added firebird f500 to the shack

[johnny9]

i said i was gonna stop with the tube suff but couldnt turn it down for fiddy bucks..was gauranteed it worked and it seems like it does.
it has 3 6je6c and 1 6lq6 tube that says under 6lq6,6jec..the driver is 6je6c,and the 6lq6 is mixed with the other 3..id think the 6lq6 should be taken out of that order..any thought on that?
not sure if its good to have a 6lq6 in ther with the other 3 even tho they interchange,but sitting on the shelf a while wont hurt much.

ok,i promise to try and stop collecting the old stuff and maybe venture out to a transistorized amp next time

 

[fnkycoldmedina]

i wouldnt have passed on it either .on a good ebay day you could probably get 200.00 for it

 

[johnny9]

thats good to no. once i get the antena done"someday" i will try it out, and the abc amp.
abc amp has drive,tune and load.
f500 just a driver and antenna knob,so i assume i will treat it as a tune and load?
wish they were just all the same for non electrically advanced guys like me

 

[wavrider]

That firebird 500 is one of the better 11 meter amps if there is such a thing.

Does not make a difference where the 6lq6 is at. Both part number of the tubes are interchangeable.

There is a DRIVE knob, it really is a DRIVER tune knob.

The other knob is the plate tune knob.

This amp does not have an antenna tune knob as it is designed and engineered to be used on a 50 ohm impedance antenna system.

The correct term for those KNOBS are air variable capacitors.

If that old tram is tuned for max smoke output it may be a little to much for a single tube driver stage type amplifier. The plate dissipation for a 6lq6 is not 20 watts.

It is a keeper.

Key around 2 or 3 watts and swing around 8 to 12 watts into that old amp and you will have a clean signal out.

Over drive it and you will splatter the heck out of the band and will soon be buying tubes to replace the ones you have in it.

 

[johnny9]

thanks wavrider,i had no clue about it being good or bad,but at least theres directions for it on cbtricks.com
they say tune both knobs for max power and leave it alone,and 5 watts max dead key and up to 18 iirc swing.
i will take your advixe for sure and have the tram set for 3-4 dk and swingin 12 so it last a while..the tram is getting shipped put mon to allen for a overhaul on all caps and transistor stuff and alighnment and such.

i will only ask this as i read you explain it before but cant find the info..these tubes have a clip on top of them..i do use a t shirt doubled up to remove tubes in past amps with no shocks and i am very carefull.
will these clamps on the tube tops zapp me? should i use insulated pliers to remove them to be safe or is doubled t shirt ok?
really just wanna clean the tubes as there totally thick and dusty,even in the pic above..wanting to clean them tonight and maybe see what it does with this midland 2 watt dk,,thanks as always

also the specs on cb tricks said it will swing 800 watts lol..i doubt that!

 

[wavrider]

http://www.kk5dr.com/AmpFAQ.htm

good reading on amps.

Let the amp sit unplugged for 10 to 15 minutes.

This will allow the tubes to cool down and not be hot from the filament being lit.

Discharge the tubes. Hopefully there is a bleeder resistor in the power supply, if not you need to discharge the High voltage.

If you do not know how to discharge the high voltage from the power supply then STOP. There are lethal voltages in that amplifier and could cause a real nasty shock or worse.

Take the amp to your local technician or find someone who knows what to do around those old sweep tube amps to help you.

 

[GnG8d]

That firebird 500 is one of the better 11 meter amps if there is such a thing.

I'll bet you there are more good 11m amps available than there are commercially made general coverage amps.

 

[johnny9]

thanks again wr..saved that thread a week or so ago when you sent a link..ive actually read it top to bottom a few times,but me comprehending it till another few times is a different story,haha

def good reading..i have no clue how to dis charge the amps,and have pulled all the tubes from the tram "17" and on a couple amps and am very carefull but those with the wires on the tip of the tube has me more nervous lol..

going late nite shopping now, i will try to find info on line for dis charging the power supply when we get back..
i guess i could have been lucky and the older abc amp had good bleeders..but i dont touch nothing w/out something on my hands even if its a doubled up rag..

ive stick welded in puddles of water standing on pallets for yrs and been zapped welding on 650 with big fat rods more times than i wanna remember,and def dont wanna have flashbacks in my older yrs

 

[wavrider]

I'll bet you there are more good 11m amps available than there are commercially made general coverage amps.

Examples? Any links to these amps?

 

[GnG8d]

Examples? Any links to these amps?

Ain't no links, it's illegal.

 

[johnny9]

glad i get them cheap since there sitting on the shelf all there life<gotproof>

walmart was close to empty thankfully.could have done w/out a 400.00 bill just for xmas dinner, and a few things..that ate up my ,,amps on the shelf project

 

[Mudfoot]

I hear you...

I took my family and a slew of outta state relatives and a few close friends for dinner. My aunts insisted on eating at a well known German restaurant.

My cousin laughed when they brought me the bill.

Ouch!

 

[GnG8d]

I hear you...

I took my family and a slew of outta state relatives and a few close friends for dinner. My aunts insisted on eating at a well known German restaurant.

My cousin laughed when they brought me the bill.

Ouch!

You didn't do Der Dutchmen in Logan did you?

 

[Mudfoot]

Nope, haven't ate there for a few years. We went to the Clay Haus.

http://www.clayhaus.com/

 

[GnG8d]

Yeah , that looks way better !


Remember the Top Hat steak house?