TRAM D201-Tube Information

[Lik2race]

Hey Guys,
I luckily came into possession of a TRAM D201 ( won it in a Poker game ).
It looks great inside & out, talks very well up through 40+ Channels. I am in need of info on the Tubes; especially the Big Tube just left of Center, near the Rear of the Radio-I can't read any numbers on it. Even though the Radio tallks well, I would like to keep it in "Tip-Top" condition-maybe a few new tubes to freshen it up. Also I am looking for a diagram of the Tubes, their numbers, and their function. I am not very knowledgeable of the inner workings of these radios, but I want them to be as best as I can afford to get them. Any information of this TRAM D201, that Owner/Operators think I should know, or be aware of, please don't hesitate to tell me about, that's one of the main reasons I like this Forum.
My email is :[e-mail]
Thanks so much, Take Care,
Stan
[img src="i81.photobucket.com/albums/j221/Lik2race/TramD201_z.jpg"][/img]

[Sniper..Unit 305]

Lik2race, Follow this link, it should give you all you will need for your Tram D201 ! I believe you are talking about the 6L6GC tubes. If you find that your stability isn't what you feel it should be, try disconnecting that fan. Usually Trams don't like air blowing directly on the tubes, at least in my experiences with them. I don't run fans on any of mine, they run hot as all heck, but they are GREAT talking and listening old radios !! Sniper

www.cbtricks.com/radios/tram/d201/index.htm

[scrapiron]

Hi Lik2race, nice radio, I run my tram with the lid open to let all that heat out, doesn't seem to affect stability at all. They run way too hot. What kind of wattage are you seeing on the meter. Do you have a tubetester? They are great radios. 73

[Lik2race]

It Dead Keys 12 watts, swings to 35-38 watts, I think THAT is too much.
Especially if I want to put an Amp in line, most of them prefer LOW wattage..I have been told..lol
Stan

[Sniper..Unit 305]

Feb 3, 2010 1:10:26 GMT -5 Lik2race said:

It Dead Keys 12 watts, swings to 35-38 watts, I think THAT is too much.
Especially if I want to put an Amp in line, most of them prefer LOW wattage..I have been told..lol
Stan

If your swr is a bit higher than a 1.1 match, it will appear to be putting out more than it actually is! You can take the bottom off and see if anyone jumped the resistor, that will increase your output power also. If the resistor IS jumped, you can put a toggle in-line and switch it in and out of high power. Sniper

[spends2much]

I have never seen a Tram key that high nor swing that high...What are you using as a meter lol...If it is keying that high I can tell you theres alot of things in that rig that are not going to last very long trust me.I like to see about 3 to 4 watt dead key on mine with about 12 watts PEP.If I want more power I'll use one of my many amps, but thats way to hard on the rig running that high.As for tubes...Give Alan a yell at tubes plus, he'll hook you up with a full set at a good price.

[BionicChicken]

I'll bet that two resistors are jumped, both of them close together. That will make it dead key that much. It won't sound as good as it does with a lower key and sure won't last as long. Any extended period of use in this mode will fry the relay and other parts and tubes.

Find the jumpers on the resistors and clip them. They should be 10 watt, sand resistors, the white rectangular looking ones. Then retune the radio. The key should be down to around 3-4 watts hopefully.

BC

[cbrown]

I have to agree with the others - that dead key is way too high.

[2600]

You might look for a toggle switch that has been added, usually on the rear panel. It was common practice to "jump" across one or both of two tan-colored ceramic power resistors that serve to set the AM carrier to the legal 4-Watt power level. These two resistors are under the deck alongside the socket for the final tube, the one against the rear panel. A popular setup was to use a center-off switch. Normal 4-Watt carrier would be the center position. The other two switch positions would short across one, the other or both resistors.

Or someone may have installed a wire jumper across them.

The power level you describe would be about right when both resistors are jumpered.

This is a bit like a nitrous bottle on your 4-cylinder daily driver. Drives up the wattmeter, but reduces the audio level heard at the other end. Kinda like spinning the wheels on a car. Looks impressive, but doesn't take you anywhere. And like the nitrous bottle, wear and tear are accelerated in a major, major way. Before long you'll seize a wrist pin or drop a valve.

73