What my question would be is how much drive is needed to get the PP transistors to a good power level and still retain a long life span. Meaning keeping the heat down without having to add fans and large hear sinks and such. Also while monitoring this on an O'scope.
Not really interested in seeing numbers on a watt meter, but rather a clean signal being transmitted. This takes some other things as well like good filtering and proper biasing and such. And quality parts being used in conjunction with the PP transistors. Not re-invent the wheel, but to truly be able to give good accurate info about them.
Also we all know the days of the Toshiba 2879 are just about gone. There are still some around. But they will get good prices for them.
I say look to other devices such as the PP transistors or even better some proper RF type Mosfets. Yes they cost much more, but you get what you pay for these days man. Pretty well a fact on most things anyways. Sure there is some cheap stuff that works well, but overall it's made cheap and once broken, hits the road in a garbage bin. This may just be my opinion. But I doubt I am the only one that feels this way.
With more people using HF radios for 11m SSB use, you would think someone other than the big companies could figure out how to make a nice amp for using with an HF radio that won't have issues. Something very stable and can truly make the user feel comfortable about using it. But hey I suppose there aren't enough people looking for amps such as this. Thus the keep copying the old design and to hell with trying new stuff. But hey like I said, if people would truly stop worrying about looking at watt meters all day and focus on running a clean amp that will provide some stuff that the high end amps for amateur use are built with.
Good VSWR protection, stable, thermally tracking AB, or even class A, amps. The issue is most 11m operators that truly don't know any better just assume that their amp is working well because it shows it working good on the watt meter.
Sorry for the rant I suppose you could say. But why not look forward here a little and leave the past copied and re copied design on the curb and start fresh maybe. I know, I am dreaming. This hobby is dying a slow death whether we will admit it or not. Kids these days don't give 2 shits about a CB radio or even ham radios for that matter. Yes there are some, but not that many. And very few on the CB. Look at it this way, take the average age of most people on a CB these days and see where it's headed. And I hate to say this even myself, as I am only 40. But no one that I know my age around here is interested in the amateur or even the CB radio thing anymore. And I am being serious. Maybe a couple close to my age. But most are 60 or more years old.
Wish it wasn't this way, but obviously the cell phone killed a lot of stuff. Anyways, text wall complete for the day. And these are JMHO's.
And yes, thanks for posting info about the new transistors, the Power Pill transistor. It is nice that at least a few are willing to do this. Shows they are truly interested in how well the quality of things are these days and only serves to more prove what I said earlier. When things break these days, they are usually made in China cheap junk that hits the garbage can. Anyhow. Be safe testing!!!! Good day.
