>At Dayton, I traveled back and forth between the Alpha and QRO booths,
>comparing the construction of the Alpha 89 and QRO HF-2500DX. My
>observations:
> 1. Alpha 89 has more fault detection and protection
> 2. Alpha is more widely accepted and has a good reputation
> 3. HF-2500DX appears more conservative design
> 4. HF-2500DX uses Peter Dahl HV and filament xfmrs which alone weigh
>more than the entire Alpha 89.
> 5. HF-2500DX uses much heavier bandswitch
> 6. HF-2500DX tune & load caps have about twice the plate spacing of
>the caps in the Alpha 89.
> 7. HF-2500DX has a two-speed fan switch
> 8. The Alpha looks "shoehorned" while the QRO has working space inside
>
>Every serious DXer I talk with says, "Buy Alpha."
>
>I'm a rag chewer, not a DXer.
__________________________________________________________________________
As an ex-Alpha 87A owner, I would urge you (for your own sake) to purchase
the HF-2500DX. I also looked closely at it while at Dayton and I am
convinced that it is the better choice.
I hadn't owned the 87A more than three months before I had to send it back
to Colorado (after removing the transformer) and then getting it back (and
replacing the transformer) because I attempted to turn it on 6 times in a
row, whereupon the internal computer shut it down, period!!! Nothing I
could do would bring it back up. I called ETO and they said that the only
solution was to ship it back to Colorado. 4 weeks later, I got it back...
and immediately put it up for sale. The poor devil that bought it has had
it back to ETO on three separate occasions in less than a year.
Why should anyone purchase a $5,800 piece of tempermental prima-donna-ish
equipment that can shut down for no reason that the factory can find (on
four separate occasions) and that costs the owner to ship for "repair"?
Why should anyone purchase any piece of equipment for that much money and
not expect virtually flawless operation? If you want to know more about
the Alpha 87A, ask those on the AMP Reflector about the reliabilty factor.
73, and I hope you make the wise decision.
Rod, W5HVV
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