[BC] Gates VP-50 ?

[Robert Meuser]

Having purchased and maintained both, IMHO each TX offered an advantage. The 317 
C series was indeed built like a tank and was pretty broadband. The 317 could 
throw some serious arcs if a tube or cap went gassy while the PDM modulator on 
the MW 50 pretty well snuffed any major fireworks. The Dorherty system on the 
317 was a little bit more fussy to tune and depending on the serial number of 
the 317, the scope was wrong. The latter versions of the MW 50 had a solid state 
mod driver, which solved the fire problem. I would not have wanted to run an un 
updated MW 50 A for any reason. In nearly side by side tests, we had an MW 50 
running AM stereo with IPMs near -40 and separation in the low to mid 30s 150% 
positive mod. The 317 numbers and performance were nearly identical.

Back in the day, there were nearly religious wars between the two camps. 
Continental types did not like the 25KV plate supply in the MW 50, a few calling 
it an X Ray machine. The 317 had better waveform response, a moot point after 
NRSC. There are examples of both units still in service.

The was a story I heard at WFAN from the former chief. At the time they had a 
317 C and an MW 50. As I recall, the MW 50 was the newer of the two. They could 
never run it mornings as it seamed Don Imus could hear the difference and raised 
hell if the Continental was not on.

R

Milton R. Holladay Jr. wrote:
> Way back, a fellow in SC got a CP for 50. He went up to Fayetteville and
> looked at their 317, and to WBT to see their Harris.
> Said it was like comparing an army tank to a Chevrolet.
> He's still running the 317C.
> M
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Robert Meuser" <Robertm at broadcast.net>
> To: "Broadcast Radio Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
> Sent: Monday, January 02, 2006 1:03 PM
> Subject: Re: [BC] Gates VP-50 ?
> 
> 
> 
>>The VP 50 was a standard plate mod 50K TX. The unique part of the TX was
> 
> that it
> 
>>was water  - or more precisely vapor phase - cooled. This is where the VP
>>designation originates. Plus side, no big blowers or building air handling
>>required. The down side, if there is liquid involved, eventually there
> 
> will be
> 
>>leaks. Also an external heat exchanger was a part of this rig.  50 KW was
> 
> really
> 
>>too low a power for that kind of cooling. Numerous higher power
> 
> transmitters use
> 
>>   some form of steam cooling, but very few are expected to run  24/7 with
> 
> the
> 
>>lack of maintenance common with AMers here.
>>
>>The VP 50 was replaced by the MW 50 which gave the Continental 317 C a
> 
> serious
> 
>>challenge. The MW 50 and 317 C series were probably the best two tube 50K
> 
> Txs
> 
>>ever built.
>>
>>
>>R
> 
> 
> 
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