In article ,
R J Carpenter wrote:

But aren't there still a lot of tube 50s in backup role? A couple of years
ago WTOP still had a tube rig as backup.

At a lot of the sites I've visited, this used to be the case but has
changed in the not-too-distant past (or is scheduled to change soon).
A lot of the effort is due to IBOC, but even in its absence I've been
told that the advantages even of the ``Destiny'' over the original
DX-50 are sufficient to make it worth stations' while to buy one and
move their DX-50s to standby status. (It's a great racket for Harris,
certainly....)

Ten years ago it was pretty common to see a DX-50 as the main tx with
a Gates or Continental tube backup, but now -- among the full-timers
at least -- the usual state is two solid-state transmitters. Some
stations (particularly the ex-I-As) made a substantial investment in
solid-state transmitters and bought a pair of DX-50s when they came
out, or have a DX-50 and a 3DX-50, and alternate on a weekly or
monthly basis.

-GAWollman

--
Garrett A. Wollman | As the Constitution endures, persons in every
| generation can invoke its principles in their own
Opinions not those of| search for greater freedom.
MIT, LCS, CRS, or NSA| - A. Kennedy, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. ___ (2003)