IF you compare fully automatic tube amps with fully automatic tube amps, I
concur that pricing is similar. You did not include tube Alpha 9500 $7,995
or the following solid state amps in your summary: the Flex PowerGenius XL
$6,999, SPE 2K-FA $6,695 and the Distronix DX2400L1 $11,300.
There are heavy-duty legal limit top manufacture manual tune tube amps that
are lower in price such as the Acom 2100HF $4,000. I am not sure of anything
comparable in solid state amps (except MFJ). The largest solid state Acom
is the S1200 $3,700 and it requires 1.5:1 or better SWR so you would likely
need a legal limit tuner.
I have seen two used Elecraft KPA1500's for sale and both were priced very
close to the new price. Perhaps that will change, I keep looking. The RF
Kit looks very interesting. For now the big tube vs SS pricing difference is
in the used market where an Acom 2000a can be purchased in the $4k rage and
Alpha 87a's are being given away.
John KK9A
George Fremin III K5TR wrote:
I will contend that they are not much different in price than tube amps.
Lets take inflation out of it.
You can compare prices with current amps.
Elecraft KPA-1500 - Amp and Auto Antenna tuner 1500 watts $6000
Full auto no tune amp
Acom 2002A - full auto tune amp 1500 watts $6500
RF-Kit - Solid State amp with or with out tuner Last I looked it was in
the $3000 - $3500 range
This amp is a kit. But not that much of a kit 1500 watts
This has a computer and a microprocessor in it to do all sorts to
monitoring and control
Ameritron AL-1500 1500 watts $3500 or more if you get the Eimac tube
Simple amp - manual tune
no microprocessers
Ameritron ALS-1300 - 1200 watt amp $2500
Simple solid state amp
No tuner not micro processor
Ameritron ALS-1306 - 1200 watt amp $3150
Simple solid state amp
No tuner not micro processor
Has 6 meters
I think that there is a market for a LDMOS amp that is dead simple.
Thank AL-1500 but with LDMOS.
No built in tuner
No microprocessor
Control and protection circuits that are like the W6PQL amp control board.
http://w6pql.com/amplifier_control_board.htm
<http://w6pql.com/amplifier_control_board.htm>
And it would sale for the same or maybe even less than an AL-1500 amp.
I was thinking of building an amp like this for my own use.
And I did for 432.
But in the end - used tube amps are showing up at good enough prices that it
made sense for me to buy some
used auto tune tube amps. Tube amps are getting harder and harder to sell.
They will keep working - tubes last a long time.
At some point I might move to solid state. Maybe by then I will be buying
some used
Solid state version of an AL-1500 or a used Elecraft or whatever other cool
solid state amp shows up
on the market in the coming years. There will be many more of these showing
up in the years to come.
-
George
K5TR
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