[SCCC] RTTY Contesting

[Timothy Coker]

That’s actually something that’s been on my mind. I’m not using a borrowed Alpha 78 for RTTY. I am however using my own Acom 2000A.
There are some serious RTTY guys in the club, at least from what I remember putting together NAQP teams in the past. They could probably weigh in with all sorts of experiences about their felt reliability of their amps over time.
Watching my Acom 2000A operate into less than 2.5:1 SWR settings (and usually nearer to 1.5:1 or less) this weekend I’ve found that the amplifier’s extra cooling fan turns on pretty quickly when I run at 1500 watts. Even if I’m quickly S&Ping it comes on. That fan comes on when the front or rear tube temp rises to 90 degrees Celsius.
In my mind I don’t want to push these conditions, but I have been this weekend. Why? Well I just got the amp back after a failed tube experience. When I bought the amp I got it from a ham with big time digital contesting background with 1,000 hours of usage. At 5,000 hours a tube failed. A new matched set has been installed now.
So I like to see what the amplifier can do, but it’s really just an experiment of comparing what it’s going through versus SSB and CW contesting. What’s safe for the amp? Not really sure as far as for the long term... I personally feel like Don. If I want to run full power I can... but really I think today if I want to run I’ll throttle it back to a kw or less and take care of my $6,500 amp as, at least for me, digital mode contesting just isn’t my thing... I want to keep my components (in my head) lasting for contests I think I can do well in.
My borrowed Alpha 78? While I have a spare set of tubes I really don’t want to push that kind of use on a friend’s amp. If I were to I’d call him and ask ahead of time even.
To me it’s kind of like... sure there is an old add of a brick on a key... just like Glock claims perfection... I’ve personally shot 45,000 plus rounds through that particular “perfect” Glock and experienced exactly what happens with all tools when used enough... problems. Same thing after going 55,000 through a new Beretta 92G with the high end Wilson Combat mods. 
Probably not an answer of any sort, more of some gut “feels” and why I think that way. If it’s an important enough use, push it! If not find a nice compromise for all of your thoughts and uses.
Tim / N6WIN.

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone


On Friday, February 9, 2018, 16:02, Bob Grubic <bobgrubic at gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for that, Don. And actually, G0OOGL gave me a good reply too. I just
had to ask the right question! :)

73,
Bob NC6Q

On Fri, Feb 9, 2018 at 3:50 PM, Don Minkoff <cowchip at ca.rr.com> wrote:

> I run 100 barefoot and 500-600 with amp.  If a new country shows up I
> start to warm my big Alpha and run 1500 because I can.
>
>
> Don, NK6A
>
>
>
> On 2/9/2018 3:37 PM, Bob Grubic wrote:
>
>> Gonna try my first RTTY contest this weekend with the CQ WW WPX RTTY
>> Contest.
>>
>> I'm gonna try fldigi linked with N3FJP and running an IC-7300.
>>
>> Question: how much power do guys run when running barefoot? with an
>> amplifier?
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> 73,
>> Bob NC6Q
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>
> --
> Don Minkoff
> NK6A
>
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