[Amps] amp question

[RAY FRIESS]

OK, I've been a ham for 50 years now, and as such, I've learned a lot of things, but I admit theres still a lot I can learn.  This is one of those things.

I have a Knight T-60, which as we old timers know, puts out a low power AM signal.  I've been thinking of putting it on AM, but would like a bit more power.  We are all also familiar with the Palomar amps and their problems, etc.  They put out a crappy signal with spurious emissions, etc etc etc.

The thing I'd appreciate you guys educating me about is WHAT is it about say the Palomar 600 that causes all the well known problems?  It's basically a sweep tube amplifier, and in our ham careers, we have probably used a number of sweep tube amps, and some may still be using one, such as the old Swan or Dentron amps.

Is it Palomar's design, bias, filtering, or what that makes it have such a bad reputation?

What I've been pondering is, instead of building an AM amp, which would itself use a lot of the same components in the Palomar, could circuit changes be made to it to make it a good amp that puts out a good clean signal if it were driven by a low power rig like the T-60?  It is bandswitched for 40 through 10 already.  It has basically the same components as any homebrew or commercial AM amp ...  a pi network, power supply, bandswitching, etc.

I'd really like to be educated by you guys or gals here.   Like I said, I know a lot after 50 years, but I'm always interested in learning what I don't know.