[Elecraft] KPA500

[Don Wilhelm]

How about the excitement of drawing an arc off the plate caps of the PA 
tubes with a pencil (keep your fingers on the wood).  That used to be 
part of the excitement of ham radio.  Lots of these exciting things have 
been lost due to the advent of solid state devices and operating 
convenience.

Nostalgia is wonderful - I have to just look at the array of boat 
anchors featured in the tailgate section at hamfests.  There is a lot of 
gear that I drooled over when I was a youngster who could not afford an 
HRO50  or an SX-100 or an NC-300.  I see these receivers and think back 
to that time when I wanted one, but I resist the temptation, the new 
solid state gear has much better specs and reviews, and I know that I 
would not want to indulge in a restoration project for that boat-anchor 
gear no matter how strong the nostalgia may be - so I just enjoy the 
looking and resist the drooling.

You are allowed to differ, but I am sufficiently occupied with repairs 
of Elecraft gear and other personal projects, and do not have spare time 
to restore antique gear - others may have different perspectives.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/5/2011 7:14 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 5, 2011 at 5:45 PM, Bruce Beford
> <bruce.beford at myfairpoint.net>wrote:
>
>>> If the amplifier gets too hot, it will let you know in a safe,
>>> non-spectacular way.
>> How boring. 8-)
>>
> Indeed boring.  MUCH more interesting:
>
> Exploding electrolytic capacitors.
>
> 3-1000Z meltdown and implosion.
>
> 3-500Z melting solder off the pins.
>
> Wirewound resistors burning up and leaving a burning carbon track.
>
> Plate transformer so hot it sets paint on fire.
>
> Bandswitch with a half a dozen totally burned contacts
>
> Plate choke with about half the wire evaporated.
>
>
> Now that's entertainment.
>
>
> 73, Guy
>