[Elecraft] Any AM detecting go'en on?

[k6se@juno.com]

Don, KD5NDB wrote:

"Its nice to have a radio that can deliver 100 watts out using less power
than it takes to heat the filaments in the old tube radios and probably
10 times more  reliable."
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I'd sure like to find a radio that efficient!  5 volt filaments at even
25 amps uses 125 watts.  My power-efficient K2 uses 13.8 volts at 15
amps, or 207 watts, when running 100 watts RF out.
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"With the exception of high power amps I think we should let the glow
bottles die. If you can even find them you have to mortgage the house to
buy them. I'm not sure how much longer power amps will use tubes as it's
getting more cost effective to build them solid state as well.  (From
someone who spent 10 years swapping tubes."
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I recently bought a new 12BY7 for my old TS-830S for $5.00.  I had no
trouble finding it and not a bad price, considering the increased cost of
living since the '80s.

Mortgage the house?  When you consider even the price of high-power
vacuum tubes, they're not as expensive as they were years ago.  For
example, in 1970, a pair of 3-500Zs cost $90.  Today, when the cost of
living is certainly more than three times what it was then, you can buy a
pair of 3-500Zs for $250.  The relatively low-powered and common-used
6146A which cost about $5 in 1970 can still be bought new for about $15
for the ruggedized military version (6146W).

Unlike Don, I have never had to swap tubes out in any of my kilowatt
amplifiers (in over 47 years).  My Alpha 76CA has thousands of tough
hours on it in contests and chasing DX, and still is going strong with
the original tubes.  IMHO, short PA tube life is due to either:

1) The tube was factory-defective (one-year warranty), or

2) Care was not exercised in driving the tube (watch that grid current
religiously!)

Until solid state high power RF amplifiers are as cost-effective as
vacuum tube amps, I'll stick with that "archaic" technology.

73, de Earl, K6SE