Tetrode and Pentode
RF Power Amplifier Information
By Larry E. Gugle K4RFE, RF Design, Manufacture, Test & Service Engineer (Retired)
Tune-Up Procedure
When adjusting a RF Power Amplifier using either a Power Tetrode or Power
Pentode, for proper excitation and loading, it will be noticed that the procedure is
different, depending upon whether the Screen Grid Voltage is taken from a, Fixed
Screen Grid Power Supply with good regulation, or from a Dropping Resistor
from the Plate Power Supply with poor regulation.
If the Screen Grid Voltage is taken from a Fixed Screen Grid Power Supply with
good regulation;
1. The Current is almost entirely controlled by the RF excitation. One should
first vary excitation until the desired Current flows.
2. The loading is then varied until the maximum power output is obtained.
3. Following these adjustments the excitation is then trimmed along with the
loading until the desired Control Grid Current, and Screen Grid Current is
obtained.
If the Screen Grid Voltage is taken from a Dropping Resistor from the Plate
Power Supply with poor regulation;
1. The stage will tune very much like a Power Triode RF Power Amplifier.
2. The Current will be adjusted principally by varying the Loading, and the
excitation will be trimmed to give the desired Control Grid Current.
3. In this case the Screen Grid Current will be almost entirely set by the
choice of the dropping resistor. It will be found that excitation and loading
will vary the Screen Grid Voltage considerably and these should be
trimmed to give about normal Screen Grid Voltage.
Contrary to popular opinion, a RF Power Amplifier using either a Power Tetrode
or Pentode should never be loaded for maximum power output, like a RF Power
Amplifier using a Power Triode.
1. Loading should be set to obtain a pre-determined value of Screen Grid
Current under a Single-Tone or Continous Wave (CW) driving condition.
Ideally, loading should be set for minimum distortion - a rather difficult feat
to practice.
2. It is recommended that an attempt to duplicate as nearly as possible a
given set of Data-Sheet conditions as presented by the Tube Manufacturer.
3. These typical operating conditions are usually given for Peak Envelope
Power (PEP) operation using either a Single-Tone or Continous Wave
(CW) and represent the maximum input power on CW or the Peak
Envelope Power (PEP) Input (not meter peaks) on single sideband.
4. After adjusting the Exciter Drive, Tuning, and Loading to duplicate a given
set of conditions, Single-Tone or Continous Wave is removed and the
Single Side Band (SSB) audio gain is adjusted so that Control Grid Current
is never drawn and the condition adjusted for above is never exceeded on
peaks. The peak-to-average ratio of DC Plate Current (as read on a
fluctuating meter) varies, with the individual voice, from about 2:1 to over
3:1. Thus it is normal on voice peaks for the plate-current meter to read no
more than half the value of current obtained in the maximum static single
tone condition.
A straight forward Tune-Up Procedure consists of the following
steps:
1. Ensure that the Tetrode RF Power Amplifier is neutralized and free of
parasitics.
2. With the recommended Heater, Plate, and Screen Grade Voltages applied;
a. Adjust the DC Control Grid Bias Voltage to obtain the recommended
zero-signal value of Plate Current.
b. This value affects Linearity and Plate Dissipation.
3. Connect a suitable Dummy Load and set the loading control for rather heavy
loading.
4. With a single-tone or Continous Wave (CW) source, gradually increase the
drive from zero to a value that produces a significant though small change in
screen current.
5. Resonate the Plate Tank circuit by tuning for a peak (in the positive direction)
in Screen Grid Current.
6. Resonate the Control Grid Tank Circuit (if any) by watching for a peak in
Plate Current.
7. Now increase the drive until either the desired value of Screen Grid or Plate
Current is reached (whichever is reached first).
8. Without drawing Control Grid Current, adjust the Loading, Plate Tank Tuning,
and exciter drive level to duplicate as nearly as possible a given set of data-
sheet peak-Envelope conditions. Remember that;
a. Plate Current Increases with drive.
b. Screen Grid Current Peaks at Resonance
c. Screen Grid Current decreases with heavier loading.
9. After matching a set of data-sheet conditions, the amplifier is ready to connect
to an antenna.
a. With a suitable antenna connected, it should be easy to repeat the
operation obtained in Step 8 above by merely adjusting plate-tank tuning
and loading with the same drive level as before.
b. Set up for voice single-sideband drive and adjust the audio gain for the
highest level possible without drawing grid current on voice peaks or flat-
topping (check this with an Oscilloscope).
Tetrode and Pentode Input Resistance
The design of a typical Control Grid-Tuned input circuit is quite similar to
the design of the Resonant output circuit. For class C operation, or any class
where Control Grid current is flowing, the input circuit must have sufficient "Q" to
maintain a sinusoidal grid wave shape. The tube’s "Input Resistance" loads
the input circuit. It is considered good engineering practice to have a
circuit "Q" of between 12 and 15. In any class of operation with no Control
Grid Current, the Control Grid circuit requirements are not as stringent,
provided broad bandwidth is not a factor. Applications where broad
frequency coverage is desired may better utilize a ferrite loaded impedance
matching transformer terminated into a non-inductive resistor (typically
400 Ohms to 1K Ohms); this is then coupled to a parallel resonant circuit at the
control grid. The net power gain resulting from such a circuit is somewhat less
than that of a conventional high-impedance grid-tuned circuit but this circuit
generally does not require as much neutralization, due to the swamping effect of
the low grid impedance.
For the 4CX1500B example using a parallel tuned matching circuit, the tube’s
"Input Resistance" is approximate the power
delivered to the Control Grid of the tube divided by the square of the DC Control
Grid current.
