[Amps] Defining CCS

[Roger (K8RI)]

There are a number of valid reasons for needing CCS to meet the wants of 
hams running digital modes at the legal limit.  Those reasons are as 
valid as are the reasons for running the legal limit on SSB and CW.  
Many of them are the same.

Little of the older equipment was designed to run today's legal limit 
including the Collins 30-S1.  As we approach the time when the legal 
limit was changed, some amps were designed with substantial overhead, 
but unfortunately there were a number of commercially that were rated to 
run far more power output than either the tubes or power supplies could 
handle. As a carry-over from the "tube days" many hams were used to 
pushing tubes beyond their ratings so pushing these over rated amps was 
a well ingrained mind set.

When the legal limit was raised many just pushed these amps farther.

I have to disagree with the comments about narcissism on the bands. 
Certainly there are narcissistic hams as there are narcissistic 
individuals in all walks of life, but it has very little to do with 
whether we run CCS, or ICAS (however it's defined).  With dynamic 
predistortion we now have the ability to run the legal limit with less 
garbage off the sides than even recent SS rigs running 100 or 200 watts 
barefoot.

Experimentation is still alive and well with exotic modes bringing 
amplifier efficiencies no one would have believed in the 60s or 70s. 
Experiments are going on At frequencies so high no one even thought of 
them back in :the old days.

A few "decades" back, my cousin Dan (now SK) asked me if I'd be 
interested in designing the software for an SDR setup.  At the time I 
didn't have much enthusiasm for SDRs. Too bad I couldn't see a few 
decades ahead<sigh!>


73, Roger (K8RI)

-- 
Roger (K8RI)


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