‰  NOW 20 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2014 QST  PAGE 52  ‰

ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TUBE AND SOLID STATE AMPLIFIERS IN TERMS OF
PERFORMANCE, EASE OF OPERATION, COST, OR OTHER CHARACTERISTICS?  I ALSO
WONDER WHY SOME HF AMPLIFIERS DONT OPERATE ON THE 10 AND 12 METER BANDS?  A
ARGUABLY, TO A STATION AT THE OTHER END OF THE CONTACT, THE SIGNAL FROM A
TUBE AMPLIFIER SOUNDS ABOUT THE SAME AS THAT FROM A SOLID STATE UNIT.  IN
TERMS OF THE IMPACT TO YOUR STATION, HOWEVER, THE SOLID STATE AMPLIFIER HAS
A NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES.  PERHAPS THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THAT TRANSMITTING
TUBES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE AND IT IS GETTING HARDER TO FIND
REPLACEMENT TUBES OF GOOD QUALITY.  WHILE PROPERLY OPERATED TRANSMIT TUBES
SHOULD LAST 10 YEARS OR MORE, WE DO MAKE MISTAKES, AND THE REST OF THE
AMPLIFIER SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER, MEANING WE WILL NEED TO FIND REPLACEMENT
‰  END OF 20 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ