[BC] Re: CONTINENTAL 10 KW AM'S TUBE TYPE

[DHultsman5@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/17/05 10:55:47 AM Central Daylight Time, 
broadcast-request at radiolists.net writes:
I think you mean the 316 F. It had the direct coupled solid state exciter, 
Before that there was the 316 B it used 3 4cx5000s screen modulated. It was 
notorious for requiring that the interlocks be jumpered to make certain 
adjustments. In between there was a model that used all ceramic tubes, I dont 
remember what the letter suffix was. I also do not know if any were ever 
sold. 
Maybe Dave Hultsman could tell us.

R
++++++++++++++++++

You rang---I answer

The 316 10 kW. which was the driver for the 317 50 kW. was a three cabinet 
transmitter, Barry has a photo of the transmitters used as a driver at KRLA and 
WDIA and a Canadian station.  I understood that CE also sold some of the 316's 
as 10 kW's opnly in the US, Canaga and worldwide.  This was essentially part 
of the Western Electric line after CE bought the Western Electric AM product 
line.

The next was the 316B which as Rob Meuser stated was three 4CX5000A tetrodes 
in parallel, screen modulated by 4 each 4-65A tubes in the ecreen circuit.  
The 315B used only two tubes.

The next was the 316C which was two 4CX10,000 tubes in parallel operated in 
linear mode, screen modulated by three 4CX250B tubes.  I know there was one at 
WCFL and one at WLAC backing up their 317C's  I know of several of the 315C's, 
Boston MA, WRR, Dallas, WMAK, Nashville

The next was sometime that Saintone was working on in 1968 when I was looking 
at transmitters for KLIF's new 12 tower array.  They had a working prototype 
10 kW two-tube solid state transmitter.  They finally got it out about 1971 as 
the 315F and 316F, using two 4CX10000's in the 5 kW and two 4CX15000's in the 
10 kW.  The tubes operated in a Doherity amplifier making it more efficient 
than running in linear fashion as the two previous models.  The also set it up 
so you essentially peaked the grids and dipped the plates which was the way 
most class C plate modululated rigs tuned.

These two transmitters were the FIRST two-tube 5 and 10 kW AM transmitters 
and predated the MW-5 from Gates and by several more years the MW-10 from Harris.

Dave