[AMPS] Thanks for BIRD meter info!

[Colin Lamb]

Michael said:

"I have an even better spin on this... you can save even putting the short
circuit on the outside and even needing RF drive to energise it!

Disconnect the antennas, feeders, HF rig (driver) - you can sell them
all if you wish - just adjust the grid bias volts down to increase Izsac
until it reaches Pdiss for the output tube(s) of your amplifier."

The problem with that is that the heat is generated at waist level or higher - which leaves your feet cold.  I was thinking of using some old water soaked RG-213 running about 400 feet in the floor - perhaps buried in the concrete.  That way a long qso will keep your feet toasty. Cutting an antenna for 5 mhz. will give you high enough swr on all of the ham bands to warm up the shack very nicely, no matter what frequency you operate on.  If you run some of the coax under an area where your wife spends the evening, she will even ask you to get on the air more often - especially if you keep the heat down, or better yet have no other heat.  She might also ask you to QRO.  Once she finds out that the tubes with handles will keep her much warmer, she might even order one plus a spare.

Your dog will also spend more time with you on those cold nights. 

A really efficient system might use conduction cooled finals with a grill attachment for making breakfast while having a morning qso.  Every once in awhile, I hear someone on the air with frying eggs in the background, so at least a few people are using this approach.

73,  Colin  K7FM




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