[RTTY] Heathkit SB-1000 On RTTY

[Don AA5AU]

Bill is correct, the weak point in this amp is the transformer. I blew mine up on RTTY twice and no longer have it. The trick is to replace the transformer with a Peter Dahl transformer if you can find one at a reasonable price.

I ran mine at 500 watts on RTTY until the transformer went out.

73, Don AA5AU



>________________________________
> From: "Bill, W6WRT" <dezrat1242 at yahoo.com>
>To: RTTY Reflector <rtty at contesting.com> 
>Sent: Monday, September 24, 2012 11:46 AM
>Subject: Re: [RTTY] Heathkit SB-1000 On RTTY
> 
>IGINAL MESSAGE: 
>On Mon, 24 Sep 2012 11:07:56 -0400, NZ4O wrote:
>
>>I have a Heathkit SB-1000 amplifier with the single 3-500Z. The manual for 
>>the Heathkit SB-1000 says a maximum plate current of 400 mA for CW and 550 
>>mA on SSB.
>>
>>What would be a safe maximum plate current for RTTY operation, which is 
>>obviously 100% duty cycle like AM operation?
>
>REPLY: 
>I ran an SB-1000 on RTTY for several years. The weak point in that amp is not
>the tube or tank circuit, it's the power transformer. At 1kW RF output during
>RTTY contesting you will soon start to smell the transformer overheating. 
>Not a good smell. 
>
>Hold it down to 600 watts RF output and you can run it all day long.
>
>73, Bill W6WRT
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