>
>Does anyone know of a magazine that wrote a review of the AL 1500 Amp?
>Articles from any paper would help.
>
Dan -- About a week ago, I had a conversation with the owner of an
AL-1500. He has experienced an 8877 failure as well as other problems.
He is sending me the kaput 8877 for testing and autopsy. I will publish
the results here. // There was also a bandswitch failure due to the lack
of forced air cooling on the switch. He added the needed fan when he
replaced the bandswitch. (the laugher is that the person who claims he
designed the AL-1500, pooh-poohed the Heath SB-220's cooling system -
which incorporates forced air cooling of the bandswitch)
One problem with Ham magazine reviews is that the magazine carrys
advertising for the same amplifiers they are reviewing. For example,
when was the last time you saw *QST* measure filament/heater volts in an
amplifier they reviewed? Would you consider it a problem if your
5v-rated $690 tube actually had 5.9v on the filament? (not the AL-1500).
The sad thing is that if QST started doing honest reviews again -- like
when George Grammer was at the helm -- its once good reputation would
pretty much be restored with the amateur radio community and the
manufacturers who are selling not-well-engineered products would either
make needed changes or lose sales. . -- this was the underlying message
in "The Nearly Perfect Amplifier" - and virtually Nobody got it.
(January-1994, QST Magazine).
cheers, Dan
end
- Rich..., 805.386.3734, www.vcnet.com/measures.
end
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