[Amps] 200-ohm tank and "un-un" in HF amp design?

[Dennis OConnor]

Roger - Palstar is no longer in the amp business.
I have the first HF2500E he built. I flew down there a few times to watch the build. 

I flew there to pick it up on a Friday afternoon when they told me they had a 'small problem' with uneven power output.  He did demonstrate that on 20 meters the amp would make his dummy load beg for mercy.

Said he had a call in to a big name amplifier designer (commercial stuff) to discuss it Monday morning and I should call him on Monday afternoon.
Called on Monday and they had given up, didn't know what to do.The consultant said it should produce power and he could not see a problem on the schematic.

What's the problem - I asked - because you are sitting on thousands of dollars of my money and I have burned a bunch of avgas and I still don't have an amp and I'm getting annoyed? 

So, then he told me that it would not tune much above the bottom of the ten meter band without losing power - would only make about 1200 watts at the top of the band.
Oh that - I said - why the hell didn't you say so in the first place, sheeesh.

So, I told him how to fix it and I would be down on Friday afternoon to pick up my amplifier for CQWW the following weekend.
I'll let the list figure out what it was just from my sketchy description and how I had them fix it. - most of you should be able to do so.
Anyway, Bill lost money on the redesign (super good design job, too) and wasn't selling enough amps to cover the payments to Commander for the rights so he returned the rights to Commander.
Anyway, it is a great desk top amp. Pumps out power quietly.

 
denny / k8do