HI folks,

I've used amps with 3-500z tubes or others but have talked to a couple
of blind ops who have tried the 811.
From what I'm told the difficulty is monitoring grid current to keep
the amp tuned properly.  With a tube such as the 3-500Z tuning for
maximum smoke and then cutting your drive if you wish to reduce power
is a workable method whereas they say this isn't so with amps such as the 811.  Ymmv and all that other stuff, just
passing along what I've heard.  I'm sure if somebody out there has a
workable solution such ops as my friend in Kansas might like to hear
about it.

Btw I don't think he's on email except occasionally with sighted
assistance, but if you're on 75 meters etc. look for n0kj on such
freqs as the INterstate sideband net on 3985 khz at 0100 UTC.  Elden
ran one of these for awhile and went back to something with the
3-500z.

IIRc this amp runs in a grounded grid configuration which makes
monitoring your grid current imperative to keep all the electronics
happy and keep the smoke in the components.  rEad another user's post
about his going bang during a qso.  No doubt he wasn't able to monitor
grid current and therefore overdrove the amp.

Btw don't like the sound of most solid state amps I hear on the air
but have gotten good reports from our club station w5sla when using
their Ameritron solid state amp.  WAs hoping to have it on the air for
the sweepstakes contest but my xyl and I both had a flu bug that
weekend.  However folks whom I trust to give an honest audio report
tell me they didn't hear anything nasty on 20 meters with it.

73 de nf5b



Richard Webb

Electric Spider Productions
almost 50% of those at ground zero on 9/11/01 still have
longterm health problems.  Almost half of those have no health insurance.