| THE END OF THE SWEEP TUBE ERA |
| THE END OF THE SWEEP TUBE ERA |
| I THINK THE LAST SWEEP TUBE AMP I RETUBED WAS A "D&A PHANTOM TRIPLE STAGE" TEN TUBE MODEL, I DID THIS BACK IN ABOUT "87",GOOD OLD COPPER ELECTRONICS SHIPPED TEN NEW PHILLIPS(NEVER AS GOOD AS THE OLD SYLVAINIA'S) TO THE DOOR FOR LIKE 130 BUCKS,AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS OUTRAGEUS!!! OH WELL...........IF YOU NEED IT...YOU NEED IT....... FROM ABOUT 1988 TO 1994,TRUCKING BUSSNESS WAS GOOD,AND THE LAST THING ON MY MIND WAS C.B RADIO,I STILL HAD A COUPLE OF PIECES LAYING AROUND,ONE OF THEM WAS A REAL CHERRY GRAY PHANTOM 12 TUBER THE ONLY REASON I LAYED IT UP WAS THAT THE ANTENNA SWITCHING RELAY CONTACTS WERE BAD,AND THE OLD SILVER MALLORY FILTER CAPS REALLY NEEDED REPLACING. SOME LOCAL DIRTBAG NAMED GREG HELMAN GOT WIND OF IT,AND CONNED ME IN TO A PAYMENT PLAN,UNFORTUNTLY FOR ME,HIS PAYMENT PLAN WAS TO MOVE AWAY WITHOUT PAYING. A COUPLE OF TUBES NEEDED REPLACING,AND I ROBBED SOME OVER THE YEARS FOR FREINDS,SO IT REALLY NEEDED A FULL SET OF 12 TUBES TO BE RIGHT. SO THIS DIRT MERCHANT BUYS 12 NEW TUBES,AND TELLS ME HE PAID $35.00 A PIECE,I TOLD HIM HE WAS ASSHOLE AND SOMEBODY STUCK IT UP HIS ASS BIG TIME, TURNS OUT I WAS THE ASSHOLE. AFTER A COUPLE OF PHONE CALLS TO RF PARTS,AND OTHER PLACES,THE GOING PRICE FOR A "6LQ6"(BACK IN "94") WAS 40 DOLLARS. 40 BUCKS FOR A "6LQ6',GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!! TIME TO MOVE ON TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS........... THE FIRST REAL LINEAR I HAD(BESIDES A RATTY SB-220 HEATHKIT I HAD YEARS BEFORE) WAS A GONSET GSB-101 I SNAGED THIS FROM MY FREIND ED SCHMIDT WHEN I PICKED UP A FT-101ZD YAESU FROM HIM, WHAT A BRUISER THIS THING WAS!!! ORIGINALLY A"811'" AMP, ED REPLACED THEM WITH 572 B'S BUT IT STILL CARRIED THE ORIGINAL"3B28"RECTIFIER TUBES THAT WERE RUN OUT, THE GREAT LOU HECKMAN,LAST OF THE OLD TIME TECHNICIANS REPLACED THE TUBE RECTIFERS WITH A PAIR OF NTE-458'S AND CLEANED UP THE DESIGN QUITE A BIT. THEN AFTER A LITTLE REWORKING OF THE POWER SUPPLY,AND A BANK OF NEW FILTER CAPS I HAD A REAL SCREAMER. POWER OUTPUT WAS A LITTLE BETTER THEN 900 WATTS AM 11 METER DEADKEY,WITH ABOUT 1350 WATTS FORWARD. IT WAS ABOUT THIS TIME MY LITTLE SWINGER 205 LINEAR CAME BACK MY WAY AFTER ABOUT 8 OWNERS,I SOLD THIS AMP BRAND NEW(IT WAS A"H&Y SPECIAL FROM THE EARLY 80'S) IT HAS TWO"6LQ6'S THAT ARE STILL PERFECT WITH FULL OUTPUT, AND WITH THE SWING FUNCTION IT'S THE PERFECT DRIVER FOR A BIGGER LINEAR FOR A PIC OF THE GONSET,CLICK HERE |
 |
 |
|