[BC] Worst Transmitters

[seaberg1@juno.com]

My experience with transmitters says the worst ones were made by Western
Electric.
Thanks to Barry's old time radio I was able to up with come the model
numbers.

For AM the WE-443 1 kw using four 357B tubes made by Western Electric
wins the 
prize.   Two of these tubes cranked out the 1 kw carrier and the other
two in a Doherty
configuration supplied the positive peak power.  Lucky to get three
months out of the
WE tubes.

Machlett took over the tube manufacturing and we started getting bottles
that would
last a bit longer but still nothing great.

For FM the WE-506B-2  10kw FM wins the prize.  I somewhat resembled a
pot-bellystove
with three "stove-pipes".  One for grid tuning, one for plate, and the
other for loading.  
We had tube problems with this baby too.

It also was the one that had a chain-drive to correct the oscillator
frequency and keep it
on the assigned carrier frequency if I remember correctly.  Beautiful to
look at and 
a joy to behold thru the three full length glass doors especially the six
mercury vapor
rectifiers. It made for the  "romance" in broadcasting especially late at
night.  "Nuf-sed" !!

Bob -- W3MDM