[BC] Continental HI-Power FM Tubes

[Philip Harris]

We bought two Continental 317A in my Metromedia/Metropolitan Radio days in
the mid 80s.  Both were returned for parallel Continental boxes.  WWBA was
the call at the time in Tampa/St Pete which was a class C and WOMC Detroit,
a grandfathered superpower Class B.  Both stations needed TPO in the 40-42
kW range and the 817A really looked good to us when introduced.

In Detroit we were replacing a pair of aging Harris 20H boxes that used the
4CX15000A and enjoying 2 to 3 years on those tubes with careful filament
voltage management at full rated TPO for each box in parallel.  The dismal
tube life in the 317A came as a real surprise!

Continental made good on all of it. 

Phil Harris
--------------------
>The Factory gave them a recall.  The "Q" of the grid circuit was terrible.

 
>CEC backed the product, but most of the problem was the tube. The tube reps
came out to a NAB party at the site where >three of the transmitters
operated near Atlanta and there were six duds stacked in the storage room.
 
Dave Hultsman