amdx wrote:
On another note; I noticed the base waveform is pretty good. Has anyone
seen a design that
lightly couples a signal from the base to maybe a FET and buffers it. Just a
thought!

The collector waveform will always be much richer in harmonics than the
base waveform. If you want to multiply up this is Good. If you see some
random circuit in a handbook keep in mind that they may very well have
intended it to be used for multiplying up 2x, 3x, 4x, etc. so the bias
etc. may have been chosen just to make the waveform at the collector
look un-sine-ish!

There are numerous oscillators that take the output signal from a
tapped-down tank if they want a minimum of harmonic content. Tapping
down helps minimize the effect of loading on the tank Q, but taking the
signal from there will have at least some effect on oscillator
stability. Another place that might like look slightly nicer from a
waveform view (and may be lower impedance) is the emitter. And there
exists oscillators that put a smallish resistor in series with the tank
- the resistor value is chosen small to not degrade the tank Q very
much, and the small voltage across the resistor looks very sine-wavish.

Tim.

I duplicated a circuit for someone because they got a bad
output waveform.
As I shift up in freq at about 2.7Mhz the voltages jump.

If the voltages suddenly jump with frequency change then this is a sign of
instability. Not seen the circus digramus confusicus, but if it is a colpits
then reduce the gain by adjusting the ratio of the two divider capacitors. I
assume, of course, that you have adequately decoupled the supply line, and
that there is no inductive coupling/feedback.

Instability causes eratic frequency and/or severe distortion. In
particularly bad conditions it can cause unwanted visitors (CBers,
neighbours, DTI, etc.).