[Amps] Source for 8877 amp input tuning coil needed

[Steve Thompson]

Joe Barger wrote:
> I'm working on a "classic" W6PO 144 MHz 8877 amp (http://web.wt.net/~w5un/8877-1.htm) .  The input tuning circuit calls for L1 to be wound on a 1/2" diameter form with a white tuning slug (CTC 1538-4-3) .   Does anyone know where I can find this particular form?  Or a reasonable replacement?  The amp currently just has the coil and some unknown ferrite rod stuck in the middle and can't get the SWR between the amp and driver below 3:1.
I ran one of these for many years in a contest station. Forget the slug 
tuning, wind two coils the same as the airspaced one, and stretch/sqeeze 
them, rewind if necessary until you find a good input match. The amp has 
now moved on and I can't remember what we ended up with, but I do recall 
it wasn't difficult or critical to set up.

If you search the archives I gave a similar reply to the same question 
quite a while ago - I might have given the winding info. back then.

Steve