Dave:
The OH2BH amp you mention is produced by Pekka Kohelmainen, OH1RY under
the name "FinnFET" or something close to that. Several power output
levels are available. At least one local contester, N6TV, has one and
has used it on a contest DXpedition. Bob is very pleased with it. Morel
has investigated these offerings and commented upon them. They are not
cheap, but arguably not unfairly priced. As you probably know, the
semiconductors are pretty damned expensive.
Pekka brought one to Fiji in March, 1995 for use on Conway Reef. It was
a most impressive unit, lightweight and occupying a small traveling case
with its switching supply. Unfortunately, it was one of the items lost
overboard when our boats capsized. It was recovered, but the switcher
was non-functional from the saline immersion, so I never got to see it
play.
Having one supply for both transceiver and amp sounds good, if a 13-Volt
output is provided. The only caveat is that, in the event of a supply
failure, you are not barefoot, but out-of-luck.
73,
Garry
David L. Thompson wrote:
>
> Morel, 4X1AD posted the price for the new Yaesu 50V ps (200,000 Yen). In
> doing the research for the 5th edition of the Amateur Radio Mail Order
> Catalog and Resource Directory I ran across The Luke Company (Now called the
> Lucas Company) in Lake City, Michigan. They make heavy duty 13.8, 28, 50, +
> even higher VDC switching supplies at high Amps just for such solid state
> amps. MFJ/Ameritron uses their 28V for the 600W solid state amp they sell.
> 18 Months ago the 28V 50A was about $300 and the 50V 70A was about $475.
>
> I was involved in a discussion several months ago on the contest reflector
> about solid state amps (why there are not more of them on the market).
> Mirage had problems with their 800 and 1500W versions so did not even
> attempt type acceptance as required in the USA. Ameritron is reluctant
> to bring one out to compete with their AL and new 3CX800 series. I found
> several that make SS amps (one in South Carolina, one in Ocala, Florida) but
> they all try to stretch 13.8VDC supplies to 90A and don't use 28 or 50V
> supplies. OH2BH is supposed to have an amp made in OH but have seen no new
> specs. I notice several use several sections of 250/300W modules for up to
> 1KW...but no one has a 1.5KW output SS amp yet.
>
> The original article for a 1kw SS amp was in a 1982 QST so the technology is
> there and the follow up SSKW 160 to 6 amp was published over 6 years ago.
> Guess the amp homebrewers are going to have to do......
>
> Imagine an IC706 or Alinco DX-70T with a small kw amp (hide that 28V or 50V
> supply on the ground somewhere) and you have a small potent rig for
> Dxpeditioning and IOTAing where the 1kw rig is about the same size as an
> IC751A and the PS is small/heavy but far less weight than the small amp we
> carried before (Clipperton L or Alpha 76). Come to think of it why not
> latch the amp on the front of the supply and have the supply run both the
> transceiver and the amp!
>
> Food for thought (and action)..
>
> Dave K4JRB
>
> --
> FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/ampfaq.html
> Submissions: amps@contesting.com
> Administrative requests: amps-REQUEST@contesting.com
> Problems: owner-amps@contesting.com
> Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm
--
Garry Shapiro, NI6T
Visit the Northern California DX Club home page:
http://www.ncdxc.org/
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/ampfaq.html
Submissions: amps@contesting.com
Administrative requests: amps-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-amps@contesting.com
Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm
|