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

[Bailey, Scott]

Robert,
   This may be a stupid statement to make, but small stations should not
worry about maintaining a tube TX for a backup. As you have pointed out,
one must still perform routine maintenance on these tube boxes to insure
that if there is a major problem with the main solid state box, the tube
rig will be there to take on the load. The high cost of tubes, reactors,
mod transformers, and just older designs are just not cost effective to
maintain as an aux.
   I feel with Solid State rigs as stable as they are today, there is no
need for a tube box at a small stand alone AM or FM. If an AM stand
alone like mine feels compelled to have a back up, buy the little 250
watt Energy Onix box, but really, I feel that's not necessary.

Scott


-----Original Message-----
From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net
[mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Robert Meuser
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 2:18 PM
To: Broadcasters' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [BC] Why an older transmitter may be a good choice

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