In a message dated 7/23/2007 12:21:44 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
garyschafer@comcast.net writes:
I have a drake L7 amp.
How much power out do you typically get from a drake L4 or L7 amp? I have 95
watts drive and get just short of 1100 watts on 40 meters.
The amp's wattmeter and a bird wattmeter with a brand new slug agree almost
exactly.
This seems a little low or is that about all that can be expected from the
3-500Z's. They run at 2450 volts on the plates and 230 ma grid current.
Thanks
Gary K4FMX
Hi Gary, Yup, that is about right 110-1200 watts out with around 100 watts
of drive. If you have a look at an AL-82, it will do about 1600 watts out
with 100 watts in. The difference is in the fact that the Ameritron AL-82
runs
the anode at about 3600-3700 volts. The extra plate voltage really makes the
3-500Z's play great. The "HOT" set up for the Drake L4 or L7 would be to
build up a better HV supply. The Drake tank circuit can take 4KV no problem.
But what you are seeing now is right on the money. You have to remember that
when the L4/L7 were made, the maximum power permissible by the FCC was ONE
KILOWATT DC INPUT. That being so, the amp companies did not run a pair of
3-500's to their full potential so they got by with wimpy power supplies. Put
a
good power supply on an L4 and it will perform nicely. Easy legal limit amp
plus. Oddly, the Drake RF deck makes a great conversion to an 8877 and
handles the 2KW easily.
73 Lou
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