Amidst all the nostalgia over AM (my Dad, W5JHJ, still has a working Globe Champion with 275 W of plate-modulated AM; I vividly remember watching the 866A mercury-vapor rectifiers glow blue and pulsa
Basically each electron is accelerated thru an electrical potential (voltage) and gains kinetic energy. This energy goes some place when the electron strikes the anode of the tube. Well, it goes into
Tube-type amplifiers dissipate roughly half as much heat as the amount of RF they produce. Electrons impacting the anode. cheers, Kim - R. L. Measures, a.k.a. Rich..., 805.386.3734,AG6K, www.vcnet.c
Congratulations Kim on asking a very good question. One part of this hobby and an obligation all hams have (my opinion) is to acquire at least a minimal understanding of how their gear works. This is
In my experience with broadcast FM transmitters, solid state mosfet amplifier are not so much better than a tube PA plate efficiency already when the device is alone, I mean a single pushpull unit.
But Maury, tubes are much prettier, especially in a dark room. No comparison. -WB2WIK/6 "If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough." - Mario Andretti