Daniel N9wx said: "how much carrier can I safely get out of the 1200??" The AL-1200 will put out 375 watts of carrier under 100 percent modulation. Much more than that and the wattmeter will think things are fine but the scope will tell you that it's flattopping. I have several AL-1200's on AM and I like them, I think you will too. 73, Ken W2DTC