[AMPS] Another article.

[Fred Fliss]

Good news.  An article about amplifier construction that can be accomplished 
using ordinary tools would be wonderful.  Hopefully, those ordinary tools 
don't include the ever-evasive grid dip meter.  On the other hand, who am I 
to complain, what with a laboratory full of RF test equipment at work to 
perform tests with.  Alas, though, my workplace is not one with high power 
capabilities, but we certainly do have the tools to measure components.

Regarding a title for the article, I suspect you'll get plenty of 
recommendations.  I do hope that you include in the article your most 
impressive set of reasons for using a tube with handles.  I believe that is 
one of your more considered arguments.

The article body itself deserves some consideration.  I would recommend 
against a genuinely scientific article.  You must show some emotion in it, 
and you must make it personal.  Humor is a good touch, as well.  Also people 
will assume it is far more authoritative if you use a sesquipedalian style.  
The use of a ten dollar word where a one dollar word always impresses.  It 
also helps to keep the riff-raff from asking stupid questions.  For 
instance, why should you ever use the word "childish" when the far more 
opulent "puerile" is available?  One of the best ways to tell that your 
article is written well is when many readers are sent scurrying to their 
dictionaries.  A particularly good substitution is to use "stentorian" when 
"loud" would do.  The mathematical superiority of ten letters when four 
would do is clear to anybody who is not mired in the quicksand of puerility.

And, of course, once you have the reader accustomed to words with the 
correct number of letters, you should then immediately begin using 
abbreviations.  Notice how much more technical HV-RFC sounds than "High 
Voltage RF Choke".  Or how G-G just flows off of the fingers more 
effortlessly than "grounded grid".

Another literary technique worthy of use by authors of grandiose intent is 
to use uncommon words to substitute for vulgarity.  A stunning example would 
be to use the noun "feculence" instead of "shit".  One would not want to 
offend the sensibilities of nobility!

Finally, the tone of the article must be correct for the audience.  As I 
said earlier, make it personal.  Don't let any opportunity to bring a point 
home escape.  Notice how "Operating an 8877 at a filament voltage of 5.95V 
can only be recommended for those who have more money than brains" has a 
more personal touch than "Operating an 8877 at a filament voltage of 5.95V 
will result in shortened life and high replacement costs."

Be certain, also, to use words that are clear to the most casual of casual 
observers.  Notice that "HV-glitch" has a more obvious meaning than "high 
voltage arc."

Tying words together with hyphens is called for today.  The hyphen had 
almost vanished from contemporary prose, and it should be our duty to bring 
it back with a vengeance!  Phrases like "tune-C" and "VHF-resonant" should 
be used in abundance.

Those are just-my c. 1/6-bit's worth of feculent puerility.  Oh, dear, the 
cosmic-rays are a-coming and I fear a stentorian-glitch is about to cause 
bent-filament-helices on my under-construction twin-3-500Z amp with the 
nichrome-chassis.  I will have to watch-for the dx-cops because they'll no 
doubt hang-tie me when my adjacent-channel feculence is heard on the bands!




>From: measures <measures@vcnet.com>
>To: "AMPS" <amps@contesting.com>
>Subject: [AMPS] Another article.
>Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 11:28:41 -0700
>
>
>I am currently attempting to write an article on a  method of
>constructing amplifiers that requires no special tools.  This
>construction method was used in contructing both of my c. 20db HF
>amplifiers.
>
>Premise:
>There are basically two types of amplifier builders on the third planet
>from the Sun:  those who are mostly concerned with appearances, and those
>who are not.  Appearance-type builders build to impress.  . The other
>type couldn't care less.  .  What matters is how many peak volts are
>delivered, and whether or not it splatters.  . Ease of construction also
>gets high marks.  Two preliminary photos are available on my Web site.  .
>  .
>
>I would appreciate receiving commentary on what you would like to see
>this article contain, as well as a suggested name.
>
>TNX
>
>
>
>-  Rich..., 805.386.3734, www.vcnet.com/measures.
>
>

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