[MRCA] Econco

[Ray Fantini]

Not directly Ham related but a sign of things to come, Microwave Power Products the parent company of Econco located in Woodland, CA just announced that they will be closing down operations of their repair services for Power Grid tubes. They are just about the only source for rebuilt things like 4CX3500 tubes that are used in a bunch of older broadcast transmitters and may now force many radio stations to finally replace their old tube transmitters. Don't think anyone has built a high powered broadcast transmitter that still uses tube technology in about twenty years now but there are still a lot of the old Harris HT-3.5 and BE FM-5 out there. I was always able to pick up good money changing tubes in those transmitters where the newer Gates and Nautel transmitters just have PA panels that can be swapped by a secretary, or the typical chief who is now days an IT manager.
Some glass tubes like the 211 and 833 are still in production for the audio market, think the current version of the 833 is the 833/FU-33 but it looks like the day of the ceramic/metal power tube is coming to an end. Imagine for my lifetime things like the 4CX250 and 350 will still be available NOS being you can still find 6D6 and 6C6 tubes available NOS on eBay but other bottles like the 3CX800 become pricy and you have to wonder how long they will stay in production? The 4CX3500 was used in a large number of transmitters by several manufactures but reached the point of no longer being economical to rebuild or manufacture. How far behind can the 3CX800 be?

Ray F/KA3EKH

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