Alan Ibbetson wrote:
>While exchanging tall tales at the bar at the RSGB HF Convention over
>the weekend the discussion came round to the need for an amplifier
>specifically optimised for solo DXpedition use. The holy grail is 500W
>output on the HF bands at an all-up weight of around 10Kg. The well
>known semi-pro MOSFET amplifier on the market has a dreadful reputation
>for IMD and is pretty much unobtainable anyway. Thermionics seem more
>appropriate, but their power supplies are heavy.
>
>What is the listâ??s collected wisdom? Solid state? Valves, perhaps
>with SMPS? Theorising is OK (after all, it was a bar room discussion),
>but what would really get my attention is a URL to an actual example of
>500W/10Kg product.
Take a look at www.uksmg.org and find your way to G3WOS's description of
his 8877 DXpedition amp for 6m that fits into a pilot's carry-on case -
complete with 115/230V mains supply. If he can manage 1500W+ on one
band, it must be possible to fit 500W++ for 160-10m into the same
volume.
It must weigh more than 10kg, but our experience with musical
instruments is that on long-distance flights in large planes you can get
away with a heavy carry-on, provided it doesn't attract attention by
looking too big. On tiny planes, you have to be a lot more careful.
(Alan, sorry we didn't connect at the HF convention... we could have
made David's ears burn :-)
--
73 from Ian G3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
Editor, 'The VHF/UHF DX Book'
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek
|