Production and reliability of the VKU-8891M series DBS-MSDC klystron

With the development of a four-stage depressed collector for air-cooled, permanent-magnet focused, medium-power klystrons, CPI introduced a new generation of high-efficiency klystrons to the satellite-communications market, covering C-, Ku-, and the direct broadcasting satellite (DBS) band. This paper describes the production and over three years of field experience for the VKU-8891M series klystron serving the DBS market. This klystron was the first to utilize the multistage depressed collector (MSDC) in satellite-communications applications.