[AMPS] 3CX800A7 and 5C22 question

[John T. M. Lyles]

Thanks, Tom Hix (W4TH), for posting the letter from CPI/Eimac 
Marketing VP on the 3CX800A7 status. Sure beats hearsay and rumors to 
hear it from the horses mouth.

I recently had a bad experience with some Richardson-supplied 5C22 
hydrogen thyratrons, used in a crowbar for the plate power supply for 
our amplifier. The tubes were marked National, and made in Russia. 
They looked different, had the alignment pin in the wrong place for 
the Johnson socket. We had to cut the pin off to use them. They 
lasted less than a year in service, with probably a hundred firings. 
Then they began to continuously breakdown at less than 50% of their 
rated anode voltage. I can get US tubes made by Triton in PA, or from 
Europe. English Electric Valve (Marconi Co) supplied me with new 
tubes to replace the Nationals....So much for good old American 
technology. Anyone else use these tubes?

73
John
K5PRO

--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/amps
Submissions:              amps@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  amps-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-amps@contesting.com