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Re: [Amps] RF2K+ LDMOS linear

To: <amps@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [Amps] RF2K+ LDMOS linear
From: "Jeff AC0C" <keepwalking188@ac0c.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2017 12:19:11 -0500
List-post: <mailto:amps@contesting.com>
I'm with Steve here. The old saw of "build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door" is almost always false because it's hard to believe the hype surrounding stuff. If an amp maker wants to crank up the sales in the US of their amps, by far the best way would be to put it in the hands of someone who has a good tech reputation in the community, can give it a serious contest workout and who also has the ability to do a basic IMD test.

There are many folks of that description. Before I shovel what is going to be nearly 8K into a box, I really would feel a lot better if I heard that they lived through a couple of contests over at W3LPL, etc and Frank said they hummed along fine. I'm using LPL as an example here. My point is advertising and social media and endorsements from guys in EU are a lot less meaningful than a country local here in the US.

Made the exact same argument to a Chinese maker when he was trying to get going but he unfortunately just could not wrap their head around the marketing aspect of a product roll out. The ham universe is pretty small - and an endorsement by someone objective and authoritative carries far more weight in this market than in others, especially given the huge financial investment something like this involves.

73/jeff/ac0c
www.ac0c.com
alpha-charlie-zero-charlie

-----Original Message----- From: Jim Thomson
Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2017 11:48 AM
To: amps@contesting.com
Subject: [Amps] RF2K+ LDMOS linear

Date: Sun, 04 Jun 2017 07:58:54 -0600
From: Steve London <n2icarrl@gmail.com>
To: amps@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [Amps] RF2K+ LDMOS linear

<I would not declare tube amplifiers dead until a legal limit, SS
amplifier repeatedly proves itself in serious contest conditions. I'm
not talking about the guy who casually makes 500 search-and-pounce
QSO's. I'm talking about the balls-to-the-walls, SO2R, all-band guy/gal
who operates close to 48 hours, running stations the entire time.
Mistakes happen under these conditions - ooops, forgot to change the
tornado tuner on the 80 when moving from 3700 to 3800, etc. Or, RF from
one amp gets into the other amp and fools it's microprocessor.

The only production SS amp that has come close to proving itself under
there conditions is the SPE line. Even they aren't perfect. See
http://www.3830scores.com/showrumor.php?arg=leadzTgmmcvix . That was an
SPE 2K. In all fairness to SPE, see
http://www.3830scores.com/showrumor.php?arg=lua4zPgqvqmsK . A pair of
SPE 1.3K's that worked flawlessly. (However, not at the legal limit.)

I would love to borrow a pair of these RF-Kit amps and put them to
serious use in one of my SO2R contest efforts.

73,
Steve, N2IC

##  High swr, so what, amp kicks offline at some pre-set threshold.
They are already in use across europe...in rtty contests.  Fans  are
pwm controlled, so heat is not an issue.   Eff is high at 65-70%.
IMD is typ –40db pep..using the newer german made LP filters.
Mark tells me these amps are 100% duty cycle rated, all modes.
If they survive a rtty contest, ssb + cw should be a lollygog.

## You are right though...  send some off to contest sites..and really beat
on em for the weekend. Tube amps days are numbered, the writing is on the wall.

Jim   VE7RF

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