Tom: Those some of the many good reasons for no-tune/auto-tune amps.
Contesters, DX'ers who hop band-to-band, even casual operators who just want
to "point and shoot", making the amp a true extension of the transceiver.
A growing trend is remote operation due to oppressive CC&R's, local tower
regulations and litigious neighbors. Lots of all of those here in CA! Hams
are starting to rent small chunks of farm land, put up a tower and container
or small building. Containers are cheap and secure, and can be purchased
with air conditioning, fans, lights, power wiring and connections, roll-up
doors and much more. They reduce RFI problems and can be made relatively
lightning-proof.
TT has experience in SS amps, and I would love to see them come out with a
state of the art product. The Japanese have never come close to Americans
when it comes to amplifiers. Great names like Collins, Drake, Heath, Ten
Tec, ETO/Alpha, BTI, Amp Supply, Henry, Dentron, Swan and others I have
forgotten, always had the 'big iron' the JA's could never duplicate!
Ron Castro
Chief Technical Officer
Results Radio, LLC
----- Original Message -----
From: <CATFISHTWO@aol.com>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 6:02 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Solid State Amps
>
> In a message dated 7/16/2006 4:27:23 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
> k5uj@hotmail.com writes:
>
> I'm not sure how many hams want a no-tune amp--tuning a tube plate to low
> Z
> doesn't really bother me that much, in fact I prefer to do it myself, not
> trusting some logic circuit to tune and load for me. however I know one
> of
> the great things about the PW-1 is that it follows the icom exciters
> making
> them 1 kw transceivers which I must admit is pretty nice. Also, it's
> easier to remote the amp when it's no-tune. But I think a lot of hams
> make
> buying decisions based primarily on the purchase cost. Since they
> aren't
> transmitting around the clock every day of the year, operating costs
> aren't
> that much of a consideration. If I transmitted all the time, a 90%
> efficient s.s. tx would be attractive to me. So, in other words, I
> understand the broadcast industry moving to s.s. but their reasons mostly
> do
> not apply to hams, at least for now. If a s.s. 1.5 kw ham amp or even a
> 1
> kw ham amp can hit the $3K mark, then things will change.
>
>
>
> =====================================================
>
> I have several solid state amps, a als 600, Ic2-kl and also several tube
> amps, a alpha 76 and an alpha 87 a. the one I use most is the alpha 87a.
> It is
> auto tune and tied together with the 3 ele steppir, and the Orion and my
> logger
> and I can literally point and soot . If I click on a telnet spot , the
> amp
> the radio and the antenna all tune there, and I make the contact. Very
> nice, and convenient.
>
> I also had a separate IC 2-KL for my 756 and an at500 so that was 600
> watts auto tune and sold them and kept the 746pro with my other 2-kl and
> at 500,
> so 3 of my hf rigs in the shack have autotune or auto band switching
> amps
> attached.
>
> I have had in the past every thing from sweep tube amps, and several
> Clipperton L's and a couple of 811 H's and als 500's and more. I talked
> with
> Elcraft about their new amp about this time last year but I guess they
> are still
> waiting for the FCC ok on it before going into production. .
>
> I know there is a " mystique" to the art of tuning an amp with the "dip
> the
> plate, peak the load " but it gets old real fast shooting dx or in a
> contest. I love the quiet switching on the orion and the alpha so working
> vox there
> is no click-clack, you just talk and it is either on or off. nice, like
> talking to someone sitting next to you.
>
> I would have bought the elcraft but I wanted one this past spring so I
> bought the Alpha 87 A and I really love it now. I would certainly use a
> legal
> limit solid state amp but they have to ship it first...
>
> any one to buy the alpha 76 A, manual tune, about 1200-1300 watts , local
> pick up please, $900 .. I don't use it much any more.
>
> tom N6AJR
>
>
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>
>
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