On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 05:55:32 -0700, Jay in the Mojave
wrote:

+++james wrote:
+++ On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 08:28:58 -0700, Jay in the Mojave
+++ wrote:
+++
+++
++++++Hello All:
++++++
++++++Here is a neat old speech processor that we all use to use on our AM/SSB
++++++radios in the 80's.
++++++
++++++This speech processor really worked well inreasing the average speech
++++++power the transmitter put out. It allowed us to cut thru the skip when
++++++trying to talk to the locals. And when underhanded transmissions where
++++++sent it was turned off, so not all would hear ya.
++++++
++++++http://cgi.ebay.com/DAIWA-SPEECH-PRO...QQcmdZViewItem
++++++
++++++Jay in the Mojave
+++
+++ **************
+++
+++ The best processor that I have ever heard was the ones made by
+++ Sherwood Engineering that worked with the Drake TR4 or with the T4X.
+++ It was an RF clipper with an 8 pole crystal filter following. That
+++ made a fantastic difference. Far better than any audio clipping or
+++ compression would do.
+++
+++ james
+++
+++Hello James:
+++
+++Yeah I have heard of the Sherwood, and other processors. They did work
+++great. I don't know all the poop about them but I know when my Yaesu 902
+++was driving my amp the Gamma Matches would ack over on the Moonraker
+++beam, with the Diawa 440. The stock processor worked also, but not like
+++the Diawa 440.
+++
+++Another reason for dumping the gamma matches
+++
+++Jay in the Mojave
*************

It is not the fault of the Gamma Match design. The design is a very
rock solid design. How various manufacturers implement the design and
the materials used is what becomes the major issue. It is still by
far one of the better matches to take an unbalanced feedline to a
balanced antenna system. The dielectric for the capacitor should be
teflon in high voltage, ie high power, situations. Often manufacturers
skimp a bit and use nylon. Nylon deteriates with time and exposure to
UV light. Cracks propogate through the capacitor and you also get
dielctric breakdown. Teflon is a better material. I not sure but I
beleive that UV stabilized Delrin may also work adequately. Also any
other plastic that is UV stabilized may work well for medium and low
power applications.

james