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Re: [Amps] ALS-1300

To: "'Rob Atkinson'" <ranchorobbo@gmail.com>, <amps@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [Amps] ALS-1300
From: "Joe Subich, W4TV" <lists@subich.com>
Reply-to: lists@subich.com
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2009 17:03:59 -0500
List-post: <amps@contesting.com">mailto:amps@contesting.com>
> I've been told the Ameritron s.s. amps are easily overdriven 
> into "garbageland" where they spew noise up and down the 
> band.  I know this can be done with any amp but they have a 
> rep. for being especially prone to do this.

The problem is that Ameritron is sloppy with their design.  
The amplifier board in the ALS-600 is almost a part for part 
copy of the Helge Granberg/Motorola application note EB104. 
The amplifier has a high power gain - in excess of 20 dB for 
the transistors - with a gain variation of as much as 4 dB 
depending on construction across the 1.5 to 30 MHz operating 
range.  Ameritron then choose to use ALC to control transmitter 
output and accommodate this overdrive.  

When ALC is used to reduce the output from most modern solid 
state transceivers they do become very "dirty."   Instead of 
ALC, the Granberg design should be used with 6 or 7 dB of 
fixed attenuation up to 6 DB of variable attenuation (1, 2 
and 3 dB fixed attenuators) that can be switched into the 
circuit on a per band basis.  This allows the amplifier to 
operate linearly with the full output of most modern solid-
state transceivers - a situation that allows for minimum 
ALC and optimal operation. 

The same considerations apply to the ALS-1300 which is likely 
to be very similar to the ALS-600 with two Grasberg amplifier 
modules and a splitter/combiner.  

73, 

   ... Joe, W4TV 
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: amps-bounces@contesting.com 
> [mailto:amps-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Rob Atkinson
> Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 1:18 PM
> To: amps@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [Amps] ALS-1300
> 
> 
> I've been told the Ameritron s.s. amps are easily overdriven 
> into "garbageland" where they spew noise up and down the 
> band.  I know this can be done with any amp but they have a 
> rep. for being especially prone to do this.
> 
> The price of the ALS-1300 means one more nail in the coffin 
> of the Ten Tec Centurion I fear, since Ten Tec boosted it 
> into the over $3000 league.  Maybe that was part of the 
> Ameritron plan.  More sales of AL-82s hi hi.
> 
> 73,
> 
> rob / k5uj
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