Wanted

[MadisonMod]

Hello. I'm looking for a PAL 350 MDX amplifier.

 

[AudioShockwav]

I have not seen a working one in years. I used to run one in a Datsun pickup (that long ago) back when 8950's were cheap.
Bounce around in the truck for a while, fire it up ,shorted tube, blown fuse, replace fuse, replace tube,lather, rinse, repeate.
The tubes mounted horizontal did not help any, but the subtle noise the DC chopper made under load is still a memory.
Ah the good old days....
Best of luck in your search.

73
Jeff

 

[unit_399]

The tubes mounted horizontal did not help any, but the subtle noise the DC chopper made under load is still a memory.
Ah the good old days....


73
Jeff

Mine made a neat low freq buzzing noise everytime I unkeyed. Stolen out of my El Camino along with my Superstar 360FM.

- J.J. 399

 

[nomadradio]

Using sweep tubes for mobile RF power is something I compare to using a 1905 steam tractor to mow your lawn. Sure, you could. But more cost-effective solutions have emerged the last 100 or so years.

The risk of tube damage if you hit a chuckhole while you're keyed up leads to a low "KBK" rating. As in Keys Between Kabooms.

Reminds me of the old Saturday Night Live skit with the old guy that claimed he walked barefoot 5 miles to school in the snow uphill both ways.

73

 

[BC Coyote]

Using sweep tubes for mobile RF power is something I compare to using a 1905 steam tractor to mow your lawn.

That's pretty much how I feel about it.

I don't really understand why someone would want to spend ages looking for, and then spend good money on, an ancient amp that wasn't a great design to begin with (as mentioned above, sweep tubes were meant for TV's not RF applications).
We live in a world where cheap no-tune transistor amps with decent power output that can be acquired online for a reasonable price (RM Italy and others).

There are also any number of amp builders of various skill levels out there that can whip up a custom transistor amp if you want really big power.

I can understand buying an ancient sweep tube amp if the item in question has sentimental value for some reason, or if someone is a collector of vintage tube gear, but it makes zero sense if the end game is simply to talk on the radio with more power.............much easier, less hassle, and almost certainly cheaper in the long term to just buy a new amp.

 

[Wire Weasel]

I've given up on the SMH response here to people wanting things what the great majority would consider to be old ridiculous boxes of junk. People like what they like .....

 

[nomadradio]

People like what they like .

It's a good thing, or I'd be looking for a new job. Or retiring.

73

 

[Monk]

Tubes on their sides. Had a friend that was tough on amps.
He had a Heathkit SB200 using 572b tubes that are mounted on the flat side. He was going through the cheap Chinese 572 tubes. I told him to turn the amp on it's side to lessen the grid droop/shorts, molten plates....It helped a bit but like it said...
tough on amps...... You can teach some of the people some of the time but can't reach all of them all the time.

 

[AudioShockwav]

He was going through the cheap Chinese 572 tubes.

Unfortunately everything is cheap import tubes now unless you stashed some away 35 years ago.

I guess I could see it if a guy had a nice restored C10 with a CB and a whip and wanted something period correct tube amp kind of thing.
Cool half a lifetime ago, then along came pesky solid state things...

73
Jeff