[BC] Commercial transmitter disasters....

[Mike Vanhooser novaelec@sbcglobal.net,INVALID]

My worst was an Omnitronix 50kw for KZMP.  This was when Continental was flirting with them, and had private labeled the 1kw and 5kw with some good success.  Both were good transmitters, and I know of a 1 and 5 still in main service with almost zero problems.

That did not transfer to the 50.  We got serial number 5, and later found that the others were all overseas (in unknown condition).  The Solt brothers spent over a month trying to make it run right, and their only salvation was that it only had to make 32kw.  Very cheaply built, with a poor copy of Nautel's AMPFET design, which was underbuilt to begin with (yes, I'm currently taking care of an AMPFET 50, and it has already self-destructed once).  Had almost as bad a time with BE and their 4MX-25 and 50 (bought 3 in one year, all were dogs until they almost completely rebuilt them).  Omnitronix fortunately died a quick and relatively painless death as a result of being chopped in half in a divorce.  The only other transmitters which are even worse are PTEK, which unfortunately won't die, even though its coughing up blood.