[AMPS] Super Tuner/The Final Answer...

[Mike Baker]

Hello All,
    Re: the "Super Tuner" stuff...
    Back when Denny Hadd started the Dentron Company I worked for a place called
CW electronic in Denver.  They were the local ham radio dealer and had been for a
lot of years.  I was a salesman in the ham shack and sold LOTS of Dentron tuners
and amps so, here is the REAL info on the tuners in question...

Super Tuner.  Black Cabinet about 10w 10d and 6h with 3 large knobs using a taped
inductor and two caps in conventional "T" configuration with a balun inside that
was jumpered from the back to accommodate ladder line/ballanced feed.  Rated at
approx. 1200W (input power) but would handle up to about 800W output with SWR of 3
or 4 to one or less without much trouble in SSB.  No antenna switching or
metering.  Selling price in 1976 was $100.  WARNING: DON'T switch this amp with
power applied or you will toast the switch on the coil taps.  Use about 10W when
trying to find the best tap setting and use the setting that uses the most left
hand (caps more meshed) setting of the antenna and transmitter tuning caps.

Super Super Tuner.   Almost the same as the tuner above except the cabinet was
about 7 inches high and had a larger coil and slightly larger caps.  Bigger balun
as well.  Rated at 3 kW input and about 1500W output.  Cost in 1976 was $179. The
same precautions apply to this tuner about tune up as the switches in these were
not what you would call "Heavy Duty".

With both of these tuners, if you treat them gently and don't abuse them they will
last a life time.  I owned one for 15 years before selling it along with the rest
of the station back in 1987. (Divorce Sale.) :+{
Bought a Super Tuner about 2 and a half years ago on the net that was reasonable
at $50 but when I got it the switch was toasted.  Thanks to a plea in the
newsgroup for a switch at cheep prices I got 2 brand new ones of slightly heavier
duty for $15 from a guy and after repair it worked fine.  I sold it about 2 Months
ago for $70

Because they do not incorporate any antenna switching or bypassing, unless you
only have one antenna or use it on a dedicated antenna, antenna switching can be a
pain but that is about their only disadvantage.

FWIW, the Super Tuner used 500MMF 2kv air variables and the Super Super Tuner used
500MMF 3kv air variables.  These were the same caps used in almost all of the
Dentron Amps for years so if you can find a tuner cheep it could be a good source
for replacement caps to fix your Dentron Amp.  A Tip.

I hope this puts to rest the Super Tuner thread as there was a bit of miss
information presented that needed clarification.

FYI, Denny Hadd of Dentron fame is the president of Alpha-Delta and lives in the
Phoenix AZ metro area and is still active.  He stops in at the store (HRO Phoenix)
once in a while to say hi and it gives me a chance to pick his brain about the old
Dentron Company.  Nice Guy.

Best 73 to all in 2K
Mike Baker  K7DD
Working to reincarnate "Das Frankenstien Amp".

gdaught6@leland.Stanford.EDU wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Re: the "Super tuner" thread...
>
> > >    Mine doesn't have the roller . It has the switched L (A-Q). I have only
> > >arc the antenna C once and that was due to mis-tuning on my part.
> > >Mike(y)
> >
> > some had tapped coils, others had roller inductors.
>
> Mine says "Super Super Tuner" and has a tapped coil and switch.  Is
> this the same creature, or something altoghether different??
>
> 73,
>
> George T. Daughters, K6GT
>
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