[CW] OT - AWA Telegraph Station (Landline)

Richard Knoppow 1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
Wed Feb 9 17:28:46 EST 2022


     I think (but you should check) that no 3-500Z has tantalum 
plates. I think Eimac switched to the new material before the 
3-500Z was made. Red or orange is the correct color.
   I am not sure about the graphite plate tubes. The graphite is 
coated with a zirconium gettering material. I would check with RF 
Parts to find out the preferred operating conditions.

On 2/9/2022 1:24 PM, abqcooks--- via CW wrote:
> Yes I have the older Eimac 3-500Z in one amp and the plate looks 
> metallic. On RTTY I get a dull orange glow which I'm told is 
> healthy for gettering the tube.
> But newer RF Parts 3-500ZG tubes have a graphite plate and I'm 
> not sure if they are supposed to develop some glow for gettering 
> or not. I hate to push the plate xfmr in my Drake L4-B harder 
> just to see a glow that maybe is never supposed to happen in the 
> graphite plate tubes.
> Guess a call to RF Parts will answer the question.  In any case 
> the tubes do help heat the shack nicely in winter !
> BTW back to the landline telegraph post, I do have a copy of one 
> of those mentioned large Dispatcher Train Sheets.
> It was part of my exhibit. It's probably 4.5 MB in size so I 
> can't share it on the reflector but if anyone wants I can email 
> it directly.
> Sent from the all new AOL app for Android 
> <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aol.mobile.aolapp>
> 
>     On Wed, Feb 9, 2022 at 2:02 PM, Richard Knoppow
>     <1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>          The Z in the type number means it is designed for zero bias
>     operation, an advantage when using it as a grounded grid linear.
>        The idea of the glowing plate is really a left over from when
>     Eimac used tantalum for plates. This had to run very hot to act
>     as a getter. Sometime around the late 1940s Eimac changed to
>     another type of plate material which used a zirconium coating
>     for
>     gettering. These needed to run hot but not like the older tubes.
>     Note that it is the plate material itself which is the getter.
>     There are also tubes with carbon plates, these also do not need
>     to run hot for gettering. I think (but am not sure) they use
>     either a separate getter or a coating similar to the metal
>     plates.
>          One reason Eimac changed from the tantalum plates is that
>     hams and others tended to try to run the tubes cool to increase
>     their life. This doesn't work for tantalum since it depends on
>     high heat to make the getter function work. For modern tubes
>     (and
>     modern is anything since the late 1940s) any visible glow is
>     enough to activate the getter function.
>          Eimac still has considerable technical literature on line
>     with more details (and maybe more accurate information than my
>     ancient memory).
> 
>     On 2/9/2022 7:35 AM, abqcooks--- via CW wrote:
>      > I maintained a setup just like that for our local railroad
>     museum
>      > for 7 years.
>      > Visitors loved it.  For kids, we would teach them how to send
>      > their name and then give them a certificate of proficiency.
>      > It was the most popular exhibit in the museum.  Covid shut
>     the
>      > city owned museum down so I brought all the gear home.
>      > Hey, a side question concerning 3-500Z and 3-500ZG tubes. 
>     The Z
>      > tubes were meant to glow a dull orange in operation so as to
>      > release getter from the plate.
>      > The newer ZG tubes don't seem to get any color. Maybe I'm not
>      > pushing them enough or maybe they are not meant to glow
>     ??  Any
>      > thoughts ? Jim  N5KY
>      >
>      >
>      > Sent from the all new AOL app for Android
>      >
>     <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aol.mobile.aolapp
>     <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aol.mobile.aolapp>>
>      >
>      >    On Tue, Feb 8, 2022 at 9:24 PM, David J. J. Ring, Jr.
>      >    <n1ea at arrl.net <mailto:n1ea at arrl.net>> wrote:
>      >    I'm sure some might like to watch this very interesting
>     video.
>      >
>      > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvwuOUdwvdI
>     <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvwuOUdwvdI>
>      >    <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvwuOUdwvdI
>     <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvwuOUdwvdI>>
>      >
>      >    73
>      >
>      >    DR
>      >   
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>     -- 
>     Richard Knoppow
>     1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com <mailto:1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com>
>     WB6KBL
> 
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-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL


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