM-300 was their last hurrah, Kenwood,
Drake, Icom I hated Icoms in the 70's they were like transistor radios
inside, ten-tec back when the Argonaut was king, and Yaeschmoo...)
We used to buy tubes from the factory in mass quantity. They all came in
matched pairs. One day while I was talking to the factory I asked about the
tubes.
The factory would plug them in and measure their individual personalities
and mark them with a number. The tubes were always sold in matched pairs.
Basically their idling current and individual gain was matched so the pair
would work together. It wasnt critical, but things were just happier with
matched pairs.
They used the Sylvania tubes because they got a "good" deal on them,
hahahha... Actually the Drake final compartment was very short and there was
considerable difference in height of tubes manufacturer to manufacturer.
The Sylvania tubes were the shortest...
TADA, there's your answer.
I also serviced Swan gear. We also carried matched pairs from SWAN. You
could plug almost ANY sweep tube into those rigs as the final compartment
was taller...
Lets see if I can remember... I think 6MJ6 was the beefiest of the sweeps
with about 36 or 40 watts of plate dissipation. Compare that to an 807 in a
considerably smaller package.
If the sockets were the same, plug em in.... Varoom load her up... We had
a display of sin on the counter for years. All the tubes with the sides
sucked in. The prize was a 3-500 with the plate tipped over and shorted
out. I forget what piece of gear that came out of.
In the old days RADIO SHACK tubes had a lifetime warranty. I used them in
just about everything possible I could for my own use. When they would
start to go soft I'd fixture them up and kill them. If they wouldnt pass
the store tube tester, I'd get new tubes...
BOB DD
-----Original Message-----
From: ham_amplifiers@... <mailto:ham_amplifiers%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:ham_amplifiers@... <mailto:ham_amplifiers%40yahoogroups.com>]
On Behalf Of GGLL
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 8:36 PM
To: ham_amplifiers@... <mailto:ham_amplifiers%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [ham_amplifiers] Re: Tube heater current
pentalab escribi:
Perhaps there were variations due to availability of certain tubes??; I have
two schematics and in both figures the use of 6JB6's in parallel (3.6A
intended heater current), but with a couple minor changes in other tubes;
these parallel 6JB6 are in series with a string of many tubes which 6V
filament currents added is also 3.6A, and the whole series arrangement fed
with 12.6VAC.
When the owner put the Penta's with the added heater current, voltage drop
was
wrong, a lot more than 6.3V at the miniature (7 and 9 pin) tubes, and a lot
less than 6.3V at the "6JB6".
Now I figure why (also why) Drake recommended to use only Sylvania tubes.
Best regards
Guillermo - LU8EYW.

> --- In ham_amplifiers@...
<mailto:ham_amplifiers%40yahoogroups.com>, GGLL <nagato@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> ### The Drake TR-4 and older TR-3 all used 3 x 12JB6's... with
> all the 12.6 v fils in parallel. The drake T4X/C used a pair
> of 6JB6's [6.3 v fils] with the two fils in series. This was
> done so the mating AC-3/4 power supply would run either the TR-
> 3/4 xcvr.. or the T4X/C TX.
>
> Later....... Jim VE7RF
>
>
>>Best regards
>>Guillermo - LU8EYW.
>>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
Yahoo! Groups Links


Re: Tube rebuilder

ad4hk2004
 

Yes, the 3K Ultra uses a transmission line transformer to convert the
~70 impedence at the cathode to 50 ohms... No tuned circuitry... It
has worked for ~8 years without problems, though the input swr is
always in the 1.6 to 1.9 range due to lack of reactance cancelling...

The talk with Rick at Eimac was informative <nice guy- who dates back
to the days of Bill Orr, etc.> Based on our talk I may have killed
the tube with kindness... My farm is fed with a 25kva transformer off
a HV underground line... My voltage has run in the 240-245 volt range
for years... When I got the amp I adjusted the taps on the filament
transformer so that it was 6.1 volts... I haven't looked at it in
recent years... In troubleshooting this amp we checked the filament
voltage and it was 6.02 volts idling and 5.92 under load... Turns out
the power compnay has dropped my HV feed a bit and I now only get 230
volts at the panel and even that probably drops under conditions of
high consumer demand back at the power plant... Rick believes the
filament has been poisoned by the underheat condition not maintaining
the thorium layer... I am going to try to reform the thorium layer
by running the filament at 7.5 volts for 5 minutes with no plate
voltage... Rick feels there is a small possibility that I can save
the filament... If I kill the tube in the process I will be no worse
off than now.. There is also the possibility that the vacuum is
going soft... If so no amount of tinkering will save it...

Once I try the reforming overheat I will get back with him... There
is a chance that one of his customers who had a batch of custom
3CX1200D7 built with a 1500 watt cooler <taller fins> has one left
over he will part with... The Henry has gobs of room inside the RF
compartment so a tall tube is not an issue... As I noted the tube is
making 1100 watts with 48 watts of drive so it is not totally gone...
But this amp routinely made 1500 out in the past... Since I do have
an understanding of what a dB is, I know that another 400 watts will
not be heard on the other end except for those really weak DX
contacts where 1 dB can make the difference... Not sure what I am
gong to do with this amp - retube it or?... I may look for someone
who will take it home and love it until the tube finally rolls over
and goes toes up...

In the meantime, there are a few contests coming up I want to play
with... I called QRO and they are not taking new orders for the
winter... Commander has over 20 amps on back order that he cannot get
tubes and/or transformers for and he estimates deivery will be March
07... I know what an estimated delivery time means...
I called Ten Tec and they have 3 amps built but not burned in yet
with two of them already sold... so I ordered the third one, Titan
III, Monday... Ya, ya, ya, I know that most of you don't think much
of Titan... OTOH, Scott says they have a plain vanilla Titan at PJ2
the guys just beat the crap out of during the contests, and it takes
a licking and keeps on ticking... If the III will make a solid 1500
out and work QSK with the new Orion, I will be satisified for now...
A bigger amp is in the works but that will take some time to build....

denny / k8do


Re: Tube heater current

Robert B. Bonner
 

I was a Drake technician, put myself through college doing it.

(Actually Collins, Hallicrafters FPM-300 was their last hurrah, Kenwood,
Drake, Icom I hated Icoms in the 70's they were like transistor radios
inside, ten-tec back when the Argonaut was king, and Yaeschmoo...)

We used to buy tubes from the factory in mass quantity. They all came in
matched pairs. One day while I was talking to the factory I asked about the
tubes.

The factory would plug them in and measure their individual personalities
and mark them with a number. The tubes were always sold in matched pairs.

Basically their idling current and individual gain was matched so the pair
would work together. It wasn¡¯t critical, but things were just happier with
matched pairs.

They used the Sylvania tubes because they got a "good" deal on them,
hahahha... Actually the Drake final compartment was very short and there was
considerable difference in height of tubes manufacturer to manufacturer.
The Sylvania tubes were the shortest...

TADA, there's your answer.

I also serviced Swan gear. We also carried matched pairs from SWAN. You
could plug almost ANY sweep tube into those rigs as the final compartment
was taller...

Lets see if I can remember... I think 6MJ6 was the beefiest of the sweeps
with about 36 or 40 watts of plate dissipation. Compare that to an 807 in a
considerably smaller package.

If the sockets were the same, plug em in.... Varoom load her up... We had
a display of sin on the counter for years. All the tubes with the sides
sucked in. The prize was a 3-500 with the plate tipped over and shorted
out. I forget what piece of gear that came out of.

In the old days RADIO SHACK tubes had a lifetime warranty. I used them in
just about everything possible I could for my own use. When they would
start to go soft I'd fixture them up and kill them. If they wouldn¡¯t pass
the store tube tester, I'd get new tubes...

BOB DD

-----Original Message-----
From: ham_amplifiers@... [mailto:ham_amplifiers@...]
On Behalf Of GGLL
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 8:36 PM
To: ham_amplifiers@...
Subject: Re: [ham_amplifiers] Re: Tube heater current

pentalab escribi¨®:

Perhaps there were variations due to availability of certain tubes??; I have

two schematics and in both figures the use of 6JB6's in parallel (3.6A
intended heater current), but with a couple minor changes in other tubes;
these parallel 6JB6 are in series with a string of many tubes which 6V
filament currents added is also 3.6A, and the whole series arrangement fed
with 12.6VAC.
When the owner put the Penta's with the added heater current, voltage drop
was
wrong, a lot more than 6.3V at the miniature (7 and 9 pin) tubes, and a lot

less than 6.3V at the "6JB6".
Now I figure why (also why) Drake recommended to use only Sylvania tubes.

Best regards
Guillermo - LU8EYW.

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., GGLL <nagato@...> wrote:



### The Drake TR-4 and older TR-3 all used 3 x 12JB6's... with
all the 12.6 v fils in parallel. The drake T4X/C used a pair
of 6JB6's [6.3 v fils] with the two fils in series. This was
done so the mating AC-3/4 power supply would run either the TR-
3/4 xcvr.. or the T4X/C TX.

Later....... Jim VE7RF


Best regards
Guillermo - LU8EYW.





Yahoo! Groups Links





Yahoo! Groups Links


Re: Tube heater current

Robert B. Bonner
 

It was done because the TR-4/3 went mobile and the filaments ran off the
battery.

-----Original Message-----
From: ham_amplifiers@... [mailto:ham_amplifiers@...]
On Behalf Of pentalab
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 6:12 PM
To: ham_amplifiers@...
Subject: [ham_amplifiers] Re: Tube heater current

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., GGLL <nagato@...> wrote:

Hello, I want to ask about something that happened this week
with the output
tubes in a Drake TR-4 I was committed to repair. It has three 6JB6
in parallel
to achieve 200..220 watts out at 80, less at the upper bands. To
my surprise,
the tubes (Penta brand) appear to be 6V but to take a lot more
heater current
than the data sheet specified 1.2A.
Have you had any experience with a similar thing?.

### The Drake TR-4 and older TR-3 all used 3 x 12JB6's... with
all the 12.6 v fils in parallel. The drake T4X/C used a pair
of 6JB6's [6.3 v fils] with the two fils in series. This was
done so the mating AC-3/4 power supply would run either the TR-
3/4 xcvr.. or the T4X/C TX.

Later....... Jim VE7RF


Best regards
Guillermo - LU8EYW.




Yahoo! Groups Links


Re: Heatsink relationship

Robert B. Bonner
 

That's why I build all my antennas out of steel.

My 80 meter beam weighs 62,000 pounds.

BOB DD

-----Original Message-----
From: ham_amplifiers@... [mailto:ham_amplifiers@...]
On Behalf Of craxd
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 6:00 PM
To: ham_amplifiers@...
Subject: [ham_amplifiers] Re: Heatsink relationship

Actually, copper weighs a little more than steel.

Copper: 0.295 pounds In^3
Aluminum: 0.098 pounds In^3
Steel: 0.283 pounds In^3

Copper also has the lowest yield strength of all three with steel
being the highest.

Best,

Will


Re: Tube heater current

GGLL
 

pentalab escribi:

Perhaps there were variations due to availability of certain tubes??; I have two schematics and in both figures the use of 6JB6's in parallel (3.6A intended heater current), but with a couple minor changes in other tubes; these parallel 6JB6 are in series with a string of many tubes which 6V filament currents added is also 3.6A, and the whole series arrangement fed with 12.6VAC.
When the owner put the Penta's with the added heater current, voltage drop was wrong, a lot more than 6.3V at the miniature (7 and 9 pin) tubes, and a lot less than 6.3V at the "6JB6".
Now I figure why (also why) Drake recommended to use only Sylvania tubes.

Best regards
Guillermo - LU8EYW.

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., GGLL <nagato@...> wrote:
### The Drake TR-4 and older TR-3 all used 3 x 12JB6's... with all the 12.6 v fils in parallel. The drake T4X/C used a pair of 6JB6's [6.3 v fils] with the two fils in series. This was done so the mating AC-3/4 power supply would run either the TR-
3/4 xcvr.. or the T4X/C TX. Later....... Jim VE7RF

Best regards
Guillermo - LU8EYW.
Yahoo! Groups Links


Re: Tube rebuilder

 

On Dec 19, 2006, at 7:57 AM, n6jp wrote:

- due to its abundance of feedback C, i f I had an amp whose
3cx1200A7 was bad, I would go to the trouble of converting it to a
3cx1200Z7.

R. L. Measures, AG6K, 805.386.3734
r@..., rlm@..., www.somis.org
What are the typical changes that need to be addressed in switching
from a 'A7' tube to a 'Z7' tube?
Less filament V., more filament A., different socket. Uncheap.

Jer


R. L. Measures, AG6K, 805.386.3734
r@..., rlm@..., www.somis.org


Re: Tube rebuilder

 

Thanks. The 3cx1200D7 has less feedback C that the A7 version.

On Dec 19, 2006, at 1:27 PM, ad4hk2004 wrote:

Sorry, I need to be more specific... 3CX1200D7 (YU121)

denny

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., R L Measures <r@...> wrote:

R. L. Measures, AG6K, 805.386.3734
r@..., rlm@..., www.somis.org


Re: Tube rebuilder

 

On Dec 19, 2006, at 3:25 PM, pentalab wrote:

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., R L Measures <r@...> wrote:


On Dec 19, 2006, at 5:08 AM, ad4hk2004 wrote:

It appears I am in need of a new/rebuilt 3CX1200... I had a long
talk
with Eimac yesterday and after going over the symptoms on my
Henry he
has me convinced that the tube has changed its input impedence
RICH SEZ....Not very likely. What is the Q of the input tuned Pi-
network?

#### The 3 k ultra doesn't have a PI net tuned input... it uses
broad banded xfmrs back to back, and relays.
Does it use g-g config?


not the
amp circuitry - especially since every component has been
inspected,
metered, jiggled, and sniffed, and nothing amiss is found... We
have
spent considerable time and effort using VOM, LC meter, MK-I
eyeballs,
etc. to prove the mechanical and electrical charateristics of all
relays, RF cables, caps, inductors, resistors, transformers,
diodes,
and on, and on... We found that the Henry manual is not 100%
accurate,
but the errors are easily spotted and not significant if you
understand basic electronics... <such as showing an indirectly
heated
cathode on a 3CX1200>
chortle

The crucial test suggested by Eimac was to take the filament
voltage
above it's nominal and recheck the input impedence and power
out...
We raised the voltage to 6.8 volts and the input swr to the
cathode
promptly dropped from 3.8 to 1.9 ... The tube now puts out 1100
watts
with 48 watts in and the grid current is right at the 200 mils
limit...
### well rich.. I guess eimac is right... since his input swr
dropped like a rock.... still not flat..... but I don't hink any of
the 3k/8 k ultra's were ever dead flat.... with that broadbanded
input.
There is no such thing as a broadbanded input for g-g. Did Henry Radio get out of the amplifier business?


R. L. Measures, AG6K, 805.386.3734
r@..., rlm@..., www.somis.org


Re: Tube heater current

pentalab
 

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., GGLL <nagato@...> wrote:

Hello, I want to ask about something that happened this week
with the output
tubes in a Drake TR-4 I was committed to repair. It has three 6JB6
in parallel
to achieve 200..220 watts out at 80, less at the upper bands. To
my surprise,
the tubes (Penta brand) appear to be 6V but to take a lot more
heater current
than the data sheet specified 1.2A.
Have you had any experience with a similar thing?.

### The Drake TR-4 and older TR-3 all used 3 x 12JB6's... with
all the 12.6 v fils in parallel. The drake T4X/C used a pair
of 6JB6's [6.3 v fils] with the two fils in series. This was
done so the mating AC-3/4 power supply would run either the TR-
3/4 xcvr.. or the T4X/C TX.

Later....... Jim VE7RF


Best regards
Guillermo - LU8EYW.


Re: Grounded Screen Configuration

pentalab
 

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., "craxd" <craxd@...> wrote:

The way they're building most amps these days is to use a clam
shell
type cabinet made of aluminum or like to C's placed together at 90
degree angles. The actual tube chassis is a box made with aluminum
just large enough to fit the tube sockets in the top of it. This
then
is placed inside, generally at the rear of the cabinet. I would
rather have the top of this box-tube chassis made with either
copper
or steel where I can solder the bypass caps directly to it or any
other ground connection. I've used steel in a lot of amps, and
personally I think it takes a bad rap over other probelms that are
not its fault. Of course copper would be the best, however there's
not enough steel here to hurt anything, and the rest of the
cabinet
is aluminum anyhow. Aluminum is supposed to be better at
shielding,
but I'm not convinced that is is that much better than steel.
#### steel...esp Stainless steel.. doesn't handle RF worth a
damn. Don't believe me.... tey making a hairpin match from
stainless steel wire..... right at the dead center point it will
turn BLACK every time [ electrical neutral point, zero V... current
is max.] If u grnd the mid point to the boom.... u now have
a "beta match"... ala hi-hain ants.

### Notive how JA6TAY uses a large copper plate arounf the tube
socket on his big metal tube amps..... then it's aluminium. There
is one helluva lot of Rf current between the anode and chassis
grnded grid on a GG triode amp.

### I used steel chassis's on some hb 6146 B TX's back in the
early 70's... a real pain to cut, and drill, and work with.
Pland jane sheet metal has a tendency to rust too. I stopped
using steel for fronta and rear panels as well. Steel is
great for removable sides of rack cabinets... and the actual rack
itself... that's it.

Later... Jim VE7RF


Re: Heatsink relationship

craxd
 

Actually, copper weighs a little more than steel.

Copper: 0.295 pounds In^3
Aluminum: 0.098 pounds In^3
Steel: 0.283 pounds In^3

Copper also has the lowest yield strength of all three with steel
being the highest.

Best,

Will

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., "pentalab" <jim.thomson@...>
wrote:

--- In ham_amplifiers@..., Bill Turner <dezrat@>
wrote:

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

On Sun, 17 Dec 2006 21:02:58 -0500, "Harold Mandel" <ka1xo@>
wrote:

The tighter the stuff is squeezed together (like in copper) the
easier it is
for the wiggling to be picked up

by neighboring "stuff." This then translates to copper being a
better
conductor of heat than aluminum.
------------ REPLY FOLLOWS ------------

In light of your statements above, I have two questions:

1. Why is diamond, which is less dense than copper, a better heat
conductor?

2. Why is lead, which is more dense than copper, a worse heat
conductor.
### as I mentioned b4... steel weighs aprx the same as copper...
and doesn't conduct heat worth a damn .2 to 1 ratio for steel
to copper [all the heat trnasfer tables use copper as the
reference = 1] AL is only .57 to 1 Lead is heavy as
hell... and doesn't conduct heat worth banana's.

Jim VE7RF



Bill, W6WRT


Re: Heatsink relationship

Harold Mandel
 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Bill and Jim,

?

In my first response it was mentioned about the fractal relationships

of the molecular structure of materials and their exhibitions of

varying qualities regarding excitation by energy sources.

?

Weight and Mass were never mentioned and maybe should be completely

disregarded, as only the structural relationship(s) of the

component building blocks were being considered.

?

Hal

>
> In light of your statements above, I have two questions:
>
> 1. Why is diamond, which is less dense than copper, a better heat
> conductor?
>
> 2. Why is lead, which is more dense than copper, a worse heat
> conductor.

### as I mentioned b4... steel weighs aprx the same as copper...
and doesn't conduct heat worth a damn .2 to 1 ratio for steel
to copper [all the heat trnasfer tables use copper as the
reference = 1] AL is only .57 to 1 Lead is heavy as
hell... and doesn't conduct heat worth banana's.

Jim VE7RF

>
> Bill, W6WRT