Ok so people snatch up Heathkit,Dentron,Drake Amplifiers left right and center int he Ham world. Yet when someone builds a Homebrew amp they always want to hold them to a standard that is higher then most of the gear being used right now and almost all of the gear on Ebay. So what is the deal? Why so much negativity?
So what is the deal why so much negativity and why hold home brew to higher standard then a lot of the manufactures from the past. Chimneys that are not trully needed and sometimes more harm then good, interlock's that are not needed any more then a big sticker saying "Warning do not lick the tube socket with power turned on!" like shunting to ground and such.......All manner of protection circuitry not in most amps that are in use and functioning ust fine in spite of it.
Their is always room for improvement but why poke holes in someone's project when most of them are as good if not better then what was manufactured and sold for so long? Some of the worst designs out their where from huge OEM that are still in Business today like Kenwood and Yaesu....... Some of the worst offenders of less then modern design and less then top notch construction are Ameritron but no one seems to mention that most of their amps are no better then the Heathkit designs or the Homebrew amps built by first time builder's!
All I am saying is that some continuity in standards and such would not hurt! If people are going to go in for the kill and demoaralize a man for his efforts and hard work doing homebrew then they need go after all the OEM that sell less then ideal designs and they need to go after all the stuff that is all the rage on Ebay being bought and sold by their peers. I have seen people vilify a guy for selling a Drake or Tram 10 tube amp but then not say a word about the HeathKit 200,201 or 202............THey go after Black market linears but fail to make the distinction between sound designs and really bad ones. Their are some black market models from days long gone that where everybit as good if not better then some of the stuff Heathkit or Dentron where turning out.
I do not get it really......Why? They tend to leave the big fish in the homebrewing Ham world alone and just go after the small fish..... When popular gear in the hobby from OEM's can not measure up to the standard of the day you have to ask what the standard is for and apply it to all the old gear that can not measure up! Then ask if the standard is even needed or even worth aiming for?
IN Aviation no one poops on a kitplane that is built well as in assembled in a manner that is going to be durable and safe to operate. No one expects a guy working in his garage for 10 years building a plane out of wood or fiberglass to bring a kit plane to the world that has Technology and features found only in Fighter Jet's and Stealth Bomber's!!! I have a lot of hobbies and the only place I have seen nonsense like this is in the Amateur world.
What is my point? Maybe more encouragement, support and a keen interest in these matter's is needed. I think the reason so many people do not bother to post about their projects or send in photo's is because they do not want other's to tear into their project point out all of it's short comings and what is wrong with and then walk away. Constructive criticizim is fine but after you tear something down it is usually a good thing to help build it back up better then before.....
Not pointing any finger's on this site either more of a statement of what I think should be rather then what I have seen so far online!
Once I have some decent progress made will take some photo's but I think their is a lot of projects that go unreported because of the above trend.
I do though think anyone selling an amp should be held to a higher standard then some guy homebrewing in his basement just for his own use!!! I think it is great that people are recyling old parts and also keeping boat anchor's out the scrap pile!!! Too much good stuff get's thrown away today!
So what is the deal why so much negativity and why hold home brew to higher standard then a lot of the manufactures from the past. Chimneys that are not trully needed and sometimes more harm then good, interlock's that are not needed any more then a big sticker saying "Warning do not lick the tube socket with power turned on!" like shunting to ground and such.......All manner of protection circuitry not in most amps that are in use and functioning ust fine in spite of it.
Their is always room for improvement but why poke holes in someone's project when most of them are as good if not better then what was manufactured and sold for so long? Some of the worst designs out their where from huge OEM that are still in Business today like Kenwood and Yaesu....... Some of the worst offenders of less then modern design and less then top notch construction are Ameritron but no one seems to mention that most of their amps are no better then the Heathkit designs or the Homebrew amps built by first time builder's!
All I am saying is that some continuity in standards and such would not hurt! If people are going to go in for the kill and demoaralize a man for his efforts and hard work doing homebrew then they need go after all the OEM that sell less then ideal designs and they need to go after all the stuff that is all the rage on Ebay being bought and sold by their peers. I have seen people vilify a guy for selling a Drake or Tram 10 tube amp but then not say a word about the HeathKit 200,201 or 202............THey go after Black market linears but fail to make the distinction between sound designs and really bad ones. Their are some black market models from days long gone that where everybit as good if not better then some of the stuff Heathkit or Dentron where turning out.
I do not get it really......Why? They tend to leave the big fish in the homebrewing Ham world alone and just go after the small fish..... When popular gear in the hobby from OEM's can not measure up to the standard of the day you have to ask what the standard is for and apply it to all the old gear that can not measure up! Then ask if the standard is even needed or even worth aiming for?
IN Aviation no one poops on a kitplane that is built well as in assembled in a manner that is going to be durable and safe to operate. No one expects a guy working in his garage for 10 years building a plane out of wood or fiberglass to bring a kit plane to the world that has Technology and features found only in Fighter Jet's and Stealth Bomber's!!! I have a lot of hobbies and the only place I have seen nonsense like this is in the Amateur world.
What is my point? Maybe more encouragement, support and a keen interest in these matter's is needed. I think the reason so many people do not bother to post about their projects or send in photo's is because they do not want other's to tear into their project point out all of it's short comings and what is wrong with and then walk away. Constructive criticizim is fine but after you tear something down it is usually a good thing to help build it back up better then before.....
Not pointing any finger's on this site either more of a statement of what I think should be rather then what I have seen so far online!
Once I have some decent progress made will take some photo's but I think their is a lot of projects that go unreported because of the above trend.
I do though think anyone selling an amp should be held to a higher standard then some guy homebrewing in his basement just for his own use!!! I think it is great that people are recyling old parts and also keeping boat anchor's out the scrap pile!!! Too much good stuff get's thrown away today!
