[Amps] Amps Digest, Vol 42, Issue 67

[Tom W8JI]

> It occurs to me Ameritron may be trying to compensate for 
> operators who
> do not 'scope their station. With an oscilloscope you can 
> see how
> undercoupling
> the output causes the tube to flat top. That creates 
> distortion, both IM and
> harmonic. It seems to me that Ameritron, with their 
> suggested tuning method
> insures the tubes are overcoupled and then underdriven.

....and worse yet for the manufacturer, under coupling 
results in high voltages in the tank circuit. Besides all 
that splatter, it decreases reliability of the amp and the 
life of expensive tank components.

The number one cause of operator related field failures is 
underloading the amplifier.

73 Tom