Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2018 18:23:50 -0600
From: Jim Garland <4cx250b@miamioh.edu>
To: Amps group <amps@contesting.com>
Subject: [Amps] Flex Power Genius XL 2KW amplifier
<I had a conversation with Nate, one of the sales reps for the new
<FlexRadio "PowerGenius XL" solid state 2000W (ICAS) amplifier.
Unfortunately, I'm sorry to report that for CW operators such as myself,
the news is not very encouraging. The issues I inquired about
specifically were (1) T/R switching, (e.g., whether the amp used vacuum
relays or PIN diode switching); (2) Whether the 20 msec "warning" the
transceiver had to give the amplifier before sending RF to it was really
necessary. And (3) what the measured fan noise is and whether the fan(s)
used sleeve bearings (which to me normally means low reliability) or
high reliability ball bearings.
Nate tried to be helpful and did best he could, but couldn't provide
detailed answers on the spot. He promised to have one of the Flex
engineers call me, and I'll report back when I get the info. However, I
did learn that the amplifier uses non-vacuum, enclosed relays
manufactured by Finder, model 4052.9.012.0000, but I haven't been able
to track down the relay specs. The US distributor for Finder relays
appears to Platt Electric Co., an industrial electronics distributor
based in the western United States. Finder is a new name for me. The
company appears to make several small power plastic-encased relays
similar to other brands sold by Mouser, Digikey, Allied, etc.
Normally, one would want T/R switching time, including contact bounce to
be under roughly 10msec. Nate said that the amplifier is not designed
for QSK operation, which suggests that the T/R switching may not be as
quiet as many hams would like.
The PowerGenius XL was obviously designed to meet the needs of serious
SO2R contesters, but was evidently engineered without much input from
the (presumed much larger) pool of CW operators and contesters. To me
this problem is reminiscent of CW problems with some early Flex models.
Since then, Flex completely solved those problems with their 6000
Signature series of transceivers, which have superb CW capabilities. I
hope the CW issues with the new PowerGenius XL amplier can also be
addressed, because I've got my checkbook out and think it would sure
look swell on my operating desk next to my Flex 6300 and 6500 radios.
73,
Jim W8ZR
## The acom 600 and also acom 1000 wont run qsk,and neither have a built
in 2 kw rated auto tuner.
They will kick offline asap, as soon as swr reaches 1.5:1
## The german made B26 RF2K+ does not have QSK either, but does have an
option for a built in auto tuner.
The german amp only has one xcvr input.... but does have 4 x ant outputs.
Apparently they no longer use NFB.
Amp has 33 db gain, and can be ordered with a choice of input pad, like
3-13-16 db...all 100 watt rated. They
tried the diplexer approach, like the Power genious, but did not see any
improvement in IMD, etc. Power genious comes
with an internal 400 watt dummy load for the HP filter portion of their
diplexers. Power genius does not mention IMD,
I still dont know what it is. IMD on the german amp is –44 db pep..at 1.5 kw
out..and the amp covers 160-6m..including
warc bands.and also mars freqs.
## The noise on the power genius on their u tube demo.... I can hear the fans
screaming away, as soon as they start up on cw.
## german amp uses one fan for the 3 kw switching supply.... amp runs > 72
% eff in linear mode..and now comes with the
just released and newer BLF-189XR... a pair of em. Old version was the
BLF-188XR. One small 80mm fan used for the
myriad of LP filters..and also the auto tuner.
Two 120mm fans used in a push pull setup..pulling air in through the rear.
Tests show at 1.5 kw out, the noise level is 30 dba.
And ambient shack noise was 20 dba.... with the 1.5 kw amp shut off. Tester
compared that to his noisy KPA-500 which
measured a whopping 50 dba when run at 500 watts out cw.
## On the german amp, the 80mm fan..and the pair of 120mm fans are not
included. End user selects his own fans, depending on
selected end use... mode, etc, and also ambient shack temp. Regardless of
which fan is used, they all speed up as heat sink hits 50 deg C.
No where near the price tag of the other SS offerings..and a huge bang for the
buck..... but tr relays also require the aprx 15-20 20 msec operate
time..so no real qsk... not yet anyway. They could be modified with a vac
relay output and reed relay etc on the input side.
## Some fellow ran the german amp through a rtty contest..with zero issues.
Others have tested on 10M FM..and others have tested with AM.
The heat sink design, and decavitation chamber and fin setup is superb..and
well thought out. They use an internal raspberry pi processor to operate
the amp. The raspberry pi is not included, along with the fans..since it can
be procured cheaper locally..vs shipping from germany. Its a no solder kit,
which requires plugging n the myriad of internal cables, installing processor
board, and the 3 x fans of ur choice. Fans are 12 vdc. Folks have
experimented
and found which fans provide for min noise....and max airflow. They also
installed a spacer between the rear cab and rear fan... which further
increases
air flow.
## Depending on budget, and application, the german amp is one more option to
consider. It also has the SMA connector on the back apron to provide for the
now standardized.... pure signal output.... fed back to anan xcvrs... and
probably other xcvrs..as PS gets implemented with new xcvr offerings.
Pricing:
- RF2K+ Kit without Tuner 2550,-€
- RF2K+ Kit with Tuner 2850,-€
- 13dB;16dB or 3dB attenuator 22,-€
- Shipment to Canada 190,-€
Above is the quote I got for pricing. 1 euro is now $1.15 US funds.
Aprx $3500.00 US funds with all options, and shipping. A bargain
for what u get. The add in the 3 x fans + raspberry PI..which is dirt cheap .
I believe a gigavac GH1 spdt vac relay would easily fit in there. U can
get em In either 12 or 26.5 vdc. GH-1 is the same as a RJ-1A , HC-1,
etc.
https://rf-kit.de/en/2k_Kit.php
Jim VE7RF
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