[Hammarlund] 6C4 issues - progress ! (was dead on 15m HQ-170a)

[Carl]

Good news Mike.

Thats quite indicative of the usual 6C4 problem and you can probably use 
that tube in a different circuit with no problems. However if a basic 
emissions tester says it is only 60% then it should be kept for low 
frequency or audio use.

Carl
KM1H



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike & Coreen Smith" <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca>
To: <hammarlund at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 4:44 PM
Subject: [Hammarlund] 6C4 issues - progress ! (was dead on 15m HQ-170a)


> Well, this email will probably be premature, however, I am excited, so 
> I had
> to post to the list.
>
> Last night for whatever reason , my new-to-me HQ-170a suddenly seemed 
> to
> "come alive" out of nowhere.
> BAnds that were down in the mud suddenly sounded like I had engaged 
> 40dB of
> amplification.
>
> I have been running it nightly for about a week now, since purchased. 
> First
> couple nights it was quite stinky (dust), though
> the inside of the bottom of the RX looks like new and inside where the 
> tubes
> are is in quite nice shape. (no corrosion or dirt, just a bit of dust)
>
> I tried 15m last night after the RX 'came alive' and lo and behold, 
> each
> time I tried I got a few seconds (usually) up to a minute
> of 15m signals, but then it would abrubtly poop out on me. PLOOP!
>
> Today, a friend @ work loaned me his Mercury 202 tube tester and gave 
> me a
> brand new 6C4 tube (which tested quite good, but not FULL scale on the
> meter. (maybe 80-90%..)
>
> I popped in the good tube and now 15m is alive with Xtal Cal signals 
> and has
> been for 1/2 hour...........now I have jinxed myself I know it.  After 
> I
> type this email and hit <send>,. 15m will die for sure.
>
> I tested the old 6C4 tube and it also tests good, but a little lower.
> (60-70% on the scale)....
>
> Does it sound plausible that this was the source of my "no rx on 15m"
> problem or can that be? (ie: not oscillate only on a single band?)_
>
> The Xtal Cal signal is nearly pegged on 160m/80m and 40dB/9 on 
> 40m.....20/15
> and 10m are S7 and 6m is S1 exactly.
>
> Cross your fingers !
>
> This weekend I'll test the rest of the tubes, but in the meantime I'll 
> leave
> it run a few hours a night to burn out the cobwebs before attempting 
> to
> recalibrate it.
>
> Thanks to everyone for their help, information and comraderie (sp?)
>
> dit dit
> Mike VE9AA
> Mike, Coreen & Corey Smith
> 699 Rte 616 Keswick Ridge
> NB
> Canada
> E6L 1T1
>


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