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From: stephany.WBST@XEROX.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.ham-radio
Subject: Re: Morse code stinks
Message-ID: <123@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Jul-84 12:20:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.123
Posted: Wed Jul 18 12:20:00 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Jul-84 07:15:38 EDT
Lines: 30

ANSWER TO N. MEYERS MESSAGE: "...  ARE THEY STILL ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT
TRIODES ON THE TESTS ?"

There are still a few vacuum tube questions on the FCC tests.  Remember
many if not most of the Ham rigs still use vacuum tubes in the final
because they are cheaper and more rugged than transistors.  Under
overload (what is a Ham if he does not overload his equipment?) a vacuum
tube will run until it melts (and I have done that).  A transistor will
pop right away.

also:  all high power transmitters use vacuum tubes including all local
TV,FM, and AM stations.  The worlds bigest (VOA) uses ten in the final
of its 2 MegaWatt Xmitters.  Also the worlds most expensive high fi
(cheapest set is $5000 and up, they install it in your house themselves)
went back to vacuum tubes because they sounded better and laster longer
(!).  Also remember, every CRT is a vacuum tube.  In Switzerland, they
went back to their old ignitrons because the solid state control devices
on their electric railway locomotives wiped out TV reception in the
whole country.

So don't run vacuum tubes down as old hat, there are still a lot of them
around because in some applications they are better than transistors.
You use the technology that is best, you dont run a style show to
impress people how up-to-date you are.

					Joe N2XS  Spark Forever

PS  I wonder if those awful stations in Cuba are Spark Gap?  The hams
have to build their own rigs down there.  Are they using the "available
technology"?