[AMPS] ACOM Amps

[Dick Green]

Rich,

I don't think so. My ACOM 2000A has been quite solid in the autotune
department. I had a couple of problems initially -- a bad Kilovac vaccum
relay (gone when I replaced it with a Jennings) and a bad 4CX800 (oh, those
Russian tubes!) My Alpha 87A has been a rock for seven years -- a couple of
minor problems here and there (bad op amp in the metering circuit and a bad
replacement tube), but nothing related to the autotune.

73, Dick WC1M

----- Original Message -----
From: "2" <2@vc.net>
To: "Dick Green" <dick.green@valley.net>; "Amps" <amps@contesting.com>;
<TNeill1648@aol.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2001 2:10 PM
Subject: Re: [AMPS] ACOM Amps


> >
> >Tom,
> >
> >I'm sure ACOM is alive and well. Last I heard, they had shifted a lot of
> >their production to the new "1000" line of manual tune amps and are
selling
> >a lot of them. As I understand it, they underestimated the demand for the
> >2000A and as a result are not making enough of them. I would also suspect
> >that their margins are better on the 1000. I guess they decided they
don't
> >need to advertise either one.
> >
> >73, Dick WC1M
> >
> /\   Dick -- I used to work for the Technical Support Dept. of The
> Pacific Missile Range at Point Mugu, CA.  Our dept. repaired Collins
> 208-U10 autotune linear amplifiers.   When a 208-U10 was in good working
> order, it was like Godzilla rising from the ocean.  50mW in would result
> in 15kW out. However, on average, roughly half of the 208-U10 amplifiers
> on the Range were broken, awaiting parts and repair.   It seems that mo'
> complicated is not always mo' betta.     An interesting parallel is the
> Antilock Brake System on automobiles.  Even though ABS is way more
> complex than garden-variety brakes - because it's computer controlled,
> ABS is supposed to prevent wheel locking, thereby reducing the chance of
> a crash.  However, Insurance company statistics show that ABS equipped
> autos have a higher accident rate than autos equipped with ordinary
> brakes.  My guess is that this has something to do with the ABS'use of a
> computer.  Do computers ever Crash?
> -  Perhaps the margin on the model 1000 ACOM is better than the margin on
> the autotune 2000A due to the difficulties in troubleshooting autotune
> amplifiers?
>
> cheers
>
> -  R. L. Measures, 805.386.3734,AG6K, www.vcnet.com/measures.
> end
>


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