At 07:51 PM 11/15/97 -0800, you wrote:
<snip>
>I know that there are alot of Alpha guys out there. Let me hear from
>you. Your comments and opinions are greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Herb - KG6OK
>
>herbr@netcom.com
>
Hi Herb. I'm going to meander off topic a bit . . . or maybe not.
Your original thread was something to the effect "What's the best HF
Amplifier?" and now it's narrowed a bit to request for comments from Alpha
87A owners.
I didn't comment on the original post, but I will now. I am convinced
that a pair of 3-500Zs in any amp (TenTec, Ameritron, Drake L4B, homebrew .
. . take your pick) is the way to go. Why? Well, you'll get 1400-1500 out
on a good day, the tubes are tough as heck, they are not very expensive and
easy to get. The Alpha types might win most of the contests, but if you
can afford an Alpha 87A, you likely can afford 4 and 5 element monoband
yagis at 100 feet or more. I don't think it makes too much difference if
you run 1500 or 3000 watts into a 205BA at 150 feet. You're gonna get
heard in either case. I doubt if many of the Alpha 87A types are running a
Cushcraft R7000 stuck on a pole in the backyard.
I can't comment on the reliability of Alphas as I never had one and
don't know anyone who has. Most of the DXers I know are running
middle-of-the-road amps and we work'em all. We sometimes have to call 2-3
times to beat out the guys with the monobanders and 3K. But we don't have
to call 20-25 times, either. If you need to make the QSO on the first
call, every time, you will need the clouds of aluminium at 150 feet and all
the power the mains will handle . . . and maybe a bit more.
Contesting is another story. If you are gonna hop from band to band to
catch multipliers and can't afford to wait to tune up, the microprocessor
memories and tuning in the Alphas is going to make or break you.
Nonetheless, were I to be camped out on a rock like Clipperton or on a
beach on Bora Bora, I'd rather have a couple of 3-500Z based amps than a
single Alpha. But, I'm a DXer, not a contester, so I look at it a bit
differently. And that's my two cents worth!
73/DX Paul VE1DX
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/ampfaq.html
Submissions: amps@contesting.com
Administrative requests: amps-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-amps@contesting.com
Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm
|