Power Vacuum Tubes Handbook, 3rd Edition

12RF System Maintenance and Troubleshooting

12.1 Introduction

Radio frequency (RF) equipment is unfamiliar to many persons entering the electronics industry. Colleges and universities do not routinely teach RF principles, favoring instead digital technology. Or, where RF principles are taught, they usually focus on low-power devices and systems. Unlike other types of products, however, RF equipment often must receive preventive maintenance to achieve its expected reliability. Maintaining RF gear is a predictable, necessary expense that facilities must include in their operating budgets. Tubes will have to be replaced from time to time no matter what the engineer does; components fail every now and then; and time must be allocated for cleaning ...