[Johnson] "L" Tuner to Nye-Viking story...

[Ed Tanton]

I mostly agree with George... BUT "pretty IS as pretty DOES"... and the 
Nye-Viking MB-V ** DOES ** very well indeed. The ONE thing I ever ran into 
with it was in the 'homemade' fixed capacitors it uses. The dielectric is 
combustible. Obviously I learned this in my non-QRP days... with my Alpha 78.

I was fooling around looking for the best match I could get on a G5RV that 
was being used somewhere other than the 'correct' set of G5RV bands. I 
don't really know if I tuned off, or it just arced at power, but the next 
thing I knew there was a nasty arcing sound coming from the 
more-or-less-airtight Nye-Viking case. The Alpha didn't waver. I stopped 
for a moment, figuring it was a temporary thing, and tried it again. Still 
spitting, arcing, etc.

Disassembly showed that it had found an edge to arc across, that the 
polyethelene-or whatever-had melted and burned. It so happened that I had a 
roll of thin sheet Teflon that was-as best as I could measure it-the same 
thickness. I made a pattern, cut an entire new set (leaving about 1/4" 
overlap wherever possible) and reassembled the capacitors. Took some 
effort. I also added all the HV-RIDARC paint I could find a corner, edge, 
pointy place/whatever to put it on. Lived happily ever since.

So, you're right George... those capacitor insulators NOT being TFE is 
inexcusible. But it DOES work like every cent of the price.

///snip
The Nye Viking is a great circuit, but is
>"homemade" build quality and
>grossly overpriced and over rated.  Foregoing all in my not-so-humble
>opinion.  Brgds all, Geo




73 Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy@earthlink.net>

Ed Tanton N4XY
189 Pioneer Trail
Marietta, GA 30068-3466

website: http://www.n4xy.com

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