[BC] Why an older transmitter may be a good choice

[Paul B. Walker, Jr.]

S**t.. you want 2 or more Solid State Rigs in each station? I can't even
afford ONE right now.

Hey, if someone wants me to have 2 solid state rigs per station. great.. but
THEY can PAY for them!

-- 
Paul B. Walker, Jr.
Operations Manager/Program Director
WABV-AM 1590 Abbeville, SC (Sorry, we're a 1 tube transmitter type station)
www.walkerbroadcasting.com
walkerbroadcasting at gmail.com

On 2/21/07, Robert Meuser <Robertm at broadcast.net> wrote:
>
> That really  depends on a number of things. Tube rigs do not like
> sitting idle, they must be exercised on a regular basis and kept clean
> just as if the are a main. The exercising itself could be a gotcha since
> that probably subjects the TX to a lot more on off cycling unless the
> station is a hard day only operation. With tubes being more and more
> difficult to find, I would think a step start on the filaments would be
> a good addition. I think the practical question is how many small
> stations can afford to spoon feed a tube aux so that it will be reliable
> when needed that can not afford two solid state TXs?  This would be
> especially true if the station had a history of good financial
> management. In that case somewhere in the 80s or 90s a SS TX was
> purchased. At that time the tube TX was retained as the aux. After a ten
> year depreciation another SS TX was purchased and the original retained
> as backup.  If the station was really old meaning it might possibly have
> a large TX building, the tube TX could be retained as an off line
> ultimate disaster recovery unit.  There are some class A stations that
> operate this way with two or more on line 50 KW TXs one tube TX of 10 or
> 50 KW normally disconnected from everything awaiting the ultimate
> disaster.
>
> R
>
>
> Rob Atkinson wrote:
>
> > I won't argue with you on that Robert, but how about this--a tube aux
> > is better than no aux at all?  Or is that no longer the case as well?
> >
> > rob a.
> >
> >
> > From: Robert Meuser <Robertm at broadcast.net>
> > Reply-To: Broadcasters' Mailing List <broadcast at radiolists.net>
> > To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
> > Subject: Re: [BC] Why an older transmitter may be a good choice
> > Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:45:43 -0500
> >
> > unless you re-match the antenna. This is the kind of stuff you are
> > paid for.
> >
> >
> > R
> >
> > Rob Atkinson wrote:
> >
> >> I agree that a s.s. tx makes sense monitarily, but something happened
> >> recently that made me think keeping an old tube rig as an aux is not
> >> a bad idea.  I can't recall what it was for sure but it may have been
> >> the WFIN tower accident.  I guess if you have an antenna emergency
> >> and you have to temporarily work into a less than satisfactory load,
> >> a tube rig might be happier with that.
> >>
> >> rob atkinson
> >> st. charles IL
> >> k5uj
> >
> >