[Elecraft] Elecraft Product Ideas

[N2EY at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/21/06 7:37:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
ncsailors at yahoo.com writes:


> 3.  200 Watt PEP (input) 6146 desk-top AMPLIFIER:
> solid state devices use Si, Bo, Arsenic, dopants,
> and vias - to create roadways for e's.  Vacuum tubes,
> have a gaseous layer 

????

Vacuum tubes have just that - a vacuum. 

- which allows a bit of
> 
> latitude for resiliancy, "echo", springiness,
> and an ability to take load and drive jolts.
> They also can exhibit negative R!
> 

Doesn't make any difference to the RF.



> Listen to a HW-32 200W PEP on SSB = clear,
> sharp, powerful audio.  Listen to a 15W solid
> state amp device = much weaker, a bit anemic,
> a bit flat.  

Of course it's going to be weaker - it's 7 db less power!

Ask the Russians - it is said,
> 
> many of their 90's fighter aircraft had tube 
> xmtrs and rcvrs.  (quite dependable they say)
> 

The Soviets used tubes because of their ability
to withstand EMP - and because they did not
have the industrial capacity to make enough
advanced semiconductors.

> Secret? = hot 12VAC filament, and evacuated
> gaseous layer!  Ask the VARIAC folks!
> 
> 


????


If Elecraft could market a BACKER TUBE AMP
> 
> project- one we hams could complete as a "project" -
> FCC would be happy, and we'd have our toaster-size
> 200W PEP input amp next to our K2's - for those
> of us (I suspect MANY) hams would want to use.
> 

How much would you be willing to pay for it? Such
an amplifier would cost considerably more than a
KPA100.


> The ICOM IC-706 folks are still trying to solve the
> "problematic" finals in this 2006 rig.  


The IC-706 is a lot older than 2006. And one poor 
final design does not mean a technology is better or
worse than another. There were manufactured tube
rigs that were very hard on the bottles. 

Silicon -
> 
> does not like punishment, static, radiation,
> heat, or mechanical stress, ground or lack of
> ground situations, ignition noise, mobile static,
> ..............
> 

True. Tubes have their weak points as well. 

73 de Jim, N2EY