[AMPS] Decision time Approaches

[Jim Reid]

Ok,  in a day or two I will probably be sending off to Radiodan an order
for either of the two "Ultra" models,  3K or 8K.  These offer the desk
top controller unit and the base/PS/RF deck remoted.  Also are
the only amps Henry seems to offer covering the 160 band.

Now,  other than the price delta between the two,  with my set up
I would achieve about the same power output as both units
offer essentially the same gain.  So with just less than 
100 watts drive, out comes our legal limit  (around 13 dB gain).

Dan has offered very acceptable terms for my situation on either
unit.  Now a few questions/comments.

At my age,  this will be my last major ham radio purchase,  for sure!
And am sure a new Henry will last longer than I will,  hi;  then all will
go to one of my son's or grandchildren,  though now,  only my oldest
son is licensed,  but very busy raising his family,  hi; but now have 5
grandchildren, including one boy already 12,  and working on his
CW,  hooray!

But I wander.  The tubes in the Henry units intrigue me;  they are
"instant on"!.  My present linear mandates a 3 minute wait before
it will operate after powering up.  What is different here?  Some sort
of un-needed cathode warm-up or chemical emission enhancement
process required in 3CX800's not needed in  3CX1200D7's  or the
3CX3000A7  triodes?  Any comments about the tubes Henry is using;
guess they have used them for decades,  or so,  hi.

To get real high (out of the rules)  power out,  one must have an
intermediate driver amplifier to boost ones transceiver power
up to the 300 to 400 watt level.

So why go to the 8K,  or why would I even consider it?  Because of
my natural conservatism;  it would represent margin and headroom,
probably better linearity of the triode transfer characteristic in the
Pout range of interest to me;  and probably very long lasting,  under
utilized components.  Now the 8K spec says it will draw 40 amps
from the 240 volt,  single phase supply.  However,  I presume that
is only at,  or near max output,  as I am sure Henry does not have
the triodes biased in Class A ,  hi!  Though that seems to be
where a triode is most linear in the transfer characteristic.

Before ordering,  I guess I have to stew about the decision a bit longer,
and I need to know the exact dimensions of the controller sitting on the
desk,  and of the height,  etc. of the remotable unit.  Does Henry supply
the mating cables,  etc.  Seems unusual,  but Henry uses a BNC
connector as the input to the amp.

Yesterday,  I had the great pleasure of visiting the Pacific Super Contest
Station,  KH7R over on the far North tip of the Island of Oahu, just above
the world famous Waimea Bay beach and world class surfing.

Wow!!
Six towers,  one per band,  up to three beams per tower,  inc 3 ele on
40!  Eight over eight on 10,  etc.  Plus, at least 12 Henry 3KA,  D,  and
Classics sitting around;  one at each of five band stations,  and a bunch
of spares sitting toward the center of the LARGE contest operating
room.  The place was a bee hive of activity in preparation for next
weekends CQWW SSB test!  I was fascinated by the strategy planning
in progress:  Band captains were pouring through  computer print outs  of
when various prefix's were first heard last year on each band,  etc.,
etc.,  etc.  Just amazing activity,  both the the many,  many pieces of
equipment and towers,  as well as the CT computer network,  and
all that planning on going.  However,  I took careful note of all the
Henry's sitting around with carefully marked control settings,  etc.
Never knowing which may be pressed into service on which band,
the attached crib notes on each amp told exactly what control
settings to dial up to get a quick head-up on any of the contest
bands (except 160,  there a solid state unit from one of the Japanese
companies is used,  as I recall).

Anyway,  I digressed again,  hi.  Lets see.  Oh  yes,  noticed that the
power switches were on the base of the Henry's at KH7R;  that would
seem to defeat part of the feature of the remote capability of the
Ultra,  if one had to go to the remote unit to turn things on when
a linear was felt needed in a hot DX pileup a building!  
Also,  wonder if the Henry is internally by-passed when not
required,  so that all that is needed to bring the linear on line
is to just switch it on.

Oh yes,  the Ultra's have vacuum relays,  which can approach
QSK CW,  and they are pretty quiet,  so my Ten Tec OmniVI+
should get along with an Ultra just fine in QSK mode.

So anything else I ought to consider before giving up on my Alpha
87A of great service these past seven years to go on to a Henry Ultra?

73,  Jim,  KH7M
On the Garden Island of Kauai
(Queen Emma gave Kauai the Garden Island designation after
her visits here in the 1860's, 70's,  where she had a home not
quite a mile from this QTH just above the mouth of Lawai stream).




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