Stu,
Your adaption of Soft Rock to different BA receivers is interesting. I bought a SR kit and never built it up. You inspire me to move forward with this. Your use of an LM386 at 455 Khz is interesting since the gain is falling like a rock as the frequency approaches 1 Mhz. It reminds me once where I used a 78L05 with a 2N7000 at the common pin to ground where the 78L05 drove 75 coax cable. I built a digital video switcher where 4 cameras had their own quadrant on a video monitor. The little 3 terminal voltage regulator drove 5 mhz video BW to a monitor very well with perfect picture.
Want to put my Soft Rock on my G76 receiver 1st IF output. Then combine that with a DDS VFO, and the G76 will be the ticket. That rig on xmit does a solid 65 watts RF out on 80-10m with plate modulation. The receiver lacks big time, and the stock VFO are not the best...
I used the Gonset G76 with the Gonset GSB201 (5db pad in between) during the AM Rally, and I got 150-200w AM on all bands tried (80-15). Adding Soft Rock, and a good VFO, and then that would be the ticket.
Jim
WD5JKO