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AM transmitter

H

hypwr

I received a call from the owner of a 5KW AM who wants to purchase a new transmitter. Has anyone had any experience with the Energy-Onix Pulsar 5KW xmtr.? The price is right, but I have never worked on one, so I cannot advise him.
 
Many problems with them over the years. If cost is a concern you may want to look at a used Continental 315 or Gates 828, you will be happier.
 
You guys are doing The Lord's Work by giving this advice. A friend of mine once worked for a small market station where the owner made his money in another line of business (knew basically nothing about radio). He went to his first NAB convention in Vegas, had a few drinks, and bought a transmitter. The thing was a total piece of junk that kept breaking down and cost them a fortune to keep on the air. I don't recall the make/model anymore.
 
Thanks for the feedback No Time. I know that the Continental and the Gates are good xmtrs. However, the cost of tubes is just off the charts. We had always used Econco rebuilts, but we're lucky to get 6 months out of one.

That's why he wants to get a solid state unit.

I have 2 Harris solid state 50KW xmtrs and am quite happy with them.

The BE 5 is nice, but if you ever wanted to change frequency the modules must be sent back to the factory.

Anyway, I appreciate your input.
 
With proper filament voltage regulation you should get well over a year out of those tubes. Yes over time they are going to add up but the box is far more stable them the EO. Solid state would be my choice also, maybe a used gates 5 is floating around.
 
If you're not interested in running IBOC, look for a Nautel AMPFET 5 - stone reliable and field-fixable. After all, Nautel traces its beginnings to its early days as "Nautical Electronics." They originally built navigation beacon transmitters designed to replace lighthouses, and their units were intended to operate continuously out on rocks in the North Atlantic unattended and maintenance-free for months. You know: kind of like most radio broadcast Tx sites these days.

The AM-5 and 6 from BE are also very good boxes. Avoid the latter "E" series.

Most solid-state transmitters will require a factory retune to change frequency.
 
Even with proper filament control, No Time, there are problems. Something has happened to Econco in the last few years. I was always able to get 12 to 15 months on a rebuilt. Chris Hudak at the CBS FMs is lucky to get 5 months on a tube. And, he is very careful with the filament.

Actually, I would probably buy a Russian Svetlana tube rather than take a chance on a rebuilt. At least until they can work out the problems. According to Chris, the filament seems to lose emission rather early.

I agree, a Gates 5 would be a good choice. Transcom has a Harris SX-5 from 1987. I understand that the SX is basically a Gates 5 with alot of computer crap on it.
 
I average econco rebuilds to be just over one year with them on a 315 and on an FM it depends on the type of tube. power level and analog or hybrid mode. Hybrid mode kills the tube far faster than analog boxes out there.
 
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