[Amps] Decline of homebrewing?

sm0aom at telia.com sm0aom at telia.com
Fri Jan 6 02:18:33 EST 2017


This was written almost 50 years ago, and gives some food for thought even today:

"Homebrew Kilowatt

Dear 73, 

Did you ever write an article that you later wished 
you had not written? I have written several. The latest 
is the 6KG6 KW amplifier appearing in January 73.
 
The third paragraph states, "It is assumed that the 
ham who starts out to home brew a kilowatt is not 
embarking on his first construction project". 

You wouldn't believe the letters I have received from 
neophyte hams, who, by their very questions, reveal 
that they have never built anything at all. So suddenly
they decide to build a KW with 2000 volts on it. 
I sincerely hope nobody gets electrocuted as a result 
of my article. 

I belive you need a good article entitled, "If you 
want to get your feet wet, start at the shallow end of 
the pool". Then go on to describe a good linear (or 
other amplifier) that has a supply of less than 500 
volts. Go through it piece by piece and explain what 
the parts are for and why they have to be within 
a certain size range. The stock question about the 
above amplifier was "What's the size of the capacitor 
between the plate and the pi-network? This is noted 
in at least ten places in every handbook in the land. 
A ham who doesn't comprehend even vaguely, the pur- 
pose and limitations of a dc blocking and rf by-pass 
capacitor, has no business building anything as lethal 
as a KW final, 

R. D Baird W7CSD 
Klamath Falls, Oregon"

73/
Karl-Arne
SM0AOM


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